Ben10: A Romantic Adventure with a Gender-Swapped Class

[The next chapter will focus on the main storyline; this chapter is from a backlog of drafts, so I might as well post it.]

The story of these two is too long to be written in a separate chapter.

The ending might be summarized in just a few sentences.

[Oh, by the way, let's have a vote on whether to write a side story about the zombie class]

"Wait, wait, wait, wait??"

He Xinyan, as if struck by lightning, opened her almond-shaped eyes wide open, almost as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.

She subconsciously raised her hand, her slender fingers gently covering her lips, which parted in surprise, as if to stop the gasp that was about to escape her lips.

After a brief moment of shock, she leaned towards Su Zixuan beside her like a little animal seeking warmth, her soft arms immediately wrapping around Su Zixuan's slightly aloof arms, gently swaying her with a clingy, irresistible intimacy.

She leaned closer, lowering her voice, but it carried a honey-sweet quality and an undisguised curiosity.

"Why don't you show your boyfriend to your best friend?" She blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering, deliberately drawing out her words, "I'm sure our Miss Su... won't mind, right?"

In He Xinyan's heart, that curiosity had already grown wildly like a vine.

She simply couldn't imagine what kind of person could shake Su Zixuan, this eternally unyielding iceberg, and make her seemingly frozen heart beat again.

This is a hundred times more bizarre than an iron tree blooming! She thought to herself, "My God, is that person some kind of reincarnation of a little sun? Otherwise, where would he get such heat!" The thought made her laugh at herself.

However, Su Zixuan, who was being held, only turned her head slightly, her cool gaze lingering briefly on He Xinyan's gossipy face.

She raised her hand, her slender index finger gently tapping He Xinyan's smooth, full forehead with a hint of helplessness, pushing the head that was too close away slightly.

Her voice remained calm as always, without much emotion.

"Nothing special," she said flatly, as if stating a given fact. "Just an ordinary guy." She paused, as if feeling she needed to add something, before adding casually, "Speaking of which, he could be considered... your junior."

"Junior?" He Xinyan immediately caught this information. She wrinkled her small nose, shook her head like a rattle drum, and her face was full of "I don't believe a word of it" expressions.

"Do you think I believe you?" she drawled, her eyes gleaming with a detective-like light.

"When did Miss Su become interested in 'ordinary' things? This doesn't fit your persona at all..."

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she stopped speaking abruptly, her eyes darting around slyly, and a bold yet absurd guess instantly formed.

She suddenly leaned even closer, almost touching Su Zixuan's ear, and whispered excitedly in a low voice.

"Wait...you're not... thinking of staging one of those classic 'rich heiress falls in love with poor boy' scenarios, are you? Wow!"

The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and she even started to immerse herself in the role, excitedly patting her chest to assure them.

"If you ever need to elope, remember to let me know! I, He Xinyan, will absolutely do my duty to cover for you! I'll make sure nothing gets out!"

"Ouch!" Before she could finish speaking, a crisp "pop" sound rang out along with He Xinyan's cry of pain.

This time, Su Zixuan didn't use her fingertips to tap her, but instead bent her knuckles and flicked her forehead solidly with considerable force.

He Xinyan winced in pain and immediately covered the slightly reddened spot where she had been flicked, looking at the culprit with a mournful expression.

Su Zixuan withdrew her hand, gave her a disgruntled look, and her cool eyes held a hint of helplessness.

But upon closer inspection, the corners of those lips, which were always tightly pursed, seemed to be subtly drawn upwards by an imperceptible, extremely subtle curve, forming an almost invisible arc.

The smile was faint, yet it was like a pebble thrown into a cold pond, creating a very shallow ripple in her calm eyes.

She gave a soft hum, her tone tinged with reproach, yet also seemingly concealing a subtle emotion of having her thoughts exposed.

"You are the only one who talks a lot"

She rubbed her forehead, looking at the barely perceptible gentleness on her friend's cool profile. Although the gossip fire in her heart was temporarily suppressed, it still burned unwillingly.

Su Zixuan didn't look at her much, but simply raised her hand to tidy up the stray hairs that had been blown by the wind in front of her forehead, and turned her gaze to the bustling crowd in the cafeteria.

