The ringtone dragged Ji Yu out of her sleep. She lay limp on the bed, as if all her bones had been pulled out, unwilling to move. Then—
Thud!
A box landed on her nightstand.
"Come on, my dear little sister. Big sis has already picked out your clothes for today."
Ji Yu squinted in protest, but Ji Yu's older sister, Ji Yu, dragged her to the window to wake her up. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight, she turned back to see her sister frowning, holding up an outfit against her body with a critical look.
"I can dress myself, you know. I don't need you to—"
"Your clothes are way too masculine. You're a girl now, and you can't just wear those and embarrass yourself."
Ji Yu's lips twitched. She immediately regretted talking back, so she let her sister do as she pleased, silently allowing herself to be dressed up like a mannequin.
A dark green embroidered shawl over a white blouse with a shallow V-neck, tucked neatly into khaki high-waisted wide-leg pants. The outfit not only hid her curves but also gave her a touch of elegant mystery.
Ji Yu's naturally beautiful figure was already eye-catching, but with this styling, she looked even more refined. The slightly shorter pants made her legs appear longer, and the whole look gave her a graceful aura.
After breakfast, Ji Yu stepped out wearing her sister's experimental styling. Before she left, Ji Yu even placed a pair of frameless black glasses on her.
"Now it's complete. Off you go. Trust me—today, you'll be the brightest star at Yuyang University."
Her sister's attitude had shifted drastically since Ji Yu became a girl. No more vague encouragements or gentle persuasion—just straightforward commands.
Carrying her Language Expression textbook, Ji Yu set out at a relaxed pace, exactly as her sister instructed.
But the moment she appeared at the bus stop, coin in hand, she drew every eye like a spotlight.
Whispers broke out around her.
"Wow, look at that girl. She's gorgeous! Is she some kind of fashion designer?"
"Her figure is insane! And that side-parted hairstyle—so sexy!"
Hearing strangers gush over her made Ji Yu's heart flutter, though she kept her expression calm, suppressing the smile tugging at her lips.
"Um… excuse me."
A clean, youthful voice came from behind. Turning around, Ji Yu saw a fair-skinned, handsome boy. Thankfully, he stood two steps away—though, strangely, so did everyone else in the bus.
She noticed his school uniform immediately—it was from Guanxia High School, her own alma mater. Her lips parted slightly.
"Yes? What is it, junior?"
"Uh, senior… can I add your WeChat?"
Caught off guard, Ji Yu hesitated. But with so many people watching, she didn't want to embarrass him. So she brought up her QR code for him to scan.
The boy lit up with joy, hurriedly scanned her code, and returned to his seat, where his friends pounced on him like he was some rare animal.
…Not bad, actually.
Ji Yu's lips curved slightly, her blue eyes crinkling with amusement. A few nearby girls, emboldened, quickly asked to add her too.
By the time the bus arrived, Ji Yu stepped off with her mood soaring. Behind her, the students who'd seen her get off at Yuyang University were already scheming how to "coincidentally" run into her again.
September in Yuyang meant clear skies and crisp air. The summer heat was fading, replaced by the golden signs of autumn.
The campus was calm—at least for now. Birds chirped faintly in the trees.
Ding-ling-ling-ling~
The crisp sound of the class bell rang, like a wind chime. To Ji Yu, it was the perfect sound for campus life—bright and refreshing.
Inside the classroom, it was nothing like high school. No unified reading aloud, just yawns and chatter everywhere.
Creak—
Pushing the door open, Ji Yu found the podium empty. No teacher yet. She let out a small sigh of relief. For some reason, she had developed a mild PTSD about being late and called out by teachers.
Then silence fell.
Conversations and yawns all stopped. Dozens of eyes locked on her. Admiration, curiosity, envy… and jealousy.
Ji Yu froze, her cheeks burning crimson under the weight of so many stares. She adjusted her glasses, inhaled deeply, and walked toward a seat by the window in the front row.
Most students avoided the first rows, especially since this class—Language Expression—was taught by a retired national radio anchor who loved picking students in front to answer questions.
So when the teacher strode in, tall in her black suit and high heels, she immediately spotted Ji Yu sitting in the sunlight.
The rays fell across Ji Yu's side profile and the open textbook, casting her in warm, golden specks of light. The scene looked almost like an oil painting.
The teacher smiled her professional, practiced smile and stepped onto the podium. No slides, no notes—forty years of experience meant she didn't need them.
Her heels clicked across the floor as she scanned the class.
"Last time, we talked about the importance of language expression for broadcasting majors. Does anyone remember—or have something to add?"
The students sat silent, waiting for her to pick.
"Then…"
Her steps echoed until she stood before Ji Yu.
She lowered her head, meeting Ji Yu's deep indigo eyes.
"You, young lady—Is there any other content?"
When the morning's classes finally ended, the bell rang and students rushed out, eager for lunch.
On the basketball courts, sweat and laughter filled the air. The dream of basketball was alive in every slam dunk and pass, even if none of them would ever reach the NBA.
And of course, where there were boys, there was talk of girls.
Seven or eight young men sat on a bench, chugging water after a match.
"They say Yudu is full of beauties. I didn't believe it before, but now… I'm convinced." One boy perched on the flowerbed, his gaze lingering on the stream of students heading to the dorms.
"Tch, that's nothing. Sure, our school has lots of pretty girls. But the truly natural ones, without any surgery… you can count them on one hand."