She lay on the bed in her brother's old pajamas, the words from her bath-time talk with her sister still echoing in her head.
And so, at last, she began to gather herself—to face this strange and uncomfortable reality head-on. She was the child of a single mother; no matter what happened, she had to keep living strongly. Their happiness was tied together.
Even if not for her own sake, she had to live with dignity as a girl. With that resolve finally planted deep inside her, drowsiness soon washed over her, and she drifted into sleep.
The next day, the skies were still gray with rain. After asking her counselor for leave, she was dragged along to the police station to have her household registration changed. There were, of course, some complications, but her sister's quick wit smoothed them all out.
The long, dragging morning left Ji Yu drained. She sat there under the fluorescent lights, watching the policemen's curious and faintly awed stares. She couldn't pull out her phone or put on her earphones. All she could do was sit stiffly, answering questions, waiting. By the time the officers finally returned, her new identification papers were already prepared.
Umbrella in hand, she stepped into the rain. Her phone had been buzzing unheard all morning, and it wasn't until she hailed a cab that she finally noticed the missed calls. Four in a row.
"Hello?"
"Junior Ji Yu, are you not planning to come to the office today?" The voice on the other end was so cold it felt like it could freeze. She immediately guessed who it was.
"Senior Mo? Uh… I had some personal things to take care of. I'm actually on my way to the hospital right now, so I can't make it today."
"Is that so? Then carry on."
Three clipped sentences, nothing more. Sitting in his office chair, Mo Yachen had wanted to vent his frustration on Ji Yu, but hearing that soft, almost fragile voice… somehow, his irritation eased.
Could a broadcast major's voice really have such an effect?
The call ended just as the cab rolled up to the hospital.
Inside, her mother took a number, then sat quietly, her gaze gentle as it lingered on her two daughters.
"That call just now, was that your senior? Does he know you're a girl now?" her sister asked, half teasing, half wary.
Ji Yu fiddled with her umbrella handle. "He probably does… maybe. Anyway, I don't really want to talk about him." Something about Mo Yachen always felt off—too perfect on the outside to be real.
The line crept forward. Hospitals, Ji Yu thought wryly, were the busiest places in the world.
It took twenty minutes just to reach the counter, and then the real ordeal began. Physical exam, blood tests, endless forms to sign. The ultrasound checks dragged on forever. Ji Yu grew increasingly numb, trudging from one cold machine to the next.
And then came the part she dreaded most—exams unique to women.
Her face flushed crimson. When she finally stepped out of the examination room, she could hardly look at her sister. The doctor spoke kindly to her mother, explaining Ji Yu's new physical condition in professional detail.
"There's no problem at all. She'll definitely be able to have children. And from these results, it seems this young lady hasn't even dated anyone yet. You've raised her well."
Ji Yu wanted to cry. Children? Already? But when she heard the words boyfriend, her cheeks burned even hotter.
Her sister's eyes sparkled with mischief.
Later, back in the lobby, their mother held a folder thick with test results. Outside, the rain had finally stopped. The clock read six-thirty in the evening.
No wonder her mother and sister had dragged her out so early—it really had taken the entire day.
Her mother smiled as she ruffled Ji Yu's hair.
"Yu'er, you can have children. Isn't that wonderful?"
The smile was gentle, but something about it struck Ji Yu as… forced. As though hidden beneath it were more complicated feelings.
Still, she put on a bright face and slipped her arm through her mother's, feigning a little-girl's pout.
"Of course that's normal. But it's not like I'm looking for a boyfriend or anything."
"Just imagine you with a boyfriend…"
Her sister suddenly burst into laughter.
"See, Mom? Totally normal. If she couldn't have kids, then we'd be worried."
Ji Yu rolled her eyes. "Really? You're both hung up on this already? Is this supposed to be polite?"
"Not polite—truth," her sister teased. "Our little princess here… she's practically off the market already."
Their mother only sighed in relief. The thick stack of medical reports, each page stamped and signed, had finally loosened the knot in her chest.
"Let's go celebrate with a nice dinner tonight."
Ji Yu's cheeks went hot again, her thoughts swirling.
But as she recalled the moments from the past few days—her tears in Tang Li's arms, her counselor's understanding, and now this hospital visit—what stood out most was her mother's smile.
Not the polite, weary smile she wore most days. But the radiant smile she hadn't shown since Ji Yu was a child—the kind that crinkled the corners of her eyes.
If simply accepting her as a daughter could make her mother smile like that…
Then what was so bad about being a girl?
She lifted her head. Her mother was smiling at her again—light, joyful, unburdened. Like the day the family had heard that man would finally be sentenced.
Ji Yu smiled back. A true girl's smile, soft and beautiful. And in that instant, she no longer felt the weight of resistance in her heart.
Seeing both mother and daughter smiling so naturally, her sister couldn't help but chuckle as well, her usually cool mask melting away.
And together, they stepped forward into the evening.