Ling Cage, pick up Lu Mingfei at the start.

Lu Mingfei didn't sleep soundly, his brows furrowed, as if he were still fighting the Devouring Beast in his dream. In his half-awake state, a regular and clear "rustling" sound continued to enter his ears, like fingernails scratching through paper, disturbing his peace of mind.

Finally, after the noise continued for nearly ten minutes, he couldn't take it anymore. He sat up abruptly, still grumpy from being woken up, and mumbled before his eyes were even fully open, "Lu Mingze, are you trying to kill me?! What are you looking at this morning? When did you become so studious?!"

He looked in the direction of the sound, still half-asleep, and saw a blurry figure with short white hair sitting at the table in his room.

"Who are you? What are you doing here..." He rubbed his sleepy eyes, and his vision gradually cleared. A white-haired girl, dressed in simple casual clothes, was sitting comfortably in a chair, holding a book in her hands. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft halo around her.

"Boss Bai! What are you doing here?" Lu Mingfei instantly snapped out of it, breaking out in a cold sweat. He frantically jumped off the bed, slipped on his shoes, and haphazardly tidied the messy bed with all his might, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace onto his face.

A profound sense of disappointment washed over him. He would have preferred to see his 160-pound, obnoxious cousin, Lu Mingze. Seeing Bai Yuekui meant that everything he had experienced yesterday was not a nightmare, but a cold, hard fact—he had transmigrated to a post-apocalyptic world filled with monsters and where every day was uncertain.

"I came to see you, but you were sleeping soundly, so I didn't disturb you." Bai Yuekui closed the book, casually resting his chin on one hand, watching Lu Mingfei's panic with great interest, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Since you're here, why don't you..." Lu Mingfei sat properly on the edge of the bed, not daring to look Bai Yuekui in the eye, his voice growing softer and softer.

Boss Bai changed into casual clothes...and he actually looked quite good. He reminded me of the girl from the next class at our school's talent show. This thought made his ears burn slightly.

"Why didn't I call you?" Bai Yuekui chuckled, glancing at the retro-style watch on her wrist. "Seeing how frightened you were yesterday, I thought I'd let you sleep a little longer. It's almost ten o'clock now." She paused, her tone teasing, "Now I'm starting to believe you might be from another world."

She recalled those high school students of the old days, who mostly slept like this on weekend mornings, undisturbed until dawn.

Lu Mingfei's face flushed red instantly. He subconsciously scratched the back of his head, his eyes darting around, unable to meet her gaze.

"Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore." Bai Yuekui pointed to an oil paper package on the table. "I brought you breakfast, but it's probably cold now. Just eat it anyway, since you got up so late."

Lu Mingfei didn't dare to delay and quickly sat down at the table. After sleeping for so long, his stomach was completely empty. Even the cold fried dough sticks were devoured by him as if they were some kind of delicacy.

While stuffing the food into his mouth, he mumbled, "Thank you, Boss Bai... for taking the time out of your busy schedule to bring me breakfast. I am deeply grateful and have no way to repay your kindness..."

Seeing his posture as if he were eating his "last meal," Bai Yuekui couldn't help but chuckle: "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you, and I won't do anything to you."

Lu Mingfei froze for a moment, then quickly stuffed the remaining fried dough sticks into his mouth.

"Cough cough cough..." Sure enough, he choked, pounding his chest, his face turning red.

"You silly boy..." Bai Yuekui shook his head helplessly, feeling as if black lines were sliding down his forehead. He quickly pushed a glass of water that had been prepared to him in front of him.

Lu Mingfei took the water and gulped down more than half a cup before he felt the food blocking his esophagus finally go down.

"I...I'm just scared," he said, clutching his chest, catching his breath. His voice lowered, trembling almost imperceptibly. "I've suddenly found myself in a completely unfamiliar place, and in this...apocalyptic world. I feel like I could die at any moment."

He raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion and sadness: "I just want to go back, back to my uncle's house, back to school, back to..." His words stopped abruptly, and the name "Chen Wenwen" was swallowed back, turning into a silent sigh in his heart.

Bai Yuekui gazed into his eyes, where the pure fear, anxiety, and sorrow seemed genuine. She could understand; for a boy raised in the warm greenhouse of peace, suddenly thrown into a cruel hell, the shock was enough to shatter his defenses.

"If...if you really do come from another world," her voice softened, carrying a rare, almost soothing tone, "then what's done is done. To find your way back, you first have to live well, don't you?"

Lu Mingfei remained silent, countless images flashing through his mind, finally settling on Chen Wenwen's gentle smile. He secretly regretted: If he had known he would time travel, he shouldn't have gone to the internet cafe last night; he should have... confessed his feelings.

Bai Yuekui, unaware of his thoughts, stood up, walked to the door, and waved to him: "Come on, follow me."

Lu Mingfei quickly followed.

"Where are we going, boss?" He followed closely behind Bai Yuekui, watching her short silver hair sway slightly with her steps.

"Let me show you around. You can't not even know what the place you're going to live in looks like, can you?" Bai Yuekui didn't turn around, his voice carrying a relaxed smile.

Good morning, Boss Bai!

"Boss Bai, have you eaten?"

"Boss Bai, who is this young man...?"

……

Along the way, villagers greeted Bai Yuekui warmly and looked at Lu Mingfei with curiosity.

"That's fine."

"Yeah, the kid I brought back from outside yesterday."

"Hey, Zhang, your Tiantian has grown taller again."

Bai Yuekui responded to each question in a gentle tone. Lu Mingfei followed behind her, also bowing and scraping to everyone's gaze: "Hello everyone, hello everyone..." His posture was both awkward and somewhat comical.

After passing through several passageways, they arrived at a slightly noisy yet vibrant street. Lu Mingfei stood at the street corner, stunned by the bustling crowds and rows of shops. He couldn't believe that, amidst the wasteland outside, there was a fully functional, vibrant community hidden here! Although rudimentary and incomparable to the commercial streets of his original world, this was the apocalypse! This contrast deeply shocked him.

"What are you daydreaming about? Get out of the way." Bai Yuekui had already taken a few steps when he turned around and saw Lu Mingfei still standing there dumbfounded, so he couldn't help but urge him on.

"Oh! Coming!" Lu Mingfei snapped out of his daze and jogged to catch up.

A short while later, the two stopped in front of a barbershop. The shop sign had four big characters on it: "Starting Over".

"Hey? Boss Bai, what brings you here? Need a haircut?" A young woman with striking green hair and a stylish look greeted him with a smile; she was the shop owner, Jiang Feng.

"It wasn't me," Bai Yuekui stepped aside, letting Lu Mingfei move in front, "to cut his hair."

"Huh—you're cutting my hair?!" Lu Mingfei instinctively clutched his head and exclaimed in surprise.

“‘Starting over,’” Bai Yuekui pointed to the signboard, his gaze sweeping meaningfully over Lu Mingfei’s entire body. “Now that we’re in a new place, we should have a fresh start.”

Lu Mingfei was taken aback for a moment, then understood her intention. He breathed a sigh of relief and accepted the arrangement.

Yes, since we can't go back, in this new world, perhaps we really should... start over.

"Jiang Feng, tidy him up a bit, make him look more energetic. He looks so listless right now," Bai Yuekui instructed.

"Alright, boss! I've got it covered! Come on, handsome...brother." Jiang Feng responded enthusiastically, but paused subtly in addressing him, her gaze lingering on Lu Mingfei's face, which was filled with the word "unlucky," before she finally managed to utter the words "handsome guy" smoothly.

No! You clearly meant to call him "handsome," right? Why did you hesitate? Just say it!

Lu Mingfei was internally screaming, and for a moment he didn't want to get his hair cut there anymore. But Bai Yuekui was standing to the side with his arms crossed, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and sit in the barber's chair.

