Jiangcheng’s July nights were scorching hot.
On the single bed in the rental apartment, Mu Yan lowered her eyes and stared at her own fair, tender little hands.
Expressionlessly, she raised a hand and pinched her thigh hard.
No feeling.
She pinched harder.
Still not a damn thing.
“……”
Wearing a doll-like face that remained utterly calm, her inner world had already exploded.
What the hell is this!!!
This Grim Reaper’s professional skills must be in the negatives! He can even hook the wrong soul! Are his eyes growing on his heels or what!!
She took a deep breath—of course, it was just muscle memory.
This doll body didn’t even have lungs; it didn’t need to breathe at all.
The story had to go back three days.
Mu Yan, male, twenty-one years old, a junior at Jiangcheng University.
He’d gone back to his old nest to lie flat during summer break, only to wake up standing in a vast, white, empty space.
Opposite him stood a standard-issue Grim Reaper carrying a scythe and wearing a black robe.
“Uh… that, Mr. Mu Yan, right?” The Grim Reaper scratched the back of his head, looking guilty. “There’s something I need to tell you… well, I accidentally hooked the wrong soul.”
Mu Yan: “…Huh?”
“I know this is ridiculous to the extreme!”
The Reaper hurriedly waved his hands.
“Mainly because your name and the real target’s only differ by one character! He’s called Mu Yan, you’re called Mu Yan, my hand slipped and…”
Seeing Mu Yan’s expression growing darker, the Reaper shrank back and quickly added, “But! I can compensate! Resurrection is out of the question, your original body has already… um… been processed. But I can mold you a new body! Made of a doll, appearance exactly like a normal person!”
“Then why doesn’t my face have expressions?”
“Uh… it’s a doll, forgot to install the expression module.”
“Why is my body ice-cold?”
“It’s a doll, skipped the body temperature function.”
“Why is my strength so weak? I almost couldn’t hold a cup just now?”
“…It’s a doll, strength value was set a bit low! But it’s absolutely enough for daily use! Really! I swear!”
After the three questions in a row, the Reaper’s voice grew smaller and smaller, like squeezing toothpaste.
Mu Yan stared at him expressionlessly, staring until the other party felt his hair stand on end.
“There’s one more thing…”
The Reaper steeled himself and dropped another piece of bad news.
“You probably won’t be able to live your old life when you go back. The flow of time on both sides is different. Almost a week has passed in the human world, your family… they probably already…”
Before he finished speaking, a white light flashed before Mu Yan’s eyes, and she was directly teleported away.
When she opened her eyes again, she was already standing at the exit of Jiangcheng Railway Station.
She was wearing an oversized white T-shirt and black shorts, with an ID card and a rental apartment key in her pocket.
The ID card had her face printed on it, name written as Mu Yan, gender female, age eighteen.
It took her a whole day to barely accept reality, and she found her way back to her original home based on memory.
Standing under the apartment building, she looked up and saw the white funeral couplets pasted on the fourth-floor window.
Her legs went weak, and she almost sat right down on the ground.
Aunt Chen from the convenience store downstairs looked up and saw her, greeting enthusiastically, “Little girl, looking for someone?”
Mu Yan opened her mouth, her voice as flat as still water.
“Excuse me, the family on the fourth floor…”
“Oh, you don’t know? Their son had an accident and passed away. They just finished the funeral the day before yesterday. White-haired sending off the black-haired, what a tragedy…”
She didn’t really hear the rest of the words; her head was buzzing.
She wandered around in a daze for a long time, and finally still returned to this rental apartment.
She’d rented it before summer break to prepare for the postgraduate entrance exam, with two months left on the lease.
Now it had become her only place to stay.
She sat on the bed for an entire day, her mind a complete mess.
At this moment, she stood in front of the rental apartment’s mirror, raised her hand and tugged at her own face.
The little girl in the mirror had a round face and big eyes, soft black short hair, height only 155 cm, cute like a doll displayed in a shop window.
Her face was pulled out of shape, yet she herself felt not the slightest sensation.
She let go, turned, and walked to the window.
Outside, the cicadas were so loud they shook the heavens.
The cumin and chili scent from the barbecue stall downstairs drifted up with the wind.
In the past she would have been drooling with craving, but now she couldn’t taste any flavor at all.
