Indirect Approach

‘I never thought… I’d actually have a day where I’d need this thing.’

Gazing at his slender figure in the mirror, Xie Shenhong silently took out a binder and wrapped it around his upper body several times.

After the hour hand of the golden pocket watch reached the third mark, his body underwent another transformation.

His secondary female characteristics had become more pronounced.

Thankfully, his masculine anatomy remained, with no trace of the other developing.

His physique now possessed a subtle curve, and he estimated he was at least an A-cup. One might even mistake his figure for someone who had indulged in too many sweets, and no one would bat an eye.

‘Sigh…’

While he had anticipated this, the actual physical transformation left Xie Shenhong feeling an inevitable sense of confusion and internal conflict.

After all, he had lived as a male for twenty-one years; to now be told he was gradually becoming female, and might even marry a man and bear children in the future, was undeniably difficult to accept.

‘No, no, no, why is Lyte’s face appearing in my mind at a time like this?’

Xie Shenhong shook his head repeatedly, quickly cupping his face, which felt hot enough to boil an egg, and turned away from the mirror.

Yet, when he buried his head in the pile of blankets, his mood only worsened.

‘This is truly an ostrich burying its head in the sand… What am I doing?’

However, Xie Shenhong didn’t detest Lyte; rather, his perception of Lyte had completely shifted.

Any past thought that had been critical of Lyte now, whenever it surfaced, filled him with unbearable shame.

The scowl he had given Lyte, the harsh words he had spoken, and his suspicion and failure to help Lyte on the Lihuo ship—each memory left Xie Shenhong overwhelmed with guilt and a heavy heart.

He had to compensate Lyte properly; he had to repay Lyte generously.

For the past two days, these two matters had consumed his thoughts.

As one thinks by day, one dreams by night; the thought that had just surfaced was no mere coincidence.

But as for ‘offering himself in marriage’… that was neither necessary nor possible. He was a boy, and even if he were to become female, his inner self would not change. This wasn’t a matter of preference but of principle.

Moreover, the very idea felt rather disgusting to him, especially given his current ambiguous state, neither fully male nor female.

‘The future?’

Xie Shenhong took out the golden pocket watch, silently observing its markings.

Indeed, at this rate, when the hour hand reached the sixth mark, he would likely be completely female, wouldn’t he?

Yet, this was precisely why he couldn’t accept Lyte.

To be precise, he didn’t believe that an ‘abnormal’ girl, transformed later in life like himself, could ever be worthy of the pure and upright Lyte.

Even setting that aside, he didn’t think he, a person who had achieved nothing and possessed poor judgment, could ever be worthy of the brilliant Lyte.

Furthermore, he still couldn’t fathom why the movement of the golden pocket watch’s hour hand was linked to his growing affection for Lyte.

‘Could this thing be a magical girl’s transformation device from an ancient civilization, requiring love and justice to grow stronger?’

That joke was truly not funny at all.

At least, he couldn’t bring himself to laugh.

He possessed the resolve to sacrifice everything to save the kingdom and humanity.

However, to intentionally approach Lyte for that reason, at the expense of Lyte’s interests… he was sorry, but he couldn’t and wouldn’t do it.

Moreover, after his battle with Sima Le, he finally understood why Duanmu Yun had been so worried about him.

Post-traumatic stress disorder.

He didn’t know how he had acquired this condition, but it clearly made him even less able to withstand the cost of using the Hai Zhu Puppet.

In other words, his time was running out.

Fortunately, a solution still existed.

‘I need to diligently help Lyte find a beautiful and lovely girlfriend.’

Love was a journey taken by two.

Once Lyte had found his own significant other.

Once Lyte had someone he truly loved.

Then his ‘disgusting’ feelings, even if they continued to grow, wouldn’t affect Lyte, would they?

With a goal in mind, Xie Shenhong quickly got up to change his clothes.

For a fleeting moment, he considered wearing clothes that Lyte might find unattractive, but ultimately, he chose an outfit he liked.

There was no need for Lyte to dislike him; after all, they were already friends.

No, it would be more accurate to say that merely thinking of Lyte disliking him caused a faint ache in his heart.

This was the reality of his affection level reaching the third mark.

But it didn’t matter.

He would simply maintain this friendship until the very end.

****