Volume 0 / Chapter 14: Hospital Life

The September weather had cooled down a little, but the room still needed the air conditioner running; it was also good for wound healing. This was another perk of the private room.

Ordinary wards in this era hadn't all been equipped with air conditioning yet.

—Even if this private room had a window-unit air conditioner whose cooling effect might not be that great, it was still better than nothing.

Mo Xueyao had pushed half of the bedding aside and was leaning lazily against the headboard, reading a wuxia novel.

In a daze, she felt as if she had become the gallant hero roaming freely through the martial world within its pages, upholding justice and punishing the wicked…

"Hah! Li Xunhuan's Flying Daggers—never miss their mark!" Xueyao put down the novel she'd just finished reading, gave a soft shout to the empty air, and even made a flicking motion with her hand as if throwing a knife.

In her mind's fantasy, the knife had already flown out.

Though in reality, nothing happened at all.

Life in the hospital was incredibly dull.

Because she was stuck in the hospital bed all day, unable to go anywhere.

Eating, drinking, relieving herself—everything happened right there on the bed.

This made Xueyao feel deeply uncomfortable.

She was desperate to recover faster.

But the days just had to pass one at a time.

It wasn't like playing a game where you could fast-forward.

The last unread novel she'd brought from home had just been finished moments ago.

Feeling a bit hollow inside, Xueyao began to miss school life.

It was already September; students must have started classes long ago. At the very beginning of high school, when everyone was still unfamiliar with each other, was actually the easiest time to get to know people.

By the time Xueyao was discharged and went back to class, she might feel like a transfer student.

Would she be unable to fit in?

Xueyao felt a pang of worry about her future high school life.

Today was September 10th. The surgical site had healed quite a bit. Though she still couldn't go out for walks, she could now get out of bed and walk short distances by herself—mostly just to use the toilet, really.

To be honest, the hospital toilet still felt a bit unfamiliar. Even though it was a pretty high-end product for this era, she still felt a squat toilet was more convenient.

But, a big city was a big city. Even in the small details of daily life, you could find many 'high-end' things.

Like the private bathroom with its separate shower stall, and the showerhead faucet inside.

Xueyao's home didn't even have a showerhead. If they took cold showers, they just used a rubber hose.

After all, her family was lucky just to be able to afford buying a house. They'd only done the most basic renovations, with many things still using the simplest, cheapest solutions.

Her mother wasn't in the hospital.

Spending money every day without earning any seemed to make her feel uneasy. So, ever since Xueyao could manage the toilet by herself recently, her mother had found some temporary work—so-called hourly jobs.

Even if the pay was meager, at least it covered some food costs.

And surprisingly, the wages for hourly workers in this big city of Shanghai were unexpectedly high. As a result, Xueyao's meals had recently become much better than usual.

At the very least, it wasn't just plain rice and pickled vegetables all day anymore.

Being alone in the hospital room was still pretty boring.

But life always had its unavoidable hardships; you just had to learn to adapt.

Xueyao could only endure this loneliness by herself.

She remembered during school days, wanting to sleep in every morning. Yet lately, even though she could sleep the whole day away if she wanted, she found she couldn't sleep anymore.

Even when yawning, she didn't feel particularly sleepy.

Grrrr "My stomach's rumbling..." Xueyao picked up the examination report on the bedside table out of boredom, flipping through pages filled with medical jargon she couldn't understand.

Time, which always felt in short supply, had stretched out endlessly during these hospital days.

Sometimes she'd even get so bored she'd count seconds along with the clock hanging on the wall to pass the time.

*Creeak—* The door handle turned, then the door was pushed open forcefully. No need to guess; it was her mother. She always moved with such brisk efficiency.

"Xueyao, hungry?"

"Starving." Xueyao nodded, her eyes full of anticipation as she watched her mother place a takeout bag on the bedside table. "What did you bring today?"

"Sweet and sour pork ribs, stir-fried baby bok choy, and a bowl of beef offal soup."

"So fancy!" Xueyao could practically feel her mouth watering already.

"Mhm, go ahead and eat."

"Why don't you eat with me?"

"I'm not hungry yet." Her mother shook her head. "How are you feeling today?"

"Fine, just bored out of my skull." Xueyao answered while quickly unpacking the styrofoam containers holding the rice and dishes. "Mom, when you come back tonight, could you pick up a few novels for me if you pass the night market?"

"No need for novels. Starting today, you won't be bored." Her mother said, pulling a package out of another plastic bag. "Your dad went to the school to collect your books; they've been mailed over. You can start studying on your own properly now, so you don't fall behind later."

"Hmm... alright." Xueyao surprisingly didn't argue for once.

Her grades at school had always been in the top ten.

If she ever became a student at the bottom of the class, she’d probably find it hard to accept herself.

"Oh, where's the beef offal soup?" Xueyao asked, looking at the now-empty bag.

