During breakfast, Song Qiuyu excitedly told everyone the good news.
“Really?”
Xie Zhuran’s eyes widened.
It felt unexpected but not entirely surprising—after all, his roommate was truly outstanding.
Even setting aside everything else, just that face alone was enough to make many investors and directors eager to heavily promote her.
“Mm!”
Song Qiuyu nodded firmly.
“The Legend of Sword and Fairy series… that’s no small challenge.”
Jiang Xiao looked at his girlfriend, remembering how four years ago she had recommended the Legend of Sword and Fairy online game and its TV adaptation to him.
He couldn’t help but imagine Lin Yueru’s makeup and costume on her—especially Lin Yueru’s personality.
There was indeed a hint of that spoiled young lady and heroic woman vibe, maybe about fifty or sixty percent.
“I might not even succeed in the audition. I’ll definitely have a lot of competitors, and they’re all real girls. As someone doing reverse casting, I’ll have to work really hard. Hehe.”
Song Qiuyu scratched the back of her neck. Her pretty almond eyes curved into crescent moons as she chuckled softly.
Words that seemed modest, almost self-deprecating, landed in Jiang Xiao’s ears, making him narrow his eyes slightly.
Seems like Xi’er still didn’t see her own situation correctly.
On camera, Xi’er always shone so brightly. When she first entered school, she had been just as dazzling. But off camera, now, she often fell into inferiority.
Most people wore smiles, full of confidence in her, yet a small number showed worry on their faces.
They were delighted because, having just finished freshman year, she had a chance to appear on screen in a drama. Without a doubt, that was Heaven handing her a meal.
How many drama or directing students spent their entire lives in obscurity, forced to run errands everywhere just to get face time?
They worried because this was a remake of a classic. A few years ago, a remake had been harshly mocked. Now, another remake—comparisons were inevitable.
Plus, Song Qiuyu was still just a prospective sophomore, a newcomer actress.
Even with those short videos as a foundation, she was bound to be chased and criticized by many.
But more importantly, Song Qiuyu’s real gender was female, and she had become female due to Gender Transformation Disorder.
Unfortunately, the audition time fell right after the disorder was made public.
Even if the director was optimistic about her now, after the disorder was disclosed, the situation might change.
She might be categorized as something inhuman—or even worse.
Perhaps the more excited she was now, the harder she would fall later.
“Child, hard work will pay off.”
Song Zhaoye patted his daughter’s head, beaming with pride.
Hearing this, Song Qiuyu nodded again. Then she couldn’t help stealing two glances at her boyfriend. Seeing him looking back, she shyly averted her gaze.
Three days left. Only three days. The last three days!
“Although the wedding is over now, Lufeng City has a lot of fun things and good food. If you want to stay a few more days, Lin An and I can be your free tour guides.”
Xia Qi said enthusiastically.
“Ah, better not. We won’t stay and be third wheels. You two go enjoy your honeymoon!”
The Drama Club President gave the young couple a thumbs-up.
Song Qiuyu quite agreed. Now that Lao Lin had been optimized, he could confidently show off his manly nature. Third wheels should voluntarily leave.
Unless they were really hungry and wouldn’t even spare the dog food.
Then everyone finished their meal, chatted for a while about summer vacation plans, packed their things, and set off for home.
On the road, with her family by her side, Song Qiuyu sat on the train feeling time slip through her fingers faster and faster.
Whenever she thought about what was about to happen, the excitement from the audition opportunity seemed to be doused with cold water, forcing her to calm down.
She felt terrible.
Given the situation, she had no choice but to swallow this suffocating, helpless feeling. She stole a glance at her parents and secretly clenched her small hands.
Suddenly, she missed someone a lot.
She gripped her phone, hesitated for a long time, and still didn’t take the initiative to message Jiang Xiao. Instead, she picked up an orange from the table.
The orange peel slowly unfolded like a flower, releasing a refreshing, uplifting citrus fragrance into the air.
It also stirred up the girl’s myriad thoughts.
She had always struggled to escape from cages, but she kept putting herself into new ones. At this moment, however, she had a completely different realization.
She shouldn’t be acting as a girlfriend—not as Shen Xi, who felt guilty toward Jiang Xiao, not as someone missing him—but simply as Song Qiuyu, because Song Qiuyu’s heart was set on that person.
“Dad, Mom, want some oranges?”
She smiled sweetly and handed the peeled orange to her parents.
“Our little treasure is so sweet~”
Su Luo laughed.
“Oh, Mom, now that we’re not home, who’s taking care of our two cats?”
Song Qiuyu split the orange in half, giving one half to her dad and the other to her mom.
“Da Mi and Xiao Mi,” Su Luo thought for a moment. “We temporarily entrusted them to the neighbor’s old lady. It also lets them go back and see the mother cat.”
“I see.”
Song Qiuyu nodded.
She asked more about the two white cats’ condition. Learning they had both gained weight, she frowned and snorted inwardly.
Looks like they were being well taken care of.
Like this, they spent a day and a night on the train.
