Following my memory, I tied my hair into a single ponytail, quickly tidied my desk, and stepped out of the girls’ dorm.
Outside, campus had already slipped into night.
At nine p.m., the university hummed with a strange blend of eerie decadence and restless youth.
Xiangcao City Vocational and Technical College was utterly ordinary—so ordinary that any student who’d taken the gaokao and wasn’t intellectually impaired could basically get in.
Naturally, most students were the type who’d partied hard through high school and now aimed to keep the fun rolling in college.
“Trump’s been acting weird lately, always picking on us.”
“Hahaha… Yesterday in *Honor of Kings*, I matched with a support girl. After the game, she added me and straight-up asked for a skin gift. I reported her for sexual harassment.”
“Babe, are we still going out this weekend? I’ve had my eye on this bag—store’s doing 20% off…”
“Back to the dorm for *Blitz mode*! I’ll play Skarner, you play Tahm Kench—flash, hook, retreat to base!”
Listening to snippets of chatter from passing students, a line surfaced in my mind as I walked alone toward the sports field:
*Their world is full of noise and laughter. I have nothing.*
But honestly? That was fine.
Right now, I didn’t need the noise.
Not long ago, headlines like *“Xiangcao Vocational High School’s Campus Beauty Jumps River—Everyone Goes Silent When Asked Why”* flooded every corner of campus social media.
Modern media loves clickbait: *“So-and-So Did This—Cops Were Stunned!”*, *“Ten Cancer-Risk Habits You Definitely Have!”*, *“Top Harmful Foods—You’ve Eaten #1!”*
My so-called “river jump” got the same treatment.
Some said I was “lovesick.” Others claimed I “despised my poor family.” Some even invented a boyfriend and blamed his cheating for my “suicide.”
No matter how hard my “best friend” Chen Xiaorui debunked the rumors, the stories shot across the nation like rockets. Her voice? A lone boat swallowed by waves of media frenzy and public judgment.
A glimpse of today’s online chaos:
“This girl’s so pitiful.”
“What about homeless girls? Donate instead of commenting!”
“We don’t need your pity, male chauvinists! Stirring gender wars?”
“Pitiful? That’s her fate. Don’t like it? Don’t look.”
“She’s sad, but… lolis are cuter, right?”
“Seriously? You think *all* female students are pure? No way.”
…
At the sports field entrance, I sat on a small bench and opened my phone.
*Ding dong!*
Right on cue, Liang Zhiming confirmed the order and left a review:
*[Such a cute girl! Thought her pics were filtered—but nope, zero edits. Voice is sweet, gets anime culture perfectly. My ideal 2D girlfriend. Sweet dreams tonight! ★★★★★]*
*[147 yuan received. Added to balance.]*
*[Rating: ★★★★★. Credit +5.]*
Staring at the pitiful 147 yuan, I tapped “Withdraw.”
*After the run, hit the ATM. Pay off this week’s loans.*
I skimmed the loan apps, then opened WeChat and QQ.
Both profiles used the nickname “Ji Xiaoxue.”
Memories surfaced: back in high school, my first online game was *QQ Xuanwu*—a rhythm dancer. Up, down, left, right, space—*bang!*
*Perfect!*
My old ID? “Dancing Ji Xue,” crammed with flashy symbols. Pure early-2010s cringe.
Labeled “brain-dead,” “scene kid” stuff, I quit and simplified to “Ji Xiaoxue.”
Just like memory said: barely any friends on either app. Only a few class groups from middle school, high school, college.
Online social life? Near zero.
*Country kid, born and raised…*
I sighed inwardly and opened the class group:
*@Gao Yu, Teacher—Xiaoxue’s back.*
Silent usually (teachers and counselor lurked here), so Chen Xiaorui’s message stood out.
Counselor (group admin) replied: *“Back? Good. Is Bi Xinxue in this group?”*
*“Yes.”*
*“Tomorrow after noon classes, I’ll talk with her. Rest well. Life always moves forward.”*
*“I’ll tell her, Teacher.”*
I scrolled through messages, closed the apps, opened Contacts, tapped “Mom.”
*Beep—*
Connected instantly.
“Xiaoxue? Everything okay?”
“Just… realized I forgot to say I’m safe.” I gazed at the city’s dark-red sky. “I’m at school. Talked with classmates. Their words helped. Don’t worry.”
I’d grown up in a rented room deep in Xiangcao’s outskirts—miles from campus. After discharge, Mom sent me straight here.
“Oh… oh!” Her voice brightened, surprised by my call. “Glad you’re… seeing things clearly. Really glad.”
Then, rushed: “Money enough? Should Mom send more? I asked your uncle—learned how to transfer!”
“No, plenty,” I lied gently. “I’ve got this, Mom.”
After two quiet minutes of her worried murmurs, I hung up, stretched, did light warm-ups.
*First day. Go slow.*
Military training was the last real exercise. Push too hard? Bad idea.
*Come on, Xiaoxue. You’ve got this.*
I swung my slender, fair legs onto the empty track.
…Actually, for a “nobody” vocational college, the campus was lush. Wide fields, new courts, clean facilities.
And—
Mid-stride, I glanced down.
Yep. Running with *this* chest felt… weirdly bouncy.
Swaying. Nonstop.
Even in a snug sports bra.
Plus, tiny feet—size 32, 33 on a 163cm frame. Balance? Tricky.
*Well… every loss has its gain.*
I survived a miserable past life. This? Nothing.
…
10:10 p.m. Back in the dorm.
“You *actually* ran?” Chen Xiaorui blinked. The air now smelled of lotion and laundry, not shampoo.
“Thought you and ‘sporty’ were strangers.”
“Passed out during military training, remember?” I untied my hair, rinsed the three-day-old towel, washed my face.
“Counselor’s talking tomorrow.”
“Saw the group.” I glanced at the empty bathroom. “All showered?”
“Long done. Just you.”
Only Chen spoke—the e-commerce girls kept distance. She swiveled from her laptop, cat-ear headphones askew. “Xiaoxue… do *all* guys love gaming?”
“Maybe.” I grabbed fresh clothes, nodded toward Jiang Yuqing—dorm leader, E-commerce Class 1 monitor, short-haired, tomboyish, always easygoing—who was grinding *Jianwang 3*. “Ask Yuqing. She knows.”
“Me? Nah, I’m clueless,” Jiang called over her shoulder. “Just a Poison Loli main getting wrecked by newbies.”
I turned back. “Boyfriend fight over games again?”
Memory: Chen’s boyfriend gamed constantly. They argued often.
“Ah…” She yanked on her headphones, ducked her head. “Don’t ask. Let me be.”
*So much for “I’ll bring snacks.”*
“Tch.” Sweaty and unbothered, I headed to the bathroom with clothes and toiletries.
The moment my shirt hit the floor—
I froze.
*I… became a girl.*
*This body… is female.*
Well.
Under the light, I slowly placed my hands over my chest and looked down.
“…Then… shall I give it a try?”
