"Mic check, mic check—one, two, three, four, two, two, three, four~!"
Out of nowhere, Shu Yuxin blurted out this random phrase. She reached up and touched her neck—no Adam's apple. The unfamiliar smoothness still felt strange, but honestly, that wasn't what troubled her most.
Her new voice, however, was undeniably *goddess-tier*. Even though Shu Yuxin wasn't particularly into voices herself, she couldn't help but be captivated by her own—she swore it wasn't vanity, just pure aesthetic appreciation.
All in all, this new body was practically perfect—maybe not 100%, but close enough. It was the first time Shu Yuxin had ever thought her family's genes could be *this* good. And yet, it was a shame that such excellent genetics were now manifesting *in her*. She'd often imagined: *What if the girl in the mirror were my little sister?* Not only would she be a joy to look at, but she could also cuddle, hug, and lift her up high. But when it was *herself*... well, that was a whole different story. After nearly twenty years of being a guy, suddenly becoming a girl wasn't something anyone could adjust to overnight.
And just ten days ago, she was still a virgin—hadn't even held a girl's hand.
Her parents, on the other hand, were *thrilled*. Beyond thrilled, even. As her dad put it: "Our son's life was saved, and we even got a beautiful daughter out of it! How could we not be happy? Before, I was always worried about whether he'd ever find someone to marry. Now? Easy. We just wait for our daughter to find a good guy."
Fueled by this mindset, right after Shu Yuxin was discharged from the hospital, her parents even borrowed money from relatives to buy her a whole new wardrobe—half of which consisted of cute dresses.
All those clothes now hung neatly in her closet. Her old male clothes? Donated to impoverished regions.
That was also why Shu Yuxin hadn't stepped outside in days.
With a sigh, she flopped back onto the bed and pulled the blanket over herself, planning to sleep some more.
Outside the bedroom, her parents were busy preparing lunch.
"Hey, has Yuxin woken up yet?" her dad asked, glancing toward the bedroom door while chopping potatoes.
Her mom stirred a wok with practiced ease. "That kid's been lazing in bed all week. You think I should drag her out by force?"
"Sigh… I really think we should've taken a look at that new body *before* the transfer," her dad muttered, still slicing.
Her mom snorted. "Oh? And who was jumping for joy back then, again?"
"Well… I was just happy our kid was cured!" he stammered, a bit embarrassed, then quickly added, "Ahem—though we really *should* have at least asked *her* opinion."
Her mom paused for a moment, then changed the subject. "You've gotten pretty used to calling her 'Yuxin' already."
"What else am I supposed to call her? 'Yumo'? The name on her household registration's already changed. You'll have to get used to it too."
The name change had only been finalized recently. The research institute had anticipated this exact issue and offered to handle all bureaucratic complications. Fortunately, the institute had direct ties to the government, so the paperwork was approved swiftly. Police officers even came to their home to verify identity and process the documents—polite and efficient beyond expectation.
As for the name itself: "Shu Yumo" clearly didn't suit a girl. After much deliberation, her parents settled on "Shu Yuxin"—not because it held any profound meaning, but simply because it *sounded* nice and rolled off the tongue smoothly.
The institute went even further—they smoothed out her university enrollment too. All her academic records were updated, and she even received a brand-new admission letter. It was an exceptionally generous gesture, almost like a small consolation gift. As a result, Shu Yuxin's life trajectory remained largely intact: aside from missing her senior year of high school, she could still attend university, graduate, find a job, meet someone, get married, have kids… The only real change? Her identity.
Her parents were perfectly satisfied. But what about Shu Yuxin herself?
They'd find out soon enough.
Tomorrow was her university enrollment day.
*"Ding-dong! Ding-dong!"*
The doorbell rang abruptly, cutting through the kitchen chatter. The couple exchanged a glance. Her mom nudged her husband. "Well? What are you waiting for? Go open the door!"
Her dad set down the knife, wiped his hands on a towel hanging nearby, and headed to the entrance. "Coming, coming!"
He opened the door to reveal a young man standing outside.
His name was Jiang Zixuan—nearly 20 years old, 180 cm tall, with a lean, athletic build that clearly came from regular exercise. Beyond his physique, he was handsome in the way boys from BL manga often are—sharp features, confident aura, and a neat, short haircut that added a refreshing crispness to his look. Just standing there, he could easily draw the attention of any lovestruck girl.
Jiang Zixuan had been Shu Yuxin's friend since middle school. They'd attended the same high school and, by coincidence, ended up in the same class. With similar personalities and plenty of shared interests, the two became inseparable over four years of friendship—best friends who told each other everything. The only thing that ever irked Shu Yuxin (back when she was Yumo) was Zixuan's uncanny ability with girls: while Yumo had never even held a girl's hand, Zixuan had already… well, *lost his virginity*.
But of course, something as trivial as women couldn't break the pure bond between bros—at least, not in just one year. When Yumo left school due to his illness, Zixuan kept tabs on him constantly. He'd even skipped school multiple times, traveling hundreds of miles just to visit and encourage his friend not to lose hope. And despite all that, Zixuan still managed to get into a top-tier university.
Though he'd been swamped with his own university preparations lately, the moment he heard his best friend's surgery was successful and he'd been discharged, Zixuan immediately dropped everything and rushed over.
Naturally, Shu's parents adored him—how could they not? He was sunny, upright, cheerful, and genuinely kind. Seeing it was him at the door, Mr. Shu instantly brightened. "Zixuan! You're here! Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"
"Uncle!" Zixuan greeted politely, then quickly glanced toward his best friend's bedroom door. "I heard… Yumo's recovered?"
"Haha, yes! Fully recovered! He—*she*—came home days ago," Mr. Shu chuckled, waving him in. "She's in the bedroom—door's open. Go on in if you want to see her."
"Ah, got it. Thanks!" Zixuan smiled warmly and hurried toward the room.
As he disappeared inside, Mr. Shu's eyes flickered with something unreadable.
Back in the kitchen, Mrs. Shu called out, "Was that Zixuan?"
"Yep. Looks like he just got here," Mr. Shu mused, then added with fondness, "Our kid's lucky to have a friend like him. Remember to set an extra bowl."
"I know," Mrs. Shu replied, shooting him a slightly reproachful look. "But Yuxin's a *girl* now. Are you sure it's okay to just let him barge in like that?"
Mr. Shu met her gaze and gave a knowing smile. "Don't you think… Zixuan's actually a pretty good match? Besides, his family's better off than ours."
"…And here I thought it'd take more than a few days before you started *selling our daughter*," she huffed—but didn't object.