"Qi Xi, you've changed so much—you're almost a different person. I barely recognized you." In the supermarket, Qi Xi and Jack Young walked slowly together. Though side by side, there was still a two-step gap between them.
"Yeah, a lot has changed." Jack Young smiled and nodded. He was taller, leaner, stronger, his frame more balanced, even his facial features had subtly shifted—like his whole character model had been upgraded. But the bigger changes were on the inside; he’d practically reinvented himself. Honestly, it was normal if people couldn’t recognize him now. The fact that anyone could still tell it was him was impressive.
But he wasn’t the only one who’d changed. Jack didn’t need to look twice to tell Qi Xi was different from his memories too. It had been two years since that time in his mind. The girl with the simple ponytail now had long hair draped over her shoulders. Her hair used to have a hint of gold, but now it was completely black.
But even though she was a bona fide Han Chinese, her hair had always been naturally tinged with gold—a pure black was actually the dyed color. Two years had slimmed her down a bit, too. The lioness from his memory, the one so proud she’d size everyone up from the corner of her eye, the one whose lips always curled in a challenge—now she appeared much more subdued and demure.
Honestly, it was a little strange, but Jack didn’t mind. Like he’d once teased Qi Xi, two years is a long time—time changes things, just like her hair dye.
"Am I a lot more handsome now?" Jack grabbed a bag of chips off the shelf, showed it to Qi Xi, and asked offhandedly, "This is the right brand, yeah?"
"Yeah, that’s the one." Qi Xi nodded, then couldn’t help but ask, "Since you quit, have you been doing okay?"
"Quit, huh..." A string of memories flashed before Jack’s eyes—his rough days at The Ogre’s company, all the struggle and misery. He replied casually, "It’s been alright... Wait, why did I quit again?" That first company was actually pretty decent. So why had he left to join The Ogre in the first place?
"How should I know? You just up and left without a word." Qi Xi sounded a bit reproachful. "You didn’t tell anyone beforehand, just sent out an email and disappeared. The guys on the 14th floor wanted to throw you a farewell party, but nobody could find you."
"Really? Was I that cool back then?" Jack was genuinely surprised. That didn’t sound like something he’d do—he wasn’t that edgy.
Qi Xi shot him a glare, her eyebrow twitching—there was that old spark again: "You’re asking me? Don’t you know yourself? What, did you lose your memory or something?"
Well, sis, you got me. I really did lose my memory.
"Hurry up, Dummy Meg is coming—buy her something." So that’s why she was here, grabbing dinner for Dummy Meg. No wonder. The timing really did line up.
"Alright, let’s pick up the pace!" Jack flexed his arms and began sweeping through the supermarket. Ripples and bubbles stirred in the lake at the bottom of his mind—unlocked memories blending into his heart. As those memories returned, Jack started to find that old feeling again. It was like he’d gone back two years, back when he and Qi Xi spent most of their time together at the supermarket.
Oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar—pots, bowls, pans, all the little things of daily life. They never went to any bars or gaming spots, just the most ordinary, domestic places. But somehow, they always had a good time chatting. Now, the girl beside him seemed a little distant, but it didn’t matter—their shopping rhythm was still perfectly in sync. Most of the time, Jack would grab whatever Qi Xi was eyeing before she even reached for it.
A few minutes later, they checked out and left. Jack carried a bunch of bags, and Qi Xi had her hands full too. She stubbornly snatched half of them, refusing to let Jack take them all. Her stubbornness had a touch of something extra—a polite, deliberate distance.
Jack didn’t mind the distance at all—his smile was pure. He still had no idea what had really happened back then, but one thing was clear: that August, they were friends. They clicked, but weren’t besties yet—just two people who, for some reason, hung out more than usual.
Without diving deep into his Mindscape World, Jack’s mind was still drifting through scenes. He remembered: back then, he took the company shuttle every day. If he got downstairs early, he’d grab an extra seat, and Qi Xi would automatically come sit next to him. If he was late, no problem—Qi Xi would save him a spot.
In those early days at the company, when everyone was strangers and a little guarded, it meant a lot to have someone saving you a seat. Someone to share an MP3 player with on the shuttle. Someone who didn’t care about the weird looks from others.
Each of them popped in an earbud, listening to the same song. Both a little low-energy, they relied on a wake-up track to get going.
That feeling was really nice.
Only thing was, he couldn’t quite remember when they’d started sharing the MP3.
The night breeze blew as the two of them walked side by side through nighttime Shanghai. There weren’t many people around—it was a quiet street. Suddenly, Jack remembered something and turned to the girl beside him: "Hey, I remember you used to have a little cowlick on your head. Where’d it go?"
"You’re the one with the cowlick!" The girl snapped right back.
"Hahaha!" Jack couldn’t help bursting out laughing. Yeah, that little feisty look—that was the real her.
Suddenly, a jolt of emotion hit him, and the scene before him stirred his heart again—like an elevator of memories dropping him even deeper. This time, it was a street at night. Tianjin, Binhai, Third Avenue. In that memory, the boy and girl walked side by side, but only a fist’s width apart.
The boy said, "Your ponytail looks great, but why do you have a cowlick sticking up?"
The girl replied, "You’re the one with the cowlick!"
This chapter isn’t finished yet~.~ Click next page to keep reading!
