Chapter 189: The Ex-Girlfriend and Gender Anxieties
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 189: The Ex-Girlfriend and Gender Anxieties
By the time I returned from the Central Teaching Area, the sky had already begun to dim. It was later than I usually stayed out.
As soon as I stepped through the door, I saw Hong Chenyi fussing over her... uh, dress?
"Hong Chenyi, why did you buy so many clothes again?" I looked at her, surprised. Usually, she was the first to greet me when I got back, but now she was so preoccupied I couldn't help but wonder what she was up to.
"Sister Xiao Han? Quick, come look! Does this one match my vibe?" Hong Chenyi was holding a dress up against herself in front of a full-length mirror that I hadn't noticed before.
"What are you doing? And didn't you guys just go clothes shopping recently? Where did... all these come from?" I looked at the neatly stacked, high-end paper bags beside the sofa. Clearly, this haul was all hers.
"These... ehehe, my girlfri—oh, right, she won't let me call her that. Anyway, my best gal pal bought them for me."
"Huh? Was it... Shi Huiyu?"
I asked tentatively. She’d had a slip of the tongue just now and almost said "girlfriend," but weren't they exes?
"Yeah. I went to see her today. Our relationship... well, it's not exactly 'back together,' but it's maybe a tiny bit more than just girlfriends."
"A tiny bit?" I immediately zeroed in on the keyword. What exactly did "a bit more than girlfriends" even mean?
"Oh, Sister Xiao Han, don't ask about that! You wouldn't understand our relationship anyway!"
"I get it. You're 'friends with benefits,' aren't you?" I asked bluntly. Even if they were reconciling, was this really necessary?
Besides, after chatting with Shi Huiyu briefly before, I’d realized she was quite the assertive type. She was likely the dominant one in the relationship. Just look at what she’d done to Hong Chenyi—who could even tell this girl used to be a boy?
"What are you talking about?! How could you use such a vulgar term for us? Sister Xiao Han, saying that... it really hurts my feelings! Besides, you did something pretty awful to Shi Huiyu yesterday, didn't you? You promised to hold back!"
"I did hold back. I didn't use any spellbooks outside of the Standard Consumption range," I said, throwing my hands up in defense.
Though, to be fair, my control over Standard Consumption spellbooks was currently more dangerous than the high-consumption ones.
"That... ugh... you..." Hong Chenyi was left speechless. She couldn't exactly argue that those spells were still overpowered, could she?
We were both in the Freshman Top 10, so why was the gap between us so massive?
"Alright, alright, I get it. If you run into any trouble, just come to me. I'm your Class Monitor and your roommate, after all. Don't go forgetting your Sister Xiao Han just because you've got a gal pal now," I said, finally patting her shoulder with a heavy, sisterly air.
"Mhm... Oh, right. A senior sister came looking for you this morning while you were out. Who was she?"
"This morning? Her name is Bai Yu. I call her Sister Bai. We've known each other for many years."
"Eh? Sister Xiao Han, you actually have connections like that?"
"It's nothing special, just knowing a few seniors. By the way, are you the only one here? Where is everyone else?" I asked habitually as I walked toward the stairs.
"Oh, you asked the right person. Dongli Yiren is in her bedroom doing who-knows-what. Guan Qiuling went back to her senior's place to play house again. As for Yu Yuetian... I heard she went to that Ascetic club. Something about going with the club members to negotiate with the Academy. Apparently, with the Holy Angel Academy coming for the exchange, she’s even thinking about becoming a traitor~"
"What?"
The first two didn't surprise me, but Yu Yuetian's situation made me lose it. Still, I felt the "traitor" thing was unrealistic. Tan Han had originally been accepted by the Holy Angel Academy, and even after she was "poached" by us, the Holy Angel Academy hadn't tried to force her back.
In fact, they had been quite polite about it, even saying they were willing to contribute more to the exchange competition for Tan Han's sake.
Students below Tan Han's level probably couldn't get back into the Holy Angel Academy no matter how hard they tried.
Or was it just a matter of her Holy Light faith? Was she just going to offer worship?
