Lu Yu fell asleep unusually early that night.

He slept from nine PM straight through to eight AM the next morning.

Nearly eleven hours of rest had mostly restored his body after pulling an all-nighter.

Yesterday, Mrs. Lin had been exceptionally merciful. Seeing her “daughter” so exhausted, she hadn’t assigned any study tasks to “Lin Beixing.”

That let Lu Yu rest completely worry-free.

Before bed, following Lin Beixing’s advice, he went to the fridge and ate a stick of sweet corn.

The corn was sweet, bursting with juice at every bite.

Considering Lin Beixing’s fragile health, Lu Yu didn’t eat much. Later, he made a bowl of oatmeal, paired with bread slices from the kitchen, finishing his late-night snack.

The next morning, Lu Yu woke up in bed.

Gazing at the unchanged girl’s room, he let out a long sigh.

His body hadn’t switched back.

Looks like today would be another day of feeling trapped.

He glanced at the alarm clock.

Lin Beixing had set Sunday’s alarm for nine AM—probably her usual wake-up time before a busy study day.

That meant Lu Yu still had an hour of freedom.

He wondered if Lin Beixing was awake.

After all, she’d slept straight from yesterday afternoon until evening.

He opened his phone and sent two messages to his own WeChat.

Little North Star: Morning.

Little North Star: Feeling better?

It was his own body, after all. He’d always care 100%.

Soon, “Typing…” appeared on Lin Beixing’s side.

Lu Yu sat patiently on the bed’s edge, waiting.

His smooth calves dangled and swung gently, almost unconsciously.

…Honestly, these softly swaying legs really gave off a little-girl vibe.

Yu: Better now, no more diarrhea… But what do I do, Lu Yu?

Little North Star: What’s wrong??

Just reading that “what do I do,” Lu Yu’s guard shot up.

Lin Beixing’s phrasing always made him inexplicably uneasy.

Yu: My deskmate invited me to game. I don’t know how to play… I promised him yesterday I’d definitely join today.

Lu Yu sighed inwardly. *That’s all?*

He relaxed and typed back:

Little North Star: Ignore him.

Yu: But I already promised…

Little North Star: Doesn’t matter. Stand him up. I’ve done it plenty.

Yu: (cat tilting head.jpg)

On the other end, Lin Beixing hesitated—words forming, then vanishing.

*No wonder his deskmate calls him a heartbreaker!*

Yu: Btw, if Mom didn’t adjust today’s schedule: self-study morning, piano practice afternoon.

The message jolted Lu Yu fully awake.

He’d just sipped water from the nightstand glass. Seeing “piano practice,” he choked.

Little North Star: Piano practice??

Yu: Still time. Skim the sheet music. Learn fast.

Little North Star: Wait… no.

Lu Yu almost laughed out of sheer frustration.

He wasn’t a musical prodigy. Never touched an instrument. You couldn’t “learn fast” what took months of practice.

Effort wouldn’t fix this. He couldn’t even read notes.

Little North Star: Can I say I’m on my period?

Yu: Period’s worst the first two days. That excuse expired days ago.

“Typing…” lingered. Lu Yu waited quietly.

Yu: I’ve entrusted my body to you. Figure it out, Lu Yu. I’m heading downstairs for breakfast.

Little North Star: …

Lu Yu had been forced into tough spots before. One more wouldn’t break him.

Since Lin Beixing was accepting this, he’d compromise too.

Little North Star: Go ahead. Skip alley food. Stick to downstairs shops.

Yu: (cat nodding.jpg)

Maybe moved by his effort, Lin Beixing now seemed genuinely reassured.

Before, she’d panic—worried he’d mess up, upset Mom.

Now? Seeing his sincerity, she felt calm.

Everything would flow naturally.

They’d spent a full night in each other’s skin. Understanding deepened with every hour.

Lu Yu lay back, staring at the ceiling.

He really wanted to give up.

His eyes lingered on her last words:

*“I’ve entrusted my body to you.”*

His finger froze on the screen. Those words suddenly felt scorching hot.

Annoyed, he sat up and scratched his head.

“Even if you ‘entrust’ it… I can’t magically do it…”

He glanced at the sheet music on the desk. After a pause, he got up, gathered the scattered pages, and stacked them neatly.

He could look up symbols on his phone—memorizing basics wasn’t impossible.

The real hurdle? Matching symbols to piano keys.

Black and white keys only. Finding the right note took beginners months. Last-minute cramming? Hopeless.

His face scrunched up like a bitter melon.

Still… he had to try.

For a fleeting moment, he remembered his old self—the one who never quit before trying.

………………

“I’m back, Xiaomi~”

“Hmm, no—should call you ‘Meiqiu’ now…”

The moment Lin Beixing opened her door, the little black cat meowed and rubbed against her ankles.

Proud as ever, Meiqiu only sought humans when her bowl was empty.

Lin Beixing crouched, shaking the cat food can.

“Look what I’ve got~”

“Meow?”

Meiqiu, a stray-turned-pet, had never seen fancy cans. She circled the bowl, tail brushing Lin Beixing’s leg—*feed me*.

Lin Beixing patted her head and pulled the tab.

The rich aroma hit. Meiqiu’s eyes lit up; she pounced eagerly.

Lin Beixing set the can down, chin in hand, smiling.

“Tasty, right~?”

She’d bought it at the pet shop downstairs.

The old street had everything: hardware, convenience stores, pet supplies.

She’d also grabbed freeze-dried chicken and salmon cat sticks after the clerk’s recommendation. Checked the labels—safe for kittens.

Total: 150 yuan. *Lu Yu would sigh, “Humans live worse than cats.”*

Money meant little to Lin Beixing. Though strict, her family believed in “raising daughters with abundance.” Her allowance had always been plentiful.

She calculated quietly: her unused savings could feed one person and one cat for life.

*Ding-dong~~*

As she pondered stocking more supplies, the iron gate’s doorbell rang.

She hadn’t even known this thin gate had a bell.

Wary, she stood and peered through the peephole.

Blurry. Only a figure in plain white clothes, holding a full plastic bag.

Slender frame—likely a woman.

“Who…?” Lin Beixing’s alertness spiked.

A soft voice came from outside:

“Xiao Yu… it’s me…”