"No, I’m raising a daughter."

"Oh? Caught me?" Mrs. Wang stroked her face in embarrassment, waving her other hand at Tang Zhe. "Raising kids, you know—no big deal, right? Oh-ho-ho-ho～～～"

Rai... raising children...

Tang Zhe roughly grasped her meaning and felt even sorrier for Li Mo.

"Auntie Wang, I think... Li Mo’s a grown man. This ‘raising kids’ plan feels a bit... off."

"I have no choice..."

Sadly, this child-raising was her last resort. Treating a delicate boy like a daughter was cute, but forcing a lovely girl to live as a boy? Not impossible, just not their style. So, no choice.

"No choice??"

Tang Zhe was even more shocked.

To him, Auntie Wang’s helplessness had one cause: Li Mo was deeply hooked and couldn’t quit.

Thinking back—Li Mo buying little clothes willingly, wearing girls’ outfits in public... That girl he’d met while shopping was her! And the room cluttered with scattered personal items mixed into uniforms and neutral clothes. No normal boy’s room looked like that. Unless he was an otaku.

All proof! Li Mo’s fault! A total cross-dresser!

"Ah, you must be tired."

Though Mrs. Wang shared blame for dressing Li Mo in skirts as a kid, her grown son was still obsessed—and seemingly unfixable (as Tang Zhe imagined). As a parent, she must be exhausted. Ah.

Li Mo stepped out in her school uniform. Her shoulder-length black hair was tied in a small braid. Fine—many boys wore it, though rare for high schoolers. Odd the school didn’t stop her, but whatever. Best for her.

Right now, she wanted to kill the intruder in her room.

"Let’s go!" she barked at Tang Zhe.

"Skipping breakfast?"

"No time."

"Weren’t you dawdling?"

"Silence suits you!"

"Oh."

Li Mo’s murderous aura instantly cowed Tang Zhe. His mom watched happily. At least her little girl wouldn’t be bullied after marriage. Tang Zhe seemed henpecked—poor guy. But since it was her daughter? Not so poor.

...

...

"What’s wrong with you today?"

Tang Zhe’s stare had felt weird all the way. She got it—he’d seen her room, so suspicion was natural. Her mom should’ve covered, though probably with some odd excuse. Still, his gaze was too... intense. Like a pervert trying to see through her uniform.

Even she wanted to cover her chest and turn away.

"Nothing. Eyes itch." Tang Zhe rubbed them, playing dumb.

Yeah, right.

Li Mo doubted his sexuality. Or maybe her cuteness had turned him gay. A bit narcissistic... just a tiny bit.

She knew she was somewhat pretty. After Wang Ziheng called her cute last night, she’d shamelessly... admired herself. Honestly, a little cute. So turning Tang Zhe straight was possible! Terrifying!

"You’re not interested in my body, are you?"

"Who’d want a guy’s body!" Tang Zhe denied it, face flushing red. He turned away, then swiveled back with a sleazy grin. "But if you let me ‘study’ it for research? I’m curious how a guy grows so short."

"You’re short!"

She kicked—he dodged. Tang Zhe grinned and ran off. Only Li Mo waited in the stadium stands; others joined the ceremony.

Late September weather was weird. After summer’s sudden chill, it felt like winter. Li Mo, in just a shirt under her uniform, shivered in the cold wind.

Tang Zhe’s oversized jacket lay nearby...

Screw it!

She grabbed it, zipped up. The collar covered her mouth, hands tucked in sleeves. Warmer.

Hope he didn’t think her a creep this time. Last time scared him, but now she was genuinely cold. As buddies, borrowing was normal.

Though Tang Zhe, a straight guy, was cleaner than her. Students got two uniforms, but he changed daily—washing, drying, rotating. His slight OCD was real.

The high collar carried laundry scent. But underneath... a unique personal smell. Not sweat. Not unpleasant.

Li Mo unconsciously kept her nose near the collar, eyes on the field but mind drifting.

They’d been fine before. But since Tang Zhe came to her house today, things felt off. He still teased her, but the distance... subtly wider. She sensed it.

Worry gnawed. Today she’d played dumb, her mom covered—but secrets couldn’t stay hidden. If this changed things now, what about later...?

Sitting unfocused in the cold wind, Li Mo blocked out the world. Passing students and teachers thought some girl was daydreaming of love. Modern youth were open-minded—no one cared. But her classmates? They’d think differently.