“Zi… Ziyan… what are you saying?”
Hardly able to believe her ears, Ye Xingmian’s voice trembled slightly.
“Hmm? Do I have to say it again? Big~ sis~?”
“No… I’m not…!” Not daring to look the other girl in the eyes, the young girl struggled violently. She first pushed away Lin Ziyan’s hand which was pressed against her chest, then slid down the wall onto the floor. She curled herself into a ball, not looking up at the girl in front of her, keeping her head down like a turtle hiding in its shell.
“Still saying you’re not? I felt them!”
Lin Ziyan spoke with confidence and arrogance.
“No… that’s not it…”
“Hmm? Not it? Then tell me, what is it?”
“…I’ve gained weight lately… so some fat grew on my chest…”
Even Ye Xingmian didn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth.
Sure enough, Lin Ziyan burst into laughter upon hearing this, a very loud laugh that made Ye Xingmian’s face turn slightly red.
“Don’t laugh…”
“Hahaha, do you even believe yourself? Hmm?”
“…”
The girl also knew her lie sounded unreliable, but other than denying it, she couldn’t think of any other way to respond.
Remaining silent, she felt very uneasy, despite the unnatural heat on her face from being ridiculed.
She had really been exposed by Lin Ziyan… how did it come to this…
Was the disguise she had worked so hard on actually as fragile as a sheet of paper in the end? She thought she could hide it for a while longer, holding out until she left this place. She hadn’t expected to be exposed so soon, and by Lin Ziyan of all people—her nominal “younger sister.”
Although two others already knew and Qin Haiyue had used it to threaten her, this was Lin Ziyan, a “family member” who was very close to her.
If Lin Ziyan really told her uncle and aunt about this, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Just as the other girl threatened, how would they view her if they learned she had suddenly turned from a boy into a girl? A freak who was neither male nor female? If word got out, their reputation would surely suffer, so they would definitely kick her out, wouldn’t they?
Without this place as a residence, she wouldn’t be able to attend classes at school. And if it really happened, her mother would find out about her situation. She knew her mother’s income wasn’t high; if she were to lose her job because of this… and if she knew the truth about her becoming a girl, would she still acknowledge her? After so many years apart, had her mother already started seeing her as a burden? Did she really still love her?
Ye Xingmian didn’t dare to gamble on that possibility; she was afraid that once her secret was exposed, all her fantasies would collapse. At that time, what should she do?
After a long silence, she stopped speaking, taking it as an admission.
“Hmph, no more arguing, or I’ll do exactly what I said.”
The Lin Ziyan before her was still so relaxed and at ease; yes, for her, having all the initiative meant she could treat her however she wanted.
It’s really… so frustrating…
Why, why did fate have to treat me like this… why…
Raising her head, the girl understood the current situation; she knew she couldn’t let Lin Ziyan tell anyone.
So, she put on a forced smile.
Now that things had come to this, she had no choice but to admit it, right? Admit the fact that she had become a girl.
“Can you not call me big sister…?”
Even though she was smiling, tears overflowed from the corners of her eyes. She softly whispered her request, not knowing why she said it. Perhaps it was because when Lin Ziyan called her “big sister,” she felt no warmth at all, only thick irony and humiliation.
“Hmm? Why?”
Tilting her head, Lin Ziyan asked in confusion.
“No… it’s nothing… anything else is fine… just don’t call me big sister…”
“Huh? Didn’t you really want me to call you big brother before?”
The two had grown up together. Although Ye Xingmian was introverted as a child, she wasn’t as weak as she was now; her personality had developed bit by bit. A long time ago, their relationship was much better than it was now. Back then, Lin Ziyan would call her “big brother.” Because of the bond of that familial address, the young Ye Xingmian staying at their home felt much more secure than now.
However, later on, the money sent by her mother became less and less, and her foster parents’ attitude toward Ye Xingmian grew worse. Lin Ziyan also gradually developed a sense of superiority over her due to being spoiled; she never heard Lin Ziyan call her “big brother” again.
Despite the fact that she was still willing to see Lin Ziyan as a younger sister and took care of her every day without complaint.
But regardless, the relationship between them gradually grew distant.
If the incident of turning into a girl hadn’t happened, Lin Ziyan probably wouldn’t have given her a second glance until she left this place.
The girl’s face could finally no longer maintain its smile. She lowered her head again with a bitter expression, looking like a little bitter melon.
“The past is the past, and the present is the present…”
Now and then are already very different…
“Fine, then what do you want me to call you? Let’s get one thing straight: big brother is out. You’re a girl now, and you don’t look any older than me. Honestly, if you called me big sister, no one would even question it.”
“…” The girl remained silent.
“Then how about this? You call me big sister, and I’ll call you little sister. Hehe, it’s the perfect chance for me to experience what it’s like to be an older sister.”
“Can we change to something else…?”
“No! I’ve already decided. If you don’t agree, I’ll tell Mom and Dad your secret and have them kick you out.”
“…”
Facing Lin Ziyan’s blatant threat, the girl gently closed her eyes.
She felt great pain, a feeling as if her long-standing efforts had been casually crushed by someone else, who then used what she once cherished to insult her.
Her chest felt tight and her breathing was labored; it was the feeling of suffocation.
If she once still held onto fantasies about this “younger sister” of hers, at this moment, all those thoughts were like shattered glass, gone forever.
Since the other girl had put it that way, she naturally had no room for choice. When she opened her eyes again, her gaze was somewhat indifferent.
“Fine… big sister…”
Her consciousness flickered for a moment, feeling as if she had lost something important. However, Lin Ziyan in front of her couldn’t empathize; on the contrary, she was full of excitement.
“Your voice is too quiet. Say it again!”
Turning her head away to avoid eye contact with Lin Ziyan, her voice was slightly louder this time.
“Big sister.”
“Hey! Good, I’ll count you as being obedient. Hurry up and stand up, the floor is cold.” Lin Ziyan laughed happily. She reached out to pull the girl up, but was gently brushed off by the girl who had turned her head away.
Her face turned cold as she threatened, “Little sister, why aren’t you being obedient? Stand up! Do you really want me to tell Mom and Dad?”