Su Yue steadied her nerves. She imagined herself as a traveler who’d trudged through the desert for three days and nights—parched, desperate. Only a bottle of cola could save her now.

Pulling her black coat tighter, she crept slowly toward the chain convenience store. Her acting was peak perfection. *This cute-girl charm offensive will melt any clerk’s resolve,* she thought smugly. *Even a female staffer won’t stand a chance today!*

Confidently, she stepped one foot inside—

*BLARE!* An alarm shrieked from above the door.

Both clerks snapped their heads toward her.

“Do stores here really use such awful welcome chimes?” Su Yue muttered inwardly. Back on Earth, entry bells were gentle—not this jarring shriek.

Spotting her silver-white hair and crimson eyes, the clerks tensed. They exchanged a glance. “Call the police! No—contact the Paranormal Investigation Bureau!” one blurted.

Su Yue froze. *Escalated to Bureau level?!* Hearing “Paranormal Investigation Bureau,” she realized: that wasn’t a chime. It was a real alarm.

No time to wonder why. *Run.* She snatched a cola bottle from the entrance shelf, spun, and bolted.

Before the clerks could dial, she vanished.

They stood stunned. One elbowed the other. “Wasn’t she here to rob us?”

“No idea.”

“She’s an unaffiliated outsider, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why…?”

“Dunno.”

“Still report it?”

“Nah. Too much hassle. She didn’t seem dangerous.”

...

Ignoring bewildered stares, Su Yue sprinted—out of the pedestrian street, across the road, deep into a pitch-black alley. Relief washed over her. Panting, she slumped against the wall.

“That was terrifying. If the Bureau showed up…” Her heart hammered. Her hatred for them? Entirely thanks to the Moonlit Duo.

*Can I even stay here?* She’d fled while they reached for phones. Had they called? What if police searched the area?

Anxiety churned—but her hands moved on instinct. After sprinting, you never shake a cola hard. First, release a little pressure. Then twist the cap slowly.

Muscle memory intact after millennia? A tiny smile touched her lips. *Hmph. Even like this… I’m still me.*

*Glug glug.* She tilted her head back, gulping deeply. Life felt meaningful again.

*Stay put,* she decided. She didn’t know this world well. Trigger another alarm? Next time, she might not escape.

She shuffled deeper into the alley’s gloom, pressed against the sealed brick wall, pulled her coat tight, and drifted to sleep.

She dreamed.

Her original self had returned to Earth. Wielding the power of an Immortal Sovereign, she commanded the world to send its most beautiful women to her chamber. When the veiled “most beautiful woman” arrived, *he* eagerly lifted the veil—only to see the slightly handsome face of the man who’d plucked a leaf for him that night. Su Yue froze. The man rose. His shadow swallowed *him*. *He* felt smaller… glanced at the mirror. Staring back: a white-haired beauty.

The man seized *her* wrists, tossed *her* onto the bed with a wicked smirk—

“DON’T COME CLOSER!” Su Yue jolted awake. Night sky. Sparse stardust.

She wiped cold sweat. “Just a dream…”

*Must be that leaf-picking guy. Left too strong an impression.* She conveniently ignored the dream’s impending scene. Subtle shifts from her new body had already begun reshaping the Immortal Sovereign’s mind.

Patting her cheeks, she pushed thoughts aside. Peeking cautiously from the alley, she scanned the dim street—only lonely lampposts. Safe. She slipped out.

Time to forage. Half a cola bottle. Two scallion pancakes. Barely enough for tomorrow. *Never going out in daylight again. What if they call the Bureau again?*

Under cover of night, Miss Su Yue would “borrow” supplies. She darted across streets, bypassed inner lanes, and targeted a roadside bun shop. *I know how to steam buns. Make a few batches. Enough for days.*

She tiptoed to a narrow side window—too tight for an adult man, but at 160 cm and slender, she might fit. Hands first. Head next—tight. Chest—*very* tight. Though modest, her full bust brushed the sill, sending a tingling shiver through her. A blush bloomed. “S-so… strange…”

Elasticity saved her. Waist slipped through easily. *Almost there—*

*Stuck.* Hips wedged firmly. *Are they really this curvy?!* Bracing against the wall to wrench free—

*DING-DING-DING!*

The alarm shattered the silence.

“Who’s there?!” a distant voice barked.

Trapped mid-air, limbs dangling, helpless—her flailing hand snagged a tablecloth inside. She yanked. Seasoning bottles, chopstick cases clattered down in a noisy crash.

“I’m done for,” Su Yue whimpered, tears pricking her eyes.