SBAB Chapter 31

Tomorrow, don’t forget to bring an umbrella, wear something warm, and don’t catch a cold—it might rain! Cheng Shiyin had just seen the weather forecast predicting rain and immediately thought to remind the scatterbrained new friend she’d recently met.

Lin Xin obediently dug out a pair of thick jeans bought last winter and stuffed an umbrella into the side pocket of his backpack. Deep down, he hoped none of his dormmates would check the forecast, so when the downpour hit, he could flaunt his pre-prepared umbrella and show off how thoughtful Cheng Shiyin was toward him.

Unfortunately, everyone else had also noticed the rain and drop in temperature. Except for Zhang Yun, who stuck to her usual thin tracksuit thanks to her robust constitution, the other three dormmates all wore winter clothes. Shan Xiaoxia even wrapped a scarf around her neck, despite it being a full week before the school would turn on the heating.

Dressed in his winter gear and surrounded by a “mushroom forest” of umbrellas, Lin Xin completely lost any chance to stand out. The words he wanted to brag about stuck in his throat, neither up nor down.

The sudden rain had brought the already cool temperatures to winter levels. Even though Lin Xin was bundled in layers like a dumpling, the cold wind still stung his exposed ankles.

“Ugh… How can there be such a big difference among college students?” Lin Xin muttered, mimicking a classic line from Fan Wei in the comedy skit Selling Crutches.

Shuffling along like a fly on fruit, rubbing his hands for warmth, Lin Xin glanced at classmates confidently striding in cropped pants. Thinking of recent social media posts about people catching facial paralysis from exposing their ankles, he clicked his tongue in admiration, “Tsk tsk.”

It was impolite.

To correct Lin Xin’s rudeness, the sharp-tongued Shan Xiaoxia launched her counterattack. She pointed at Lin Xin’s cropped pants—pants Lin Xin hadn’t bought—and said, “You’re criticizing others, but aren’t you the same?”

“Impossible.” Lin Xin cut her off before she could finish. For someone who prioritized comfort, “beauty at the cost of freezing” wasn’t a concept he entertained.

But Shan Xiaoxia didn’t lower her pointing finger or change her expression. Lin Xin reluctantly looked down and, sure enough, saw his cold, purplish ankles exposed to the air.

Confused, Lin Xin thought, I don’t even own cropped pants! But these were the ones he’d pulled from his closet last night, so they couldn’t belong to a roommate.

The evidence was undeniable, and arguing was pointless. Instead of focusing on the mystery, Lin Xin decided to address the pressing issue: keeping warm.

He squatted down, tugged his pant legs as far down as they would go, and covered his icy ankles with his hands. Once his ankles were securely hidden, he raised his head and said to Shan Xiaoxia, “See? Nothing’s exposed. Everything’s fine.”

“Get up already. Stop messing around. If we’re late, your social practice hours will hit 24,” Shan Xiaoxia said, yanking Lin Xin up with all her strength. To her surprise, she felt an unexpected heaviness.

Caught off balance, Lin Xin swayed and nearly fell into Shan Xiaoxia’s arms. Suddenly, the phrase “men and women should not touch hands” flashed in his mind. He forcefully leaned backward to avoid her, completely ignoring the sharp gravel on the ground that awaited him.

Thankfully, Lin Xin didn’t hit the ground. Instead, he bumped into Zhang Yun, who had stopped nearby to chat with He Xiangtong. Using her backpack as support, he avoided what could’ve been a bloody mess.

But the incident made Shan Xiaoxia realize something: Lin Xin had been acting oddly lately.

She moved closer, comparing their heights with her hand. She realized that Lin Xin, who used to be the same height as her, now required her to lift her hand slightly to touch the top of his head. Lin Xin had grown taller.

After comparing him to Zhang Yun and noting the shortened length of his pants, she concluded: Lin Xin had grown five centimeters, from 163 cm to 168 cm. The half-head difference between him and Zhang Yun had shrunk to just a forehead.

How did no one notice this? Shan Xiaoxia wondered before answering her own question: Everyone had been too exhausted from practice lately to pay attention to such details.

But now she knew, and she planned to make the most of this information.

Pulling Lin Xin aside, Shan Xiaoxia whispered in his ear, “If you don’t want me to tell anyone your secret, you have to agree to do something for me.”

