Midday brought forth brilliant sunshine, the warm winter rays feeling like a comforting hot bath, dispelling the chill and invigorating one’s spirit.
The high-speed train rumbled along, leaving only a blur of motion in its wake. Inside the carriage, a mother and daughter pressed themselves against the window, gazing out at the passing scenery.
“Mommy, all these trees and flowers are gone.”
“Yes, they naturally wither once winter arrives.”
“Then what’s so nice to look at outside?”
“I saw you were still glued to the window, so I came to keep you company.”
Both mother and daughter pulled away from the glass, exchanging glances, their silent staring contest ending in a draw.
Seated nearby, Zhou Haochen watched them with amusement, much of his own anxiety having dissipated.
Before long, the train gradually slowed to a halt; they had arrived at X County, X City, Gan Province.
Stepping off the train, all three shivered involuntarily. Bai Sha quickly retrieved three heavy coats from her luggage, distributing them to everyone.
“Why is it even colder here than in S City?”
Bai Sha chuckled, teasing, “This is Gan Province, a place where temperatures fluctuate like a rollercoaster. You might need a thick coat today, but only a light jacket tomorrow.”
“Where should we go first, Miss Tour Guide?”
“KFC! Let’s eat KFC!” The little one bounced, hands raised, hoping to make her presence known to her parents.
“We’ll go to the hotel first, then we can have KFC,” Bai Sha said, gently stroking the little one’s head.
“Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Long live Mommy!” The little one was ecstatic.
Seeing his daughter’s excitement, Zhou Haochen once again agreed with the netizens’ sentiment: ‘If you don’t give your children, especially girls, what they want now, they’ll be easily swayed by someone offering spicy strips when they’re older.’
“Did you book a hotel?” he asked, leaning closer to Bai Sha.
“I booked two rooms.”
Zhou Haochen looked slightly hesitant. “Xiao Yu is so young; isn’t it not ideal for her to sleep in a room alone?”
Bai Sha planted a loud kiss on his cheek. “Good boy, you get your own room.”
“Comrade Bai Sha, do you remember what you told me before?”
“?”
“Not to be affectionate in front of Xiao Yu.” Zhou Haochen gestured to the little one beside him, who was covering her eyes, though gaps between her fingers allowed her to peek.
“Did I say that?” Bai Sha frowned in confusion.
“You must be mistaken!”
Before Zhou Haochen could retort, Bai Sha took the little one’s hand and walked off. “Mommy’s taking you to play!”
“Yay! Let’s go play!”
Zhou Haochen touched his damp cheek, smiling helplessly.
Watching the mother and daughter’s hand-in-hand figures grow smaller in the distance, he quickened his pace. “Wait for me!”
****
The lingering glow of the setting sun, always mischievous, painted the sky and land in hues of crimson, as the sun, like a ripe red fruit, descended beyond the distant horizon.
After an exhausting afternoon, Bai Qing was preparing to head home. Just as she stepped out of the school gate, she spotted a beautiful young woman smiling at her from beneath the sparse shadow of an old tree in the distance.
Frankly, Bai Qing felt a shiver of unease. She pointed to herself, and the other person nodded. Weaving through the bustling crowd on her electric scooter, Bai Qing soon reached the woman.
Upon closer inspection, she realized the woman bore a striking resemblance, perhaps sixty percent, to her own younger brother.
It wasn’t until Bai Sha’s sweet, delicate voice called out, “Long time no see, sis,” that the truth clicked.
Bai Qing fell silent for a moment, then, addressing her bro— her *sister*, she said, “Get on.”
Bai Sha immediately hopped on.
However, this wasn’t the way back to her sister’s house. Bai Sha watched as Bai Qing pulled over in a secluded spot.
Her sister, who in her memory had always been gentle and mild-mannered, then unleashed a torrent of scolding.
“Bai Sha, do you think you’re so amazing?! Did you take some pills or go under the knife?! Do you know this is seriously shortening your lifespan!!”
