The Bitter Acceptance

“Zi… Ziyan… what are you talking about?”

Ye Xingmian’s voice trembled, barely believing her own ears.

“Hmm? Do you want me to say it again? Sis~ter~?”

“No… I’m not…!”

Unable to meet the other girl’s gaze, Ye Xingmian struggled violently. She first pushed away Lin Ziyan’s hand that had been pressed against her chest.

Then, she slid down the wall to the floor, shrinking into a ball. She tucked her head down, avoiding eye contact with the girl before her, much like a turtle retreating into its shell.

“Still saying you’re not? I felt it myself!”

Lin Ziyan declared with an air of smug confidence, her chest puffed out.

“No… that’s not it…”

“Hmm? Not it? Then tell me, what is it?”

“…I’ve gained some weight recently… so I’ve grown a little flesh around my chest area…”

Even as the words left her lips, Ye Xingmian herself didn’t believe them.

Predictably, Lin Ziyan burst into loud laughter, so boisterous that Ye Xingmian’s face flushed crimson.

“Don’t laugh…”

“Hahaha, do you even believe what you’re saying? Hmm?”

“…”

The young girl knew her lie sounded utterly unconvincing, yet she couldn’t conjure any other response besides flat denial.

She remained silent, a profound unease settling over her, amplified by the unnatural heat that bloomed on her cheeks from the recent mockery.

‘Lin Ziyan has truly exposed me… How could this happen?’

Was her painstaking disguise, after all this effort, as fragile as a sheet of paper? She had believed she could maintain the deception for a while longer, enough to last until she could leave this place.

She never anticipated being exposed so swiftly, especially not by Lin Ziyan, her nominal ‘younger sister’.

While her secret had already been discovered by two others, and Qin Haiyue had even used it to threaten her, this instance was different. This was Lin Ziyan, a ‘family member’ with whom she shared an exceptionally close bond.

If Lin Ziyan truly revealed this to her aunt and uncle, the consequences would be unimaginable.

As Lin Ziyan had threatened, how would they view her upon learning she had suddenly transformed from a boy into a girl? A hermaphroditic monster? If word spread, their reputation would undoubtedly suffer.

Surely, they would cast her out.

Losing this place as her home would mean she could no longer attend school. Moreover, if it truly came to pass, her mother would learn of her situation. She knew her mother’s income was not high; what if she tragically lost her job because of this?

And if her mother discovered the truth of her transformation into a girl, would she still acknowledge her? After so many years apart, had her mother already come to see her as a burden, a millstone around her neck? Did her mother truly still love her?

Ye Xingmian dared not gamble on that possibility. She feared that once her secret was exposed, all her illusions would shatter. What would she do then?

After a long silence, she ceased speaking, effectively conceding the truth.

“Hmph, no more quibbling. Otherwise, I’ll make good on my word.”

Lin Ziyan before her remained utterly relaxed and carefree. Indeed, for her, holding all the power meant she could treat Ye Xingmian however she pleased.

‘This is… so infuriating…’

‘Why? Why must fate be so cruel to me… Why?’

Lifting her head, the young girl now fully grasped the situation. She knew she couldn’t allow Lin Ziyan to reveal her secret.

So, she forced a strained smile.

‘At this point, I suppose I have no choice but to admit it, don’t I? To acknowledge the fact that I’ve become a girl.’

“Could you… not call me ‘sister’?”

Despite the smile on her face, tears welled in the corners of her eyes. She softly voiced her request, unsure why she was even saying it. Perhaps it was because when Lin Ziyan called her ‘sister,’ she felt not a shred of warmth, but only intense sarcasm and humiliation.

“Hmm? Why?”

Tilting her head, Lin Ziyan asked, genuinely puzzled.

“No… it’s nothing… anything else is fine… just don’t call me ‘sister’…”

“Oh? Didn’t you used to really want me to call you ‘brother’?”

The two had grown up together since childhood. Though introverted, the young Ye Xingmian of the past was never as vulnerable as she was now; her current demeanor had been cultivated little by little.

Long ago, their relationship had been far better than it was currently. Back then, Lin Ziyan would indeed call her ‘brother’, and with that familial designation, the young Ye Xingmian, living in their home, had felt far more secure.

However, as time went on, the money her mother sent became scarcer, and her foster parents’ attitude towards Ye Xingmian grew increasingly cold. Lin Ziyan, indulged and pampered, gradually developed a sense of superiority over her. Since then, Ye Xingmian had never again heard Lin Ziyan call her ‘brother’.

Despite this, Ye Xingmian herself was still willing to treat Lin Ziyan as her younger sister, tirelessly caring for her every day.

Nevertheless, their relationship had steadily drifted apart.

Had it not been for this transformation into a girl, it was likely Lin Ziyan wouldn’t have given her a second glance until the day she finally left this place.

The smile finally vanished from the young girl’s face. She lowered her head once more, her expression sour and crestfallen, like a bitter gourd.

“The past is the past, and now is now…”

‘Things are so different now compared to before…’

“Alright, then what do you want me to call you? Let’s be clear, ‘brother’ is out; you’re a girl now, and honestly, you don’t look a day older than me. If anything, people wouldn’t question you calling *me* ‘sister’.”

“…”

The young girl remained silent.

“How about this, then? You call me ‘sister,’ and I’ll call you ‘younger sister.’ Hehe, it’ll be a chance for me to experience being an older sister.”

“Could we… change it?”

“No! I’ve already decided. If you don’t agree, I’ll tell Mom and Dad your secret and have you kicked out.”

“…”

Confronted by Lin Ziyan’s blatant threat, the young girl gently closed her eyes.

She felt immense pain, a sensation akin to years of her efforts being casually crushed, followed by the very things she once cherished being used to humiliate her.

Her chest felt tight, her breathing labored—a suffocating feeling.

If she had ever harbored any lingering illusions about this ‘younger sister’ of hers, then at this moment, all those thoughts shattered like broken glass, gone forever.

With Lin Ziyan having gone so far, Ye Xingmian naturally had no choice left. When she opened her eyes again, her gaze was somewhat distant, indifferent.

“Alright… Sister…”

Her consciousness reeled, a pervasive sense that she had lost something profoundly important.

However, Lin Ziyan, standing before her, could not empathize. On the contrary, her face was alight with excitement.

“Your voice is too soft, say it again!”

Turning her head away, refusing to meet Lin Ziyan’s gaze, she spoke a little louder this time.

“Sister.”

“Alright! Good, you’re obedient. Hurry and stand up, the floor’s cold.”

Lin Ziyan smiled brightly, reaching out to pull the girl to her feet. However, the girl, still turned away, gently brushed her hand aside.

Lin Ziyan’s expression hardened. “Little sister, why aren’t you being obedient? Stand up! Do you really want me to tell Mom and Dad everything?”