Jiang Feng neatly tied the apron, and nimbly twirled the scissors in her hand, their cold light flashing.

"It's starting now. Close your eyes so that stray hairs don't fall in," she reminded him.

Lu Mingfei closed his eyes as instructed, preparing to face the "judgment" of fate.

"Have you always kept this hairstyle?" Jiang Feng asked while fiddling with his hair.

"Hmm...more or less," Lu Mingfei replied vaguely.

"The guy who cut your hair before," Jiang Feng said with obvious disdain, "was really not very good at it."

"Really? I think... it's alright." Lu Mingfei tried to uphold the dignity of the barbers from his hometown.

"What are you talking about!" Jiang Feng retorted bluntly. "This hairstyle is utter garbage!"

"Um...is my hair difficult to deal with?" Lu Mingfei asked cautiously, feeling even more uncertain.

"Not difficult!" Jiang Feng said confidently. "A pair of scissors is enough to deal with your hair!" The implication was that there was no need for any more advanced techniques; the problem lay entirely in the hair itself.

Lu Mingfei felt utterly hopeless and decided to give up the struggle and resign himself to fate.

"Click—"

He felt a chill on his forehead, and a large clump of hair fell out.

"Huh?!" Jiang Feng exclaimed softly in surprise.

"What happened? What happened?! Did you ruin it?!" Lu Mingfei's heart jumped into his throat, fearing that his already ordinary appearance would be further ruined.

"Don't move! What's ruined? Do you doubt my professional skills? Just wait and see!" Jiang Feng was originally surprised to see Lu Mingfei's complete facial features after brushing aside the wisps of hair on his forehead. But his question immediately aroused her competitive spirit.

Now that things had come to this, Lu Mingfei could only sit there like a puppet, silently praying in his heart.

"Snip, snip..." The sound of scissors flying rang out rapidly as Jiang Feng skillfully moved his head from side to side, and he could feel the weight on his head rapidly decreasing. Fine strands of hair fell onto his face, bringing a ticklish sensation, and he was about to raise his hand to scratch—

"Don't move! It'll be done soon!" Jiang Feng immediately stopped her, her eyes growing brighter and brighter, as if she were carving a piece of rough jade, completely immersed in her creation.

Lu Mingfei had no choice but to continue to endure it.

About ten minutes later.

"Okay! Don't open your eyes yet, let me clean up the stray hairs for you." Jiang Feng carefully blew away the stubble on his face and neck with a hairdryer, her movements gentle, as if she were handling a precious work of art.

She even gently plucked away the stray hairs from his eyelashes and brow bone with her fingers.

Then, she held up a mirror in front of Lu Mingfei.

"You can open your eyes now." Jiang Feng put her hands on her hips, her face filled with undisguised pride, and stared intently at her reflection in the mirror, clearly extremely satisfied with her work.

Lu Mingfei slowly opened his eyes.

"This is……?"

The mirror reflected a strange yet exquisitely beautiful face. He raised his hand in a daze, his fingertips touching his cheek.

The person in the mirror made the same gesture, silently confirming: this is him.

Bai Yuekui, who had been quietly reading by the light, came over when she heard the commotion. Standing behind Lu Mingfei, she was startled when her gaze fell on the mirror.

She seemed somewhat disbelieving, and walked around to Lu Mingfei's front, carefully examining his face. Her icy blue eyes were filled with undisguised surprise, unable to connect the young man in front of her with the disheveled and dejected "loser" from yesterday.

How can one describe this face? It's as if the Creator has shown a touch of favoritism—the boy's skin is like the clouds after the first snow has melted, or the clear water of a mountain stream, fair and translucent, flawless and smooth, surpassing even the most meticulously cared-for girls. His features are perfectly proportioned, delicate and gentle yet not effeminate, with a touch of innocent purity in his brows. When sunlight falls upon him, he exudes a fragile, youthful charm.

