(1)
On a Saturday morning, the small cargo ship carrying supplies slowly departed from the island’s harbor.
The sunlight gradually brightened the deck, making the scratches left from hauling the cargo even more visible.
Somewhat dejected, Anjing leaned quietly against the railing, letting the breeze lift her bangs.
Suddenly, she realized she couldn’t hear a single sound—
She hadn’t worried at all about this back at the research institute…
When she left, she had asked Dr. Ye, who said there was a high chance her hearing would recover, but there was still a possibility… that she might be like this for the rest of her life.
A world without sound, a world of complete silence.
Anjing glanced at the bracelet on her left wrist and tried to lift the corner of her mouth into a smile, but in the end, she couldn’t force one out.
Days passed, but there was no sign of her hearing improving, and with that, hope drifted ever further away.
No matter how optimistic someone is, they need to see some light to keep moving forward.
Optimistic people simply need less light than others.
But if that light of hope keeps dimming until it’s barely visible, even the most optimistic will start to feel pessimistic.
Thankfully, it’s only been a few days, so Anjing hasn’t become truly gloomy—just a little wistful.
Besides, how could she attend school when she couldn’t hear anything?
“Before your hearing recovers, do you want to study at home?”
Yu Minghui gently handed over a writing board.
Anjing puffed out her cheeks and shook her head quickly.
Even if she couldn’t hear, she wanted to go to school.
There were her friends, the daily routines she was used to, and a sense of belonging as a student.
Not going back to school would make her feel like the world had forgotten her—a torment more painful than losing her hearing.
Something she absolutely couldn’t bear.
Anjing, who never liked being quiet, needed the warmth of her friends all the more.
Maybe Anjing herself wasn’t really that strong after all…
***
(2)
Today was calm and peaceful.
There were barely any ships docked at the pier; most had already set sail.
Standing again on solid ground, Anjing felt as if she had just woken from a dream.
Just after stepping off the ship, before she could get her bearings, a gust of wind blew against her face.
Then, a soft body leapt onto her, rubbing its furry head vigorously against her cheek.
Anjing sneezed loudly and nearly lost her balance, almost falling to the ground.
Fortunately, someone caught her.
The smile on their face carried a hint of teasing as they opened their mouth to say something.
It was Yu Mingfei and Zhu Ying who had come to pick her up.
Looking again, Zhou Chao and Wang Xinru were standing behind them.
The two shared a smile and then simultaneously turned to look at Anjing.
Zhu Ying hugged Anjing tightly, as if afraid she would vanish like foam, unwilling to let go.
Their chests pressed close, radiating a warmth that could almost ignite the air.
Anjing sighed helplessly, pointed at her ears, and shook her head softly.
Zhu Ying opened her mouth, her joyful expression turning sorrowful, but Anjing responded with a big smile, as if to reassure her.
Behind them, Zhou Chao raised a foam board decorated with colorful ribbons, on which were written the four characters “Welcome Back.”
Zhu Ying naturally stepped beside her, clasping Anjing’s hand tightly.
Anjing waved her other arm energetically.
Zhou Chao laughed heartily and waved the foam board in return, while Wang Xinru stood with her hands crossed behind her back, smiling shyly.
A world without sound seemed to heighten Anjing’s awareness of details she normally missed.
She even felt everyone’s faces appeared clearer than before.
In just one short week, so much had happened.
Now, it seemed they could finally return to a normal life.
Though she didn’t know what changes the future might hold, at the very least, she needed to enjoy the present.
Anjing squeezed Zhu Ying’s hand, ran up to Zhou Chao, laughed loudly, and playfully punched his shoulder before waving to Wang Xinru.
Yu Minghui handed over the writing board again, but Anjing gently pushed it aside.
Even if it was just for a moment of stubbornness, she didn’t want to communicate through writing.
Since she couldn’t speak, she would express herself through body language instead.
This way of communicating seemed rather fun.
Thinking this, she suddenly made a drinking gesture toward Zhou Chao, then clasped her hands together and tapped them.
He looked confused at first, then suddenly understood and pulled her into a big bear hug, leaning back and laughing heartily.
Yu Minghui gently pushed Anjing toward the parked car, signaling it was time to go.
Leaving the pier, she was heading home now—of course, everyone was coming with her.
***
(3)
There were many interesting things in a world without sound—watching others move their mouths and guessing what they were saying was the most fun thing on the whole trip for Anjing.
The way home felt especially short today, and just as she was still wanting more, the car stopped beside the apartment.
In this small city in 2010, cars weren’t yet very common.
Near apartments like this, there were plenty of parking spaces.
Zhu Ying was the first to get out of the car, then she yanked Anjing out from the back seat.
Anjing stumbled into her arms, and Zhu Ying’s face wore a triumphant, mischievous smile.
