“What should I do?”
“Why hasn’t Su Moli come back yet? Could she have been caught by the Patrol Teacher?”
“Or…did she get into a fight with them?”
“As her friend, running away like this—isn’t that pretty cowardly?”
“Maybe she’s going to hate me…”
Inside the Classroom during lunch break, ever since Meng Siyu ran back, not a moment passed without regret gnawing at her heart.
She blamed her timid nature, scared to lose the one friend she had just managed to make.
But were they really friends?
Meng Siyu still remembered how, that very morning, she was suspicious of Su Moli being a Nütong, even considering reporting her for rewards.
Regardless, seeing that Su Moli still hadn’t returned after so long, Meng Siyu felt an unbearable ache in her chest, running through every terrifying possibility in her mind.
She imagined looking for her.
She even fantasized about Su Moli fighting those bullies and accidentally dying outside.
Although she knew it was ridiculous, these terrible thoughts kept creeping in unbidden.
“Ding ding ding~”
With the bell signaling the end of lunch break, the classroom burst back to life, everyone chatting noisily with renewed youthful energy.
“Maybe…I should go look for her?”
Seeing that Su Moli hadn’t come back even for the afternoon study session, Meng Siyu couldn’t hold back her worry any longer.
She hurried out the Classroom door, intending to search.
But just as she stepped outside, she spotted Su Moli standing by the Classroom door, punished to stand there.
“Huh? What are you doing here?”
“Nothing I could do—I got caught by the Patrol Teacher.”
“Sigh~ I was planning to hide in the bathroom for a bit, but who knew the Patrol Teacher was there too. They caught me right away and asked which class I was from.”
“Then they made me stand here as punishment. That was a serious miscalculation…”
Su Moli shrugged helplessly, her face full of resignation.
It was embarrassing to think that this genius transfer student—who managed to befriend a girl and tame the school’s three bullies all in one day—couldn’t even get past the school Patrol Teacher.
“Uh…as long as you’re okay…wait! You got caught…ah…anyway…it’s good that you’re okay…cough cough.”
Seeing Su Moli unharmed and even jokingly making fun of herself, Meng Siyu’s heart, which had been worrying about her possibly being murdered by the bullies, finally relaxed completely.
No!
The idea of getting murdered at school was just too absurd!
“So…how was it, being punished to stand?”
“Uh…I didn’t mean to ask…it’s just…well…I’m really curious…sorry, if you don’t want to say it’s fine, anyway…”
Looking at Su Moli standing there, having always followed school rules, Meng Siyu’s curiosity was overwhelming, but as soon as she asked, she felt it was impolite and started apologizing instinctively.
“It’s fine, I forgive you.”
“It’s probably like the monkeys at a zoo being ogled by passing tourists.”
“But every time they look over, I enthusiastically wave and say hi, then pull out a lollipop from my pocket to hand to them. Too bad I don’t have a lighter, so they feel awkward instead.”
“…That’s impressive.”
Listening to Su Moli’s enthusiastic recount of being punished at the Classroom door, Meng Siyu’s gaze unconsciously shifted to admiration.
If it were her, she would’ve buried her head in the sand—or rather, wished she could dig a hole and crawl inside.
“Aren’t you embarrassed?”
“No, this is nothing compared to when I lived in the Dormitory.”
“One night, I had a wet dream, so I sneaked out of bed to wash my underwear. After washing, I was about to hang it up but couldn’t find the drying rack. Half asleep, I turned on the light—waking everyone up. Seven pairs of eyes stared right at me. That was embarrassing.”
[Please don’t seriously say something so ridiculously funny.]
“Huh…?”
Listening to Su Moli’s absurd story gave Meng Siyu goosebumps, her head buzzing as if her toes had dug up a three-bedroom apartment of memories.
Ah.
Such a legend.
But isn’t wet dreaming something that only happens to boys?
She must’ve been mistaken—probably meant her period.
“In any case, since then, I haven’t worn regular underwear.”
“???”
[???]
“No, no! I mean I don’t wear normal underwear anymore; I switched to disposable ones.”
Sensing Meng Siyu’s increasingly strange look, Su Moli quickly explained.
After all, although she was a Nütong, she wasn’t a pervert—no, she wasn’t a Nütong at all, just a Sanhe trying to finish her system tasks quickly, sell her house, and live quietly in the countryside.
(Is this what friendship feels like? Being able to shamelessly share embarrassing secrets?)
Hearing her good friend open up like this warmed Meng Siyu’s heart, a girl who had grown up alone, accustomed to silence, loneliness, and pain.
(Should I share some embarrassing, shameful secrets too?)
She thought about how she got scammed after paying VIP to watch short videos.
[Congratulations Xi, your shared embarrassment has brought you closer to Meng Siyu, Qinmidu +3, reward 500 yuan.]
Could those shameful memories that make her blush and wish to punch herself actually make money?
Thinking this, Su Moli’s gaze toward Meng Siyu grew even stranger.
“W-What’s…wrong…? Why are you looking at me like that? Is there… something weird on my face?”
Noticing Su Moli’s predatory stare, Meng Siyu instinctively crossed her arms and backed away defensively.
Only then did she remember—this person was a Nütong; better be careful.
Do you want to be a coward for life?
Or a hero for a few seconds?
5:30 PM.
“Ding ding ding~”
With the bell ringing again, students finally poured out of school like wild horses rushing to the gates.
In contrast, Su Moli and Meng Siyu strolled leisurely, chatting as they walked.
“Good luck! The mission to save all the Male Students in the world is yours now.”
“Ah?! No way, I can’t do it, no way…”
On the road from the Teaching Building to the school gate, Su Moli began sharing with Meng Siyu the agreement she made at lunch with the school bullies Zhang Sisi and Dacheng.
If in three days—
Saturday—they could beat them at playing Thousand Love, Ten Thousand Blossoms in a milk tea shop, the bullies would apologize to the boy they had been spying on under the skirt.
If Su Moli and her team lost, they would have to pay 400 yuan as the Champion Reward for playing Thousand Love, Ten Thousand Blossoms.
“What is this nonsense? Why does what looked like a fight turn into a game challenge?”
“And why play Thousand Love, Ten Thousand Blossoms, that banned galgame only found on the Dark Web?”
After spending time with Su Moli (though only about eight hours), Meng Siyu was no longer the timid, silent girl she used to be and began to boldly voice her thoughts.
“Huh? What? Can you explain that?”
Hearing Meng Siyu say the game could only be found on the Dark Web, Su Moli suddenly realized something was off.
It seemed not everything was completely reversed in this world but somewhat preserved.
“Ah? You didn’t know that?”
Meng Siyu looked at Su Moli in surprise.
She couldn’t understand why Su Moli suggested playing the game without knowing this.
Still, she patiently explained.
“Oh! I see now.”
After Meng Siyu’s explanation, Su Moli immediately understood.
She had thought the girls in Thousand Love, Ten Thousand Blossoms were turned into cute boys because of the matriarchal world.
So, to avoid spiritual pollution, she had to pass the mission to save the world onto Meng Siyu.
But it turned out that in this world, Thousand Love, Ten Thousand Blossoms was fully preserved—just only accessible on the Dark Web.
Its ecological niche had been replaced by Josou Sanmyaku.
“You’re so cruel, making us play such a game.”
Meng Siyu shot Su Moli a complaining look, growing ever more convinced she really was a Nütong.
Otherwise, why would she force them to play Thousand Love, Ten Thousand Blossoms to win over girls?