Chapter 32: Coercing Su Cheng

The rain pattered outside the window; inside the dorm, the whirring of the hairdryer echoed.
Lin Shiyue held Su Cheng’s soft, silky, snow-white hair, her hairdryer continuously blowing through the strands in her palm, wafting a faint orange scent.
Su Cheng, sitting on the chair and enjoying all of this, played a mobile game, prioritizing completing her Goddess of Victory missions first.

“Orange, your shampoo smells so nice.”
With that, Lin Shiyue quietly lifted a lock of hair to her nose, allowing the faint scent to become clear.
The orange fragrance went straight to her nostrils; a satisfied smile subtly appeared on her face.
Su Cheng lightly shivered, still unaccustomed to Lin Shiyue’s new nickname.

“Does it?
I don’t feel anything.
By the way, are you done drying it yet?”
If her hair was dry, Su Cheng wanted to send Lin Shiyue away.
With Lin Shiyue present, she didn’t dare to reply to Yin Xuelian’s calls.
But Yin Xuelian could call at any moment, and she was afraid Lin Shiyue would have some strange demand then.

“Almost, almost, don’t rush.”
Lin Shiyue said so, but in reality, Su Cheng’s hair was already dry.
She just wanted to stay with Su Cheng a little longer.
After all, this rare opportunity for solitude couldn’t be wasted.
And it was in Su Cheng’s dorm.

“Alright.”
Su Cheng responded softly, then opened WeChat.
Just then, a message @-ing everyone popped up in the class group chat.

[Drill Sergeant Qiu: @everyone Tonight’s military training will be changed to indoor theoretical study, starting at 7:30 PM.
No dress code required.
Please inform each other and don’t be late.]

“Ugh, why do we have theoretical study tonight?
I really want to rest.”
Su Cheng let out a weak sigh, put down her phone, and slumped onto the desk helplessly.

“Already giving up on the second day?”
Lin Shiyue turned off the hairdryer and placed it aside, her gaze falling on Su Cheng’s back.
Su Cheng seemed stimulated by Lin Shiyue’s words, suddenly sitting up straight, bending her arm, and showing off her unremarkable biceps.

“Who says so?
I’m just mentally exhausted.
Women can’t say they can’t do it.”
Lin Shiyue immediately reached out and touched Su Cheng’s arm.
Her soft, springy skin, when pinched, gave no feeling of a “tough woman.”

“Soft, no strength at all.”
Su Cheng gave Lin Shiyue a strange look, slightly pouting her small mouth: “What do you mean, no strength?
You only look at the outside, you don’t understand my inner strength.”
Lin Shiyue’s clear laughter filled the air.

“Then I ask you, who couldn’t even carry me, and ended up falling?”
“You… I… I wasn’t in good shape that day.”
Su Cheng folded her arms, giving a strained explanation.
Lin Shiyue maintained a faint smile on her face and continued, “By the way, tonight you don’t have to wear your military training uniform; you can wear your own clothes.”
Su Cheng frowned, looking sideways at Lin Shiyue.

“Then why isn’t the class monitor going back to shower?”
Lin Shiyue glanced at Su Cheng, her voice tinged with a hint of coldness.

“Call me Shiyue.
I told you to call me Shiyue that day.
Why are you still calling me class monitor?”

“…”
Su Cheng didn’t want to explain, but Lin Shiyue’s aggressive expression made it impossible for her not to.

“Everyone calls you that, so I call you that too.
Is there a problem?”

“Call me, Shiyue.”
Lin Shiyue’s tone was forceful, implying that if Su Cheng didn’t comply today, she wouldn’t have an easy time.
Su Cheng nervously swallowed.
‘Why is this tactic the same as Yin Xuelian’s?
Were you all taught by the same teacher?’
‘So I can’t not call her that now?’
Although Su Cheng had often called Lin Shiyue that in her previous life, she didn’t want to draw attention to herself now by this action.
But what could she do at the moment?
She could only endure for now.

“Shi…yue…”

“Didn’t hear you clearly.”
Lin Shiyue’s calm tone hid a shallow joy; her face remained aloof.
Su Cheng had no choice but to raise her voice a few degrees: “Shiyue.”

