Once Chen Xuanqiu had gone upstairs, Melissa prepared to have a serious talk with her husband and daughter.
“Xiaoqiu has just transformed into a girl; she must be feeling incredibly lost and insecure. Do you know what she needs most right now?”
Melissa questioned her husband and daughter.
The father and daughter exchanged bewildered glances, neither able to guess.
“She needs affirmation, and she needs care. I hope you can both find an opportunity to speak with her individually.”
Melissa offered her suggestion.
The father and daughter came to a realization and readily accepted the proposal.
****
Chen Xuanqiu had not yet fallen asleep when, unexpectedly, her father entered her room.
“Xiaoqiu, how are you feeling physically now? Is anything bothering you?”
Chen Degao opened the conversation somewhat awkwardly.
“Dad, thank you for your concern. I’m doing well.”
Chen Xuanqiu expressed her sincere gratitude.
“Good, then. If anything feels off, you must tell me.”
Chen Degao uttered a couple more sentences, as if squeezing words out like toothpaste. After all, his son had now become his daughter, and their previous way of interacting was no longer viable.
Observing her father’s somewhat flustered demeanor, Chen Xuanqiu suddenly found it rather endearing.
“And… what I want to say is… whether you are a boy or a girl, you are still my child, Chen Degao’s child, understand?”
After delivering this statement, Chen Degao awkwardly exited the room.
Chen Xuanqiu, however, sniffled, nearly unable to hold back her tears. What she needed most right now was the affirmation of her family.
After her father left, her younger sister entered the bedroom, as if taking her turn in a queue.
“Xiaoqiu, how does it feel to be a girl now? Have you discovered a whole new world?”
Chen Xuanzhu, however, was much more eloquent.
“It’s alright.”
Chen Xuanzhu offered an awkward smile, understanding that while Chen Xuanqiu had indeed found a new world, her feelings about it were not quite so straightforward.
“Don’t overthink it. To be honest, I’ve never really treated you like a boy, not since we were little.”
Chen Xuanzhu confessed.
“It seems Chen Xuanqiu was quite the failure as an older brother, then.”
Chen Xuanqiu couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.
“Do you know why?”
Chen Xuanzhu asked, a faint, knowing smile playing on her lips.
“Is it because I look like a girl?”
Chen Xuanqiu probed.
“Exactly. Because you looked like a girl, and you were always being bullied by others your age, just like a clumsy older sister.”
Chen Xuanzhu chuckled playfully.
Chen Xuanqiu felt a stir of emotion, though she knew this sibling affection didn’t truly belong to her, but to the original Chen Xuanqiu. Yet, what did it matter? She was at least half Chen Xuanqiu now; surely, taking half of that affection wasn’t too much to ask?
“So, you’ve never changed in my heart. You’ve always been a girl, understand?”
Chen Xuanzhu declared.
“Thank you.”
Chen Xuanqiu couldn’t help but wipe the corner of her eye, afraid her sister would see her vulnerability.
Chen Xuanzhu departed as casually as she had arrived, having clearly conveyed her message.
Finally, Chen Xuanqiu’s heart settled. At least now, she no longer had to fear her family looking at her with strange eyes.
****
The following morning, Chen Degao and his wife set off with their eldest daughter, their destination naturally being the Fourth Hospital for psychiatric treatment.
Fearing they might be seen en route, Chen Xuanqiu had simply bound her chest before leaving and donned men’s clothing.
“Xiaoqiu, you must remember what I’m about to say. Later, at the hospital, if they perform a full-body examination, no matter what abnormalities the doctor finds, you are to say that you’ve undergone gender confirmation surgery, understand?”
Chen Degao instructed her while driving.
“Mn.”
Chen Xuanqiu nodded obediently.
“Darling, can we really keep this a secret? After all, there’s a difference between natural and artificial breasts. Can a CT scan detect breast implants?”
Melissa voiced her concern.
“Breasts don’t only enlarge through augmentation. Taking estrogen can also make them grow. As far as I know, many transgender individuals do it this way.”
Chen Degao explained.
Melissa felt a little more relieved. As long as they could conceal the breasts, that was all that mattered, for only a chest CT was required.
Soon, the family of three arrived at the hospital. Having decided to commit to the act from start to finish, Chen Degao exited the car in advance, then instructed his eldest daughter to put on the women’s clothing they had prepared.
