“Is this truly my current appearance?”
Qirong instinctively caressed his fair, delicate face, wanting to ascertain if this was all an illusion. The touch felt incredibly smooth and supple, like the finest silk beneath his fingertips.
‘Could there truly be two people so incredibly alike in this world? This isn’t just a family member of the campus belle; it’s practically a clone!’
Qirong found it incomprehensible. Refusing to believe it, he meticulously scrutinized his impossibly beautiful face. A moment later, he genuinely found a distinction.
“There’s a tear mole here.”
Leaning closer to the mirror, Qirong discovered a tear mole beneath the corner of his left eye. This was the sole feature distinguishing him from the campus belle.
He observed it curiously for a moment longer, realizing that this very tear mole imbued his face with a touch of delicate charm, creating a noticeable difference in temperament from Chen Xuanzhu.
“Qiu, what are you looking at?”
Just then, the blonde aunt’s voice drifted from the doorway.
“N-nothing at all!”
Qirong startled, quickly straightening up.
“Then come out for dinner.”
The blonde aunt called out, a hint of confusion in her tone.
“Alright.”
Qirong walked out nervously, his face still damp. It wasn’t that he’d forgotten to wipe it, but rather that he dared not use someone else’s towel. What if he accidentally used a lady’s? Wouldn’t that be terribly impolite?
“Why haven’t you wiped your face?”
The blonde aunt chided him, then strode in on her long, slender legs. Her tall, voluptuous figure exuded a palpable sense of presence.
Qirong, like a startled bird, had a chaotic mind and no idea how to respond.
“Dear, aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?”
The blonde aunt picked up a pink towel nearby and gently began to wipe Qirong’s face. Her ample cleavage, a prominent “career line,” pressed unreservedly against his cheek.
Qirong was not the true owner of this body, and without the calming effect of familial affection, coupled with his naturally thin skin, he immediately flushed crimson. If his legs hadn’t felt so weak, he would have surely fled by now.
After his face was dry, Qirong, his cheeks blazing red, followed his ‘bargain’ mother out of the bathroom, his steps feeling somewhat unsteady.
Upon seeing them emerge, Chen Xuanzhu, who had been on the sofa, also rose. The three of them—mother and two ‘children’—then proceeded into the adjacent kitchen.
On the round table in the kitchen, several small dishes were already laid out. Though not extravagant delicacies, their exquisite presentation and enticing aroma filled the air, embodying a refined, petit-bourgeois lifestyle.
Beside the dining table, a middle-aged woman in an apron waited. Seeing the three enter, she immediately and respectfully pulled out chairs for them.
“Your father is busy with work today, so he won’t be home for dinner.”
The blonde aunt announced gracefully as she took her seat.
Qirong felt overwhelmed by the unexpected attention. He only dared to sit after the mother and daughter had taken their places, and only dared to pick up his chopsticks after they had started eating, appearing incredibly reserved.
“You… were you bullied again today?”
Chen Xuanzhu suddenly asked, without lifting her head, her tone remarkably calm and indifferent.
Seeing her daughter speak, the blonde aunt’s movements slowed, and she watched cautiously.
“Are… are you asking me?”
Qirong asked, bewildered. Due to his guilt, he couldn’t even bring himself to use the pronoun “you.”
“In this family, who else besides you would be bullied?”
Chen Xuanzhu lifted her head, her crystal-clear beautiful eyes unblinking, radiating a pure beauty that made it difficult to meet her gaze directly.
‘Am I the only one in this family who gets bullied? Well, my apologies then!’
Qirong thought inwardly, quickly explaining aloud, “No, I wasn’t bullied.”
“Then why are you only coming back now? And why are there so many handprints on your face?”
Chen Xuanzhu put down her chopsticks, her cool, elegant demeanor making her appear assertive.
“I pinched them myself!”
Qirong tried hard to explain. As a respectable grown man, he certainly didn’t want to be looked down upon by a young girl.
“I’ve told you countless times, if someone bullies you, just say you’re my older brother. High school has only just begun; if you don’t say anything, how will anyone know? Why won’t you ever listen?”
Chen Xuanzhu clearly didn’t believe him, so she continued her intense interrogation.
Seeing the campus belle across from him so agitated, Qirong’s chopsticks slowed awkwardly, and his face flushed an even deeper red.
