A wave of noise hit Chen Fengling's ears. It was the sound of city traffic—something once familiar but now strangely distant.
Before she could process it, her legs gave out. She stumbled forward and fell.
She opened her eyes wide and steadied herself. A car sped past just ahead, clearly ignoring traffic rules. One more step and she might've been sent back to the afterlife at lightspeed.
But Fengling didn't feel lucky. She just froze.
The city before her was blurry in her memory. It wasn't the one she grew up in, but she knew it. She stood there, unsure of where—or when—she was.
People around her slowed down. Some stared. Some looked worried. A few wondered if she was sick.
"Miss… are you alright?"
She didn't answer at first. Then she realized they were talking to her.
"I'm fine… or maybe even great?"
A smile crossed her face as the truth hit her. But to those watching, it only made her seem weirder.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a phone. It took a second to remember—fingerprint unlock.
She'd never been the sharpest, even in her last life. And after swallowing the Divine Seed, all she thought about was fighting, purging disaster, and revenge. Nothing else mattered.
She glanced at the screen. October 1st, 2025.
This was the day she first met Luoyuan.
And now she stood at the very place where they had promised to meet.
She spun in place, anxious. She had no idea how to face him like this.
Becoming like this happened after his death—after he died protecting her. Right after, a voice claiming to be a "system" appeared in his mind. But he had been like a wraith, angry at everything. He tried to tear the voice apart like he would any enemy.
That "system" didn't last long.
His power was strange—he didn't even understand it. It wasn't just mental or physical. It felt like his thoughts touched something at the root of reality itself.
That newborn AI never stood a chance.
What was left behind became a seed. Its surface was chaotic and glowing, and for some reason, it felt deeply familiar. Like it had come from the same place she had.
So he ate it.
He never expected the seed to reshape his body—and part of his soul. It made him stronger. But it also turned him into her.
Back then, she didn't care. All that mattered was revenge. Despair and hate filled every thought. Her appearance? Her gender? Meaningless.
But now, standing here, she finally felt the weight of that change.
"Ugh… what do I do…"
Her brain, unused for so long, kicked into overdrive. Then an idea came.
"I'll just say I used a voice changer before! He's never seen her in person anyway…"
But her hope dropped fast.
"Still… will he treat me the same? Can we even be close like we were? What if… he can't accept I'm a girl now…"
Lost in thought, she didn't notice someone walk up behind her.
"Hey—are you okay?"
The voice stopped her cold. It was the voice from her dreams. The one she didn't know how to face.
"I—I'm fine!"
She turned around in a blur. Her eyes locked onto him.
He hadn't changed. But she was shorter now, and that made him seem even taller.
Luoyuan blinked. For a moment, he was stunned.
The girl in front of him looked delicate. She didn't belong in this world. Her silver hair and clothes looked like they came from a fantasy novel.
Maybe they stared too long, because her bright eyes spun like pinwheels. She seemed overwhelmed.
"That's good to hear," he said, looking away. He stood nearby, waiting for the person he was supposed to meet—unaware it was her.
Fengling wanted to speak but couldn't. The words stuck in her throat.
Cars passed. Sunlight shifted. The two of them stood there, side by side, both too awkward to make the first move.
Then the time they'd agreed on arrived.
"Hi…"
This time, she spoke first.
"Hey," he answered.
His tone was calm, not overly warm. Nothing like the excited characters from her favorite shows who meet a cute girl.
"Nice weather today. Are you waiting for someone too?"
She forced a silly smile, trying to start small.
"Yes."
Silence fell again. She fumbled for words. With strangers, she could fake confidence. With him, she couldn't.
Then her phone buzzed.
I'm here.
She jumped at the sound.
"I'm here too," she typed back. Sure enough, his phone buzzed right after.
They turned toward each other at the same time. Their eyes met again.
"Hi…" she said for the third time.
Now, he finally understood.
"You're…"
"…Chen Fengling," she said, with a soft smile.
Luoyuan froze. Her smile, her presence—he couldn't ignore it.
She was beautiful.
He had passed cute girls on the street before. He didn't stop for them. But this girl… this girl was his long-lost friend.
"…I didn't think you'd look like this," he mumbled, flustered. He never acted like this. Not even once.
She tilted her head, amused.
"Do I look that bad?"
She meant it playfully, but deep down, she was nervous.
"No! I just didn't expect you to be so… cute."
Her cheeks turned pink. This was the first time anyone had called her pretty since she changed.
"Mm."
She nodded.
"Let's go."
And just like that, their day began.
Luoyuan was a year older than Fengling. She had just graduated high school.
By some twist of fate, she got into the same university as him. She hadn't picked it herself—someone else had helped her fill out the form. Still, the coincidence felt like fate.
When she told him, he had been excited. He even offered to help her move and meet up in person.
The sun climbed higher. Shadows shrank. She relaxed. They chatted about anime, story ideas, and walked toward campus together.
But they didn't go straight there.
They arrived at an apartment building on the far side of town.
She had bought the place outright. Though she was an orphan, her parents had left behind a sizable inheritance. Relatives had taken a chunk of it, but by high school, she had won most of it back through legal means.
At school, she was always an odd one. Loud at times, withdrawn at others. People kept their distance.
She wore a brave face, but curled up alone when no one looked.
Then she met him. The exception.
Even during the apocalypse, while others fought to survive, she had found joy in those days.
Now, she unpacked boxes. Furniture came up floor by floor. The once-empty apartment started to feel like a home.
"Thanks, Lu-," she said with a smile.
"How should I call you? You haven't told me your name yet."
She said it out of habit, then realized—he hadn't introduced himself in this life yet.