Chapter 34: Why Can’t I, as a Beautiful Girl, Experience Campus Life?

“I’m out of blood, out of blood—”

“Don’t charge forward, damn it! I told you to wait for me to revive—”

“Aaaaah, it’s over, it’s over!! Hurry and save me!”

“Shit, you fucking threw yourself in, who can save you?!”

“No, Gao Jingdong, your skills really suck, do you even know how to play this?”

A slipper flew from behind and hit the backrest of Gao Jingdong’s computer chair.

Gao Jingdong turned around. Li Xiang had a smug expression on his face as he poked his head in from the doorway.

“You fucking noob, how dare you show your face?!” He picked up the slipper from the floor and chased Li Xiang around the living room.

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Gao Qinghe bought herself a cup of milk tea. After thinking it over, she decided not to buy Lin Xi her usual iced Americano and instead ordered her a cup of honey hot milk.

“I’ll just drop you off here?” In front of the teaching building, Li Xiang handed the plastic bag containing two drinks to Gao Qinghe. His fingers paused slightly as he handed it over. “Um, if you have any difficulties, you can tell me too… though I might not be able to help much anyway.” Li Xiang smiled self-deprecatingly, waved at Gao Qinghe, and left. His posture was the same as usual—slightly hunched, with a dragging step.

‘Gao Qinghe stared at Li Xiang’s back, feeling a pang of nostalgia. After all, Li Xiang was facing a stranger, so it was only natural for him to be distant. But this was still her brother who had spent day and night with her before. It would be a lie to say she didn’t miss their time together.  

But to be honest, in the past week or so, not only had she not thought about Li Xiang, she hadn’t even remembered to play games. Although she hadn’t brought Gao Jingdong’s computer to Lin Xi’s house, she could still go to internet cafes whenever she wanted. But when she passed by internet cafes while shopping a few times, she didn’t even glance inside.  

Hmm, it seemed that turning into a girl might have cured her game addiction.  

She used to always end up with no time to study because of gaming, procrastinating until two or three in the morning without doing homework. If she could quit gaming and study hard like Lin Xi, maybe she could become as impressive as Lin Xi.  

Hadn’t Lin Xi once praised her for being quite smart, just unwilling to study? If she put in the effort, passing a few exams would be easy. She wasn’t aiming to get a high GPA like Lin Xi and pursue graduate studies or a doctorate, but not failing a course should be simple enough. Maybe if she found some top student and played pitiful to get some guidance, she could get a decent score and not be treated like a slacker all the time. That way, as a beautiful girl, she could experience a wonderful campus life…’

She entered the teaching building just as class let out. Carrying the bag with the drinks, Gao Qinghe carefully avoided the crowd and walked to the door of Lin Xi’s classroom.

“…Lin Xi, you’re really amazing, absolutely incredible… How long did you prepare?”

“Right? Wow, and that professor’s questions were so tricky. I didn’t even understand what she was saying… but you actually answered them all?”

“Didn’t you guys see the professor’s expression? She even said Lin Xi’s answers were ‘very good.’ I heard she doesn’t even treat her own research students well…”

“Hey Lin Xi, aren’t you going to grad school? Want to consider joining her lab? She’d definitely be willing to take you, right?”

“Hey hey hey, don’t underestimate Lin Xi. She should at least apply to Peking University or Tsinghua for grad school, right?”

Lin Xi was surrounded by a group of people. Even though she was being praised, she didn’t show any joy on her face and just maintained an elegant smile.

“But it seems some people don’t think so…”

Suddenly, a few harsh voices emerged from the crowd.

Gao Qinghe stopped walking and saw one of the girls surrounding Lin Xi, who was facing the door, glance at her with a contemptuous look.

“…Right? Even if she was just auditing, who would leave in the middle of a presentation? I saw the professor’s face turn sour…”

“You said the one who came with you is your ex-boyfriend’s cousin? Lin Xi, this Gao Jingdong isn’t still pestering you, is he?”

“Oh, no, actually…” Lin Xi turned her face sideways and didn’t see Gao Qinghe. She seemed about to explain.

“Someone like her is obviously the type who only cares about dressing up and doesn’t study—a lazy good-for-nothing. Isn’t she just like that cousin of hers?”

“Exactly. She’s not even here for class… What is she even doing at our school? Doesn’t she have to go to school herself? Doing nothing every day, isn’t she just a slacker?”

“And then, Lin Xi, you’re letting her stay at your house? Aren’t you being too nice? Didn’t Gao Jingdong also mooch at your place before? Let me tell you, Lin Xi, you really shouldn’t be too kind to poor people like them—they’ll easily take advantage of you. My family has poor relatives like that too, exactly the same. They’re like vampires, always asking my dad for money. I’m telling you to be careful. Why are you even associating with someone like that?”

“Wait, wait, don’t get worked up, okay?” Lin Xi finally spoke. She spread her hands, making a pressing-down gesture to signal them to calm down. “Gao Jingdong being a good-for-nothing is his problem. You can’t lump them together. This has nothing to do with him.” The smile had already disappeared from her face. Her expression was serious, but her tone was very calm. “Qinghe is a girl after all. Her family background is definitely not as good as ours, but you can’t judge her just because of that. Her family situation is quite complicated. In times like this, we should help if we can. You all must also…”

Gao Qinghe couldn’t hear the rest. When she realized it, she was already running, her only thought being how to get away from those malicious words.

‘She should have been angry, and she was indeed furious. She almost charged forward to confront those girls, but Lin Xi’s words were like a bucket of cold water poured over her head.  

Had her heart become fragile after turning into a girl?  

She had been thinking earlier that, with this new body, she could have an incredibly fulfilling campus life, maybe even stand on the same starting line as Lin Xi.  

She had already become a girl and no longer fantasized about having anything romantic with Lin Xi, but at least she thought they could become friends. At least she thought that after all the running around she did for Lin Xi, Lin Xi would remember her kindness, at least…  

At least she wouldn’t say those hypocritical grand words.  

But how could she deserve such demands? Her background wasn’t comparable to Lin Xi’s or her friends’. How could she possibly be like them?  

Gao Qinghe laughed bitterly. They were right—her clothes were bought by Xiang Bei, she was living at Lin Xi’s house, she had no school and no job…  

But what could she do? Did she have to work hard step by step? Wasn’t it weird for a woman to be as driven as them?’

“…He… Gao Qinghe…! W-wait, wait up!” A breathless voice mixed with a slightly cracked shout came from far behind, snapping Gao Qinghe back to reality.

She didn’t realize she had already run out onto the lawn outside.

Her pace slowed down. When she turned around, she saw that the person chasing her was a boy with a camera hanging around his neck, his hair in a small ponytail, and his hair disheveled.