Volume 1 / Chapter 49: On the Road

Before the girls had all taken their seats, the boys remained standing.

As if by some unspoken agreement, the girls mostly settled in the back half of the bus.

“Mò Xuěyáo , sit with me! The seat next to me is super comfy!” Huā Yínyín called out cheerfully.

Xuěyáo didn’t really get it. All the seats were basically the same—what made that one any more comfortable?

Still, it was the spot she preferred. Somewhere near the middle of the bus, not too far front or back—less jostling, less motion sickness.

It was also a window seat. If she got carsick, she could easily crack the window open and let the breeze wash over her.

But honestly, Xuěyáo wasn’t too keen on sitting next to Huā Yínyín.

Not just because she was prone to doing weird things, but more importantly, the two of them weren’t exactly close.

If she had a choice, she’d much rather sit with Wáng Jiālè or Mò Xiǎoxiào.

Sitting with a boy wouldn’t be the end of the world either.

But Mo Xiǎoxiào was sitting with her little sister, Mo Zhúyōu, and if Xuěyáo wanted to sit with a boy, she’d have to ask—and that would just come off as weird.

Sure, she used to be a man, but that didn’t mean she wanted to draw unnecessary attention to herself.

In other words, if it happened naturally, fine. But saying it out loud? Definitely not.

So in the end, she just nodded hesitantly and took the seat beside Huā Yínyín.

“Hehe~” The moment she sat down, Huā Yínyín flashed a devilish grin, like a cartoon villain who’d just pulled off a scheme. The look gave Xuěyáo goosebumps.

She instinctively leaned closer to the window, occupying only half the seat.

“Mò Xuěyáo~” Huā Yínyín’s hand casually rested on her thigh. “These black thigh-highs feel so nice to the touch.”

“Cough cough...”

“Relax, relax~ I’m just touching them, I’m not gonna do anything weird~☆”

As if anyone would believe that. Xuěyáo rolled her eyes inwardly.

Once all the girls were seated, the boys finally found their own spots.

Some plopped down directly on the floor, while others casually sat on their buddies' laps.

“Ahh~ so nice,” Gāo Yuán sighed contentedly as he plopped down on Zhōu Yǒng's thigh, letting out an exaggerated groan.

“The hell, you damn fatty! My leg’s gonna snap!” Zhōu Yǒng shouted dramatically.

“Hey! I only weigh 120 jin (60kg), where do you see fat?!” Gāo Yuán protested.

“Yeah, but you’re like five feet tall!”

“Only 120? Looks more like 210 to me,” Liú Xiǎowěi quipped from the side, deadpan.

“Shut it, you smug seat-having jerk!”

“Hey—if all the seats are taken, where do I sit?” homeroom teacher Ms. Yè Wén asked, arms crossed and smirking. “Any volunteers? Come on, be a gentleman and give your teacher a seat~”

“Ms. Yè, take mine,” said Xuě Xiānshēng, closing his book and standing up immediately.

“Aww, how sweet. I was just teasing—I brought my own little stool,” Ms. Yè said with a warm smile, then turned to the others, mock-stern. “Hmph! See? Only Mr.Xuě offered his seat. Aren’t the rest of you ashamed?”

“Aw, c’mon, Ms. Yè, sit here!” Liú Xiǎowěi quickly tried to butter her up.

“Okay then, I will.”

“Wait—what?!” His eyes widened. “I thought you had a stool!”

“Fooled you~ Hmph! Stand there like a good boy~” Ms. Yè said gleefully as she sat down beside Xuě Xiānshēng.

“Savage!” Gāo Yuán cackled gleefully.

So Liú Xiǎowěi went over to Zhōu Yǒng’s spot, looking like he was about to form a human sandwich.

“My legs are seriously gonna break!” Zhōu Yǒng wailed as he stood up in protest. “Fine, fine! You two sit! I’ll stand!”

“Tragic.” Lǐ Hóngrǎn shook his head in mock sympathy, though his twitching lips betrayed hisstifled laughter.

Amid the lively commotion, the bus slowly started to move. The scenery outside began to scroll backwards like film.

There was one upside to being at the edge of the city—the bus didn’t need to navigate tight urban streets. A simple turn, and they were on the wide roads of the outskirts.

Mò Xuěyáo slid the window open halfway, letting the wind graze her cheeks.

The sun, which had peeked out for a moment, now retreated behind layers of gentle white clouds.

Not exactly overcast—but certainly a bit cloudy.

As soon as the bus started rolling, Wáng Jiālè pulled out a big bag of chips from her backpack and started munching away happily.

Yep. She was absolutely treating this like a field trip.

Xuěyáo stared at her in disbelief, but Wáng Jiālè misunderstood the look.

