Crossdressing Once and Countless Times

Yan Long, observing his suddenly appearing little son, inwardly cursed the child for being ignorant and ruining his plans, as he had been quite confident in winning over Su Muyu.

Yan Yun, however, knew her beautiful mother was quite naive and had been lonely for so many years; if Yan Long were to suddenly start showering her with affection, she feared her mother would fall into his clutches in no time.

“Yun’er, what, what are you doing?” While sighing in relief, Su Muyu also worried that Yan Yun might provoke Yan Long.

After all, this was a matter between husband and wife, and it wasn’t appropriate for a child to interfere.

“Mother, some people cast others aside when they’re worthless, ignoring them for over a decade, only to cling to them like a treasure once they gain value. Don’t fall for his tricks.” Yan Yun glared at Yan Long, her voice dripping with fearless sarcasm.

This confrontation marked Yan Yun’s first direct clash with her estranged father.

Observing Yan Yun’s sharp, hostile gaze, Yan Long understood that he likely held little favor in her heart.

Yet, there were some things he felt compelled to say.

“What are you doing, you brat? You don’t think I would harm your mother, do you?” Yan Long questioned.

Yan Yun rolled her eyes. In truth, her psychological age was quite similar to Yan Long’s; as peers, how could she not discern his intentions?

“Is that so? Is the Family Head truly here to visit my mother, or does he harbor some unspeakable ulterior motives?” Yan Yun narrowed her eyes, pressing her inquiry.

This question immediately put Yan Long in an awkward position.

He suddenly felt as though Yan Yun had seen right through his every thought.

‘This child, though young, possesses a profound and keen mind,’ Yan Long mused inwardly. ‘It’s true, she’s been clever since childhood. What a pity she lacks cultivation aptitude; otherwise, she might well have become a pillar of the Yan family.’

Although he hadn’t visited Yan Yun in years, he was still aware of her unusual behaviors; nothing within the family could escape his notice.

The problem was, in a cultivation family, even the most intelligent ordinary person held little value. Thus, he had always intended for Yan Yun to live as a carefree young master.

He asked himself, aside from failing to provide Yan Yun with paternal affection, he had never mistreated this child of his in any other way. Even if she felt no love for him, such hostility seemed unwarranted, didn’t it?

Indeed, had Yan Yun merely been an ordinary child, without an adult soul and with a simple mind, she truly wouldn’t have harbored such deep animosity towards Yan Long; at most, it would have been indifference.

“You brat, is that how you speak to your father?” Concerned that the father and son would quarrel, Su Muyu quickly reached out, pinching Yan Yun’s ear as she admonished her.

The once defiant Yan Yun immediately wilted.

“Ow, ow, Mother, gently! I was just helping you out of a fix; why are you siding with him?” Yan Yun yelped.

Su Muyu rolled her eyes.

“Go on, scram! Is it really up to a little brat like you to meddle in adult affairs?”

Observing the almost playful antics of the mother and child, a sense of warmth unexpectedly welled up in Yan Long’s heart.

Such playful interactions between a child and mother were uncommon in a prominent family like the Yan family.

With numerous rules, large families subjected their descendants to strict education from a young age.

“Never mind, Xiao Qi, this husband will take his leave for now. Yun’er seems to have something to discuss with you; I’ll return when I have time.” Yan Long did not press the matter further.

Instead, he left those words and turned to depart.

Watching Yan Long turn and leave, Su Muyu was about to speak but, after a moment’s thought, decided against it.

In this world, marriages within prominent families were primarily forced unions driven by mutual benefit; many were marriages where the love came afterwards, with some couples never developing any real affection throughout their lives.

Therefore, under such a system, Yan Long could hardly be blamed; Su Muyu herself understood this perfectly.

Only after Yan Long had departed did Su Muyu let out a sigh, then, with a stern yet pretty expression, she placed her hands on her hips and looked towards Yan Yun.

“You brat, you never visit unless you need something. Speak, what brings you here?”

Observing her mother’s pouting expression, Yan Yun couldn’t help but inwardly grumble, ‘Mom, don’t you realize how cute you look like that? It makes me worry you’ll be snatched up by some pig.’

Yan Yun cleared her throat a few times.

“Cough, cough, Mother, do you have any spirit stones on you?” Yan Yun asked directly.

Su Muyu paused, surprised.

“Spirit stones? What do you need spirit stones for? Those are only necessary for cultivators.”

Yan Yun was truly inept at coaxing; she preferred to get straight to the point, though she knew she couldn’t reveal the complete truth.

“Well, I saw a formation in the family’s Hidden Scripture Pavilion. There’s a particular array that can be set up without needing spiritual power, but it requires spirit stones. I’m just so bored, I wanted to experiment a little.” Yan Yun replied.

The moment the words left her mouth, Yan Lingyun’s voice immediately echoed in her mind.

“[Oh? Not bad, lies just roll off your tongue, and no one can find fault with them. Hey! Are you sure you’re a child?]”

Yan Yun ignored her, instead continuing to watch Su Muyu.

Observing Yan Yun’s seemingly honest expression, Su Muyu casually waved her hand, and the ring on her finger glowed with a blue light.

Immediately after, a small pouch appeared in her grasp.

“Here, take it. There are a hundred spirit stones in here. Just play around with them, don’t get into any trouble.”

Yan Yun’s eyes lit up. She quickly took the pouch from Su Muyu’s hand and opened it.

Inside were thumb-sized crystalline fragments, somewhat resembling diamonds. These were indeed spirit stones, the hard currency of the cultivation world and an indispensable resource for cultivators.

“Thank you, Mother.” Yan Yun smiled, surprised at how easily she had obtained them. Perhaps she had overcomplicated things.

Upon reflection, as Yan Yun’s mother, Su Muyu could certainly fulfill such a small request.

“Don’t celebrate too soon; I have a condition,” Su Muyu suddenly added.

Yan Yun’s heart immediately sank.

“A condition? What kind of condition?”

Su Muyu smiled, and she smiled very happily.

****

A moment later…

Yan Yun stood in Su Muyu’s room, a look of utter despair on her face.

Her appearance had undergone a drastic transformation.

Her male attire had been replaced with a light pink maiden’s dress, her hair styled into a girlish coiffure, and her face adorned with light makeup, instantly transforming her into an adorable young girl.

“Haha, success! Oh, she’s truly beautiful! I’ve wanted to try this for ages. She looks exactly like I did when I was little—no, even prettier than I was!” Su Muyu exclaimed excitedly, looking at her son dressed in female attire.

She looked exactly like a little girl who had just received a new toy.

This was Su Muyu’s condition.

She wanted Yan Yun to wear women’s clothing and dress up as a girl for her to see.

It had to be said, there wasn’t a hint of awkwardness; in fact, the female attire suited her far better than the male clothes.

Yan Yun stared at her reflection in the mirror, her lips twitching uncontrollably.

‘Only a birth mother could do this,’ Yan Yun thought, her lips twitching. ‘And what is this appearance? It’s over! What will I become in a few more years?’ Looking at her reflection, she could already envision how stunning she would be in the future.

As the saying goes, ‘Cross-dressing is a path taken either once or countless times’ (TL Note: A popular internet saying, implying that once someone tries cross-dressing, they either never do it again or they become addicted to it).

After seeing herself in female attire, an indescribable, peculiar emotion stirred within her.

‘Could this be destiny?’ Yan Yun’s heart was in utter despair.