Chapter 21: Siren

Because of the unease in an unfamiliar environment and the horrors of the entire day, fear coursed through me uncontrollably. I could only cling to Xiaoqing, feeling her warmth, and that gave me a small measure of comfort.

Perhaps for the same reason, Xiaoqing hugged me tightly as well, her hold unusually firm, as if she feared that if she loosened even a little, I would run off.

Between the exhaustion of the day and the psychological strain, we both fell into a deep, dreamless sleep shortly after getting into bed, only waking when the alarm rang.

When I opened my eyes, our legs were tangled together, our faces almost pressed against each other. We had both unconsciously treated each other as pillows. I blushed furiously and was the first to wriggle out of Xiaoqing’s embrace.

Xiaoqing blushed too. She got up to change her clothes and said, while removing her shirt, “We have to wear the school uniform. You can wear mine.”

“Eh? The uniform’s fine, but what about… underwear?” I asked. Our school skirts were short, and there was no way I could go “blank” like at home.

I couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh at the thought. Just yesterday I was a boy, and now I was thinking about what kind of underwear to wear under a skirt.

“Can’t be helped, you’ll have to wear mine,” Xiaoqing gritted her teeth. Searching for more underwear now would be impossible.

I looked at her, a little hesitant, as she handed me a pale lace panty. I had no choice but to put it on.

I could really say now that Xiaoqing and I had grown up together—we were practically sharing underwear as good siblings… oh wait, good sisters.

Then Xiaoqing handed me a spare school uniform: a navy blue outfit with a short skirt. Because Xiaoqing was shorter than Xia Yu Bing, and I had longer legs, the skirt ended up looking extremely short on me.

“This… feels so weird,” I said awkwardly, twisting in place, feeling the chill of my legs against the ultra-short skirt.

“Bear with it. Once we find the senior, she might know how to remove the skin transformation and change you back to a boy,” Xiaoqing said as she dressed.

I held little hope, but it was still a possibility. I could only pray that the senior Xiaoqing admired so much would be capable.

While dressing, I noticed Xiaoqing’s shoulder still couldn’t lift properly. Yesterday’s injuries weren’t minor and still restricted her movements. I had to help her get dressed.

“These wounds can’t be seen by my parents, or it’ll be hard to explain,” Xiaoqing said with a wry smile. The bandages were hidden under the uniform, and as long as she didn’t move her arms too much, they’d remain unnoticed.

“Xiaoqing, you got hurt so badly for me, wasted a magic tool and so many talismans. I don’t even know how to thank you. If I survive, I’ll repay you,” I said sincerely.

Even if it was just a mass-produced magical tool, replacing it along with a secondhand talisman, the exorcism water, the special powders—it easily totaled over ten thousand yuan.

But I had no way to repay her right now. Not me, not my family—we were dirt poor. My parents didn’t even have steady jobs; their income was likely less than Xiaoqing’s pocket money.

And no matter how much I wanted to repay her, I had to survive first. Maybe there’d never even be another chance.

After leaving the room, Xiaoqing’s parents were already awake. I greeted politely, “Good morning, Uncle, Aunt.”

“Hello, Xia,” her father said. “Did you sleep well at our house last night?” Her mother smiled along. “We slept so soundly, we don’t even remember falling asleep.”

“Yes, very well. This house is really warm and welcoming,” I said sincerely. The atmosphere here was so different from my home; just sensing the warm aura, I could tell this family had harmony, love, and respect.

“A warm and welcoming house? That’s a strange compliment. Wait, Xia, your clothes… they don’t fit right?” Her father suddenly noticed something odd.

At that moment, a piercing siren wailed outside, growing louder and closer. He frowned and went to the window.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” her mother asked anxiously. The sirens suggested multiple police cars, stopping near our street.

Her father frowned. “They’re not coming here. Seems to be at the Luo family’s house—there’s a crowd gathering.”

“Ah?!” My heart sank. Something had happened at my home.

Her father glanced at me, realizing I might be connected to the household somehow.

“Xia Yu Bing knows Luo Xiao. We just met him last night,” Xiaoqing quickly explained. They nodded, understanding.

I nervously moved to the window. My home was already surrounded by police cars, officers setting up barricades, and a crowd gathering. A foreboding sense of dread washed over me.

“Mom! Dad! I need to see!” Xiaoqing shouted, pulling me to run outside.

“No! Stay back! Who knows what they’re dealing with!” Xiaoqing’s father yelled, but he couldn’t stop her as she dashed out, determined.

I had no choice but to follow. When we reached my home, police stopped us. “No unauthorized personnel allowed!”

“I’m…” I hesitated. What should I say? I was supposedly their son, but the police would just think I was joking. I had no proof.

“We’re friends and classmates of this boy,” Xiaoqing quickly intervened.

“Friends and classmates?” The officer studied our anxious expressions, then asked, “What’s the boy’s name?”

“Luo Xiao. He’s the son of this family,” Xiaoqing replied calmly.

The officer nodded. The information matched, but he couldn’t reveal much. “We haven’t located Luo Xiao yet. He might still be safe.”

That meant others could have been caught in the incident.