Even the stomach is gone, what’s there to talk about eating.
Need to replan life.
The original identity was completely gone.
The funeral had already been held.
She couldn’t just rush home and say “Mom and Dad I’m not dead, I just switched bodies.”
Never mind whether it would scare the old folks into something bad, who would believe something like coming back from the dead.
Moreover, with her current appearance, a 155 cm soft and cute girl, she had not the slightest connection to the previous 178 cm male university student.
The only breakthrough was her little sister Mu Siyi.
Mu Siyi, sixteen years old, a first-year high school student.
If Mu Yan’s life was a bland slice-of-life anime, then his little sister was About My Little Sister Who Looks Sweet and Cute But Is Completely Black Inside.
This little sister had never gotten along with him since childhood.
Outwardly she always wore a sweet smiling face, praised by everyone, but only toward this older brother of hers, she always wore an expression of “This waste is actually my brother, so embarrassing.”
During winter break of freshman year, Mu Siyi opened the door and saw him, scanned him from head to toe, and said with a smiling face, “Ge, did you only eat and not study in university? How come you look even dumber than during the college entrance exam.”
Mu Yan: “…I just got home, can’t you say something nice?”
“I’m already being very polite,” Mu Siyi blinked. “Otherwise I should ask how you haven’t been expelled yet.”
Mu Yan: ???
What was infuriating was that this girl was the standard other people’s child outside: top ten in her grade, pretty, good personality, and vice president of the student council.
Teachers and classmates all liked her.
Only he knew that this little sister’s poisonous tongue at home could choke people until they couldn’t speak for half a day.
But now, Mu Siyi was his only hope.
The little sister lived with Mom and Dad, so he could learn about the family’s situation through her.
Even if she didn’t recognize him, at least she could…
Dong dong dong.
The knocking suddenly rang out, interrupting her thoughts.
Mu Yan froze, looking toward that thin wooden door.
This late, who is it?
“Is anyone there?” A soft, fluffy girl’s voice came from outside.
“Excuse me… is this the house Mu Yan rented before?”
Mu Yan’s whole body stiffened.
This voice…
I’d recognize it even if it turned to ash!!!
Mu Siyi?!
Her brain immediately crashed for three seconds, then started running wildly.
How did she find this place?
No, what is she here for?
What’s my identity now?
What should I say?
The knocking sounded twice more, carrying a hint of laughter.
“Hello? If no one’s there I might just come in myself, okay?”
Mu Yan walked to the door and opened it.
Standing outside was indeed Mu Siyi.
The sixteen-year-old girl wore a light blue dress, hair in a high ponytail, features exquisite as if she had walked out of a painting, corners of her mouth hanging that signature, harmless standard smile.
She carried a document bag in her hand.
Seeing that the one who opened the door was a strange cute little girl, she clearly paused.
“Ah, hello.”
Mu Siyi tilted her head, smile polite and sweet. “May I ask who you are?”
Mu Yan looked at her own little sister expressionlessly, opened her mouth, voice as flat as reading a product manual.
“I’m Mu Yan’s friend.”
This statement should be fine!
“Friend?”
Mu Siyi blinked, her gaze quickly scanning her from head to toe—from the soft round face, to the oversized white T-shirt, to the bare little legs, finally stopping on the pair of obviously men’s large slippers on her feet.
“…Friend?”
She repeated it again, the ending tone slightly rising, expression becoming a bit subtle.
Mu Yan’s inner alarm bells blared.
This tone! This smile! This look! What’s this girl plotting again!!
“Jiejie~”
Mu Siyi smiled and stepped half a step closer.
She was now half a head taller than Mu Yan, slightly lowering her head, gaze falling on the other’s face.
“This shirt on you looks so familiar. It seems… it’s the T-shirt my ge used to wear often, right?”
Mu Yan’s doll face remained completely still, her inner world already turning over like rivers and seas.
It’s over it’s over it’s over! How did I forget this!
This shirt was left here before! I just grabbed it to wear!
Mu Siyi, does your memory have to be this good! You usually can’t even remember where you put your homework, but a 20-yuan stall T-shirt you recognize at a glance?!
“He left it for me.”
She said through gritted teeth.
“Oh~ left it for you.” Mu Siyi dragged out the tone, smiling even sweeter.