“Aha, that’s right!”
Su Cheng spoke very quickly, but Lin Shiyue still heard clearly, dotingly stroking Su Cheng’s head.
It was as if they had instantly returned to the time when they were still together in her previous life.
Suppressing the fluttering in her heart, Lin Shiyue glanced at Su Cheng’s open wardrobe, which she had already noticed while drying her hair earlier.
A normal girl’s wardrobe always contained a few dresses.
But Su Cheng’s wardrobe didn’t have a single one.
Other than T-shirts, there were only pants, shorts, long pants, and a few pieces of underwear.
‘Emmm, orange-patterned panties.’

“By the way, Orange, don’t you have any skirts?”
Su Cheng was startled.
Lin Shiyue had caught her again.
She scratched her head, wondering how to fool her.

“I… I left them all at home and forgot to bring them.”
Lin Shiyue peered suspiciously at Su Cheng’s slightly reddened face, which seemed to be the reaction of someone lying.

“Oh?
Is that so?
Or do you just not like wearing skirts?”
Su Cheng quickly nodded, taking the hint.

“Yes, yes, yes, I don’t like wearing skirts.”

“Hehehe…”
Lin Shiyue covered her mouth, chuckling.
That meaningful curve of her lips became increasingly apparent as she stood in front of Su Cheng, staring at her.

“That’s a shame then, Orange looks so good, you’d definitely be adorable in a skirt.”
Su Cheng shook her head like a spinning top.
She could, at most, accept wearing one for a while in the dorm, but absolutely not wearing a skirt to go out.
The gender identity that hadn’t been completely erased from her heart was resisting wearing a skirt.

“No, no, no, I’ve never worn one…”
Su Cheng’s subconscious words made a flicker of surprise flash in Lin Shiyue’s eyes.
Her brows furrowed for only a moment, and the black-haired girl already had her answer.
‘Little sis, you’re showing your true colors now.’
What girl hasn’t worn a skirt outside?
Unless that person is the reborn Su Cheng.

“Never worn a skirt?
Even better then.”
Lin Shiyue became interested, raising her voice a few degrees.

“How about we try it tonight?
I really want to see Orange in a skirt, hehe.”
The curious smile on Lin Shiyue’s face sent shivers down Su Cheng’s spine.
She had a bad feeling.

“I… I don’t want to wear it.
Besides, do you even have a suitable skirt?”
Lin Shiyue seemed to have anticipated Su Cheng’s words.
She suddenly raised her hand and pinched Su Cheng’s chin, her scorching gaze fixed on her panicked face.

“Oh?
So you’re saying if there’s a suitable skirt, you’ll wear it?”
Su Cheng’s azure eyes were filled with determination; she said without hesitation, “No, I won’t wear it.”
Lin Shiyue’s voice softened, her clear, serious eyes meeting Su Cheng’s: “Please wear it, Orange is so cute, just wear it once, okay?”

“If you don’t wear it, I’ll tell Senior Sister Yin about what happened between us that day…”
Su Cheng’s heart pounded.
Even without Lin Shiyue saying it, she knew exactly what “that day’s event” was.
With a complex expression, Su Cheng glared at Lin Shiyue’s half-smile, completely at a loss.
Lin Shiyue slowly leaned down, close to Su Cheng’s ear, whispering softly, “You don’t want Senior Sister Yin to know, do you…”
With that, Lin Shiyue gently patted her shoulder and turned to leave.

“Think it over.
I’ll give you one minute to think.
If you decide to wear it, come to my dorm.”
Su Cheng gritted her teeth, clenching her fists.
She watched Lin Shiyue open the dorm door and leave.
The air was suddenly filled only with the sound of rain, but Su Cheng’s heart was a jumble of emotions.
Her eyes, filled with helplessness and conflict, fell on the open door.
Su Cheng knew deep down that if she stepped out of this door today, it would mean crossing that hurdle in her heart.
As the saying goes, when it comes to wearing skirts, it’s either zero times or countless times.
‘But I’m a girl, what’s wrong with wearing a skirt?’

“Ahhh…”
Su Cheng, clutching her head and growling softly, slowly stood up.
She had no choice.
If Yin Xuelian found out that she and Lin Shiyue had kissed and hugged that day, she would definitely suffer Yin Xuelian’s punishment.
To silence Lin Shiyue, she could only…
Su Cheng took heavy steps, heading towards that unknown path…
From that moment on, something uniquely precious in her heart was forever lost.