It really was true.
Even if she made that person wash the clothes, An Ling couldn’t exactly go to afternoon classes half-naked.
“The clothes are too dirty to wear now. We need to think of something.”
“That’s not hard.”
Li Yang spoke up.
“I always keep a spare uniform in my bag, it’s just…”
“Just?”
An Ling looked at Li Yang, and Li Yang looked back at her.
“It’s just that my clothes are going to be way too big on you.”
“Yeah, they would be.”
An Ling thought for a second.
“Or we could ask a teacher if they have any spare clothes in the office?”
“That works too.”
Li Yang nodded.
……
“Clothes? I don’t have any either. Why are you asking?”
The homeroom teacher looked at the two of them.
An Ling hid behind Li Yang, acting strange.
Why would students suddenly come asking for clothes?
“And why do you two smell like food?”
“That’s exactly why I brought An Ling to see you, Teacher Zhang.”
Li Yang pulled An Ling forward so the teacher could see her properly.
Only then did the homeroom teacher notice how bad An Ling’s uniform looked.
The two of them explained exactly what had happened in the cafeteria.
“I see. But I don’t have any spare clothes right now. Didn’t Li Yang say he has one? Why don’t you just wear his for now? Tie it with something. It’s only a few classes this afternoon.”
“I guess that’s the only option.”
An Ling reluctantly agreed.
“Alright. An Ling, wait back at that spot where you were. I’ll go get the clothes for you.”
Li Yang said.
After An Ling nodded, he dashed off.
Almost as soon as An Ling returned to the empty spot, Li Yang reappeared with the uniform.
It was his spare school uniform, and the size difference between them was huge.
“Are you changing here?”
Li Yang asked.
Of course not.
There was no way An Ling would change here.
Even if no one else came by, letting Li Yang see her would be bad enough.
She was wearing a chest binder underneath.
If he saw that, she would be exposed.
“I’ll change in a toilet stall. I don’t want anyone seeing.”
An Ling said.
It was a reasonable request.
Even boys would feel shy about changing in a semi-public place.
An Ling took Li Yang’s oversized uniform and slipped into the bathroom.
The school bathrooms had individual stalls, which was the best part.
Otherwise she would have had trouble using the restroom at school at all.
Even so, she always timed it carefully—going after the first half of break—so there were fewer students around and no one staring at her in surprise.
Li Yang’s uniform really was enormous.
The moment An Ling put it on, she realized this might not have been the best solution.
If she wore it properly, it turned into an off-the-shoulder top that showed a bit of her shoulder.
If she didn’t adjust it right, one shoulder slipped completely off and you could faintly see her chest binder.
Why does it look so revealing no matter how I wear it!
An Ling was speechless.
In the end she found one workable solution: she kept pinching the collar shut with one hand.
It meant she only had one free hand, but there was nothing else she could do.
An Ling opened the stall door and walked out.
Li Yang was waiting for her outside the bathroom.
“Why are you pinching the collar the whole time?”
Li Yang asked.
“No choice. Your uniform is too big. Never mind that—let’s go to the snack shop and buy something to fill our stomachs. I’m a little hungry.”
An Ling quickly changed the subject.
She didn’t want to discuss the clothes any further.
“I’m kind of hungry too.”
Li Yang’s attention shifted as expected.
The two of them headed to the snack shop together.
An Ling’s movements and outfit did look a bit strange, attracting quite a few stares along the way.
But they were students; after a quick look they moved on with their own business.
People might gossip behind her back, but An Ling couldn’t control that.
“Pick whatever you want. I’ll treat you.”
An Ling said.
After all, she was the reason they hadn’t eaten lunch, and she was wearing his clothes.
“Sounds good. Let me see… I have decision paralysis.”
Li Yang didn’t refuse.
He could treat her next time.
In the end Li Yang only grabbed a pork floss bun and a can of eight-treasure porridge.
An Ling picked just a cream bun.
They would eat lightly for lunch and have a proper meal when they got home tonight.
The two of them sat on the chairs outside the snack shop and finished their food.
By the time they returned to the classroom, lunch break was almost over.
They sat at their desks, took out their books, and prepared for the afternoon classes.
“An Ling, why are you wearing such a huge uniform?”
Zhou Meng stared at the completely ill-fitting clothes.
An Ling was still pinching the collar shut.
“It’s Li Yang’s. Mine got dirty…”
An Ling explained everything that had happened at lunch in detail to Zhou Meng.
“Whoa! That’s awful! An Ling, if you act like this people will think you’re easy to bully. You should be tougher. At the very least she should have washed your clothes for you.”
Zhou Meng felt indignant on An Ling’s behalf.
“It’s fine. I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting someone else wash my clothes anyway. It’s not a big deal.”
As long as Chen Ping didn’t get close to Li Yang, everything else was minor.
“You’re just too kind, An Ling. It’s okay! As class president I won’t let anyone bully you.”
“But An Ling.”
Zhou Meng suddenly changed tone.
“Wearing his uniform like this… doesn’t it look a little too intimate with Li Yang?”
“This… it shouldn’t, right?”
An Ling hadn’t thought of that before.
The moment Zhou Meng mentioned it, her face turned bright red.
“We’re both guys, and I didn’t have any other choice.”
An Ling pulled out the card that no longer existed.
“Yeah, I guess. Just take care of yourself, okay? Be a little firmer with people.”
Zhou Meng reminded her again.
Zhou Meng really was a good person.
An Ling looked at the girl beside her waving her fist.
She was just a little too fond of overthinking and gossiping.
If An Ling hadn’t already decided Li Yang wouldn’t like Zhou Meng, she would have been the top candidate.
Maybe she should ask Li Yang what he thought of Zhou Meng.
What if there was a chance?
An Ling paid attention in the afternoon classes.
Grades still mattered, after all.
Before she knew it, school was over.
“Heading straight home?”
Li Yang asked.
“Yeah, straight home. Nothing to wander around for, and I need to change into clothes that actually fit.”
An Ling said.
“Let’s go then.”
The two of them packed their things.
An Ling put her dirty uniform in a plastic bag.
She walked home like that—schoolbag on her back, one hand pinching the collar shut, the other holding the bag—together with Li Yang.
“Want me to carry your bag for you?”
“No need. This is fine. I can manage.”
She stubbornly refused Li Yang’s help.
“Chat while we walk?”
An Ling suggested.
“Whatever you want.”
“What do you think of the class president?”
An Ling asked.
“Zhou Meng, huh…”
Li Yang thought for a moment.
“She’s pretty nice. She helps out whenever someone has a problem, and everyone respects her.”
“Why are you suddenly asking?”
“Nothing special. I just think she’s a good person and wanted your opinion. It’s basically gossip.”
……