Late night, Lin City Central Hospital.
In the central ward, a sleeping boy lay on the bed.
Two people were keeping watch beside the bed.
A girl with wine-red hair, and a young man with sharp eyes.
Ruan Mingxi covered her face.
“I never expected this,” her voice leaked through her fingers. “I’ve been so forward, calling her ‘little sister’ all this time… and it turns out he’s a boy.”
Lin Xincheng said nothing. He turned his head and stared blankly at the boy on the bed.
“What do we do?” Ruan Mingxi wiped the corner of her eye—where there were no tears. “I feel like my feelings were deceived.”
She waved her hand in front of Lin Xincheng.
“Hey, Senior Brother… don’t zone out. Your childhood sweetheart disguised himself as a girl and deceived my feelings. Don’t you think he should take responsibility for me?”
Lin Xincheng: “…”
He reached out and swatted Ruan Mingxi’s hand away.
The boy sighed.
“You’re back now.” Ruan Mingxi leaned in with a grin. “What are you thinking, Senior Brother?”
“About whether he’s a boy or a girl?”
“Actually, that’s not what I wanted to ask.” Ruan Mingxi paused. “But what do you think the reason is?”
Lin Xincheng stroked his chin, his gaze falling on the boy’s pale face.
“When a Sublimator awakens, Spiritual Essence naturally shapes the host’s body to draw closer to the Astral Sign they awaken to.”
His voice was very calm, as if describing something he had seen before.
“If Xiaofan awakens as a First Order Ascender in the future, the Astral Sign he awakens—barring any surprises—will be of the Mother Goddess type.”
Ruan Mingxi blinked. “So you’re saying that if he fully awakens in the future, he’ll turn into a girl?”
“Yes.”
“Then why is he in this state now?”
The boy closed his eyes.
“Probably because his Spiritual Essence is overdrawn and nearly exhausted, no longer enough to sustain that form.”
“Meaning… he’ll keep switching back and forth? A girl when his Spiritual Essence overflows, a boy when it runs out?”
“No.”
Lin Xincheng opened his eyes.
“According to the Minimal Unit Consumption Principle of Spirit Matter, his unstable state is only temporary. Eventually he’ll settle into one gender and won’t change again.”
He paused for a long moment, then added, “That time… will come soon.”
Ruan Mingxi tilted her head and thought.
“So should I treat him as a younger brother from now on, or a younger sister?”
“I respect Xiaofan’s own choice.” Lin Xincheng glanced at her. “And I respect your opinion, too.”
“Even as a boy, Xiaofan is adorable…” Ruan Mingxi propped her chin on her hand and grinned. “But I still prefer her as the Tianyu Princess type. Yeah, let her be a girl.”
Her face showed no trace of awkwardness, as if discussing something that didn’t require any hesitation.
Then Ruan Mingxi’s smile faded a little.
“Speaking of which—”
She grew serious and looked at Lin Xincheng.
“Senior Brother, when you came to Lincheng, you were also looking for the reason behind Professor Bai and his wife’s disappearance, weren’t you?”
Lin Xincheng was silent for a while.
Then he nodded.
Ruan Mingxi bit her lip, carefully choosing her words.
“But the Federal Court has already announced the charges… Fictitious Experimental Projects, Falsified Experimental Results, Fraudulent Federal Research Funds, Illegal Absorption of Public Loans… multiple counts.”
She raised her head and met Lin Xincheng’s eyes.
“Do you really believe… they’re innocent?”
“I just…”
Lin Xincheng’s voice was very soft.
“Want to know the truth.”
“You’re implying that the Federation’s investigation results aren’t the truth.”
He lowered his voice. “Mingxi!”
Ruan Mingxi looked at his silent face, and suddenly a surge of indignation welled up inside her.
“If they really had some hardship, they wouldn’t have taken so much money, produced nothing, gone missing, and left a nine-year-old child to live alone for so many years!”
“Stop it—”
“Think about it. What kind of parents would let their child be hounded by gangsters for debt, struggling to make a living everywhere, like a—”
“I said stop.”
Ruan Mingxi was unconvinced. She felt it wasn’t worth it for him.
“Senior Brother, getting involved in this will ruin your future. Just because they helped you when you were little, do you think they’re good people for life? Are you willing to throw your whole life away for this?”
“I told you—” The corners of his eyes reddened. “I told you to stop!”
The air suddenly went still.
Ruan Mingxi’s body stiffened for a long moment.
Only then did she slowly sit back down.
“Senior Brother… I’m sorry.” Her voice was much softer. “I spoke out of turn. Maybe… what you’re thinking makes sense.”
Lin Xincheng didn’t answer.
He looked at the boy on the bed and closed his eyes tiredly.
“Sorry, I lost my composure a little.”
