Translator:	Author:	Original Source:
MJCross	Cat’s Glasses	SFACG

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“Damn, what took you so long? Don’t tell me you, uh… exploded in there?”

The moment I stepped out of the bathroom, Xiao Lei shot me a mischievous grin, her tone dripping with innuendo, as if convinced I had been handling electrical work inside.

“Hmph! Don’t underestimate me. I fought with all my might and successfully suppressed the chaotic evil within!”

“Ha, well, just don’t end up losing control and taking it out on me, yeah?”

“Alright, enough of that. Get some sleep. Tomorrow’s the last day of school—don’t be late.”

Not that it really mattered, considering Zhao Zhao’s grades… Chances were, he’d be spending a good chunk of his summer suffering in non-air-conditioned remedial classes.

I pulled open the closet, intending to grab a winter blanket and set up a floor bed.

“Commander, what are you looking for? You’re not coming to bed?” Xiao Lei patted the empty space beside her.

“Huh? You want us to sleep together?”

Only now did I realize that she had deliberately shifted to the edge of the bed, leaving me enough space to lie down.

Was this really happening? From a guy and a girl alone in a room to sharing a bed?

Gulp.

Why was I getting thirsty over this washboard physique which was barely better than Haitang’s?

“It’s not like we haven’t done it before. Look at you, all nervous. If you don’t want to pity me, I could always turn back into Zhao Zhao and just endure the pain while sharing the bed with you.”

No. I absolutely do not want to sleep next to Zhao Zhao. That’s the last thing I want. That’s a one-way ticket to getting crushed under a human gorilla.

Even back when we did share a bed, we were still kids.

Now that we’re older? No way. No self-respecting man would voluntarily cram into a bed with another fully grown dude.

…Actually, thinking back, there was a time when it was the three of us—me, Zhao Zhao, and Xiao Haitang—huddled together as kids.

Maybe it was exhaustion clouding my judgment, but before I knew it, I was climbing into bed beside Xiao Lei.

“Lights out~”

She reached for the switch, flicking it off with a click, and the room was instantly swallowed by darkness. Only the moonlight filtering through the balcony cast a faint silver glow on the floor.

Xiao Lei was the first to close her eyes. Her breathing quickly softened into a peaceful rhythm, long lashes quivering slightly as she slept. Her delicate features looked even more refined than a handcrafted porcelain doll—just gazing at her was strangely satisfying.

In the quiet stillness of the night, she exuded a purer kind of feminine charm.

And then my mind drifted back to what she had said earlier…

Back when we were avoiding Mama Zhao—if I hadn’t backed away, would she have actually kissed me?

Somehow, the line between Zhao Zhao and Xiao Lei had become increasingly distinct.

Even though they were technically the same person, I had subconsciously started treating them as two separate individuals.

…That couldn’t be a good sign.

Before I could think further, the fatigue from the day finally caught up to me. My eyelids drooped, and I slipped into sleep.

Somewhere in the hazy half-consciousness of my dreams, I felt something warm and soft press against my forehead…

The alarm blared at exactly 7:30 AM.

I tried to sit up—only to find that I couldn’t move at all.

Was this… sleep paralysis?

No. It was Lei paralysis.

I was lying on my side, facing away from her, but Xiao Lei had latched onto me like an octopus in her sleep.

One arm wrapped around my neck, another draped over my chest, and—worst of all—one leg hooked firmly around my waist, locking me in place.

Was she using me as a training dummy for grappling practice?!

Most importantly, with her pressed up this close, my morning visitor—a guest who faithfully arrived at dawn every day—was making its presence very known.

Luckily, Xiao Lei stirred awake from my attempts to escape. She groggily loosened her grip, propping herself up on her elbows and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Morning, Commander.”

I turned over to face her. Still half-asleep, she let out a sleepy yawn, looking like a particularly lazy kitten.

“Morning. Go wash up, and don’t forget to change your clothes. You’ll have to switch back for school.”

“Right, I do need to turn back, huh.”

I had expected some hesitation from her, but surprisingly, Xiao Lei seemed completely unfazed.

By the time she finished freshening up, she was back in Zhao Zhao’s oversized manly clothes.

And yet, I was the one panicking inside.

What if the emotional imprint from Xiao Lei stuck? What if Zhao Zhao suddenly realized his feelings for me and—oh god—turned gay?

I was only 176 cm tall! There was no way I could fend off a basketball-playing power forward if he suddenly decided to take me!

But time waited for no one. Like clockwork, the transformation sequence played out yet again—Xiao Lei shimmered out of existence, replaced by Zhao Zhao.

The first thing he did after turning back was press his hand against his bruises.

“Ugh… still hurts, but it feels a lot better than last night.”

He was right. Compared to yesterday’s miserable state, the bruises had significantly faded.

“At least this confirms that even when you transform, your body still heals naturally. But this raises another question—what if I used the notebook on someone terminally ill? Could it actually extend their life?”

Zhao Zhao waved me off dismissively. “Alright, Boss, enough with your research experiments. What, you planning to start a charity and save the world now?”

