Fickle Fate and Hidden Desires

“A-Yao, dinner’s ready.”

In the maiden’s chamber on the second floor, the young girl languidly turned over.

Her voice, soft and sweet, replied, “Coming now.”

Clad in a pink and white T-shirt, identical to Izumi Sagiri’s, she tugged at the neckline, shielding the ample curves of her chest.

A pair of long, fair, and shapely jade legs slowly descended from the bed.

Still, food was a necessity.

Xi Yao gazed at the devastatingly beautiful face reflected in the mirror, then lowered her eyes to her burgeoning ample bosom, letting out a silent sigh.

“Ah, life,” she mused. “Fate is ever fickle.”

Just a month prior, she recalled, she had been nothing more than an ordinary young man on Earth.

One fateful day, while strolling down the street, he had been struck by a drunk driver’s truck, thrown into the air, and rendered unconscious.

When her eyes fluttered open again, she had become a stunning girl with a generous bust.

After a month of living as a girl, Xi Yao had gradually come to terms with her new reality.

First, this was not her original Earth, but a parallel world strikingly similar to it.

As for her identity, she was not, in fact, the Xi family’s biological daughter.

Madam Xi and the original owner’s mother had been close friends.

Three years ago, after the original owner’s parents had passed away, Madam Xi had brought her into their home.

Coincidentally sharing the same surname, outsiders often mistook her and the Xi family’s biological daughter for sisters.

She herself had nearly made the same mistake initially.

Given the current circumstances, it seemed she had been adopted, making her akin to a sister, right?

The ‘seemed’ stemmed from the fact that Xi Yao had only been there for a month, not yet fully grasping the situation, though she felt this assumption was correct.

In any case, Madam Xi had told her to call her ‘Mom,’ and so she did.

The Xi family had once been a prominent and influential aristocratic household, but now their fortunes had dwindled.

They were merely considered a moderately wealthy family in a small locality.

Besides the parents and Xi Yao, there was also an elder sister, Xi Ruo.

The two sisters attended the same school, though one was in high school and the other in university.

Their relationship, it seemed, was rather lukewarm; at least, during this past month of summer vacation, Xi Yao hadn’t managed to exchange a single word with her sister.

Due to the previous family incident, the original owner had missed an entire year of schooling and had consequently been held back.

This year, despite being eighteen, she was only in her second year of high school.

Xi Ruo, the elder sister, was a paragon of genius.

Entering her second year of university next semester, she excelled in every aspect, from academics to sports, consistently ranking first in the academy.

Coupled with her appearance as an ice-cold beauty, she enjoyed immense popularity.

Xi Yao, on the other hand, was rather ordinary, possessing nothing remarkable beyond her beauty and ample bosom.

At school, she was often labeled “a busty, brainless vase.”

Xi Yao paid little mind to these labels.

In the month since her rebirth, she had lived quite happily.

Although the Xi family had fallen on hard times, compared to her previous life, they were undeniably a wealthy household.

The allowance she received was beyond anything she could have dreamed of in her past life.

Spending ten 648-yuan packs (TL Note: A common denomination for in-game purchases in Chinese mobile games, often referring to 648 RMB) over a single summer vacation brought her immeasurable joy.

Moreover, during these months spent at home, besides playing games and watching anime, Xi Yao had discovered a special secret joy—the joy of being a girl…

****

At the dining table, Madam Xi and Xi Ruo sat on opposite sides, awaiting Xi Yao’s arrival.

“A-Ruo, you’re entering your second year of university soon. Do you have any special plans for the new semester?”

“Nothing much will change.”

“Alright then… just remember not to be too conspicuous. The Yun family has been quite prominent lately, and their child is in her fourth year. Things will settle down once she graduates.”

“I understand.”

While Madam Xi conversed with Xi Ruo, Xi Yao slowly descended the stairs and approached the table.

Unlike Xi Yao’s long, straight white hair, Xi Ruo possessed long, straight black hair, a beautiful shade, like the polished black of a grand piano.

Her figure was tall and graceful, her overall physique well-proportioned, and her chest development was excellent.

Even in university, she stood out among her peers.

However…

Xi Yao glanced down at her own, then up at Xi Ruo’s, making a careful comparison.

‘Ha, mine are still better developed.’

Madam Xi turned her head, spotted Xi Yao, and called out, “A-Yao, come quickly and eat… Why are you dressed like that?”

Xi Yao was wearing only a pink and white anime T-shirt, its neckline having slipped down to expose a delicate shoulder, revealing a glimpse of her well-developed, soft, white bosom.