Outside the window, the night wind blew gently.
The boy’s breathing was steady, as if he was having a good dream.
—
Click-clack, click-clack—Bai Fan heard the sound of train wheels rolling over tracks.
It felt like he had been having such a long dream.
Light poured in. He rubbed his eyelids and opened his eyes.
Outside the window was a wilderness of plains, small houses with chimneys, and mountains layered in retreat as the train moved forward.
Crimson, indigo, orange, amber—the colors of the clouds stacked together like ocean waves, surging from the horizon.
Sunlight ebbed carelessly, like a bleak and beautiful curtain call.
It felt like returning to childhood.
“You’re awake?” His father rubbed the soft bangs on his forehead. “Are you hungry?”
His mother held his hand.
“There’s still some time before we reach Lincheng. If you’re bored, Mom will play cat’s cradle with you?”
His father brought a KFC family bucket from the attendant.
“It’s Xiaofan’s favorite full-meal burger combo.”
His mother feigned reproach. “If you feed him this much, he’ll turn into a chubby kid.”
His father’s eyes curved into crescents.
“Our child will still look good even if he gains weight.”
“You just spoil him.” It sounded like a scolding, but the tone was infinitely tender.
His father studied Bai Fan’s appearance and added, “What a glutton. Eat slowly.”
His mother ruffled his hair.
“Xiaofan always wanted to see the ocean, right? When we get to Lincheng, Mom will take you, okay?”
Bai Fan put down the burger and said softly, “Actually… I don’t really want to go that much anymore.”
His mother pulled him into her arms and laughed gently.
“Is Xiaofan reluctant to leave? Don’t be afraid… Mom and Dad are here.”
“Mom, Dad… why do we have to leave?”
His father stroked him.
“Because we’re going to start a new life.”
“But… I don’t want to leave.”
His mother asked softly, “Why not?”
“Because… then I’ll never see them again. The cherry blossom trees that bloom pink in April, the goldfish with their mouths open in the pond, the sparrows that chirp on the eaves, and Aunt Chen with her round face, smiling so cutely as she brings morning tea.”
“And also… Brother Cheng, who was so kind to me, and I pinky swore we’d be best friends forever.” He said in a low voice. “If I leave, I won’t get to see them anymore.”
“I see. Xiaofan has so many lovely friends. Leaving really would be sad.”
“But don’t be afraid.” His mother gently stroked his back, her voice warm. “When Xiaofan arrives at a new place, he’ll make new friends too. Everyone will like Xiaofan and play with him.”
“Really? Everyone will like me?”
“Really. With a child as good as Xiaofan, who wouldn’t like him?”
“Mom and Dad have never lied to Xiaofan, have they? Once you get used to your new life, you’ll be happy every day, just like before.”
He nodded slightly, but his eyes were a little sore.
‘But… that day, you clearly said you’d be back soon.’
“Xiaofan has to move forward. You can’t keep looking at the past.”
“But… the future is so hard. The new life is so hard.”
He leaned against his mother’s chest, lowering his head. “The food in Lincheng is so spicy. They put chili in everything. I can’t get used to it. Their dialect is really complicated. I can’t understand it.”
“The house is so old. Whenever it rains, water pools everywhere on the floor. And not everyone likes a kid like me. Some classmates bully me. The teachers don’t do anything.”
His parents sighed.
“Xiaofan, it’s really been tough on you.”
‘The hardest part is… you’re not here anymore.’
“But Xiaofan is a brave child. Mom and Dad know that Xiaofan will adapt.”
Bai Fan grasped their hanging hands, as if holding on to a fragile dream.
“That’s right, I handled it all. None of it was too much for me. I learned to sleep alone, I learned to cook for myself, and I learned to supervise my own studies. Right now, I’m working part-time and going to night school, preparing to take the Tianqi Academy exam—the same university you went to.”
“I even met a great buddy named Da Gan. Whenever someone tries to bully me, he comes out. And there’s a ‘big sister’ who feels a little strange but really cares about me.”
“So don’t worry. You don’t have to worry about me. Mom, Dad, I’ll be just fine.”
Bai Fan smiled. “I’ll become a brave and kind person… no matter how hard this world gets, I won’t let you down.”
“But…” His parents caressed his cheek, their voices so gentle. “My darling, why do you look so sad?”
He couldn’t help the bitterness rising in his throat.
“I just…” His voice choked. “I can’t help missing you.”
“Darling, sleep.”
A gentle embrace enveloped him, like the eternal love of an angel, making the cruel world and its suffering seem less terrifying.
A time so happy it brought tears to one’s eyes.
Through the long separation, I heard your voices. The simple little happiness flowed through my parched heart.
When I woke up, my heart still ached.
Why do I feel so sad?
‘Because you once gave me such happiness.’