Beneath the shadow of the wall.

After hearing me and Xiao Lei’s rather dubious explanation, Qiuluo furrowed her brows and frowned. With an utterly serious face, she muttered:

“The God of Bishoujo? There’s even such a random god?”

And the apprentice of that said god is none other than me. Sorry for being so random then!

Qiuluo still hadn’t let go of her “little sister,” hugging her as tightly as ever like she was glued on.

Then she turned to me and asked, “So you’re a boy too, right? Lingmeng, you’re that boy in the wheelchair before, aren’t you? You two give off a similar vibe. It’s not hard to sense.”

A pair of breasts is like a gravitational black hole—inescapable and universally attention-grabbing. Regardless of gender, one’s eyes get pulled in. Qiuluo’s were no exception.

She muttered enviously, “So if you were originally a guy, what’s with this ridiculous bust size? Does your deity not care about the law of conservation of mass?”

Xiao Lei nodded furiously beside her—probably thinking that if the law held true, she'd be the one ending up with the outrageously huge chest.

How naïve. She could just as well have turned into a chubby girl.

“Ugh...” After struggling for a while without breaking free from her sister’s grip, senior let out a sigh and joined the topic with a pained smile. “Well, if we’re talking bust size... I think I might actually be a bit bigger than you, sis—ah! That hurts!”

That’s what they mean by “inviting disaster with your words.” Qiuluo tightened her grip around senior’s waist, locking her in what could only be described as the legendary "Younger Sister Crushing Hold."

“Idiot. It’s only because I go through high-intensity training all the time that they shrank! If I didn’t have this job, I’d be a few cup sizes bigger—easily!”

Let’s be honest: regular exercise does reduce body fat, but “a few sizes bigger” is probably an exaggeration. Of course, I kept that thought to myself.

After giving me a thorough once-over, Qiuluo turned to Xiao Lei, suspicion in her eyes. “Don’t tell me... you too?”

Senior quickly clarified, “No, no. Xiao Lei’s a real girl. She’s actually Zhao Zhao’s cousin.”

“Zhao Zhao? You mean that Zhao Zhao?”

As a member of the girls campus’s security team, Qiuluo clearly knew of Zhao Zhao—and just as clearly, didn’t think much of him.

“Yeah... much as I hate to admit it, that Zhao Zhao,” Xiao Lei said with a sigh, scratching her cheek. “Sorry for being related to that shameless perv.”

Qiuluo clicked her tongue. “That gorilla has a cousin this cute? Honestly, you even look kind of like him—I actually thought you might’ve been Zhao Zhao transformed into a girl.”

That caught me off guard. She actually guessed the truth. Xiao Lei, flustered, waved her hands. “No way! Don’t be ridiculous!”

But Qiuluo just gave a casual shrug. “It’s fine. After that incident, I looked into you. You really are registered as a student at our school.”

Both Xiao Lei and I froze.

“Huh? You checked?” she asked, wide-eyed.

Qiuluo reached out and gently ruffled Xiao Lei’s hair. “Sorry, Xiao Lei. I know I said it was just a routine report, but I got curious and used the security clearance to check your records. I didn’t report anything though, so don’t worry about being in trouble.”

I had no idea what Xiao Lei had pulled off to be officially registered at the girls campus, but now I was wondering if Rinka had something to do with it. She’s the kind of girl who forged my records in a single day.

Xiao Lei mumbled, “Ah, um... it’s fine. Just kind of weird...”

“You and your cousin really are alike in some ways,” Qiuluo mused.

In terms of intelligence?

“We’re not! Why does everyone keep saying that?! What part of me is like that muscle-headed gorilla perv?! That’s not a compliment!”

“Sorry, sorry. That was rude of me. Xiao Lei is nothing like that male monkey.”

A monkey again? I suppose it’s only natural. The principal is famously anti-male, so even the security team’s got that bias baked in. Wait—don’t tell me Qiuluo’s... not into guys? Does that mean senior’s in danger?

Well... dangerous, but not in a bad way, maybe...

We’d made it out of the alleyway and back onto Mifeng Street. Compared to the dim maze of backstreets, the flickering, half-dead streetlamps here actually felt comforting.

“Come on, little brother—er, sister. Just come home with me. Let Mom see you. She’ll be so happy.”

