People.
Hot spring hotel.
This was a traditional Chinese-style hot spring inn nestled at the foot of a mountain, passed down through several generations.
Known for its attentive service and excellent reputation, it was often fully booked during peak travel seasons.
However, since it was currently the off-season, there were only a handful of guests and about a dozen staff members.
“There’s really only one room left? But it’s the off-season!”
Xu Yinsheng cursed silently in his heart.
It was bad enough that Zhao Yicheng had dragged him here for a hot spring trip against his will, but now there was only one room left?
Sure, sharing a bed with his bro wouldn’t normally be an issue—just two dudes, no big deal.
But Xu Yinsheng wasn’t exactly a full-time man.
What if he transformed in his sleep one night and woke up as a succubus in someone’s arms?
Who could resist that?
He definitely didn’t want things to get sticky.
The young receptionist politely apologized, “Miss, I’m very sorry. Due to aging infrastructure, some rooms have issues with water, heat, or power supply. Currently, there’s only one room available.”
Xu Yinsheng frowned and pointed to his face.
“I’m male.”
He knew his current appearance was misleading.
Even when he wore men’s clothes, he still looked like a short-haired girl.
“My apologies, sir,” the receptionist said again.
“It’s fine.”
A slender hand landed on Xu Yinsheng’s shoulder.
Zhao Yicheng had just returned with their luggage.
Smiling, he said, “We’ll take the room.”
The receptionist paused for a second as if something had just clicked in her mind about their relationship.
She quickly completed the check-in and handed over a room card.
“Enjoy your stay.”
“You, take your ID and go book another room at a different hotel.”
Xu Yinsheng snatched the room card and stormed off upstairs.
Zhao Yicheng hurried after him, suitcase in tow.
There weren’t any other hotels for miles around—no way he was sleeping on the street tonight.
“Xiao Yin, there are no other hotels nearby. You wouldn’t make me sleep outside, would you? Besides, we’re in the middle of the woods. It’s not safe for you to stay alone in a hotel like this. Aren’t you more comfortable with me around?”
Zhao Yicheng clung to him like a magnet.
“It’s with you that I feel unsafe,” Xu Yinsheng muttered under his breath.
“Hey, having any room is already lucky. If there weren’t, we’d both be stuck outside. Don’t be so picky. Didn’t we sleep in the same bed all the time as kids? Why are you acting like a delicate woman now?”
“You’re the delicate one! You’re the one acting like a woman!”
Triggered, Xu Yinsheng kicked Zhao Yicheng.
“Okay, okay, my bad, totally my fault. I’m the delicate one. To make it up to you, I’ll treat you to the local specialties tonight.”
Zhao Yicheng quickly apologized.
That kick didn’t hurt at all—in fact, it felt soft, like a ball of cotton.
Rolling his eyes, Xu Yinsheng took the room card and opened the door—only to freeze in shock at what he saw.
His mouth formed a perfect “O,” like an egg.
The room wasn’t small—about 50 square meters.
In the center stood an oversized bed, and the most eye-catching part was the heart shape made of rose petals arranged neatly on top.
That wasn’t all.
The lighting wasn’t ordinary white but a soft pink, filling the room with an unmistakably romantic vibe.
The air smelled sweet and pleasant, like expensive perfume.
Taking in the entire scene, Xu Yinsheng stiffened.
He instinctively looked at the back of the room card and saw a line of pink text:
“Double Occupancy Couple’s SVIP Suite.”
“Move it, don’t just stand there. I’ve been single for years, and this is my first time staying in a couple’s room!”
Zhao Yicheng, acting like he’d discovered a new continent, pushed Xu Yinsheng inside and immediately shut the door behind them.
“This is ridiculous. I’m finding the manager and filing a complaint.”
Fuming, Xu Yinsheng threw the room card onto the bed.
“Calm down, calm down.”
After putting the suitcase away, Zhao Yicheng went over to hug Xu Yinsheng and started massaging him.
“Xiao Yin, think about it—we’re all just working people. Filing a complaint against that young lady at the front desk wouldn’t be easy on her.”
“Besides, this is a Couple’s SVIP Room, and we’re only paying for a regular one. If you think about it, we’re actually getting a good deal here.”
“Then you can sleep in the car tonight,” Xu Yinsheng said, gritting his teeth in frustration.
“Xiao Yin, have mercy on me. Ever since last time, my waist’s been killing me.”
As Zhao Yicheng spoke, he clutched his lower back with a pitiful expression.
“Then I’ll go back.”
Xu Yinsheng sighed and stretched out his hand.
“Give me the car keys.”
Draining his good bro like that—even if it wasn’t entirely intentional—was still, in a way, his fault.
“Alright, alright, I’ll sleep in the car instead. Might be good for strengthening my back.”
Seeing that his bro was dead set on going back to the car, Zhao Yicheng finally gave in.
But…
He flopped down onto the bed.
“Just let me lie here for a bit.”
He thought back to a recent conversation.
***
“So you’re saying… my friend’s real biological sex is female?”
A complicated look flickered in Zhao Yicheng’s eyes.
“Correct,” the man in the white coat nodded.
“People with this type of intersex condition typically only have one type of gonad—either male or female. However, those with male gonads may have external genitalia that appears female, and vice versa. This leads to cases where someone appears to be female but is actually male, or vice versa. That’s what we refer to as pseudohermaphroditism. Biologically, they are either male or female—it’s just that their external genitalia presents traits of the opposite sex, creating a mismatch between appearance and reality.”
“Intersex conditions” can be classified into two types: true hermaphroditism and pseudohermaphroditism.
The distinction between “true” and “pseudo” is based on the dominant type of gonad present in the body.
“True hermaphroditism” means that the individual possesses both testicular and ovarian tissue.
These gonads can both be functional, producing male and female hormones (testosterone and estrogen), though one is usually dominant.
“Pseudohermaphroditism” includes two types: male pseudohermaphroditism and female pseudohermaphroditism.
“Your friend is most likely a case of female pseudohermaphroditism.”
At this point, the man in the white coat adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses.
“Of course, this is only a hypothesis on my part.”
But Zhao Yicheng wasn’t thinking about the medical jargon anymore.
One particular thought drifted through his mind:
“From now on… should I still call them my bro? Or start calling them… my dear wife?”
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