Chapter Forty-Seven: Sorry, I'm Not Interested in That

"Sorry, I'm not interested in getting involved with men." Without the slightest pause, the moment the man who called himself Du Qiying finished speaking, Zhuang Xiaoyuan shook her head firmly and refused outright.

"Getting involved with men...? Wait, are you—are you saying you're a man???" Du Qiying had braced himself for rejection—he'd experienced it more times than he could count—but the information packed into Zhuang Xiaoyuan's words left him utterly dumbfounded. It wasn't the rejection that stunned him, but the sheer weight of what she had just revealed. As soon as he grasped her meaning, he was so shocked that his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Pfft. Hahaha. Senior Qiying! Hahaha, I knew you'd get turned down, but I never expected Xiaoyuan would use that as her reason. Hahaha, this is the kind of joke I could laugh at all day!" Wen Hui, who was sitting next to Zhuang Xiaoyuan, couldn't help but burst out laughing. The others, including Hua Jing, joined in as well.

"What's so funny? Stop laughing! Tell me, are you really a man?" Embarrassed and flushed, Du Qiying glared with suspicion, unwilling to let the matter drop.

"Absolutely, I am one hundred percent a man," Zhuang Xiaoyuan replied, her face serious and sincere. It wasn't exactly a lie; although she had merged memories from two different genders and come to terms with her new identity as a girl, her concept of self remained rooted in maleness. So when she claimed to be a man, she genuinely meant it.

"That can't be... With all my experience, how could I have been wrong about this?" Du Qiying frowned, still full of doubt. Yet, Zhuang Xiaoyuan's expression was so earnest that he couldn't help but question his own judgment.

"Pfft—" Wen Hui, who had just calmed down from laughter, nearly snorted again at Du Qiying's muttering. Even Hua Ze and Wang Mingyue, the two male seniors nearby, turned their suspicious gazes toward Zhuang Xiaoyuan.

Of course, Wen Hui knew the truth about Zhuang Xiaoyuan's gender—they had bathed together, after all. She was the most qualified to speak on this subject.

"Alright, there's no need to keep discussing Xiaoyuan's gender. Let's try the desserts she's brought, the ones Wen Hui has been praising for so long. And to go with them, I've prepared some tea especially for the occasion," Hua Jing said with a gentle smile, steering the conversation toward the treats.

As she spoke, Hua Jing picked up a teapot from the side table and poured steaming water into the cups before everyone. Only then did Zhuang Xiaoyuan notice that there were exactly seven sets of tableware—teacups, cake plates, knives, and forks—set around the round table. The tea was at just the right temperature for drinking, even though there were no warming devices on the side table. If this was a coincidence, it was almost too perfect.

"Hey, Xiaoyuan, aren't you curious how Sister Jing seemed so perfectly prepared for our arrival, with hot tea ready and everything?" Wen Hui, finally recovered from her laughter, leaned closer to Zhuang Xiaoyuan with a conspiratorial grin.

"Not curious at all," Zhuang Xiaoyuan replied instantly in a calm, flat tone, not even a flicker of interest on her face. Wen Hui's words, which she had been so eager to show off, were stifled before they could leave her mouth.

"You're really not curious?" Wen Hui pressed after a moment.

"Really not curious."

"Really, really not curious?"

"Really, truly not curious."

"But why? Wouldn't most people be at least a little curious?" Wen Hui asked, exasperated by the same response over and over.

"Because I already know the reason," Zhuang Xiaoyuan replied coolly, glancing sideways at Wen Hui, her tone detached and unconcerned.

"Eh? How do you know?" Wen Hui's eyes widened in surprise. She herself had been astounded on her first visit—she was discovered before she even entered, and Hua Jing had all the necessary documents and the perfect tea ready, just as today.

"How long do you think I've known Senior Yutong?" Zhuang Xiaoyuan shot her a look that said, "How could you not know this?"

Indeed, while Zhuang Xiaoyuan had never been particularly close to Man Yutong—their relationship was simply that of ordinary underclassman and senior, classmates, and friends—she knew enough about her to be aware of her post-graduation plans and, more importantly, her abilities.

At first, Zhuang Xiaoyuan had found it odd that there were no guards at the gate, the doors were wide open, and the seniors seemed to be waiting for them. But when Wen Hui called to Senior Yutong on the rooftop, the reason became clear.

There was no need for defenses or guards, simply because Man Yutong was there. She had graduated a year before Zhuang Xiaoyuan and Wen Hui, and was a God-armed Warrior blessed by the Eagle God, her race's patron deity. When she first began communicating with her guardian god and entered the Faithful stage, she gained the special ability known as Eagle Eye.

Eagle Eye allowed her to see scenes from a thousand miles away and adjust her focus at will. If she wished, she could observe the movements of ants at that distance with perfect clarity. Beyond that, she could see "auras" invisible to others.

It sounded mysterious, but "aura" was Man Yutong's own term. According to her, every person possessed a unique aura, and as soon as one entered a certain range, she would sense it. This was why she disliked crowds—the mixture of so many auras overwhelmed her sight, and also why she preferred to gaze quietly at the sky alone.

Wherever Senior Yutong was present, guards and security were unnecessary—no one could escape her gaze. And after more than a year of honing her connection with her guardian deity, her Eagle Eye was likely even more powerful now.

So from the moment she saw Man Yutong, Zhuang Xiaoyuan understood why the God-armed seniors were so thoroughly prepared. No matter how much Wen Hui pressed her, there was no way she could be curious about an answer she already knew.