A Soaked Return

“Ah… I…”

Ye Xingmian opened her mouth, but no coherent words came out.

“What happened to you? You’re soaked!”

Her face flushed red, and she stammered, trying to explain, but her foster mother, impatient, gave her no time.

“It’s windy outside, come in quickly. I have something to ask you.”

“…Yes.”

Despite the cold tone, the words held a rare warmth. The girl, feeling a glimmer of comfort, followed her foster mother inside.

“Hmm? Why are you back?”

Lin Cheng, her foster father, had just placed his phone on the table when he saw Ye Xingmian. Frowning, he asked, “What’s going on?”

“I… I came back to change my clothes…”

Her hat remained on her head as she stammered, her voice trembling with nervousness.

“Change your clothes? What happened? Take off your hat and let me see.”

His voice held a hint of suspicion. Despite her inner turmoil, Ye Xingmian removed her hat, revealing her wet, much longer hair.

She kept her head down, hiding her face from view.

Her foster parents seldom paid her much attention, and despite living under the same roof, the likelihood of them discovering her true identity was low. They always saw her as a somewhat weak, effeminate boy.

As expected, Lin Cheng only observed her for a moment, failing to notice any changes. However, his expression darkened.

“What got you into this state? What if you catch a cold? Who’s going to pay for the medicine?”

His voice was laced with anger. “Go take a shower and change your clothes!”

He didn’t question the reason for her condition, only demanding she hurry to prevent a cold. His stern tone made her shudder, and she nodded quickly, heading upstairs to her attic room.

“Yes… I’ll go.”

Lin Cheng glanced at the barely touched breakfast on the table, then remembered something. “Hurry up, wash and change. I still need to ask you something later.”

Her body tensed, but she didn’t respond, only nodding as she ascended the stairs.

The attic, which served as her bedroom, was also used as a storage space. Except for a small area by the window where a bed and wardrobe were placed, the rest was cluttered with old clothes, shoes, and dusty, broken furniture.

Ye Xingmian walked to her bed, the only spot where she could see the grayish sunlight through the window, creating a serene atmosphere.

“…”

She loved this place. Gazing out the window, she felt her mind calm, able to recall distant, fading memories of better times.

But the noise from downstairs and the cold on her body left her no time for reflection. She bit her pale lip and opened her old wardrobe, searching for clothes.

However…

Lifting her damp shirt, she saw the white cloth binding her soft chest. In the early morning, she had noticed the sensitivity of her nipples, realizing she couldn’t move without addressing it. After much thought, she found a white cloth in the bottom of her wardrobe, binding her chest, allowing her to attend school normally today.

But now, the cloth was damp. She would need to remove it during her shower and dry it.

By evening, it should be dry. But there was no more cloth left, and she had no solution for the afternoon classes…

Worrying, she reluctantly left the attic, heading to the bathroom with her change of clothes.

Unlike her cluttered attic room, the bathroom was clean and orderly, with spotless tiles. She removed her wet clothes, leaving only the white cloth binding her chest and her underwear.

After a brief hesitation, she placed the white cloth on the washing machine and piled her other clothes on the floor. Then, she turned on the shower.

Fortunately, the house had both solar and water heating, so she didn’t need to wait for the water to heat up. She waited until steam rose from the shower before stepping in, the warm water soaking her body.

Really… it’s all gone…

Looking down at her body, her expression was complex.

Despite confirming it in the morning, seeing it with her own eyes was still unbelievable. Nothing remained, completely vanished. Her smooth, hairless skin, the tiny slit between her breasts, looked utterly adorable.

Only now did she truly feel like a girl.

Her mood worsened.

Silently, she scrubbed her body, washing her clothes in the cold water, planning to hang them out to dry while the sun was still out.

After washing, she dried her clothes and hair with a towel, waiting until all moisture was gone before dressing. She covered her face with her hat and left the bathroom.

“Why did you take so long?”

Her foster parents, it seemed, had already eaten. They sat on the living room sofa, scrolling through their phones. Seeing her, they asked,

“I… I also washed my clothes…”

She lowered her head, responding weakly.

“Next time, don’t take so long. Water isn’t cheap.”

“Oh…”

Trying to escape upstairs, she heard Lin Cheng call her back.

“Wait, come here.”

Of course, it had to come to this.

Silently, she glanced at him. It was her foster father who summoned her, while her foster mother sat on the sofa, scrolling through her phone, frowning.

“Yes…”

She walked over, standing in front of her foster father. Even seated, his presence was oppressive.

“Didn’t I tell you last night to make sure Ziyan eats breakfast this morning? Did she?”

His stern question made her heart race.

“She… she did…”

“You’re lying!”

Her right cheek stung, and her vision spun. When she came to, she was on the floor, the cold marble tiles seeping through her pants.

Her slapped cheek burned, and she stared blankly, unable to process what had happened.

“That bowl was barely touched, how could she have eaten? I just asked you to make sure she eats, is that so hard? You’re supposed to be her brother!”

She shook her head, trying to explain.

“No… it’s not… she wanted to buy a cake… I couldn’t stop her…”

Hot tears streamed down her face, even though she couldn’t see, she knew it was swollen and painful.

“You’re a man, can’t you control her? She skips breakfast and eats junk, how is that healthy? You’re just asking for trouble! Did you want to eat the cake yourself, so you encouraged her to skip breakfast?”

“I didn’t…”

Weakly trying to defend herself, she knew he wouldn’t listen.

“Didn’t? I think you did!”

Seeming to be enraged, he reached for his belt, but Xu Ming stepped in to defuse the situation.

“Alright, that’s enough. He said he didn’t, so let it go. Look at you, so worked up. Calm down.”

Only then did Lin Cheng relent.

“And you, Xingmian, get up. Stop crying like that.”

She didn’t want to stand, her limbs weak, but she feared disobeying. Shakily, she used the sofa to pull herself up.

“If I catch you doing this again, you won’t like the consequences!”

Lin Cheng threatened.

Ye Xingmian stood to the side, her body shaking with fear.

“Go buy him some cold medicine, don’t let him get worse. Injections cost a lot.”

Seeming to have calmed down, Lin Cheng told Xu Ming.

“That won’t be necessary. Cold medicine is expensive too. He’s young, his body can handle it. No need for medicine.”

Xu Ming interjected, waving her hand.

“You’re right!”

Lin Cheng agreed, then glared at Ye Xingmian.

“Don’t go to school this afternoon. Stay home and do some chores to prevent a cold. I’ll write a note for you.”

“Yes…”

This was almost a blessing, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about the binding cloth. But she had one more request, so she looked at Xu Ming, who seemed more approachable.

“Um… Auntie…”

“What is it?”

Sensing her timid tone, Xu Ming frowned, sensing something was amiss.

“Can… can you give me fifty yuan?”

“What do you need money for? I just gave you fifty yesterday.”

“For… food…”

Her voice grew softer.

“What? Fifty isn’t enough? You’re such a wasteful child! No, if you ask for money again, you’re out of here!”

“Wuu…”

Why…

Just yesterday, Mother had transferred two hundred yuan to you.

…

After lunch, her foster parents left for work, leaving Ye Xingmian alone to handle the chores. She washed dishes, swept the floor, and did laundry, but forgot one thing.

The white cloth, still damp with her scent, remained on the washing machine in the bathroom, untouched.