Who could be messaging her at this hour?
She had wondered who it might be, only to discover it was Fang Miaoging!
[One Day’s Green: I passed the re-examination.]
‘She passed the re-examination?’
Truly her, the academic ace of their middle school, the ultimate study-holic.
The girl’s brows relaxed slightly. Her fingers immediately flew across the screen.
She typed back, “Congratulations!”
[One Day’s Green: I’m back in Ying City today. Want to hang out tomorrow?]
‘What was going on today? Why did everyone want her to be mortified?’
Huang Xiu felt that even the pressure she faced in Project Three was less intense than the combined impact of Shi Lei’s and Fang Miaoging’s messages.
The girl shook her head with a wry smile, quickly offering the same excuse to decline Fang Miaoging’s invitation.
But another message arrived instantly from the other end.
[One Day’s Green: You passed the re-examination too, didn’t you? I know all about your situation.]
‘She knows all about my situation?!’
Her thumb, poised to tap the screen, froze mid-air. Beads of cold sweat trickled down the girl’s forehead.
‘Has her transformation been exposed?’
‘When?’
‘Who told her?’
Just as she began to suspect a mole among her acquaintances, another message popped up.
[One Day’s Green: You’re one of ‘those people’ too, aren’t you? (smile) What a well-kept secret, Huang Xiu.]
Upon seeing that message, Huang Xiu finally exhaled, patting her chest in relief.
‘You scared me to death! So it’s just my Awakened individual identity she knows about.’
Compared to the humiliation of her transformation being exposed, her Awakened individual identity being known wasn’t as bad.
After all, Fang Miaoging had passed the re-examination and secured an admission slot at Tiandu University.
Her identity as an Awakened individual would be revealed sooner or later anyway.
[One Day’s Green: Since you’re busy, let’s just forget about it this time. We can meet after school starts. I’m giving you a chance, you know (laugh).]
****
On the other end of the phone, in a room with walls plastered with English phrases, geography and biology facts, and essay materials.
Fang Miaoging lay sprawled on her bed as she sent the message.
Her legs playfully kicked against the bed, awaiting Huang Xiu’s reply.
*Ding-dong.*
[I’m Scared: I’m not home this time, so sorry! Definitely next time. (cat waving)]
“Honestly, I gave you a chance and you couldn’t even seize it.”
Fang Miaoging pouted.
Originally, she had intended to cut ties with Huang Xiu.
Who would have thought that during Tiandu University’s enrollment this time, both of them would actually pass?
‘Classmates again? Proximity breeds opportunity.’
After much deliberation, she decided to give Huang Xiu a chance to pursue her.
This time, she had even taken the initiative to invite her out.
After all, experiencing a sweet romance during university was one of her life goals.
Yet, who would have known that this person was so unreliable, unable to grasp a free dating opportunity?
“Never mind. There are still four years of university ahead. Whether we’re a good match isn’t something that can be determined in just one summer.”
Fang Miaoging rationalized internally, but what she didn’t know was that she had already lost her chance forever.
****
The new ID card arrived the very next morning, its speed so astonishing it was almost tear-inducing.
Huang Xiu remembered applying for an ID card before; it used to take several weeks, or at least a week even with expedited payment.
How different it was now.
– She had only mentioned it yesterday, yet it arrived this morning, delivered right to her doorstep.
However, to her surprise, other items were sent along with the ID card.
“What is this? It’s so big, but not heavy.”
Xiao Xiu struggled to squeeze through the doorway, cradling a cardboard box the size of a suitcase. The Daxia Post paper envelope containing her ID card rested on top of the box.
For some unknown reason, her mother was wearing a dress today, her beauty undiminished by the years.
Today was Tuesday. Normally, her mother would open the door while Dad handled the cleaning.
However, considering Xiao Xiu, Dad still went to open the door today.
And Mom stayed home, responsible for supervising, caring for, and, importantly, educating Xiao Xiu.
In truth, Xiao Xiu wanted to open the large package, but her mother snatched it, leaving her no choice but to tear open the document envelope.
“Huh, when was this ID photo taken?”
Xiao Xiu gazed at her new ID card.
Her name had indeed changed from Huang Xiu to Xiao Xiu, a fact beyond doubt, and her photo now displayed her as a short-haired girl.
A soft, adorable young girl, clad in a dark blue T-shirt, her face seemed to glow in contrast.
‘It couldn’t be Photoshopped, could it?’ Xiao Xiu could only wonder.
The people at Tiandu University were even more thoughtful than she had imagined; her ID number remained largely unchanged.
Only the last digit, which denoted gender, had been altered from the original even number 8 to the odd number 9.
This saved her the trouble of memorizing a new ID number.
“Wow, so many women’s clothes!” Zhuang Wenli exclaimed as if discovering a new continent.
‘Women’s clothes?’
Xiao Xiu was stunned for half a second by the remark.
She quickly recalled the underwear and women’s clothing she had left behind at the hotel before departing…
Immediately, Li Qinyue’s deceptively smiling face flashed before her eyes.
“If you threw away the clothes I bought, I’ll run you over!”
“No!” Xiao Xiu shivered violently, rushing towards the cardboard box.
Inside the box, T-shirts, shorts, long-sleeved shirts, and underwear were neatly sorted into individual paper bags.
A note lay among them.
Just as Zhuang Wenli curiously reached for the note, Xiao Xiu swiftly snatched it away.
[The next time you dare to carelessly discard the clothes I bought, I’ll make you wear a qipao I personally designed.]
“What does it say?” Zhuang Wenli leaned over curiously.
As she drew closer, the oblivious Xiao Xiu finally realized that her own mother was wearing lipstick and makeup today.
“Nothing,” she said, quickly tucking the note away. Changing the subject, she asked, “Mom, you’re so beautifully dressed. Are you planning a date with Dad?”
“Not at all,” Zhuang Wenli replied, crossing her arms.
“Today, I plan to teach you your first lesson as a girl: makeup and skincare.”
“Makeup?!” Xiao Xiu stared at her mother, eyes wide as if she had seen an alien.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Hm?” Her mother raised an eyebrow.
“I mean, I’m naturally beautiful and it would be a shame to hide it. I look great without makeup,” Xiao Xiu quickly conceded.
The suppressive power of parents over their children was innate.
“You may not need makeup, but you still need to learn skincare.”
In the past, whenever Zhuang Wenli saw others dressing up their daughters beautifully, she could only secretly bite her handkerchief at home, filled with envy.
But now, she had one too!
She was determined to thoroughly doll up Xiao Xiu, passing down all her lifelong expertise.
“Skincare… I probably don’t need that either, right? Heh heh…”
Xiao Xiu started sweating, slowly inching backward.
“We Awakened individuals have excellent physiques and strong detoxification abilities. We don’t get acne.”
“What kind of divine physique is that?” Zhuang Wenli looked envious, then her tone shifted. “But do you think skincare is as simple as not getting acne?”
She wagged a finger. “It’s a profound and intricate art.”
“Today, your mother will give you a proper lesson.”
With that, Zhuang Wenli took Xiao Xiu’s hand and forcibly pulled her into her own room.
“And the first lesson in skincare begins with understanding the different types of products.”
She gestured to the array of bottles and jars on the vanity table.