"Cheng Cheng~ Cheng Cheng~ Hurry up and come downstairs! What are you and An Yuan talking about?"
Chen Cheng was startled for a moment before a faint fragrance brushed past her. The next thing she knew, a soft body leaned against her, linking arms with her.
She turned her head in surprise and saw a slightly chubby girl smiling as she pulled her along.
"Shuting?"
"Hm?"
Though it had been ten years since they last met, Chen Cheng still clearly remembered this girl's name.
Chen Shuting wasn't particularly pretty—she was a bit taller than Chen Cheng now, with a round face—but she had a gentle personality. What made her so unforgettable was that, back in their second year of high school, Shuting had suddenly confessed her feelings for Chen Cheng. She even drew a personalized anime-style character for her and gave her gifts.
But at the time, Chen Cheng had been a face-con (someone who cares a lot about looks). Plus, she had felt uncomfortable with the whole situation, especially with their classmates teasing them about it. So, without hesitation, she had rejected Shuting and even did a few rather hurtful things to push her away.
Thinking back on it now, she felt pretty stupid.
Shuting pulled Chen Cheng downstairs while chatting with concern, "Are you on your period today? You looked really out of it just now."
"Huh? No, no."
Wait—period?! Chen Cheng had never once considered that she would have to experience something like that.
Suddenly, she wanted to be a man again even more.
"You sure? It should be coming soon, right?"
Chen Cheng's face turned a little pale. The moment Shuting said that, she actually started to feel a faint ache in her lower abdomen.
Now she was not only worried about her period arriving but also trying to figure out what kind of relationship she had with Shuting in this timeline.
Are we really besties? Do normal girls hold hands this closely?
Instinctively, she straightened her back and walked with a more confident stride. As a "man," she felt like she had to be more composed in front of girls—she couldn't act as goofy and careless as she did around An Yuan.
Her muscles tensed up, her gaze wandered, and she had no idea what to do with her hands.
I don't have much experience with girls, and now I suddenly have such a close bestie? This is too much to handle…
"Are you dating An Yuan?"
"Huh?"
The unexpected question completely stunned Chen Cheng.
She turned back in confusion, glancing at An Yuan, who was joking around with their classmates. The corner of her mouth twitched. "No way! That kind of misunderstanding is disgusting."
Shuting's eyes widened in curiosity. "But An Yuan is really handsome! And he's got great grades. Why would that be disgusting?"
"You don't understand…"
Even though An Yuan would eventually turn into a balding, beer-bellied, greasy middle-aged man, Chen Cheng had to admit that right now, he was at his peak. He was over 1.8 meters tall, had sharp features, thick eyebrows, and bright eyes—he even looked a bit like Takeshi Kaneshiro. With his clean and neat appearance, this was definitely the most handsome he would ever be in his life.
But the thought of dating An Yuan? That was just too absurd.
Chen Cheng shivered. "I'd rather jump from here than date him."
"I think you two would make a cute couple."
"Ugh, come on! We're in our final year—who even has time to think about stuff like that?"
Shuting frowned slightly as she studied Chen Cheng's profile. Something about her seems really off today…
By the time they reached the school's large sports field, all the students and teachers had already gathered, standing neatly in rows. For the first time, Chen Cheng found herself positioned near the front, surrounded entirely by girls.
The cool morning mist had already been burned away by the rising sun, leaving behind a growing heat.
As soon as the sun hit her, Chen Cheng felt like a fish stranded on land. Though she wasn't sweating, she was already wilting, completely drained of energy.
It's been years since I last got this much sun…
Before the time travel, she spent her days holed up in a rented apartment, writing novels. She only went outside at night to take out the trash or pick up deliveries. If the temperature went above 30°C, she'd just turn the air conditioner on all day.
"Let's start~"
Honestly, even just doing morning exercises was already exceeding her usual daily physical activity.
Her arms flopped around like noodles, and when she jumped, she was too lazy to even lift her feet off the ground properly. She halfheartedly followed her classmates' movements, only to catch the sharp gaze of the supervising homeroom teacher.
A jolt of fear ran through her. She immediately straightened up and did the exercises properly. But as soon as the teacher looked away, she drooped again like a wilted eggplant, utterly lacking energy.
I wonder what the previous owner of this body was like?
Although they were different genders, they had the same parents, the same upbringing, and the same education. The differences shouldn't be too drastic, right?
Thinking about it, she was technically an intruder in this body—an imposter. Feeling guilty, she began running through possible excuses in her mind, just in case she needed to explain any sudden personality changes.
Morning exercises ended quickly, but next up was two laps around the track—800 meters in total.
Chen Cheng hadn't exercised properly in years, and this female body was even worse than her former otaku self. There wasn't a trace of muscle on her. Just a few steps in, she was already panting, her forehead damp with sweat.
Worse still, even though her chest was supported by a bra, the movement made it bounce slightly as she ran. Not only did it throw off her balance and add to her exhaustion, but she had no idea if her loose school uniform was doing a good enough job of hiding it. She couldn't shake the feeling that everyone around her was secretly watching.
Her face quickly turned pink—not just from exertion, but also from growing embarrassment.
As for An Yuan… This guy, now back in a young and healthy body, was running at the front of the pack like an overexcited golden retriever finally let out of the house.
"Why do we even have to do morning runs…"
"Exercise is good for you."
An Yuan had already lapped Chen Cheng once. Slowing down, he ran alongside her.
She shot him a glare, gasping for breath. "Oh, like you actually care about fitness? You're just showing off your healthy new body!"
An Yuan chuckled smugly but didn't argue.
"Hey… Do you think I, um, bounce a lot when I run?" Chen Cheng moved closer, lowering her voice.
"???"
An Yuan took a second to process the question. "Bounce? Where?"
"Never mind, good." Chen Cheng sighed, still troubled. "I can't tell if I'm a B or a C, but why is my development this good? Flat chests are much superior."
Do you even remember you're a girl now? Are you seriously saying that out loud?!
Only then did An Yuan actually look at her chest. He did notice a slight bounce, but what caught his attention more was the way her sweat-soaked summer uniform clung to her skin. The fabric had turned semi-transparent, revealing glimpses of her complexion—and her bra straps.
This is youth…
Back in middle and high school, he remembered how, after every run, the pretty girls in class would look extra eye-catching. They had no idea how much of a killer that was for teenage boys.
"My advice? Wear a vest under your uniform tomorrow."
"Yeah, and roast to death in this heat?"
"Your bra is showing."
Chen Cheng, now barely jogging and more or less speed-walking, had been so focused on avoiding a teacher's scolding that she hadn't even noticed.
Hearing An Yuan's words, she finally glanced down at herself.
Her already flushed face turned an even deeper red. Panicked, she ducked behind An Yuan for cover.
"Shit! Do you have a jacket? Give me something to cover up!"