Yep, no idea how it happened—indoors it was fine, but whenever the wind blew, a strand of her hair would stick straight up. Like a cat teaser, always swaying left and right, making the boy want to grab it. Even Jack, watching the memory play out, couldn’t help but laugh. In real life, maybe most people can’t imagine a three-dimensional cowlick, but it really does exist. That wild yet elegant girl, with that one cowlick, suddenly seemed adorably goofy.
Daisy Summers? Yeah, that really was her nickname.
That’s right, I remember now. It was that night the boy and girl went from friends to good friends. No special reason—just that the boy had just left his beloved classmates, arrived in a strange city, and met a bunch of strangers. Going from student to working adult overnight, that weaning pain and confusion weighed on everyone’s heart.
Back then, every night he’d stand on the apartment balcony, looking out over the city lights, lost in thought and silence. Every time, he’d feel: the city was so big, and he was so small. The summer wind was hot, but never felt warm.
In this concrete jungle, I was alone.
I didn’t belong here.
But that night, the boy and girl walked side by side for a long time. Their ordinary chat gradually became a real heart-to-heart. You giggle, I laugh, jokes and banter all the way. The girl was so bright, almost contagious. Even her clueless, can’t-tell-red-from-green traffic light moments became a kind of charm.
Walking under the night sky, the boy noticed for the first time how beautiful the streetlights were, how nice the city looked at night—even the wind mixed with car exhaust seemed fresh and pleasant.
For the first time, the boy felt like the black-and-white world had some color. Even those half-familiar coworkers suddenly seemed friendly.
For the first time, the boy thought: why is the walk from the supermarket to the apartment so damn short?
[In the vast universe, a lost meteor suddenly found a gravitational pull. From then on, it became a satellite, always spinning and dancing with joy.]
Back in the real world, Jack and Qi Xi walked through the night breeze—this scene felt so familiar. The warm memories made Jack’s smile just as warm, and the atmosphere between them started to thaw. He asked curiously, "Hey, I remember you had the nickname 'Daisy Summers.' But what about my 'Dummy Jack'? How did I end up with that name?"
"Hey, it’s all because of that big blunder you made." Thinking back, Qi Xi’s smile grew, and she shook her head, amused: "One day you called out of the blue, said you were at the supermarket, and asked if Dummy Meg and I needed anything. I asked for grapes, you promised, and then showed up with a bag of raisins—proud as could be!"
"Grapes? Raisins?" Jack was stumped, scratching his head. "Aren’t they the same thing? What’s the difference?"
"Haha, exactly! You were just as clueless then, and after all this time, you still can’t tell the difference!" Qi Xi laughed brightly, her familiar expression returning as she unconsciously moved from two steps away to just one. "You really are Dummy Jack."
"Uh... haha..." Yeah, he remembered now. That really was how it went. He’d brought back a bag of raisins and the two girls had laughed at him for ages.
But! Still—there were perks. After that meal he’d accidentally crashed right at dinnertime, it became a habit to mooch food from them. At first, he tried to help cook, but after Dummy Meg showed off her movie-level potato-slicing skills, he surrendered and willingly became the designated dish and chopsticks washer.
Cook but don’t wash, wash but don’t cook—that slogan stuck, and became their unspoken rule.
"Oh, right!" Jack suddenly clapped his hands. "I had a pair of Special Chopsticks, used them all through college for instant noodles, then lost them. I bet they ended up at your place."
Back then, maybe it was fate or just coincidence, both of them had chopsticks in a rare style—and they just happened to be identical!
Because he mooched food so often, his chopsticks just stayed in Daisy Summers’ kitchen cupboard. Daisy even taped a label saying 'Dummy' on the end. Of course, Jack secretly put a 'Daisy' label on hers too.
"Who cares about your chopsticks! You moved out and didn’t even think to take them—now you expect me to keep track for you?" If her hands weren’t full of bags, Qi Xi would definitely be waving her arms around.
"Hehe, okay, I’ll try to find them next time—I really treasured those chopsticks." Suddenly, Jack remembered something else: "Hey, how did Meg end up with the nickname 'Dummy Meg'?" Funny, not just Daisy Summers, even his memories about Dummy Meg were a bit fuzzy now.
"Hehe, okay, I’ll try to find them next time—I really treasured those chopsticks." Suddenly, Jack remembered something else: "Hey, how did Dummy Meg end up with the nickname 'Dummy Meg'?" Funny, not just Daisy Summers, even his memories about Dummy Meg were a bit fuzzy now.
"Alright, alright!" Another scene flashed before Jack’s eyes: he, Daisy Summers, and Dummy Meg, coming home together after work. In the elevator, after pressing the buttons for 14, 19, and 21, Dummy Meg exclaimed, "Hey, all our dorm numbers end with ‘21’—crazy, it’s a straight line! Next time we get in the elevator, we don’t even need to look, just tap out an isosceles triangle!"
"Alright, alright!" Another scene flashed before Jack’s eyes: he, Daisy Summers, and Dummy Meg, coming home together after work. In the elevator, after pressing the buttons for 14, 19, and 21, Dummy Meg exclaimed, "Hey, all our dorm numbers end with ‘21’—crazy, it’s a straight line! Next time we get in the elevator, we don’t even need to look, just tap out an isosceles triangle!"
Back then, a Dummy, a Daisy, and a Dummy Meg—friends, real friends.