Chapter 56: The Book of Memories

It was late in the evening when Su Xinxin finally returned to her residence, having spent the day with Jasmin at the Mycelial Spoken Word Division headquarters.

Before they parted, Jasmin playfully suggested she would visit Su Xinxin’s home if she had time. Su Xinxin, unsure how to respond, vaguely replied, “Perhaps another time.”

She settled onto the sofa, leaning back with a profound weariness that wasn’t physical, but mental.

A persistent question weighed on her mind: How long could she maintain this elaborate disguise? A seventy-year-old woman attempting to masquerade as an eighteen-year-old girl would inevitably falter. She felt certain her true identity would eventually be exposed.

Over the past month, she had immersed herself in numerous anime series and novels, particularly a genre known as “transformation stories,” which depicted situations precisely like hers.

Some protagonists inherently possessed the memories and life experiences of their female forms, making their disguises effortless. Others, like her, inherited no memories and had to learn everything from scratch. The stories featured a bewildering array of scenarios: exchanges, assimilations, complete transformations, and more. Some of the plotlines made her blush just reading them.

“Xiao Ming,” she murmured, slumping into the sofa. Her voice was muffled. “The longer I interact with Jasmin, the greater the risk of exposure, isn’t it? I… I’m a little tired.”

Previously, she at least had a clear goal: to advance to the first rank and become a full-fledged member. Now that her objective was achieved, she found herself adrift, unsure where to direct her efforts. The daily struggle of calculating how to speak, how to walk, how to convincingly portray an eighteen-year-old girl was utterly exhausting.

“There’s a way around that. The organization anticipated this long ago.”

As Xiao Ming spoke, it conjured a thick, heavy book from seemingly nowhere and placed it on the coffee table. The gesture reminded Su Xinxin of the blue robotic cat from her anime.

“What is this? A magic book? My new artifact?” She reached out to flip through it, then remembered the bracelet she hadn’t yet received. “If it’s a new artifact, I could return the bracelet Jasmin bought me.”

“What are you talking about!” Xiao Ming’s ears perked up. “This isn’t an artifact. These are the memories of ‘Su Xinxin’ from before she turned eighteen. This is the Book of Memories!”

Su Xinxin paused, then looked down at the book’s cover. Three characters were inscribed there: Su Xinxin.

“Recorded… memories?”

“It’s an autobiographical novel written by ‘Su Xinxin,’ titled *My Early Life*… Ahem, no more jokes.” Xiao Ming cleared its throat. “The title is simply *Su Xinxin*. It’s a book you absolutely need to read, in any case.”

“Oh—so, it’s like a character profile for ‘Su Xinxin’? If Jasmin asks about my past, I can say I graduated from such-and-such elementary school and attended middle school here?”

“More or less. But it’s more than that. This book also contains ‘Su Xinxin’s’ past experiences, emotions—”

“Wait!” Su Xinxin interrupted. “She had a romantic relationship before she was eighteen? Isn’t that a bit too early? That won’t do!”

Xiao Ming’s ears drooped, a look of helplessness on its face.

“I said emotions, not narrowly defined romantic love! What about ‘Su Xinxin’s’ family? Her parents? Doesn’t familial affection count? What about ‘Su Xinxin’s’ friends? Doesn’t friendship count?”

“Alright…” Su Xinxin scratched her head. “I just meant, I genuinely wouldn’t know how to portray a young girl who’s been in love.”

“Do you think this is a murder mystery game or an RPG character role-play?” Xiao Ming rolled its eyes. “Don’t forget about magic.”

“Oh… right.”

“Alright, start reading now.” Xiao Ming pushed the book closer.

“Now?” Su Xinxin glanced out the window, where the sky had already turned completely dark. “It’s already night. Let’s save it for tomorrow and read it slowly. It’s so thick; I definitely won’t finish it tonight.”

“You will.”

Su Xinxin didn’t reply. She stared at the three characters on the book’s cover, then suddenly asked, “You said this is an autobiographical novel written by ‘Su Xinxin’… Is there really a girl named Su Xinxin who looks just like me? You didn’t actually—”

“It’s not as dark as you’re imagining!” Xiao Ming cut her off.

