About five minutes later, Nangong Shiyu sprinted back to her apartment complex, breathless. Her mind had gone completely blank—she couldn’t bear to think about anything. Not the exam papers from evening study hall, not the laser cannon superpower she’d just used. She refused to dwell on any of it.
Fear and anxiety churned inside her, mixed with a tiny spark of excitement—solely from the bounce of her chest as she ran.
*"I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know… I know nothing…"*
She burst into the silent building, skipping the elevator entirely to scramble up six flights of stairs. At her door, she fumbled trembling keys from her pocket, nearly dropping them.
The door slammed shut behind her. Dizziness blurred her vision from the sprint; a dull ache throbbed in her stomach. She didn’t bother turning on the lights. Shrugging off her backpack, she let it thud to the floor before collapsing onto the living room sofa. She couldn’t accept it—this chest weight, this unfamiliar emptiness between her legs. She was a girl now.
Sure, she’d read foreign news reports about men struck by lightning having their DNA scrambled into women. But the odds? Astronomical. The chance of being hit by lightning was one in 600,000. Surviving *and* changing sex? Near zero.
*"Why did this happen to me…?"* Nangong Shiyu muttered at the ceiling, lifting her slender arm with a sigh. Her whole body felt alien—height, curves, everything.
Thankfully, her parents lived elsewhere. If they’d seen their son return from school as a daughter… their jaws would’ve hit the floor.
*Maybe I’m just exhausted,* she thought. *If I sleep, I’ll wake up from this dream.*
Ten minutes later, she dragged herself to the bathroom. But as she stripped, her heart hammered at the sight of her naked reflection. The mirror showed flawless porcelain skin, goddess-like curves, waist-length black hair spilling silkily over her shoulders. Large, dark eyes fringed with long lashes radiated innocence. A petite nose, rosebud lips slightly upturned. And her chest—firm, full B-cups.
*"No! Stop it!"* Shame burned her cheeks as she caught herself lusting after this body.
*"...But…"* She studied the reflection again, genuinely enchanted. *"Staying like this… wouldn’t be so bad."*
She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head violently.
*"Don’t think about it. This is a nightmare."*
The reality crashed over her: living like this forever. School? Her face was unrecognizable. Friends? Would they abandon her? Her parents? Could she lie—*"I’m Nangong Shiyu’s girlfriend"*—and get away with it? What if police stopped her for an ID check? Her documents said *male*. Buying dresses? Bras? Period pads?
Her mind spun like an overheating reactor. She sank to the white tiles, head in hands, vision swimming.
*"Ahhh! What do I DO?!"*
Exhausted, thoughts blank, she showered mechanically, dried her hair, and collapsed into bed.
◆
The 6:10 alarm jolted Nangong Shiyu awake. He slapped it silent, blinking in the pre-dawn gloom. This early rise was routine. He crawled out of bed, hair a bird’s nest, stretching with a cavernous yawn.
A subtle shift in perspective made him freeze. He glanced down—and sighed in relief.
His body was back. Lean frame, familiar height. Light chest. The reassuring weight between his legs.
*"Thank god it was just a dream…"* He gave a bitter laugh. *"Though… I kinda miss that cute girl from the dream."*
*—I almost fell for her.*
Just a wet dream. He reached for clothes, ready to brush his teeth and make breakfast.
Then he spotted it.
A mysterious lump under his blanket.
His blood turned to ice.
*Who’s in my bed?*
He lived alone. Doors locked. Windows shut. No one should be here.
*Only one explanation…*
*Ghosts.*
Sweat trickled down his spine. He stared at the lump, paralyzed. Inside his head, two voices clashed:
**Run:** *"Live to fight another day! Survival first!"*
**Fight:** *"Scared? WHY ARE YOU SCARED? THREE TIMES! NO REASON TO FLEE—JUST CHARGE!"*
**Run:** *"That’s reckless! You don’t even know what it is!"*
**Fight:** *"Then PEEK! Running solves nothing! True survivors face danger!"*
**Run:** *"Fool! Thirty-Six Stratagems—retreat is wisest!"*
**Fight:** *"Only cowards run!"*
**Run:** *"Courage means knowing when to flee!"*
**Run!**
**PEEK!**
**RUN!**
**PEEK!**
After a minute of mental warfare, he chose: *Pretend I saw nothing. Go cook noodles.*
He’d barely taken three steps when rustling came from the bed. Curiosity warred with terror. His body locked in place, breath held.
*"Mmm… Why rush up? Let your big sister sleep longer…"* A sweet, pouting voice whispered in his ear.
He knew that voice.
From last night.
The voice that commanded him to *"Shoot lightning!"* in his dream.
*So… it wasn’t a dream?!*
*"Huh? Why’d you freeze?"*
*"N-nothing…"* He pinched his own cheek—hard.
*Ow.*
Definitely awake.
*"You okay? Pinching yourself like that… thinking it’s a dream?"*
*"Something like that."*
If this was real…
*"Who even are y—PUH!"*
He turned—and froze again. Two crimson streams gushed from his nose.
*"Eh?! EH?! What’s with the nosebleed?!"*
*"It’s fine! Just—"* He swiped blood with his sleeve. *"PUT SOME CLOTHES ON BEFORE TALKING TO ME!!!"*
