The matter seemed resolved. The chubby man’s arm was badly burned, and he rushed to the hospital for bandages. But a devilish girl’s voice called from behind: “Hey, wait up.”
The chubby man turned, clutching his arm with a pained face. “My little lady, what more do you want from me?”
Jiang Xuehan stepped forward, lifting her small face, her expression icy. “Remember this: some may have less money than you, some may hold humble jobs, some may be old and bent—but their character and dignity are ten thousand times nobler than yours. Not yours to insult!”
Though the petite girl before him seemed fragile enough to shatter with a slap, her eyes held a strange glint—like snowflakes swirling in June. The chubby man shivered slightly, muttered under his breath, and fled.
With the chubby man gone and the thugs vanished, Xia Ziying and Wen Jiaqi sighed in relief, happily resuming their barbecue feast.
But Li Xinglan slipped away quietly. Ten meters off, she pulled out her phone and began a hushed call.
Normally, no one could overhear at that distance amid the noise. Yet Jiang Xuehan, with her innate skill “Wolf Ears,” focused and caught Li Xinglan’s words: “They’re gone. You don’t need to come… Yeah, investigate someone called Brother Qiang. He has a green dragon tattoo on his left arm… Mhm…”
After hanging up, Li Xinglan returned to the table as if nothing happened. She nibbled daintily on barbecue, perfectly ladylike.
Wen Jiaqi couldn’t contain her curiosity. “Hey, Xinglan, you almost got kidnapped by bad guys! Aren’t you scared at all?”
“I’m fine now, so why fear?” Li Xinglan added her usual sharp jab. “Unlike some chubby girls—bad guys wouldn’t even glance at them.”
“You! Hmph, I’m ignoring you forever!”
“Alright, alright. Eat your meat…”
After the meal, the four girls toured the rest of the park. Their outing was finally complete. Legs aching slightly, they chatted excitedly about tomorrow’s official school start on the way back.
Only Jiang Xuehan remained downcast. Her father’s aged, stooped figure lingered in her mind.
Her father, Meng Jianguo, came from humble roots but burned with ambition. With no connections or degree, he won his boss’s favor through sheer workaholism, becoming a modestly paid supervisor. Their four-person home was tight on money but filled with nightly laughter—shared meals, variety shows, dramas.
Then, four years ago, misfortune crashed onto his shoulders.
First, his beloved wife passed. Then, his daughter fell gravely ill. Hospital bills alone demanded huge sums.
Meng Jianguo, once rarely drinking, became an alcoholic. Cigarettes he’d quit for over a decade returned. He stayed out all night, lost his job, and scraped by with odd jobs. His black hair turned half-white in just over a year. Wrinkles carved deep as old tree roots into his face.
That day, nearly 17-year-old Meng Han stood before his tipsy father. “Dad, I won’t keep studying. I’ll go earn money—five million for Xiao Xue’s treatment!”
“Nonsense! Absolute nonsense!” Meng Jianguo lifted his head, eyes bloodshot, finger trembling as he pointed. “You’ll study quietly. Don’t worry about Xiao Xue!”
“Dad, I’ve already submitted my dropout application!”
*Crash!* The liquor bottle in Meng Jianguo’s hand shattered on the floor, glass and liquid scattering. “What did you just say, boy?”
“Dad, I’ve decided. I won’t return to school. I’ll find a way to make money fast and send my sister to America for treatment!”
With that, Meng Han turned toward the door. His father’s furious roar chased him: “Listen well! If you step out that door, you’re no son of mine from this day on!”
Meng Han left without looking back. Not from stubbornness—he couldn’t bear his father’s desolate gaze.
After that, Meng Han never returned home.
Not from hatred for Meng Jianguo. He simply hadn’t earned the five million, hadn’t kept his promise. His pride wouldn’t allow a shameful return.
Now, reborn as a girl, life was rough. Five million felt impossibly distant. What courage did he have to face his father? Or his sister Meng Xue, growing weaker in her hospital bed?
“…Xiao Han? Xiao Han? Zoning out again?”
A slight pinch on her cheek jolted Jiang Xuehan back. Xia Ziying grinned, pinching her cheek, then pointed to a roadside store. “Xiao Han, we’re buying bras. Come with us?”
Huh? Bra… bras? And where did Li Xinglan and Wen Jiaqi go?
Sensing her roommate’s thoughts, Xia Ziying explained patiently. “They didn’t need bras and went back to the dorm. But you, Xiao Han, must come with me!”
Before Jiang Xuehan could react, Xia Ziying dragged her into the store.
It was a mid-to-high-end lingerie boutique. Bright, colorful products made Jiang Xuehan flush instantly, her wide eyes darting like a startled fawn’s.
Since her gender shift, she’d only visited a lingerie store once—buying plain cotton bras in bulk.
In a blink, Xia Ziying held a light-colored demi-cup bra against herself. “The heat will linger. This style breathes better, right? What do you think, Xiao Han?”
“I… gulp…” Jiang Xuehan steamed like a kettle, heat rising from her head.
“Pfft. We’re grown women. Why shy over bras? No boys here.”
Boys… well, I sort of am one?
But it didn’t end there. Xia Ziying borrowed a soft tape measure from a clerk, pulled Jiang Xuehan into a fitting room, and handed it over. “Oh, Xiao Han—I feel my bra’s too tight lately. Measure me properly? Precisely.”
“Huh? Mea… measure what?”
“Silly! Bust size, of course! You’re old enough to know how.”
“Uh… this… um…”
As Jiang Xuehan hesitated, Xia Ziying turned her back, stripping off her top and bra to reveal smooth skin. “Hurry up. This is awkward enough already.”
What… what to do?
A topless girl stood right before him—pure temptation for any man. Just step around her, and he’d glimpse the legendary view.
But… Xia Ziying trusted him as a friend. Thinking of taking advantage felt… a little shameless?
Xia Ziying grew impatient, urging him on. Summoning his helpful spirit, Jiang Xuehan gritted his teeth and took the tape measure.
