My head swam. My body felt so heavy, my limbs a leaden weight, and my mind was hazy.
A faint sliver of light pierced Bai Zhiqiu’s eyes.
The scene before him slowly sharpened into focus, revealing a small girl with white hair and crimson eyes.
“Is this heaven?” Bai Zhiqiu whispered, his voice barely a murmur.
“Hehe! This isn’t heaven, you know! You’re awake? The surgery was a great success! You’re already a mature…”
Hearing Yin’s words, Bai Zhiqiu’s mind snapped into acute clarity.
He abruptly sat upright.
“You’re awake!” Yin chirped, sitting on the edge of the bed, engrossed in a mobile game.
‘And that creamy white phone case… it looked oddly familiar.’
“Yin! What are you doing with my phone?”
The moment he spoke, Bai Zhiqiu froze. His voice… it had returned to normal?
“Playing games, of course! This game is so much fun! I even helped you reach Diamond rank! Ugh! I specifically studied guides to help you out! What was that guide called again? Oh, ‘Chicken Claw Flow,’ I think? It’s all your fault! I died again!”
With that, Yin placed the phone on her lap and turned to face Bai Zhiqiu.
“But I thought I just reached King tier?”
“Oh, don’t worry about such minor details! How do you feel now that you’re up?”
“I feel alright.”
Bai Zhiqiu moved his body, assessing himself. Although his magic had been completely drained, his physical form had mostly recovered, with only a lingering fatigue in his legs and waist.
“It’s good that you’re fine! Oh, and your sister is here!”
Yin commented, her fingers still expertly navigating her character through the game.
“Bai Yue is here? Since when?”
Panic immediately seized Bai Zhiqiu at Yin’s words.
‘Bai Yue is here… Does she know everything?’
“Right after you fainted! I caught you, and Yan Qingzhu was about to… Oh, right! Yan Qingzhu and Jasmine are currently distracting your sister! You should quickly think of a way to handle her! Also, it seems she has something she needs to tell you…”
Having delivered the news, Yin once again immersed herself in her game.
Seeing Yin’s complete absorption, Bai Zhiqiu said nothing. Fortunately, there was a mirror by the bed, which he immediately picked up.
The first thing he saw was his face: his own slightly handsome male features. This didn’t surprise Bai Zhiqiu; after all, his voice had already reverted to his male self. If his face had remained as it was when he was Higanbana… that would have been a bit much.
“Yin! What’s going on with my hair?”
Holding the mirror in his left hand, Bai Zhiqiu began to examine his hair with his right. It was no longer the raven black that women envied; instead, it had turned a striking silver-white, and had even grown a little longer.
“Oh, that? It’s perfectly normal! Aren’t you about to be ‘chicken-and-egg-scattered’? This process definitely happens little by little! So don’t be too surprised! Damn it! What kind of teammates are these? So useless!”
Yin, eyeing her abysmal 1-18 score, couldn’t help but rant about her teammates. How could they lose when the score was already 18-1? It was truly infuriating!
“What does ‘chicken-and-egg-scattered’ even mean? Who taught you that phrase?”
Bai Zhiqiu frowned slightly at Yin’s casual remark.
“Well, when ‘that thing’ of yours is gone, isn’t that ‘chicken-and-egg-scattered’?” Yin retorted. “Oh, by the way, during the days you were unconscious, I noticed that every night from midnight until six in the morning, you transform into Higanbana. Even the accessories are the same! Remember to be prepared!”
Yin replied to Bai Zhiqiu, then casually started another game.
“How do you know all this so clearly?”
“I took a look when you transformed. Seeing is believing, after all! You really did become a chasm.”
“You!”
Hearing Yin utter such a phrase with such a flat tone, Bai Zhiqiu’s face immediately flushed crimson.
“What’s wrong? It’s not like I haven’t seen it before! Not only have I seen it, but I’ve touched it too!”
As she spoke, Yin leaned back, resting her head on Bai Zhiqiu’s lap through the blanket.
Confronted with Yin’s shamelessness, Bai Zhiqiu wisely chose to avoid a direct confrontation.
