What could Zhang Yemiao do? As the Dorm Leader—even if the title seemed meaningless in this other world—it still carried weight for the four of them. Like a father, he was meant to forgive them.

So if Zou Moan and Li Pingtian refused to share a tent with Wang Qi, he’d have to make the sacrifice himself.

He checked the description for his "Simple Tent" skill. It mentioned poor soundproofing but decent warmth. He focused on the soundproofing details: it only blocked noise under 30 decibels. *About the volume of a whisper… manageable.*

*Wait—what am I even preparing for?*

Glancing down at his clothes—the default newbie gear he’d spawned with—he used Mastery of Objects to inspect them. No stat bonuses. *Then why this getup?* A short skirt and stockings? *Practically begging to die.* He subtly eyed Wang Qi, who’d just followed him into the tent.

Zhang Yemiao curled up slightly, letting Wang Qi squeeze inside.

The tent was as cramped as it looked. If both lay down to sleep, pressing against each other was inevitable.

Becoming a woman had complicated Zhang Yemiao’s feelings. Back in the dorm, the other three knew he’d been one step from confessing to a girl—dates, movies, everything set. Then *this* happened…

Noticing Wang Qi shrinking into himself to save space, Zhang Yemiao smiled faintly. "Don’t worry about it. I’m not scared of you. Ping Tian and Mo An are just shy. Honestly, anyone could share a tent with you."

Wang Qi shook his head with a bitter smile. "It’s not that simple. You underestimate how attractive you all are now. I *know* who you are, but my body doesn’t. When desire kicks in… it’s not just about being ‘beastly’."

"So you won’t sleep?" Zhang Yemiao shot him a look and rolled onto his side, freeing up space.

Wang Qi hesitated. In the dim light, his golden-haired Dorm Leader blinked up at him. He lay down.

The tent *was* cramped. Wang Qi’s right arm pressed unavoidably against Zhang Yemiao’s body.

The softness and warmth radiating from the girl froze Wang Qi completely. Zhang Yemiao, too, tensed uncontrollably.

"Sleep on your side too."

Wang Qi shifted.

Sleeping sideways while facing the same direction felt awkward. Instinctively, they turned to face each other.

Zhang Yemiao nodded. "Let’s sleep."

Wang Qi murmured agreement and closed his eyes.

Ten minutes later…

"This is unbearable," Zhang Yemiao whispered. The real issue? He couldn’t move. Dorm beds were small, but he could still roll over. Here, he was pinned.

Wang Qi hadn’t slept either. He opened his eyes. "No mattress, no pillow, no room to shift… you’ll ache tomorrow. It’s unavoidable."

*Right. Nothing at all.*

*How am I supposed to sleep?* Zhang Yemiao hesitated. "You seem fine with it?"

Wang Qi nodded. "Physical Enhancement. Hard ground doesn’t bother me much. If I focus, I’ll drift off fast."

*…This Physical Enhancement was terrifyingly effective.*

Zhang Yemiao’s resolve crumbled. The ground dug into his—*her*—delicate frame. *Are girls just this fragile?*

"Lie down properly."

"Huh?"

"*Now!*"

Confused but obedient, Wang Qi stretched out flat.

To his shock, Zhang Yemiao grabbed his arm, rested her head on it, and pressed her whole body against him, weight settling onto his chest.

"Too heavy?" she murmured.

Wang Qi swallowed. He barely felt the weight—Physical Enhancement made him strong. But his senses were sharp. Through the fabric, he felt Zhang Yemiao’s heartbeat. Her warm breath ghosted over his arm.

Wang Qi’s body was firm, but nothing like the unyielding ground. *So much more comfortable…*

It *was* comfortable.

But… twenty minutes later.

"Dorm Leader… this makes it *worse*," Wang Qi finally choked out. He wasn’t complaining—he’d never been this close to a girl, not even the one he’d planned to confess to. For an upright young man, this was torture.

Rarely flustered, Zhang Yemiao’s voice turned sharp with embarrassment. "I-I don’t want to either! Why’s your breathing so loud?!"

Though Wang Qi’s chest was a little hard to rest on, holding him felt… nice. Just as he heard her heartbeat, she felt his—strong, steady *thump-thump* vibrating against her ear, impossible to ignore.

"*You’re* the one tense, Dorm Leader."

Zhang Yemiao lifted her head, straining to see his face in the dark. "No, *you* are! Your heart’s racing too!"

She said it boldly, certain he couldn’t see her flushed cheeks. *Why am I blushing like crazy?* Shame prickled her skin. *If he saw this, he’d never let me live it down.*

She didn’t realize her own voice trembled with shyness.

Wang Qi found it strangely thrilling.

*What’s with this Dorm Leader? So… cute. No, Wang Qi—hold it together. Just because she’s your Dorm Leader doesn’t mean you can— Humans aren’t beasts! The difference is… humans are in heat 365 days a— NO! Wrong!*

*The difference is reason. Use reason!*

"Let’s talk instead. Since we’re awake."

Wang Qi’s calm tone steadied Zhang Yemiao. She realized she’d overreacted. Resting her head back on his arm, she clung to him like a giant plushie.

"About what?" Her whisper brushed his neck. Wang Qi’s skin prickled. *Is she trying to tempt me?* He knew she wasn’t.

"Like… what next? You’ve got Mastery of Objects. What’s your plan?"

The question distracted Zhang Yemiao. After a pause: "I don’t know."

*You thought that long just to say ‘I don’t know’?*

Before Wang Qi could reply, Zhang Yemiao countered, "What about you? Physical Enhancement sounds… average. Compared to Mo An’s Divine Art Mastery or Ping Tian’s Magic Proficiency, it’s not impressive."

"I don’t need to be impressive." Wang Qi’s voice grew serious. "We were brought here for a reason—and it won’t be easy. I just want to survive. Get stronger. Earn money. Marry. Have kids. Grow old…"

Zhang Yemiao jolted upright. "You’re not going back?!" She clapped a hand over her mouth. *30 decibels… did the others hear?*

Wang Qi’s bitter laugh was soft. "Dorm Leader… going back is nearly impossible. Mo An’s spatial magic requires max-level Divine Art Mastery—and even then, it’s just ‘ultra-long-distance teleportation.’ Crossing worlds? Unlikely. Ping Tian’s Divine Art could contact a Deity, but would They help? Or…" He paused. "Can *you* forge a tool to take us home soon?"

Silence answered him.

"So I’m not counting on returning. Chasing that dream… it makes people reckless. Get killed doing stupid things. I just want to *live*. And honestly? Physical Enhancement *is* the weakest skill among us. I’m sure this world has martial artists stronger than me. I’m… replaceable. But you three? You can touch this world’s limits. That’s why I want to head for human settlements…"

A finger pressed against Wang Qi’s lips, silencing him.

Quiet filled the tent. Then, Zhang Yemiao’s voice, small and fragile: "Sleep. We’ll discuss tomorrow… all four of us."

Suddenly, the girl leaning against him felt heartbreakingly vulnerable.

Wang Qi’s hand twitched—then stilled. He closed his eyes. Slowly, he drifted into sleep.