Yu Qing—or rather, “she” at this moment, wrapped in Fu Yi’s shell—almost fled from the School Dormitory as if running for her life.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, not from running, but from an indescribable, tumultuous mix of fear and overwhelming shock.
She pulled her hood lower, trying to hide her overly conspicuous face, and, relying on her familiarity with the secluded corners of the Campus, quickly made her way toward the small grove behind the Experiment Building where few people ever ventured.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the dense branches and leaves, breaking into fragments that scattered across the cobblestone path.
Only after confirming she was finally alone did Yu Qing lean against a thick Camphor Tree, slowly sliding down to sit on the Bench beneath it, letting out a long, trembling breath.
It was quiet now.
She lowered her head, her gaze complicated as she looked at her own body.
The gray hoodie felt a bit oversized at the moment, but still outlined the distinctly different contours underneath.
Her shoulders had indeed narrowed, her arms had become slender, and her skin appeared delicately fair under the shade.
The most impossible-to-ignore was her chest… the undeniable, soft rise that gently lifted and fell with her still-unsteady breathing, stretching the jacket into a tender, beautiful arc.
Inside the inner pocket, the Black Pearl pressed against her skin, radiating a strong, persistent chill.
Yu Qing hesitated, but finally raised her hand slowly and, a bit timidly, touched her own cheek.
The sensation was soft and smooth; the delicate warmth at her fingertips made her pull back as if shocked, her earlobes flushing with heat.
This feeling… was too unfamiliar, yet so real.
She couldn’t help but look down again, staring at her legs stretching out from beneath her shorts.
The lines had become long and well-proportioned, even her knee bones seemed smaller.
The pair of men’s sneakers that had fit perfectly now felt loose and unsteady on her feet.
This was… Fu Yi’s body?
A powerful sense of unreality tangled with a secret excitement, making her heart race again.
She had actually become Fu Yi, that dazzling School Belle junior he could only watch from afar.
Even if it was in such an absurd way.
So beautiful.
So likable.
Her pale, jade-like fingers crept up to her chest, gently lifting the neckline of her short sleeves, revealing a white, delicate, moist peak to her gaze.
Shyness and embarrassment surged belatedly, but more overwhelming was a curiosity and… fondness she couldn’t suppress.
This body was undeniably beautiful, every line perfect and brimming with youthful vitality.
Yu Qing could even feel the underlying flexibility and strength within it—a state only possible from years of training.
“Calm down, Yu Qing, calm down…”
She murmured quietly.
Yet the voice that came out was Fu Yi’s clear, slightly cool tone, making her freeze all over again.
Now wasn’t the time to get lost in this.
The important thing was the pearl!
She immediately focused on the strange sensation at her chest.
She reached into the inner pocket of her jacket and grasped the Black Pearl—the coolness was still there.
So, was it because she kept the pearl close that she maintained the Transformation?
She tried to take the pearl out of her pocket, holding it in her palm.
When the cold Black Pearl left her chest and was exposed to the air, nothing happened.
She was still “Fu Yi.”
Did she need to move it farther away?
Yu Qing stood up, hesitated, and then gently placed the pearl on the Bench behind her, stepping back herself.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps…
When she was about five meters away, a strange sensation began to rise.
It felt as if something was slowly being drawn out from her body, but it was still faint.
Seven meters.
Eight meters…
The sense of detachment grew clearer, and her body seemed to start warming up.
Ten meters!
The moment she took another step, an intense feeling swept over her—like a stretched rubber band snapping back all at once!
Her vision seemed to blur for an instant, her body convulsing and reshaping in an odd but painless, abrupt way.
Yu Qing instinctively looked down.
The loose jacket fit snugly again, even a bit tight—relative to his original male frame.
The chest’s swell disappeared, the flat torso once more pressed under the fabric.
Her arms regained their former lines, her hands returned to their familiar shape.
The delicate touch on her face vanished, replaced by the slightly rough skin he knew so well.
He was back!
Yu Qing stood frozen in place, feeling his body return to him, an immense absurdity and sense of loss welling up at the same time.
