A tidy room, faint floral fragrance, the wind swaying the pale blue curtains.
On the bed, the little girl giggled as she played with a pair of delicate, snow-white hands. The owner of those hands was carefully observing the girl, the corners of her mouth lifted in a subtle smile.
Seated beside her was indeed a girl with a complex expression, one hand picking at the nails of the other, lips pressed together as she gazed at the little girl on the bed, sneaking glances at the person next to her now and then.
The three of them sat there quietly, two sheets of printed paper lying at the head of the bed, covered by a phone, with the faint outline of “99.99%” visible beneath.
Lin Yi recalled the earlier scene.
***
When she received the results, her mind went blank for a moment as she stared straight at the words “Support as Biological Mother” on the paper.
Surprise, confusion, anxiety, and thoughts like “My child is so adorable” flooded her again and again, overwhelming her body. Unable to help herself, she turned and buried her head in Ye Qiao’s embrace.
She wasn’t a fragile person. Ever since the start of high school, she had tried not to let her parents worry. After entering university, she even took on part-time jobs to earn her own living expenses. Though she sometimes had trouble socializing due to her reserved nature, she was confident she could make it in society after graduation.
But the recent chain of events was simply too much for her to bear. What’s more, since becoming a girl, her emotions had grown even more sensitive.
At this moment, Chen Zhaoyue came over and sat down beside her. The once quick and sharp Miss Chen now spoke gently, “It really is our child.”
“Mm.” Lin Yi’s muffled voice sounded.
Chen Zhaoyue turned to them and said, “You two don’t need to worry about your identities. My dad will find a way to help you, and help you start a new life. If you feel uneasy about the origins of this child and don’t want to take responsibility, just let me raise her.”
Lin Yi looked up at her, unable to understand how the Chen family had accepted all this so easily.
“My dad hasn’t exactly accepted it, but he doesn’t know what else to do. He’s reluctant to send the child away. As for my mom, she wants to see if she can raise a little star, but I think she’s overthinking it—this child is perfectly normal. As for me,” Chen Zhaoyue paused, looking earnestly at Lin Yi, “If you don’t want her, I won’t be able to sleep at night.”
Lin Yi’s eyes widened slightly, a shimmer flickering in them.
Chen Zhaoyue seemed to have the ability to give people courage.
Just then, Chen An and Huang Susu walked over, gesturing for the two families to discuss things together.
Ye Qiao asked Lin Yi for her thoughts.
“I want to be with this child, too.” Lin Yi said.
She might not be decisive, but she was resolute.
“Then you’ll probably have to be with me.” Chen Zhaoyue suddenly interjected.
Lin Yi was startled, her eyes widening as she stared at her, only to see Chen Zhaoyue flash a mysterious smile.
***
“Co…co-cohabitation?!”
Lin Yi’s face flushed bright red, her hands and feet flailing like a startled rabbit.
“Well, I still have my studies, and I really can’t take care of a child by myself,” Chen Zhaoyue said matter-of-factly.
“You were so confident before…” Lin Yi muttered.
“You’ve already agreed, so of course it’s best for both parents to take care of the child.” Chen Zhaoyue leaned in, deliberately emphasizing the word “parents.”
Lin Yi leaned back defensively. “But I’m, I’m, I used to be a guy, aren’t you afraid of being taken advantage of?”
As she spoke, she shot a glance at Chen An, as if he were the kind of father who would chop down any man who set foot in his daughter’s house.
But Chen An’s expression was unperturbed, while Huang Susu teased, “Little Yi looks more likely to be taken advantage of, don’t you think?”
Lin Yi turned to her parents for help, only to find them looking as if they were quite pleased with this decision.
Wha…what’s going on here!
***
Time returned to the present.
Lin Yi patted the baby’s head and said, “How about we give the child a name?”
“Since she’s related to shooting stars, let’s call her Xingyao, Lin Xingyao. After all, she was born right by your side.” Chen Zhaoyue clearly had this planned long ago.
Lin Yi lowered her head. “Mm, thank you.” There was so much she had to thank Miss Chen for.
“But,” Chen Zhaoyue grinned, “I’ve also picked out a name for you.”
Lin Yi turned, her gaze bewildered.
“A new life should have a new name, of course.” Chen Zhaoyue looked at her dazed little face with satisfaction. “And it has to be a beautiful girl’s name.”
“What do you mean, a beautiful girl’s name? Are you going to treat me like a man?” Lin Yi was a little embarrassed and annoyed—she wasn’t ready to live as a girl yet.
“Oh? But you’ve been acting just like a girl lately.”
“No way, my personality and thinking haven’t changed.” Lin Yi said firmly.
Chen Zhaoyue glanced at the faint blush on her ear tip and smiled, “Then let me teach you how to live as a girl in our upcoming cohabitation. I promise to help you become a proper girl. And,” she leaned close to Xingyao, “become a proper mother for this child.”
“I’ll take good care of Xingyao, but I can still live the way I used to,” Lin Yi said, trying her best to muster a “free-spirited” smile to match Chen Zhaoyue’s confident demeanor.
“Let’s see about that. But I’ve already changed your name.” Miss Chen’s hidden dominance surfaced:
“Your name is Lin Yiren.”
The three characters “Lin Yiren” struck Lin Yi, leaving her breathless.
“Lin…Yi…ren,” a sudden childish voice piped up from the bed.
Both of them leaned in excitedly and saw Xingyao waving her little hands, babbling her first words. “Amazing, she’s already learned her mother’s name,” Chen Zhaoyue praised.
Lin Yi looked at those bright, clear eyes fixed on her and raised one corner of her mouth in a trademark bitter smile.
A name recognized by her daughter—she’d just have to accept it. After all, it would probably end up on her ID card anyway, Lin Yiren thought.