When they got home, just as they reached their floor, a white blur shot out from the neighbor’s slightly open door.
Meow! The two white cats seemed to have planned it—they rushed straight toward them, then stopped halfway, walking with graceful cat steps like a pair of haughty twin princesses.
“Da Mi and Xiao Mi recognized our footsteps and came to welcome us?”
Su Luo was startled at first, then smiled with narrowed eyes, slowly crouching down to pat both cat heads.
“Hahaha!”
Song Zhaoye agreed with his wife’s idea.
Song Qiuyu chuckled.
She looked at the two “little demons” that had grown rounder and felt that while she was away, they must have used every trick to win over her parents’ hearts.
Thanking the neighbor old lady, she brought the two kittens home. Song Qiuyu looked toward the rooms, a bit moved.
In the past, she had always come home alone, and after coming home, she was still alone. But now, everything was completely different.
This ever-growing sense of happiness made her feel as if she had drunk fine wine, intoxicated by it.
She became greedy. She wished that after tomorrow, everyone would treat all disorder patients—including her and her mother—with kindness.
They had just accidentally fallen ill; they weren’t some strange monsters.
“Little treasure, what are you thinking about, looking so worried?”
Su Luo gently stroked her daughter’s head like she was petting a cat, speaking softly: “You’ve been on the train for a day and a night. Want to go to your room and rest first?”
“I’m fine. I’m not sleepy now.”
Feeling her mom’s concern, Song Qiuyu felt light as air.
Though she did want to rest, the more critical the moment, the more resting might lead to overthinking!
She needed to find something to do.
For example, practice making a loving lunch in advance.
Then, when she met Jiang Xiao again, she could give him a big surprise—especially by drawing a heart on the rice with strawberry jam or ketchup, a very nice heart.
Imagining Jiang Xiao’s surprised expression, she was filled with motivation.
“Let me check the fridge for food first. I’ll cook something to eat.”
“How about letting Mommy do it?”
Su Luo immediately said.
“It’s fine, I’ll do it. Mom, Dad, you two need rest. Go ahead, go ahead.”
Song Qiuyu turned and walked toward the fridge.
She deeply understood her parents’ desire to compensate her. When facing Jiang Xiao, she often felt the same way.
Because of guilt, she unconsciously belittled herself.
Precisely because she understood, she wanted to help her parents break free from that overwhelming guilt. Only when guilt was replaced by a sense of responsibility and happiness would they truly become a family.
The same logic applied to her and Jiang Xiao.
Between them, there was still a chasm they had yet to cross. The one who caused that chasm was supposed to be her.
Seeing this, Su Luo and Song Zhaoye left the kitchen and fridge to their daughter without adding any persuasion.
“Wife, this is the sixteenth year you’ve been married to me, and the twentieth year since you fell ill and became a girl.”
Watching their daughter busy in front of the fridge, Song Zhaoye glanced at the beauty beside him, his tone nostalgic.
“Mm. Why bring that up all of a sudden?”
Su Luo tilted her head.
“Tomorrow night, this disorder should be made public to everyone. Are you nervous now?”
Song Zhaoye frowned.
“Mm…” Su Luo turned to look at the two white cats chasing her daughter into the kitchen, smiled, and said, “I’m fine. They can say what they want; I’ll live my life. Can a few words or a few trending topics really affect me?”
“Compared to me, you, as both husband and father, should be more nervous.”
“Mm, I am very nervous.”
Song Zhaoye closed his eyes and sighed.
He thought carefully about how to protect his wife and daughter if unexpected situations arose after the disorder was disclosed.
“Don’t be so nervous. After all these years of waiting, what trouble can’t we overcome?”
Su Luo took Song Zhaoye’s hand and led him toward the bedroom.
“Instead of worrying about that, let’s do something more fun to pass the time!”
Song Qiuyu pricked up her ears, listening to the two old folks talking outside the kitchen. Her ears twitched, and she couldn’t help but imagine her own future with her lover.
She patiently handled the ingredients.
At her feet, the two white cats kept meowing, looking up at her—or more precisely, at the ham sausage on her cutting board.
Song Qiuyu knew cats’ nature perfectly: once they tasted something, they would keep pestering you, begging nonstop!
But the price of not giving in was that her slippers and pants would be covered in cat hair.
In the end, the two white cats, in a fit of anger, jumped onto the cutting board, snatched the ham sausage, and caused quite a ruckus.
Only after much trouble did Song Qiuyu safely cook a meal she thought was decent.
Then she picked up the ketchup from home, squeezed gently, and seriously began drawing a heart on the white rice.
Freehand circles were hard; freehand hearts were even harder.
Halfway through, her hands started trembling and shaking, and she accidentally broke the line or made it crooked.
After practicing who knows how many times, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked with satisfaction at the decent heart she had drawn, a smile curling at her lips.
The night of the disorder’s disclosure came quickly.
But what surprised everyone was that something arrived even faster than the disclosure: a heavy, feathery snow. Snow in July.
Two-thirds of the cities in the country suddenly dropped in temperature overnight, draped in a white new coat.
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