Chapter 31 Chapter 31: Rain Soaked the Sky – Part 1
Xu Yecheng was momentarily stunned before the girl continued, “Hi there! We’re conducting a short survey—just a few minutes of your time, if that’s okay?”
Xu Yecheng immediately felt a little nervous. Behind the girl holding the microphone stood another student with a camera. It definitely didn’t seem like she was just trying to strike up a casual chat.
“Alright,” Xu Yecheng agreed. The girl instantly broke into a warm smile.
“It’s just a few simple questions—answer based on your real situation. What year are you in?”
“I’m currently a sophomore,” Xu Yecheng replied.
“How much allowance do you get from your family each month?”
Xu Yecheng blinked in surprise, then answered, “One thousand yuan.”
The interviewer’s expression shifted slightly, clearly taken aback. “Where do you usually spend the most each month?”
Xu Yecheng blinked again. “Mostly on food, I guess. I also have a part-time job on campus, so I make around fifteen hundred yuan total.”
“Oh, I see! Do you have a habit of saving money?”
Xu Yecheng nodded. “Yeah—I usually put aside about a hundred yuan as soon as I get paid.”
“Do you invest at all? Like buying mutual funds or other financial products?”
“No…”
After a few more questions about spending habits, the interview concluded. As a token of appreciation, the girl handed Xu Yecheng a small clay figurine.
“Thanks so much for your cooperation!” she said cheerfully. “Wish you all the best—goodbye!”
“You’re welcome,” Xu Yecheng replied politely.
Once the group had walked far enough away, Xu Yecheng headed toward the campus supermarket.
It’s the beginning of the month—buying two bags of chips to treat myself shouldn’t be too indulgent, right?
With that thought, Xu Yecheng picked up one bag of barbeque-flavored chips and another of tomato-flavored ones, then headed to the checkout counter.
But upon seeing the long line, Xu Yecheng instantly regretted the decision.
How could I possibly dare to show up like this in such a crowded place…?
A wave of anxiety washed over Xu Yecheng. But if I put the chips back and leave now, won’t that draw even more attention?
Hesitating, Xu Yecheng reluctantly joined the end of the queue.
“Anything else you need?”
Startled, Xu Yecheng froze as He Xiaohan’s voice came from right behind.
Ugh, why does this guy keep showing up everywhere…?
“Nope, that’s all—just these are fine,” came Ji Qingying’s voice from further back.
Xu Yecheng kept his head down, pretending to look at his phone, still clutching the little clay figurine. He Xiaohan stood up straight and, spotting Xu Yecheng ahead, his eyes flickered with a subtle, unreadable emotion.
So it’s her…
He noticed the two bags of chips in Xu Yecheng’s hand and the way the person ahead seemed absorbed in their phone.
The line slowly inched forward. When it was his turn, Xu Yecheng quickly held out his phone, scanned the QR code to pay, and hurried out the door.
Back in the lab building, Xu Yecheng changed out of his current clothes. The moment he removed the mask, that familiar sensation returned to his body, and a deep sense of relief washed over him.
Being himself again—nothing felt better.
He let out a long sigh, pulled on his usual clothes, and stretched. As he shifted back to his male form, his field of vision rose slightly, which still felt a little odd.
Finally, some peace and quiet.
Grabbing his bag, Xu Yecheng headed back to his dorm.
Meanwhile, He Xiaohan had just parted ways with Ji Qingying and returned to their shared room—where everyone was already present.
Xu Yecheng was leaning against the desk, munching on chips. On the table beside him sat another unopened bag—barbeque flavor.
What a coincidence.
He Xiaohan thought to himself as he walked over and sat at his own desk.
“Hey, Cheng,” He Xiaohan asked casually, “have you finished the math problem set yet?”
Xu Yecheng, who’d been watching a video, jerked in surprise and gave an awkward chuckle. “Ah—forgot about it... I’ll start now and give it back to you soon.”
“No rush,” He Xiaohan said with a shrug. “Just checking.”
“Where’d you go, Lao He?” Zheng Wenxuan called out from his bunk.
“Went to hang out with my girlfriend,” He Xiaohan replied with a grin. “Didn’t do much—just bought a few things.”
Xu Yecheng felt another pang of discomfort in his chest.
He logged into his second WeChat account and started setting up a new profile—choosing a cute avatar and a soft, girlish name.
His female identity would be Xu Wanning...
But then, he froze, suddenly unsure.
What nickname should I pick?
After the embarrassing fiasco of “Xiao Cheng Can’t Wake Up,” he was determined to choose something less cringy this time—something elegant and literary.
After some deliberation, he settled on: “Ning’an.”
Then, on second thought, he replaced the character “An” with a homophone that looked more poetic: “Ning àn.”
To add a personal stylistic touch, he tacked on a period at the end.
Perfect.
He sent this new WeChat ID to the store manager, who promptly added him to a work group chat.
The moment he joined, a flurry of greetings poured in:
“Welcome, new sis! You’re apparently super cute! @Ning Àn.”
“Welcome~!”
“Welcome welcome~!”
Xu Yecheng’s heart sank. So they just automatically assumed he was a girl, huh…
A wave of guilt followed. Was this considered online deception? This was the first time in his life he’d ever done something like this.
He thought about saying hello, but “the more you speak, the more you slip up”—so he decided to stay quiet and observe.
“Everyone, please send your class schedule for next week so I can arrange shifts,” the manager posted.
Frowning slightly, Xu Yecheng dug up his schedule and sent it over.
“Wow—you’re an engineering major?” One of the girls tagged him, clearly amazed.
Glancing at her nickname—“It’s Dou Dou”—Xu Yecheng figured she was probably cheerful and bubbly.
Other nicknames in the group included “Beer Belly Fairy” and “Shopaholic Gal,” followed by multiple “Lao!” (slang for “legendary/awesome”) comments.
“Um… it’s not that big a deal…” Xu Yecheng typed hesitantly after thinking it over carefully.
“It’s Dou Dou”: “Honestly, any girl who chooses engineering is a total hero.”
“Shopaholic Gal”: “Seriously!”
“It’s Dou Dou”: “The manager said you’re super cute, so I’m already super excited!”
Looking at all those playful, girlish usernames, Xu Yecheng suddenly felt his own literary-style alias was wildly out of place.
Actually, it wasn’t the name—it was *him* who didn’t fit in.
“No, no, not at all,” he typed, feeling increasingly awkward.
“It’s Dou Dou”: “Look, she’s being modest! She must be a total beauty—plus her name is so elegant~”
Xu Yecheng’s spine went cold.
Wait—wasn’t I supposed to be the wolf sneaking into a flock of sheep? How did it feel like the roles were reversed…?
“Alright, everyone—Xiao Ning is seriously gorgeous. I was totally smitten when I saw her this afternoon. Go ahead and get excited!” the manager added.
—
Only one chapter tomorrow—I’ve got some things to take care of. Sorry, my dears~
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