‘What are you mumbling in your sleep…’ Huang Xiu rubbed her eyes as she accepted the object her mother offered.
She looked down.
It was her phone. The sight instantly jolted her awake.
‘Thank you, Mom!’ The young girl quickly pressed and held the power button.
Thankfully, only a few days had passed since she’d surrendered her phone, and the battery hadn’t yet dwindled to nothing from disuse.
The brand’s boot animation flashed across the screen.
A hand then pressed firmly on the screen, pushing the phone back down.
Huang Xiu looked up.
Her mother gently stroked her head. ‘Your dad’s home. Go out and greet him.’
Her mother hesitated for a moment.
Zhuang Wenli observed Huang Xiu’s disheveled hair and untidy clothes, unable to resist adding, ‘Remember to make yourself presentable. You look like you’ve been dragged through a bush backward.’
Her dad’s back?!
Huang Xiu’s movements instantly froze, her small head, which she had just begun to lift, halted mid-air.
‘Don’t be afraid!’ Zhuang Wenli said with a smile. ‘You know your father’s temperament. What is there to fear?’
‘Where has your mischievous, troublesome spirit gone? Has becoming a girl altered your very character?’
Her mother was adept at provocation.
That single remark propelled Huang Xiu from her bed like a rocket.
‘I haven’t changed a bit!’
Huang Xiu gritted her teeth, hastily adjusted her attire, and then stormed out.
Indeed, her father possessed such a gentle disposition; what reason did she have to be afraid?
In her childhood, it was always her father who shielded her mischievous antics, while simultaneously holding back her mother’s reprimands…
Yet, despite her internal monologue, the moment Huang Xiu stepped through the doorway, she instinctively retracted her neck.
After all, a lingering trace of fear remained.
****
Huang Xiu’s father, Huang Qinian, was a man of considerable charm.
It was a sentiment shared not only by her mother but by countless others.
No one would ever describe him as boisterous or indiscriminately familiar with everyone, as they might Huang Xiu.
Instead, he exuded an aura of gentleness, refinement, kindness, and magnanimity—qualities that defined his public image.
Otherwise, her mother, once hailed as the most beautiful woman in the surrounding villages, could never have fallen in love with him at first sight. She had even taken the initiative to confess her feelings.
It was said—or rather, her mother had divulged this detail herself during a moment of tipsy candor after a glass of red wine.
On a dark and windy night, she had directly summoned her father for a rendezvous.
Then, a long, slender leg had casually draped over his shoulder.
An ‘arm-slam’! No, a ‘leg-slam’!
Comrade Zhuang Wenli, with her head held high, had declared, ‘You’re a fine man, and I like you very much. How about we become partners in life?’
And just like that, her father was ‘captured’ by her mother’s charm.
Each time her mother recounted the tale, her father would offer no rebuttal, merely a faint, knowing smile.
Huang Xiu tiptoed her way to the sofa, where her father, Huang Qinian, was already seated.
He was clad in a striped shirt, his frame somewhat slender, and an undeniable scholarly air clung to him. His eyes, always brimming with a gentle smile.
‘Sit,’ Huang Qinian offered, patting the cushion beside him.
‘Mhm,’ Huang Xiu chirped, scampering over. No sooner had she settled than an object was pressed into her hand.
She glanced down to find a golden, circular bracelet, etched with intricate patterns. Its delicate form measured only two to three millimeters in diameter.
Huang Xiu looked up, a questioning gaze in her eyes. ‘This is…’
‘This is our Huang family’s heirloom, a symbol of our lineage,’ Huang Qinian explained, a faint smile playing on his lips.
‘Your grandfather entrusted it to me, and I, in turn, placed it on your mother’s hand when I took her as my wife.’
‘Now that you’ve grown, it’s time for it to be yours. Should you ever encounter someone you love, regardless of their gender, you may place it on their hand.’
‘Ah…’ Huang Xiu hesitated for a moment. ‘But I… I doubt I’ll ever fall for anyone else.’
