“Fine, I’ll give him the phone now.”
Despite saying that, Xu Ming did not let down her guard. She continued to clutch the phone in her hand with the back facing the girl. She refused to hand the phone over, strictly to prevent her from seeing Ye Zhiyun’s phone number.
However, even this was enough for the girl.
She didn’t want much to begin with; just hearing her mother’s voice and venting her grievances would be enough. No, she didn’t even need to vent. Just hearing her voice was fine.
“Mom…?”
Her voice trembled slightly. Even though Xu Ming’s gaze remained fierce and threatening, the girl couldn’t bring herself to care anymore. She knew she would definitely be punished after this call ended, so she might as well cherish this hard-won opportunity.
“…Is that… Mianmian?”
‘How wonderful would it be if this moment were happening in my own bedroom, under the dark covers of my rickety little bed?’ the girl couldn’t help but think. But that was impossible. She stood there with the Lin parents staring at her with threatening eyes, while Lin Ziyang stood by her side with a face full of suspicion and confusion.
All of this ensured that this conversation could have no real substance. The spoiled, affectionate words she originally wanted to say, or even being bold enough to mention her confusion after becoming a girl — none of it was possible now.
She needed someone she could pour her emotions out to, and her mother was the perfect target. However, she couldn’t do it.
Listening to her mother’s questioning voice, a smile couldn’t help but spread across the corners of her mouth. The person she longed for day and night was right there in her ear; how could she not be happy? Even though it was just an ordinary phone call, it was enough to bring a smile to someone who had been soaking in bitterness all day.
“Yes, I’m Xingmian, Mom.”
“Ah! Mianmian…!”
The person on the other end of the line became somewhat incoherent for a moment. She sounded even more excited than the girl herself, which made the girl’s heart leap with joy. Feeling her mother’s happiness, she became even more certain that her mother loved her.
However, once Ye Zhiyun calmed down, she also voiced her confusion.
“Mianmian… what’s wrong with your voice? Are you not eating well? Have your vocal cords not developed properly…?”
A boy’s voice was supposed to be deep and heavy, yet Ye Xingmian’s was completely different. Her voice was delicate and melodic, reminding one of a lark singing in the forest.
“No, Mom. I… my voice has always been like this… I don’t know why it’s like this either…”
Her heart sank. Facing her mother’s inquiry, the girl naturally couldn’t reveal the fact that she had become a girl in front of her foster parents. Even if she were alone, she would have to consider whether telling her mother would become a burden to her.
“I see… is that so…”
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, sounding somewhat puzzled.
“What’s wrong, Mom?”
“It’s… it’s nothing… My Mianmian’s voice is very pleasant. Mom is almost intoxicated listening to it.”
“Eh… Eh??”
Being teased like that caused the girl’s small face to instantly flush pink. But with three people staring at her, the awkwardness and oppressive atmosphere made her feel very uncomfortable.
After a moment of silence, she let out a faux-complaining cry, “Mom…”
Ye Zhiyun’s joke relieved much of the tension in her heart. It felt as if they weren’t a mother and daughter who hadn’t seen each other in more than ten years, but rather close relatives who had been together for a long time.
Honestly, she was quite happy. Since her mother didn’t continue asking, she didn’t have to struggle to think of an answer. Furthermore, did this mean that having her mother accept her current self might not be as difficult as she imagined?
“Hmm? What is it, Mianmian?”
“It’s nothing…”
“Then why did Mianmian want to call Mom? Do you want money? Well, at your age, you should have a girl you like, right?”
“No… no, Mom…”
“Then what is it?”
The phone was held firmly in Xu Ming’s hand, so the girl couldn’t see any information on the screen. Moreover, she knew that if she said the wrong thing, Xu Ming would find an excuse to hang up immediately. This wasn’t a good place to talk to her mother, and there were many things she couldn’t say.
She thought that her mother must know about her situation here, right?
After a long silence, the girl could only express her thoughts in the simplest way.
“Mom… I miss you…”
“…” The other end of the line fell into a dead silence. After a long time, a suppressed, smiling, and airy voice drifted through.
“Mom misses you too.”
However, once the floodgates of emotion were opened, they couldn’t be stopped. After getting a response, the girl spoke again almost without thinking.
“Mom, when are you coming to get me…?”
This was a question she already knew the answer to. Before she said it, she didn’t even know why she was asking. Perhaps she just wanted to hear her mother’s confirmation one more time to gain a sense of security.
“Well, just like we agreed before, once you get into college, okay?”
“Don’t break your promise!”
“Mhm, so Mianmian has to study hard, okay?”
“Okay.”
Having said this, there wasn’t much more for the mother and daughter to say. Although Ye Xingmian wanted to wait a little longer, just a little longer — as long as this call continued, she could feel her mother by her side — it was an indescribable sense of security, the kind of comfort that comes from someone who is always there and whom she can talk to at any time.
However, phone calls cost money, and holding the phone up could be tiring. Moreover, watching the two of them talk was truly boring. Xu Ming reclaimed the phone, never letting the girl see Ye Zhiyun’s number for even a second.
“Then you two can stop here for now. Zhiyun, if you want to chat with Xingmian again in the future, just call me and I’ll pass the phone to him.” Although she said this, Xu Ming had no intention of following through. If Ye Zhiyun called again, she would use various excuses to delay it, mentioning her work or saying Ye Xingmian was busy. In any case, she would never let her have such a dangerous opportunity again.
“Okay… fine…”
The voice on the other end of the line returned to a state of fatigue and hoarseness. This time, Ye Zhiyun was the first to hang up.
*Beep — Beep —*
With two dull busy tones, Xu Ming put down the phone and cast a cold gaze at the girl who stood before her with her head bowed.
“What did I just tell you? Hmm?”
She stopped eating and reached out, grabbing the girl’s collar with a death grip.
“What? You’ve got some nerve, haven’t you? Daring to disobey me?”
At the side, Lin Cheng also said with a cold face, “I think this kid is a case of ‘three days without a beating and he’s trying to tear the roof down.’ Where’s my belt? I’m going to give you a proper lesson tonight!”
Manipulated like a puppet in Xu Ming’s hands, the girl felt the anger in their eyes almost solidify into something physical, yet she found that she wasn’t so afraid anymore.
Though she said nothing, a smile appeared on her face.
Life once again had an incomparably clear and strong goal. Moreover, just now, something in her heart had shattered.
— It was the authority of the Lin parents.
Don’t you have a human heart?