Lin Xin, unaware of what she meant, assumed she was referring to his “overnight transformation” and protested, “Didn’t we agree to keep that under wraps? Why are you changing your mind now?”

Realizing they weren’t on the same page, Shan Xiaoxia decided to roll with it. “I’m just unpredictable like that. Take it or leave it.”

“Fine, fine.” Knowing he was at a disadvantage, Lin Xin reluctantly agreed.

Without beating around the bush, Shan Xiaoxia made her request: “Tell your girlfriend to cancel my date with Wu Lian.”

“Girlfriend?!” Hearing her refer to Cheng Shiyin that way made Lin Xin so giddy he turned away, covering his face in embarrassment. “Oh, stop! You’re making me blush!”

Ugh! Shan Xiaoxia grimaced.

Shan Xiaoxia suppressed her sudden wave of nausea and continued her offensive against Lin Xin’s nonsense. “Fine, I’ll take that as a yes.”

To her surprise, Lin Xin, hearing that it involved Cheng Shiyin, snapped out of his daze and replied clearly, “I need to check with Cheng Shiyin first. I don’t have the right to make decisions for her.”

“Tch, henpecked husband,” Shan Xiaoxia sneered.

“Hehehe.”

“That wasn’t a compliment!” Shan Xiaoxia glared at Lin Xin, whose face lit up with pride. She wanted to pin him to the ground and teach him a lesson, even though she might not be able to overpower him anymore.

It’s just a girlfriend you haven’t even officially dated yet. What’s there to brag about? she thought. I have Wu Lian, too… Shan Xiaoxia immediately shook her head. Ugh, no, I don’t! Who said that? Not true!

Still, the thought nagged at her: Lin Xin’s secondary development included growing a brain? It made sense, though—people always said men thought with their lower halves. Could Lin Xin be the same?

Curious and suspicious, Shan Xiaoxia stole a glance at Lin Xin’s lower body. Disappointed, she quickly looked away—there was nothing to see.

Lin Xin didn’t notice Shan Xiaoxia’s inappropriate glance, but a sudden, inexplicable tension made him eager to shift her focus. “But I can talk to Cheng Shiyin and see if we can push your date back a few days. That way, you’ll have time to prepare for Wu Lian’s tricks.”

“That works,” Shan Xiaoxia agreed, appreciating Lin Xin’s proactive attitude. However, she didn’t leave. Instead, she stared pointedly at Lin Xin’s phone, silently demanding immediate action.

Seeing her persistence, Lin Xin sighed and called Cheng Shiyin. Luckily, she agreed without hesitation and even offered to move the date from the end of the month to the week after the broadcast gymnastics competition.

Cheng Shiyin’s reasoning was simple, which she explained honestly to Lin Xin: “I want you to have a few days to rest. You’ve been so exhausted lately.”

“Woof… woof…” Before Cheng Shiyin could hang up, she heard strange animal sounds. “What was that?”

“N-nothing,” Lin Xin stammered.

“Okay,” Cheng Shiyin replied. “Class is starting. Talk later.”

While Cheng Shiyin couldn’t see Lin Xin’s reaction, Shan Xiaoxia could.

One moment, Shan Xiaoxia had been standing less than a meter away. The next, she seemed to master a martial arts technique, retreating ten meters in an instant. From that distance, Lin Xin could barely recognize her figure.

Lin Xin’s behavior confirmed her suspicions: he’d lost it.

She didn’t know what Cheng Shiyin had said, but nothing should cause someone to suddenly squat on the ground, clutching their mouth, laughing and crying simultaneously, all while making dog-like barking sounds.

What else could it be but madness?

But for Lin Xin, it wasn’t madness. It was excitement. It was happiness—pure and simple.

She cares about me. She worries about me. Maybe… just maybe… she might like me too.

That tiny sliver of hope overflowed in his heart, leaving him unable to contain his joy. He covered his mouth to keep Cheng Shiyin from hearing his uncontrollable emotions, but tears of frustration streamed down his face.

Lin Xin hated his still-feminine appearance and resented his suddenly masculinized body. He loathed his strange self—unable to speak his feelings, much less express them openly.

I’d rather just be a cute little dog. Even if all he could do was wag his tail, at least Cheng Shiyin might understand his love.

“Woof! Woof!”