This face is truly... blessed by the gods.

"Lu Mingfei?" Bai Yuekui's voice carried a rare hesitation, even taking on a questioning tone.

"It's me," Lu Mingfei replied blankly, unable to believe that the almost perfect face in the mirror belonged to him.

"Is this some kind of magic? Or... the power of awakened essence? Will it disappear?" he murmured to himself, as if afraid of disturbing this dream.

"Kid, stop thinking nonsense!" Jiang Feng patted his shoulder forcefully, her tone full of certainty. "This is you! The real you!"

Lu Mingfei looked at Bai Yuekui for help, and saw that she also had a complicated expression, but nodded firmly.

Only at this moment did Lu Mingfei truly believe that the unfamiliar yet dazzling young man in the mirror was himself.

If I had looked like this from the beginning... would Chen Wenwen have given me a second glance? A bitter feeling mixed with a faint hope swept through my heart.

"I didn't expect that," Bai Yuekui had already regained her composure, crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "After tidying up, you look quite presentable." Her tone was teasing, but the amazement in her eyes had not completely faded.

"I..." Lu Mingfei was about to say something when a vibrant voice interrupted him.

"Boss Bai!" Wearing a light red dress, Ulan Maiduo came running over like a cheerful little bird.

"Maido," Bai Yuekui responded gently.

"Wow! Boss, who is this? Another newcomer to our village?" Ulan Maiduo's attention was immediately drawn to Lu Mingfei sitting in front of the mirror. She blinked her big eyes and looked him over curiously, completely failing to recognize that this was the "loser" who had stumbled when her father patted him yesterday.

"Take another look?" A sly glint flashed in Bai Yuekui's eyes.

Upon hearing this, Wulan Maiduo moved closer and began to scrutinize Lu Mingfei without any attempt to hide it. Her direct gaze made Lu Mingfei quite uncomfortable, and his ears turned red again.

"I didn't recognize him... He's not from the village, is he? Then could he be...?" Ulan Maiduo searched her memory without success, then suddenly a flash of inspiration struck her, and she remembered Lu Mingfei, whom she had only met once yesterday.

She turned back to look at Bai Yuekui in disbelief, and only after receiving his smiling confirmation did she widen her eyes and exclaim, "Ah! It really is you, Lu Mingfei!"

She simply couldn't reconcile the handsome, almost radiant young man before her with the dejected figure she had been yesterday.

"So you still remember my name." Lu Mingfei smiled, a little embarrassed.

This smile, like a spring breeze rippling the surface of a pond, was gentle and bright, causing two blushes to involuntarily rise on Wulanmaido's cheeks.

"Maido, take him around to get acquainted with the surroundings and let everyone get to know him," Bai Yuekui instructed.

"Alright! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Ulan Maiduo puffed out her chest and gave a playful, slightly awkward bow, as if to say, "Leave it to me."

"You follow Maiduo for a bit," Bai Yuekui said to Lu Mingfei. "I have some things to take care of. Come to the 'Rice is Steel' restaurant at noon, I'll wait for you there." She then turned around, took out two crystal coins that glowed with a faint blue light, and handed them to Jiang Feng as payment for the haircut.

"Boss, you go ahead with your work!" Mai Duo readily agreed.

Bai Yuekui nodded, turned and left, his silver hair drawing a clean arc in the air.

"From now on, you can rest assured and follow me!" Ulan Maiduo turned to Lu Mingfei, revealing a sweet and energetic smile.

Lu Mingfei had many questions accumulating in his mind. Before, when he was with Bai Yuekui, he was somewhat reserved and dared not ask too many questions. But facing this lively and cheerful girl in front of him, he felt much more at ease, and perhaps he could learn more about this place.

He stood up, thanked the shop owner Jiang Feng sincerely, and then followed Wulan Maiduo out of the barbershop.

A whole new world was unfolding before his eyes.