“Whoa! Ning Chu is a succubus?!”

“And she stayed in the boys’ dorm for months?”

“Is it that casual? Well, she is a succubus!”

“A public ride?”

“Hey, how much would that cost?”

“Isn’t she also, like… trans?”

“How could Wen Yang like someone like that?”

The sharp, grating gossip lingered around, stabbing into her chest like knives. Ning Chu’s breathing quickened, her heart racing until she felt she couldn’t take it anymore—then, suddenly, her mind cleared, and her eyes shot open.

Panting heavily, she stared at the dim ceiling, feeling her heartbeat hammering as if it might leap from …