Chapter 13: Sick…

Did I fail? Was I… discovered?

Vaguely sensing that something Lin Ziyan said earlier was a bit odd, she found herself thinking this.

No… it must just be her imagination… right?

Her mood was somewhat gloomy as she slowly sat back in her seat. Even though she was still very hungry, she didn’t have much appetite for dinner.

Looking at the Toy Bear set beside her, its clumsy and cute appearance—round, chubby, and soft—was something girls loved.

But unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be liked by her younger sister…

She silently hugged the Doll to her chest, feeling as if she was about to cry again. It had been so long—so long since she’d received a gift from anyone else.

Besides, since it was bought with Mother’s money, it should count as a gift from Mother too, right?

Mother…

Tomorrow remained uncertain, and the girl’s muddled mind could think of no way to cope. But hugging the little bear, she felt that maybe she would finally get a good night’s sleep.

She ate the now-cold dinner, washed the dishes, and freshened up. By the time she returned to her dark little Attic, only the Stars outside were left to keep her company.

The girl climbed silently onto her bed, hugged the little bear, and drifted into a deep sleep.

Lin Ziyan’s Bedroom was adorned with pink, girlish tapestries. Dozens of plush toys—new and old—were neatly piled into every corner, leaving almost nowhere to step. The girl hugged a life-sized body pillow, with that piece of White Cloth she’d taken from her pocket placed beside her.

The faint blue glow from her Mobile Phone illuminated her face. She bit her lower lip lightly, eyes fixed on the search results on her phone. Q: Can a man become a woman?

A: It is possible. Based on current knowledge, cases of a man “suddenly” becoming a woman in the biological sense are extremely rare. It usually does not happen overnight, but is caused by specific medical conditions or long-term medical intervention. There are generally a few categories…

She read through the entries, a strange smile gradually forming on her lips.

If she matched each of these conditions one by one to her so-called “brother”, it seemed… almost miraculous how well they fit?

She might have to take back what she’d said to Liu Yinuo that afternoon. Now, she couldn’t be sure if that person—who didn’t even reach her height—was really a man or a woman.

Things seemed to be getting even more interesting.

An older brother who meekly accepts everything is nowhere near as entertaining as a fragile, pitiable older sister. She glanced at the White Cloth beside her. On a whim, she picked it up, rolled it in her hands, and brought it to her face, taking a deep breath.

That bewitching fragrance—growing fainter every day—was still there.

She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but she seemed to catch a hint of milky scent as well?

“Hehehe—”

If things were as she guessed, she was truly looking forward to seeing Ye Xingmian try desperately to hide her awkwardness in front of her tomorrow. Just imagining that flustered, fearful expression was delightful.

She was like a cat who had found an interesting Toy, ready to begin a hunt full of fun.

The first rays of morning sunlight had yet to pierce the dusty glass of the Attic window when Ye Xingmian woke up early.

So hot… so uncomfortable…

Her whole body felt like it was burning up. Her throat ached badly. She tried to speak, but her usually soft voice was now hoarse and weak. Faintly, she realized—she must have a fever.

Her body ached and felt powerless, as if it had been broken apart and put back together again.

She sat up at the head of the bed and looked outside; it seemed almost time for class. With no choice, she dressed slowly and prepared to go downstairs as usual to make Breakfast.

As soon as she stood, she felt a wave of dizziness. She tried to take a couple of steps, but immediately sensed something was wrong.

Her sensitive chest rubbed against the rough fabric of her clothes, sending an intense, electric shock through her. Only then did she remember—she hadn’t worn her Chest Binder.

And her Chest Binder… had been taken away by her sister last night…

There was nothing for it. She had to press her hands tightly to her chest to reduce the friction, and slowly made her way down the stairs, supporting herself on the wall, to prepare Breakfast.

Her fever was so bad that, lost in a haze, she even forgot to turn over the Egg while frying it. By the time she came back to her senses, one side of the Egg was already burnt…

In the end, she could only divide it into two bowls. She kept the bowl with the burnt Egg for herself, and gave the other to her sister. After finishing Breakfast, she reheated the leftover Porridge from last night and served it up before heading upstairs and knocking on her sister’s door.

“Ziyan… it’s time for Breakfast…”

There was no response from inside.

She knocked again, raising her voice a bit, but the pain in her throat made her cough uncontrollably.

Suddenly, the door swung open. Lin Ziyan, already neatly dressed, her long black hair perfectly brushed, stood there. She folded her arms and leaned against the door frame, eyes scanning Ye Xingmian from head to toe—her pale, haggard face, cheeks flushed with sickly red from coughing, her slightly trembling body.

“You’re sick?” she asked. Her tone was flat—neither concerned nor mocking.

Ye Xingmian didn’t want to speak; her throat hurt with every word. She could only force herself to shake her head.

“Go eat.”

“Mm~”

Lin Ziyan’s eyes never left her, making Ye Xingmian uneasy. After coughing twice, she managed to croak out, “I’ll go down first…”

“Mm~ alright~”

Her sister seemed strangely different today, answering much more readily than usual. But Ye Xingmian’s mind was foggy all morning, so she didn’t notice that anything was off. After calling Lin Ziyan, she supported herself on the wall and shuffled slowly downstairs.

Behind her, Lin Ziyan chuckled softly, quietly watching her figure.

Petite and delicate, swaying unsteadily. So easy to pity, yet stirring a strange urge to bully her.

Ah… how did I never notice before that her “older brother” was this cute?

Only when the other’s figure had disappeared from view did Lin Ziyan slowly head to the bathroom.

Ye Xingmian sat alone at the table, staring bitterly at the Breakfast before her.

No appetite…

Her whole body burned as if on fire, her stomach churned. She forced herself to eat a little—it was burnt, but still edible. No matter how bad she felt, she had to eat more. She had no money left, and wouldn’t be able to eat lunch otherwise.

“What’s this mess? All burnt. Did you make this?”

A rather harsh voice came from across the table. Ye Xingmian instinctively looked up to see Lin Ziyan frowning, sitting down as if nothing were amiss.

“Sorry…”

Knowing she was at fault, Ye Xingmian apologized without hesitation. But to her surprise, Lin Ziyan actually picked up a piece and ate it with her rice.

“Aren’t you going to buy Breakfast outside today…?”

“Buy what? I ran out of pocket money.”

“Oh…”

Breakfast ended quickly. After clearing the dishes, Ye Xingmian hurried after her sister.

“For you.”

Lin Ziyan casually tossed her heavy Bookbag, nearly knocking the frail Ye Xingmian off her feet.

She’d been in such a rush coming home yesterday that she hadn’t brought her Bookbag, so things were a bit easier today than usual.

Just like always, she slung Lin Ziyan’s Bookbag over her shoulder. As she looked up, she couldn’t help but softly ask, “Why do you keep looking at me…”

Lin Ziyan turned her head carelessly, not answering.

“We have Physical Education today, you know. Has my ‘brother’ figured out how to deal with it?”

“Eh?” Ye Xingmian was a little puzzled. Normally, her sister was unwilling to even call her “brother”—why was she suddenly acting so out of character today?

Slow as ever, she failed to pick up on the emphasis in Lin Ziyan’s words.

But, Physical Education, huh?

With her current condition, there was no way she could attend Physical Education today.