A Peculiar Morning

‘Did I fail? Was I… discovered?’

She had a faint suspicion that Lin Ziyan’s words earlier had been rather strange, prompting this thought.

‘No… it must be her imagination… right?’

Feeling rather downcast, she slowly sank back into her seat. Despite her lingering hunger, she found she had no appetite for food.

Her gaze fell upon the teddy bear beside her. Its appearance was endearingly naive and cute, with a round, soft body that made it a favorite among young girls.

Regrettably, however, it seemed her younger sister did not share the same affection for it.

Silently, she hugged the doll close, feeling as though she was on the verge of tears again. It had been so long, an eternity since she had received a gift from anyone else.

Moreover, since it was purchased with their mother’s money, it could surely be considered a gift from their mother, too?

‘Mother…’

The uncertainties of tomorrow still loomed, and the girl’s muddled mind couldn’t conjure a solution. Yet, cradling the small bear, she felt confident she would finally get a good night’s sleep.

After forcing down the now-cold meal, she washed the dishes and performed her evening ablutions. By the time she returned to her dim attic room, only the stars remained to keep her company.

The girl silently climbed into bed, embraced the little bear, and drifted into a deep slumber.

****

Lin Ziyan’s bedroom was adorned with pink, girlish tapestries. Dozens of plush toys, both new and old, were meticulously stacked in every corner of the room, leaving barely any space to step.

The girl clutched a body pillow, the white cloth she had retrieved from her pocket lying beside her.

The faint glow of her phone illuminated her face. With her pearly teeth gently biting her lower lip, she scrolled through the search results on her screen: “Q: Is it possible for a male to transform into a female?”

“A: Yes, it is possible. Based on current information, a ‘sudden’ complete biological transformation from male to female is extremely rare and typically does not occur overnight. It is usually caused by specific medical conditions or prolonged medical intervention. Specifically, it can be categorized into the following situations…”

She read each point, a peculiar smile gradually spreading across her face.

What if she were to apply each of these search conditions, one by one, to her ‘so-called’ older brother? It seemed they would all miraculously align.

Perhaps she should retract the words she had spoken to Liu Yinuo this afternoon. Now, she couldn’t even be certain if that person, who appeared shorter than herself, was truly a man or a woman.

The situation seemed to have grown far more intriguing.

A compliant older brother was naturally far less interesting than a pitiful, fragile older sister. She glanced at the white cloth lying beside her. Driven by an impulse she couldn’t explain, she rolled it up with her hand, brought it to her face, and inhaled deeply.

It was that increasingly faint, yet utterly captivating fragrance.

She wondered if it was her imagination, but she thought she could even detect a subtle hint of milk within the scent.

“Heheheh—”

If her suspicions proved true, she eagerly anticipated how Ye Xingmian would struggle to conceal his discomfort in front of her tomorrow. The thought of that flustered, frightened expression was truly delightful.

She was like a cat that had discovered an intriguing toy, poised to embark on a playful hunt.

****

Before the first ray of dawn could pierce through the dust-laden glass of the attic window, Ye Xingmian was already awake.

‘So hot… so uncomfortable…’

Her body felt as if it were on fire, burning intensely. Her throat ached terribly. She tried to speak a couple of words, but her usually soft voice came out hoarse and weak. She vaguely realized she might have a fever.

Her entire body was sore and weak, feeling as though she had been taken apart and clumsily reassembled.

Sitting up from the head of her bed, she looked out the window. It seemed it was almost time for classes. With no alternative, she slowly dressed, preparing to go downstairs and make breakfast as usual.

The moment she stood, a wave of dizziness washed over her. She took two tentative steps before immediately realizing something was amiss.

The sensitive skin at her chest rubbed against the rough fabric of her clothes, sending an intensely electric sensation through her. It was then that she remembered she hadn’t bound her chest.

