A desolate street. A bare fir tree stood alone in the middle of the road.

This was a pedestrian street awaiting demolition. After reconstruction, it would become a bustling commercial avenue. But Qiu Yi preferred the old pedestrian street’s quiet charm—a peacefulness that effortlessly calmed the heart.

All the shops had long been emptied. Some rolled down their shutters; most simply left their glass doors ajar, locks no longer needed.

*Sigh…*

Qiu Yi stood beneath the leafless fir tree. Time’s passage was etched into the scene. Humanity marched forward, while cherished memories faded bit by bit. Until one day, he might truly forget how these things once looked.

He sat on a dust-covered bench, determined to imprint this street onto his mind before the construction crews arrived.

His thoughts drifted back ten years…

High school—the most beautiful time of life, perhaps.

…

A golden leaf trembled on a branch, then finally lost its grip. It drifted through the air, landing softly on the ground. A crisp breeze, cool as a gentle hand brushing his cheek, swept past.

*CRACK—!*

Lightning split the sky like a rallying signal. Dark clouds gathered swiftly.

The wind grew stronger.

*WHOOSH—*

Rain poured down. Lightning flashed through the downpour.

A girl sleeping beneath a fir tree slowly opened her eyes.

She wore a neat, high ponytail, her smooth forehead bare. A yellow shirt and black trousers gave her a refreshingly crisp look. Her long lashes fluttered. Sleepy, large eyes blinked beneath delicate features. Her small face held a hint of baby fat—a picture of obedient sweetness.

“Mmm… Is it raining?” she mumbled drowsily.

Raindrops slipped through sparse leaves, landing on her skin. The icy touch sharpened her senses.

“Huh…?” She tilted her head, puzzled. Rubbing her eyes with her right hand, she whispered in disbelief, “This… the pedestrian street?”

Yes. But not the crumbling, soon-to-be-demolished one. This was the street from memory…

Bright, tidy shop windows. Spotless pavement. Passersby strolling by. Children glued to displays, reluctant to leave…

Everything felt achingly familiar, as if stepping into a forgotten dream.

“A dream?” She pinched her thigh hard. Pain flared.

“Not a dream… Did time rewind?” Her expression turned stunned.

Only then did she notice her body felt different.

“Guess I shrank when time reversed?” she muttered, walking to a shop window. A fresh-faced girl’s reflection stared back.

She raised her hand. The reflection mirrored her.

She examined her small, pale palms. Then, hesitantly, she touched between her legs. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

“W-What kind of joke is this…?” Her voice trembled.

The girl was Qiu Yi. Time had rewound—and he’d become the very girl he’d always dreamed of dating. This form… was his ideal girlfriend.

Qiu Yi could only smile bitterly. So this was his twisted version of “being together forever”?

“Wenwen~”

A mature woman in black stockings and heels approached, softly calling to him. “Mommy’s here to take you home.”

Qiu Yi looked up dazedly. A gently made-up face—around twenty-seven or twenty-eight—gazed down. Long black hair draped over her shoulders, framing a tender smile.

“Wenwen? What’s wrong?” The woman placed a hand on his forehead. “No fever…”

“Huh?!” Qiu Yi hadn’t caught her first words.

*Who is she? Does she know me?*

“What’s wrong, my sweet girl? Still stomach pain?” She pulled him into a warm embrace. Qiu Yi’s face pressed against her chest. A faint floral scent enveloped him, like standing in a field of blossoms.

*So soft!* That was his first thought.

*Is this my mom? She’s so young!* The second.

She released him after a moment. Qiu Yi’s face flushed crimson, flustered and shy. Though twenty-something in truth, this was his first real contact with a woman’s chest. For a virgin like him, the sensation was overwhelming.

He awkwardly looked away, focusing on the shop window to calm himself.

“Oh~ My daughter wants this?” The woman pointed at a giant teddy bear in the display. “Hmm… Your old one tore, didn’t it? Since you like it, we’ll get it!”

Still dazed, Qiu Yi only snapped back when the meter-tall bear was thrust into his arms.

“Why so spacey today? Did the stomachache scramble your brains?” She pinched his cheek gently.

“Ah? …Huh? N-No… I’m fine…” Qiu Yi stammered, flustered by her sudden closeness.

“Good. We’ll have Doctor Wang check you later.” She scooped him up, bear and all. “Time to go home~ My precious daughter’s still so light~”

Too awkward to resist, Qiu Yi let her carry him out of the pedestrian street and settle him into the passenger seat of a red sports car.

The woman slid into the driver’s seat and dialed her phone.

“Hey, Lao Ye? Wenwen’s fine—stomachache’s gone. Mhm, I know. Doctor Wang will check her later. Yeah, she’s recovered. Rest two more days, then back to school. Oh, our girl missed you yesterday. When are you coming home? Perfect. We’ll celebrate her recovery together~” She smiled, chatted briefly more, then hung up.

“Sweetheart, Daddy’s coming home tomorrow. Happy?”

“Mhm…” Qiu Yi forced a smile.

From the call, he’d learned his new name: Ye Wen. To confirm, he blurted out, “Mom… is my name Ye Wen?”

*Stupid!* He instantly regretted the question. *Will she suspect?*

But such worries were pointless. Who’d imagine their daughter’s soul had been replaced?

“Teasing Mom again? Of course you’re Ye Wen.” Ye’s mother ruffled his hair. “Repeating the same joke gets boring, you know.”

Ye Wen nodded quietly, saying nothing.

…