In mid-December, affected by the Northwest Cold Wave, the weather grew increasingly cold.
The mornings in Zhannan City were absolutely irresistible—you’d wish to stay wrapped up in bed for a lifetime.
The damp chill in the air, no matter how poorly dressed you were, the cold wind would always seep deep into your chest.
“Get up!”
A knock on the door disturbed the person in bed, causing a rustling under the covers.
“Mm… I know…”
The girl was still groggy, rubbing her sore eyelids with her hands.
For some reason, recently no matter how long she slept, she still felt drowsy.
Wrapped in the quilt, she sat up with her upper body, bending at the waist, her eyes opening and closing repeatedly.
Then…
Flop—
She lay back down again…
“You kid… why are you still not up after so long?”
After tidying herself up and preparing everything, Lin’s mother stepped out of her room, only to find Lin Xinyuan’s door still tightly shut.
The girl’s door wasn’t locked, so she pushed it open and went inside to check, glancing at the bed.
The quilt was still puffed up, and the person inside seemed restless, wriggling and tossing like a silkworm cocoon.
“Xinyuan?”
Walking over to the bed, Lin’s mother looked at Lin Xinyuan’s restless sleeping posture with some puzzlement.
She wasn’t sure if the girl was truly asleep or pretending, so she gently shook the person under the quilt.
However, the moment she touched her, the body inside twitched as if convulsing and suddenly trembled.
“Don’t… don’t hit me…”
A muffled, fuzzy voice came from under the covers, breath hurried and soft, filled with fear and unease.
“…It hurts so much… Dad, where are you… Mom…”
“Why… haven’t you come back…”
Hearing this, Lin’s mother’s previously good mood was instantly drenched with a bucket of ice water in the freezing cold.
She… finally called me ‘Mom’?
But it was under these circumstances that she couldn’t feel even a trace of happiness.
She stood silently for a long while.
After the girl’s crying in her dream quieted down,
she finally sat at the bedside and softly called out, “Xinyuan?”
“Xinyuan?”
Lin’s mother kept calling gently and repeatedly, not daring to touch her again, tears glimmering faintly in her eyes.
After countless calls, the girl finally responded, slowly waking up.
With Lin’s mother’s help, Lin Xinyuan, exhausted, sat up and leaned against the headboard, resting for a while before gradually coming to her senses.
“…I think I already got up…”
She glanced at Lin’s mother, who had been sitting silently by the bed, looking at her with a confused expression, then murmured, “Why… did I fall asleep again…”
Seeing her daughter finally awake, Lin’s mother quietly stood up, turned her back without answering her question, and said, “Xinyuan, did you forget we’re going to the hospital today?”
“Since you’re up, hurry up… Mom’s waiting for you…”
With that, Lin’s mother left the room.
Out of sight of the girl, she secretly wiped away a sparkling tear she couldn’t hold back…
“I know…”
Only then did Lin Xinyuan remember they were going to the hospital for a check-up.
She checked the time on her phone.
According to the time they agreed on last night, it was almost time to leave, so she hurried to get ready.
But… she could have sworn she woke up once but couldn’t stay awake and fell asleep again…
And she seemed to have had a terrible dream…
Yet now her mind was blank, and she couldn’t recall what that nightmare was about.
Oh well, if I can’t remember, then forget it…
With that thought, Lin Xinyuan got up and quickly washed up.
Returning to her room, she closed the door, took off her New Pajamas, and prepared to change clothes.
“…It seems even bigger again…”
Inside the room, the girl kept measuring her chest with her hands, then sadly realized it had grown a little more.
“Please don’t grow any more… okay?”
Lin Xinyuan muttered, her tone like a plea, her gaze involuntarily drifting to the Backpack on her desk.
Inside a small compartment lay the jade bracelet.
Although not very large now, it still affected her somewhat.
She didn’t dare imagine what would happen if it grew even bigger.
I hope it stops growing once it reaches “her” size…
Lin Xinyuan thought silently.
That was already the limit she could accept—any bigger and she truly couldn’t bear it!
But logically, once it developed to “her” size, it shouldn’t change anymore.
Probably…
Shaking her head to clear the wild thoughts, she awkwardly finished changing clothes.
She kept the same jacket as yesterday; no need to change it, just swapped the inner lining and pants.
Overall, it wasn’t very different from yesterday’s style.
“All set…”
Lin Xinyuan opened the door and saw her stylish mother sitting on the sofa.
No wonder they say time never defeats a beauty…
Since she could remember, her mother had always been so beautiful.
Back then, she often wore a neutral expression that made her seem hard to approach.
When exactly did she change?
Probably after that conversation between Lin’s mother and herself…
Lin Xinyuan seemed to finally see other expressions on her mother’s face—though usually it was still that cold look.
But none of that mattered.