“My ge is quite thoughtful, even leaving clothes for his girlfriend to wear.”
Why did she emphasize the three words ‘girlfriend’ so heavily!
What weird things is she thinking in her head!
“Not girlfriend.”
Mu Yan corrected expressionlessly.
“Mm-mm, not girlfriend.”
Mu Siyi nodded especially obediently, her face clearly writing “As if I believe that.”
“Then what’s Jiejie’s name?”
“Mu Yan.”
The air went quiet for a second.
The smile on Mu Siyi’s face froze.
“…Mu Yan?” She repeated, brows slightly furrowed.
“Same name as my ge?”
Mu Yan’s inner world was already a pile of ruins.
You pitiful Grim Reaper!!!
Couldn’t you change the name when making the ID card! Mu Yan would have been fine too!
No wait… the pronunciation is still the same!!
“Just the same pronunciation.”
She maintained her poker face with all her might.
“I’m the Yan of color, he’s…”
She suddenly stalled.
Nonsense, she herself was the Yan of color.
Mu Siyi quietly watched her, the corners of her mouth slowly curling up again.
That smile made the back of Mu Yan’s neck go cold.
“What a coincidence,” Mu Siyi said slowly.
“My ge is also called Mu Yan, the Yan of color. Jiejie, what do you think the probability of this is?”
About the same as the probability of me getting my soul hooked by the wrong Reaper.
Oh wait, that already happened.
Mu Siyi smiled even happier, hugging the document bag and tilting her head, staring at Mu Yan’s expressionless face for a long time.
She couldn’t see anything, but she seemed even more interested.
“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore.”
She put away some of her smile, becoming a bit more serious.
“Actually I came today to pack up my ge’s things and take them back. The lease on this house hasn’t expired yet. My parents… well, it’s inconvenient for them to come, so they had me make the trip.”
Mu Yan was silent for two seconds, then stepped aside from the doorway.
“Come in.”
Mu Siyi walked into the rental apartment, her gaze sweeping around the cramped room: single bed, old desk, simple wardrobe, a few postgraduate exam materials piled in the corner.
She stood in the middle of the room, looked around, and suddenly let out a light laugh.
“So shabby.”
Mu Yan: “…”
Hey! Your ge just left a few days ago and you’re already roasting the place I live, isn’t that a bit much?
Mu Siyi squatted down, flipping through the things on the desk, muttering as she flipped, “These books he probably never even looked at, bought them just for show. This English vocabulary book, he didn’t even finish memorizing ‘abandon’ on the first page, so typical of my ge.”
Mu Yan stood behind her, watching expressionlessly as her little sister dug up her dark history one by one.
Why do you even remember this!
I myself forgot I still had this vocabulary book!
As she flipped, Mu Siyi pulled a notebook from the pile of books and casually opened it.
Mu Yan’s heart suddenly tightened—that was her diary!
Although she hadn’t written many pages, the contents were all roasting her little sister.
“So annoying, Mu Siyi snatched my phone again.”
“Got mocked by little sister for the third time today, already used to it.”
“Mu Siyi smiles at everyone, but is harsh to her own ge, double-standard dog.”
It’s over.
Mu Siyi stared at those few lines, silent for five seconds.
Mu Yan stood in place, already prepared to snatch the door and run the next second.
Then Mu Siyi laughed.
“This idiot.” She said softly, voice low as if talking to herself. “Even writing a diary he’s roasting me.”
She closed the diary and casually put it into the document bag, not looking at it a second time.
Turning around, she put on that sweet standard smile again. “Jiejie, did my ge ever mention me to you before he passed?”
“He did.” Mu Yan answered calmly.
“Oh? What did he say about me?”
“He said you’re black-bellied.”
Mu Siyi paused, then laughed out loud.
“He actually roasted his own little sister to his girlfriend, looks like you two had a really good relationship.”
“Not girlfriend.”
Mu Yan corrected for the third time.
“Okay okay, not girlfriend.”
Mu Siyi waved her hand, suddenly leaning closer, noses almost touching.
“Then Jiejie, what exactly is your relationship with my ge? Why did he have your contact information, but I’ve never seen you?”
Mu Yan looked at her little sister’s sparkling eyes, inner barrage already filling the entire wall.
Because your ge is standing right in front of you!
