“Alright, goodbye, little sister. I’m heading off now. Let’s keep in touch, okay~”
“Goodbye, Qin Jie!”
Qin Qingge waved to the girl standing at the doorway, then walked away slowly.
Only after hearing the door close behind her did she change direction and quietly head toward the elevator…
After going downstairs, she walked along the cement path.
Qin Qingge’s brow was tightly furrowed; the more she thought, the less she understood.
Both girls were the same gender, and at least from her own perspective, Lin Xinyuan was just an ordinary girl with a decent personality.
But there were odd things—like the way the girl dressed…
As someone who worked in this field, Qin Qingge could tell at a glance that the girl’s clothes, both the ones she wore and those hanging on her clothes rack, were mostly neutral or male-style clothing, except for her underwear.
Strange! Not a single piece of clothing suited for a girl her age… all of it was like this!
There was no way those were her brother’s clothes… how could they be such a small size?
Qin Qingge’s confusion only deepened.
Her younger brother, because of that incident years ago, had become increasingly indifferent toward relationships—many flings but none lasting.
None of this was known to the family at first; it was Cheng Qian, who was close to Qin Nanfeng, who told her, and only then did the family find out.
At first, they didn’t take it seriously, thinking it was just a rebellious phase. But Qin Nanfeng’s behavior not only didn’t improve, it worsened…
Gradually, the parents began to worry, especially Qin Mother, who was extremely concerned about her son’s mental state.
But since that incident, Qin Nanfeng’s relationship with the family grew colder; he often didn’t come home.
Even after Qin Father cut off his living expenses, nothing changed…
By the time he was in university, the little contact he had with the family had all but ceased.
He didn’t return home for the New Year, and their relationship remained strained…
This lasted for years.
During all this time, Qin Nanfeng never took the initiative to contact the family.
Qin Mother even secretly called him and sent money, worried he might be suffering hardships outside…
Qin Qingge was six years older than Qin Nanfeng; there was naturally a communication gap between them, and they weren’t close.
Later, due to work, she had even less time to pay attention to him.
At this time, Cheng Qian, Qin Nanfeng’s childhood friend and one of the few who still stayed in contact with him, proved useful.
As the Qin family’s covert watcher planted by their side, Cheng Qian’s main job was to monitor Qin Nanfeng’s life and gather information…
Ideally, he hoped to get Qin Nanfeng to return home willingly…
Many methods had been tried, but none were effective.
Until a few days ago, when Cheng Qian called and mentioned this girl named Lin Xinyuan, Qin Qingge saw a glimmer of hope.
Her brother had always been passive about relationships, never making the first move; all his romances came to him unsolicited…
It was only the second time Qin Nanfeng had shown such interest in a girl.
But since then, Qin Nanfeng had made no moves for about a month.
Naturally, this made Qin Qingge’s mind race with possibilities…
Seeing her mother worn out by worry, Qin Qingge felt heartache and decided to investigate this girl.
After handling company matters over the past few days, she finally made time to reach out and try to establish contact with Lin Xinyuan.
The girl’s personality was fine, and she was exceptionally attractive.
At first, Qin Qingge thought Lin Xinyuan was just a plain girl with poor fashion sense, but things turned out to be more complicated than she imagined…
She took out her phone and looked at the latest message Cheng Qian had sent, which included some information about the girl—mostly public details, but enough…
After reviewing it, a headache formed in Qin Qingge’s mind.
She compared the photo of the boy in the phone with the girl’s image.
If they were relatives, it would be understandable…
But there was no reason to rent a place using someone else’s ID… even if they were relatives…
Especially when using someone else’s information and belongings…
Qin Qingge’s mind was filled with all sorts of speculations, some hardly plausible.
After a while, she shook her head and sighed.
Though many questions remained, since it was like this, there was nothing she could do.
As long as her brother liked it—even if it was with a boy—she had no right to interfere.
What mattered now was how to explain this to their mother.
Qin Qingge herself didn’t see it as a problem, but she wasn’t sure if their parents could accept it…
After thinking for a moment, she decided not to tell the family for the time being.
It was better to observe and investigate more before making any announcements.
Perhaps this girl’s family had hidden secrets—maybe she was raised as a boy from childhood due to a misreported gender?
Even if the worst guesses were true, Qin Qingge could ease the family into the truth gradually, lessening the shock…
Hopefully…
The fashionable, beautiful woman took one last look at the building behind her, grabbed her bag, and turned to leave…
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was Wednesday again.
In the afternoon came Lin Xinyuan’s most dreaded class: PE.
Just thinking about attending the bald-headed Li’s class made her want to skip.
But considering her current condition and having to take the Physical Test, which had the higher male standards, she knew she would definitely fail.
She dared not skip.
Because missing class meant losing participation points, which might not affect others much, but for someone like her who was bound to fail the Physical Test, it was a big problem.
So she tried her best not to miss class…
Since becoming a girl, all traces of her past were gradually fading.
However, this had to be kept a secret from strangers; she had to pretend everything was normal…
Lin Xinyuan was still debating whether to tell her parents.
That would solve her identity problem easily.
Otherwise, with her current status, any kind of identity verification—like at the Train Station—would be awkward…
For now, no one suspected her, but her presence was faint; no one really cared.
One day, someone would find out.
It was inevitable…
She could only imagine what would happen if she were exposed or discovered!
She dared not picture that scene…
But… could her parents really accept such an absurd thing—that their son had become a daughter?
Besides, she wasn’t even sure if she was a complete girl…
Lin Xinyuan sat silently in a corner of the playground, waiting for the whistle that would signal class.
Just thinking about the eyes she’d face in PE made her scalp tingle and her face turn pale.
She still vividly remembered the way they had looked at her like she was a freak last week…
At that thought, Lin Xinyuan anxiously glanced around.
Why hadn’t that guy come yet?
She took out her phone and sent a message to Qin Nanfeng.
It took a long time before he replied.
Turns out the stinky blond had taken leave and probably wouldn’t come for two or three days…
He wasn’t coming…
Really?
Lin Xinyuan didn’t know how she got through that PE class; her whole body ached.
Amid the whispering around her, she left pale-faced…
Her legs were sore, her throat burning; she felt more exhausted than before.
Head drooping, she walked weakly, feeling only the Rental Apartment could bring her peace.
She just wanted to get back there as soon as possible…
Step by step, she followed the familiar route.
But gradually, the street grew crowded, the noise louder.
When Lin Xinyuan realized, a large crowd had gathered on the road ahead.
Suddenly, a sharp scolding pierced her ears, making her frown.
She looked up, searching for the source, only to see the front packed with people but couldn’t tell what was happening.
However, from the filthy, ear-piercing curses coming from a woman’s voice—words like “scumbag couple” and references to genitalia—it was likely another ‘homewrecker’ dispute…
The crowd around happily feasted on the drama.
If it were any other time, Lin Xinyuan might have been interested, but now her mood was bad; she had no appetite.
She didn’t want to get involved and planned to pass through the crowd and leave this trouble behind…