‘I did once have feelings for a girl, but she wasn’t attracted to women… And among other girls, few are, I imagine.’
‘Furthermore, for me to pursue a girl now feels unrealistic, even irresponsible…’ She spoke with a hint of bewilderment.
‘But if I were to try and like a boy… I most likely wouldn’t be able to.’
The young girl pursed her pretty lips, then lifted her gaze.
‘After all, I was once a boy. For a boy to like another boy—that would be far too strange!’
‘It’s alright. You could always adopt a child later and pass the bracelet to them,’ Huang Qinian replied with a gentle understanding.
‘Right…’
‘Just try wearing it for now,’ the man suggested.
Huang Xiu tentatively slipped the bracelet onto her wrist, and to her surprise, it slid on with effortless grace.
‘See…’ Huang Qinian gently ruffled the girl’s hair. ‘Even our ancestors acknowledge you as a rightful member of the Huang family.’
‘What more do you have to worry about?’
‘Mmm…’
Huang Xiu closed her eyes, leaning back against the sofa. Slowly, she tilted to the right, eventually resting her head softly against the man’s shoulder.
This man, her father, had always possessed such profound gentleness… both in the past and in the present.
No wonder… her mother had succumbed to her father’s charm; it was, quite simply, inevitable.
In that moment, Huang Xiu finally understood her mother’s heart.
****
Though lunch had been eaten separately, dinner reunited the family.
The family of three shared a joyful dinner, entirely devoid of any awkwardness stemming from Huang Xiu’s transformation into a girl.
Neither Zhuang Wenli nor Huang Qinian had altered their demeanor in the slightest.
Throughout their conversation, the usual mix of remarks, complaints, playful scolding, and encouragement flowed as always.
And this, truly, was all Huang Xiu desired.
‘As for matters concerning you Awakened individuals… I do not comprehend them, nor am I permitted to.’
At the dining table, Huang Qinian set down his chopsticks.
‘However, I hope that in all things, you prioritize your own safety. There is no need to rush headlong into danger merely to prove yourself or show off.’
He understood the simple truth: with great power came great responsibility. Awakened individuals, enjoying such unique privileges, were naturally expected to shoulder greater burdens than others.
‘Mhm,’ Huang Xiu nodded, a slight hint of guilt in her voice. ‘I understand. I won’t try to be a hero.’
‘Joking aside, you’ve already made quite a splash and nearly died doing so,’ her father quipped.
‘There’s one more thing.’
Huang Qinian cast a sidelong glance at his wife. ‘Xiao Xiu, would you like to move?’
‘Your dad and I are indifferent; it’s entirely up to you,’ Zhuang Wenli added.
Previously, Huang Xiu would have readily agreed to move.
After all, far too many people here knew Huang Xiu, and more specifically, that Huang Xiu used to be a boy.
But when this topic arose now, she found herself hesitating.
Moving would inevitably mean her parents would also have to uproot themselves from their familiar lives.
She could readily embrace new beginnings, but her parents were no longer young, and they had been comfortably settled in this area for so many years…
Besides, she would be leaving for university soon anyway, and wouldn’t be spending much time at home.
Considering this, Huang Xiu shook her head.
‘Never mind. I’ll be going to school anyway,’ Huang Xiu said in a lighthearted tone. ‘Who knows, maybe after a few years of not seeing me, the neighbors will simply forget I was once a boy.’
‘Alright then.’ Zhuang Wenli nodded. ‘I have one more thing to say. This summer, I will thoroughly instruct you.’
Huang Xiu swallowed the meat in her mouth, then looked up in confusion. ‘Instruct me in what?’
‘I’ll teach you about common knowledge for girls, proper feminine conduct, how to dress as a girl, and all the essential considerations for young women.’
Zhuang Wenli hadn’t originally intended to broach the subject so soon, but she felt the atmosphere today was opportune, perfect for striking while the iron was hot.
Otherwise, if she let this day pass, her little girl might retreat into her shell again, refusing to agree no matter what.