“Zhu, don’t use that tone. He is your brother, after all!”
His blonde-haired, blue-eyed ‘bargain’ mother interjected from the side.
‘So I’m the older brother after all. The way she talks, I thought I was the younger one.’
Qirong mused wildly.
“Brother? I wish he were the younger sister instead; at least then he wouldn’t get bullied.”
Chen Xuanzhu shook her head, lamenting his lack of assertiveness.
‘She seems so aggressive, but she’s actually worried about me. Who knew this campus belle was such a tsundere!’
Qirong thought, a little surprised, feeling his anxiety abate slightly.
“This is all Mother’s fault. If I hadn’t given him a face like this, he wouldn’t be mocked, and he wouldn’t have to wear makeup to school every day.”
His blonde-haired, blue-eyed ‘bargain’ mother blamed herself from the side.
‘So the original owner of this body wore makeup to school every day because he was afraid of being discriminated against!’
Qirong suddenly understood. He had wondered why a high school boy would put cosmetics on his face.
‘What good is all that wealth? Looking like this, he’d still face discrimination.’
Qirong suddenly felt a surge of sympathy for the original owner of this body.
“How can you blame yourself? If I may be frank, he’s just too useless.”
The campus belle cast a disdainful glance at Qirong.
“Ma’am, Miss, please don’t worry. I think the young master is very adorable. He’s only like this because he’s still young. He’ll be fine once he grows a beard in a few years.”
The hourly maid, a kind aunt, offered comfort understandingly.
“Thank you, Auntie Li. I hope what you say is true.”
His blonde-haired, blue-eyed ‘bargain’ mother thanked her politely.
‘I hope so too.’
Qirong secretly prayed. Otherwise, what kind of life would it be to have a man’s body with a woman’s appearance forever?
It turned out that hiring this hourly maid was well worth it; her single remark significantly lightened the atmosphere.
“Qiu, would you reconsider Mother’s suggestion from a while ago?”
His ‘bargain’ mother tentatively asked Qirong.
“What suggestion?”
Qirong asked, bewildered.
“It’s about temporarily pretending to be a girl for school. At least that would ensure you’re not looked at strangely. Then, in a couple of years, when you look a bit more… well… a bit more like a boy, you can change back.”
His ‘bargain’ mother patiently suggested.
“No, no, absolutely not.”
Qirong’s tone was exceptionally resolute this time. Although he currently looked like a girl, he was a spirited man at heart. How could he possibly agree to such a strange request?
His ‘bargain’ mother’s persuasion proved fruitless, and she reluctantly gave up, albeit with a hint of dissatisfaction.
After lunch, the family of three settled down in the living room for a short while.
Qirong’s anxious mood gradually calmed. He mused that perhaps he had been overly nervous earlier. His current family members were ordinary people in a materialistic society. If he didn’t say anything, no matter how unusual his behavior, how could they possibly connect it to something like soul transference?
“Oh, by the way, Zhu, come home early this afternoon. Your father needs to attend a business partner’s birthday banquet tonight, and they specifically asked for you to be there.”
His ‘bargain’ mother suddenly spoke.
“More social engagements? How annoying!”
Chen Xuanzhu rolled her eyes in distaste.
“Zhu, I know you don’t like it, but your father works hard. He runs around for the company all day, sometimes not even having time to eat. So, we should help as much as we can.”
His ‘bargain’ mother patiently advised.
“I know, I know,”
Chen Xuanzhu quickly pleaded.
“Qiu, aren’t you going to put on makeup? It’s almost time for school!”
His blonde-haired, blue-eyed ‘bargain’ mother then turned to ask Qirong.
‘Oh hell! What am I going to do? I don’t know how to put on makeup at all!’
Qirong’s heart seized in alarm, his mind once again a chaotic mess. If he didn’t apply makeup, it would seem highly abnormal. But if he tried, he wouldn’t even know where to begin, as he’d never before touched cosmetics—a skill typically understood by women.
The two women present observed Qirong’s lack of reaction, a hint of confusion appearing on their faces.
Just as Qirong found himself in a dilemma, footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the door. He looked towards the sound, only to see three or four men entering. Leading them was a handsome middle-aged man in a suit, followed by a young man carrying a briefcase. Surprisingly, behind them were two uniformed police officers.