“And if I actually could, why wouldn’t I?”

We headed downstairs to find that my dad had left behind a pot of plain congee.

Our breakfast was condimented with pickled radish and fermented tofu. Felt a little lacking in nutrition, to be honest.

By the time we scraped the last bit of congee from the pot—clean enough to reflect our faces—Zhao Zhao had yet to mention anything about Xiao Lei’s words or actions from last night.

It was as if he had no memory of them at all.

Just meaningless chatter, nothing substantial.

And if he wasn’t bringing it up, I sure as hell wasn’t going to be the one to ask.

“Hey, buddy, do you still love me?”

That’d be awkward as hell.

For now, at least, he didn’t seem to be exhibiting any questionable tendencies, and our dynamic hadn’t changed.

But deep down, I was really curious.

Just how did he perceive Xiao Lei’s existence? That, too, was a critical part of my research into the Bishoujo Notebook.

Having lost my trusty nerd glasses, I had no choice but to wear a pair of dorky sunglasses to school.

I’d always thought sunglasses made people look kinda stupid in most situations. To me, the only true sunglasses-wearing legend was Master Roshi.

As expected, when a guy in sunglasses and another guy covered in bruises strolled through the school gate, we were immediately stopped.

Yan Liuzhuan: “Hold it. What happened to you two?”

“Got jumped by some thugs after school yesterday. Already reported it to the police, though. Nothing serious.”

It was best to be upfront—after all, getting harassed by gangsters wasn’t our fault. Even Mr. Iron-Faced Disciplinary Committee should understand that.

Yan Liuzhuan frowned as he took in Zhao Zhao’s sorry state.

“That bad? Where did this happen? What did the police say?”

“Mifeng Street.”

As I spoke, Yan Liuzhuan pulled out the pen tucked in his breast pocket and started jotting notes in his book.

“The cops are looking for the group. Apparently, they usually hang around the Tianping commercial district, but with the police cracking down, they’ve been moving into other areas instead.”

“There are thugs lurking near the school? Alright, I’ll draft an announcement to remind students to stay safe over the summer. After all, making it back to school in one piece is our responsibility as students.”

After saying this, Yan Liuzhuan adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses with a composed precision that perfectly matched his honor student aura.

Damn, why does this guy always talk like that? Sure, he made valid points, but something about the way he spoke just made him incredibly hard to approach.

“Also, try not to wear sunglasses at school. The student code prohibits any special attire.”

My heart skipped a beat. Crap. I knew this would come up. But… do sunglasses really count as special attire?

I glanced at Zhao Zhao standing next to me—this dude had his hair dyed bright red in a spiky, exaggerated slick-back, making him look like a walking Olympic torch.

Noticing my gaze, Zhao Zhao whistled nonchalantly and avoided eye contact, as if trying to slip under the radar.

Guess his height worked in his favor—Yan Liuzhuan probably hadn’t noticed his blazing inferno of a hairstyle.

“My glasses got broken in the fight. I’m just wearing these to cover up the bruises. It’s the last day of school anyway, can’t you let it slide?”

I tried to play it off, but to my surprise, Yan Liuzhuan’s voice softened into a genuine, concerned tone.

“Hmm? You got hurt? Let me take a look—”

Look at your damn self! I appreciate the concern, but how about you ask Zhao Zhao to take off his shirt and show you his back? That would really highlight what “getting wrecked” looks like.

“No need, it’s nothing serious… Besides, I’m afraid taking off my glasses might be too much for you to handle.”

I was not about to repeat what happened last time. Just let your Aphrodite remain a beautiful illusion, alright?

Yan Liuzhuan tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable.

“Don’t worry, I’m not trying to penalize you. Given the circumstances, I’ll let it slide… You two go ahead. You can rest up after today.”

“Oh, thanks! Appreciate it~”

Iron-faced disciplinarian or not, at least he was reasonable.

As soon as we walked past the gates, Zhao Zhao—who had been absolutely silent in front of Yan Liuzhuan—finally let out a sigh and muttered,
“Damn, not bad. You actually got that guy to be understanding. Meanwhile, whenever he catches me, it’s like I don’t even exist as a person.”

“Whether someone is reasonable or not depends on who they’re dealing with.”

Zhao Zhao, the guy who dreams of breaking into an all-girls’ school and casually spreads erotic magazines around our campus, was clearly not on the list of people Yan Liuzhuan would treat fairly.

“Tch, that’s just slander—”

Before he could finish, Yan Liuzhuan’s voice suddenly called out again from behind us.

“Oh, one more thing—the final exam rankings have been posted on the bulletin board. You can check your scores before heading to class.”

Then, as if this was specifically meant for Zhao Zhao, he added,

“For students ranking in the bottom ten of the grade—regardless of whether they pass the make-up exams—they will still be required to attend summer remedial classes.”

Zhao Zhao’s face immediately drained of color, turning as pale as a zombie that had been left out in the sun for a week.

Guess someone already knew his fate.

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