Chapter 126: I Never Expected This Side of You, Hong Chenyi
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 126: I Never Expected This Side of You, Hong Chenyi
As I stepped out of the experimental building, a sense of unreality washed over me. Had the day really slipped by that quickly?
It felt like I hadn't actually accomplished much.
Oh, wait—that wasn't true. I’d finished a thesis. Well, I was still a bit skeptical about it, but I trusted Teacher Ji Niang to take my crude analysis report and... "expand" it—no, refine it—into a proper, qualified paper.
Thinking about it that way actually made me feel a little excited.
I clutched the ten papers in my arms. I didn't tuck them away into my Storage Leg Ring; there was a certain vanity in carrying them, a small sense of satisfaction that came from this subtle display of my hard work.
It was a pity the senior sisters on the bus had no idea what I’d achieved today.
After getting off the bus, I headed to a nearby restaurant and treated myself to a massive meal. I had to admit, this place was leagues better than that so-called "new window" at the cafeteria!
Maybe it was just because I wasn't used to the local food yet, but the ingredients here were top-notch.
"I'm back!"
I made quite a bit of noise opening the door. I did it on purpose, wanting to catch the attention of my roommates. I’d already fallen out of sync with the rest of the dorm; if I didn't make an effort to strengthen our bond now, it would only get harder later.
"Sister Xiao Han, where have you been? You were gone all day." Only Hong Chenyi was in the living room, lounging lazily on the sofa, snacking on melon seeds while watching TV.
Her clothes were... barely on. The vast stretches of exposed skin did nothing but highlight her bewitching figure.
In her current posture, sprawled across the cushions, she exuded an aura more enchanting than any natural-born woman. Was... was this person really a guy before?
"Busy with Class Monitor duties, obviously," I said, waving the stack of papers in my hand without offering much more of an explanation. "And what are you doing? Posing for performance art? Who are you trying to seduce, dressed like that?"
"Eh? But wearing so many layers is such a hassle~" Hong Chenyi looked at me with a bashful, pitiable expression, her voice dripping with feigned innocence. "Why bother with formalities inside our own dorm? It’s better to just be comfortable~"
She leaned in slightly. "Besides, doesn't Sister Xiao Han want to do anything to me when she sees me like this? No... primal urges?"
"The urge to punch you, maybe?" I sat down heavily on the sofa. I had to admit, Hong Chenyi was incredibly alluring right now. It really made me want to just... deal with her right then and there!
Now I knew why she was the only one in the living room.
"Hong Chenyi, where are Dongli Yiren and the others?"
"Them? They went back to their rooms. I have no idea what’s so fun about staying in a bedroom," Hong Chenyi complained, her face genuinely puzzled.
"The bedroom... Heh... There are plenty of fun things to do in a bedroom." I met Hong Chenyi’s gaze, and a moment later, we both shared a knowing, mischievous smile.
What else would they be doing in there?
Right?
"Sister Xiao Han, how about we go sneak a—"
"Peeping is not a sign of civilization. You really deserve a beating." I reached out and gave her a light rap on the head.
"Fine, fine, we won't go." Hong Chenyi pouted and turned her head away.
"By the way, Hong Chenyi, I have something to ask. Did you get the notification from the Academy System about Class 14 meeting in the classroom tomorrow morning?"
"Huh? Oh, that. Yeah, I got it a little while ago. It was one of those forced alerts—you can't even dismiss it without confirming you've read it. So annoying."
"Good, as long as you got it." I nodded slightly. If even Hong Chenyi had seen it, I’d see who dared to claim they missed it tomorrow.
According to Teacher Ji Niang, if anyone didn't show up, I was supposed to use my authority to track their location and drag them there!
What a pain.
I opened my phone and checked the number of people in the class group chat. While on the bus, I had sent out another round of invites to everyone just to be safe.
It was already evening. My screen showed that I had contact info for everyone, which meant all of Class 14 had arrived—or at least, they all had their phones.
But the group count still wasn't at 106.
It was only at 104.
Two people still hadn't joined the chat.
Dealing with over a hundred people really did guarantee outliers. I didn't know why they hadn't joined; I’d made it very clear in the invite notes that this was the official group for Class 14.
