And so, very much against my will, I was dragged onto the street by Xu Wanrou. The embarrassing girls' clothes were bad enough, but what really got to me were the passersby—some openly, some subtly—staring right at me. My guilty conscience flared. I kept my head slightly lowered, my small hands nervously pressed against my crotch through the soft fabric of the dress, terrified someone might discover I was just a cross-dressing weirdo.

Just then, Xu Wanrou took my left hand firmly in hers. Her gentle voice reached my ears: "Tongtong, I know it’s been ages since you wore girls' clothes, so you’re nervous. But honestly? You look stunning. Those stares? They’re just people admiring you. A pretty girl is a sight to behold—you should hold your head high, not be so shy!"

Gradually, I noticed most onlookers really were just gazing with appreciation, even awe. If they were girls, a trace of envy sometimes flickered in their eyes. No one seemed to suspect anything. My shoulders relaxed. I lifted my chin and tried walking normally again.

We spent the next hours hopping between stores. At an accessories shop, Xu Wanrou bought a hair clip printed with a cute little rabbit and clipped it onto my hair. She squealed, "So kawaii!" and snapped photos. In clothing boutiques, she picked out several adorable outfits for me to try on. We didn’t buy them, but photos were mandatory.

Truth was, I rarely went shopping. The few times I did, it was always with He Wei—that chubby little hippo. How could he ever compare to a sweet-voiced, fragrant girl my age? Right now, I felt like I was on my very first date: heart pounding wildly, palm sweating as I tightly held her soft hand, mind racing with sweet, fluttering thoughts.

Luckily, Xu Wanrou seemed oblivious. To her, my behavior was just extreme shyness. We’d been classmates for over two years, after all. Once past the initial awkwardness, we easily found common ground—class gossip, teacher rants, college applications—and chatted like old friends.

Then, during dinner at a restaurant, the unexpected happened. In walked someone I knew. On the left was my little angel, Chen Jiayi. And the brute holding her hand? Qin Haoming.

Chen Jiayi was my old classmate. Qin Haoming had met me once. Panic shot through me—if they discovered me in a dress, I’d die of shame.

By sheer bad luck, Chen Jiayi and Xu Wanrou seemed friendly. Chen Jiayi approached our table alone: "Wanrou! Fancy meeting you here. Who’s your friend?"

That "friend" was, of course, me. Too nervous to face my angel, I kept my eyes glued to my plate, pretending to focus on eating.

But Xu Wanrou, bless her low emotional intelligence, gently nudged my foot under the table. "Tongtong! It’s rude to ignore someone asking your name."

I forced my head up and managed a stiff smile. "Hi. I’m Wanrou’s good friend. I’m… uh, Lin Xueqi. My nickname’s Tongtong. You can call me that too."

(Lin Xueqi was my elementary school desk-mate’s name—a quick cover.)

"Wow, such a beauty! You’re in high school too, right? Which school?"

*My angel… I hate lying to you!* Thankfully, Xu Wanrou finally sensed my distress and cut in: "Alright, alright! Tongtong’s just shy. And hey—you should keep an eye on your boyfriend!"

She was right. Since I’d looked up, Qin Haoming hadn’t taken his eyes off me. Chen Jiayi noticed too. After a few polite words, she returned to "that brute," whispering urgently. Qin Haoming nodded along but kept sneaking glances my way.

*Typical. That Qin guy’s got a wandering eye. If I had my angel, I’d never look at another girl.*

"Relax," Xu Wanrou leaned closer, lowering her voice. "You look nothing like the boy ‘Wu Tong’ now. No one will recognize you. Though…" she smirked, "your charm’s working overtime. You’ve almost stolen someone’s boyfriend."

"But I didn’t do anything!"

"Eh, men are like that. See a pretty new face, and they want to flirt."

"I’m not like that!"

"Haha! Tongtong, you’ve played a boy for so long, you’re starting to think like one too…"

---

At 8 PM, I followed Xu Wanrou back to her apartment. My old clothes had already been washed and dried. I slipped into the bathroom to change, then carefully put on the cleaned Skin Mask and one-way mirror glasses.

Xu Wanrou walked me all the way to the gate of her housing complex. She held my hand, reluctant to let go. "Tongtong, today was amazing. Having a new best friend, a sister… it means so much. Don’t worry—your secret’s safe with me. And honestly?" She beamed. "You’re born to be a girl. Wearing boys' clothes is such a waste. Come over anytime to dress up again. No one will find out!"

"T-thank you, Senior Wanrou…" I replied softly.

(We’d exchanged birthdays while shopping. She was two months older and insisted I call her "Senior.")

Walking home, my heart filled with conflicting emotions.

I liked Chen Jiayi—but that pig surnamed Qin had already claimed her. Winning her back wouldn’t be easy.

As for Xu Wanrou… she was undeniably beautiful, our class’s official "flower." Of course I had thoughts. Earlier, I’d realized her "cold" act around boys was just a front. She was actually lively, chatty, and fun—a girl who made you want to be near her. My feelings for her had grown.

But she was utterly convinced I was a girl. Romance? Impossible…

*Sigh. Even an ordinary high schooler has too many worries.* At home, I skipped homework (Sunday could wait) and sank into meditation. Some things just had to unfold step by step.

Thinking back, my social circle was pathetically small. Since middle school, it’d just been me and He Wei. Class trips? We stuck together. Buying stationery? Always with him. We were inseparable—true bros.

Other classmates? I barely knew their names. Talking to girls for more than a minute? Never happened. A textbook shut-in.

But I’d always been quiet, hating attention. My dream life? Graduate from a decent university, find a decent girlfriend, marry, work a stable job, raise kids, retire, play with grandkids, stroll parks, practice tai chi… like my late grandfather. A peaceful, ordinary life.

That was my plan. Not because I lacked ambition—my Wu family had always valued simplicity. My parents drilled "ordinary is true happiness" into me.

But now… I had a feeling that quiet life was about to shatter.