A Family Breakfast and a Firm Decision

“You’re the pervert. When Si Yi leaves, hurry up and check. I feel like something’s off.”

“Something off?” Serena drawled, resting her chin on her hand. “I think you’re just addicted to crossdressing.”

“Addicted my ass! Your whole family’s addicted to crossdressing!” Back then, I was clearly a girl. A girl wearing women’s clothes—wasn’t that perfectly normal?

I was about to assert my authority as head of the household and force Serena to flip through the demonic texts later, but just then, Chen Si Yi walked out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of steamed eggs. After setting it on the dining table, she took off her apron and sat down between Serena and me.

“What’s up? What were you two talking about?” Chen Si Yi asked while untying her ponytail.

“Nothing.” Naturally, I didn’t want Chen Si Yi to know the strange thoughts running through my head. Under the table, I secretly held up two fingers.

Right. After developing eye contact communication, Serena and I had also taught ourselves a sign language of sorts. Originally intended for emergencies when I was a loli, it turned out to come in handy even now.

Two weeks ago, when the weather was sweltering and I was bored out of my mind, I’d taken Serena’s game account from Gold all the way up to Platinum. Serena, who’d been sitting cross-legged monitoring the screen, squinted so hard her eyes nearly teared up with excitement.

Two fingers meant Platinum II—only two steps away from the Diamond rank she had once thought unattainable. So when she saw my gesture, her pupils dilated and her breathing quickened.

“Yeah, we weren’t talking about anything, Si Yi.” Serena chimed in with me. “Lin Yan’s just not used to his new body yet, so he was asking if there’s a solution.”

‘New body my ass. This is my original body, thank you very much.’

Serena’s words left me speechless, but since we were allies now, I had to go along with her story.

“Right. I feel a bit unsteady walking. Probably… not used to it yet.”

My tone was sincere enough to convince Chen Si Yi.

“Is that so…” A hint of worry flickered across Chen Si Yi’s face. She pursed her lips in thought for a few seconds, then turned to Serena. “Serena, is there anything we can do?”

Serena shook her head, casually picking up a piece of tomato egg stir-fry with her chopsticks and popping it into her mouth.

“How should I put it? I don’t think it’s a big deal. Lin Yan wasn’t used to it when he first turned into a little girl either, but didn’t he end up enjoying himself in no time?”

‘Enjoying myself, my foot! I’ve been living in agony every day! And Serena, you demon, you’re pretty fluent in human language, aren’t you? Using idioms that smoothly—really shows in all those game chats where you trash-talk your teammates!’

“True.”

Hearing Serena’s words, Chen Si Yi nodded in agreement. The tension in her face eased, and she picked up her chopsticks to eat in silence.

The living room fell quiet again. Morning sunlight spilled across the floor, casting a warm, nostalgic glow.

After so long, I was finally having breakfast with my sister as Lin Yan again. And with the addition of Serena the succubus, the house felt much livelier.

I loved these moments at the dining table with family. Growing up, I’d rarely been with my parents. Even when staying with relatives, even when forcing a smile, I could never bridge the gap between me and the concept of ‘family.’

What made me feel family warmth was Si Yi’s arrival. Every move she made, her radiant smile—they always filled me with a sense of closeness and comfort.

When Dad first pointed at Chen Si Yi at the wedding banquet and said she would be my little sister from now on, I was instantly captivated. All the guests were smiling, but Si Yi’s face was calm as still water—neither joy nor sorrow. Amid the splendor of the world, she alone remained untouched, dwelling in her own private space, dressed in a pure white gown.

I was so lost in the sight that Dad had to pat my back to snap me out of it, urging me to go greet my new sister. That was when I suppressed my inner longing and forced myself to act like a good older brother.

Though I wished time would stop and these warm days would last forever, that clearly wasn’t realistic. If I wanted to stay with Si Yi forever, the first step had to be taken. I’d already made up my mind.

Worth noting, as breakfast neared its end, Si Yi, who had been silent for a long time, finally couldn’t hold back. She turned to ask about Su Xiao Yu and me.

“We’re together now,” I replied. Chen Si Yi immediately turned her head away, unable to meet my gaze.

“Oh, that’s… good.” Though she said that, I caught the unmistakable disappointment and melancholy on her face as she turned.

“Lin Yan, remember to wash the dishes when you’re done. I’m off to school.”

With those final words, Chen Si Yi turned her back to me as if fleeing. She grabbed her backpack from the sofa, slipped her feet—clad in short white lace socks—into canvas shoes, opened the door, and vanished from my sight.