Chapter 9: Chapter 23: The Price of Ice Cream

“Xiao Xi? Xiao Xi?”

His sister gently shook him as he sat dazed on the floor. “What are you doing? I’m so bored! Let’s play something, okay?”

“Hmm…” Xiao Xi looked at the dolls scattered all around him and couldn’t help but sigh.

‘When will I get to play with something like Transformers? These dolls aren’t any fun at all.’

“Hey, what are you talking about?” his sister protested, snatching up a cloth doll and waving it in front of his face. “Putting pretty clothes on them is so much fun!”

“Pfft.” Xiao Xi smacked his lips. “They’re not for me to wear, so what’s the point?”

“Oh?” Sister Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Xiao Xi, do you actually want to wear girls’ clothes? I can let you wear mine, how about it?”

Her face lit up as if she’d discovered a new continent, her expression dancing before him. Xiao Xi was about to agree, simply out of sheer boredom, but just before the words left his lips, he remembered—he was a boy! How could he wear girls’ clothes?

“No way—” Xiao Xi deliberately drew out the word, a hint of hesitation in his voice. Sister Yuan, sharp as ever, caught the detail and grinned mischievously.

“Xiao Xi, you wouldn’t dare, would you?”

“Of course I would! It’s just your clothes. It’s not like I’m scared to wear them…”

“Then, would you dare to wear them outside? If you do, I’ll buy you ice cream. How about that?” His sister deployed her sugar-coated bribe. Xiao Xi swallowed. Hmm… if ice cream was involved…

“You’re on! You have to buy it for me!” Xiao Xi took the bait immediately. His sister nodded happily. If a single ice cream cone could get Xiao Xi into a little skirt, she would buy him twenty, not just one!

And so, Sister Yuan quickly found a pink children’s dress and put it on Xiao Xi.

Xiao Xi stood up. It was his first time in a skirt, and it felt strange, unfamiliar. Everything about it felt off. He turned awkwardly, and his sister clapped her hands with delight.

“So cute! Way cuter than Shi Meng!”

“This is so weird…” Xiao Xi’s face flushed red, and he moved to take the dress off, but his sister stopped him. A little annoyed that he was breaking his promise, she said, “Wear this and come with me to buy ice cream. If you take it off, you don’t get any.”

“Aww…” Xiao Xi hung his head in disappointment. Going out with his sister while wearing a dress would be so embarrassing. But… if he didn’t go, he wouldn’t get any ice cream.

Truthfully, it wasn’t that he desperately wanted the ice cream. But… he had already put on the dress for his sister to see. If he didn’t go with her now, he would get nothing out of it. Worse, she would have seen him in this humiliating outfit for free.

Ugh.

Xiao Xi started to regret his decision. His sister was so clever; he felt like she had him wrapped around her little finger.

“…Okay.”

He reluctantly pulled on his socks and shoes, and, dressed in his sister’s clothes, let her pull him out the door.

It was a bright Saturday afternoon, and the streets were bustling with people. Passersby glanced over at Xiao Xi, at the strange little boy wearing a skirt. Mortified, he kept trying to hide behind his sister.

In reality, the onlookers merely thought the two little girls were adorable. Xiao Xi was still young, and with his naturally delicate features, it was impossible to tell if he was a boy or a girl. People just thought the one little girl’s hair was a bit short, especially in contrast to her sister.

But Xiao Xi was still terrified, constantly feeling like he had been found out.

‘Ugh… everyone is looking at me. They must think a boy in a dress is so pathetic. Please… don’t look at me!’

“Xiao Xi?”

Sister Yuan suddenly stopped. They were at a park, just in front of an ice cream shop. She turned to her anxious little brother. “Xiao Xi, come on. Let’s go buy ice cream.”

“Sister…” Xiao Xi was tense. If they went inside… if they bought something, the shop owner would definitely realize he was a boy. If he was remembered, he’d never be able to show his face here again. And he wanted to come back to buy spicy gluten strips in the future…

“N-no… Sister, I’ll wait here. You go buy it…”

“Hmm…” Shi Yuan hesitated. She didn’t feel comfortable leaving Xiao Xi here all by himself. But…

She looked around. There were plenty of children playing in the park, with many parents watching nearby. Buying ice cream wouldn’t take long. It seemed safe enough.

