Time slipped by gently, and before long, the weekend arrived. This was the day Feng Yijiu and Zhou Wenyao had planned to meet.

The city library stood just a short distance from Feng Yijiu’s home. For her, no special prep was needed—she simply slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, grabbed a plain outfit at random, and headed out.

“Yijiu, will you be back for lunch?” Cen Man called out as she left.

“Probably not.”

Feng Yijiu patted Little Orange, waved to Cen Man, and smiled. “Sister Manman, I’m off!”

Arriving at the library on her bike, she spotted Qingqing and Zhou Wenyao already waiting. “Yijiu, over here!”

“Sigh… I feel like you’d look even cuter in something more feminine,” Qingqing said with a hint of regret, eyeing Feng Yijiu’s androgynous style.

Feng Yijiu offered only a polite smile.

“Alright, let’s go in,” Zhou Wenyao said, nodding toward the forming queue. “We’ll do homework here this morning. You brought yours, right?”

“Mm.” Feng Yijiu nodded.

“Perfect. Let’s wrap up by noon. Then we can stroll the pedestrian street—there’s a new dessert shop, supposed to be amazing, and it’s half-price for the grand opening…” Zhou Wenyao counted points on her fingers while outlining the plan.

Feng Yijiu felt oddly out of sync beside the two bubbly girls. *Why do girls love shopping so much…?*

She genuinely didn’t get it. To her, clothes had only three traits: fit, comfort, warmth. Meet all three? Good enough. Honestly, she preferred slightly worn pieces—those lingering between “usable” and “trash.” Back in her past life, friends joked that if everyone dressed like her, clothing factories would collapse. Even now as Feng Yijiu, little had changed—except maybe adding one new filter: *Does it look girly?*

Hearing “shopping” was the afternoon plan, her feet practically revolted.

“Yijiu? You okay?”

“N-nothing… we’re *shopping* this afternoon?” Her expression tightened slightly.

“Just a casual walk—snacks and drinks included!” Qingqing grinned.

“Why… why does *everyone* love shopping?!” Feng Yijiu tugged her short hair in quiet despair.

“Huh? You don’t like it? Then where do your clothes come from?”

“My dad buys them.”

“First time’s awkward, second time’s fun! You’ll learn, Yijiu~” Qingqing slid an arm around Feng Yijiu’s slender waist with a mischievous smirk. “A girl’s gotta know how to shop!”

“Qingqing, enough,” Zhou Wenyao nudged her friend, noticing Feng Yijiu’s faint blush.

*Whoa… sweet-looking Qingqing is actually a chaos goddess in disguise?* Feng Yijiu realized girls’ hangouts weren’t so different from guys’. Watching Zhou Wenyao dive into study mode, she pulled out her own books and started the dull copying task. Time drifted away with the soft scratch of pens.

“Yijiu, hungry?” Zhou Wenyao whispered, gently poking her arm.

Feng Yijiu nodded. They packed up and left.

“Homework done?”

“Yep.” She’d saved this bit just for the library; otherwise, Friday would’ve covered it.

“I’ve got half a math problem left,” Qingqing frowned. “Ugh, my brain’s mush.”

“Well *I’m* free now,” Zhou Wenyao laughed, pulling Feng Yijiu closer. “Meet your new math lifesaver.”

“Teach me, Yijiu!” Qingqing latched onto her arm instantly.

“I’ll try… no promises,” Feng Yijiu murmured, flustered, taking the paper.

“See? The key here is…” One glance, and the solution clicked. *It’s just freshman math.*

“Whoa! You’re a genius! Marry me!” Qingqing grabbed her hand, mock-serious, dropping toward a knee.

“Stop it,” Zhou Wenyao pinched Qingqing’s ear, turning to Feng Yijiu with an apologetic smile. “She’s always like this. Once joked this way, got chased by an actual lesbian for two days—nearly cried.”

“Wenyao! Don’t kick a girl when she’s down!” Qingqing’s bold act vanished. Her “evil claws” shot straight for Zhou Wenyao’s ticklish waist.

“No—hahaha—stop! It tickles!”

Watching them tumble laughing, Feng Yijiu’s image of “quiet, gentle girls” shattered completely. *Truly… still as a maiden, wild as a mad hare.* She edged sideways to avoid the whirlwind. *…Maybe this is how girls really are together?* She silently pitied Li Hao. *What would that blockhead think seeing his “goddess” like this?*

“Wenyao! Look—a spectator enjoying the show!” Qingqing froze, spotting Feng Yijiu’s calm stance. Instantly, she and Zhou Wenyao united.

“Wait—someone’s coming!” They’d been roughhousing on the quiet path behind the library. Footsteps made them pause.

But the moment the passerby vanished, chaos reignited. Before Feng Yijiu could react—*pinned*.

“Wenyao! Yijiu’s ticklish spot’s on her waist too!”

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