I didn't care if they joined the Class 14 Mutual Aid Group, but they really shouldn't be messing around with the official class group.
"Sister Xiao Han, what's wrong?" Hong Chenyi leaned over, looking at my phone screen with curiosity.
As she pressed against me, her bare arms and midriff brushing against my side, I couldn't help but get goosebumps.
If it weren't for her flat chest, I really wouldn't be able to convince myself she used to be a boy.
Seriously, when a guy decides to be "thirst-trap" material, girls don't even stand a chance. Maybe I should start a dorm group chat and call it "The 4A Scenic Route"?
After all, all four of us were flat. Even though my early Witchification had given me a bit of a head start, I was still only at the average baseline.
"It's nothing. Two people still haven't joined the class group. I'm checking to see who they are."
"Eh? Two people? Who’s being so tactless and giving my Sister Xiao Han trouble? Wait, we have 106 people in our class?"
"Yeah. What did you think?" I countered.
"Man, the competition is going to be fierce then." Hong Chenyi shook her head and sighed. "Oh, right, Sister Xiao Han, some people in the group were questioning your position as Class Monitor today. They said other classes haven't even picked theirs yet, so it wasn't right for ours to be decided so quickly."
"Oh? That happened?" I raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Of course! It’s the Class Monitor position! A lot of people aren't convinced by you. I think they're just looking for trouble, forming little cliques and stirring up drama in the chat."
"Let them. I don't have the energy for such trivialities. If they have time to bark in a chat, do you really think they have the drive to actually surpass me?"
"Sister Xiao Han, so dominant! Tomorrow, when the class meets for the first time, you should give them a real show of force!" Hong Chenyi grinned, clearly trying to fan the flames.
"Alright, that's enough for now."
I had identified the two missing students.
Since the invites didn't work, I’d just have to call them. They had to pick up, right?
I quickly dialed the first number.
"Hello? Is this Mingyun?" I made a "shushing" gesture to Hong Chenyi and asked.
"Hmm? Hello... Yes, this is she. Who are you?" It took a long time for the call to connect, and when it did, the voice on the other end sounded exhausted, as if she had just woken up.
"I'm Yang Yuehan, the Class Monitor for Class 14. Mingyun, you've been assigned to Class 14. Are you aware of that?"
"Ah... Class 14... Oh... I know now..."
"Um, Mingyun, is everything okay? Did you just wake up? We're having our first class meeting tomorrow morning. Did you know about that?"
"Oh... I know now..."
"Right..." I forced down my rising irritation. This girl was completely blowing off important matters. What was she doing sleeping so heavily at this hour? "Then could you please accept the invitation to the Class 14 group chat on your phone? We're all in the same class now, and the counselor will be posting updates there. It'll make it easier for you to stay informed."
"Mhm... Okay... Anything else...?"
"No, but I also—" I wanted to ask what was wrong with her, but she hung up before I could finish.
A moment later, the group count increased by one. If it hadn't, I probably would have called her back.
Next was someone named Ai Diao.
"Hello? Is this Ai Diao?"
"Eh? Yes, that's me. Is something wrong?" This one picked up almost instantly, her voice full of curiosity.
"I'm the Class Monitor for Class 14. I—"
"Oh! I remember now! The class group chat, right? Sorry, sorry! I wasn't sure which class I was in before, so I didn't dare accept. Then I just forgot. I'm so sorry!"
"It's fine, as long as you know now. We're meeting tomorrow. You can check the group for the specific time once you're in."
"Got it, got it. Sorry for the trouble!"
"It's fine, really. No trouble at all. I'll hang up now."
I let out a long breath after hanging up. This girl, Ai Diao, seemed very easy to talk to. She kept apologizing, which actually made me feel a bit embarrassed for being annoyed.
Whatever, I wouldn't hold it against her. Who could stay mad at a good kid who admits when they're wrong?
"Eh? Sister Xiao Han, you're done? How do you have everyone's contact info? Can you give me some? Like that one just now, Ai Diao? Her voice was so sweet, I..."
"What is wrong with you? Are you a scumbag?" I pressed a finger against Hong Chenyi’s forehead to push her away.
I couldn't just leak people's contact info. Besides, she was in the group now; couldn't Hong just message her privately later?
Why come to me for it? That was just asking for trouble.
