Jiang Cheng received a package.
It was on a Sunday afternoon when she went out to throw away the trash and found a small box at the doorstep.
On it were simply written three words.
【To Jiang Cheng】
She took the box home, found scissors to open it, and inside was a household registration booklet and some certification documents.
Without exception, all the information on them was hers, even the one-inch photo was of her current appearance.
Those people again… Jiang Cheng tugged at her hair, letting out a long breath.
She cleaned up the waste cardboard and foam paper, placing these items on the coffee table in the living room.
Past six-thirty, the sound of the door lock turning came from the entrance.
After a creak, Jiang Xiaoyue entered the house carrying a bag in one hand and groceries in the other.
“Xiao Cheng, help Mommy put the vegetables in the kitchen.”
Jiang Cheng walked to the entryway, took the large bag of vegetables, and went into the kitchen first.
“Our door… needs some lubrication, and—eh? What’s this?”
Jiang Xiaoyue, having changed into slippers, glanced at the coffee table in the living room as she passed by and immediately saw the household registration booklet and documents.
She picked them up and flipped through them.
The head of the household was herself, but the member’s name had been changed to “Jiang Cheng.”
The remaining documents were all related to Jiang Cheng.
“These…”
Jiang Cheng wiped her hands as she walked out of the kitchen, and Jiang Xiaoyue looked at her calm-faced daughter.
“Someone delivered them this afternoon, probably from those people… It just so happens that we can use them.”
Not only could they use them, but they also resolved an urgent problem; many things no longer required the trouble of running around again.
But… this also meant that Jiang Cheng, in a social sense, had disappeared.
Jiang Xiaoyue frowned at her daughter, unable to suppress the worry in her eyes.
“Mom, I’m fine.”
Jiang Cheng proactively leaned in and hugged her mother.
Jiang Xiaoyue wrapped her arms around her daughter in return, letting her lean on her shoulder, and Jiang Cheng obediently buried her head in her mom’s neck.
She could feel her mom’s warm hand stroking the back of her head again and again.
“Mommy knows you’re strong, but… if there’s anything upsetting you inside, you still have to tell Mommy.”
“I’m really fine. Next week, I’ll enroll normally. You wouldn’t want me to take a leave to rest, right?”
Jiang Cheng grinned widely, her eyes curving as she spoke to her mom.
“You, the monthly exams are almost here, and you’re still thinking of slacking off. But relaxing a bit is necessary too. After your monthly exams… Mommy will just start at the new company, so how about we go somewhere for the weekend?”
The new company’s work schedule wasn’t as hectic, and Jiang Xiaoyue could even rarely enjoy weekend time; she wanted to spend more time with her daughter.
“That sounds great! Mom… I’m really happy now, truly.”
Jiang Xiaoyue’s nose tingled with emotion, and she avoided her daughter’s gaze as she headed to the kitchen.
“Mommy is happy too. Alright, today I’ll make a big meal for my cute daughter.”
Her voice was hoarse.
Jiang Cheng still had a smile on her face, but after returning to her room, she slid down against the door and sat on the floor.
She clutched her chest, breathing heavily.
Ha—ah—ha—
After deep breaths, the tingling sensation subsided a lot, though her throat still felt a bit tight.
She didn’t dare let her mom see her dejected side; there was no point.
When things had no way back, looking forward was the only choice… or rather, the only option.
She had to fully adapt to the physical changes brought by Jiang Cheng, forget the male identity she’d used for over a decade, constantly brainwashing herself—you are Jiang Cheng.
Yes… that’s right.
Jiang Cheng stood up and saw the phone screen on the desk light up.
Someone had sent her a WeChat message.
Jiang Cheng’s face darkened as she opened the chat.
【Sorry】
Sent by Wang Ziyue, starting from Friday night.
She seemed to have sent other things too, but they were all recalled; in the end, all Jiang Cheng saw were the three words “sorry.”
She had sent them consecutively for three days, as if whenever Wang Ziyue had free time, she would send one.
She touched those three words, then tapped the chat info in the top right and set the message notifications to do not disturb.
“Xiao Cheng—help Mommy wash the vegetables~” Jiang Xiaoyue’s voice came.
“Coming!”
