"Hmph, at least those punk kids knew their place and took off early. No way am I letting them get near my daughter again! That masked brat seems pretty cunning, though… better keep an eye on him."

That gender-ambiguous Xiao Lingmeng dragged along her mysterious little divine emissary. They seemed to have something urgent, after taking a call they hurried off.

Lingmeng may be unreliable and full of nonsense, but deep down, she's a good kid. I really hope she and my daughter can put everything behind them and become friends.

"I wanted to invite them to dinner to apologize, but they just left like that?"

Yuanyue seemed a little disappointed too.

But… God of Bishoujo?

So gods actually exist in this world? And yet, when it came to showing a divine miracle, of all people, it had to be…

I glanced down at this completely unfamiliar body, stretching out a pair of pale, delicate hands. I tentatively touched my chest through the fabric. Hmm… Looks flat, but there’s something there.

"Oh my, Old Lei, enjoying yourself?"

Crap. I got a little carried away because it was such a new experience!

I looked up and met Yuanyue’s teasing gaze. My daughter also noticed but deliberately turned her head away, pretending not to see—somehow, that made it even more embarrassing.

That rare moment of understanding from her… actually kind of stung.

"This is a misunderstanding!"

My daughter propped her chin on her hand, deep in thought, then leaned in. "Dad, this form will only last until midnight, right?"

"According to the little divine emissary, yes."

"So there won’t be another chance like this, huh? In that case, to avoid any regrets…"

She trailed off, glancing at Yuanyue. My instincts screamed danger. This mother-daughter combo was definitely plotting something.

Yuanyue caught her look and smirked, then wrapped an arm around both my daughter and the slightly awkward Xiao Xi beside her.

"Then after we thank Boss Yuwen, let’s go have a celebratory dinner! After all, our son—no, our daughter—is finally home!"

Just dinner?

Phew, was I overthinking it?

…

"Why is this happening?!"

I banged my knife and fork against the table, fuming.

Back in the private room, when it was just the three of us, I had expected a tearful reunion—maybe some dramatic sobbing in my embrace. Not that my chest was broad enough for that right now.

Instead, their curiosity about my new form completely overshadowed any emotional reunion. My daughter was relatively restrained, just ruffling my hair and pinching my cheeks. Yuanyue, on the other hand, treated me like a dress-up doll and touched me everywhere.

Now, I sat there in an entirely black Gothic Lolita dress—layered lace, puffed sleeves, ribbon embellishments, a white-collared bowtie. Clearly expensive.

Topped off with a black lace headband, thigh-high stockings, and petite leather shoes.

This was the Gothic Lolita fashion that was all the rage these days… and here I was, a nearly 50-year-old man, wearing it.

…Though, admittedly, it looked pretty damn good.

"Why did you buy something this expensive?!"

Yuanyue, casually stroking my hair while flipping through the menu, responded matter-of-factly.

"Quit complaining, Old Lei. Right now, you’re Cinderella, existing only until midnight. What’s a little money compared to making a beautiful memory? Pfft… How do you want your steak cooked?"

You totally just laughed, didn’t you?!

"Medium… And stop petting my head, the kids are watching."

I puffed out my cheeks and turned my head away, only to realize that reaction was way too childish. I deflated immediately.

"Come on, kids shouldn’t eat undercooked meat. Well-done for you."

"I’m not a kid!"

"No, looking like this, you totally are… Meow Meow, Xiao Xi, what about you two?"

Yuan Yue smoothly dragged the two spectators into the conversation.

"Then medium well should be fine," Qian replied a little nervously.

"Same for me." My daughter—now sporting golden twin tails—cracked her knuckles habitually. "‘Meow Meow’ sounds too much like a cat's name, but ‘Kelie’ doesn’t really fit either."

Even now, the whole son-turned-daughter thing still felt like a dream. Maybe the God of Bishoujo just wanted me to fully believe in divine power, which is why she hit me with the miracle firsthand.

"Speaking of names, parents usually have one prepared for either gender, right? If I’d been born a girl, what would you have named me?"