Even if I said it you wouldn’t believe it! If I said it wouldn’t you treat me like a psycho?!
“Just friends.” She said without changing expression.
Mu Siyi stared at her for three seconds, straightened up, smile undiminished.
“Alright, friends. Then friend Jiejie, can you help me pack together? I can’t carry this much by myself.”
“…Okay.”
So the two of them started packing things.
Mu Siyi’s main style was packing while roasting:
“This Advanced Mathematics is like new, my ge definitely didn’t flip a single page.”
“Wow, there are even his high school photos, so ugly.”
Mu Yan listened expressionlessly, her hands growing stiffer and stiffer.
Mu Siyi, are you here to pack relics or to hold a roasting convention.
Although everything you said is true, can you leave your ge a little face.
Oh wait, in your eyes your ge is already dead.
…Even more heart-piercing.
After packing for about half an hour, everything was packed.
Mu Siyi sealed the document bag, patted the dust off her hands, stood up and stretched.
“That’s about it.” She glanced at the time; it was almost 9 PM.
“Thanks for the help, Jiejie.”
Mu Yan nodded.
Mu Siyi picked up the bag and walked to the door, then suddenly turned around again, looking at her, expression a bit more serious.
“Jiejie,” she tilted her head, smile just right, “in the few days before my ge… left, did he say anything to you?”
Mu Yan was silent for a few seconds.
She thought for a moment, and said in a completely flat voice, “He said that although your mouth is poisonous, you’re actually a very kind person.”
Mu Siyi blinked. “He said that?”
“…He said that.”
Mu Siyi looked at her, looked for a good while, and let out a light laugh.
She turned around and waved.
“Alright, I’m leaving. Jiejie, if you have time in the future you can come find me to play, I’ll treat you to milk tea.”
“Okay.”
Mu Siyi went down half a flight of stairs, then suddenly stopped again, poking her head back from the stairwell.
“By the way Jiejie, you don’t really think I believed that you’re not my ge’s girlfriend, right?”
“…”
“But it’s okay, if you don’t say, I won’t ask.”
Mu Siyi winked at her, voice hiding obvious laughter.
“Anyway, there’s a long time ahead. Bye-bye, Mu Yan Jiejie.”
After speaking, she hummed a tune and lightly went downstairs.
Mu Yan stood at the doorway, looking expressionlessly at the empty stairwell, her inner world already blasted into ruins.
So she was playing me from beginning to end!!!
No wait! Since you don’t believe I’m the girlfriend, then who do you think I am! What kind of person do you take me for!!
After roaring in her heart for thirty seconds, she closed the door expressionlessly and lay back on the bed.
Staring at the flickering fluorescent light on the ceiling, her mind was a tangled mess.
What to do next?
Should I still contact her? Using this Mu Yan Jiejie identity?
Will she discover the truth?
No, what normal person would think that their ge got his soul hooked by the wrong Reaper and turned into a poker-faced girl.
At most she’ll just think I’m a strange girl.
…Probably.
Mu Yan sat up and walked to the window.
The streetlights downstairs were dim yellow.
She saw Mu Siyi walking on the road carrying the bag, her single ponytail swinging back and forth, gradually disappearing around the street corner.
She looked down at her own fair and tender hands, opened them then clenched them.
Can’t even make expressions, wanting to express anything can only rely on this three-no face.
The room had been packed empty.
Mu Siyi had taken away almost everything related to her older brother, leaving only a bed and that pile of postgraduate exam materials.
Mu Yan walked to the desk, picked up that vocabulary book that had only memorized “abandon”, flipped to the first page, and stared at the word for three seconds.
Then expressionlessly put it back.
Forget it. Even if I become a doll, I still don’t want to memorize vocabulary.
She lay back on the bed again, staring at the ceiling, and began seriously planning her next life.
What she didn’t know was that two kilometers away at the bus stop platform, Mu Siyi sat on the long bench hugging the document bag, waiting for the last bus.
She pulled out that old high school photo from the bag.
In the photo, the youth wore a school uniform and made a silly scissors hand toward the camera.
Mu Siyi stared at the photo for a long time.
Then she let out a light hum, corners of her mouth curling up, and said in a voice only she could hear:
“Idiot gege, thinking you can hide it from me? Then I’ll play along with you slowly.”