Chapter 61: A Morning of Buns, Slippers, and Unforeseen Necessities

Having just roused from sleep, before even leaving her bed, Liu Xingluo’s enhanced sense of smell caught the alluring aroma wafting from the kitchen.

What’s more, the scent was unmistakably that of her beloved pan-fried buns.

Prompted by this delicious possibility, Liu Xingluo immediately rose, intent on confirming if her favorite breakfast awaited her in the kitchen.

“Good morning, Jiejie. I think I smell pan-fried buns. Did you buy some?”

As Liu Ruyan was still preparing breakfast in the kitchen, Liu Xingluo greeted her first.

“Indeed. Your nose is quite sharp; you could smell it from all the way over there.”

“Hehe, what can I say? I’ve already surpassed ordinary humans. To be honest, this aroma is what lured me out of bed. Oh, to have pan-fried buns so early in the morning is pure bliss! I’ll just try one to see how it tastes… Ah!”

The moment Liu Xingluo reached for a pan-fried bun on the dining table, a slipper hurled by Liu Ruyan struck her head with unerring accuracy.

“Absolutely not, Xiaoluo. After waking up, you must first wash your face and brush your teeth, then change your clothes. Only after completing these tasks may you begin breakfast.”

As the elder sister, Liu Ruyan maintained strict oversight of Liu Xingluo. The idea of skipping hygiene to dive straight into breakfast was something Liu Ruyan would never permit.

“Alright, alright, as long as I do all that, you won’t object, right? Then I’ll go wash up. Good grief, such strict management – no wonder you haven’t found a boyfriend at your age.”

Left with no choice, Liu Xingluo headed to the bathroom to get ready. The thought of her sister’s rigorous rules made even Liu Xingluo unable to resist muttering a quiet complaint.

“Hm? What did you say?!”

Though Liu Ruyan hadn’t quite caught Liu Xingluo’s hushed grumbling, her intuition screamed that Liu Xingluo had undoubtedly made another jab about her age and single status.

“No… I didn’t say anything, nothing at all. Jiejie, you must have misheard. I’m off to wash up now.”

To her surprise, even speaking so softly hadn’t prevented her sister from hearing. Startled, Liu Xingluo dared not utter another word, meekly retreating to the bathroom to complete her ablutions.

Just as she hadn’t felt full, no matter how much she ate the previous night, Liu Xingluo now realized that despite a full day and night having passed in her current state, she felt no urge to urinate. Had she been in her original body, a day and a night without relief would surely have left her bursting. This, too, seemed to be one of the profound effects of her new form.

Yet, this lack of need for a restroom was, for Liu Xingluo, a blessing in disguise; it not only spared her the awkward deliberation of choosing between the men’s or women’s facilities when out but also saved her a significant amount of time. Truly, it was killing two birds with one stone.

She felt a pang of guilt towards her sister, who had so meticulously instructed her on the proper etiquette for a girl using the restroom just yesterday, only for her unique physical state to render all those lessons utterly useless.

However, as the saying goes, when God closes a door, he opens a window. All the time Liu Xingluo saved by not needing to use the restroom was invariably squandered when it came to choosing her clothes.

While the analogy might seem a touch odd in this context, it was ultimately irrelevant. For Liu Xingluo, the crucial decision of the day revolved around what to wear. Her current appearance was undeniably stunning, making every outfit a perfect match. Even though she had carefully curated her wardrobe yesterday, choosing which ensemble to adorn herself with today proved an insurmountable task to decide in one go.

“There’s no other way; I’ll just have to pick one with my eyes closed.”

Unable to settle on a single favorite among them, and considering how beautiful every outfit looked on her now, Liu Xingluo could only blindly choose. There was no denying it: being too beautiful was a vexation in itself. It was no wonder people online often joked that if handsomeness were a crime, they’d be guilty of an unforgivable offense; the sentiment was precisely the same.

Having left her daily attire to chance, Liu Xingluo could finally turn her attention to breakfast.

“Xiaoluo, your notification hasn’t come down yet, has it?”

“Not yet, why? Jiejie. Could it be that you’re actually reluctant for me to leave?”

“Of course I am. If only it were possible, I truly wish you could stay and work here, continuing to live with me.”

Having lived together for so long, how could Liu Ruyan bear to part with her only kin? And, of course, a part of her concern stemmed from the unease of Liu Xingluo living alone in another city.

“Me too, I don’t want to leave you, Jiejie. But there’s nothing for it; it’s work, after all. And you don’t need to worry, Jiejie. Since the notification hasn’t come down yet, there’s still a chance. Maybe I’ll just happen to be able to stay and work here.”

While she said this, the truth was Liu Xingluo’s chances of remaining in the city were exceedingly slim. After all, when she had spoken with Li Bai previously, Li Bai had informed her, [She is more likely to be assigned to a place that needs her more, rather than the place where she grew up.]

“It would be wonderful if you could stay. But more importantly, Xiaoluo, are you free today? I took the day off because there are some things I absolutely must buy for you before you leave.”

“Eh? For me? Could it be…?”

Hearing her sister offer to buy her something, Liu Xingluo’s face lit up with excitement. Could this mean her long-desired new game console finally had a glimmer of hope?

Alas, Liu Xingluo’s hopes were mercilessly, utterly shattered almost immediately.

For Liu Ruyan had brought her not to buy the game console she yearned for, but rather, lingerie.

“Jiejie, is it really necessary to buy me this? I don’t think it’s necessary at all.”

Liu Xingluo felt there was absolutely no need to be taken shopping for women’s underwear.

While her current body was undoubtedly female, Liu Xingluo didn’t quite perceive herself as a girl. If it were outerwear, she might accept it, considering she could wear it to please her own eyes. But lingerie? Even when worn, it was mostly unseen by herself. Furthermore, she wasn’t entirely without underwear; though they were all men’s styles from before, they weren’t unwearable. Was there truly a need to purchase women’s styles?

“Necessary, very necessary, absolutely necessary. Xiaoluo, you’ll definitely be staying like this long-term, won’t you? In that case, I think it’s better if you even switch your underwear to women’s styles. Don’t you find it uncomfortable when your chest bounces around during strenuous activities?”

“That part, I admit, is a bit uncomfortable.”

Regarding her chest, Liu Xingluo conceded that the bouncing during combat was indeed troublesome. While it posed no significant issue in daily life, it was unacceptable during a fight.

“So, you should really wear them properly. It’s fine; you might not be used to it at first, but you’ll grow accustomed to it over time.”

Holding a bra, Liu Ruyan approached Liu Xingluo with a gentle smile.

“Even so, for me to wear this is really…”

Liu Xingluo understood her sister’s reasoning, yet her inner male self instinctively resisted. Was there truly no other way to secure her chest without wearing such an item?