As night fell, the usual warmth at the dinner table was now tinged with awkward stiffness.
Ji Yueniang bit into a large steak, clearly sensing three different gazes, subtle and elusive, sweeping over her body.
“Mom, your steak is really delicious, so juicy and tender. Is there a secret recipe?” He deliberately tried to steer the conversation.
He had to—everyone at the table was staring at him.
Ji Yueniang was anxious inside, worried her family would see through her.
Think about it: the second son goes out for two months and comes back as the second daughter.
She couldn’t even imagine what kind of social death that would be.
Hearing Ji Yueniang’s words, Huang Qingchuan finally shifted her gaze from her second son’s rather showy, swaying chest muscles. “Pick farmhouse pork, pound each side 50 times, then marinate with stuffing in the fridge for a whole day.”
“What’s the matter, Yueyue, want to learn from me?”
Then, she changed the subject, “Oh right, Yueyue, where’s your girlfriend? You said you’d bring her home.”
Ji Yueniang’s face froze.
Bring her home? Where was she supposed to find a girlfriend to bring back?
She couldn’t possibly drag Jiang Chi home, slap her own plump, snow-white chest in front of the family, and declare: Yes, your second son spent these two months with this man. Not only is he Mom’s best friend’s son, but your second son has also been thoroughly ravished by this man in bed, to the point of blissful drooling.
“Alright, Mom, little brother just got back. Let’s talk about the girlfriend next time. Besides, he already said his girlfriend’s shy and needs time to get mentally prepared.”
Knowing well that if Ji Yueniang actually brought a girlfriend home, he’d end up forced into endless blind dates, Ji Haotong took the initiative to help out.
Ji Yueniang breathed a sigh of relief and shot Ji Haotong a grateful look.
Ji Haotong met her gaze in return.
Seeing her two sons colluding like this, Huang Qingchuan’s teeth itched.
YYY! She really wanted a little princess! Why couldn’t either of her sons be reliable? Going crazy!
“Yueniang, you’re eighteen now, aren’t you?” This time, the always-silent Ji Hong spoke from the head of the table, his gaze landing on Ji Yueniang, his words emotionless.
“Yes, Dad.” Ji Yueniang instantly straightened up!
She’d always been a little intimidated by her strict, taciturn father. Maybe it was the weight of paternal authority, or maybe something else, but the former little bully, the terror of the campus, didn’t dare act out at all.
“Sometime soon, I’ll take you to another province for a checkup. Don’t ask for details—you’ll understand later.”
“Let’s not, Dad, my health’s fine…” Ji Yueniang wanted to protest, but a steady, imposing look swept her way, and she immediately swallowed the rest of her words.
Even when she was male, Ji Hong, managing an entire enterprise with an aura that could crush mountains, made her nervous. Now, after becoming female, the feeling was even stronger, like facing some apex predator at the top of the food chain. Fear seemed embedded in her genes, making her want to run.
“Dad, Mom, Bro, I’m full. I’ll head to my room now.” Hastily finishing the steak, Ji Yueniang put down her chopsticks and fled upstairs, shutting the door with a bang.
“What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!”
Back in her room, Ji Yueniang grabbed her hair, desperately scratching her head in frustration.
If Dad really took her for a checkup, the whole gender swap thing would definitely be exposed.
Her eyes landed on the mirror. In it, her features were delicate, skin porcelain-white, eyebrows slender. Aside from the short, ear-length hair that threw things off a bit, everything else was pure girl.
Maybe she should just come clean to her parents?
Tell them, tell them…
Ji Yueniang knew her family. Even if she turned out to be a failure, they’d take care of her for life. If she told the truth now, she’d never be kicked out—they’d still let her live in comfort forever.
But thinking about how her mom, dad, and brother would treat her like a girl after that, how they’d think she was too fragile to carry or lift anything, that she’d have to get married—
No more going out and messing around, no more foot massages, no more rough-and-tumble guy antics…
She didn’t like that.
That would mean saying goodbye to seventeen years of being a man, of pride and lived experience.
Just then, her pocket vibrated.
Six Celestial Coach: Ji bro, my ticket’s for August 31st. How about we get together for basketball when school starts? Haven’t played for two months, my hands are getting rusty.
Looking at the message, Ji Yueniang couldn’t help but smile.
Embracing Bright Moon: Sure.
No matter if she was male or female, Ji Yueniang would always want to be “Ji Yueniang.”
*****
“Honghong, what’s wrong? In a bad mood?”
In another bedroom, Huang Qingchuan had just showered. Wrapped in a bathrobe, she stepped out of the bathroom and saw her husband standing on the balcony, looking at the night. She hugged him from behind, resting her head on his back and spoke with a playful whine.
“I know Yueyue’s changed a lot these two months, not really the manly type you wanted. But look on the bright side, at least he doesn’t want to be a campus bully anymore. If he’s an artist, then let him be one. It’s not such a big deal.”
