“Go for it.”

Feng Yijiu smiled. As a professional spectator, she’d been ready to enjoy the drama for ages.

Besides, if Li Hao and Zhou Wenyao really got together, she’d gain a new bestie and a new bro. That sounded pretty nice to her.

Unfortunately, judging by the way this blockhead was acting, pursuing Wenyao would be a long and arduous journey.

Feng Yijiu silently mourned for Li Hao for one second, then set the matter aside.

“What are you planning to do over the break?” Li Hao asked as their afternoon tea came to an end.

“Nothing much for now, I guess.” Feng Yijiu thought about it. “I’ll probably do some homework at home, play some games, and look for something else to do.”

“I see.”

Li Hao fell into deep thought. In his reading-comprehension interpretation, Feng Yijiu was actually saying she planned to spend the entire break seriously reviewing her lessons at home.

In that case… he had to work even harder too!

Li Hao pondered the matter. His best friend, Liu Zhenyu, had arranged a gathering for tomorrow and invited him to play some arcade games.

But now…

Li Hao felt like he was completely fired up.

What kind of achievement could playing games offer compared to catching demons in the real world?

With that thought, Li Hao suddenly stood up. He extended a hand toward Feng Yijiu with an oddly chuuni flourish.

“Feng Yijiu, do you dare bet against me again in the midterms?”

“Sure, why not?”

Feng Yijiu shrugged.

What a joke. Strictly speaking, she was already reviewing. And her learning ability wasn’t bad in the slightest.

If she lost to this guy, who hadn’t even passed his chuuni phase yet, that would be a true miracle.

That blockhead had also said some incredibly frustrating things earlier. This was the perfect chance to teach him a lesson and let him experience a little social reality.

At the thought, Feng Yijiu smiled slightly.

She didn’t even realize how beautiful her smile was until she raised her head and looked Li Hao straight in the eye.

Only then did she notice that the blockhead had gone completely blank.

“Hey. Hey!”

Feng Yijiu waved her right hand in front of his face.

Li Hao finally came back to his senses. He silently recited “Great Might Heavenly Dragon” several times before slowly looking at Feng Yijiu again.

The faintly familiar smile had vanished from her face.

Her slightly coquettish lips were pursed, and her head tilted a little to the side. Her large eyes glanced at him askance, carrying a trace of reproach.

“Hey, why are you staring at me like a lovesick idiot?” Feng Yijiu snapped. “Are you trying to hit on me? Or are we fencing?”

Even if she was dying inside, she couldn’t lose the momentum now.

“N-No, no.” Li Hao looked awkward too. “I just suddenly thought of something.”

After all, getting distracted while staring at another guy had left him feeling rather ashamed.

Seeing his expression, Feng Yijiu’s eyes rolled.

Then she deliberately softened her voice, making it less deep. She twisted her body and draped one arm over Li Hao’s shoulder, her fingers forming an elegant orchid shape.

“Come on. We know each other well enough. I understand. Don’t be shy.”

♂♂♂♂♂…

A single character began looping endlessly through Li Hao’s mind.

His entire body straightened, and he sat upright like an elementary school student on his first day of class.

“Tch.”

Feng Yijiu reined in her feminine act and rolled her eyes at him.

Li Hao felt as if he were sitting on a bed of steel needles. His face flushed completely red.

“Weren’t we talking about a bet?”

Feng Yijiu sat up straight and put on a serious expression. That finally made Li Hao relax a little.

The Feng Yijiu from a moment ago had made him feel like his perception of gender had blurred for an instant.

“Right. This time, we’ll bet on our grades!”

After that awkward shock from Feng Yijiu, Li Hao’s voice returned to normal. He no longer looked like his blood had rushed straight to his head.

“Okay. All nine subjects?” Feng Yijiu asked.

“All nine,” Li Hao confirmed.

“Fine.”

Feng Yijiu shrugged, showing that she had no objections.

“Then what’s the stake?”

Li Hao froze and looked at her.

He genuinely hadn’t thought about the stake.

Seeing his expression, Feng Yijiu remembered his shamelessly lovestruck act from earlier. She couldn’t help wanting to take some perfectly legitimate revenge over this.

“How about this?” she said. “I remember there’s a convention on the weekend after midterms. We’ll go together. The loser has to cosplay in women’s clothing.”

At the mention of women’s clothing, Li Hao instinctively shuddered.

But then he saw the three parts disdain and three parts contempt in Feng Yijiu’s eyes.

For some reason, an inexplicable impulse rose within him.

“Fine! I’ll take that bet!”

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Break the cauldrons and sink the boats; the final victory belongs to Chu.

Work hard, and Heaven will not fail you.

Sleep on brushwood and taste gall; three thousand Yue soldiers can swallow Wu.

Li Hao felt as if those couplets had been written about him.

What a joke!

Sima Yi, who had been famous for surviving through sheer caution, had already worn women’s clothing that he’d once avoided simply because he didn’t care for it.

He had slept on brushwood and tasted gall.

Now he was breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats.

How could a mere great demon like Feng Yijiu survive one decisive strike?

With that thought, he slowly raised his hand and held it upright in front of Feng Yijiu.

Feng Yijiu blinked, then raised her own hand.

The two of them slapped palms three times.

Feng Yijiu remained completely calm.

Not only did she have a transmigrator’s cheat, but even without it, how could Li Hao possibly beat a girl in a women’s-clothing bet?

He might win.

But she would never lose.

What did it mean for awareness to far exceed mechanics?

That was exactly what it meant!

At the thought, one corner of Feng Yijiu’s lips curled up, revealing a faint dimple.

The other side of her face remained smooth, creating a slightly roguish smile.

“Well, that settles it. I’ll head back first.”

Feng Yijiu stuffed the last French fry into her mouth. After saying goodbye to Li Hao, she slipped both hands into her pockets and walked off with the air of a master doomed to loneliness.

Only after leaving McDonald’s did Feng Yijiu realize how stupid she’d been.

Why had she gotten so fired up with that idiot just now?

Li Hao clenched his fists as well.

This time, he absolutely would not lose!

But when Li Hao returned home, he discovered that his mother, who had seemed rather quiet that morning, was cooking again.

The aroma drifting from the kitchen was rich and enticing. Several finished dishes were already on the table, each one perfect in color, fragrance, and taste.

Li Hao tilted his head.

What kind of day was it today?

“Gougou, you’re back?”

Dong Shu stepped out of the kitchen. When she saw Li Hao, her smile was exceptionally bright, like the gentle sunlight of early spring.

For some reason, Li Hao felt that either something was wrong with him…

Or something was wrong with his mother.

What was going on?

Could this be the legendary female menopause?