After the little imp flew off, Xiao You didn’t leave right away.

She checked her reflection on her phone—and instantly felt a flush of shyness.

“No wonder… at my age, wearing twin tails is *so* embarrassing…”

She undid the freshly tied twin tails. Her long hair, freed from its bonds, fluttered slightly in the night breeze. The girl with flowing locks carried a quiet, unique charm.

She’d come to the library rooftop for the same reason as always: after tonight’s awkward moments, she needed space to settle her emotions.

Time rewound over an hour. Shi Wuyou’s entire class had gathered in the gym for a team-building activity—part of freshman orientation. Simple goal: deepen bonds, build rapport, foster unity.

Yeah, just another well-worn routine.

Xiao You knew the drill. She’d been through it before. Started fine with classmates… then drifted away after her “eccentric” quirks surfaced. Probably the same this time…

Still, a small relief: Ning Shuang hadn’t seemed put off by last night’s incident.

Under the teacher’s direction, the 25 students formed a circle by holding hands.

Boys linked hands on one side, girls on the other—shy teens avoiding cross-gender contact.

Which left two unlucky souls to bridge the gap. Xiao You was one.

She felt only a hint of shyness. But the boy meant to hold her hand—Luo Ling—trembled violently as he reached out. *Did he have Parkinson’s?*

She remembered Luo Ling vaguely: his class intro was one sentence long. More importantly—he was from Lanxi City too, shared the “Luo” surname, and looked strikingly like Xiao Luo. Could he be *that* Xiao Luo?

His answer disappointed her. Yet a trace of hope lingered—he might’ve just forgotten. Ten years was a long time.

Either way, she’d treat him like any new classmate.

Xiao You gently took his trembling hand. At this rate, he’d shake for half an hour.

“You seem really nervous? It’s okay. Just breathe,” she murmured.

“Mm… thanks…” Luo Ling replied, cheeks already tinged pink.

*Way too shy… Nothing like my Xiao Luo.* Back then, *he’d* confidently held *her* hand and walked miles with her. Thinking of it now made her flustered. But… we were kids. No big deal.

Outsiders might call her obsessed—clinging to a single childhood meeting for ten years.

But only Xiao You knew: Xiao Luo had a pull. Maybe because he was the only one who believed her “weird” stories. Or because he was the most beautiful boy she’d ever seen. She couldn’t name it—but his face, voice, smile? Etched deep in her heart.

After her words, Luo Ling calmed slightly—though his hand still quivered.

Funny… his hand wasn’t rough or thick like she’d imagined a boy’s would be. Delicate. Slender. Almost girlish. She kept that thought silent—he’d probably hate hearing it.

Once the circle was complete, the class walked counterclockwise around the center. Then—Xiao You tripped.

Domino effect. Several tumbled down. Momentary chaos.

Thankfully, the mat was soft. No injuries.

“Everyone okay?” the teacher called.

Students stood up one by one—except Xiao You and Luo Ling.

She was on top. He was beneath her.

She hadn’t expected this shy boy to cushion her fall. But her mind short-circuited—their faces were *so* close.

Breaths mingled. Heartbeats thundered. Blood rushed. Cheeks burned.

Both frozen. Overloaded.

Only the teacher’s voice snapped her back. She scrambled up, ending the agony.

Luo Ling rose dazed, swaying slightly. *Is he… this pure?*

Now, under the star-dusted sky, Xiao You tried to calm herself. It wasn’t working.

She’d glimpsed mysterious beings before—but never *connected*. They always fled. Every time.

Tonight’s Succubus spoke… yet clearly disliked her. Parting turned sour. Hostile.

Mixed emotions swirled: joy at finally *talking* to one… dread at making a demon an enemy.

“Haa… It’s fine. Xiao Luo said I’m ‘the chosen one.’ Maybe I *am* meant to save the world. I’ll be okay… I will…”

She hugged herself tighter, whispering into the wind.

————

Luo Ling slipped into the dorm at 10:30 PM.

After handling his troublesome physiological needs, he sank back into that drained state. Rested outside awhile to spare his roommates worry—hence the lateness.

“Ugh… didn’t expect things to sour with Shi Wuyou… Guess I got too deep in character… But damn, that act felt *so* good!” Ling Luo murmured smugly.

In the bathroom, she scrubbed her clothes. Her tail held freshly washed panties, drying them with magic.

“Anyway—someone that justice-driven won’t sign a demon contract. And she’s on bad terms with the Succubus Princess now. What’s that to *me*, the ‘model student’ Luo Ling? Focus on tomorrow.”

She scrubbed harder, a smirk playing on her lips.