What mattered was her unprecedented closeness to her, her softer tone, and the faint guilt in her eyes…
Although a little stiff, Lin Xinyuan could feel the sincerity.
But… even knowing her mother was genuine, Lin Xinyuan still couldn’t adapt to this sudden change.
It came too abruptly, feeling unreal.
If someone who scolded you every day suddenly started caring for you, wouldn’t you be scared?
Ordinary people might think that person had ulterior motives, right?
Maybe this example wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to express how awkward Lin Xinyuan felt inside…
That was also why she still couldn’t call her mother “Mom.”
“Mm…”
Lin’s mother responded, picking up her bag and slowly walking over to the girl, tidying her clothes.
Then, looking at her daughter’s naturally pretty face without makeup, she hesitated and asked, “It’s actually still early. Want to put on some makeup?”
Lin Xinyuan shook her head like a rattle-doll, “No, that’s too cutesy…”
Those words brightened Lin’s mother’s originally sour mood a little.
She helplessly ruffled her daughter’s hair, “You don’t have an ounce of conviction in that look.”
“Oh…” Lin Xinyuan was a bit annoyed, but it was true.
Still, she said, “At least for now, I can’t accept it…”
“All right.”
Lin’s mother was testing her attitude.
Seeing her resistance, she didn’t press further.
Take it step by step.
Besides, even without makeup, the girl was very beautiful; makeup would only enhance it.
“Let’s go… Try to resolve your Identity Correction these days.”
Lin Xinyuan nodded firmly.
She was genuinely happy to finally solve her Identity Correction…
Over the next few days, the mother and daughter ran around tirelessly, putting much effort into completing all the paperwork for the Gender Change Application, including the Gender Identification Certificate and the Gender Dysphoria Certificate.
During this time, Lin’s mother, worried about Lin Xinyuan’s health, spent several thousand yuan on a full Physical Examination.
It was funny—Lin’s mother didn’t hesitate to spend money on her daughter, but Lin Xinyuan felt sorry for her mother’s expenses instead, which made her both amused and distressed…
Fortunately, the results showed Lin Xinyuan was just an ordinary female, albeit with a rather weak constitution.
The Doctor advised her to exercise more; otherwise, her menstrual pain would be very troublesome.
Lin Xinyuan could only smile awkwardly.
Since she noticed the changes in her body, she hadn’t kept up with exercise and had gradually lost the habit.
The menstrual pain was probably partly due to her innate weakness, but largely because of the lack of exercise…
Hearing the Doctor’s advice, Lin’s mother took it seriously.
She asked her daughter and learned that Lin Xinyuan had already had one period before, and it was painful.
Lin’s mother didn’t say much but stopped letting her indulge in staying in bed all day like before.
Whenever she had time, she often took her daughter out for walks…
With all the Gender Change Application documents ready, the next step was to go to the Police Station at their Household Registration location to submit the correction application.
So early that morning, the mother and daughter took a taxi back to Waterlight Town.
Waterlight Town was Lin Xinyuan’s birthplace, and where “he” attended middle school back then, but the memories here weren’t pleasant…
At the Police Station in Waterlight Town, the mother and daughter stared at the forms on the table, looking a bit troubled as they discussed.
Nearby, Hat Uncle watched them cheerfully without rushing them.
The matter at hand was the girl’s new name.
Because after correcting her gender, “Lin Xinyuan”—a masculine name—could no longer be used, so she needed a new one.
“How about… Lin Yiyi?” Lin’s mother finally suggested.
Lin Xinyuan shook her head, rejecting her mother’s idea, “That’s too… cute a name… I don’t like it…”
Hat Uncle, who had been silently listening to their conversation, looked at the elegant girl and was reminded of his daughter studying at university in another city.
Hearing this, he chuckled.
“You little one, your mom’s offered you so many names. This one doesn’t work, that one doesn’t work. Isn’t a cute name better for a girl?”
Lin’s mother gave him an apologetic look.
Hat Uncle waved it off, saying it didn’t matter.
Besides, there was no one else around now except the mother and daughter, so it wouldn’t affect work.
Lin’s mother looked back at Lin Xinyuan with some dissatisfaction—but not anger.
“All right, pick one yourself! I’m done!”
With that, she turned her head away.
After a long while, Lin Xinyuan finally came up with a name:
“Then… I’ll be Lin Xinyuan.”
“Lin Xinyuan?”
Lin’s mother almost thought she misheard.
Wasn’t that the same name?
Hat Uncle’s face showed confusion too.
But then they both realized the pronunciation was different!
“Heart’s ‘Xin,’ and Yuan… like a garden.”
Saying this, Lin Xinyuan wrote down her new name:
「Lin Xinyuan」.
From today on, I am her…
I am Lin Xinyuan…
I am her…