Senior quickly waved her off. “No way! I don’t want Mom finding out yet. You have to promise to keep this a secret!”

“Huh? Why?”

“You know how she’s against me going to university, right?” Her expression clouded again, voice quieter. “If I really can’t go as myself... then I’ll finish my degree as a girl, in secret. I’ll keep working part-time to help out—I won’t let you and Mom bear the burden alone.”

That was the backup plan Fei came up with. Sounds like senpai’s really starting to take it seriously.

“So... I’m going to Chang Kai’s place to change back. Sis, you head home first.”

“Absolutely not. You expect me to let you go to a boy’s house by yourself? Even if you’re both girls right now, that doesn’t mean there’s no risk.”

She glanced over at me. “I’m going too.”

“Eh?! You’re coming?!” I panicked.

How was I supposed to sneak this whole group into my place while my dad was home?! What, were we going to climb in through the window like a team of burglars? Not to mention my actual body was still asleep in bed!

As I was stressing out, my phone vibrated—a message from Dad.

【Team dinner at the office, I’m out drinking. Xiao Wu brought me an extra omelet rice to go—just have that for dinner. —Dad】

Incredible. A divine assist from Miss Wu Qinglan herself! My favorability toward her just shot up by at least 30%.

“If you’re worried, Qiuluo, you can come too,” I said brightly. “My dad’s not home, and it won’t take long to change back anyway.”

So just like that, I agreed. With my dad gone, there wasn’t much to worry about.

—

The four of us returned to my place. I entered through the front door for the first time in this body, leaving the others in the living room while I headed upstairs alone.

When I opened the door to my room, I was greeted by the sight of a ten-year-old girl in a white dress, holding a marker pen and scribbling all over my sleeping body’s face—circles, Xs, triangles, turtles, even ancient-looking symbols.

...Okay, maybe there is something to worry about.

Unbelievable. Do those markers even wash off? She could’ve just played PS4 instead! And stay away from my real body, will you? Kids have weak immune systems—what if she catches my cold?!

Qianxia looked from my face, which was breaking a cold sweat, to the one lying in bed, her little head filling with question marks.

“Huh? Why are there two of you, big sis?”

“That’s a secret. But more importantly, how did you get in here...”

I glanced at the open window and the curtain fluttering in the breeze.

Of course.

“I told you a hundred times—climbing in through there is dangerous!”

Ignoring my scolding, she tossed aside the pen and jumped into my arms, nuzzling against my chest and making me squirm.

“Big sis with breasts is the best!”

Too bad. This is your last chance to enjoy them. Soon, the chesty sister will disappear and only the plain ol’ brother will remain.

Sure enough, when my real body started waking up, I saw Qianxia staring at the pile of scattered girl clothes with tearful eyes, looking as if she might burst into tears any second.

As soon as I opened my eyes, she threw herself into my arms and wailed, “No-breasts sister, where did the sister with breasts go?!”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Haha, don’t worry. Brother is right here. If you keep my secret, I’ll let you see the sister with breasts again next time, okay?”

She stared at me with her big, watery eyes full of hope.

“But she glowed and disappeared... is she an angel?”

Oh no. This pure, sweet little angel thinks I’m some kind of heavenly being. I don’t deserve this.

“She’s not an angel. She and I are the same person. When the sister’s awake, the brother sleeps. And when the brother wakes, the sister disappears.”

Qianxia nodded slowly, still not quite understanding, then hurriedly asked:

“Then when does no-breasts sister go to sleep?”

...Is this kid okay? Why is she so obsessed with breasts?

A message came in from Xiao Lei:

【Status: Senior’s in the bathroom. Do it!】

As I hobbled downstairs on my crutch, I saw that senior had already changed back into his male form and was sitting on the couch next to his sister. Xiao Lei, lounging on the single-seat sofa, glanced up at me and burst into laughter.

“Pfft, what’s with your face, Commander?”

Ah. I’d forgotten—Qianxia had used my face as her doodle canvas.

“Don’t ask. It was that little gremlin Qianxia.”

Just then, a patter of footsteps came from upstairs—Qianxia had followed me down.

“Were you calling me, sister? Wow, so many people here!”

For a sheltered little bird, she sure wasn’t shy.

Qiuluo looked at the innocent child, then looked back at me. Her expression gradually turned like Usami-chan¹.

She shouted, “I’m calling the police!”