Chapter 1: Whoa Bro?!

Hua Ling was an eighteen-year-old male with feminine features and a devoted anime fan.

Due to his frail constitution, he stood only 1.6 meters tall. His androgynous looks, combined with his long, unkempt hair, often led people to mistake him for a girl.

Hua Ling didn't mind much. As an orphan, he had grown up happily with the support of the Welfare Institute. On the surface, he appeared to be a serious young man. In reality, he was a closeted otaku, though not socially awkward. His easygoing, sociable personality, coupled with a touch of goofiness, made him popular at school. He neither smoked nor drank; his endearing appearance alone made him a favorite among his peers.

One day, after depositing his scholarship money into his bank account, Hua Ling turned around and bumped into his infuriatingly handsome and wealthy best friend, Gao Fushuai. The sight of the petite Hua Ling standing next to the tall, dashing, and rich Gao Fushuai created a rather amusing contrast.

Speaking of his best friend, his real name was Gao Fushuai. He proudly explained that his parents had hoped he would grow up tall and handsome, and since their surname was Gao, they mischievously combined it into the intentionally ostentatious name "Gao Fushuai"—literally, "Tall, Rich, and Handsome."

Hua Ling's family was indeed wealthy and powerful, so no one dared to question his flamboyant name.

"Miss Hua Ling! Why didn't you call me to escort you to the bank? It's too dangerous for you to come alone!" Gao Fushuai said with a smile, ruffling Hua Ling's hair and chuckling at his adorable appearance.

"It's Hua Ling, not 'Miss Hua Ling' or 'Teacher Hua Ling'! I know my voice sounds like hers, but I can't help it! And stop ruffling my hair—I won't grow any taller!" Hua Ling protested, swatting Gao Fushuai's hand away in exasperation. His androgynous voice, still retaining a childlike lilt, only amused Gao Fushuai further. The envious gazes of passersby didn't help either. Hua Ling's petite frame and cute features made him look like a spoiled little girlfriend playfully teasing her taller boyfriend.

"Hua Ling, are you going to the anime convention today? I've already bought your cosplay outfit, and my camera can't wait!" Gao Fushuai exclaimed excitedly, teasing his childhood friend. He doted on Hua Ling, whose adorable appearance often made him unconsciously think of him as a younger sister. Throughout their lives, he had even gotten into countless fights to protect him.

From a young age, Hua Ling had been dressed in girls' clothes by the Welfare Institute Director, a man with a twisted sense of humor, transforming him into an irresistibly adorable doll. Gao Fushuai, then a wealthy and handsome young man, initially believed he had found his true love.

However, as they grew older, Gao Fushuai discovered a painful truth: Hua Ling was a freaking boy!

Hua Ling's blunder left Gao Fushuai speechless when he finally learned the truth. He furiously insisted on his own "normal" sexual orientation.

Nevertheless, life went on. Gao Fushuai reluctantly accepted the harsh reality that his best friend was male.

Hua Ling's appearance, even cuter than most girls, led to numerous embarrassing situations. For example, bullies would target his small stature, only to be left blushing and flustered by a playful smile he once gave Gao Fushuai. If this were an anime, "charmed" marks might have popped up over their heads.

Because Hua Ling looked strikingly similar to Theresa from Honkai—except for his non-white hair and different eye color—he had been incredibly popular since childhood and served as the school's unofficial mascot.

Speaking of which, after those captivated by Hua Ling's cuteness learned the cruel truth that he was a boy, Gao Fushuai would gleefully reveal this fact to them. Witnessing their worldviews shatter as they knelt and wailed in despair brought him immense satisfaction!

"What are you grinning about now? You look like an idiot!" Hua Ling exclaimed, playfully patting his flat chest. "As for the anime convention... it sounds like fun! As Captain of the Hyperion, a Traveler, and a trailblazer, I accept!"

Gao Fushuai smiled faintly and nodded, accompanying Hua Ling back to their dormitory. Yes, they were both resident students at Philosophy High School.

That day, when Hua Ling and Gao Fushuai returned to their dormitory, Hua Ling's arrival was met with the usual chorus of gasps and murmurs of admiration from both male and female students, stunned by his appearance. By now, both he and Gao Fushuai were accustomed to this.

The anime convention officially began at 2 PM that afternoon. The venue was the gymnasium near Philosophy High School, and Gao Fushuai had privately reserved the entire ground floor hall. For him, the cost was trivial—merely a drop in the bucket. All he cared about was witnessing Hua Ling's antics!

Indeed, as the tall, handsome, and wealthy Gao Fushuai, he enjoyed immense popularity at school.

Gao Fushuai gathered the otaku and NEETs from the school and surrounding areas to launch a comic convention, harboring secret intentions he smirked to himself about.

"Has the cosplay outfit arrived?" Gao Fushuai asked his butler over the phone.

"Young Master, the most magnificent cosplay outfit we could commission—Theresa's Celestial Hymn—has been custom-made and delivered to your private dressing room at the convention hall. We hope you enjoy the event."

The butler's report made Gao Fushuai's lips curl into a satisfied grin. Plan successful.

"What are you scheming now?" Hua Ling asked, his instincts warning him that his best friend's intentions were impure. He glared at him warily.

"Nothing, nothing, my dear Hua Ling! I've prepared a handsome and dashing cosplay outfit for you—guaranteed to leave the girls spellbound!" Gao Fushuai assured him with a smile. "Though you already have everyone spellbound as you are~"

Hua Ling's eyes lit up at the compliment, and he nodded eagerly.

Gao Fushuai, long accustomed to his friend's somewhat naive nature, subconsciously patted his head with a warm smile.

"Stop that creepy smirk! I'm not gay, damn it! And quit patting my head—I'll never grow taller!" Hua Ling protested, swatting away his hand.

Hua Ling instinctively slapped away Gao Fushuai's large hand, his voice, remarkably similar to Theresa's, immediately drawing attention. His endearingly silly expression brought smiles to many faces.

"It's Hua Ling!"

"Yeah, he's as cute as ever today!"

"I can't wait to see him in drag! He'll be absolutely mesmerizing!"

A Philosophy High School girl cosplaying as Yae Sakura exclaimed excitedly.

"Ugh, it's such a shame he's a guy! If he were a girl, I'd already be hugging and cuddling him!"

A girl cosplaying as Kiana lamented wistfully.

Oblivious to the stir he was causing, Hua Ling followed Gao Fushuai to a private dressing room at the convention. He had been eagerly anticipating the chance to wear a cool, masculine cosplay—perhaps Dante or Vergil the Power?

But when Gao Fushuai, barely suppressing a smirk, pulled open the wardrobe, Theresa's magnificent Celestial Hymn costume met Hua Ling's gaze.

"Seriously, Gao Fushuai, you jerk! You're tricking me again! Another dress?!" Hua Ling grumbled, glaring at the feminine attire.

"Please, Hua Ling, just put it on and let us witness Theresa's greatness!" Gao Fushuai pleaded. Hua Ling hesitated, then remembered how he'd always been forced into wearing women's clothes in the past. Since he was already used to it, why bother being fussy now?

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Note-Mc Becomes Theresa on chap 4