Chapter 7 Chapter 7: Mother’s Call
Her hand darted toward the laptop’s power button, then fell limp. Groaning, she scratched her head. Of course the internet would fail her now.
She pulled out her knockoff phone. It would have to do.
Typing “gender change” into Baidu yielded nothing useful. Medical reports about transgender people, dry scientific explanations, even a flood of “body swap” novels. Some forum posts claimed real transformations, but they were clearly jokes from tieba users. Disappointed, she sighed.
“If so many novels explore this,” she reasoned, “maybe their protagonists hold clues.” She downloaded a dozen popular “reincarnation” stories, determined to forge her own survival guide. Loading them onto her cheap phone, she resolved to study them between chores.
Ji Yehan and Gao Jun returned after four, drenched in sweat from basketball. They grabbed towels and rushed toward the bathroom.
Buoyed by discovering fictional kin in cyberspace, Su Yuan hummed cheerfully.
“Gao Jun, no going out until you finish that software,” she said sharply, scowling at his distractions. Without internet, life was unbearable.
Ji Yehan instantly sided with her, slinging an arm around Su Yuan’s shoulders. “She’s right. Your top priority is that client.”
Gao Jun protested, “You want the donkey to run but won’t feed it! Balance is key!”
Su Yuan frowned, not at his defiance but at the sweaty arm draped over her. She batted it away. “Yehan, remove your sweaty paw.”
“What did you say?” Ji Yehan’s eyes widened in shock. He had always been the neat one. When had Su Yuan become so fussy? And “sweaty paw”? His clean, masculine hand? Unforgivable.
“Su Yuan,” he growled, cracking his knuckles, “three days without discipline and you’re climbing onto the roof!”
Gao Jun cackled, fanning the flames. “Our little Su’s grown wings! Time for rebellion songs. Yehan, what’s the verdict?”
“House rules apply!”
United on this front, they shut the door and advanced.
“Crap!” Su Yuan paled. She had angered both roommates. Their house rules meant tickle torture. Harmless before, but now? If they stripped her down…
Panic surged. She scanned for escape routes.
Ring ring!
The phone’s shrill cry sounded like divine music.
“Hold on, I need to take this!”
Reluctantly, they released her.
Playfulness had limits. But as Su Yuan thought herself safe, Ji Yehan hoisted her under the arms, flipped her facedown on the desk, and pinned her. “Gao Jun, you’re up!”
“What are you doing?!”
“Nothing much.”
Gao Jun lunged, slamming a palm onto Su Yuan’s back. The force nearly knocked the breath from her.
“Cough! Too hard!” she wheezed, glaring back.
“My turn.”
“Go easy!” Bracing herself, she held her breath, expecting another back strike. Instead, smack! A stinging slap landed squarely on her backside.
“You pervert! Hitting my butt!” Su Yuan’s face burned. She kicked out blindly, striking Ji Yehan’s shin. Before he could retaliate, she snatched her phone and fled.
Alone in the dorm, Gao Jun stared at Ji Yehan with theatrical disgust. “You… hit Su’s butt? You’re a beast!”
After a pause, he sidled closer, grinning. “So… how did Su the Beauty’s butt feel?”
Ji Yehan examined his palm. Surprisingly firm. “Not bad.”
“You animal!” Gao Jun sneered, already plotting. Next time, I get a turn too.
“I know exactly what you’re thinking. You’re the real pervert!”
Gao Jun’s smirk froze. “Says the guy who can’t forget smacking a man’s rear!”
“Whatever. I’m showering first.”
…
“Stupid Gao Jun! Stupid Yehan!” Su Yuan rubbed her throbbing backside, wincing at the fiery ache on her back. Those brutes hit too hard. Did they cause internal damage?
At the hallway window, her phone still rang. Then she saw the caller ID.
Her breath caught.
It was home.
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