095. Hyperventilation
Ning Chu’s blurry vision slowly became clear, and she found herself gazing at a snow-white ceiling.
“Hyperventilation.”
“Hyperventilation?”
“It’s a syndrome caused by excessive breathing—physiological and psychological reactions triggered by heightened anxiety.”
Nearby, Wen Yang’s voice mingled with an unfamiliar one.
Ning Chu wearily turned her head and glanced at the door not far away; that conversation was clearly coming from behind it.
So, I just came out of the restroom?
Thank goodness I managed to pull my pants up in time…
Ning Chu couldn’t help but feel grateful for her quick thinking; otherwise, she would have been completely exposed.
She tried to prop herself up, but after lifting her upper body for just a moment, her arms bent weakly, and she fell heavily back onto the bed.
The sound of her body hitting the mattress startled Wen Yang, who dashed in, looking all nervous as he rushed to her bedside, his eyes wide with concern: “You’re awake? Are you okay?”
“Maybe?” Ning Chu was still a bit dazed. “What happened to me?”
“The doctor said you have hyperventilation syndrome…”
“What’s that?”
Ning Chu asked in confusion, wriggling her body and attempting to sit up but needed Wen Yang’s support to do so.
She looked up at Wen Yang, who was fretting over her: “Did Shao Qing and Wang Jie come?”
“Oh, them? They went to pay the fees.”
“That’s so scary! I thought you were in trouble.”
Wen Yang breathed a sigh of relief; heaven knows how terrifying it was when he kicked the restroom door open and saw Ning Chu lying on the floor, pants soaked in bl**d.
Anyone who didn’t know might think it was a crime scene; it reminded him of the first act of Danganronpa.
Ning Chu shot Wen Yang a glare as she surveyed the cramped hospital room, her gaze finally landing on the pristine bed sheets.
It seemed she had forgotten something.
What was it again?
“Feeling a bit better now?”
“Yeah, just no energy.” Ning Chu weakly cradled her head, asking, “What time is it?”
“A little past ten. You woke up shortly after we got you to the hospital.”
“Oh…” As her legs slid out from under the covers, she pulled back the white blanket, but just as she was about to get up, her gaze and body froze in place.
Look at that deep-red stain spreading out from her thigh, soaking her shorts!
I said I forgot something—the sanitary napkin!
Couldn’t I have passed out after putting one on?
Ning Chu’s face went as pale as a sheet in an instant. Almost instinctively, she covered her legs with the blanket again, clutching it tightly between her thighs, her body stiffening.
Her breathing picked up unwittingly as she nervously raised her eyebrows, eyes fixed on Wen Yang’s face.
“I figured out you were a girl a long time ago, don’t freak out.” Wen Yang shook his head helplessly, soothingly adding, “Take it easy, don’t be too tense, your breathing is getting too fast…”
“And what about them?”
“They don’t know yet; I kept it a secret for you,” Wen Yang explained. “I grabbed a taxi right after leaving school, and they didn’t have the chance to catch up.”
Ning Chu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She had known all along that Wen Yang was testing her gender; when she asked him to help buy sanitary napkins, she hadn’t intended to keep pretending.
Outside, the voices of Zhang Shaoqing and Wang Jie could be heard as they returned from paying the fees.
Wen Yang handed her a bag, turning to leave: “You should change your pants first.”
The hospital room door closed behind him, and she could hear Zhang Shaoqing’s voice: “What the heck! How’s Ning Chu? She’s not dead, is she?”
“Can you say something nice?”
“I thought the whole dorm was getting grad school recommendations!”
This rich kid never uttered a good word.
“Ning Chu’s okay, right?”
“She should be fine. Let her take it slow.”
“Good to hear.” Wang Jie sighed helplessly. “Earlier, you shouted for us, but we didn’t react in time before you whisked her away in the car.”
“I was worried, okay? A delay could lead to problems.”
Hearing Wen Yang handle things so smoothly, Ning Chu finally relaxed. She massaged her aching temples and glanced around. The single hospital room was small, with a cramped restroom in one corner.
“I’m getting closer to my plot…”
Ning Chu muttered to herself as she got off the bed, opened the bag Wen Yang had given her, and found sanitary napkins along with her underwear and long pants.
Wen Yang is pretty considerate.
But the more considerate he was, the more worried she became.
Making her way to the restroom, Ning Chu could only set aside her chaotic thoughts for a moment, looking down at the pack of sanitary napkins in her hand.
How does this thing work?
Do I just stick it to my b*tt?
Staring blankly at the sanitary napkin, she finally took out her phone to check an online tutorial.
Turns out, it goes on the underwear.
Seeing the new accessory again, Ning Chu hazily realized that what had happened previously was not a dream.
She had really, completely turned into a girl.
With a period, capable of childbirth, everything working perfectly fine.
Recalling her previous life, she felt an overwhelming sense of unreality; her life had now split into two distinct segments.
One was the introverted, deadbeat LSP, and the other was this clueless girl standing before her.
“Don’t overthink it; just make a run for it…”
Her plot conditions had finally been met… She had become a girl, still living in the boys’ dorm, and Wen Yang had figured out her gender and even had feelings for her.
She could be found out at any moment!
Gulp~
Even though fleeing could lead to unknown, perhaps scarier crises, she still thought running away was the better option compared to the imminent danger right in front of her.
As for… whatever happens to Wen Yang’s “little buddy”… dreaming about it is enough; she wouldn’t even dare harm a chicken, let alone anything else.
After hastily covering herself up, Ning Chu slipped into clean pants, feeling kind of dazed.
Stepping out of the hospital room, her three roommates quickly gathered around her. She looked up, her expression gloomy but still managing a faint smile: “Let’s head back.”
Wen Yang stared at her troubled smile, his heart instinctively ached: “How about you stay for some rest?”
“No, I want to go home.”
A doctor approached to do a simple check-up. Once he confirmed she was fine, he let her go.
The four of them exited the hospital, still bickering loudly.
“d*mn it! The comeback match is over!” Zhang Shaoqing cursed, heartbroken. “We were just about to turn it around after over fifty minutes! Just needed that one team fight!”
“Yeah, it’s a shame.” Wang Jie couldn’t help but feel dejected. “We’re probably gonna get reported.”
Wen Yang frowned disapprovingly: “Why are we still talking about this? You guys didn’t have to come.”
“If I didn’t come, would you pay for it?” Zhang Shaoqing turned to Ning Chu and asked, “How about ordering takeout to help you recover? You look like you’re fading away!”
“How much? I’ll pay you back.”
“What, you think I’m short on cash?”
“……”
Ning Chu didn’t say anything, slightly lagging behind as she tossed her bloodied pants into a nearby trash can.
“Hey, what did you just throw away?”
“Nothing.”
She lifted her eyes to the group of three ahead, chatting and laughing under the streetlights, the long, distorted shadows cast by the light making her feel even gloomier.
I should really leave, but I can’t help feeling a bit reluctant.
