The family of four returned to Donghui City under police escort, first reporting to the police station before heading home. As Chen Xuanqiu gazed at the expansive villa, a sense of security finally settled within her.
“Qiu, why don’t you go upstairs and change your clothes first?”
Melissa suggested gently. Chen Xuanqiu was abruptly pulled back to reality, realizing she had only spent a single day in this house. She didn’t even know where the original owner’s room was, a fact that could expose her at any moment.
Afraid to ask, Chen Xuanqiu hesitated before ascending to the second floor.
“Xiaozhu, while your brother isn’t here, I want to tell you something.”
Seizing the opportunity, Chen Degao informed his daughter about the possibility of his son suffering from a mental illness.
“How could this be?”
Chen Xuanzhu’s delicate brows furrowed tightly, her face etched with regret.
“I’m telling you this because I hope you’ll be kinder to your brother from now on, understand?”
Chen Degao made his intention clear.
“Don’t tell your brother about this; he doesn’t know yet.”
Melissa added, emphasizing the secrecy.
“I understand.”
Chen Xuanzhu subtly clenched her small fists, vowing inwardly, ‘Don’t worry, I swear something like this will never happen again.’
“Xiaozhu, you should also go up and remove your makeup. From today onwards, revert to your original identity. Next week, go to school like a good girl.”
Chen Degao instructed his daughter with satisfaction. Chen Xuanzhu rose to her feet, her long, fair legs carrying her to the second floor.
“Don’t tell Xiaoqiu about this.”
****
Meanwhile, Chen Xuanqiu, using a process of elimination, entered the room where she had previously changed. She looked around, searching for any clues that would prove it was ‘her’ room.
After a thorough search, Chen Xuanqiu finally discovered a middle school textbook in the desk drawer, bearing ‘her’ name. She breathed a sigh of relief. Now, her most pressing concern was how to conceal the ‘treasures’ on her chest. Pretending to be a woman had been a desperate measure, but now that she was home, she naturally had to resume her male identity.
‘But with breasts this size, how can I possibly hide them?’
Chen Xuanqiu looked down and couldn’t even see her toes, a sudden feeling of powerlessness washing over her. ‘Do I really have to bind them with cloth? Wouldn’t that be incredibly uncomfortable?’
Chen Xuanqiu found herself in a predicament, caught between two difficult choices.
“Didn’t Mom tell you to change? Why are you just standing there like an idiot?”
At that moment, Chen Xuanzhu’s voice drifted in from outside the door. Chen Xuanqiu flinched slightly before offering a perfunctory reply: “Oh… oh… I’m just deciding which clothes to wear.”
“You’re usually not so particular.”
Chen Xuanzhu scoffed. Chen Xuanqiu’s heart pounded furiously, unsure how to respond.
“First, give me back my fake chest, then you can take a year to choose, I don’t care.”
Chen Xuanzhu demanded, her tone devoid of emotion. “I…”
Chen Xuanqiu’s face instantly crumpled into a bitter gourd expression. The fake chest was long gone; now she only had her real one.
“What’s wrong?”
Chen Xuanzhu’s expression turned slightly displeased. “Nothing, can I return it to you later?”
Chen Xuanqiu decided to employ the tactic of delay, planning to sneak out later to buy a new one for her sister. “No, you must return it to me immediately.”
Chen Xuanzhu’s voice was commanding. Chen Xuanqiu was speechless, unable to fathom why her cheap sister was so eager.
“What’s the matter? Have you become addicted to wearing it? I never realized you had a cross-dressing fetish.”
Chen Xuanzhu taunted, her arms crossed. “No, it’s not like that.”
Chen Xuanqiu’s small face flushed crimson. “It’s not? Then give it back to me.”
Chen Xuanzhu strode in, her long, fair legs moving gracefully. “Yes, yes, yes, I have a cross-dressing fetish. Can you just give it to me?”
Chen Xuanqiu had run out of options, finally biting her lip in resignation. “You have a cross-dressing fetish?”
Chen Xuanzhu’s gaze turned slightly disdainful. Chen Xuanqiu immediately realized what she had said, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.
“If you have a cross-dressing fetish, go buy your own! My things must be returned to me.”
Chen Xuanzhu remained unyielding. “Why do you insist on having it right now?”
Chen Xuanqiu asked, her face burning with shame and anger. “Because I’m afraid you idiot will try to impersonate me again, overestimating yourself.”
Chen Xuanzhu pointed out her ‘brother’s’ uselessness without ceremony. Chen Xuanqiu finally understood, feeling both a strange warmth and acute embarrassment.
“Enough nonsense, hurry up and take it off and give it to me. What kind of man is so dilly-dallying?”
Chen Xuanzhu impatiently walked closer, a waft of fragrance accompanying her. “I can’t return it; the fake chest is already gone.”
Chen Xuanqiu bit her lip. “Gone? Then what are you wearing?”
