Chapter Ninety-Four

Huang Feifan was thinking that he’d probably spend the whole night being squashed beneath Zhang Yi. But Huang Feifan refused to accept it; if he couldn’t breathe properly while sleeping, Zhang Yi was to blame. So, summoning all his strength, he managed to stretch his right hand out from under the blanket and shoved Zhang Yi to the left with all his might. His left hand was pinned down so tightly he couldn’t move it at all.

If he pushed Zhang Yi to the right, Zhang Yi would end up sleeping on the floor—which was exactly what Huang Feifan hoped for. He wanted Zhang Yi to get up on his own and climb back onto the bed, not keep pressing down on him. After one final push, Zhang Yi tumbled to the floor. Apparently, he hadn’t sobered up yet, so he didn’t feel a thing and simply began sleeping on the hardwood, looking oddly content.

This left Huang Feifan speechless. The air conditioner was still running; sleeping on the floor was practically a recipe for a fever. Helpless, Huang Feifan got up and lifted Zhang Yi from the ground. Despite Zhang Yi’s usual slender frame, Huang Feifan found the reality didn’t match her expectations: her arms started trembling—not because Zhang Yi was heavy, but because Huang Feifan was a girl and simply lacked the strength of a boy. It took considerable effort to carry him.

After finally managing to place Zhang Yi gently back on the bed, afraid of hurting him, Huang Feifan was left panting. Too much time had passed since her last workout; her endurance had noticeably declined. She wasn’t alone—all the other Tianyuan Team members had gone without training for ages. If the coach didn’t call everyone together, practice wouldn’t happen, and it was up to their own initiative.

Exhausted, she slumped onto the floor, caught her breath, then stood up. She looked at the peacefully sleeping Zhang Yi and patted his face, murmuring to herself, “You fool, I don’t know why you drank so much, but I know you’re worried about me again. Honestly, this whole thing will blow over soon.”

With that, Huang Feifan gathered her pillow and headed for the living room to sleep. The sofa there could be folded out into a bed, and she didn’t want to wake up reeking of Zhang Yi’s alcohol. She activated the folding mechanism, then manually unfolded the sofa into a simple bed. The era of automatic beds was still far off, and that feature would take ages to arrive.

Once everything was ready, she settled in for a restful sleep, safe from any repeat incidents of Zhang Yi clutching her in his sleep. That night, she had truly wanted to hit him, but had no real reason to do so. He thought of himself as a man, and believed that two men hugging wouldn’t lead to anything. Zhang Yi would just think Huang Feifan was overthinking and avoid the issue.

The day passed quickly. When Zhang Yi finally woke, it was already noon. Holding his head, which was still buzzing, he muttered, “Ugh, why did I drink so much last night? I guess I’ll have to stick to drinks with low alcohol content; strong spirits aren’t suitable for a minor like me.” He got up and headed for the bathroom to shower—the alcohol smell lingered on his body, making him feel even more dizzy.

“Huang Feifan, where are you? If you’re here, answer me,” he called. He hadn’t seen Huang Feifan upon waking. If she had gone out, she would have left him a note. Her shoes were still there, so she was likely still home. Then a voice came from the bathroom, “I’m here. You’re up?”

“The smell of alcohol is too strong—I need a shower. Feifan, did you drink too much last night? Do you need to get rid of the smell too?” Huang Feifan joked, too lazy to answer. After all, Zhang Yi had come back and collapsed on her last night, his alcohol-soaked scent clinging to her. She had woken up around eleven, unable to stand the smell, and had gone to shower.

Huang Feifan took her time in the bathroom. Zhang Yi sat on the sofa to wait, but as he settled in, he noticed something strange—there, in plain sight, was a sanitary pad. That was odd; it was something only women used. If Zhang Yi’s mother, who was still under thirty, had been there, it would make sense, but there were only two boys in this house—who would use a sanitary pad? Zhang Yi stared at the bathroom door in confusion.

“I say, Huang Feifan, why is there a sanitary pad in our home? My mom hasn’t been here—what’s going on?” Zhang Yi started questioning the matter. He couldn’t rest without an answer, and his biggest fear was that a female ghost was using it. Zhang Yi’s logic was as wild as anyone’s.

Hearing Zhang Yi mention the sanitary pad, Huang Feifan felt as though a bomb had exploded in her heart, screaming internally. Her reaction drew Zhang Yi’s attention; the voice sounded different—not the rough tone of a boy, but the squeal of a girl startled by a cockroach. What was Huang Feifan hiding?

In the bathroom, Huang Feifan realized she couldn’t hide it any longer. Zhang Yi had seen her sanitary pad; any explanation would be futile. The silence outside made her even more anxious, afraid Zhang Yi wouldn’t be able to accept the truth.

Wrapped in a bathrobe, Huang Feifan emerged from the bathroom, unable to meet Zhang Yi’s gaze. His expression was serious, devoid of emotion. With legs crossed and hands folded on his lap, he asked directly, “Huang Feifan, what are you hiding from me? Is there something I don’t know?”

“I…” Huang Feifan didn’t know how to explain. Desperate, she tried, “It’s not what you think. Yes, the sanitary pad is mine, but I’m not a freak, I’m actually…”

“Enough! Don’t say another word,” Zhang Yi cut her off. Seeing no hope in refuting him, Huang Feifan bowed her head and waited for his response. She wasn’t sure why she feared Zhang Yi—perhaps it was the pressure of his presence.

Then Zhang Yi said, “If you’re using a sanitary pad, does that mean you’re incontinent?” The question left Huang Feifan dumbfounded.

“Huh?! Incontinent? That’s right!” Hearing Zhang Yi’s assumption, Huang Feifan saw a glimmer of hope. Zhang Yi believed she used the pad because of incontinence, giving her a chance to save herself. If she answered seriously, the danger would pass; it was just a simple question, not really a threat.

Zhang Yi, hearing Huang Feifan’s answer, sympathized, “I didn’t expect you to be in such a situation. There’s still time to get you to a hospital. I’ll call emergency services now so you can get treatment.” He reached for his phone, but Huang Feifan stopped him.

“There’s no hope for recovery now. I can only use sanitary pads to deal with the inconvenience. I’ve kept it from you until now. Sorry.” Huang Feifan apologized, taking the initiative to soften Zhang Yi’s heart.

Zhang Yi stood up, patted Huang Feifan’s shoulder, and said, “The fault is mine. I should have noticed your condition sooner. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Only you and I know about this. I’m going to shower now.” With that, he entered the bathroom, leaving Huang Feifan limp with relief as she sank onto the sofa.

Phew! Thank goodness he didn’t find out. Huang Feifan had feared exposure, but Zhang Yi’s assumption about incontinence had diverted suspicion. Still, Huang Feifan worried; if the story was false, how would she explain herself? She was troubled, retreating to Zhang Yi’s room, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yi let water pour over himself, one hand pressed against the wall, head lowered in contemplation. Huang Feifan’s words and actions weighed on his mind—she was too suspicious, but he had no proof.

Zhang Yi mused, “It seems Huang Feifan is hiding something big. If my guess is right, there’s a ninety percent chance she’s a girl, and ten percent she just acts like a boy.”

From the moment he saw the sanitary pad, Zhang Yi had begun doubting Huang Feifan’s true gender, but he didn’t want to startle her, so he mentioned incontinence to gauge her reaction.

Huang Feifan’s relaxed response was clear to Zhang Yi. Wasn’t it Senior Zhang Yan’s habit to observe people’s movements? Everyone reveals their thoughts through gestures—like when Huang Feifan kept darting her eyes, avoiding his gaze during their conversation. That was one clue; the rest would take time to uncover.