Divorced for years, I barely remembered. Yuanyue, though, tapped her forehead, actually thinking back.

Well, if we’re really changing names, now’s as good a time as any.

"How about Lei Baolian¹?" I suggested.

"Ew, no way! That sounds so old-fashioned, and it reminds me of a cosmetics brand… Tian Xi, help me pick a name~"

Xiao Xi froze, caught off guard.

This girl who was dressed like a proper office lady, even in heels, was also transformed by the God of Bishoujo. Hard to believe she used to be some delinquent, she carried herself like a professional now.

Her strong stance in the bar, standing up for my daughter, had been memorable. And in the private room, it was her words that convinced my daughter to come home with us.

No matter what kind of punk she used to be, I was grateful my daughter had a friend who cared so much about her.

"You want me to pick a name for Big Bro?" Qian fidgeted awkwardly. "I think that it should be more appropriate for parents to decide something as meaningful as a name."

She was so stiff it was almost robotic.

"Ugh, you’re making me nervous too now!" My daughter leaned into her, wrapping an arm around her waist before pulling her into a tight hug.
"You’re my manager now—no room for stiff nerves~"

"I just feel like… I shouldn’t be intruding on your family dinner." Ah, so that’s what she was worried about.

"Now that upsets me!" My daughter pouted in mock anger. "I’ve considered you family for a long time! That won’t change just because I went home! From today on, you’re my little sister! Got it? My dear Xi-chan~"

That actually made Xiao Xi relax a little. Half-joking, she said:

"Sisters, huh? Big Bro, you’re really settling into this whole ‘being a girl’ thing… Honestly, if I could, I’d still like to change back."
"I can feel that I’m not quite the same as before… but I also know I’m still me, so it doesn’t really matter."

A change in body naturally affects hormones, which might influence personality to some degree.

So… am I still the same me?

"Oh, I remember now!" Yuan Yue clapped her forehead. "If you’d been born a girl, we were going to name you Kelian! Lei Kelian!"

Now that name I remembered. We had settled on that first before coming up with Lei Kelie.

…But this girl couldn’t be further from pitiful.

"Ooh, then it’s decided! From now on, in private, I’m Lei Kelian!"

Since it was a well-established French restaurant and peak dinner hours, the wait between ordering and getting our food felt a bit long.

Taking advantage of the time, I went to the restroom—going to the bathroom in a girl’s body was… quite the surreal experience.

On my way back, I happened to notice four young girls having dinner together. Given the restaurant’s high price range, it was rare to see a group made up entirely of kids.

Two of them were in school uniforms, by the crest on their uniform it seemed like Biyang Girls Academy.

"That Qiaojue just handed over the package and ran off without even saying a word. No way we’re treating her to dinner tonight." The ponytailed girl grumbled.

A messy-haired girl, whose hair resembled a seaweed-like tangle, tried to soothe her. "Didn’t Big Sis yourself tell her to keep a low profile?"

"Well, yeah… But still! Good thing that you had a backup plan, Cangyu. If it weren’t for the listening device on the belt buckle, I would’ve been running around for nothing!"

The orange-haired girl tilted her head in confusion. "Didn’t today still end up being a waste of time?"

"Kukuku~"

The ponytailed girl wrapped her arms around the orange-haired one, flashing a mischievous smile.

"Not at all, my dear Tangerine-chan~ I’ve already got all the intel I wanted!"

Not that I understand a single thing…But what the hell were they talking about? Stealth operations? Bugging devices? Are girls these days always this terrifying?!

I must’ve been standing there too long because the last girl, a gentle-looking one with twin braids, finally noticed me.

"Little girl, are you lost? Do you need help finding your parents?"

This girl is adorable… I caught myself thinking. She’d make a great daughter-in-law—wait, no! My kid can only be someone else’s wife now!
"Ah, no, I’m not lost! Sorry for disturbing you!"

I quickly apologized and scurried back to my seat.

Sitting down, I stared at my daughter for a long moment… then suddenly asked:

"Hey, daughter… and Xiao Xi. How about you two go back to high school next semester? Biyang Girls Academy seems like a good choice."

"Huh?!" x2