"Mmm..."

Qin Fan slowly opened his eyes.

"!"

He actually... he was staring at an adorable girl with a curvy figure and long legs!

In my eighteen years of life, I’ve never seen such a stunning girl this close. So I have to say...

"Will you go out with me?!"

"Eh?"

The girl seemed startled, frozen in place.

"D-Darling... all this time... you didn’t think we were already dating? We were... we were about to start doing... you know... intimate stuff..." As she spoke, a tear welled up at the corner of her eye.

"N-No! I was just half-asleep! You misunderstood!" Qin Fan’s heart thumped wildly.

*Damn, almost messed up...*

He felt a surge of pride at his own quick thinking.

"R-Really?"

"Really!" Qin Fan answered firmly.

"Darling..." The girl slowly closed her eyes, puckered her lips, and leaned toward his.

Qin Fan felt an invisible force pushing him from behind, whispering: *Kiss her! Kiss her!*

"............" He surrendered to his desire, shut his eyes, and met her lips...

...........................................................................

One second into the kiss, Qin Fan suddenly sensed murderous intent—directed squarely at himself!

"!!!"

He snapped his eyes open. Inches from his face was an even more beautiful face than the girl’s.

"You pervert! Disgusting gay!"

"Ptooey!"

"Hmph!"

Lixin ignored Qin Fan’s limp form on the bed, threw the bandages and medical tape in his face, and stormed out of the infirmary.

"Whoa... total perv. Never knew you were into cross-dressers, Qin Fan?"

Another familiar voice cut in. Qin Fan turned his head to the right bed and saw Cleyna—her right arm and left leg both in casts.

Her face showed no trace of pain, only mocking amusement.

"Cleyna?! What are you doing here? Where am I?!"

"The infirmary, dumbass. I saw your whole kiss-play with that ‘girl’~"

"Don’t call me gay! It was a misunderstanding! Stop spreading rumors! Forget it!"

Poor guy. His bandages were only half-wrapped before he got smacked. After draining his abilities, he’d barely gathered enough strength to yell.

"Pfft... pfft... No way. That scene’s burned into my brain forever~" Cleyna tapped her temple playfully with her free hand.

"Ahhh, you bastard! I’m traumatized—my first kiss went to *him*!"

"Settle down, Qin Fan. Don’t worry, we won’t judge your... preferences. But maybe... take it slow with Lixin? Let her adjust..." A voice came from the other bed.

"Elwin saw it too?! Why does everyone misunderstand?!"

Inside, they teased Qin Fan relentlessly. Outside, no one saw Lixin crouched by the door.

From a third-person view, her face—from forehead to neck—was flushed crimson, burning hot.

*What’s wrong? My face is so hot... ears too... Ahh, am I blushing? Heart’s racing... ugh... all Qin Fan’s fault... idiot... pervert!*

After living as a girl for so many years, she still felt these basic emotions. Especially when she heard Qin Fan lamenting his first kiss going to "him." Her heart ached—he kissed her, then acted like it disgusted him...

But her final shout of "pervert" might’ve been too loud.

"See, Qin Fan? Lixin’s still calling you a pervert. You’ve got your work cut out for you."

"Oh, f*ck!"

...........................................................................

Ten minutes later, Lixin returned. A faint blush still lingered on her cheeks. She lifted Qin Fan’s upper body, picked up the scattered bandages, and resumed wrapping his wounds.

"Um... Lixin..."

Sensing her rough movements, Qin Fan knew she was still angry. He didn’t even dare use his usual nickname "Little Sister Li."

Lixin ignored him completely, face darkening as she worked.

"Li—"

Before he could finish, she dropped the bandages and left. She was done.

*What’s with her? Overreacting much?*

Qin Fan was baffled.

"Why’s she acting like such a girl?" Cleyna remarked—a question phrased like a statement.

"Your love life’s messy. I’m sleeping." Elwin gave up and rolled over.

...........................................................................

"At least they get beds. I’m stuck sleeping in the park..."

Still fuming, Lixin sat on her usual spot—the bench by the school pond.

After the battle, others whose dorms were destroyed had moved to emergency tents. With infirmary beds full and no close friends to help her snag one, she’d ended up here.

Midnight deepened. Exhaustion from the day’s fights, plus her natural laziness, washed over her. She fought sleep briefly before collapsing onto the bench.

So the next morning, she caught a fever.

Seeing the unnatural flush on Lixin’s cheeks, Qin Fan thought she was still angry. "Hey, Lixin... I really didn’t mean it yesterday. Are you still mad?"

"Shut up... eat your breakfast..."

Her head throbbed and spun. Barely able to stand, she set three breakfast trays on the bedside table and tried to sit on the stool to rest. But her legs gave out as she stepped back.

"Whoa! Hey!"

After a night’s rest, Qin Fan had regained some strength. He lunged up and caught her before she fell.

"What’s wrong?"

Lixin’s eyes were shut, her face feverish as she struggled to breathe. He pressed a hand to her forehead.

"Damn, you’re burning up!"

With the others still asleep, he had no choice. He propped her on the stool, let her slump onto the bed, then carefully shifted her to lie down. *I’m fine—just weak for a few days. The sick should have the bed.*

"Seriously, what did you do last night? Fever out of nowhere."

He gently lowered her down.

But as he pulled his arm back after settling her...

His hand brushed against something strange.

Soft... and springy...

Huh? What?!