A Candid Conversation and a Mother’s Call

Bai Jingjing was casually sketching lines on her drawing paper.

She had no particular goal, simply practicing to keep her hand in.

It was already April, leaving only two or three months, likely until the summer break. Originally, it would have been nearly impossible for her to gather tuition fees and repay half a year’s worth of debt in such a short span, yet now, the situation appeared remarkably optimistic.

This was all thanks to Xia Chu, her ‘big sister’ – truly a kind soul.

“Bai, Bai Jingjing.”

Just as she was thinking this, Xia Chu’s cool, clear voice drifted from behind her.

Turning around, she saw Xia Chu standing at the balcony entrance, gazing at her.

“Why did you… come out here?”

Bai Jingjing was about to reply when she noticed a subtle awkwardness in Xia Chu’s gaze, which made her thoughtful.

Years of dealing with patients had taught her that, generally, when someone’s eyes held a touch of discomfort while speaking, it indicated their words were merely a facade, concealing a truer thought within.

Just like now, while Xia Chu outwardly asked why she was on the balcony, what she truly wanted to ask was likely… ‘Why aren’t you coming inside?’

So, Bai Jingjing packed up her drawing board.

“Wait a moment, I’ll come inside to join you right away.”

Xia Chu instinctively hummed in response, then suddenly caught herself, a faint blush spreading across her beautiful face.

“I didn’t say I wanted you to come in and keep me company… If you want to come in, then come in. After all… it’s quite windy on the balcony.”

On such a perfectly clear day, where could any wind possibly come from? Bai Jingjing simply chose not to expose her.

Walking back into the room from the balcony, Xia Chu settled onto the sofa and poured herself a glass of water.

Bai Jingjing sat beside her, her posture demure and obedient.

“How did you… and Luo Xuan meet?” Xia Chu casually cast about for a topic.

“We’re in the same QQ group,” Bai Jingjing answered truthfully. “I saw her recruitment post in the group and came.”

The truth, however, was far from so simple: after seeing the message, she had first made a wish, which then came true, transforming her into a girl, only then enabling her to offer her services.

Thinking back, her past life as a boy felt as though it had happened just the day before yesterday… Oh, wait, it really was just the day before yesterday.

Unaware of Bai Jingjing’s rich internal monologue, Xia Chu pondered for a moment before asking, “So, what made you decide to do this? Luo Xuan mentioned you’ve never been in a relationship before, neither with a boy nor a girl.”

“Because I need to raise money,” Bai Jingjing replied without hesitation. “Tuition fees for university, and some things I want to buy.”

Things like a computer with better rendering capabilities, and a digital tablet with lower latency and greater accuracy—these were all items she had coveted for a long time.

Xia Chu raised an eyebrow, thinking, ‘That’s certainly an honest answer.’

She quickly identified a potential issue.

“You’re preparing for university, so won’t doing all this affect your studies and the college entrance exam?”

It was April now, with the college entrance exam in June, leaving only two months.

“I’m an art student, and due to some special circumstances, I didn’t attend high school or take the college entrance exam,” Bai Jingjing said, shyly stroking her small hand. “That’s why I need more money.”

‘Ah, an adult university, then. That indeed requires higher enrollment fees.’

It was then that Xia Chu suddenly recalled that the large-chested girl beside her, with a face as youthful as a middle schooler’s, was already a 19-year-old adult.

‘Her age seemed to have entirely accumulated in her… well, *assets*.’

“You seem quite adept at taking care of someone’s daily life,” Xia Chu remarked, glancing at the tidy dining table nearby, then voiced a question that had long piqued her curiosity. “Where did you learn all this?”

“I didn’t learn it anywhere; it’s just practice making perfect,” Bai Jingjing answered calmly. “I used to have family members who needed looking after.”

‘Family members, *used to*?’

Xia Chu seemed to grasp something.

She recalled Bai Jingjing mentioning earlier that she needed to raise all the money herself, both for tuition and for the things she wished to buy… So, where were her family members?

