On the 17th, in the morning.

Except for the injury on his right arm, Luo Xiaoming has almost recovered and can be discharged from the hospital.

To celebrate his discharge, Luo Xiaoming decided to have a fun day.

So, he invited Xu Fang and his former roommates.

Well, the plan is to have a meal and sing with his roommates in the morning, and then spend the afternoon alone with Xu Fang.

The dilemma is, what should they do during their alone time...

Of course, Wen Jian and the others would naturally not oppose Luo Xiaoming's invitation. After all, they usually have nothing to do and would just go to an internet cafe.

"Xiao Ming, how's your recovery going? We were really worried about you." Wen Jian warmly greeted Xiao Ming.

"It's alright. The doctor said there's no major problem." Luo Xiaoming said, "Thank you all for taking me to the hospital that day."

According to the timeline of this world, Luo Xiaoming fainted in the dormitory and was taken to the hospital after being found by everyone.

"No need to thank us, Miss Luo. Just treat us to a meal!" Wen Jian grinned.

"That can be arranged!" Lao Wang nodded.

"Just call me by my name, don't use any weird nicknames!" Luo Xiaoming scolded, then looked at Xu Fang, "Xu Fang, where do you want to eat?"

"I don't mind."

"You decide! Anywhere will do."

Fatty didn't like that, "Xiao Ming, why don't you ask for our opinions? We put in the most effort when saving you!"

Xu Fang smiled, "Indeed, I only made a phone call to the ambulance. Lao Wang and Fatty were the ones who carried you downstairs."

"...Then you guys decide."

Everyone knew that Luo Xiaoming came from a wealthy family, so no one held back and directly chose the highest-priced restaurant nearby.

On the way, Fatty and Daya discussed games and walked ahead excitedly, while Luo Xiaoming and Xu Fang followed behind.

"Xu Fang, why didn't you accompany me yesterday!" Luo Xiaoming complained, "You're mean, leaving me alone in the hospital."

Xu Fang only stayed at the hospital for a day and returned to school the next night.

Xu Fang explained, "My thoughts were a bit confused. I was considering if what you described is true. If it's true, then I might not be myself, and if it's false, then anything we see now has no meaning."

"Huh? It feels suspicious. Is that your reason for avoiding me? Mr. Philosopher?"

"Well, I was just worried about being misunderstood. Sorry..."

"What are you two doing?" Wen Jian came over at an inappropriate moment, sneakily sizing them up, "I'm telling you, don't tell me you're dating? Why does the atmosphere seem ambiguous?"

"Hahaha, how is that possible?" Daya laughed, "Xu Fang is a recluse!"

Although they haven't known Xu Fang for long, everyone has a certain understanding of him - he doesn't participate in any club activities, has a monotonous social life, and his entertainment is limited to anime and games. He has low presence, so it's impossible for him to have any charm with the ladies.

"That's right, we're dating." Luo Xiaoming intimately held Xu Fang's arm and said, "It seems like you guys didn't know yet."

Everyone was stunned.

Wen Jian: "Ah, this, this joke is not funny..."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"..."

A brief silence, followed by a loud wail.

"Damn it!"

"You jerk, Xu Fang!"

Onlookers turned their heads, not understanding why this group of people suddenly went crazy.

Seeing the reaction from Wen Jian and the others, Luo Xiaoming felt that things were different from before.

In the previous world, Luo Xiaoming had transformed from male to female, and his roommates knew about it, so Wen Jian and the others never truly saw her as the opposite sex. If they knew she was dating Xu Fang, they would probably just watch for fun while joking around.

In this world, Luo Xiaoming has always been seen as a female. The way Wen Jian and others treat Xiao Ming is subtly different from before, as if there is a hint of pleasing her.

"Hey, what are you doing? How did you make our relationship clear?" Xu Fang asked anxiously in a low voice. He felt the jealous gazes from several people were focused on him, and he wondered if he could go back to normal later.

Luo Xiaoming stuck out her tongue and smiled mischievously, "This way, no one will misunderstand."

Xu Fang: "......"

Although it was embarrassing for her to take the initiative, if the other person was even shyer than her, then there wouldn't be a problem. However, seeing many pedestrians around, Luo Xiaoming felt embarrassed and let go of Xu Fang's hand.

The group had made a reservation at Bomna restaurant, the most expensive restaurant in the area. It was not far from the school, only a fifteen-minute walk.

Wen Jian and Da Ya walked ahead, whispering to each other as if discussing how much alcohol to pour Xu Fang later.

-Feel the anger of being single.

Because Fatty and Old Wang were not single, they did not participate.

Xu Fang and Xiao Ming walked side by side behind them, the silent atmosphere a bit awkward.

Luo Xiaoming covered her face with her hands, feeling regretful. Would her behavior just now make Xu Fang dislike her? After all, Xu Fang and her haven't spent much time together, their relationship wasn't that deep, would this make Xu Fang misunderstand her character?

Please, don't let that happen! In fact, I am very reserved!

