Chapter 53: It’s a pleasure to cooperate with you. Kiss the lady.

Xia Yu came home and took a shower first.

When he returned to the bedroom from the bathroom, he saw two unread messages on the phone screen placed by the bedside.

A dry towel was draped over his head, silver hair still damp and loose.

Since he had to attend the Mu Yidong Family Banquet tomorrow disguised as a girl, he might as well take off the hair tie.

He was wearing a light blue short-sleeve tank top, the slight curve of his chest faintly visible, with a small black mole on his right shoulder’s collarbone that stood out quite prominently.

On the lower half, he wore tight shorts that accentuated his tall, slender, and eye-catching figure.

His clear red eyes looked gentle, and the slightly upturned tip of his nose paired with his fair, oval face added a unique charm.

Xia Yu picked up his phone; the first message was from Mu Yiqiu.

Mu Yiqiu:

“I’m home! Mu Yidong sent me back. Rain Bro, calm down. I’ll treat you to dinner on Monday!”

Xia Yu typed back “Forget it” but then reconsidered.

The condition Mu Yiqiu had put forward was almost too much to bear; he couldn’t just let it go.

Xia Yu:

“Fine. I want the most expensive one.”

Mu Yiqiu:

“No problem!”

After replying to Mu Yiqiu, Xia Yu looked at the other notification, from the contact marked “Annoying” with a white Samye avatar.

Annoying:

“Are you home yet?”

This guy was really a bit irritating—he even had to ask if Xia Yu had gotten home.

Xia Yu thought about ignoring him.

He had to see him again tomorrow.

Such a bother.

He could already imagine Mu Yidong’s sullen face when he asked,

“Why didn’t you reply to my message last night?”

Looking at the Samye in the avatar, Xia Yu unconsciously imagined the little white dog drooping its ears, looking pitiful and woeful.

Xia Yu:

“Mm.”

Annoying:

“What should I call you tomorrow? Can I kiss you, miss?”

Xia Yu:

“It’s Qin Yixia!”

Just hearing the name once seemed to have engraved it firmly in Mu Yidong’s mind.

Annoying:

“Nice name, did you pick it yourself?”

Xia Yu stared at the phone for a few seconds, his expression pensive.

His red eyes dimmed for a moment before he replied:

Xia Yu: “It’s my mom’s name.”

When he was young, Xia Yu was always teased by classmates that he was found and abandoned.

To prove he wasn’t deserted, he once sneaked into the house while his father was out playing cards, searching through documents, and finally found a Marriage Certificate with the name “Qin Yixia” on it.

The photo had been torn off by his father.

Xia Yu had never seen his mother’s face nor heard her name from his father.

Only when his father beat him would he mention a few words about how Xia Yu was like that woman…

Mu Yidong:

“Do you want to find your mother?”

Xia Yu:

“If I really wanted to, I would have gone back already.”

Xia Yu didn’t want Mu Yidong to know about his unspeakable past and suggested changing the topic.

Xia Yu:

“This identity is real-name registered, so don’t worry, I’m not a missing person.”

Annoying:

“Happy cooperation tomorrow, kiss you, miss.”

Xia Yu:

“It’s Qin Yixia!!! 👊🏻😡👊🏻”

Annoying:

“The first thing my input method typed out, sorry.”

I know you did it on purpose!

Xia Yu frowned, staring irritably at the screen.

He couldn’t see Mu Yidong’s expression on the other side.

Even if he was secretly laughing, it certainly wouldn’t show on his face.

Annoying:

“Do you want some kind of nickname tomorrow? Like calling each other babe when a couple meets?”

Consulting someone who has never been in a relationship was pointless!

Just imagining Mu Yidong calling “babe” tomorrow was enough for Xia Yu to think that, no matter how well he acted, those two words would break his composure.

Xia Yu:

“No way, that’s too cheesy. I’d get goosebumps.”

Annoying:

“Then… dear?”

Xia Yu:

“No, we’re not that close.”

Xia Yu and Mu Yidong’s relationship was one where after years apart, they met again and spoke warmly, but not so warmly as to be intimate—otherwise, outsiders might think they were just putting on a fake show.

Annoying:

“I got nothing else.”

Xia Yu:

“Just call me normally.”

Annoying:

“Alright. If any problems come up tomorrow, I’ll answer for you.”

Xia Yu:

“Okay.”

Annoying:

“Get some rest. See you tomorrow.”

Xia Yu rubbed his damp hair with the dry towel, staring blankly at the message “See you tomorrow” on the screen, a nervous feeling creeping into his heart early.

If he failed to play the role well and his identity was exposed, and they were not really a couple, Mu Yidong would leave.

Thinking this, Xia Yu touched his chest.

Deep down, a small pang of heartache surfaced.

Although he found Mu Yidong annoying, Xia Yu didn’t want him to leave because of this.

Helping Mu Yidong was also a way to settle a childhood matter.

After everything was over, Xia Yu decided not to dwell on the past anymore.

So…

Should he put on some makeup before going tomorrow…

With that thought, Xia Yu began rummaging through the house for any makeup products he could find.

He had never cared about dressing up before, and there was no lipstick or eyebrow pencil at home.

Not even a bottle of toner or lotion.

Looks like he had to stock up a bit.

Looking at himself in the dressing mirror, this increasingly feminine appearance, the still lingering male aura inside and out—standing there, Xia Yu was almost indistinguishable from a woman.

The more often he transformed into a girl, the less time he would spend as a man.

Was it really necessary to take this step for Mu Yidong?

It was also a way to give his childhood self some closure, to fulfill a small wish from the past.

The determined look in the mirror no longer wavered.

If he was going to act, he would do it perfectly.

Today, Xia Yu didn’t take any suppressants.

Early in the morning, he injected himself with a Magical Power Enhancer.

Honestly, the moment the liquid entered his arm and spread throughout his body, it felt like his heart was being squeezed.

His heart raced wildly, and his muscles ached as if contracted tightly.

Wearing a bra and tight pale shorts, Xia Yu opened the shopping bag Mu Yidong had handed him.

Inside was a mid-length skirt reaching just to the shoulders, creamy white in the dim room.

The fabric was soft, exceptionally comfortable to wear.

The top of the skirt was decorated with light brown ribbons crossing in a pattern, and a black-gray belt resembling a hemp rope was tied around the waist.

The skirt’s hem fell just between the knees and calves, swaying gently like white petals unfolding.

Since Xia Yu rarely went out during his time as a girl, this was the first time he had hired a Makeup Artist.

Walking alone on the street, his silver hair naturally draped down his back, swaying lightly.

Wearing an expensive and beautiful dress, hearing whispers about him along the way made him a bit nervous inside.

Xia Yu had made an appointment with the Makeup Artist last night and went to the shop nervously early in the morning.

He didn’t like heavy makeup and only requested a light touch.

Because of his pale skin tone, the makeup went on faster than usual.

The silver hair was also treated with essential oils, releasing a faint fragrance.

Paired with the makeup, he looked delicate and carried a unique charm.

Since he hadn’t looked at his phone during the session, he didn’t realize the time had already passed their scheduled meeting with Mu Yidong.

Xia Yu saw several missed calls and messages from Annoying, the gist of which was:

“I’m already at your neighborhood waiting for you. Where are you?”