Though she couldn’t hear, Anjing could sense the others were probably laughing along.
She placed her hands on her hips in mock annoyance and glared at Zhu Ying, but in response, Zhu Ying’s eyes widened even more.
Well, in this battle, it seemed she was no match for Zhu Ying…
Stepping on the rusty outdoor stairs, phantom sounds of “ta-da-ta-da” echoed in her mind—habits so ingrained that even without hearing, her brain filled in the sounds.
It was as if she could still hear the street vendors calling out to sell rat poison and collect old cardboard.
A world without sound was still vibrant and colorful.
After losing her hearing, Anjing felt as if every color in the world had found its own voice.
It was an experience she had never had before.
When the door opened, everyone squeezed inside together, with Anjing rushing in first.
She deftly kicked off her shoes, slipped into her usual slippers, and eagerly dashed into her room.
The posters on the walls felt especially familiar.
A transparent vase held a fresh sunflower, basking in the bright morning light.
Anjing threw back the neatly made quilt and plopped down in front of her computer desk.
Before the computer even powered up, Zhu Ying squeezed in beside her.
Looking back, she saw Zhou Chao lounging lazily on the bed by the door, while Wang Xinru looked around curiously.
It was the first time Wang Xinru had visited the apartment where Anjing and her sisters lived.
Unable to hear what everyone was saying, Anjing focused on tidying the keyboard and mouse, then stared at the screen until it finally reached the desktop.
She immediately opened QQ and then noticed a folder right in the center of the screen.
The five characters “Surprise Gift Package” caught her eye.
Just as curiosity began to stir, she instinctively double-clicked to open the folder.
Inside were countless photos of Zhu Ying—
And all of them were ones Anjing hadn’t seen before.
There were cute ones, goofy ones, clear-headed ones, and even… sexy ones.
To adults, a child’s figure might not be sexy at all, but as a middle schooler, Anjing’s heart skipped a beat.
Panicking, she quickly turned her head and caught Zhu Ying’s mischievous grin.
Catching Anjing’s gaze, Zhu Ying playfully winked.
When did she go through her computer?
Had she seen those embarrassing files?
On her E drive, there was a huge stash of extremely explicit pictures—some anime, some real-life, and even novels.
All of these were saved before, some sent over by that guy Sun Wei.
Titles like “1oli vs. Monster Uncle,” “White Tiger Girl’s First Experience”…
Though desire is natural, having all this exposed to others was enough to make Anjing wish she could disappear into a hole.
Just then, Zhou Chao’s large hand pressed down on Anjing’s head.
When she looked up, he was pointing at a picture on the screen, chuckling.
That wasn’t a photo of Zhu Ying.
It was a photo of Anjing herself.
In the picture, Anjing was obviously unaware she had been caught on camera. Her eyes looked a bit vacant, with a touch of silliness.
Wang Xinru leaned in curiously, chatting with Zhu Ying and nodding.
That was Anjing before she had fully transformed into a girl.
Though her features were delicate, she still looked very much like a boy—arguably even more handsome than Zhou Chao.
Seeing that photo, Anjing couldn’t help but feel nostalgic—
At that time, she thought she would always remain handsome like that, attracting many girls’ attention, and maybe even become the school beauty’s boyfriend…
But she never expected it to be such a brief phase.
Not long after, she completely became a girl.
If only she could have stayed that handsome boy, she would have been willing to grow a few centimeters shorter!
Unfortunately… wishes made on meteors seemed irreversible.
Anjing sighed softly.
Zhu Ying smiled and pressed her cheek against hers, covering Anjing’s hand with her own as she took control of the mouse and scrolled through several more photos.
Each photo showed a clear change in Anjing—her face becoming rounder, her height shorter, her eyes bigger, and her shoulders narrower…
But thanks to the cognitive modification ability, almost no one noticed.
Suddenly, Zhou Chao pointed at the screen and said something with a laugh.
Zhu Ying chuckled proudly, but Wang Xinru shook her head slightly, looking a bit disappointed and pouting.
Then, the photos flipped to the very last one.
It was a summer photo taken from a low angle.
In the photo, Zhu Ying wore a short-sleeved top, its hem lifted slightly by the breeze, revealing her cute belly button and a small bit of her tummy—and, of course…
Before Anjing could see more, Zhu Ying, her face flushed red, covered the screen with her hand, quickly closing the image and shooting her a fierce glare.
Anjing quickly turned to Zhou Chao, but that guy seemed to have precognition, already standing by the apartment window, pretending to watch the street outside!
Zhu Ying viciously tackled Anjing onto the bed, covering her eyes with one hand, then reopened the screen and hastily deleted that accidentally slipped-into-the-“Surprise Gift Package” photo.
Honestly, this “Surprise Gift Package” was so full of surprises, it even surprised Zhu Ying herself…