Xu Fang didn't know what Luo Xiaoming was thinking, he was observing his surroundings.

On the side of the commercial street, there were bustling crowds and busy traffic, but something suddenly felt off to Xu Fang. He seemed to have missed something.

Xu Fang felt a sense of unease.

In fact, he had been feeling this way since the night before last, sometimes strongly, sometimes faintly, inconsistently.

This made him restless.

Gradually, Xu Fang stopped walking and looked up.

An unfamiliar building.

He had no impression of this building. On the left was a liquefied gas store, and on the right was a newly decorated signboard with workers busy underneath.

Ordinary signboards are usually gold or white, but this one had weird red words, with a white cloth covering part of the lettering, revealing the remaining words -

"dead."

Instantly, Xu Fang's heart tightened.

But fortunately, the white cloth was semi-transparent. Through it, he saw the complete words, "Beyond the deadline," with a car washing picture logo next to it.

It turned out to be a newly opened car wash.

Xu Fang shook his head, feeling that he was overreacting, and decided to continue forward.

At this moment...

A woman talking on the phone didn't notice the stone on the ground and tripped, almost falling. Angered, she kicked the stone that tripped her.

The stone rolled and ended up at Xu Fang's feet.

It was an ordinary stone, one side rough and the other side smooth, and the smooth side had a peculiar slope.

Despite this, it was just an ordinary stone.

However, upon seeing this stone, that unsettling sense of unease returned.

The woman, in a bad mood, muttered as she walked past Xu Fang. She seemed to be arguing with the person on the phone.

Everything seemed normal, just ordinary things in life. But when these things were put together, there was a chilling feeling.

If it weren't for Xu Fang having no history of mental illness, he would have thought he was developing a hysteria.

He felt that if the symptoms worsened, it would be necessary for him to go to the hospital.

"Xu Fang, what's wrong? Are you scared? Don't worry, we won't get you drunk," Wen Jian's voice brought Xu Fang back to reality, and he snapped out of his thoughts and followed along.

"Are you angry? I won't do that again next time..." Luo Xiaoming approached Xu Fang, acting like a guilty child.

She noticed that Xu Fang's expression wasn't very good, thinking that Xu Fang was still bothered by what happened earlier.

"No, no, you didn't do anything wrong."

"That's good." Luo Xiaoming breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

After leaving the shopping street, the sense of discomfort diminished, but there was still a lingering feeling accompanying Xu Fang, making it difficult for him to pinpoint the source.

It must be because he paid too much attention after hearing Luo Xiaoming's story. Just calm down, there's nothing to worry about.

Xu Fang comforted himself and brushed away the negative thoughts.

In front of the Bomna restaurant reception.

"Dear guests, welcome, are there five of you?" The receptionist asked politely.

"Six of us," Da Ya said.

"Is there someone on the way?"

"Count again, everyone is here!" Old Wang shouted.

The receptionist paused for a moment, scanning the faces of everyone before finally landing on Luo Xiaoming. he suddenly realized, and apologetically said, "I'm sorry, I didn't notice this young lady."

"Miss Luo is the main character, no one should overlook her." Wen Jian laughed.

"Wen Jian, I warn you again, call me by my name!" Luo Xiaoming made a threatening gesture.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Words were unintentional, but listeners were sensitive.

Xu Fang widened his eyes and finally realized where that slight sense of discomfort was coming from - Luo Xiaoming, no, it should be said that it was how others treated her.

Walking on the street, it was inevitable to be stared at by passersby, but,

Except for acquaintances like Wen Jian and Old Wang, no one's gaze stayed on Luo Xiaoming for even a second.

All the strangers seemed to intentionally or unintentionally ignore Luo Xiaoming's existence, as if she were a transparent person with extremely weak presence.

You should know that Luo Xiaoming has fair skin, a beautiful appearance, and a tall figure. It's impossible for no one to notice her.

This is very unusual.

Only Xu Fang noticed this point, even Luo Xiaoming herself didn't realize it.

Although it was abnormal, Xu Fang had no power to change anything. If he said it, it would only cause panic to the parties involved.

What Xu Fang cared more about was the weird red letter sign he saw on the side of the road, as well as the strange stone. Their sense of violation was much stronger than Luo Xiaoming's.

Satisfied and full after the meal.

Luo Xiaoming stopped Wen Jian's "get drunk plan" and saved Xu Fang from trouble, otherwise Xu Fang might have to be carried back.

After paying the bill, everyone tactfully didn't stay as a third wheel. Wen Jian, Fatty, and Da Ya went to the internet cafe, and Old Wang went home.

Finally, it was the alone time that Luo Xiaoming had been looking forward to.

"This time, you can't escape!" Luo Xiaoming leaned on Xu Fang's side and warned.

"Am I the type of person to desert at the last minute?" Xu Fang asked back.

"Then accompany me for the whole afternoon today."

"Where are we going?"

"Just follow me."

