Chapter 11: Slow as the Years

Yang Shuli hadn’t always been the airheaded type she appeared to be.

It was just that her roommates were all particularly sharp.

So most of the time, when she had access to these “external brains,” she chose to put her own on standby.

But now, clearly, it was time for her to use her brain.

The sunny and cheerful boy had brought her to a buffet.

So far, there didn’t seem to be any suspicious intentions.

“This place just opened a few days ago. Let’s see if it’s any good.”

As he spoke, the table in front of Yang Shuli was already piled high with various delicious dishes the boy had fetched for her.

“Go ahead, eat.”

Seeing that she still wasn’t making a move, he asked again, “Old Yang, what’s wrong? Not your taste?”

Yang Shuli paused and looked straight into his eyes—eyes pure and undisturbed.

“Aren’t you curious… why I look like this now?”

Yang Shuli understood that ever since her transformation, the people around her fell into two categories:

those who remembered she used to be male, and those whom that trainee goddess had implanted with fake memories.

In her mind, someone who could call her out to eat like nothing had changed, someone who behaved in the same familiar way as before—this had to be someone who remembered who she used to be.

“What do you mean, ‘look like this now’?” the boy tilted his head.

“Haven’t you always looked like this?”

“What…?”

“Did you get carbon monoxide poisoning or something? But you haven’t even eaten much yet.”

He continued casually, “Do you still remember who I am?”

“Old Xu.”

Truthfully, Yang Shuli only remembered his surname.

Maybe she’d heard his full name more than once, but that wasn’t important for a guy friendship.

All she needed to know was that she could call him “Old Xu.”

“Then stop thinking weird stuff. If we’re out eating, we’re just here to eat. The most serious topic we’ll ever tackle is international politics—philosophy’s still out of our league for now.”

The boy known as Old Xu smiled as he pushed a plate of grilled squid in front of her.

“Mm…” Yang Shuli lowered her head slightly.

Old Xu—the person assigned to her as her romance mission target.

But the other party didn’t even remember her.

Well, whatever.

They were just a pair of food buddies who ate together every day.

If he didn’t remember, then he didn’t remember.

He was just one of the few friends she had besides her roommates—a girl with no parents and no one else.

If he didn’t remember, then so be it.

It’s fine…

For some reason, it still made her a little sad.

The last time she felt like this was when she waited half the day for an ice cream cone, only to have it knocked to the ground.

But she was a man.

These things were just fleeting moments, nothing worth remembering.

That’s how it should be.

“Here.”

A napkin was handed to Yang Shuli.

“What for?”

“I thought you were about to get a runny nose. Was the food too spicy?”

Yang Shuli took the napkin and gave a loud blow into it.

Then, quite naturally, she tossed it into the trash can the boy had nudged over with his foot.

“You eat too. Why are you just staring at me?”

She finally started shoveling food into her mouth again—this felt more like their usual dynamic.

“You’re treating this time, so I’ll get the next one.”

Between men, treating each other to meals wasn’t about value or formality.

Whether it was a fancy hotel or a cheap diner, a meal was a meal.

Once she realized that the boy across from her didn’t remember her previous male self, Yang Shuli actually felt more relaxed.

At least she wouldn’t have to deal with the awkward and inexplicable parts—like why she had turned out like this.

On the other hand, she had seen it herself—how Zhu Niao got harassed by a guy outside the bubble tea shop.

But she didn’t believe that someone who had eaten with her so many times could be that type of guy, someone who would act on impulse just because a pretty girl was in front of him.

They had eaten together for so long—she’d even talked to him about romantic stuff.

She knew this guy was just like her: single to this day.

Ah, forget it.

She’d just treat this like continuing to spend time with her food buddy from another world—separated only by a blank space in memory, one that had been inserted by that trainee goddess.

*****

“Wait a sec, what are those two doing?”

Liu Xie held her hands up like binoculars, staring hard at the two sitting at the table in the distance.

“I saw that guy hand a tissue to the dorm leader—did he say something so touching it made her tear up?”

Ye Qingchang also stared with unwavering intensity.

“If it were a normal girl, I might praise the guy for having some game. But the person in front of him is our dorm leader,” Liu Xie waved her hand.

“I’d rather believe she just got onion in her eyes.”

“And I don’t think anyone who’s truly trying to impress a girl would bring her to a buffet,” the blonde added.

“They seem to be starting to eat now.”

“No worries, we’ve already started on our end,” Liu Xie pointed behind her, where Gou Yu and Zhu Niao were aggressively tearing through the seafood, trying to get their money’s worth.

“No, that’s not what I mean.” Ye Qingchang frowned.

“Are those two seriously just eating?”

“I think that’s totally normal. When I was a kid, I used to get smacked by my mom for talking while eating because I always ended up spitting food everywhere.”

“That’s just your personal issue.”

Liu Xie gave one last glance at the other table before retreating back to her seat.

“Even if that guy has something to say, do you really think our dorm leader’s eyes have room for anything besides her desire for food?”

So Ye Qingchang also pulled back and started eating lunch.

“Old Dog, hurry up and eat more.”

As usual, Zhu Niao dumped the food she couldn’t finish onto Gou Yu’s plate.

Gou Yu, also quite used to this routine, picked it up and shoved it in his mouth.

But just as he took a bite, the two of them noticed the strange looks from Ye Qingchang and Liu Xie across the table.

So the squid tentacle just hung from Gou Yu’s mouth—awkward to swallow, but even more awkward to spit out.

Then Liu Xie and Ye Qingchang, in perfect sync, turned back toward Yang Shuli’s table.

“I suddenly feel like the dorm leader’s situation is still the most important one.”

“Why are you looking at me? Eat! If you’re not gonna eat enough to make it worth it, why are you even at a buffet?”

Zhu Niao seemed completely unaware that anything was off.

Gou Yu hesitated for a moment, then decided to spit out the squid in his mouth.

“What are you doing? That’s food waste!” Zhu Niao immediately scolded him.

“Uh… I’m grossed out by you.”

Zhu Niao froze, then stuffed the half-eaten onion ring from her plate into Gou Yu’s mouth.

“Your dad hasn’t even said he’s grossed out by you, and now you’re getting picky?”

“Mmmpgh!”

Ye Qingchang tried her best to ignore the racket caused by the “little bird” and her “dog” behind her.

She kept her eyes fixed on the dorm leader at the nearby table.

“What’s wrong? Can’t eat anymore?”

The concerned voice came from the boy.

“That’s not right…” Yang Shuli held her stomach, falling into deep self-doubt.

“If you’re full, then stop eating. Don’t overdo it and hurt your stomach.”

“Old Xu, I barely ate anything at a buffet, and I even got some carbs. You’re not gonna blame me, are you?”

“I came out to eat because I wanted to eat with you, not because you eat a lot. I hope you understand that.”

The boy, called Xu Nian, placed a probiotic drink in front of Yang Shuli.

“Also, my name’s Xu Nian. I’m a few months younger than you, so I should be calling you Old Yang.”

“If you’re full, don’t force yourself. Walk around a bit, let it digest, then we’ll go grab some milk tea. I’ve already ordered it.”

As he finished saying that, Xu Nian raised a hand as if to pat Yang Shuli on the head—but stopped halfway and pulled it back.