July 10th, Thursday, 16:10

Under the influence of alcohol, Tian Xi spilled everything about Lei Laohu’s situation… even admitting to herself transforming while shirtless…

Like an NPC who had completed its mission, she tilted her head to the side and dozed off against the booth’s sofa after divulging all the intel. No matter how much I called her, she didn’t respond, lying there completely defenseless, making me almost want to give those 36Ds a squeeze.

For those who don’t remember the details about Lei Laohu’s situation, please refer back to Insert 3 and Insert 4… Huh? What am I even saying?

In any case, my suspicions were confirmed—tonight’s concert really was Lei Laohu’s!

Additionally, I now understood why Tian Xi had called me a “b*tch.”

Lei Laohu believed that hitting me had broken his vow of never laying hands on a woman, thus cursing him into becoming one. Tian Xi, in turn, thought she had been “infected” by the curse.

Wow, even coming from me—the God of Bishoujo (Apprentice)—this level of superstition was a bit much!

That so-called Taoist priest was most likely a complete fraud.

But with Tian Xi passed out, this was an opportunity for me.

I quietly got up and moved to a more distant seat, slipping the hidden earpiece back into my ear.

I whispered, “Hello, hello? Haitang, Xiao Lei, are you there?”

“Meow?!” A startled voice came through the earpiece. “Sis Haitang! Onii-chan responded!”

So it was Tangerine acting as the communicator? But the voice quickly switched to Haitang.

“Commander, it’s been almost an hour! What the hell were you doing?”

“Well, I got caught too! Didn’t Xiao Lei tell you? They didn’t put us together—she was taken to a private room, and I’m being watched in the main hall.”

“Wow, you’re surprisingly calm for someone whose female companion got dragged into a private room. Are you even a man?”

“They said they wouldn’t lay a hand on her! More importantly, do you have any updates on Xiao Lei? What about her glasses and earpiece?”

“This place is even more shady than I thought. Ever since Xiao Lei entered the private room, I haven’t been able to receive any signals. They must be using a signal jammer.”

At this point, I was starting to doubt this whole “shady establishment” narrative.

“It could also just be a matter of bad reception. We’re underground, after all, and the private rooms are probably soundproofed.”

I mean, even the subway has signal dead zones. If you add in a sealed-off room, it’s no surprise the signal would be bad.

Good thing I hadn’t been the one tailing that masked bast*rd, or I would’ve been the one dragged off to Lei Laohu’s private room. Haitang had originally planned to coach me in acting cool in front of Lei Laohu, but if I had gone in, I would’ve been completely clueless.

“So, what’s your plan now?”

“The one watching me has fallen asleep. I could just sneak out…”

I glanced over at Tian Xi. Her head was lolling to the side, mouth slightly open as she snored softly. A glistening battalion of drool was gathering at the corner of her lips, ready to descend upon her ample chest.

“But there’s something that’s been bothering me. Thanks to my ‘female’ identity, we should be safe for the night, and they’ll let us go afterward.”

“Oh ho~ ‘female,’ huh?”

“What’s that supposed to mea—ugh, woah!”

Before I could finish my sentence, a massive force clamped down on my head.

A low voice rumbled from behind me. “After finding a tiny communicator in that other girl’s ear, I figured Tian Xi’s little friend here might have one too… and sure enough.”

He pried the hidden earpiece from my ear before letting go of my head. Panicked, I turned around—sure enough, it was that masked pompadour bast*rd. If I remembered correctly, his name was Lü Le?

Unlike Tian Xi and Lei Laohu, who wore their emotions on their sleeves, this guy was far more reserved. His expression was hard to read, not just because of the mask, but because of his dead-fish-like three-white eyes—those alone made him look terrifying.

“You guys sure have some high-tech equipment,” he muttered before putting on the earpiece himself. “Is it the Biyang Student Council President speaking there?”

He seemed to be talking to Haitang.

“No, I’m just one of Lei Laohu’s subordinates.”

“Don’t worry, I can guarantee their safety. Our grudge ends tonight.”

“Hmph, like I’d tell you that. Just sit tight and wait.”

With a snap, he turned off the earpiece.