Jiang Cheng changed into home clothes and hurried out of the room.
She didn’t notice the phone vibrating.
“Here, help Mommy wash these, mm—smells good, right?”
Jiang Xiaoyue picked up a piece of chicken with chopsticks, blew on it, and held it to Jiang Cheng’s mouth.
Jiang Cheng bit down in one go, squinting her eyes in praise, “Mommy’s cooking is really delicious!”
“Then you have to eat a lot more later~”
Jiang Xiaoyue laughed too, scanning her daughter’s clothes up and down.
This was newly bought for Jiang Cheng; this lace nightgown looked especially fitting on her.
“Next week, let’s go shopping again, just us two.”
“Okay, Mom, didn’t you tell me earlier to study hard for the monthly exams?”
Jiang Cheng said helplessly.
“Isn’t it because everything looks good on you? Think about before, you only wore black, white, and gray…”
Jiang Xiaoyue’s voice trailed off as she spoke, and the mother and daughter both fell silent; it was Jiang Cheng who broke the ice.
“Then I’ll wash the rice too?”
“Ai, almost forgot… your memory is better.”
The two tacitly ignored the previous topic.
About an hour later, they finally sat down to this abundant dinner.
Jiang Cheng talked about the enrollment matters, and Jiang Xiaoyue nodded from time to time while listening, then suddenly said,
“Do you know when your period is?”
“Ah?”
Jiang Cheng didn’t react at first; she shoveled a couple mouthfuls of rice before realizing belatedly.
Startled by her mom, Jiang Cheng choked on the rice, coughing nonstop; Jiang Xiaoyue stood up and patted her back, “Eat slowly, do you want me to get you some water?”
“No need… cough, cough cough, Mom, next time don’t say things so suddenly.”
“Okay okay okay, it’s all Mommy’s fault, but Mommy isn’t joking with you. This is a very important thing for girls.”
Jiang Cheng recalled that during previous transformations, there were no period symptoms.
“Probably either the beginning or end of the month?”
There weren’t many days left in this month.
“Then don’t forget to bring sanitary pads.”
“I know…”
Jiang Cheng’s face was flushed red; if it really came, it would be her first period, right?
No matter how she thought about it, it felt awkward.
Jiang Xiaoyue continued explaining precautions, glanced at her daughter’s exposed thighs, and added,
“Change into long sleeves and pants later.”
The nightgown that looked nice before now didn’t seem so good in Jiang Xiaoyue’s eyes.
After returning to her room, Jiang Cheng obediently changed clothes, then casually picked up her phone; as soon as she unlocked the screen, her expression froze.
After half a minute, she called back the missed call displayed on the screen.
Wang Ziyue had frantically called her several times.
The call was quickly answered.
“Jiang Cheng…”
Jiang Cheng heard the exhausted voice and her eyes darkened a bit.
“What do you want?”
She hadn’t figured out how to face Wang Ziyue yet, but perhaps because it was over the phone, her emotions weren’t as intense.
On one hand, she was her sponsor and had helped her—but on the other…
Rationally, Jiang Cheng felt she shouldn’t blame the other, but this irrational resentment was unavoidable.
Their last meeting hadn’t been pleasant, and Jiang Cheng thought both needed some buffer space.
But when the call came, Jiang Cheng still answered.
“Sorry.”
Those three words again; Jiang Cheng could tell the other person’s speech was a bit unclear.
“Are you sick?”
“No… I’m in great health.”
Wang Ziyue’s hair was a mess; she hadn’t eaten a bite of dinner and had drunk most of a bottle of red wine alone.
Now sitting at the bar counter next to the dining room, she held the phone in her left hand and rubbed the stem of the wine glass with her right.
“I’m doing fantastic.”
“Is that so…”
“Just, sorry…”
Wang Ziyue felt the alcohol rushing to her head.
She stood up and took two steps, staggering to the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, from where she could see the neatly trimmed flower bed outside.
All planted with roses as per her request.
But it didn’t look that great?
Wang Ziyue frowned, about to push open the window, when a sour feeling surged from her stomach; she dry-heaved a few times.
“You…?”
Jiang Cheng heard Wang Ziyue vomiting, then the call was cut off.
What’s wrong with this person…