After aimlessly strolling for an hour, Xu Fang realized that Luo Xiaoming had no specific plan and was just going wherever she thought of. Isn't this a date?

Xu Fang didn't mind, as he was always patient, and the company was pleasant to the eye. The key was that Xu Fang could forget about that unsettling feeling.

"Xu Fang, what kind of clothes should I get?" Luo Xiaoming wanted to buy some clothes as her current ones were dirty, with traces of blood on them.

"You can listen to the advice of the shopping assistant."

"No, they're just salespeople. They definitely wouldn't spend much effort on selecting clothes. Come on, let me hear your opinion."

"Well, in my opinion, you would look better in some fresh and girly clothes, like a short top paired with a pleated skirt. But maybe you prefer more neutral clothing. You can choose clothes that highlight your body's advantages. The top should be loose with a slightly fitted waist. If it's too tight, you might feel like a stick. Avoid complicated styles and go for simplicity. The colors can be light or a bit brighter. Your figure is slim, and your legs are proportionate and long. You don't have to worry about whether your legs look long or not. High-waisted shorts or fitted long skirts can fully showcase your long leg advantage..."

Xu Fang seemed to be giving a professional comment, but in reality, he was just talking nonsense. As the author, he naturally had the ability to make things up on the spot.

Luo Xiaoming listened attentively, but blushed at the end and scolded, "You leg enthusiast!"

"Lu Xun once said, there's no man who doesn't love long legs."

"He never said that!"

Despite this, Luo Xiaoming still wanted to hear Xu Fang's opinion, after all, pleasing oneself as a woman was important. But wearing a little skirt was a bit embarrassing. She decided to choose pants unless... unless Xu Fang strongly insisted that she wear one.

Passing by a public weight scale on the side of the street, Luo Xiaoming weighed herself and was surprised by the number that appeared.

"I've actually gained weight! Is there something wrong with the scale?"

"It's just 100 jin, very normal. If anything, you're still a bit light," Xu Fang said.

"This... this shouldn't be. I was only around 90 jin when I was in middle school. Why am I heavier now?"

"Has your height changed since then?"

"I don't think so, but it seems like my bones have become smaller."

"If you weigh less than 100 jin, you're either flat-chested or short—Xiao Ming, you're close to 1.7 meters tall now. If you were still around 90 jin, that would be dangerous," Xu Fang said, glancing at her chest.

"Oh... really?"

During the conversation, the two arrived at the commercial street where the clothing store was located.

Seeing the surroundings, Xu Fang slowed down and his pupils slightly contracted.

They had passed by here during lunch, with the strange red fonts and peculiar stones...

Everything seemed discordant, making Xu Fang uneasy.

Why did they come back to this place again?

[Wu wu wu... wu wu wu... wu wu wu wu...]

Faintly, Xu Fang heard a cry, a chilling sound that didn't seem human, but rather like a witch from Left 4 Dead.

He quickly turned around and saw a woman crying crouched below the railing.

Beside her was a broken phone.

She was the woman he argued with on the phone earlier.

A sense of disharmony, a strong sense of disharmony.

Damn it, this feeling is back again!

"We'll be at the clothing store after crossing this street. It won't take much longer," Luo Xiaoming thought Xu Fang had stopped because he was tired.

"Can we take a detour? I feel something strange about this place."

"Why?" Luo Xiaoming scratched her head, confused.

Xu Fang grabbed Xiao Ming's hand and decided to leave this place immediately.

But something terrible happened.

The woman who had been crying under the railing suddenly stood up, went crazy, and ran towards the road.

At this moment, the road was filled with fast-moving cars.

The driver of a large truck noticed someone ahead and panicked, slamming the brakes and swerving the steering wheel.

The truck narrowly missed the woman, but headed straight towards Xu Fang.

"Danger!"

Xu Fang grabbed the bewildered Luo Xiaoming and ran forward for a few meters, narrowly avoiding the truck.

However, the danger was not over yet.

Dust flew everywhere as the truck broke through the railing. The edge of its tire pressed against a peculiar-shaped stone, causing it to be ejected.

It soared into the air at an incredibly high speed.

With a "whoosh," a stone grazed Luo Xiaoming's hair and flew across the road, crashing into the glass of the liquefied gas store opposite and sparking a fire. Before they could react, there was a violent explosion from inside the store, and flames with a shockwave forcefully shattered all the glass.

Xu Fang instinctively pulled Xiao Ming down to the ground as countless sharp shards of glass flew in all directions like knives. If Xu Fang had been a little slower, he and Xiao Ming would have instantly been turned into sieves by the glass shards.

Was it over? No, it wasn't.

Affected by the explosion, the construction workers below scattered and ran away, and the steel cables suspending the sign suddenly snapped.

The enormous sign crashed down, hitting the support steel frame in the air, flipping once, and then plummeting towards the ground.

And it was heading straight for Xu Fang and Luo Xiaoming.

Xu Fang watched in horror as the word "dead" on the sign continued to grow larger and larger, filling his entire field of vision.

"Boom!!!"