“Hmm? Huh?” She thought for a moment, then offered the whole bag to Xuěyáo, giving it a little shake.

She thought Xuěyáo was asking for some.

“Uh… I’m good,” Xuěyáo instinctively declined.

“I’ll take some!” Huā Yínyín, of course, had no such reservations. She reached out and grabbed two chips without hesitation.

And just like that, the chips Wáng Jiālè had been enjoying solo became a shared snack for the whole back row of girls.

Even a few boys up front came back for a handful.

“Hey! I barely got to eat any!” Wáng Jiālè pouted, clearly feeling robbed.

“Aw, how can you guys bully her like that? She’s so cute—like a little puppy!” Gāo Yuán jumped in theatrically.

“Who’re you calling a puppy?!” Wáng Jiālè snapped, glaring at him.

He gave an awkward chuckle and tried to smooth things over, pulling out another can of chips from his backpack. “Here, to make it up to you.”

“I don’t want it! It’s not like I don’t have any myself… hmph…” she mumbled, clearly a little shy now that he was standing so close.

Funny how the same person could sass boys from a distance and go all shy once they got up close.

“Don’t worry, consider it a gift. I’ve got plenty,” Gāo Yuán said, shaking his bag, which seemed suspiciously full.

Liú Xiǎowěi couldn’t help peeking inside and exclaimed, “Holy crap—Gāo Yuán, are you a snack bar owner?!”

“Easy, easy! Don’t touch! I brought this whole bag to share.”

“What?!” Every boy around them gasped in unison.

“Twenty-something cans—small ones. One can per two people works out perfect,” Gāo Yuán declared as he began distributing them.

“Mò Xuěyáo, Huā Yínyín, here you go!” he called, tossing a can gently their way.

It landed softly on Xuěyáo’s lap, even if she’d missed it, it wouldn’t have hurt.

But she caught it with ease.

“Thanks,” she said quickly.

It would’ve been rude to refuse when everyone else was getting one too—not to mention kind of stuck-up.

“Hmm, original flavor~” Huā Yínyín leaned in for a peek. “Shall we open it?”

“Sure.” Xuěyáo nodded and popped it open. The can was about a third the size of a regular one. She started nibbling slowly.

The journey was long—no reason to rush. She wanted to savor it.

Yes, for Xuěyáo, chips were a rare and treasured treat.

“Huh? Why are you eating so slow? Don’t like it?” Huā Yínyín asked, puzzled.

“…Just want to make them last longer.”

“Ohhh, I see. Then I’ll eat slowly too~”

“Please don’t wipe your greasy fingers on my leg…” Xuěyáo leaned even closer to the window, staying vigilant against Huā Yínyín’s sneaky hand.

“Hey, I’m not that kind of person! If you’re gonna touch a girl’s thigh, you’ve gotta wash your hands first—that’s a sacred ritual!” she declared solemnly, chin lifted.

Xuěyáo gave her a flat look. Sacred? Not even close.

The bus rolled farther from the city, leaving buildings behind. Neat rows of trees lined the highway, and golden-tinted hills dotted the landscape, glowing with autumn.

Looking out the back, one could see the long line of buses snaking along the road behind them.

Xuěyáo loved this feeling—the journey itself.

Not the thrill of arriving, but the quiet, growing anticipation along the way.

She could stare out the window for thirty minutes straight, never bored. Her thoughts drifting free, no longer tethered to her body—just her spirit soaring over hills and highways.

“Mò Xuěyáo, need a wet wipe?” Huā Yínyín tapped her shoulder.

“Mm… yeah, thanks.” Xuěyáo took the tissue and wiped her fingers clean. The grease gone, she felt refreshed.

And then Huā Yínyín’s hand was back—on her thigh.

“Ahem. I washed my hands~” she said innocently, blinking her big eyes.

“Huā Yínyín… why do you like touching people’s thighs so much?” Xuěyáo asked, resigned.

“Hmm… because I like it, I guess. And sometimes… when I’m feeling sick, it helps me feel better.”

Xuěyáo turned to look at her—and noticed her pale face. “Wait… don’t tell me you’re carsick?”

“A little…” Huā Yínyín covered her mouth. “Do you… have a bag?”

“Wait—I do!” Xuěyáo frantically dug through her bag, terrified she’d get puked on. “Here!”

“Thanks…” Huā Yínyín barely managed the word before bleegh—she hurled into the bag.

So that’s why she’d been oddly well-behaved today…

“Ew! Huā Yínyín puked!” one of the girls behind them shouted.

Ms. Yè hurried over, patting Huā Yínyín’s back. “Are you okay? Is it bad?”

“Not really… I feel better now… urgh—”

Yep. It’s not a real school trip unless at least one person gets carsick.

Xuěyáo thought to herself.