Having similar experiences herself, she hadn’t initially paid much attention to that detail.

“Alright then… about that group you and Luo Xuan are in,” Xia Chu shifted the topic somewhat awkwardly. “What do you usually talk about? I heard it’s called a ‘Yuri group’ (TL Note: ‘Baihe qun’ refers to a group for fans of Yuri, a genre of fictional media focusing on romantic relationships between female characters.) or something.”

‘The socially anxious ‘big sister’ didn’t quite dare to ask about the other’s family matters; perhaps discussing her best friend’s social circle would be safer.’

Bai Jingjing considered for a moment before replying, “Yes, it’s a Yuri group, and we talk about quite a lot, a very wide range of topics. Some discuss works, some share real-life ‘dog food’ (TL Note: ‘Gouliang,’ literally ‘dog food,’ a Chinese slang term for public displays of affection by couples, meant to make single people feel envious.), and others engage in CP (TL Note: ‘Couple Pairing,’ a term referring to romantic pairings of characters or real people, often used in fandoms) or play ‘language cosplay’ (TL Note: ‘YǔC’ is an abbreviation for ‘yǔyán Cosplay,’ or ‘language cosplay,’ a form of online role-playing where participants adopt characters and interact through text.).”

Xia Chu paused slightly.

“What is ‘language cosplay’?”

She knew what CP was: two people who didn’t know each other in real life pretending to be a couple online.

“‘Language cosplay’ is essentially language-based cosplay, or text-based cosplay, where people role-play within certain online communities,” Bai Jingjing explained, blinking her eyes. “You could think of it as a virtual life.”

‘Or perhaps, cyberpunk make-believe.’

Xia Chu considered it carefully, then pursed her lips.

“Isn’t that still just pretending to be a couple online?”

‘Even if it’s make-believe, it’s usually just playing at being partners. What else could it be? Surely no one would pretend to be someone else’s mother.’

“Not entirely,” Bai Jingjing clarified. “You can have other relationships while also being a couple.”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Xia Chu spoke again.

“Then, what we’re doing right now, that also counts as pretending to be a couple, doesn’t it?”

‘And it’s even more advanced than those people in the group, because it’s in reality, not cyberpunk.’

Bai Jingjing mused, “So, should I invite you into that group?”

Xia Chu felt a slight inclination, but after careful consideration, she shook her head.

“Not for now; let’s talk about it later…”

‘Joining the group would mean facing a whole large circle of strangers, which felt like too much trouble.’

Just as she was about to say something more, her nearby phone lit up.

Picking it up, she saw several missed calls.

The caller’s name made her delicate brows furrow.

Unlocking the screen, she found that the caller had also sent messages on QQ.

[Full Bloom – Xiao Chu, why aren’t you answering your phone? I’ve called you several times.]

‘Because she didn’t want to answer, she didn’t want to answer any of their calls.’

This was Xia Chu’s mother, Madam Xia.

[Chuxia – I’m working, it’s not convenient to answer the phone.]

[Full Bloom – My dear child, no matter how busy you are with work, you must pay attention to your life and care for your family.]

Xia Chu couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh.

‘How dare she utter such words? Her concern for her daughter over all these years probably couldn’t even compare to that of Bai Jingjing, her girlfriend acquired just today.’

‘And the latter was merely a temporary employee.’

The other party’s sudden outreach today made Xia Chu instantly guess the reason: the company must have encountered problems, and they wanted her help.

Crucially, they immediately played the ‘family card,’ making it even harder for Xia Chu, who was already not adept at conversing with people, to handle the situation.

[Full Bloom – Since you’re busy with work now, I won’t bother you any further. Your elder brother and I will come to see you next week. We’re all family, we should keep in touch often.]

Xia Chu was slightly startled, and quickly typed: [No, I’m busy next week too, I don’t have time for you…]

However, Madam Xia was incredibly swift; she went offline immediately after sending that message.

“Damn it!”

Xia Chu stared at her phone screen, her beautiful face now etched with a frosty scowl.