Chen Xuanzhu narrowed her eyes slightly. “I… I’m not wearing anything.”
Chen Xuanqiu replied mechanically. “Hurry up and take it off, or I’ll do it myself.”
Chen Xuanzhu was growing impatient. “Go ahead and do it yourself.”
Chen Xuanqiu gave her cheap sister a deep look. Since she couldn’t hide it any longer, she could only accept her fate, hoping her current family would believe her. Chen Xuanzhu stepped forward, ready to act, but stopped halfway. She remembered her father’s words, telling her to be kinder to her brother.
“Fine, I’ll give you one day. You must return it tomorrow.”
Chen Xuanzhu bit her lip, ultimately giving up. Chen Xuanqiu was somewhat bewildered, yet she breathed a sigh of relief as if granted a great pardon. She wasn’t the real Chen Xuanqiu. Previously, she at least had a body she could use to conceal her identity, but now even her body had undergone a s*x change. How would she explain if she were exposed? Therefore, it was better to avoid trouble.
After his cheap sister left, Chen Xuanqiu quickly closed the room door. After composing himself slightly, he opened the adjacent wardrobe. The wardrobe was filled with many clothes, all sorts of brands. Chen Xuanqiu recognized none of the brands, simply picking out two looser items and placing them on the bed, as they could best conceal his curves.
Facing the mirror on the wardrobe, he removed his hospital gown, exposing a delicate physique clad only in white close-fitting underwear. Compared to a few days ago, his body seemed to have become even more shapely, now fully rivaling his cheap sister’s. Chen Xuanqiu felt both shy and angry, yet he steeled himself and unbuttoned his bra, allowing the ‘big rice cakes’—bought with his ‘little treasure’ below—to breathe.
‘What should I do? Can something this large truly be hidden?’
Chen Xuanqiu gazed at the bouncy ‘rice cakes’ on his chest, feeling uncertain for a moment. He realized he might have underestimated the volume of these two ‘little things’. If he were to flatten them with cloth, he might suffocate. ‘Forget it, I’ll try.’
Chen Xuanqiu racked his brain but found no good solution, so he could only resort to this clumsy method. He first found scissors, then cut a clean curtain into strips, and tried to bind his chest. To be safe, Chen Xuanqiu tightly wrapped layers of fabric around his chest, finally securing it with a safety pin.
He looked into the mirror, noting that while his chest was bound, some curves were still visible from the side, much like certain muscular men. Chen Xuanqiu had initially considered re-wrapping it, but his extremely labored breathing forced him to abandon the idea. ‘Forget it, I’ve done my best. If this still isn’t enough to hide it, then I’ll just accept my fate.’
Chen Xuanqiu sighed, then pulled on a loose men’s T-shirt, followed by a pair of equally loose long pants. He re-examined himself in the mirror, finding that his female curves were about seventy to eighty percent concealed, which finally allowed him a small measure of relief. With his clothes on, the next issue was makeup. He had intended to learn quickly before, but the kidnapping had delayed him for two months. Fortunately, he already had some experience with it.
‘This time, I’ll pretend to be unwell again.’
Chen Xuanqiu decided, planning to use the same excuse to deal with his cheap mother, hoping she would do his makeup again, allowing him to continue learning. He meticulously scrutinized himself in the mirror, and only after confirming there were no obvious flaws did he go downstairs.
Chen Xuanqiu arrived downstairs, expecting his parents to ask why he wasn’t wearing makeup, but they remained silent. “Mom, could you do my makeup for me? My hand was injured before, and it still hurts a bit.”
Chen Xuanqiu couldn’t hold back, so he used the familiar excuse again. “Darling, you don’t have to go to school for now, so you don’t need makeup, do you?”
Melissa patiently tried to persuade him. “I…”
Chen Xuanqiu reacted instantly, his face flushing with embarrassment. “Melissa, you should still do ‘his’ makeup. Even if ‘he’ doesn’t have to go to school, ‘he’ will still need to go out eventually.”
Father Chen, who had been nearby, spoke up, knowing that his ‘son’ didn’t only wear makeup for school. “That’s right, Mom, you should help ‘him’. Otherwise, ‘he’ will even have trouble going to the restroom when ‘he’ goes out.”
Chen Xuanzhu also chimed in, explaining. Chen Xuanqiu was instantly overjoyed. He hadn’t expected his cheap father and sister to actively help him find an excuse. “Alright.”
Melissa agreed, then led her ‘son’ back to the bedroom. Chen Xuanqiu patiently watched his mother apply makeup to his face, diligently remembering every detail. “Mom, I want to go out for a bit later.”
Chen Xuanqiu hadn’t forgotten that he still owed his sister a fake chest, so he planned to sneak out to buy one. “No!”
Melissa refused without a second thought. After all, what parent would feel comfortable letting their ‘mentally ill’ son wander off alone? “Why?”
Chen Xuanqiu was startled and looked at his cheap mother, puzzled.