"Don't react. And don't look back again." Qingruo had clearly noticed them too, yet her voice remained unnaturally calm.

True, from Yedi’s perspective, a few unknown stalkers wouldn’t matter—but now in this female form, Tiyi lacked experience handling such situations.

"Senpai, they’re still following us. What do they want?" Tiyi whispered.

"Come closer now. Link arms with me," Qingruo suddenly instructed.

"Eh?"

Tiyi froze in confusion. Why this sudden request? What was the point?

Sensing her hesitation, Qingruo murmured, "Linking arms should shake them off. Do as I say. I’ll explain slowly."

"H-how exactly…?"

"Can’t even do this? Or would you prefer them watching us enter a lingerie store, then getting cornered at the exit?"

"Understood…"

Tiyi stepped close, head lowered. Her hand hovered, trembling slightly.

*Act natural, Tiyi!* she scolded herself inwardly.

She slid one hand under Qingruo’s arm, the other joining with deliberate grace until both arms were firmly linked.

She could swear to the gods—if they still listened—that this was the first time in Tiyi’s life she’d ever walked arm-in-arm with someone.

To link arms properly meant leaning in; otherwise, it’d look forced…

Resigned, Tiyi pressed her body against Qingruo’s, feeling the deep softness of her own chest against the senpai’s arm.

Higher up, Qingruo’s arm radiated gentle warmth. With each step, it rubbed and pressed against Tiyi’s chest—until she felt her very heart tethered to that arm.

Tiyi lifted her gaze. At this proximity, from this angle… it felt like lovers walking together.

*This is how a woman looks at her lover, isn’t it?* Yedi would never have experienced this—not out of choice, nor necessity. Even if he’d broken his vows for love.

But what was she now?

Why was she clinging to the woman she’d once secretly loved, like a girlfriend?

Tiyi’s thoughts tangled like her hair in the gloomy breeze.

"Senpai… what’s the point of this?" Tiyi murmured, forced to endure the friction of Qingruo’s arm swinging against her chest with every step—as if stirring her heart itself.

"We’ll see the effect soon," Qingruo replied, eyes fixed ahead like the one responsible for guiding their path. "Those men are just local thugs. Our attire makes them wary of our status—they won’t dare act rashly."

"They’re likely just hoping to chat us up. If we pretend to be a couple of sisters, they’ll back off. Thugs aren’t scary, but constant fights are tiresome. This should lose them." Her long lashes fluttered as her bright eyes glinted.

"I-I see…" Tiyi admitted the logic made sense—but why must she play the *girlfriend*? Couldn’t she be the "boyfriend" instead?

Tiyi wasn’t petty, but this wasn’t about fussiness. It was about core identity.

"Tiyi, could you act a little more convincingly?" Qingruo’s soft reminder cut through her thoughts.

"Eh?"

*What more do you want? Try it yourself!* Tiyi felt wronged. She wasn’t a real girl—playing "girlfriend" was already a stretch. Even in Witch Church classes on seduction arts (which she’d skipped half-heartedly), they’d never taught this innate feminine instinct!

"Hesitating like this? If they spot the act, all this is wasted," Qingruo stated bluntly.

*Sigh…* Tiyi’s eyes dimmed with silent despair. *What exactly should I do…?*

Qingruo gave no answer—only pressure. If the stalkers saw through them, she’d cause the senpai trouble.

A tremor surged from deep within—not quite instinct, yet undeniable. It pushed Tiyi to abandon all pretense of masculine dignity. She leaned fully against Qingruo, her delicate frame melting into the senpai’s shoulder. Her cheek brushed the crisp white uniform, breathing in its subtle scent.

Tiyi blushed.

A blush startlingly real, yet strangely unreal.

Deep in her mind’s core, even her resolve to reclaim her rightful place as a man felt… softened.

*Shameless…*

The words weren’t spoken aloud. Tiyi cursed herself inwardly.

Yet that self-reproach only made her crave comfort more. Her lips brushed lightly against Qingruo’s shoulder.

This contradiction—this clash of inner turmoil and outer sensation—wasn’t entirely unpleasant to her body…

Qingruo’s gaze grew hazy, yet controlled. Searching for something even she couldn’t name. Both had night-dark hair, but Qingruo seemed born knowing how to move through shadows.

Tiyi wasn’t just linking arms now—she was clinging. Qingruo subtly withdrew her arm, then looped it around Tiyi’s waist from behind.

In that instant, Tiyi felt the world shift. Her waist—sensitive even for a girl—registered every contour of Qingruo’s slender, strong fingers claiming her.

From behind, the pose exaggerated Tiyi’s delicate waist and the dramatic curve of her figure.

*This is grace.* Held by her senpai, she embodied it.

*She guides my steps. My direction is her gaze. My gaze is fixed on her profile.*

*What am I doing?*

*This… is just to avoid thugs, right? Only that.*

So she leaned into Qingruo’s perfect, statuesque frame, walking deeper into the unsettling, mist-choked town.

The air was cold, but Qingruo’s warmth seeped into her. For now, Tiyi didn’t want to think—only to feel the safety of this embrace.

*Why?*

A silent shock rippled through her. Was she truly tasting what it meant to be a "girlfriend"?