Chapter 11: A Verdant Awakening

The sunlight was blinding.

Clutching her loose-fitting coat, Chajingyuan timidly gazed up at the shimmering white patches amidst the green leaves.

Yet, these green leaves…

As Chahuayuan had mentioned, it had been three months since Chajingyuan last ventured downstairs.

On that occasion, she hadn’t truly looked, hadn’t paid attention, nor had she dared to scrutinize the details of the world outside, perceiving everything as a monotonous blur.

Back then, only a few evergreen street trees remained, most flowerbeds stripped bare, while electric bikes and trailers rushed past, and residents, bundled in scarves, hurried about their business.

It was starkly different from the neighborhood she saw today.

“It’s… so verdant.”

“Indeed, spring has arrived, hasn’t it?”

“Mmm.”

Elderly residents leaned against the flowerbeds, basking in the sun, their old-fashioned padded jackets adorned with prints that echoed the swaying golden forsythia, adding a touch of rustic charm to the scene.

Children darted about, their clamor filling the air. Chajingyuan instinctively wished to retreat a step or two, but the narrow lanes of the old neighborhood offered little room for evasion.

As Chajingyuan followed Chahuayuan, navigating around bicycles and handcarts parked by the roadside, she inadvertently bumped into a child at a corner, sending the pinwheel in their hand tumbling to the ground.

“…”

“Here you go, little one.”

Chahuayuan picked up the pinwheel and returned it, prompting the child’s mother, who stood behind them, to gently tap the child’s cheek.

“Quickly, tell the big sisters thank you.”

“Thank you~~ two big sisters!”

The child laughed innocently, took the pinwheel, and, mimicking the sound of wind with a “hoo-hoo-hoo,” quickly scampered away.

“Bro, let me hold your hand. We should be careful walking on these narrow paths.”

“Ah… m-hm.”

Chajingyuan nodded groggily, obediently raising her hand and placing her fingers into her sister’s palm.

The spring breeze began to stir gently, as if in response to the child’s playful calls.

Feeling the warmth emanating from her sister’s palm, Chajingyuan lifted her head once more, a hint of confusion in her eyes, and tugged at her collar with her left hand.

The current of air brushed across her face, stirring the strands of hair by her neck, a sensation of both warmth and coolness seeping through the gaps in her clothing, lightly caressing the young girl’s skin.

Spring was extending its tendrils.

Although she had been cooped up indoors for too long and struggled to adjust to the clear sky, the open air, in contrast to her confined bedroom, undeniably brought Chajingyuan a long-lost sense of solace.

Drawing a flicker of strength from the spring breeze, Chajingyuan gently squeezed her sister’s hand in return, and, as if by instinct, Chahuayuan unconsciously tightened her grip a little more.

***

Leaving the neighborhood gate behind, they stepped onto the wide main road.

Chahuayuan looked around for a moment, then turned back to Chajingyuan.

“So, bro? You’re the star today. What do you feel like eating?”

“I…”

Chajingyuan instinctively glanced around as well, though her mind remained blank.

“I don’t know what to eat either… I’ve never been out before. Besides, you know I don’t really crave anything specific. As long as there’s cola, I’m fine.”

“Hmm.”

Chahuayuan pondered for a couple of seconds.

Then, feigning half a minute of contemplation, she pulled out her phone.

“…No, I need to check Dazhong Dianping.”

“So you brought me out here without knowing anything at all!”

Chajingyuan couldn’t help but retort.

“What can I do? I’m a homebody too, you know. Most of the time, I’m stuck at home editing videos or taking on various orders…

When I do go out occasionally, I just turn right, see Shaxian Snacks, and walk right in. I never imagined we’d have a chance to go out together… so I didn’t get to research beforehand.”

“I think it’s less about you being a homebody and more about you being a STEM girl. After all, you just walk into whatever’s available…”

“Hmm… that’s true, I suppose.”

Chahuayuan nodded, deep in agreement.

“So, how about we continue with that STEM mindset and eat at Shaxian?”

“First, you’re the STEM girl, not me. Second, you just said the day before yesterday that you’d punish me with Shaxian. No way am I going!”

“But you’re clearly an engineering student too, aren’t you?”

“I haven’t even graduated from engineering, thank you very much.”

“Then what are you? A literary girl, a two-dimensional otaku, a cultured young lady?”

“I’m not ‘female’ at all. I used to be your brother, you know.”

“Tch—”

Chahuayuan immediately pouted, looking disappointed.

“Darn it, so the feminization isn’t complete yet?”

“…Hey!!”

Chajingyuan immediately, and exasperatedly, landed a cotton punch on her younger sister.

Even if it were feminization, one wouldn’t forget everything in just two days, would they? That’s not feminization; that would be brainwashing!

Come to think of it, did her sister really wish for Chajingyuan to no longer be male?

But to get back to the point.

After a round of playful bickering, Chahuayuan and Chajingyuan decided to search as they went. Chahuayuan, as usual, led the way, scrolling through nearby shops on her phone while walking.

Chajingyuan cautiously followed behind, trying to help spot popular establishments.

Of course, that was the theory.

In reality, both siblings possessed charming appearances, but Chajingyuan, in particular, was petite, delicate, and blessed with gentle silver hair.

Every time she looked around, she inevitably drew the gazes of passersby, only to shrink back in fright.

Exposed on the wide street, Chajingyuan found herself with little energy to think, feeling somewhat disoriented.

“Let me see, bro. How about sushi? I think there’s a place in our district.”

“Uh, w-whatever.”

“Whatever, then? How about ramen? It says there’s a newly opened bone broth ramen shop across from the northeast intersection, and they seem to have a discount.”

“Whatever.”

“What *do* you want to eat? Maybe a burger? Though we don’t seem to have McDonald’s or KFC around here, and the burger joint to the south sounds a bit… unremarkable.”

“Whatever…”

“Hey, why are you always saying ‘whatever’? You’re so hard to please, bro.”

“Because I am ‘whatever’… You’re the one who dragged me out, after all. Uh, uhm, how about I choose?”

Chajingyuan, avoiding the gazes of passersby, shyly scratched her head.

Chahuayuan shrugged.

“Alright, I’ll give you my phone, you can browse? I’ll keep an eye on the street. Just make sure to stick close to me and don’t trip while looking at your phone, okay?”

“Mhm, mhm.”

Chajingyuan, eager for an excuse to avoid the stares of strangers, nodded profusely.

And so, it was Chahuayuan’s turn to lead the way, scanning the surroundings, while Chajingyuan, her small hand held, scrolled through the phone, filtering options.

“How about soup dumplings? They seem pretty straightforward.”

“Fine, whatever you want.”

“Then perhaps something a bit more substantial? There’s a Western-style family restaurant here.”

“That’s fine too, whatever you want.”

“Ugh, uhm… or maybe something Chinese? Like braised chicken with rice?”

“That’s fine, whatever you want.”

“Aren’t you just as hard to please as I am?!”

Ultimately, after wandering along the neighborhood’s perimeter for eight minutes, they still hadn’t made a decision.

Chajingyuan let out a long, weary, and disgruntled sigh.

Chahuayuan sighed as well, shrugging her shoulders.

“Then just pick one randomly, as long as you don’t dislike it. After all, it’s my treat.”