I undid my twin tails, carefully peeled off my clothes, and folded them into the bucket nearby. Wearing only my underwear, I hesitated by the sink for a moment, then went back to my desk, grabbed my wallet, and pulled out the hot water card.

Stepping into the bathroom, I slid the card into the machine. The small screen instantly lit up: 10 yuan remaining.

I closed the door, turned on both cold and hot taps, and stood beneath the showerhead.

As warm water cascaded over my head and streamed down my body, I finally lost control—swiping a quick, secret tear from my cheek.

Those tears blended with the gentle flow of tap water, washing over the whole world.

*"The only places you can cry are the bathroom and your father’s arms."* — Clannad

Why did becoming a girl make me so sensitive about emotions?

Even though… I’d already lived through something like this once.

Even though… in my past life, I hadn’t shed a single tear after graduating college.

Right then, the gruesome memory of my parents’ accident overlapped with Grandpa’s face in the hospital room just moments ago.

In my past life, my parents were driving home at night—going the wrong way—and slammed head-on into a delivery truck.

It was a holiday. Maybe they rushed to see me sooner. Or maybe, seeing no traffic police, they took a reckless chance. They broke the rules.

Wrong-way driving—their fault. The crash scene was too horrific to describe.

“Xiao Rui, c’mon! What happened after you yelled at him?”

“I yelled, he let go. Looked all sulky, then told bystanders we were ‘just playing around’ like boyfriend and girlfriend.”

“Ugh, who’s *his* girlfriend?! Sixty yuan for a face mask set isn’t even enough! I gave him two hours cheap—and he still pushed his luck?!”

Muffled chatter from the dorm seeped through the bathroom door.

I shut off the shower, squeezed body wash onto the loofah, lathered it up, and began scrubbing.

“Seriously though—why are guys so… *that* way? Is it just biology?”

“I see hot guys all the time and never feel like touching them…”

“Ask Mengya. She *knows*.”

“Huh? Why me again?”

My hand stilled mid-scrub over my chest.

*What… did a guy’s body even feel like?*

I glanced down at my flat stomach.

Hmm… just… an extra part there?

But what did it *feel* like?

Weird. I couldn’t remember.

Somehow, this smooth shape felt natural now—*right*. Anything extra would feel… off.

Vaguely recalled guys dealing with morning wood or accidental… *situations* in public. Awkward.

Girls skip that hassle. Just trade it for monthly cycles.

Ugh… what am I even thinking about…

“You should ask Xue. She’s *always* with guys. Rumor says Class 2, Software Engineering’s Bi Xinxue dates different men every day—probably already…”

“Shh! Xue’s showering.”

“Oh… keep it down.”

“Xue’s had it rough. I took one order today—that guy made my skin crawl. First time meeting someone that gross.”

“I told you! Your gamer boyfriend earns decent cash. Just wait till he’s free, then get him to treat you to milk tea.”

I…

Hearing them, I cupped my chest gently.

Do I *look* like someone who sleeps around?

…Though these feel… a little bigger lately?

I gave them a light squeeze.

Ugh. If they grow more, my sailor uniform won’t fit. Running’ll be annoying too.

Still growing in college? What genes *are* these…?

Or… better sleep, good meals, exercise… triggered a second growth spurt?

“Does Xue even have a boyfriend?”

“Doubt it. If she’s doing this for money, would a boyfriend allow it?”

“But Chen Xiaorui’s boyfriend just watched her go!”

“Different. Her boyfriend’s like our Mengya—zero normal logic. Don’t overthink it.”

Rinsed off soap, washed my hair, cleansed my face, scrubbed every inch. Shut off the water. Dried with a towel. Smoothed on lavender-scented lotion. Slipped into soft pajamas. Opened the door.

One thing’s true: a girl’s body senses the world sharper.

The whisper of fabric brushing skin.

Cool autumn air teasing beneath my skirt hem.

Lavender lotion drifting near my nose.

Night wind humming past the balcony.

“I *feel* like someone’s gossiping about me behind my back.”

I returned to my desk, smiling. “Let me guess… Xiao Rui, the sleepy turtle who naps all day?”

“Not me! Huijie said you’ve got a harem across Vanilla City—even buying milk tea gets you three ‘bosses’!” Chen Xiaorui protested from her bed, phone in hand.

“Huijie?” I tiptoed to Song Huijie’s bunk. “Got your eye on one of my bosses?”

Huijie was the toughest roommate to handle. Xiaorui shared my class. Yuqing was sweet. Qi, shy and simple. Mengya? A Zhou Shuyi clone—could livestream in a bikini and make guys swear off lust. But Huijie… blunt, nosy, low-empathy. “Boyish,” people called it.

“Uh…” She peeked out, then ducked back. “You’re so lewd! No bra!”

“We’re all girls.” I sat at my desk. “Yuqing and Mengya don’t wear one either. Sleeping in bras is uncomfortable.”

*(Truth: these feel tighter lately. Old bras suffocate.)*

“Xue… seriously no boyfriend?” Yuqing glanced back from *Jianwang 3*, still doing street promos. “Maybe get one? My friend sees you always eating cheapest cafeteria meals. A boyfriend’d ease the budget…”

*A wallet boyfriend?*

Sweet intention… but wow, transactional.

“I’m good like this.” I powered on my laptop. “Anyway, I’ve got Xiao Rui. If I get lonely, she can be my boyfriend.”

“HEY! Be *your* wallet? No way!” Xiaorui yelped.

“Solid plan,” Mengya cleared her throat. “Xiaorui’s boyfriend Ye Qing earns two-three grand monthly. Share him! He treats Xue to dinner.”

“HOLY CRAP MENG YA SHUT UP! Every time you open your mouth—creepy stuff!”

“Pffft—your morals are *so* twisted. Poor guys…”

“Back to topic! How *does* that thing work? Swells, shrinks… no bones?”

“Blood flow. Same principle as your chest.”

“My chest?! What principle?!”

“If you don’t know… never mind.”

“…”

*Sigh.* I shook my head at these perverts, grabbed the mouse, and began cleaning Xinxue’s laptop.

XX Defender? Gone.

XX Guard? Deleted.

XX Antivirus? Bye.

Battery savers? Trash.

Classic “girl’s laptop”—bundled junk everywhere. China’s software laws still messy. One install chains ten more.

*[Uncheck boxes below to skip unwanted software]*

Ugh. Even uninstallers play word games to sneak in shady apps and trashy web games.

After clearing the clutter, I downloaded a writing app and input method, logged into QQ.

*Ding ding ding ding ding…*

Twenty+ friend requests. 99+ messages. All ignored for a day.

“Hey beautiful, wanna meet?”

“How much? Are you a ‘fuli ji’?”

“Accept please?”

Worse than before—blunter, cruder.

“No dates. Orders via Hua Li Mao.”

“Yes, ‘fuli ji’. 20 billion yuan per session. One-time purchase.”

“Private QQ. Not adding friends. Thanks.”

I messaged Lu Yun from Nan Ni District:

“Hi. For tomorrow’s date—where exactly?”

Reply came fast: “Nan Ni Minzu Cinema on Haifeng Road South. Yesterday’s film’s gone.”

“What’s playing today?”

"*Your Name*, *Inception*, *Pacific Rim*—all evening showings.”

“You pick. I’ll transfer after arrival.”

“No way I’d let a girl pay for tickets. But… you sure *I* choose?”

“Mm.”

“Alright. Booking now.”

I closed the chat window. Glanced back at Xiaorui’s group still debating anatomy. Opened the writing app. Paused. Created a new file. Typed the title:

**I Became a Girl!**