Come to think of it, I really hadn't seen much of Yu Yuetian these past few days. She should be fine, right? Even though she was an Ascetic and I felt like we didn't quite click, she was still my roommate and one of my students in Class 14.
Just as I was about to head to my room, Hong Chenyi stopped me again.
"Wait, Sister Xiao Han."
"What is it?" I looked at her curiously. She’d clearly just remembered something.
"Um... I saw some rumors on the Academy Network... Sister Xiao Han, did you have a... girlfriend before you enrolled?"
"Where did you see that?" A flash of surprise crossed my eyes. How did Hong Chenyi find out, and who was spreading this?
"Oh, I just saw it while scrolling. I told them there was no way you’d have a girlfriend!"
"I did have one, but she became an ex-girlfriend before I enrolled. Where exactly did you see this?" I asked, my expression turning serious.
I had every reason to suspect Yao Beijuan was behind this. Even if she didn't post it herself, it had to be linked to her.
After all, who else knew about this besides me and Sister Bai?
It couldn't be Tan Han, could it? She didn't seem like the gossiping type.
"Huh? AH?! What? Sister Xiao Han, you actually had a girlfriend!"
"Corrected: an ex-girlfriend."
"That's... that's still insane! If you like girls... wait, you're not going to make a move on me, are you? I'm a taken man—I mean, a taken woman!" Hong Chenyi instinctively shielded herself.
"Tsk... look at the state of this dorm. You think I'd be interested in any of you? Now, tell me where you saw it."
"Fair point. You always keep a certain distance from us, Sister Xiao Han. That's a relief. But... honestly, I just saw the rumor in passing. It was all guesswork."
"Guesswork? Based on what? And where?"
"Uh... well... it's because that elf girl from Afuhemi Academy ran straight to you the moment she arrived. A lot of people are speculating whether you two have a... history."
"Just because of that?"
"Pretty much. I didn't pay much attention to it. If you're worried, Sister Xiao Han, you should check it out yourself. Look at the Academy Tieba or the forums."
"Thanks. I will."
After that, I retreated to my bedroom. Even if Hong Chenyi had just mentioned it casually, it weighed heavily on me.
Even though I had prepared myself for the fact that my past might eventually come to light, I still felt a surge of anxiety now that the moment was here.
I wondered what exactly I was nervous about. Was it the thought of the cheers in the Arena turning into jeers? Or the disdainful looks from strangers on the street?
I had actually followed some other students who used to be boys. In the Witch Academy, even after their past gender was revealed, they still lived quite comfortably.
But I was different. I was the Class 14 Monitor and a contestant in the Freshman Competition. Having made it to the Top 10, I was essentially a "public figure." Controversies that might not affect an ordinary student could be magnified a thousand times when applied to me.
Even though I constantly told myself I had Sister Bai by my side, I couldn't stop my heart from racing. I stayed in the shower for so long that Hong Chenyi eventually knocked to ask if I was okay.
Finally, wrapped in a bath towel, I locked myself in my bedroom—though locking the door was already a habit of mine.
Lying on the bed, I logged onto the Academy Network.
I wanted to see exactly what was happening and if Yao Beijuan was behind any of it.
Upon opening the site, the feed was filled with recent trending topics. Since the Academy was isolated from the outside world, almost everything was student discussion.
I saw quite a few posts "importing" interesting news from outside the Academy. It seemed the school didn't really stop this; as long as it was just information gathering and not direct communication with the outside, the administration turned a blind eye.
After scrolling for a while, I found several threads about the Afuhemi Academy teachers and students from a few days ago. The comment sections were full of "detectives" overanalyzing every tiny detail.
The conclusion was similar to what Hong Chenyi had said—mostly speculation. I eventually found a few posts questioning if Yang Yuehan used to be a boy, but they were buried under other comments.
Actually, no—there was one reply from a pervert that said, "Wouldn't that be even better?"
So... things hadn't reached the worst-case scenario yet. But this whole mess was still triggered by Yao Beijuan's behavior.
How annoying... I should just go to sleep.
Before sleeping, I decided to check the class group chat. As long as there weren't any outrageous rumors in there, I’d be fine. No matter how much people talked on the Academy Network, that was virtual; the class group was my tangible reality.
