Ning Yu had never considered telling Shen Yiyue about her true circumstances before.
But now, she couldn't help but wonder if keeping it from her would be somewhat dishonest. Was it fair to her?
Moreover, Ning Yu had a question she was eager to know the answer to.
What did Shen Yiyue like—was it the girl with silver hair and amber eyes, Ning Yu, or the person inside this body?
Although it didn't matter which one it was, because she was now Ning Yu, and that couldn't be changed.
She could choose not to tell Shen Yiyue about this, and it would be incredibly easy for Ning Yu to keep deceiving her. Everything would seem perfect.
But Ning Yu didn't think that was right.
Aside from her own curiosity, there was another important issue.
She wanted something real.
In this kind of emotion, she didn't want even a hint of falsity.
Ning Yu had never desired anything as much as she did today, but since this desire, this fondness, had arisen, it had to be genuine.
Ning Yu didn't reveal her past as an assassin or the bizarre incident of her transmigration, as those weren't particularly important.
But she did tell Shen Yiyue:
She had once had a male soul, which had now merged with this girl's body.
This was the true Ning Yu.
Not just the body of this girl, nor the cold-blooded assassin of the past.
But the Ning Yu sitting in front of Shen Yiyue, a girl with silver hair and a male soul.
Shen Yiyue listened quietly to Ning Yu's confession, her white teeth gently biting her lip.
"So, Xiao Yu actually has a... male soul, but the body is female now?"
Such a scenario, typically found only in fantasy novels, seemed to be a bit overwhelming for Shen Yiyue.
"Yes."
Ning Yu nodded, feeling a sense of relief after revealing her true self.
In fact, she had sensed something unusual about Shen Yiyue for a long time, and she herself had felt those strange emotions toward her.
Although her previous life had never been in such a relationship, she was still an adult and understood what these feelings meant.
But she couldn't bring herself to face Shen Yiyue with this ambiguous identity.
"You silly Xiao Yu, why did you tell me?"
Shen Yiyue blinked at Ning Yu, then continued,
"If you hadn't said anything, I would never have known..."
Ning Yu was caught off guard:
"Wait, you've already accepted this? Don't you find it strange?"
Hearing this, Shen Yiyue covered her mouth and giggled softly:
"What to do, Xiao Yu has really become a fool. Aren't there already many strange things about you?"
That's true...
Ning Yu slapped her forehead, realizing all the strange things she had done—taking out various items from the system space, Blood Kite, those skilled and ruthless killing techniques.
She had never been quite normal from the start.
"So... why did Xiao Yu tell me?"
Shen Yiyue was still curious about this.
"Because I didn't want to deceive you, and besides... I wasn't sure..."
Ning Yu was about to say, "If you knew I was actually male, would you still like me as you do now?"
But the words stopped at her lips, as if she were intentionally putting Shen Yiyue in a difficult position, asking her not to like her.
To be honest, Ning Yu even wanted to deceive her, because she, too, couldn't bear to part with this fondness.
Shen Yiyue suddenly extended her finger and placed it on Ning Yu's lips, signaling her to be silent, interrupting her before she could speak.
"I know what Xiao Yu wants to say."
She suddenly revealed a smug smile and began to explain:
"I'm really happy that Xiao Yu was willing to tell me, of course, it would have been fine even if you hadn't told me."
"Now, according to Xiao Yu's theory, liking someone is both physiological and psychological, right?"
"Xiao Yu is now physically a girl, but mentally a boy."
"I like Xiao Yu, both your body and your soul."
"Xiao Yu is very beautiful, but also very gentle and sincere. Being with Xiao Yu makes me feel at ease, and being protected by Xiao Yu makes me feel warm. It also gives me the courage to want to protect Xiao Yu."
"To me, that's how it is. Xiao Yu is unique, irreplaceable."
"Maybe Xiao Yu is thinking about what if one day you turn back into a boy. I think if that day comes, I'll still like Xiao Yu just the same."
She spoke with the air of someone who had it all figured out.
Ning Yu looked at her with that 'See, I'm quick to learn!' proud little expression and found that Shen Yiyue was incredibly cute like this.
It made Ning Yu want to pinch her cheeks and tease her a bit.
This peculiar emotion was something Ning Yu had never experienced before, and it felt quite novel. Was this what it meant to like someone?
The ultimate debater, Ning Yu, had finally experienced this profound emotion.
"Hey, why are you staying silent... You're making me a bit nervous..."
Shen Yiyue couldn't help but ask when Ning Yu didn't respond.
"You like me like this?"
Ning Yu finally spoke.
"Mhm!"
Shen Yiyue nodded without hesitation.
"Then that's enough."
Ning Yu gave her a gentle smile, beautiful enough to make Shen Yiyue momentarily lose her focus.
When she regained her senses, she found that Ning Yu had moved very close, close enough that she could see her own panicked reflection in Ning Yu's amber eyes.
"X... Xiao Yu, what are you... doing?"
Ning Yu's skirt brushed against her lower leg, making her feel a ticklish sensation that spread throughout her body, her face reddening visibly.
Seeing Shen Yiyue's shyness, Ning Yu placed one hand on the edge of the sofa, creating a sort of 'wall-hug' pose, though Shen Yiyue wasn't backed against a wall.
"You like me, and I like you, so I want to do something that only lovers do."
Ning Yu gazed at Shen Yiyue with an unyielding look, like a hunter eyeing her prey, her eyes burning with intensity.
"L-l-lovers... only do...?"
Shen Yiyue felt her brain overheating, her eyes spinning into that familiar spiral pattern.
"N-no... that's too... early... Ah!"
Before she could finish, she received a light chop from Ning Yu.
"Xiao Yu, why did you hit me! Is that what lovers do?!"
She pouted at Ning Yu, unable to hold back her complaint.
"I feel like I need to clean your brain a bit, see what you're thinking about all day?"
Ning Yu chuckled and pinched her cheeks, feeling the soft, warm texture of her skin.
"W-who knows what Xiao Yu is talking about..."
She dodged Ning Yu's hand, lowering her head and mumbling softly, her voice growing weaker and her face increasingly flushed.
Shen Yiyue herself didn't know why her imagination always seemed to run ahead of everyone else's.
But then, her head was gently lifted by Ning Yu once more.
She saw Ning Yu's lips drawing closer, the color of which she had personally chosen earlier that day.