A Chance Encounter with a Stranger

The door was opened by a slightly chubby girl, a bit plumper than Lui Si but not by much. Her nose was rather flat, and thick-rimmed, oversized glasses rested on her nose, which was unusual for someone with such a high prescription. Large frames weren’t typically recommended for high-powered lenses, as they made the glasses too heavy. Perhaps her flat nose caused the glasses to slip, so she had to use larger frames to secure her vision.

The girl, upon seeing Ling Yechen standing by the bed, didn’t seem surprised. She waved friendly, saying, ‘Hello there, sister! I was about to toss you out if you didn’t wake up soon.’

Ling Yechen tilted her head, trying to formulate a response, when the girl burst into laughter, ‘Just kidding! This morning, I saw you alone, naked, and passed out downstairs, so I carried you up here. Do you remember anything?’

Ling Yechen shook her head gently, explaining she only remembered running off the highway, doing a flip, and then blacking out.

‘You must have been terrified, right? But why…’ The girl couldn’t help but cover her mouth and giggle, ‘You were completely naked!’

Ling Yechen felt a pang of embarrassment, her fingers nervously playing with the hem of her clothing, trying to think of an explanation. Why was she naked in a plastic coffin? Who knew?

Her mind raced, and she blurted out, ‘Last night, my boyfriend and I drove to the nearby 219 highway. Our car ran out of gas, and we were frustrated, so we decided to…’

‘What kind of intimate moment?’ The girl asked, intrigued. ‘What kind of intimacy requires being so undressed?’

‘Well, it was…’ Ling Yechen hesitated, her expression pained. ‘I was…’

Ling Yechen was accustomed to discussing embarrassing topics online, but she usually avoided personal involvement, using humor instead. This habit had shaped her vocabulary around such subjects. Now, she found herself blurting out the words, catching the girl off guard.

‘Pfft… you’re so adorable!’ The girl chuckled, motioning Ling Yechen to sit down. She then patted her head gently. ‘I’m sorry… did something bad happen afterwards?’

Afterwards?

‘Ah, yes. There were many zombies surrounding us. We were afraid the car would be completely blocked, so we ran out, and I didn’t even have my clothes on… I lost track of him.’

The girl’s expression softened, and she gently hugged Ling Yechen. As a former male, the last time she had been this close to someone was probably in elementary school. She felt a reflex to pull away, but recalling how close her high school classmates were, she decided to adapt to this new normal.

The two girls remained in each other’s embrace for a long time. Ling Yechen didn’t quite understand the significance of the hug, but the girl kept patting her back.

During this time, the girl introduced herself. She said her name was Du Lan, a graduate of Mingshui Academy who had failed her postgraduate exam the previous year. She had just taken the initial test this month and felt her performance was average, but now it didn’t matter.

‘It seems I’ll never get into Sifang University. Not even the apocalypse can stop me from failing my exams.’

Ling Yechen listened, and without thinking, replied, ‘Speaking of which, Keke is a student at the Science College of Sifang University.’

Du Lan was taken aback, turning Ling Yechen to face her, ‘You know the legendary Keke?’

Keke… Ah, Keke’s real name. She was somewhat of a local celebrity, a high school graduate who had made a name for herself. Many people knew of her.

Ling Yechen hesitated, wondering if she should continue. This might lead to inconsistencies in her cover story.

Finally, she said, ‘I know her from online. Keke has a wide network, and she might not remember me. I’m just here on vacation, and I didn’t arrange to meet her.’

After all, Keke was probably still alive. There was no way to rule out the possibility of meeting her, especially since she was a white-haired girl.

But why resist being recognized? And if she met Jing Lan in the future, what should she do?

These questions lingered without answers. Du Lan continued, ‘What’s your name?’

Ling Yechen’s heart skipped a beat. Should she hide her identity?

After a moment’s consideration, she decided to use a fake name. Having multiple identities was convenient.

‘Yue Xue Ning,’ she said, borrowing the name of her class’s labor committee member. That girl was also short, but she didn’t have long white hair. If she did, she would have been reprimanded by the school.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it. What if Yue Xue Ning was still alive? Why didn’t she just make up a name?

‘Oh, I’ll call you Little Yue,’ Du Lan said, asking about her life and studies. Most of the time, Ling Yechen could adjust her responses based on her past memories as a boy.

They even discussed topics like menstrual cycles, the age they started, and preferred sanitary products. Fortunately, Ling Yechen’s mother was talkative, often sharing women’s health knowledge, allowing Ling Yechen to contribute to the conversation. Later, the questions became more personal. Ling Yechen assumed this was normal among girls, not realizing Du Lan was testing her boundaries, especially since Ling Yechen, now a girl, was trying to adapt to female social norms, unintentionally allowing Du Lan’s intrusions.

As the sky darkened, Ling Yechen realized it was already afternoon since she had woken up. Today was January 18th, and she had been choked to death by Jing Lan the day before.

Thinking of Jing Lan’s cries before she lost consciousness, Ling Yechen felt a deep sadness, not knowing if he was dead or alive. He had once said he would remember her forever, and though he usually seemed cold, Ling Yechen believed him after their time together.

She hadn’t forgotten seeing Jing Lan’s letters, filled with heartfelt messages to his deceased mother.

(If he really intended to live his life remembering me, wouldn’t that be too sad? If I get the chance, I have to find him.)

Her small fists clenched against her chest.

A true man keeps his word.

Or rather, she wasn’t a man anymore.

It didn’t matter. Her past self might be gone, but the qualities she valued could be reborn each morning.

…

Du Lan mentioned it was time for dinner and started rummaging through her cluttered desk. She accidentally opened an old glasses case, finding it empty, and remembered Ling Yechen was wearing her glasses.

‘You’re wearing my glasses?’

‘Ah, yes. I’m sorry, I lost mine. I borrowed yours. They fit perfectly.’

‘No problem, they don’t fit me well; they always slide down. Your nose is more prominent, so they suit you better.’

She continued searching for food, finally finding two small packs of chocolate.

As they munched on the chocolate, Du Lan sighed, ‘You’re so pretty.’ Perhaps the mention of noses had triggered memories.

Ling Yechen wasn’t sure how to respond. Even with limited experience as a girl, she sensed this wasn’t a good direction for the conversation.

‘Your family even lets you dye your hair. You must be from an elite school, one where students can form bands and have their own music rooms. How enviable!’

Ling Yechen internally rolled her eyes, wondering how Du Lan knew about ‘bands.’ Then she spotted a poster of ‘Lonely Rock’ on the wall.

Du Lan’s guess helped Ling Yechen explain her white hair.

Ling Yechen feigned disdain, ‘I just had a fight with my family. I dyed my hair in rebellion. The school doesn’t really care.’

‘So, have you contacted your family? Oh right, your phone isn’t with you. But mine is.’

Du Lan reached for a phone on the desk.

Ling Yechen froze. Right, her phone was lost, but Jing Lan’s wasn’t.

Could she call him now?