Chapter 23: One Kiss Before You Go

“Looks great~ The outfit fits perfectly~”

Yixin Xue clapped in delight.

A white off-shoulder blouse, a black lace-trimmed miniskirt, and thigh-high stockings.

Ling Yuan’s height left his navel exposed. The skirt and stockings hid his leg hair perfectly.

Most importantly, he wasn’t bulky. His slim, tall frame could pass for a girl!

[Woo~ Too bad there’s no wig, or it’d be perfect.]

Ling Yuan stood like a lifeless statue, letting her do as she pleased, his heart already dead.

“Tch, I’ll buy a wig tomorrow. Next time you come, we’ll put it on and go shopping~”

“Please, Class President…”

His lips twitched.

“If someone I know saw me…”

“No worries, wear a mask. No one’ll recognize you.”

She waved it off.

“Even so…”

His face screamed reluctance.

“Cross-dressing’s a one-way road—zero or countless times. You’ll love it~”

He groaned inwardly. What kind of twisted logic was that!? No way there’d be a next time! Even if she begged, he wouldn’t do it again!

“Alright, I won’t push you.”

She dropped her mischievous grin, gathering the clothes from the bed and putting them away.

“Change back. I’ll make you something to eat. You must be starving, right?”

Thank heavens!

The nightmare was over!

Ling Yuan wobbled out of the bedroom in his own clothes.

So tired… Why was he so tired…?

“Done changing? I heated up dinner.”

Yixin Xue set a steaming lunchbox in front of him.

“Smells amazing, Class President. You’re such a good cook!”

His hunger erased the nightmare. He grabbed the lunchbox and dug in.

The meat was different from lunch—New Orleans chicken nuggets and drumsticks replaced the beef rolls and pork belly, still dazzling to the eye.

While he was out cold, she’d bought seaweed flakes, sprinkling them on top, making the dish look even more polished.

“Of course. I live alone—can’t survive without cooking.”

She propped her face in her hands, watching him eat with a gentle smile.

[So cute. I love this~]

To win a man, conquer his body and his stomach.

“Class President, you’re not aiming for first place anymore?”

Mouth full, Ling Yuan mumbled his curiosity.

“Of course I am. From elementary till now, I’ve never dropped below second.”

A flicker of displeasure crossed her face.

“Then… you seem…”

He stopped chewing, eyeing her suspiciously.

“So fallen now. Can you still take first…?”

“You doubting me?”

She smiled faintly.

“Better doubt the guy who took first.”

“Hm?”

Seeing his confusion, she shrugged.

“I don’t buy that a mid-tier student suddenly woke up and took first. The exam was brutal. If he’s that good, it’s a shame he’s not in Class 1.”

“Hiss—”

Her words sparked doubt in him. Scoring higher than Yixin Xue by over seventy points? That wasn’t talent—that was genius. She’d aced humanities, only losing on sciences.

“Let’s not worry about that. Focus on your grades.”

She sighed, picking up his test paper.

“I wrote the methods and your mistakes here. Review them at home.”

“Thanks for the effort, but I really don’t want to study.”

No goals, no interest beyond games and anime. Sometimes, he wondered what his purpose in life was.

He’d tried to save his grades once, but without drive, it fizzled out.

When did he become like this?

After his mother died…

That was the second time he’d witnessed death.

Seeing his unspoken pain, Yixin Xue didn’t pry, just twirled her hair and said softly,

“What if… not studying had a punishment~?”

“!?”

He looked up, stunned, staring at her blankly.

“No way, Class President…”

“Hm, I can’t let you fall like this.”

She tilted her head, thinking.

“If you don’t follow my orders, you wouldn’t want the whole school knowing you saw my body, right?”

“Class President, you’re… so cruel…”

He wanted to say “vicious” but held back.

Yixin Xue was one of the school’s four beauties, a model student. People would believe her, not him. Model student? Ha!

Was this what a model student did!? Class President, Discipline Committee Head, top scholar, campus beauty!

Per her logic… she wouldn’t stop until she’d devoured him completely.

This was what “hopeless” felt like.

It was 9:30 already.

He’d get home near ten—a perfect excuse to leave.

“Uh… Class President, it’s late. I gotta go…”

“Oh, you’re right.”

She realized his family might worry if he stayed longer.

His phone had been buzzing all afternoon, so she’d turned it off.

“No, no, I can go alone.”

He hurried to say, not wanting to spend another second with her. She might do something extreme.

“I’ll walk you to the elevator then.”

Seeing his flustered look, she smiled knowingly.

[It’s been ages since I was this happy. If not for that hiccup at noon, I’d have been thrilled all day.]

“Wait.”

She stopped him as he stepped toward the elevator.

“Hm?”

“One kiss before you go.”

“Huh?”

“Come on, closer.”

Her sudden move short-circuited his brain. He didn’t act, just lowered his head slightly.

Her soft tongue tried to breach his closed lips, startling him into pulling back.

“Isn’t it just a kiss…?”

“Isn’t it?”

She looked innocent, as if she’d done nothing wrong.

“That’s a kiss…?”

[Your tongue was out! That’s a kiss!?]