“What’s wrong? Wasn’t living as a man exciting enough for you?! You had to switch to living as a woman?! Do you have any idea how much this damages your body?!”
“And what’s with your voice? Let me see! Your Adam’s apple is gone! What am I supposed to say about you!!”
Bai Sha: ‘Meow?’
Watching her sister curse, Bai Sha felt as if she were witnessing a chaotic argument at a UN meeting. ‘Is this really something you’d do?’
Seeing Bai Qing grow increasingly agitated, Bai Sha quickly pressed her sister down onto the electric scooter.
“Sis! You can see, I’m a girl now, a genuine girl.”
“I…”
“Listen to me. I didn’t take any pills, didn’t have s*x reassignment surgery, didn’t do anything at all. One day, I just woke up as a girl!”
“But…”
“I have my health report on my phone; I’m perfectly healthy.”
Bai Qing finally calmed down, taking a deep breath. “So, you really didn’t take any pills or anything?”
Bai Sha raised a finger. “I swear.”
Watching her sister slowly compose herself, Bai Sha secretly vowed that she would never let Zhou Yuying become a teacher, seeing how much her own sister had been ‘persecuted’ by the profession.
“When did this happen? And who else knows?”
Bai Sha felt a little guilty. “About a month ago? Besides you, only Uncle and Auntie know.”
Bai Qing sighed helplessly at her oblivious bro— her *sister*. “You’re only telling me now…”
“I missed you,” Bai Sha said, embracing her sister, then mumbled, “It’s not a big deal…”
Once her emotions had settled, Bai Qing reverted to the gentle tone Bai Sha was accustomed to. “I missed you too. It really has been a long time.”
“Sis, I actually have two more secrets to tell you.”
“What secrets?”
“I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle it, so I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
With that, Bai Sha released her sister.
“I’ll be staying at a hotel these few days, so I won’t bother you and brother-in-law.”
Bai Qing tried to persuade her. “Won’t you come to the house for a bit?”
Bai Sha winked at her sister, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. “I’ll give you a surprise after work tomorrow.”
Hurriedly slipping away, Bai Sha felt a slight shiver of trepidation. Being a teacher was truly terrifying; the little one had been right, her aunt could be incredibly scary when angry.
Upon arriving at the hotel, Zhou Haochen and his daughter had both finished their baths.
Bai Sha practically dove into Zhou Haochen’s embrace, recounting the events that had just transpired.
“I told you it would be a shock,” Zhou Haochen said, his arm encircling her slender waist.
“My brother-in-law had messaged me earlier, saying my sister became a ticking time bomb ever since she became a middle school homeroom teacher. I always thought he was exaggerating.”
“Kids nowadays get exposed to the internet early, especially in places like this where there are many left-behind children with no one to supervise them. Homeroom teachers truly have a lot to worry about.”
Bai Sha mused, “That just means my sister has professional ethics. My old teachers wouldn’t even stop me if they saw me walking out of school.”
Zhou Haochen playfully tapped her nose, smiling. “I’m responsible. Call me ‘teacher,’ and I’ll teach you everything.”
Bai Sha looked up, seeing the little one at the table intently watching television.
She collapsed fully onto him, tilting her head slightly to whisper into his ear, her fingers tracing circles on his chest through his collar. “Hello, Tea~cher~”
But before she could tease him further, Bai Sha felt something pressing against her.
Bai Sha reached out, wrapping her arm around his, and lightly kissed his lips. “Hold it in.”
Then, with a graceful move, she stood up, scooped up the little one who was still engrossed in the TV, and retreated to her own room.
Bai Sha touched her burning face. ‘If it weren’t for our daughter, I might have gotten carried away in the heat of the moment.’
Meanwhile, Zhou Yuying was also a little unhappy ￣へ￣; her mommy had carried her back before she could even finish watching her show.
‘Hmph!’
Zhou Haochen: ‘Does no one care about my feelings?’
‘All that effort to be serious, only to not meet the parents; then to be teased right before bed.’