“I’m not messing around with you anymore! I’m going to find Bai Yue!”
With that, Bai Zhiqiu gently moved Yin’s small head from his lap.
“You go ahead! I’ll just play on the phone a little longer!”
“Here, you can keep playing.”
“Really? Thank you so much, Bai Zhiqiu! You’re so kind! My efforts to protect you weren’t in vain!”
“Sigh!” Hearing Yin’s words, Bai Zhiqiu shook his head helplessly. ‘How did I end up with such a little rascal?’
A moment after Bai Zhiqiu stepped out, the phone suddenly chimed.
An application with a penguin icon appeared before Yin’s eyes.
“Huh? What’s this?”
Driven by curiosity, Yin opened the penguin app.
“What did you say? Brother only became like that because he went to help you deal with a demonic beast? Are you kidding me?! He’s just a normal person!”
From a distance, Bai Zhiqiu heard Bai Yue’s voice, and a dreadful premonition immediately began to brew within him.
“Bai Yue! Calm down! We truly owe Zhiqiu for this…”
“So, Sister Qingzhu, you *do* know you’ve wronged my brother! I’d like to ask you, Sister Qingzhu! Sending my brother to such a dangerous place, did you ever consider his safety?”
“And Chief Jasmine! With so many Magical Girls, couldn’t you protect my brother’s safety? How could you let an ordinary person take a direct blow from a demonic beast? Furthermore, if you truly needed extra help, why did it have to be my brother? He’s just a regular high school student!”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner!”
Tears streamed down Bai Yue’s face. Just a few days ago, Yan Qingzhu had called her, saying Bai Zhiqiu would be staying at her place for a while. For days, Bai Yue had called and messaged him without a reply, until today, when she finally learned the truth: her brother was injured! These past few days hadn’t been a temporary stay, but a period of recovery!
In the waiting room at the end of the hospital corridor, facing Bai Yue’s furious interrogation, Yan Qingzhu and Jasmine were as silent as cicadas in winter. Though they felt wronged themselves, to keep Bai Zhiqiu’s identity a secret, they had been forced to fabricate a story: that Bai Zhiqiu had been entrusted by the Magical Girls to assist in preparations for a demonic beast hunt.
And not telling Bai Yue, trying instead to stall her, had indeed been a lapse in judgment on their part.
“It’s alright, Bai Yue! I’m fine!”
The waiting room door opened, and Bai Zhiqiu stepped inside. Due to his extreme exhaustion, his steps were small and deliberate.
The moment they heard Bai Zhiqiu’s voice, all three occupants of the waiting room stood up. Bai Yue, in particular, immediately rushed into his embrace.
“Wuwuwu! Brother! I was so worried about you after I found out you were hurt! And… Brother, why has your hair turned like this? Is it because of the demonic beast too? Is everything alright?”
Gazing at Bai Zhiqiu’s hair, Bai Yue tenderly cupped his face, her heart aching.
“Don’t worry, Bai Yue! I’m fine! Even if it happened again, it would be nothing!”
“What are you saying? ‘Again’?” Hearing Bai Zhiqiu’s words, Bai Yue immediately grew upset.
“Alright, alright! I promise there won’t be a next time! I swear!” As he spoke, Bai Zhiqiu hastily raised his right hand, making a solemn oath.
“Who asked you to swear?”
With that, Bai Yue gently pushed his hand back down.
“Brother! Let’s go home!”
“Let’s have lunch together before we leave! I also have a few things I need to discuss with Qingzhu. Would you mind waiting outside for me, Bai Yue?”
“What can’t you talk about now?”
“Please listen, Bai Yue, it won’t take long!”
“Fine! But be quick!”
Ultimately, Bai Yue relented, but before leaving, she gave Yan Qingzhu a meaningful look, pointing to her own eyes with her right index and middle fingers. The message was clear: she would be watching Yan Qingzhu closely!
Witnessing Bai Yue’s warning gesture, Yan Qingzhu felt a wave of despair, almost to the point of tears.
‘It seems Bai Yue has come to dislike me…’