Mental and Physical Torture

For Bai Lan, the past six months had felt more like five or six years. Her body had undergone the changes of several years in a mere half-year, transforming from a young girl into a grown woman—an experience she could never have imagined in her past life.

“Sigh!” A long, heavy sigh escaped from within Bai Lan’s residence, a sound laden with a multitude of complex emotions.

Inside, a woman with a slender figure and a frosty temperament sat before the window. She appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen, yet her entire being radiated a maturity far beyond her years.

She sat there with her long hair unbound, sighing with a forlorn expression, as if someone owed her a great deal of money. This icy beauty, blessed with both an exquisite figure and a striking face, was none other than the Bai Lan of six months later.

“Yun Yao, isn’t there anything you can do to get rid of this… this thing on my chest?” Bai Lan lamented, gazing out the window at the ocean and sky. “Why does it keep getting bigger? I’ve had enough. I can barely bring myself to go out and see people anymore.”

In just half a year, Bai Lan had become almost completely unrecognizable—at least on the outside. It was true that a girl’s appearance could change dramatically by the age of eighteen, but this transformation was so drastic that she no longer recognized herself.

If the Bai Lan who had just awakened six months ago still retained a trace of boyishness, the person she was now might as well have been a complete stranger, both in appearance and demeanor.

She had watched with her own eyes as her body mutated day by day. From a male perspective, the development of a female body was indeed a form of mutation. After all, men experienced few significant physical changes from childhood to adulthood.

But women were different. She had watched her chest grow larger and her waist narrower with each passing day. It was a bizarre experience for a man accustomed to the flat, inverted triangle of a male physique. To suddenly be thrust into the S-shaped, hourglass figure of a woman was a profoundly alien sensation.

Crucially, time had not given her a chance to grow accustomed to this strange new body. Instead, it had subjected her to a sudden growth spurt. It would have been strange if she wasn’t uncomfortable; she wasn’t a pervert, after all.

The most significant factor was that Bai Lan’s previous life was in a much more open era. She had seen far too much online, which made her instinctively resistant to her own figure.

“I can do nothing about that,” Yun Yao replied. “In truth, what is the difference between men and women? They are all human. What is there that you cannot adapt to?”

Bai Lan let out another heavy sigh. As expected, trying to explain the distinction between sexes to a consciousness devoid of human emotion was like playing a lute to a cow—utterly pointless.

It wasn’t that Bai Lan’s thoughts were wicked. But in her past life, she had been a perfectly normal, virile young man. To suddenly be given such an alluring body… what was she supposed to feel? Her mind would inevitably wander, drifting into distracting, inappropriate thoughts.

And when her male mind strayed to such things, this mature female body would have some very strange physiological reactions.

This was the primary source of Bai Lan’s frustration. Of course, there was another significant reason: Xue Linglong.

Li Yunxi was less of an issue. She had always been a few years older than them, so even though she had also fully matured, she didn’t particularly capture Bai Lan’s attention.

But Xue Linglong… she was a different story entirely.

And just then, speak of the devil, she appeared.

“Sister Bai Lan, are you home?” a bright, gentle voice called out, laced with an understanding warmth. “Don’t stay cooped up in your room. Come out for a walk. You haven’t left the house in days. We don’t have to go where it’s crowded, we can just stroll along the beach.”

At the sound of the voice, Bai Lan slowly stood up and opened the door, her eyes falling on the smiling girl standing on her doorstep.

Her expression was complicated as she looked at her.

She was a girl of celestial beauty, possessing a completely different aura from Bai Lan. Though both were top-tier beauties, Bai Lan’s air was more akin to Bai Yiren’s, while the girl before her leaned toward Qiu Hanyun’s temperament—gentle as water, yet even more radiant. She was like a snow lotus rooted on a mountain peak, sparkling under the sun’s rays.

Her very presence was endearing, drawing people in. She was likely the dream girl of most men. Her proportions weren’t the mature type like Bai Lan’s; she was a vibrant and graceful young maiden, whereas Bai Lan herself was more of a sophisticated, older-sister type.

Of course, to each their own. Some preferred the smaller, loli type, others the pure and youthful maiden. Most mature men, however, would likely prefer Bai Lan’s type.

Indeed, this vibrant young woman, with her gentle and spirited aura, was the Xue Linglong of six months later. Her transformation had been staggering, each day bringing a new change. She had gone from a naive, unappealing little girl to an ethereal fairy whose sight now left Bai Lan breathless. The change was almost uncanny.

Six months ago, Bai Lan had absolutely no interest in a little girl like Xue Linglong. At most, she found her personality pleasant, but she certainly felt no masculine desire for her.

But the Xue Linglong before her now was a mature young woman. At seventeen or eighteen, she gave off an entirely different feeling.

“Go out? Me?” Bai Lan glanced down at herself. One of her hands had not left her chest, subconsciously trying to cover it. That part of her filled her with an intense sense of shame.

Xue Linglong observed Bai Lan’s timid posture. The sister she had known for half a year had changed so much. At first, she had found Bai Lan rather cheerful, especially when they first met. She had seemed more like a big brother than a typical girl.

But over the past six months, she had grown quiet, her smiles had vanished, and she rarely left her room. She no longer went on missions with them or interacted with anyone else, as if she had walled herself off from the world.

Xue Linglong had discovered some of her own abilities during this time. She could perceive the thoughts of others, yet she could never read Bai Lan’s mind. She could, however, sense that she seemed deeply agitated, depressed, and unhappy.

“Oh, sister, don’t overthink it. There’s no one else around. Let’s go,” Xue Linglong said, giving Bai Lan no chance to refuse.

She reached out, grabbed her hand, and pulled her out the door.

“Eh?” Bai Lan was helpless. She had spent a lot of time with Xue Linglong, but now, whenever she touched her, she felt powerless to resist. The truth was, her instincts didn’t want to resist. Otherwise, with her skills, shaking her off would have been effortless.

Xue Linglong led her to the shore. Bai Lan felt like a bashful maiden, a fact made obvious by her awkward expression.

She couldn’t be blamed. Xue Linglong had blossomed into the perfect image of her dream girl. If one were to compare her to Yun Yao, they would find a similar temperament, but Xue Linglong’s beauty surpassed Yun Yao’s several times over.

Yun Yao had been modeled after the goddess from Bai Lan’s secret crush in her past life. With a girl like this suddenly by her side, how could she possibly bear it?

It was about five in the afternoon, the hour just before dusk, and the scenery outside was breathtaking.