"You'll find out when school starts," she paused, seemingly deciding it was time to end the conversation, and then naturally changed the subject. "Now, let's eat first."

Her gaze swept across the noisy windows, and she frowned slightly, as if the crowded people and mixed food smells made her somewhat uncomfortable.

"What good food is there in the school cafeteria? Could you get me some?"

She gave He Xinyan the complete choice, speaking casually.

Then, as if remembering something, she reached into her pocket, rummaged around, and smoothly pulled out a hard card.

The card reflected a metallic sheen under the cafeteria's overhead lights.

She held the card by the edge with two fingers and gently handed it to He Xinyan.

“You can have yours as you please,” she added, her voice still calm and collected. “Use this card however you like.”

This thin student card has far more significance than just a meal card at this top-tier Chongwen University.

It's more like a pass, a miniature bank card linked to a generous allowance, carrying almost all payment functions on campus.

Su Zixuan handed it over as casually as if she were handing over a tissue, yet it carried a silent, habitual trust.

Or perhaps this amount of money wasn't enough to worry her.

He Xinyan's eyes lit up dramatically the moment they came into contact with the card.

She held the card carefully with both hands as if receiving a royal decree, even straightening her back and striking an exaggerated, somewhat comical pose at attention towards Su Zixuan. Her face was filled with a dazzlingly bright smile, and her loud voice attracted several curious glances from the side.

"Yes, Miss! I guarantee I'll complete the mission! I'll definitely get you the best food!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she was like a bird released from its cage, clutching the student card that symbolized "unlimited credit," and rushed briskly toward the window with the strongest fragrance and the most surging crowd.

Su Zixuan was already making her own plans.

For example, carefully examine the food in the cafeteria. Which restaurant has braised pork that is fatty but not greasy? Which restaurant has sweet and sour spare ribs that are delicious? Which restaurant has the most flavorful soup of the day? You have to write all of these down.

There's no particular reason; I'm just helping Mo Bai create a cafeteria guide.

While Su Zixuan was still thinking.

In an ordinary residential building.

Mo Bai had just pushed open the door and hadn't even had time to change out of her school uniform, which was still damp from the summer heat, when her phone suddenly rang in her pocket.

The screen flashed a familiar name—Mom.

His heart tightened slightly. Why was she calling at this hour? Could something have happened at the hospital?

He quickly answered the call, holding the phone to his ear, his voice slightly hurried.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

However, the voice coming from the other end of the receiver was not the anxious or panicked one I had expected.

The mother's voice sounded somewhat weak, but it carried more of a cautious probing and concern.

"Mo Bai, you're home? Nothing serious, it's just... have you decided on your college application yet? Where are you planning to apply?"

My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, returned to its original place, only to be gripped again by an invisible pressure.

Mo Bai's fingers tightened unconsciously around his phone. He remained silent for a few seconds, his Adam's apple bobbing, before he whispered the name that had been lingering in his heart for so long into the microphone.

Chongwen University Forum

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

A few seconds later, the mother's voice rang out again, tinged with obvious surprise and a hint of barely perceptible worry.

“Chongwen University?” Her tone was full of surprise. “That…that’s notoriously…the tuition is outrageously expensive! And…I’ve heard that the students there come from families with…”

She paused for a moment, as if thinking about something, before continuing to try to dissuade him.

"Mo Bai, given our family's situation... how about we reconsider other schools? Something more reliable?"

Her voice was very soft, with a tone of negotiation, but it was like a fine needle pricking Mo Bai's heart.

Mo Bai stood in the entryway, the setting sun's rays slanting in through the window, casting a long, lonely shadow at his feet.

"I...I'll take another look."

The busy tone of the call ending rang in my ears, sounding particularly jarring.

Mo Bai slowly put down his phone, the screen went dark, revealing his somewhat bewildered face.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, in a hospital room filled with the faint smell of disinfectant.

A middle-aged woman with a haggard face slowly put down her old-fashioned mobile phone.

She leaned against the pristine white hospital bed, the moonlight streaming through the window falling on her thin shoulders.

"Ugh...."

The sigh was light, yet it landed heavily in the silent hospital room.