He hurried back to the Bench and picked up the Black Pearl lying quietly there.
It was still cold and dark, as if the earth-shattering changes just now had nothing to do with it.
So, distance was the key.
Beyond ten meters, the Transformation broke.
He gripped the pearl tightly again.
Almost the instant it touched his skin, that familiar, subtle constriction reappeared—his vision swayed, and a cool breath swept through his entire body.
Yu Qing looked down to see the oversized clothes, the slender hands like mutton-fat jade—he had transformed again.
The switch for Transformation was this simple.
She experimented several more times, confirming the rule.
As long as the pearl was carried close to the body, she could maintain Fu Yi’s appearance.
Once the pearl was more than ten meters away, she immediately reverted.
And touching the pearl again switched her back.
Moreover, he discovered that even in the transformed state, holding the pearl wasn’t necessary.
As long as it remained on her person, even in a pocket, the Transformation was stable.
He could even feel a faint, continuous flow of cool energy seeping from where the pearl touched his body, slowly streaming through his limbs and bones.
What was this?
Was the pearl transferring energy?
Or something else?
Yu Qing had no idea—he could only sense that the chill seemed to make this body more… energetic.
As she held the pearl, lost in the mystery, two crisp female voices drew closer from the distance.
“Yiyi? Is that you? We saw you zoning out here from afar!”
Yu Qing’s heart gave a jolt, yanking her from her thoughts.
She instinctively gripped the pearl in her pocket.
Looking up, she saw two girls walking down the path, smiling.
She recognized them—they were members of Fu Yi’s original group, one with short hair, lively, the other with glasses and a gentle demeanor.
What to do?
Just run?
No, too suspicious.
If they asked the junior later, it might expose her.
Wait!
Maybe she’d already been exposed!
Yu Qing suddenly recalled what happened on the way earlier—the School Belle in weird clothes, running from the boys’ Dormitory—it was bound to spread and eventually reach the junior’s ears!
Damn it!
But at least she couldn’t be exposed right now.
She could only grit her teeth and endure.
After all, she was “Fu Yi” now.
Yu Qing took a deep breath, trying to recall Fu Yi’s usual mannerisms and tone.
Fu Yi was cheerful and enthusiastic—she even had a knack for being just the right amount of friendly with strangers, making her seem… well, lively?
She tried to straighten her back a little, forcing a polite yet not overly enthusiastic smile onto her face.
With that sweet voice, she did her best to reply naturally:
“Wow, what a coincidence, I can’t believe I ran into you guys.”
Hopeless.
A passionate junior using a flat, robotic tone to brush off her friends—instant mood killer.
Still, the two girls didn’t seem to notice.
While Yu Qing’s thoughts spun wildly, the short-haired girl had already bounced up to her, eyeing her with curiosity.
“Wow, Yiyi, you’re dressed so casual today! But it looks cute too—like, a surprising charm!”
Obviously, she was referring to Yu Qing’s clearly male, oversized jacket and shorts.
The glasses girl also stepped up, adjusting her frames and speaking gently.
“Yeah, I almost didn’t recognize you. What’s wrong? Spacing out here alone—that’s not like you.”
Yu Qing felt a chill inside, the blood draining from her face.
Thankfully, Fu Yi’s skin was already pale, so it didn’t show much.
She kept up her lively act, mumbling,
“It’s nothing. I just finished some things and got tired, so I’m resting here.”
“I see,”
The short-haired girl said with realization, then grinned energetically.
“Perfect! We were just about to discuss the next step for the project—come join us, Yiyi! You’re our ace!”
The other girl nodded in agreement.
Yu Qing groaned inwardly but didn’t let it show.
Now that she wore Fu Yi’s face, she couldn’t refuse her own group’s work, could she?
Better to play along for now, then find a reason to slip away.
She took another deep breath, forcefully suppressing her social anxiety and panic, imitating Fu Yi’s slightly proud yet inoffensive tone, and nodded lightly.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Her voice remained sweet, but a subtle confidence—one even she didn’t notice—had crept in.
The pearl clutched tightly in her pocket sent a steady, cooling sensation through her hand.