"I'm not a scumbag. If we're talking about my past, I was a legendary simp," Hong Chenyi said, her tone suddenly becoming deep and serious, quite different from before. "But once I got to the Witch Academy, I realized... a simp ends up with nothing!"
"Oh?"
I raised an eyebrow. I didn't expect her to admit it so bluntly. Was this a case of a simp awakening and transforming into a player?
"Sister Xiao Han, do you want to hear my story?"
"Your story?" I checked the time. It was still early; listening wouldn't hurt. "Go ahead."
"Hehe~ Then I'll tell you." Seeing my interest, Hong Chenyi perked up and adjusted her position on the sofa.
"It all starts with my scumbag dad. My old man was a world-class player. Not only did he have my mom, but I also had several 'little moms.' No marriage licenses, can you believe it? And they were all best friends. But that's not even the craziest part. The craziest part is that they weren't friends before they met my dad. Do you get what I'm saying?"
"So... what does that have to do with you being a simp?" I asked.
"It has everything to do with it!" Hong Chenyi leaned in closer. "After my dad had me, he felt a deep sense of regret. After some serious soul-searching, he decided to turn over a new leaf!"
"So he stopped being a scumbag?"
"No, he decided to make sure I wouldn't become one!"
"Wait... what about your dad then?" I was stunned, but I managed to ask the key question.
"My dad said he was too old to change, so he placed all his hopes on his son—me."
"So you became a simp?" My lip twitched, despite my best efforts to stay composed.
"No, no, no. My dad hand-picked a girl who was exactly my type and told me to pursue her. He said she was all I’d ever need in this life, that I should never look at another woman, and that I had to understand the true meaning of 'pure love.'" Hong Chenyi sighed, covering her face. "But that woman... she didn't care about me at all."
"If she didn't care, you should have just given up," I said with a shrug. Just like with my own girlfriend—you have to learn to let go.
"But I really loved her back then! And with my dad constantly brainwashing me about pure love, I only thought about... sigh, I was too young back then." Hong Chenyi shook her head.
"So what happened? How did the plot develop?" I leaned back against the sofa and started snacking on the melon seeds from the coffee table. This firsthand account was getting interesting.
"I followed her around, even transferred schools a few times just for her. Man, I was so devoted. But..."
"But?"
"But finally, she gave me a chance."
"And you blew it?"
"No, I took it." Hong Chenyi shook her head despite her words. "Aren't you curious about the condition she gave me?"
"What was it?"
"The college entrance exam scores were out. She had applied to the Witch Academy. My scores were more than enough for the Three Great Academies. She asked me out and we talked for a long time. She promised to give me a chance to officially pursue her if I was willing to come to the Witch Academy with her."
"What? And you agreed?" My eyes widened. Wasn't that just jumping into a fire?
Oh, right. Before enrollment, nobody really knew the truth about Transcendent Academies. My mistake.
"I hesitated. The Witch Academy had a terrible reputation, and you could tell from the name it was a girls' school, right? But I signed up anyway. It was my first choice. And to my shock, I was actually accepted!"
"Well, obviously. The Witch Academy takes everyone." I knew that much by now. And since the person in front of me was smart enough to get into the Three Great Academies, even if she hadn't applied, she probably would have been scouted anyway.
"I never imagined the Witch Academy would be like this. From the moment that senior sister smiled wickedly and shoved that thing called a Mana Source into my body, I could feel my very life ascending! That was the turning point of my life!"
At this point, Hong Chenyi couldn't help but stand up on the sofa, her arms spread wide.
"I became what I am now! At first, I was really resistant, you know? I mean, a boy turning into a girl... there’s so much to consider!"
"But that senior sister took me to experience the joys of being a girl... Ah... it was a wonderful time. The streets were full of like-minded senior sisters; they were so gentle, so passionate... It was then that I finally understood what it meant to be alive!"
"To hell with 'high and mighty goddesses'! I'm done simping! I realized the biggest mistake of my life was being born a boy and being brainwashed by my old man about 'pure love'! Psh! Does that old scumbag even know what pure love is? He raised his own son to be a simp!"
"I've figured it out. I'm a girl now. I should cherish myself. I should learn to love myself! Only by loving yourself can you have a vast future!"