With her mother’s help, Chen Xuanqiu donned the women’s attire. Her upper body was clad in a red short-sleeved T-shirt, adorned with a cartoon image of a beautiful girl. This garment not only perfectly accentuated her well-developed bust, but also made her waist appear slender enough to be grasped in one hand. Below, she wore a pair of blue women’s skinny jeans, which flawlessly showcased the graceful curves of her hips and legs, as if an artist had brought them to life with a single stroke.
Chen Xuanqiu then entered the Fourth Hospital with her parents. Since there weren’t many people, they registered directly and proceeded to the consultation room.
As they had switched to a different consultation room this time, the family of three was spared the trouble of explaining their situation again.
Chen Xuanqiu stepped inside and saw an elderly expert, in his sixties, seated within. His surname was Ren, and he wore glasses, giving him a refined appearance.
“Little girl, have a seat. What a truly beautiful child. Do you understand Yongchangese?”
Dr. Ren praised her sincerely. In this day and age, girls were already uncommon, and a beautiful, mixed-race child like her was an even rarer sight.
Hearing such undisguised praise, Chen Xuanqiu still felt a blush of shyness, lowering her head slightly and not daring to speak.
“Thank you for the compliment, Doctor. My daughter is mixed-race and grew up in Yongchang, so she understands Yongchangese.”
Chen Degao quickly interjected.
“That’s good then.”
Dr. Ren withdrew his admiring gaze, then casually glanced at the computer monitor. A frown immediately creased his brow as he said, “I called for Chen Xuanqiu. You must have entered the wrong room.”
“Doctor, this is Chen Xuanqiu.”
Chen Degao quickly clarified.
“But the registration form states Chen Xuanqiu’s gender as male!”
Dr. Ren inquired, perplexed.
“My daughter is transgender, please excuse her.”
Chen Degao calmly explained.
‘Transgender? Isn’t that just a transvestite?’
Dr. Ren’s mind reacted instinctively with that thought, and a blatant, similar look appeared in his eyes. However, being a man of the world, he quickly composed himself, steadying his gaze as he said, “I see, so that’s the case. Please tell me about her situation then.”
Chen Xuanqiu saw it clearly, and her heart constricted for a moment. Yet, recalling her previous predicament, she instantly felt as if she were in paradise now.
‘What more could I possibly ask for? One must learn to be content.’
Chen Xuanqiu quietly admonished herself.
Chen Degao and his wife then described their eldest daughter’s condition and presented the previously taken brain CT and EEG scans.
“From these two images, there don’t appear to be any major issues. However, we cannot rule out the possibility of an organic lesion, so other supplementary examinations are necessary.”
Dr. Ren analyzed, his words identical to those of the previous female doctor. He then ordered several more tests, instructing Chen Xuanqiu to undergo them before proceeding further.
Exiting the consultation room, the family of three, familiar with the process, paid the fees and then hurried to the CT room.
“Xiaoqiu, remember what I told you. Later, if they ask about your breasts, just say you’ve been taking estrogen.”
Chen Degao reminded her, still feeling uneasy.
“Mn.”
Chen Xuanqiu nodded vigorously again; she dared not forget this crucial detail.
As there was no one else in the CT room, Chen Xuanqiu was called in as soon as she arrived.
‘What if the doctor performing the examination inside is a man?’
This question suddenly occurred to Chen Xuanqiu just before she entered. Although she was mentally male, she still possessed a sense of shame and was absolutely unwilling to expose her current female body to an unfamiliar man.
As it turned out, Chen Xuanqiu’s fears were unfounded. Upon entering, she saw two young female assistants waiting for her.
What Chen Xuanqiu didn’t realize was that Yongchang had introduced numerous welfare policies for women, spanning various industries, to attract foreign women to naturalize and retain its own female citizens. For instance, a quota system was implemented for specific hospital roles, stipulating that only women could be employed as nurses and in CT rooms. While this approach had its pros and cons—it undoubtedly protected the privacy of female patients—the drawback was that employing women meant paying several times higher salaries than for men.
“What a beautiful foreign little sister! Do you speak Yongchangese?”
The slightly fairer-skinned of the two young assistants exclaimed in admiration.
“Yes, I do.”
Chen Xuanqiu replied, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.
“That’s good then. Please take off your clothes and underwear and lie down here.”
The assistant pointed to the medical bed in front of the CT scanner.
Chen Xuanqiu hesitated immediately. She already felt shy about undressing even reluctantly in front of her mother, let alone before two unfamiliar young women.
“Wait, no. We called for Chen Xuanqiu, who is a boy.”
At that moment, the other assistant glanced at the computer monitor and spoke.