“Alright. I’ll be right back. You be a good boy and wait for me here, okay? Don’t run off.”

“Okay.” Xiao Xi nodded obediently. Sister Yuan resolved to be as quick as possible, determined not to leave her little brother waiting for long.

As his sister walked away, Xiao Xi stood there, feeling a little lost and unsure of what to do.

*Whoosh.*

A gust of wind swept through, billowing his dress. Completely inexperienced, Xiao Xi froze as his skirt was lifted up, not knowing he was supposed to hold it down.

A short distance away, a few boys witnessed this. They huddled together and came closer. Among them was a troublemaker who happened to be Xiao Xi’s classmate. The boy leading the group squinted at Xiao Xi, curious.

Hmm… why does he look so familiar?

Xiao Xi noticed the boy and quickly lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze, terrified of being recognized.

This only piqued the boy’s curiosity further. He crouched down to get a better look…

*Hiss.*

“Holy crap! Xiao Xi! Why are you wearing a dress?”

“I…” Xiao Xi’s face turned crimson. It was over. He’d been discovered. Recognized.

“A boy… Is he a boy?” The other boys stared at Xiao Xi in disbelief. The scene felt like a public execution, and Xiao Xi was filled with dread.

“Xiao Xi, that’s you, right? Say something! Ha! You want to be a girl? Why are you wearing a dress? We’re boys, we can’t be like girls!”

“N-no, that’s not it,” Xiao Xi stammered in a panic. “It was my sister… my sister…”

“Pfft, what are you even talking about? Whatever, let me get a picture to show my friends.”

The classmate didn’t seem to care about the truth; he just found the situation novel and amusing. Like a crowd at a zoo watching a monkey, he was eager to share his delight with others, pointing and joking. But was a monkey really that strange?

Xiao Xi didn’t know, but he knew this couldn’t happen. He absolutely did not want more people to see him like this; it would only lead to bigger trouble. He lunged forward to grab the phone, but the classmate managed to snap a clear photo of his face.

“Don’t! Don’t take a picture!” Xiao Xi cried out helplessly. The classmate sidestepped his pounce, and the group began to tussle over the phone.

“Waaah—Delete the picture! Don’t! Don’t show anyone!”

“Huh? Why? You’re the one who wore a girl’s dress. Why do you care what other people think now?” The classmate laughed triumphantly.

*Thwack!*

Suddenly, a rock flew from a distance, whizzing past the classmate and hitting the ground with a heavy thud. The group of boys, who had been enjoying themselves, froze at the sound. They turned to see Shi Yuan standing there, a brick raised in her hand, glaring murderously at them.

“Are you crazy?!” the classmate shrieked, glancing at the rock behind him before turning back to yell at Shi Yuan.

“The next time I see you bullying Xiao Xi, it’ll be this brick! Give me the phone!” Shi Yuan screamed at them, her voice raw. Seeing her ready to throw the brick again, the boys were too scared to move or make a sound.

Shi Yuan strode forward, snatched the phone, and after a few quick taps, deleted the photo. She tossed the phone back at him, leaving them with a vicious threat. “If a word about this gets out, just you wait!”

Completely stunned by Shi Yuan’s powerful aura, the group of boys could only nod dumbly. A moment later, they came to their senses, turned, and ran.

“S-Sister…” Xiao Xi stood rooted to the spot, tear tracks still on his cheeks. His sister dropped the brick and ran to him, gently wrapping her arms around the crying boy.

“It’s okay. Sister’s back now. It’s all okay,” she soothed.

“Sister…”

Xiao Xi was heartbroken. Why… Why couldn’t he even protect himself? He was supposed to be the one protecting his sister, but here he was, being protected by her instead.

“There, there. Don’t be sad anymore. Here, this is your ice cream.”