Chen Zhenzhen was also a day student. Her family lived in an old residential complex next to the school, so she and Zhang Zhaomu went much of the same way home.
Going home together after evening self-study had become an everyday routine for the two of them.
Sometimes Zhang Zhaomu would even cover for Chen Zhenzhen, using a voice changer to call her mother and say she was spending the night at his place. Then the two of them would happily battle it out at an internet cafe all night.
That was why, to this day, Chen Zhenzhen's mother believed she had a close girlfriend nicknamed Zhang Zaowan.
Of course, voice changers had become increasingly common, to the point that word had begun to reach even Chen Zhenzhen's mother in her information bubble. Since then, Zhang Zhaomu had rarely used that trick. If he got caught, it really would be hard to explain.
Even if neither of them had anything to hide, there was no telling what her mother would think. Her good daughter had spent so many nights away with a boy over the past few years...
"Liu Family Rice Noodle Shop again tomorrow morning?" Zhang Zhaomu asked casually before heading upstairs.
"Mm." Chen Zhenzhen nodded. "See you tomorrow."
"What do you mean, see you tomorrow? Remember to get online later. Let's play a couple of rounds of Honor of Kings. Can you even fall asleep before midnight?" Zhang Zhaomu was exasperated that iron refused to become steel.
"I really can sleep today." Chen Zhenzhen sounded listless. "Queue solo. I still have placement tests tomorrow. If I don't do well, that baldy's style being what it is, I'll become a second-class citizen in the class."
"All right." Zhang Zhaomu didn't push her.
Although he was a salted fish who had long since given up on studying, he still showed a little restraint and didn't disturb Chen Zhenzhen too much unless she wanted to play.
He remembered one time they had talked about what they would do after graduation. Chen Zhenzhen had considered going to university in a more prosperous, more entertaining big city, while Zhang Zhaomu had considered becoming an internet cafe manager near her university...
He really wasn't someone with lofty ambitions.
After opening the door to his home, he had intended to flop straight into bed, but with the persona's influence, Zhang Zhaomu couldn't stop himself from showering and brushing his teeth. He also carefully washed his school uniform by hand, shook it straight and hung it up to dry.
Then he folded the clothes he would wear tomorrow and put them on the bedside table.
He had to admit, he felt refreshed after his shower, and lying on the sun-dried sheets with their fresh laundry-powder scent felt pretty good. These chores didn't actually take much time or energy; it was just that the old Zhang Zhaomu would rather spend another hour scrolling through meaningless short videos than bother tidying up.
He picked up his phone and found a few new messages.
Furiously Kicking the Cripple's Good Leg: "Zhang Zaowan! What the hell are these clothes?!"
Furiously Kicking the Cripple's Good Leg: "Are you serious? The last time I wore a skirt this short was at an elementary school performance!"
Furiously Kicking the Cripple's Good Leg: "And what the hell are the white stockings for? I suspect this whole makeover thing is an excuse. You just want to indulge your own filthy fetish!"
Furiously Kicking the Cripple's Good Leg: "Where are you? Get out here!"
Chen Zhenzhen's irritation was obvious from the messages alone.
Zhang Zhaomu couldn't help laughing and typed quickly.
Wangzai's Little Fist: "I was taking a shower."
Wangzai's Little Fist: "Why are you so worked up? Don't normal girls all dress like that?"
Furiously Kicking the Cripple's Good Leg: "Never mind the rest, but are white stockings really normal? How many people have you seen wearing those things at school?"
Wangzai's Little Fist: "It's a makeover, so of course the bigger the contrast, the better. Besides, there's nothing in the school rules saying students can't wear stockings!"
Furiously Kicking the Cripple's Good Leg: "But there must be a clause in the criminal law for filthy perverts like you!"
Wangzai's Little Fist: "You're insulting me now, but I won't hold it against you. People are bound to resist new things. Once I put you in your new skin tomorrow, I hope you'll adjust your attitude and address me as the god who controls fashion."
Furiously Kicking the Cripple's Good Leg: "[A sudden pair of punches, bang bang] emoji."
After the chat ended, Zhang Zhaomu browsed his Moments but found nothing new. He had been about to open a mobile game when sleepiness came over him.
I almost forgot, I didn't go back to sleep this morning...
The thought drifted through his muddled mind, and his phone slipped from his hand without him noticing.
When he opened his eyes again, the sky was just beginning to brighten.
Zhang Zhaomu lay in bed with his eyes open for a while, making sure he wasn't sleepy anymore.
He had only acquired the [Refined] persona a day ago, yet without realizing it, his body seemed to have already begun adapting to this regular, stable way of life.
As before, he washed up and tidied his room. Today he wore a simple black T-shirt and jeans. Though he had bought them before, they had been washed carefully and were no longer wrinkled. Combined with his upright posture, they made him look quite neat.
When he arrived at Liu's Noodle Shop, the proprietress recognized Zhang Zhaomu at a glance this time and smiled and nodded.
"Good morning, Sister Liu. Beef rice noodles again, with an egg."
Zhang Zhaomu greeted her politely, then looked inside. Chen Zhenzhen was sitting in her usual spot, her eyes half closed and looking very sleepy.
"Why do you look like you stayed up all night?" Zhang Zhaomu raised a hand and gave her a pat. "Didn't you say you were going to bed early last night?"
"You've got some nerve saying that." Chen Zhenzhen's face was full of resentment. "It's all because of those links you sent. I couldn't sleep either way and spent the whole night agonizing over them."
Zhang Zhaomu asked with a smile, "So did you buy them?"
"Of course not!" Chen Zhenzhen gave a soft huff. "Just as I thought, I'm still more comfortable staying the way I am."
"Oh." Zhang Zhaomu nodded. "You put down the school mailroom as the delivery address, right? If they arrive by noon, we'll go straight to my place."
"Didn't I just say I didn't buy them?"
"Knowing you, if you really didn't want to wear them, you would've flat-out refused last night." Zhang Zhaomu snorted. "You actually want a new skin too, don't you?"
Chen Zhenzhen bit her lip. "Zhang Zaowan, that look on your face is really annoying!"
After all, Chen Zhenzhen was a girl. How could she not care about looking good? She had grown used to dressing without regard for her appearance because of Zhang Zhaomu in the first place.
Now that this guy had betrayed the revolution first and gone around looking refined all day, there was no need for her to keep dressing like a tomboy.
But she really had been agonizing over it. The problem was that she hadn't worn proper girls' clothes in years, and she was afraid she wouldn't feel comfortable-for instance, what if she accidentally exposed herself in a short skirt...
To deal with that, she had even ordered two pairs of safety shorts last night.
These little thoughts were things Chen Zhenzhen couldn't bring herself to voice, even to Zhang Zhaomu, her best friend.
She stared at the youthful face sitting across from her, unable for a moment to tell whether this abrupt change in him was a good thing or a bad thing.
Perhaps the days that had once belonged to just the two of them, when all they wanted each day was to play together without a care, had quietly come to an end on the first day of their second year of high school.