Chapter 58: The Fact That I Was Originally a Boy Is About to Be Exposed!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 58: The Fact That I Was Originally a Boy Is About to Be Exposed!
"Hello, are you Xiao Han's friend? Don't worry, we'll take good care of her too." Ying Shiqian had already changed her clothes and was walking over from behind.
She recognized the person standing in front of Xiao Han; she had visited not long ago and was something of a repeat customer. However, looking at the current situation, she could naturally tell that the relationship between Xiao Han and this guest was anything but ordinary.
So, she stepped forward directly to say hello and introduce herself.
"Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Ying Shiqian."
"Bai Yu. I suppose you could call me Xiao Han's older sister."
"Oh, so you're her sister? That’s impressive. No wonder she made it to the academy so early."
"It’s nothing. Thank you for looking after Xiao Han so well..."
I watched as the two of them started chatting, so I just went back to my own business.
I got the feeling there was a hint of mutual probing beneath their conversation. It was clearly the right move for me not to get involved.
However, I hadn't expected Sister Bai to refer to herself as my sister. Even though I did usually call her "Sister," we weren't actually related.
It was just a title.
As soon as they started talking, my weakness—not being very good at socializing—became immediately apparent. I couldn't find a way into their conversation unless they actively brought me up.
After all, the only real link between them was me.
After working for a while, I finished packing all my finished products into gift bags and placed them one by one into the basket at the entrance.
Then, I used colored paper to mark them so guests would know they could take them freely.
Once that was done, I returned to my original spot to continue slacking off.
The topic they were discussing now was a bit too profound for me; I was even less able to jump in.
But just when I thought they would keep going for a while, they seemed to finish.
"Xiao Han, I'll come play with you again tomorrow. I have some things to take care of, so I have to head out first."
"Huh? Oh, okay." I didn't react at first. I hadn't expected Sister Bai to leave so soon.
I couldn't really stop her, but before she left—if I wasn't mistaken—did Sister Bai just swipe another bag of the free cookies?
Sister Bai... surely you didn't have to go that far...
Once she was gone, I looked at Senior Sister Ying Shiqian, who was still there, and immediately leaned in.
"Senior Sister, what were you and Sister Bai talking about just now?"
"Want to know?"
"Yes!" I nodded.
"But it's something not quite suitable for you to know. Do you still want to hear it?"
"Uh... yes."
I hesitated for a moment before nodding again. Since the Senior Sister put it that way, it meant I could know. Besides, I really didn't think there was anything I wasn't allowed to know.
"Alright, I really can't say no to you. We were talking about you~ I really didn't expect your Sister Bai to care about you so much."
"I know Sister Bai cares about me, but you still haven't told me the specifics." I looked at Senior Sister Ying Shiqian with a slumped face. Wasn't this the same as saying nothing at all?
"You want the specifics? Sorry, but it's not for children."
"You can't give me even a little hint?"
"I can, but don't regret it."
"How could I regret it?"
"Then I'm going to say it~" Senior Sister Ying Shiqian deliberately leaned toward me, her eyes sparkling as if she were seeing right through me. Then, she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Xiao Han, you were actually a cute boy before, weren't you?"
"Um... Huh?!"
When Ying Shiqian said the word "boy," goosebumps broke out all over my body. It felt as if my biggest secret had been pierced through. Fine... I regretted wanting to know!
"Did... did Sister Bai tell you?"
I asked subconsciously. Sister Bai didn't seem like the type of person to leak a secret like that, did she?
If she really did, I was going to have to find her and demand an explanation to her face!
"Of course... not. Your Sister Bai was actually trying to help you hide it just now. But I'm a seasoned veteran of this academy; how could I not see whether you used to be a boy? Whether it's your way of speaking, your tone, or all those little unconscious movements and habits... even though we haven't known each other long, I can still tell~"
Ying Shiqian rattled this off in one breath, looking like she was showing off her most prized insight, her voice tinged with a bit of boastfulness.
I swallowed hard, feeling completely frozen in awkwardness. Having this kind of thing exposed was just too embarrassing, okay?
And I had been identifying as a girl this whole time! I didn't realize I had so many flaws.
I clearly felt like I had been performing the role perfectly...
"Xiao Han~ are you still listening?"
"I'm... I'm here." I immediately stood at attention. Since the Senior Sister held such a massive leverage over me, I naturally didn't dare to disobey.
"Hahaha, this is too interesting~ Why are you so nervous? Are you afraid I'm going to eat you? You might have been a boy before, but you're still very cute now~"
Ying Shiqian didn't dwell on why I had accepted the reveal so quickly. She seemed to be simply enjoying the atmosphere.
I felt like I could finally understand how Quan Xiuzhu felt back then... right now, I was nothing more than a source of amusement.
"Why aren't you saying anything, Xiao Han? Oh, honestly... even so, you're still Xiao Han~ I'm not going to treat you any differently." Tang Yihan placed both hands on my shoulders to comfort me.
However, Ying Shiqian was secretly blooming with joy. She had been hesitant before because she lacked the chance to verify her suspicions, but it wasn't too late now that she knew for sure.
She felt as if Xiao Han was a little spark of fun added to her boring daily life—a gift from the heavens!
She was naturally going to cherish this.
"Come here~ feel some love from your Senior Sister~" Without any hesitation, Ying Shiqian pulled me into her arms. Like she had just gotten a favorite toy, she gave me a full "face-wash" press against her chest.
"Mmph... let... let go!"
I struggled and tried to swat Ying Shiqian's hands away. I had never experienced this kind of sensation before. In the past, I used to look down on the idea that a "face-wash" could make someone suffocate. Fabric is breathable, right? How could anyone actually suffocate?
Now I understood. This truly was a suffocating feeling. That soft pressure felt like it was squeezing the very last bit of oxygen out of my lungs. It was stifling!
After I struggled for a good while, Ying Shiqian finally let me go. I stood there, gasping for air.
Isn't Senior Sister Ying Shiqian a bit too open? She did that even knowing I used to be a boy. Doesn't she feel... doesn't she feel...
As expected, since I'm not a real girl, I can't understand the way a girl's mind works.
"Xiao Han is so cute~ If you ever get bullied in the academy, you can come find me. If you run into any trouble in your daily life, you can come to me too. I'll teach you hand-in-hand how to be a cute girl~"
"Nuh... no thanks... I have Sister Bai already..." Ying Shiqian was pinching my cheeks so hard that air was leaking out as I spoke.
"You have Sister Bai, but you wouldn't mind having a Sister Ying too, right? Cute girls are very sought after in this academy; you have to keep your guard up~"
"I don't need you to remind me about that! Honestly."
"Alright, alright~ If you really can't hold back anymore, you can tell me. I'll take you to the academy's famous Sentiment Street. I guarantee you'll be satisfied~"