Below, whether due to overly short shorts or an exceptionally long T-shirt hem, only her fair, slender legs were visible beneath the shirt, giving the impression at a glance that she wasn’t wearing any pants.

…Indeed, she had only put on panties, pretending they were very short sleep shorts, when in reality, she wore nothing else.

“It’s just home, and only Mom and Sister Xi Ruo are here,” Xi Yao said softly. “It’s fine to dress a bit more casually, isn’t it?”

Her coy demeanor left Madam Xi speechless.

Xi Ruo glanced at her, an inexplicable emotion flickering in her cool, ice-blue eyes, but she uttered not a single word.

Her aura seemed to grow even colder.

“A-Yao, you’ve been cooped up at home for so long, not going out at all this summer,” Madam Xi couldn’t help but nag.

“Don’t just play all day. Have you finished your summer homework?”

Compared to her excellent and sensible elder daughter, the adopted younger one was somewhat of a headache.

“Mostly done,” Xi Yao mumbled, shoveling rice into her mouth. “It’s too hot outside; I don’t want to leave.”

‘Eat, only after eating my fill will I have the energy to play games.’

Xi Yao ate with such speed, her chopsticks and small mouth never pausing, that Madam Xi couldn’t find an opportunity to speak.

By the time she finally saw her stop, the rice in her bowl was already gone.

“I’m finished. Please enjoy the rest of your meal.”

The young girl dropped this remark, then left the table and headed back upstairs.

With only a few days left of summer vacation, every second counted.

“Slow down, slow down. Don’t run right after eating.”

Madam Xi sighed. “This child, really.”

Xi Ruo’s expression grew increasingly aloof; ever since Xi Yao had joined them at the table, she hadn’t uttered a single word.

Noticing her daughter’s unusual demeanor, Madam Xi gently nudged her arm, lowering her voice. “Are you still angry with A-Yao?”

“No,” Xi Ruo replied, her beautiful face as cold as ice. “It’s not as if I… can’t live without it.”

Xi Yao had misunderstood one crucial thing: she was not Xi Ruo’s sister.

Lacking the original owner’s memories, she had made an incorrect assessment of her identity.

Three years ago, Madam Xi had discovered that her own daughter was fond of girls—specifically, the type with a charmingly naive appearance and a generous bosom, which was Xi Ruo’s favorite.

Coincidentally, her friend’s daughter fit this description perfectly, and that friend, along with her husband, had tragically passed away in an accident.

Consequently, Madam Xi brought Xi Yao home to be a child bride for her own daughter.

Xi Ruo was delighted; she had instantly fallen for this girl who matched all her ‘XP’ (TL Note: “XP” is a Chinese internet slang term, short for “experience points,” but often used to refer to one’s specific preferences, fetishes, or “kinks” in a lighthearted, often anime-related context).

However, whenever she tried to get closer to Xi Yao, the girl was extremely resistant.

Xi Yao knew of Madam Xi’s arrangements and had agreed to them, but the young girl was too shy and, in her innocence, had never considered ‘lewd acts’ (TL Note: “涩涩” (sèsè) is a euphemistic Chinese internet slang term, often used playfully to refer to sexually suggestive or “naughty” content or actions).

Therefore…

Returning to the present, Madam Xi gently urged, “Give her a little more time. A-Yao is still young.”

“She’s already eighteen, Mom,” Xi Ruo retorted, pouting. “I really can’t see where she’s ‘small’.”

“Ah, well… don’t be so impatient,” Madam Xi tried another approach. “These things require a gradual approach; you can’t rush to ‘one step completion’.”

“One step completion? Heh heh.”

Unable to contain herself, Xi Ruo let out two cold laughs. “I haven’t even held her hand, and you’re telling me to take it gradually?”

“Ah, this…”

This time, Madam Xi was utterly at a loss for a reply.

After much thought, she found an excuse for Xi Yao: “A-Yao is just too innocent, you know.”

****

Unaware of any of this, Xi Yao had just finished a round of Apex Legends where she ‘dropped and got boxed’ (TL Note: “落地成盒” (luòdì chénghé) is a Chinese internet slang term from battle royale games, meaning to land and immediately die, turning into a loot box).

She suddenly felt utterly bored.

Gaming felt pointless. Perhaps… she should reward herself?

“Anyway, school starts in a few days, and it won’t be as convenient there,” Xi Yao rationalized to herself. “Consider this the last time for the summer.”

She closed the game, opened QQ, and navigated to one of her QQ groups.

The young girl’s fair, slender fingers glided lightly across the keyboard, typing out a few earth-shattering words—

[Send some lewd pics!] (TL Note: “涩图” (sètú) is Chinese internet slang for sexually suggestive images, often used in a playful or meme-like context.)