"Hehehe, sorry about that. I was a bit groggy from sleep and forgot to change clothes~"

By the time Nangong Shiyu stuffed tissues into his bleeding nostrils, the girl had already slipped into a light, fluttering purple chiffon dress. Only then did he get a proper look at her.

She had long purple hair cascading past her shoulders. The right side was braided into a three-strand plait sweeping from her crown to behind her left ear. If Nangong Shiyu recalled correctly, it was called a side three-strand braid.

Her slightly plump figure radiated mature charm. Her bust looked bigger than what he’d seen in the mirror last night—his own chest as a girl. She stood nearly 170 cm tall, just a hair shorter than him.

Her eyes were narrowed to a slit, hiding their color. He figured this was what people meant by "slit eyes," though he’d never seen it up close before.

"Eh? What’s wrong? Something on my face?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Nothing… just surprised you changed so fast," Nangong Shiyu said, averting his gaze and heading straight to the kitchen. He needed to make breakfast fast—school waited for no one.

"By the way, why were you suddenly sleeping in my bed this morning?" As water boiled in the pot, he automatically grabbed two sets of bowls and chopsticks from the cabinet and started mixing seasonings for the broth.

"Because I can only stay by your side now, sis. Nowhere else to go," the girl replied, following him in. "Huh? Are you making noodles for me?"

That last line nearly made Nangong Shiyu choke, but he pretended not to hear the awkward remark.

"Stay by my side?" he asked. "I didn’t see you all yesterday. How’d you even get into my house? Explain or I’ll call the cops for trespassing."

"Mmm, my magic was totally depleted yesterday, so I couldn’t materialize my body. No materialization, no me to see, sis."

Magic depletion. Materialization.

Hearing those surreal terms gave Nangong Shiyu a headache. Normally, he’d dismiss this as a joke. But his memories screamed—this was no drill. Not a dream. Not fantasy. Cold, hard reality.

Luckily, Luo Qitian’s otaku influence had exposed him to fantasy anime. Terms like "magic depletion" were barely familiar. But he had a more urgent question.

"Do you know why?"

"Huh? Why what?"

"About me suddenly turning into a girl last night."

If she’d been with him since then, she must know. And… had she watched him shower too? The thought made his body go weak. Even if she was a girl, being seen naked like that was mortifying.

"Turning into a girl? Totally natural," she replied casually. "Who told you to drain all that magic like an idiot yesterday? Lucky the enemy didn’t react in time. Otherwise, you’d be dead."

"Wait, wait…" Nangong Shiyu rubbed his forehead. "Let me get this straight… I turned into a girl because I overused magic?"

"Exactly," she nodded. "And if it happens too often, you’ll never change back." She pointed at herself. "Like me, sis."

"You?" Nangong Shiyu’s eyes widened. "You used to be a guy?"

"Mhm, ages ago, I was a boy too, sis~"

Staring at this charming girl, he heard her true self was once male. And he might end up the same—permanently female.

"Why is this happening?!" He scratched his hair frantically. Already a bird’s nest, it became a five-star disaster.

"Because you’re the new Thunder God, little brother," she chuckled softly. "Not your fault you didn’t know. Lucky or unlucky? Last night, the Thunder God’s Mystic Orb landed right on you."

Huh? The Orb hit him? When… that lightning-strike feeling last night?

"Can’t… take it out?" he asked.

"You can," she whispered, hugging him from behind and leaning close to his ear. "But if you do… you’ll die."

◆

After breakfast, the boy and girl sat at the table, heads down slurping noodles.

"Wow! Your noodles are amazing!" she exclaimed after a bite. "That numbing kick is perfect."

"I added Sichuan pepper oil to the broth," Nangong Shiyu replied. "I like this flavor."

"Mmm, so good!"

"Hmm…"

While slurping, Nangong Shiyu organized what he’d learned:

1. Last night, an accident made him the Thunder God.

2. As Thunder God, he could wield lightning—sort of.

3. Overusing it triggered gender shifts into a girl.

4. Shifts reverted automatically after time.

5. Too many shifts meant permanent change.

6. She claimed to be the 232nd Thunder God; he was the 233rd.

7. She was attached to him now—stuck together for meals, sleep, showers, even bathroom breaks.

8. Enemies wanted the Thunder God’s Mystic Orb inside him.

9. Losing the Orb meant death.

Point nine was terrifying. Unknown enemies could strike anytime, threatening his life. His head felt heavy.

"Oh right! I just remembered!" She shot up, hands on the table, leaning close—had he glanced up, he’d see down her dress. "Little brother, what’s your name?"

"Nongong Siyu," he mumbled through noodles.

"Nongong Siyu? Weird name…"

"Not that…" He swallowed. "Nangong Shiyu! Compound surname Nangong. ‘Time’ as in Shí, ‘rain’ as in Yǔ."

"Oh~ Compound surnames are rare."

"Guess so." He slurped more noodles. "What’s yours?"

"Hehe, forgot," she giggled like it was a joke.

"…Forgot?" He stared. "You can forget your name?"

"Mhm. Only remember my surname’s Xia." She sat back down, slurping again.

"So… Sister Xia? Thunder God Sister?"

"Call me anything. Doesn’t matter."

Awkward. None of those rolled off the tongue. Might as well name her. He eyed her purple hair and dress—add "Zi" for purple. Her vibe was silly but warm…

"How about Xia Zixin?" he asked.

"Xia… Zixin?"

"Mhm. ‘Purple’ as in Zǐ, ‘fragrance’ as in Xīn."

"That’s useless!" she pouted.

"Haha, kidding. ‘Violet’ as in Zǐ, ‘cozy’ as in Xīn. Too presumptuous?"

"Mhm, it’s nice," she beamed. "Xia Zixin… I like it."

"Really? Glad to hear it." Her smile melted his worries away. "From now on, you’re Xia Zixin."

"Mhm." She downed the noodle soup in one gulp. "This broth rocks too! Boss, another bowl for sis!"