Chapter 16: The ‘Save Xiao Xi’ Plan: Operation Masculinity

Xiao Xi and Shi Meng had run around with Gao Meiyou once again, taking a cat to the agency and then accompanying them for its physical examination. They were busy with one thing after another, making it nothing like Gao Meiyou had claimed, that there was no need to worry.

After all, it was a cat they had personally brought in, so they naturally felt a greater sense of responsibility.

By the end of it all, it felt as though the entire day had been spent at the pet hospital.

What truly left an impression on Xiao Xi was the moment the kitten was taken for sterilization. The small cat was placed in a wheeled cage, given anesthesia, and lay with its tongue lolling out, gazing weakly beyond the bars of its cage.

In that instant, a classic song, ‘Tears Behind Iron Bars,’ even surfaced in Xiao Xi’s mind.

Oh, iron gates, iron bars, iron chains,

My hand on the iron bars, I gaze outside.

How beautiful life is beyond these walls,

When will I return to my home?

When can I return to my home?

He unconsciously began to sing it aloud, amusing Gao Meiyou and Shi Meng, who were nearby. Only the kitten in the cage, the very one he had personally carried out, glared at him with venomous eyes, as if saying…

“You’ll get your comeuppance, you’ll surely get your comeuppance!”

‘Cough, cough, impossible! Just kidding, how could I ever end up in a situation like that cat?’ Xiao Xi thought.

‘Even if I provoked Sister Yuan again, she wouldn’t go as far as to sterilize me, right? Unless… she really is deranged enough to do something like that! No, I’m actually starting to get scared now… What if I suddenly feel a cold draft below?’

Hiss—

“Gao Meiyou, let’s talk about how to deal with Sister Yuan! Never mind the cat now, at least it’s safe, alright!”

But no matter how Xiao Xi pressed her, Gao Meiyou simply smiled mysteriously and replied, “I’ll tell you tonight!”

Waiting for evening to arrive was truly a torment. With anticipation building for the night’s events, Xiao Xi felt every minute of the afternoon drag on like a year, especially in a place like a hospital.

Watching the constant stream of people passing by, and occasionally hearing heart-wrenching wails, couldn’t help but clutch at one’s heart.

Despite it being merely a pet hospital.

As the time drew near, Gao Meiyou suddenly stood up, briefly spoke with the agency staff, and then led Xiao Xi and Shi Meng back to school.

Phew~

‘Is it finally happening?’

‘Gao Meiyou’s mysterious plan, the one that could save me and help me escape Sister Yuan’s clutches!’

****

Upon returning to the large activity room of the Volunteer Club at school, the first thing Gao Meiyou did was draw the curtains in the already dim room.

Now it was completely dark. It was so dark that Xiao Xi could barely make out figures. He reached out to turn on the light, but Gao Meiyou immediately stopped him.

“Don’t move, Xiao Xi, look at me!”

Gao Meiyou snapped her fingers, and in an instant, a projection screen descended. The dim room was momentarily illuminated by the sudden blue light flickering from the screen.

Loading…

Gao Meiyou snapped her fingers again, and all the lights in the room came on. The scene instantly became much clearer. Gao Meiyou adjusted her cat-ear headband and declared with an air of seriousness: “Welcome to the Volunteer Club’s First Strategy Meeting for the ‘Save Xiao Xi’ Plan! I am the Overall Commander of the Operation, Gao Meiyou!”

“Ah, this… Gao Meiyou, is the reason you wanted to tell us tonight because you look so cool standing in front of the screen right now? Or does holding a strategy meeting at night just create a better atmosphere, huh!”

Xiao Xi muttered his complaint from below. Gao Meiyou shot him a glance but didn’t refute him. Then, pointing to the fully loaded PowerPoint presentation, she began to explain it slide by slide.

“The issue between Xiao Xi and Shi Yuan is fundamentally an emotional one. To handle this new scenario, we need to find new tactics, develop new approaches, pinpoint Sister Yuan’s weaknesses, and then strike her relentlessly!”

“Xiao Xi, let me ask you first: if you were to confront your sister directly, do you think you could emerge unscathed?”

‘Hmm…’ Xiao Xi shook his head. ‘If I were to openly ask Sister Yuan for a divorce, there’s a high probability she’d break my legs, and I’d be confined to the house, becoming a useless kept man, dependent on her.’

‘Absolutely not! First and foremost… I’m afraid of pain!’

“As expected, it’s not feasible, is it? So, I’ve decided: we will adopt a roundabout plan to save Xiao Xi. Without directly falling out with Sister Yuan, we’ll make her gradually lose interest in Xiao Xi, and then she’ll proactively dump Xiao Xi!”

“Oh!” Shi Meng nodded vigorously, captivated.

“But… how can I make Sister Yuan dislike me?” Xiao Xi swallowed hard. “That sounds quite challenging.”

“Cough, cough, Xiao Xi, let me ask you: why does your sister like you? And why does she make you wear women’s clothes? Don’t you think… your sister’s preferences are a bit strange?”

‘Hmm…’ Xiao Xi had a vague inkling. ‘A normal girl would never “marry” her brother, right? And saying things like “be my exclusive girl”… could it be that…’

‘Sister Yuan is the legendary… Yuri Overlord?’

“Exactly!” Gao Meiyou, seeing Xiao Xi mired in his confusion, nodded decisively, affirming his unspoken thoughts. She was certain Xiao Xi’s thoughts mirrored her own.

“So, to make Sister Yuan lose interest in Xiao Xi, first, we need to cultivate Xiao Xi’s masculinity. You are too soft now, even more feminine than a girl! No wonder your sister bullies you!”

‘Hmm…’ Xiao Xi nodded. ‘Cultivating masculinity was something he’d always wanted to do, but he’d put it off until now.’

“Next, Xiao Xi, you should also actively court trouble and make a fuss, just like those unreasonable girlfriends in a relationship. Make your sister grow weary of your behavior!”

Gao Meiyou once again hit the nail on the head, pointing out a major taboo in relationships: being a petty troublemaker.

Xiao Xi nodded, half-understanding, half-confused. ‘Act like that… how do I even do that? I’m not very good at it.’

“Finally, Xiao Xi, we have a trump card! You need to proactively get closer to other girls, and ideally, truly pursue a girl!” Gao Meiyou sneered. “A woman with explosive possessiveness like your sister, seeing you being lovey-dovey with other girls, wouldn’t she be absolutely furious?”

“Ah, this…” Xiao Xi felt a little embarrassed. ‘Chasing girls? He’d never even tried.’

‘Besides, being lovey-dovey with other girls would surely lead to Sister Yuan’s punishment, wouldn’t it?’

Yet… it was true. This was one of the best ways to quickly reduce Sister Yuan’s goodwill. It had to be said, Gao Meiyou’s method was effective, though the risk was somewhat high.

“Cough, cough, you don’t have to do all of these,” Gao Meiyou clarified. “They’re just suggestions. We can take it one step at a time, starting with the gentler approaches.”

Gao Meiyou reassured them. Xiao Xi nodded, essentially agreeing with Gao Meiyou’s words. Shi Meng still seemed a little worried, but she didn’t say much.

Gao Meiyou clapped her hands. “Alright, since the operation plan has been formulated, let’s start with the first step! A plan alone isn’t enough; we need to act!”

‘Huh?’ Xiao Xi stared blankly. ‘He couldn’t even go home right now, and they were moving this fast?’

“First!” Gao Meiyou looked at Xiao Xi with a playful glint in her eyes. “Xiao Xi, your hair is too long! You don’t look like a proper boy at all! To the barbershop we go!”

“Eh?”