“You—stay put and don’t cause trouble,” he ordered, glaring at me. Then, almost to himself, he muttered, “Honestly, all of this started because of you… Should I call you a lucky charm or a walking disaster?”

At least he didn’t outright call me a b*tch like Tian Xi had. Maybe, in his eyes, Tian Xi and Lei Laohu turning into girls wasn’t entirely a bad thing?

If I had to categorize it, I’d say I was definitely a lucky charm. After all, despite using the Bishoujo Notebook for revenge, its true purpose was to bring salvation to the unfortunate.

Still, those three-white eyes were terrifying. Just being stared at made me break out in a cold sweat.

He walked over to Tian Xi and nudged her a couple of times, only to be met with a classic drunk murmur:

“Nnngh… can’t eat anymore…”

“……”

Failing to wake her, Lü Le turned his chilling gaze back to me.

“I’ve got other things to handle with the boss. You keep an eye on her.”

Excuse me? I’m literally your enemy, and you’re entrusting me to watch over your comrade?

“Waiter.” He called over the server, pulling out two red bills. “Two more plates of the snack platter. Keep the change.”

Do you really think I can be bought off with two plates of snacks?

"Ah! Yes, of course! Thank you, sir! …Wait, sir, right?"

"What? Do I look like a woman to you?"

At this point, the young waiter had probably started questioning everyone's gender. He got an intense glare in return.

At around 4:30 PM, Tian Xi had been drunk for about half an hour.

By now, the bar had started filling up. When seats ran out, temporary chairs were even set up on the dance floor. Some important-looking figures had been escorted to the front row by a spry, silver-haired gentleman.

“That energetic old man is the owner of this bar,” Tian Xi explained groggily. “His surname is a composite one, named Yuwen. Before he retired, he was a well-known producer in the entertainment industry. He sees potential in my boss and wants to make him… hic~… a star, as a talent scout for one last time.”

Even a lightweight like her recovered fairly quickly after only two or three sips of a cocktail.

Now, Tian Xi was swaying a little but had sobered up just enough to take on the role of an impromptu commentator. "The people in the front row—hic!—are all invited by old man Yuwen. They're talent scouts and producers from major entertainment companies. If my boss gets noticed by even one of them, then… hic!" She cut off with a hiccup, alcohol still lingering in her breath.

I casually finished her sentence. "Then it's a straight shot to stardom, huh?"

"Exactly… But you really are weird, you know?"

"Huh?"

"The way you just accepted the whole thing about my boss and me transforming… way too fast. I mean, could it be that you—"

That pause made me tense up. Crap, did she figure something out?

"—could it be that you were a man too?"

What?!

I put on my best fake smile. "Aww, what are you talking about? I just accept new things a bit easier~ I was born a girl, through and through. Ehehe~"

"…Too suspicious."

I quickly changed the topic. "Anyway, since this is Lei Laohu’s concert…"

I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through my contacts—only for Tian Xi to snatch it right out of my hand.

"Wow, you really don’t see me as a threat, huh? I might’ve spilled everything because of the alcohol, but don’t think I see you as a friend just yet."

"If you actually care about your boss, then give me back my phone."

Maybe because I mentioned Lei Laohu, she hesitated. "What are you trying to do?"

“Call her dad. He should be here to watch this.”

Honestly, I just wanted to see Lei Luo’s face when he realized his son had become his daughter. Would he still be able to keep that cool, detective-like composure?

"We don’t need to rely on irresponsible parents anymore," Tian Xi muttered, her brows furrowing.

I frowned. She was really stuck in this mindset, huh?

Not all kids from broken homes turn into delinquents, but most delinquents do come from broken homes. Lei Laohu and his gang were exactly that—a bunch of misfits who found solace in each other.

The only difference was that Lei Laohu had money. He was a rich kid, but a neglected one.

Still, if there was even a sliver of hope, wouldn’t they still reach for it?

"Are you sure that’s how your boss feels?"

"…"

"Forget about him for a second. Don’t you want a happy and harmonious family yourself?"

"…"

Tian Xi stared at my phone for a long time, pouting. Then, reluctantly, she shoved it back into my hand.

Along with those 36D curves the Bishoujo Notebook had given her, it had also granted her an empathizing heart.