"Packed in here." Her mother pulled out a metal container from the bag. "Styrofoam isn't good for soup."

The small bedside table was now crowded with lunch.

Xueyao picked up the metal container first and took a sip of the beef offal soup. She couldn't help smacking her lips. "So good!"

"Then eat plenty."

"Mom, the food's so good today. If you don't eat with me, I might just finish it all!" Xueyao licked her lips and picked up a box of rice, starting to eat.

When her chopsticks picked up food, they inevitably scraped against the styrofoam container, making a squeaky friction sound.

It was the kind of sound that set your teeth on edge.

"Then finish it."

"But what will you eat?"

"I'm not hungry. Just now, at the place I was working, the family was really hospitable and insisted I stay for lunch."

"Ohh..." Xueyao immediately felt much more at ease and started eating in big mouthfuls, her cheeks bulging like a hamster stuffing food into its pouches.

"Slow down, no one's fighting you for it. Can't you finish what's in your mouth before grabbing more?" her mother scolded with exasperation. "Look at you, food's falling everywhere."

"Mmmpf... 'cuz it's too good!" Xueyao mumbled indistinctly through a full mouth.

"Don't talk while you're eating. Finish what's in your mouth first."

"Mmm... this sweet and sour pork is amazing!" Xueyao finally swallowed the mouthful and let out a long breath. "The beef offal soup is delicious too! Everything in it tastes great!"

"Eat your greens too. No being picky."

"Er... this pok choy tastes a bit bitter."

[ pok choi is a type of Chinese cabbage ]

"That slight bitterness is exactly how it should be."

"Fine, fine, I'll eat it, okay?" Xueyao resignedly picked up some pok choy with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, deciding to get the food she liked least out of the way first, then savor the rest of the deliciousness.

This meal was probably the fullest she'd felt in quite some time.

For some reason, she'd been especially hungry today.

After finishing, she let out a satisfied burp and lay back comfortably, only to sit up again with a touch of anxiety. "Mom, if I just eat and lie down like this every day, won't I get really fat?"

"Worried about getting fat already?"

"...I don't want people calling me 'fatty'," Xueyao muttered under her breath. "Fat people get discriminated against so easily."

"Hmm... don't worry, you haven't gained much."

"So I have gained weight?!" Xueyao's voice turned panicked. She looked down at her arms; they did seem to have a bit more flesh on them than before. They should have been thinner...

"Ha, not exactly 'fat'. You've just gained some subcutaneous fat; your actual weight hasn't increased much," Dr. Wang's voice chimed in, followed by the door being pushed open. "This shows that large amounts of estrogen are starting to work. Your body is developing like a typical girl's."

"Like a typical girl... that means... I'll get... that!" Xueyao instantly thought of the monthly visitor.

This was knowledge from physiology class.

Back then, she'd been relieved she was a boy; having it once a month sounded like a pain.

And for some people, it could last a whole week.

She never imagined she'd face this day herself...

"As you develop, it will definitely come. You'll probably have your first period around December," Dr. Wang replied while examining Xueyao. "Oh, and after today, I'll be away from the hospital for a while, traveling for work. If anything comes up, just find the doctor in charge."

"Mm... okay." Xueyao nodded softly.

Dr. Wang pressed on her chest with his hand.

Xueyao watched his examination expressionlessly, her heart completely calm.

"Does this hurt?"

Dr. Wang pressed around the circle surrounding her nipple, asking.

"Can't feel anything." Xueyao concentrated for a moment, then shook her head.

"Mhm. As your body develops, this area will become tender. Remember, when it hurts, don't keep pressing on it, and make sure to wear loose clothing then too."

"...Best if it just doesn't develop," Xueyao mumbled quietly. "Growing a pair of steamed buns sounds like nothing but trouble."

"Haha, but most women wish theirs could be bigger, you know. Just like men wish theirs were bigger."

"Ah... whatever about that. I just want things to be convenient." Xueyao fiddled with the ends of her hair. "Feels like my hair's growing a lot faster lately..."

"Yes, that's also a sign of your body developing rapidly. By the time you're discharged, your hair might even be long enough to cover your shoulders."

"Too long." Xueyao looked a bit pained at the thought. "That would be really inconvenient."

"Just tie it in a ponytail," Dr. Wang laughed heartily. "You'll have to get used to it eventually. Hmm, if you don't know how to braid it, just ask your mother."

"......" Xueyao pictured herself with a ponytail and shuddered inexplicably.

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( Author's note : The surgical details are dramatized for artistic purposes; please don't take them too literally. Rest assured, the core experience is largely authentic. Other details are also embellished artistically. For instance: under general anesthesia, you wouldn't hear sounds, but the narrative includes muffled voices to capture the hazy beauty of breaking free from a chrysalis. After all, this is a novel first and foremost. Strictly recreating the surgical process realistically would make it feel cold and devoid of feeling .)