“I’ve been watching videos these past few days and saw some really dark magical girl stories. There’s a spirit in them that looks quite similar to you…”

Su Xinxin hesitated mid-sentence.

Xiao Ming watched her, silent for a moment.

“We’ve been through a whole month together,” it said, its voice softer than usual. “Do you still not trust me?”

Su Xinxin met its gaze. Those ruby-like eyes shone just as brightly as they had a month ago, when it asked her on the hospital bed, “You really want to leave, don’t you?” Back then, she chose to trust it, and the subsequent events proved that choice wasn’t wrong.

“…Alright.” She opened the book. “I’ll just read a little then. Just the preface.”

She began reading slowly, scrutinizing each word twice, afraid to miss anything. Yet, after a few minutes, her expression seemed to shift—no longer hesitant or resistant, but earnest, even eager. She started turning the page, then the next, and the next.

Then, the book pages began to glow.

Initially, it was a faint luminescence, as if seeping from the paper’s seams. Then, it grew progressively brighter, and the pages began to turn with increasing speed, not by her hand, but by the book itself, moving without a breeze.

The words within the book lifted from the paper, drifting like falling snowflakes, or perhaps like swimming fish, each particle entering her glabella.

Faster and faster.

The book flipped to its final page, then snapped shut. The entire volume instantly dissolved into tiny specks of light, vanishing into the air.

Everything about “Su Xinxin” contained within that book flooded into her mind.

The joy of being praised by family. The happiness of making friends. The excitement of receiving awards.

These memories played out before her eyes like a film, each frame so vivid it felt as though she had experienced them herself. The corners of her lips curled upward unconsciously.

Her hobbies, preferences, habits, and all the knowledge she had acquired over the years also surged in. Even some… more private knowledge.

Su Xinxin’s face flushed crimson.

“Why would even *that*… *that* kind of knowledge be transferred to me?”

“Master, that is normal physiological knowledge,” Xiao Ming’s tone was utterly serious. “You need to understand it too.”

Before Su Xinxin could retort, the scene changed.

The passing of her grandparents. Her parents’ car accident. The empty house. Sitting alone in the living room, unsure what to do.

The smile vanished from her face. Tears streamed uncontrollably, as if she had truly lived through those events.

Then came dizziness. The world spun, tumbling upside down before her eyes.

She seemed to lose consciousness.

When she awoke again, it was already the next day.

Su Xinxin lay in bed, unsure how she had moved from the sofa. Her head still reeled; she rubbed her temples, slowly sitting up.

Thankfully, everything came back.

‘My name is Su Xinxin, I just turned eighteen this year, and I’m a slightly otaku beautiful girl who loves watching anime. I’m also a super-invincible, adorable pretty girl.

Just recently, to protect world peace, I officially became a magical girl!

My parents died in a car accident during a monster attack, and now I live alone. However, I’ve made a new good friend, Momo.

Now… there’s nothing to be afraid of!’

‘No, no, I shouldn’t make such a bold statement!’

‘Huh?’

‘Strange!’

‘Wait! Wait!’

‘No! No! No!’

Su Xinxin snapped wide awake. She wasn’t some eighteen-year-old beautiful girl; she was an old man named Gu, with three daughters, living in Zhuzhou District, Jiangcheng City, Chutian Province.

This was her true memory—seventy years of weighty memories, etched into her soul.

Thankfully, they were all there.

She meticulously recalled each of those memories.

The day before yesterday, she had been promoted to a first-rank magical girl. Yesterday, she accompanied Jasmin to the Mycelial Spoken Word Division headquarters. Last night, she read the Book of Memories called *Su Xinxin*. Her own memories were still intact, none lost.

She also remembered the faces of her daughters, the smiles of her grandchildren, the scent of her old house, and the way her late wife would playfully scold her in dreams. Not a single one was missing.

She was still the homesick Old Man Gu. She simply had the memories of an eighteen-year-old girl added to her body.

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