Her binder had been taken by her sister last night…

With no other choice, she pressed her hands tightly against her chest to prevent further friction. Leaning on the wall, she slowly made her way downstairs to prepare breakfast.

The fever was truly severe; in her hazy state, her mind wandered, and she forgot to stir. By the time she came to her senses, one side of the eggs in the pan was already burnt.

Ultimately, she had to serve the meal into two bowls. The one with the burnt eggs was for herself, while the other was for her sister. After finishing the cooking, she reheated the leftover porridge from last night. Once served, she ascended the stairs and knocked on her sister’s bedroom door.

“Ziyan… it’s time for breakfast…”

There was no response from within.

She knocked again, raising her voice slightly, but the pain in her throat made her cough uncontrollably.

The door suddenly swung open. Lin Ziyan stood perfectly dressed, her dark hair meticulously combed. She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, her gaze slowly sweeping over Ye Xingmian from head to toe: his pale, haggard face, his cheeks flushed with a sickly redness from coughing, and his slightly trembling body.

“Are you sick?” she asked, her tone flat, revealing neither concern nor mockery.

Ye Xingmian didn’t want to speak; her throat ached whenever she did. She could only shake her head, feigning resilience.

“Go eat quickly.”

“Oh~”

Lin Ziyan’s eyes remained fixed on the girl, making her feel incredibly uncomfortable. After a couple of coughs, she managed to speak in a hoarse voice.

“I’ll go downstairs first…”

“Mm~ Alright~”

Her sister seemed somewhat strange today, agreeing with unusual alacrity. However, Ye Xingmian’s mind had been muddled all morning, so she failed to notice anything amiss. After calling Lin Ziyan, she slowly made her way downstairs, leaning on the wall.

Behind her, Lin Ziyan chuckled softly, silently watching her retreating figure.

Small and delicate, swaying unsteadily. It was a sight that evoked both pity and a strong desire for cruelty.

‘Ah, ah… Why hadn’t I noticed how adorable her ‘older brother’ was before?’

Only when the figure vanished from her sight did Lin Ziyan slowly head towards the bathroom.

Sitting alone on a dining chair, Ye Xingmian gazed bitterly at the breakfast before her.

‘No appetite…’

Her entire body felt as if it were burning, and her stomach churned. She managed to eat a little with difficulty; though it was burnt, it was still edible. Even feeling so unwell, she had to eat more, as she had no money left and wouldn’t be able to afford lunch.

“What is this mess? It’s all burnt. Did you make it?”

A somewhat harsh voice suddenly drifted from in front of her. The girl instinctively looked up to see Lin Ziyan, her brows furrowed, nonchalantly taking a seat.

“I’m sorry…”

Knowing she was in the wrong, Ye Xingmian promptly apologized. To her surprise, however, the girl actually picked up a piece and began eating it with her rice.

“Aren’t you buying breakfast outside today…?”

“Why would I buy anything? I’ve run out of pocket money.”

“Oh…”

Breakfast was quickly over. Ye Xingmian tidied up the dishes and then hurriedly followed after her.

“Here.”

With a casual flick of her wrist, she swung the heavy backpack over, nearly knocking the frail Ye Xingmian off her feet.

Having returned in a rush yesterday afternoon, the girl hadn’t brought her schoolbag, making today’s journey somewhat lighter than usual.

As always, she slung Lin Ziyan’s schoolbag over her shoulder. When she looked up, she couldn’t help but softly ask, “Why do you keep staring at me…?”

Lin Ziyan casually turned her head away, offering no reply to her question.

“There’s a physical education class today, you know, my ‘older brother.’ Have you thought about how you’ll handle it?”

“Eh?” Ye Xingmian found this rather odd. Her sister usually disliked calling him ‘older brother,’ so why the sudden change today?

In her sluggish state, she failed to catch the emphasis in her sister’s words.

‘But, a physical education class?’

Given her current physical condition, it seemed she genuinely couldn’t attend PE.