Chapter 196: Watching Gossip
“She already looks like a girl in her twenties.”
“I even have a B now…”
“Oh, you’ve had that for a while.”
An Han muttered a dirty joke to herself, hoping to make herself laugh, but her face still looked lifeless.
It had been some time since she last went out with Su Peng.
She was slowly getting used to being seen as a girl. Even her classmates now looked at her the same way they looked at other pretty girls.
Although everyone still subconsciously thought of her as a man, they couldn’t help but treat her like a woman.
As the end of the semester got closer, the teachers started assigning final projects.
These projects were counted as final exams. That didn’t really bother An Han. If she couldn’t do them, she could always ask her roommates to help and pay a bit of money.
But when exam week came, there were still a few subjects that required written tests. That part was truly a headache.
She had never memorized any study materials before, she couldn’t even make herself read them properly.
Groaning, she lifted her blanket and rubbed her sleepy eyes as she looked around the small room.
Although she was slowly getting used to living here, she still missed the noise and laughter of the dorm. Living alone wasn’t as nice as she had imagined.
But at least she could wear underwear without worrying about being seen.
Like usual, she braved the freezing morning air, took off her pajamas, put on underwear, and still half-naked opened the wardrobe. Her eyes quickly swept over the few pieces of clothing hanging inside.
She paused briefly on a set of women’s clothes but still obediently chose men’s clothes in the end.
The women’s clothes were ones she had recently bought online. She had picked the size based on Lin Yi, who was about the same height and weight as her. They fit quite well when she tried them on, but she rarely got the chance to wear them.
Aside from occasionally going out with Su Peng, she mostly wore them secretly in her room like those “crossdressing guys” online, just for fun.
“It’s getting harder and harder to resist the system…” she sighed.
After washing up and changing, she did a bit of skincare, rubbed some lotion on her face, then put her hands in her jacket pockets, pulled up her hood, and wrapped herself tightly before heading out.
Since her place was more than a thirty-minute walk from the school, she had to wake up early every day, and mornings were always the coldest time. She couldn’t help but shiver all the way.
“After becoming a girl, I feel like I get cold more easily.”
The weather this year was strange too, it had never been this cold in past winters.
Most people in the village were still asleep. The streets were empty, and only near the entrance could she see one or two breakfast stalls.
“Boss, one pancake with sauce, make it three yuan’s worth, and a cup of milk.”
She jogged to the stall, looked up with her fair face, and smiled sweetly at the owner.
“Oh, it’s you again. Why do I always see you alone?” the stall owner asked casually while preparing the food. “Are you a college student? Or already doing an internship?”
“College student. I had some arguments with my roommates, so I moved out.”
[Stall Owner’s Favorability +3]
Maybe it was because of her charm stat, or maybe just because she looked cute and gentle. After some time, the stall owner’s favorability toward her had gone above sixty.
Unlike that jerk Chen Junjie!
“Got a boyfriend yet?”
“No, I’m a guy,” An Han said with a smile.
Near the school, it was still safer to keep insisting that she was male.
The boss laughed, “You’re teasing this old man again. My son’s really handsome, you know. Did you add him on WeChat last time?”
“I want to study seriously, not fall in love,” An Han replied.
She took the breakfast the boss handed her, scanned to pay, and before the boss could say anything more, she jogged across the road toward the school gate.
The security guard already knew her. When he saw her running over, he glanced at the student ID hanging around her neck and casually reminded her, “Next time, use the crosswalk.”
“There aren’t any cars anyway,” she said.
An Han noticed that, somehow, she was getting along better with a lot of people lately. Even though she only greeted them once in a while and often didn’t even remember their faces, they all seemed to become more and more familiar with her.
Especially the middle-aged and older folks, whenever they had a chance, they loved chatting with her about everyday things.
“I’ve become a favorite of middle-aged aunties and uncles~” she joked to herself.
The campus was already starting to get lively. While eating her breakfast, she walked slowly toward the teaching building, surrounded by groups of chatting students, while she herself was alone.
Before long, when she passed by the cafeteria, Wang Sheng waved to her from a short distance away.
She quickened her pace and walked over. “Where are the other two?”
“Buying snacks at the convenience store.”
“I want to go too!”
“If you go now, you’ll be late for class.”
An Han had to give up on that idea. Instead, she gave Wang Sheng a strange look, scanning him up and down until he nervously took two steps back. Then, she suddenly grinned.
“Oh~ look at you! Got a love token already, huh?”
Wang Sheng quickly stuffed his phone into his pocket, his face red as he tried to act calm. “No, I don’t!”
“Oh, come on, what’s that hanging from your phone?”
“I just like cats.”
It was a little cat-shaped phone charm, something that looked way too cute to belong to Wang Sheng.
“I’ve known you for two years and this is the first time I’ve seen something like that,” An Han teased, leaning closer with a mischievous grin. “It’s her who likes cats, right?”
“No, no, not at all!”
Just then, Long Xing and Chen Junjie came out of the convenience store together. Hearing their conversation, they immediately joined in to tease Wang Sheng.
“This guy barely shows up in the dorm anymore, he’s always out somewhere!”
“I overheard him gaming once, there was a girl’s voice!”
“Last time he stayed out overnight, he came back totally drained! Lost weight and everything! Poor guy!”
“Don’t talk nonsense! That’s not true!”
The three of them crowded around Wang Sheng like a pack of demons, ganging up on him.
“You’re definitely dating!” they shouted.
Wang Sheng scratched his head awkwardly, his face bright red like a monkey’s butt, and quickly ran toward the teaching building.
“Stop right there!” Chen Junjie yelled, charging after him. “You better tell us clearly today! Bring my daughter-in-law to dinner with us!”
Long Xing was about to chase after them too when he noticed An Han still standing there, smiling cheerfully. watching the whole scene like an amused bystander. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she had nothing to do with the teasing earlier.
“You and Su Peng are together too, right?” Long Xing suddenly said.
An Han was so startled she almost jumped on the spot. She looked at him in panic and quickly shook her head like Wang Sheng had earlier.
“Don’t talk nonsense! I’m not! Spreading rumors is illegal!”
How did watching gossip suddenly turn into her being the gossip?!
Long Xing gave her a look that clearly said, “I don’t believe you.”
Her face turned a soft pink like a shy girl caught keeping a secret. She instinctively took two steps back.
‘Really, I’m not!’
But when she saw that he still didn’t believe her, she panicked, turned around, and ran after Wang Sheng as fast as she could.