Unsurprisingly, the class group wasn't as chaotic as the forums. Since I was the Class Monitor and someone they actually knew, people were still discussing what exactly my relationship was with that elf named Yao Beijuan.
I was too scared to say anything, so I just lurked.
I even saw Hong Chenyi posting. Was this girl still on her phone this late?
And why was she leaking everything to the group?!
I scrolled up and found that Hong Chenyi had actually "debunked" the rumor about my ex-girlfriend.
Had my casual tone earlier made her think I didn't care?
The good news was that they had already finished that discussion and moved on to something else.
I turned off my phone and lay in bed, but I still couldn't sleep. It was just too uncomfortable. Was there a spell to make you forget your worries? I could really use one right now!
In the end, I opened a private chat with Sister Bai. It was better to ask her... she was a senior at the Witch Academy and definitely knew more than I did.
Yang Yuehan: Sister Bai, are you there? Are you asleep?
Bai Yu: Not yet. Why? Contacting me suddenly just to say goodnight?
Yang Yuehan: No... it's just... I can't really sleep.
Bai Yu: What's wrong?
Han: It's... what if the fact that I used to be a boy gets exposed in the Witch Academy? What do I do?
Bai: Why are you suddenly worrying about that?
Han: Today I saw people digging into my relationship with Yao Beijuan. And you know what happened today. I'm afraid...
Bai: Whether you were a boy or a girl in the past doesn't change the fact that you are a Witch now. Be good, Xiao Han~ The Witch Academy doesn't allow discrimination in that regard.
Han: Even if there's a rule, people will still look at me... strangely, right?
Bai: My point wasn't about school rules. The Witch Academy doesn't actually have a specific rule against discrimination—it's a consensus. I hate to admit it, but Witchification really does have the power to alter one's cognition. If someone truly mocks you for that, they are definitely trash with a very low level of Witchification.
Han: Eh?
Bai: So, your situation is this: the senior sisters won't care, and among the juniors and your peers, anyone who mocks you isn't your match anyway. Do you understand? Strength is often more useful than public opinion.
Bai: Public opinion is a low-level tactic. You're also underestimating your own influence, as well as the Witch Academy's restrictions on information flow. The senior sisters in the clubs responsible for managing the Academy Network aren't pushovers. Whether it's the elves from Afuhemi or anyone else, if they try to start drama involving a Witch Academy student, they'll be lucky to survive. Do you understand?
Han: I think I'm starting to.
Bai: Good. Rest easy. Everything... you still have your Sister Bai.
Bai: Have sweet dreams~
Han: Goodnight, Sister Bai.
After chatting with Sister Bai, I felt a bit of the weight lift off my chest. I was still a little worried, as it would require a lot of mental fortitude, but I’d learned something important.
The fact that "Witchification" could alter cognition was actually quite terrifying. The idea of one's perception being slowly rewritten was chilling to think about.
And yet, in this moment, it had become my shield.
Thinking about it carefully... could this altered cognition ignore whether I was a boy or a girl before?
In other words, it ignored the very concept of gender, because a Witch's gender is simply "Witch."
Perhaps the "genderless" nature of the Holy Angel Academy involved a similar cognitive shift.
So, if a Witch's sexual orientation is toward other Witches—meaning a female appearance—then Sister Bai's orientation is also... uh...
I seemed to have reached a very startling conclusion.
Oh, whatever!
My brain was overloading. It didn't matter. Like Sister Bai said, a bunch of small fry I could easily beat have nothing but their mouths to use against me!
If I actually ran into someone like that, I should pity them instead. So weak, yet such a foul mouth—you might as well just drop out.
Sometimes, once you throw away your "decency" and grow a thick skin, you become invincible. Sister Bai was right; I would use my strength to shut them up.
In the end, wasn't I just scaring myself? Look at it from another angle: if it were revealed that Tan Han used to be a boy, would I look down on her? Would I find it disgusting?
No. Once your mindset changes, many things change with it. I've lived two lives; why care so much?
Sleep!
Tomorrow, I have to try that "Dream Battle" thing.