“Hello? Xiao Yao, how is everything at school?”
As soon as I pressed the answer button on my phone, my father’s familiar voice came through from the other end.
“Nothing wrong, right?”
“Mm… no.”
I glanced at Tang Xiaolu beside me and sat down on the small chair by my desk.
“After school today, I had dinner with Tang Xiaolu from my class at a fast-food place outside… The place was okay, pretty clean.”
To be honest, my relationship with my dad isn’t that great.
Not that it’s bad, exactly, but it’s not the kind of close, loving bond you see in mainstream comics or movies.
There’s a public hospital in the small town where I live, and my dad works there as a doctor.
He has a very strong personality.
He demands that I keep my door open whether I’m sleeping or doing homework, that I let him and Mom check my diary, that I go downstairs to exercise after every meal according to his instructions, that I don’t eat snacks or drink sodas, and he never gives me any allowance because he says he’s worried I’ll get into bad habits.
When I go to a clothing store, he’s the one who decides what color and style of new clothes I buy.
I’m not allowed to give any input.
Ever since I was little, I’ve been taught to be a “good child.”
I have no allowance.
I don’t eat random snacks or buy random things.
I wake up early and sleep early, arrive at school on time, never break school rules, study hard, respect my elders, and don’t befriend the so-called “bad kids” my parents warn me about.
I’m used to not making decisions.
I’m used to making pleasing others my instinct.
My diary is nothing but a dry record of daily events.
My room has nothing related to hobbies or privacy.
After every meal, I lazily walk downstairs, take a slow lap, find a spot to sit for a while, then go back home and say I’ve already exercised.
The rabbit plush my mom gave me is probably the only time I’ve openly “rebelled.”
Back then, a new toy store opened in our town, and I’d pass by it every day on my way home from school.
I really liked that “pirate rabbit plush” with one eye covered.
On my 13th birthday, my mom’s condition had improved a bit.
She said she’d take me for a walk around town and asked what I wanted for a birthday gift.
Somehow, I blurted out, “I want the rabbit from the New Street Toy Store.”
So she bought it for me.
I was really happy.
But Dad wasn’t.
He said, “Why does a man need something like that?”
Still, considering Mom needed to stay in a good mood for her health, he didn’t dare scold me too harshly.
Seeing that Mom insisted, he finally had to compromise and give the rabbit back to me.
So, if I have to say it, I like Mom a little more.
As for Dad…
I can only say my feelings for him aren’t as strong as they are for Mom, but they’re not particularly bad either.
After all, no matter what, even though my dad is a bit controlling, he’s never hit me, and he has fulfilled his responsibilities as a father.
“As long as nothing’s wrong.”
To my surprise, Dad on the other end didn’t scold me for eating fast food outside of school.
In a tone that sounded like he was discussing something, he said, “Um, Xiao Yao… Dad is planning to quit his job at the town hospital and go work at the health center in Chaoyang District, Black River City. I’ve already discussed it with the people there.”
“Oh.”
I said flatly, “I support Dad’s work.”
“And then… Dad is thinking of selling our old house and moving to the staff dormitory near the health center. I’ll have you take a leave from school, and we’ll go back to see what we need to move over here. Is that okay?”
“Okay.”
I continued in a flat tone.
“When are we moving?”
“This Friday.”
“Can’t it be Saturday or Sunday?”
“No. Dad had someone check the calendar. This Saturday and Sunday aren’t good days for moving.”
“Alright.”
Knowing this was always how my dad was, I didn’t press further.
“Is there anything else?”
“No. These few days… you need to adjust your mindset. No matter what, life has to go on, right?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Then there was a brief silence.
“Um…”
I hesitated, then asked tentatively, “Dad, I’m a girl, right?”
“Huh?”
He clearly sounded confused.
“Of course you’re a girl. Why? Do you want to buy something?”
“No… I mean, what if—if I were a boy? How would you feel? Or… what would you think?”
“A boy would be better, of course. Dad likes boys. But your mom prefers girls.”
Over the phone, my father seemed to sigh.
“I even talked to your mom about it back then. I asked if we should have another kid after life settled down. If we had a little brother, we’d have one of each. Your mom said yes, but then her illness got in the way… Why are you suddenly asking this?”
“Nothing.”
Hearing the answer I wanted, I forced a light tone.
“Get some sleep early. Everything’s fine here.”
“Mm. You get some sleep too. Study hard. Don’t hang out with the bad kids in class, got it?”
“Got it.”
Dad hung up.
“How did it go?”
Tang Xiaolu looked at me curiously as I put my phone down.
“What did your dad say?”
“He asked how my day was and said to ask the teacher for leave this Friday to go back and move.”
I sighed.
“He didn’t even notice his son had turned into a daughter…”
BANG.
Before I finished speaking, the dorm door was pushed open from outside.
“Anyone taking a shower?”
The girl who walked in carried a cute kitten backpack.
She had a lazy expression on her face, with twin tails styled like a Lolita.
Mu Linxi.
The class’s Computer Representative.
As far as I remember, this girl was the type who really liked Lolita stuff—her stationery, backpack, everything was Lolita-themed.
She dressed cutely too.
She shared a dorm with Tang Xiaolu?
‘Xixi is also one of my prime Magical Girl suspects.’
Tang Xiaolu’s voice echoed in my mind.
‘Xiao Yao, you go in and shower first. I know this dorm better than you do. After your shower, just change into your pajamas, go straight to your bed, and play on your phone. Try not to talk too much with everyone.’
‘Okay.’
Having responded to Tang Xiaolu in my thoughts, I opened my closet and said to Mu Linxi, who had just come in, “I’m about to shower.”
“Mm-hmm. Then Xiao Yao goes first. I’ll tidy up my desk.”
Mu Linxi didn’t seem to notice anything unusual as she walked toward her bunk.
I grabbed a set of pajamas from my closet as fast as I could, put the shower gel, shampoo, and towel from my desk into a bucket, and headed to the bathroom.
Just as I was about to go in, Tang Xiaolu called out from behind me.
“You’ve run out of skincare products? Use mine for now.”
She handed me a washbasin full of bottles and jars while pushing me toward the bathroom, her voice in my mind:
“Girls are different from guys. Guys usually just go in, rub shampoo and body wash on themselves, rinse, and come out. Girls have more types of skincare products than guys do. Remember that.”
“The white bottle is body lotion. It moisturizes your skin, prevents dryness, and leaves a scent. Apply it all over after your shower. Don’t dry off first.”
“And hand cream, the pink one. Focus on your hands and wrists.”
“The black bottle is hair oil. Spray it on the ends of your hair after washing. With hair as long as yours, you have to use it.”
“As for the rest—eye cream, serum, toner—use them as you like. You can skip them if you want. If you don’t know how to use any of them, just ask me anytime.”
“Alright, go ahead. And take the time to get to know your female body.”