Huang Qingchuan’s words made Ji Hong turn to look at her. She was in a loose bathrobe, her hair still wet and draping down, her black-and-white eyes full of admiration and love. He couldn’t help but reach out and stroke her soft hair.
His fingers, rough and callused, moved to brush aside the long hair near her ear—only for her to catch them in her mouth, tongue licking gently, her beautiful eyes brimming with affection.
“Meow~ Dom~~”
“Do you like your obedient, sensible little Huanghuang?”
“So many years and you still like playing like this,” Ji Hong said helplessly, his voice low and sexy, like aged wine.
Huang Qingchuan looked up at him, her eyes blinking, innocence laced with a hint of slyness. “Didn’t you used to say I was your naughty, mischievous little bad cat?”
“A bad cat doesn’t behave unless her Dom teaches her a lesson. Oh no, I want Dom to punish me again. Come teach me.”
“Dom doesn’t teach me anymore, is it because he doesn’t want me? If this little bad cat loses her Dom, she’ll be so, so sad.”
She feigned grievance, mumbling as she buried her head into Ji Hong’s arms, nuzzling like a kitten. Ji Hong smiled helplessly and gently patted her back.
Suddenly, she looked up, her bright eyes filled with anticipation and longing.
He didn’t even have to ask to know she had something she wanted to discuss.
“Honghong, I want to adopt a daughter.”
“What?” Ji Hong frowned slightly.
“Look, after all these years, all I’ve had is sons. Tongtong and Yueyue aren’t any help, still no sign of a granddaughter.
She poked her own belly, looking at Ji Hong with pleading eyes, blinking constantly. “Xiao Rourou’s A’Chi has a girlfriend, called Ji Qingchan. She’s an orphan. I talked with Xiao Rourou, how about our two families form a marriage alliance?”
“I’ll adopt Chan Chan as my goddaughter, then she’ll marry Xiao Rourou’s A’Chi. Our families will be linked by marriage. I’ll get the daughter I’ve always wanted, and your alliance with the Jiang family will grow stronger.”
After listening, Ji Hong’s brow furrowed deeper. He thought for a while before finally kissing his wife’s forehead and replying gently, “Let me think it over. If we adopt a goddaughter… we should at least ask Haotong and Yueniang for their opinions.”
“You didn’t refuse? So you half agree!”
“Great!”
Getting the answer she wanted, Huang Qingchuan excitedly threw her arms around her husband’s neck and jumped up and down. “I’m telling you, Chan Chan’s just like me—maybe not by blood, but even better than a real daughter. When I get to cuddle you with her on either side, you’ll be in heaven!”
“Hehehe I always knew you’re obsessed with having a daughter”
“When Haotong and Yueyue were born, you said boys and girls were the same. But in secret you were praying at temples and burning incense—don’t think I didn’t peek at your locked diary…”
Ji Hong could only wipe away a cold sweat.
“Aiya, I let that slip.” Huang Qingchuan quickly covered her mouth. Meeting Ji Hong’s gaze again, she licked his fingers playfully. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have peeked at Dom’s diary. This little bad cat is ready for Dom’s punishment.”
If attitude is a mask for the heart, then throughout life people wear many masks—one for bosses, one for relatives, one for parents…
Huang Qingchuan had several masks too. In front of her kids, she was a mother, managing house and home; in front of Chen Mengrou, she was a best friend and high school/university buddy; among other society ladies, she was a well-bred, considerate socialite who sometimes attended gatherings to make her husband look good.
But in front of her top-tier Dom husband, Huang Qingchuan wore no mask at all. She took it off, exposing her truest self.
Back in school, she’d been a mischievous, fun-loving girl; in her husband’s arms, she was a clever, pampered, playful kitten—a devoted little love slave for her Dom.
Just as Ji Yueniang always wanted to be “Ji Yueniang,” Huang Qingchuan would always be “Huang Qingchuan.”
“Hey, punk, you want to challenge me? Not so fast. Don’t think you’ve won—this is just the beginning.” Soon, the room was filled with lines from Street Fighter 3’s Jamie—still their favorite game from school days, even now.
“I’ll defeat all of you!”
“You’re good, but still far from enough!”
“I want to become the strongest Street Fighter.”
“You think you can beat me? Don’t dream!”
Jamie versus Ryu—supposedly a pair of people in their thirties or forties, but at this moment, they were both sitting cross-legged on the floor with an old game console between them, grainy graphics casting shifting expressions across their faces like scenes from a movie.
In the thick of battle, Huang Qingchuan glanced sideways at her husband, her face twisted in frustration after losing yet again, but she quickly rallied, ready for another round.
Suddenly, she smiled knowingly.
A low-level Sub seeks pleasure through sex.
An exceptional Sub seeks fulfillment and pleasure by pleasing their Dom.