Chapter 20 Chapter 20: Physical Education Class
“But… Professor Liu, your group is all girls. If I join them…” Su Yuan hesitated. It would look bad. Besides, as a self respecting man, she could not just wade into a sea of women. Even if her body had changed, her mind refused such surrender.
What about dignity. Yielding so easily would betray the body she had lost.
Harsh environments corrupt people, that was undeniable. Yet not everyone succumbed. With strong will and clear principles, one could rise above the mire like a lotus. Even when forces dwarfed human strength, surrender was never an option.
Principles were sacred. Unbreakable.
As Su Yuan gathered courage to declare her defiance, Professor Liu shot her a firm look. “Follow me.” No room for argument.
Her grand resolve popped like a balloon pricked by a needle, deflated by a single phrase.
What good was dignity anyway. Could you eat it.
Professor Liu walked away. Trapped, Su Yuan trailed after her. Standing still was not an option.
The girls erupted in cheers when Su Yuan joined them. Some were surprised, others genuinely glad. Only Lu Wei sneered, muttering to herself as she eyed Su Yuan’s soft silhouette. “A boy built like this. Absurd.”
When the boys finished their lap, they spotted Su Yuan stretching with the girls, skipping the grueling warm up run. Their envy was palpable. “Damn… that is the life” one groaned. “Deep undercover in enemy territory. Bold move.”
Boys and girls PE classes differed greatly. But with the semester just starting, everyone did basic drills. The girls’ session was lighter, fifteen minutes of warm ups, two slow laps, then free time.
The boys meanwhile were pushed to exhaustion by Professor Gao before learning basic boxing forms. Su Yuan joined them eagerly, her movements surprisingly precise, no trace of weakness.
After teaching three routines, Professor Gao dismissed them. Before leaving, he announced, “The campus pool opens today. By mid October, every student must complete at least three swimming sessions, each lasting thirty minutes minimum. Fail to meet this and twenty percent of your PE grade vanishes. Mark your calendars.”
Groans filled the air, just as expected. Poor swimmers paled.
Professor Gao seemed pleased by the reaction. Whistling, he spun his whistle and left.
Nothing cheered a teacher like student misery.
“To the pool” Fang Kai bounded over, slapping Su Yuan’s shoulder. “We can finally stare at girls in swimsuits legally. Hey, what is it like over there in the perfume garden”
Su Yuan shot him a glare. “Want to swap places next time”
Fang Kai stared as if she had grown horns. “Me. With this rugged manliness. Even if I wanted to, Professor Liu would crush me like a bug.”
“At least you know your limits” Gao Jun chimed in.
“Shut up” Fang Kai scowled. “Speaking of swimming, Gao Jun is right, the pool is open. Let us change and charge”
The group agreed. Ji Yehan turned to Su Yuan. “Coming with us”
“No thanks” She shook her head. “But if you are going with Fang Kai, could you swipe my student card at the entrance”
“You are not swimming” Fang Kai frowned.
Su Yuan nodded silently. She had only recently learned to swim last year, practicing alone when the pool was empty. This year she had planned to improve. But her changing body made public swimming impossible. Male swimwear, just a cap and briefs, would reveal her growing chest. Posing as a girl risked exposure if recognized.
Her solution. Exploit a loophole, hand your card to the attendant, circle the pool once, then reclaim it later. Teachers rarely checked thoroughly. Even if caught, it meant only a scolding.
Fang Kai was baffled. Wasting a chance to see girls in swimsuits. Unforgivable. Confucius himself said, Food and sex are human nature.
“Fine” Fang Kai waved a hand. “I will handle it”
After returning to the dorm, Su Yuan watched them gather towels and rush off. She touched her nose, conflicted, until their footsteps faded down the hall. Then she sat at her computer, scrolling absently.
Quiet settled over the room, a peaceful, almost luxurious silence.
Hours later, the boys returned laughing. They ate dinner, rested briefly, and headed to afternoon classes.
Days passed like turning pages, sunrises and sunsets, full moons and crescents, year after year.
Deep in the night, moonlight draped the treetops like silver gauze. Su Yuan stared intently at her screen until she jolted upright. “Yehan, Gao Jun, shower fast. It is eleven already”
By eleven thirty, after the others finished, Su Yuan grabbed her clothes, switched off the lights, and slipped into the bathroom.
Cool water cascaded from the showerhead. Droplets danced across her skin like liquid stars. Her hair had grown over the summer, bangs nearly covering her eyes, side strands brushing her ears.
In the mirror, water traced paths down flawless skin. Delicate curves rounded where flat planes once were. She noticed her chest, more pronounced than yesterday.
After showering, she gathered Ji Yehan and Gao Jun’s dirty laundry, carried it downstairs, and fed it into a washing machine. Leaning against the wall, she waited, the drum’s steady hum filling the empty hallway.
Near midnight, the corridor lay silent. The machine’s drone felt oppressive.
Su Yuan yawned hugely. Then she spotted a half naked figure emerging from a nearby room, bare chested, wearing only shorts. He smiled at her and started another washer.
They lived in the same building but rarely crossed paths.
Is it my imagination. Su Yuan thought. He keeps staring at me.
Not imagining things.
“Hey” she snapped. “Why are you gawking. Flowers growing on my face”
He blinked, then apologized. “Sorry. But has anyone ever told you, you are beautiful”
Su Yuan wore an oversized shirt that fell mid thigh, paired with shorts. Combined with her delicate features and long hair, she made a striking picture.
“Beautiful” Su Yuan froze. A cold discomfort spread through her chest.
Beautiful. When had she become beautiful. This was not a compliment, it was an insult. No one called a boy beautiful. It meant she had lost her manliness.
Beautiful cut deeper than girly. She had worked to adjust her mindset, but healing took time.
The boy, Ling Chendong, a third year pharmaceutical engineering student, did not notice her tension. He chatted while Su Yuan responded mechanically, eager for the cycle to end.
When the machine beeped, she hastily bundled her clothes. “Leaving now” She gave a tight smile and walked away.
Ling Chendong watched her disappear down the hall. He shook his head, amused. He rarely talked this much to strangers. But that boy, unexpectedly lovely. Not attraction, just the universal human urge to touch soft things, petting kittens, pinching babies’ cheeks.
Or perhaps it was the mystery of Su Yuan’s half hidden gender that lent her an aura of quiet allure.
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