Chapter 44: A Confounding Company

As the lunch bell signaled dismissal, I quickly gathered my belongings.

I realized that Mu Rong Xin Xue and the others had been patiently waiting for a considerable time.

“How unusual,” Huang Beifeng remarked, a hint of surprise in her tone. “I never pegged you for one to dawdle so much. And since when did you become so tidy, actually bothering to pack your things?”

With a suspicious glance, Huang Beifeng leaned in, her voice dropping conspiratorially.

“Mu Rong Luo Ye, you haven’t been replaced, have you? Or perhaps,” she murmured, drawing closer to my ear, “is it that the transformation into a *femboy* truly brings about such profound changes?”

Without a second thought, the suggestive nature of her words immediately told me that Huang Beifeng was seizing the moment to playfully prod at me.

‘Damn it all, while she might not be entirely wrong about the significant changes after donning women’s clothes, hearing it from her lips always left a sour taste. Yet, seeing Tang Xiao Rou patiently waiting, it hardly seemed appropriate to start a verbal spar with Huang Beifeng. Fine, I’ll let her off the hook this time, just this once!’

Disregarding Huang Beifeng’s persistent attempts at provocation, I redirected my attention to Tang Xiao Rou, only to find her eyes already fixed on me.

“My apologies,” I said, a slight flush rising to my cheeks. “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long.”

“Oh, no, not at all,” Tang Xiao Rou replied, her head shaking gently.

A small sigh of relief escaped me.

****

A soft exhale, but as we stepped beyond the school gates, the sight of the assembled group on the sidewalk left me utterly bewildered.

Please, do not ask me why; our intended trio had inexplicably swelled to a quartet.

Had this additional person been a stranger, my embarrassment might have been tempered. But Can Ye, why did you feel compelled to join us?

Now, it was I who felt acutely awkward. Huang Beifeng was one thing; our shared history as childhood friends meant our presence together was entirely unproblematic.

Even Tang Xiao Rou’s inclusion was manageable, as I could always rely on Huang Beifeng to navigate any potential awkwardness. However, with Can Ye now thrown into the mix, I found myself utterly adrift.

‘Agh! This feels like a *shura* field!’

For now, I could only proceed one step at a time. Can Ye was the unpredictable element; I knew little about her, our sole encounter being the incident that morning.

And even then, I hadn’t truly exchanged words with her, had I?

This presented a rather thorny predicament. Without any insight into her personality, I was at a loss for how to properly interact with her.

It was truly a difficult situation.

As we made our way to the dessert shop, our group of four, predominantly consisting of beautiful girls—despite my anomalous presence among them—undoubtedly drew a significant amount of attention.

The number of heads turning our way felt unusually high.

Yet, why did it feel as though the majority of those lingering stares were directed solely at me? Why were they all fixated on me?

Weren’t the three undeniably stunning girls beside me far more captivating?

Why must they insist on gazing at *this* adorable girl with a hidden “big bird?”

With a sigh of resignation, I shook my head, glancing at the red light ahead. It appeared we were in for a rather lengthy wait.

Just as my eyes drifted across the street, they happened to lock with Can Ye’s.

‘Ah, yes, I’d been meaning to ask Can Ye how she knew about all this, but the opportunity never arose. Now, with the idle wait at the red light, it seemed the perfect moment to inquire how she came to know so many details about Lan Baiyuan’s lectures.’

“By the way, Can Ye,” I began, turning to her, “I’ve been meaning to ask you something. You mentioned earlier that everything Teacher Lan recounted was true. I’m curious, what makes you so certain? Of course, if it’s inconvenient, please don’t feel obligated to share.”

“You wish to know?”

‘Naturally! Why else would I bother asking if I didn’t truly desire to know?’

“In truth, it’s quite simple,” Can Ye replied. “I learned it from the diaries my maternal grandfather left behind. He was a firsthand witness, you see, and meticulously recorded all that he knew. Sadly, much of it has since been lost, so my own knowledge is limited. Furthermore…”

“Furthermore what?”

Observing her abrupt pause, I found myself compelled to inquire further, my curiosity piqued.

“I often wish I had never laid eyes on that diary, never learned of that period in history. It was truly too dark. There is no benefit in knowing, so do not probe further, do not seek to understand. Simply live your life well now; those burdens are not ours to carry.”

‘Given Can Ye’s demeanor, it seemed futile to press for more information. Her words, while grim, certainly held a ring of truth. Yet, a part of me desperately yearned to uncover the events of that particular era, regardless.’

Just then, as if on cue, the red light ahead shifted to green, signaling our departure.

However, in that precise instant, a sudden cry of alarm erupted from behind me, a chorus from Huang Beifeng and Tang Xiao Rou: “Mu Rong Luo Ye, look out!”

‘Huh, what’s happening?’

Before I could even turn to ascertain the cause, a sudden gust of wind assailed me. In the next breath, I felt something seize me tightly, clamping down on my throat.

‘Cough! This agonizing sensation… what is happening?’

I attempted to struggle, yet I found that the moment the suffocating pressure began, my limbs became utterly devoid of strength.

‘I’m going to suffocate.’