Volume 0 / Chapter 15: Discharge

 The sky over Shanghai was hazy, lead-grey clouds obscuring the sun, not a single ray of light penetrating through. Though it was morning, it was dark as deep night. Coincidentally, most of the city's lights weren't on yet, creating a genuine illusion of time turned upside down.

Mo Xueyao sat on the bed, propping her textbook on one knee, writing awkwardly on the pages.

Without a teacher, relying solely on self-study, her progress was a bit slow. After all, she wasn't a genius student, just an ordinary person who worked hard. She'd folded down the corners of pages for topics she didn't understand, planning to ask the teachers once she got back to school.

Fortunately, there weren't too many confusing parts; otherwise, just the thought of asking questions would have made her hesitate for ages.

Xueyao focused her self-study on the three science subjects and mathematics. These required understanding concepts through reasoning, demanding more mental effort. Chinese and English, however, weren't particularly difficult for her. Even if she didn't grasp something completely, she could just memorize it for now. She could figure it out properly later.

Sometimes when studying tired her out, she liked to pick up her Chinese or history textbook and read through it. When reading the Chinese textbook, she always looked for Lu Xun's essays first. She could read Lu Xun's works over and over without getting bored and had written many of her own thoughts in the margins.

Studying wasn't something achieved through a single burst of effort; the most important thing was steady, consistent progress. So, Xueyao didn't like burying her head in books non-stop. Maintaining a balance between exertion and relaxation was a habit she'd cultivated over the years.

Right now, she set the books aside, lay comfortably on the hospital bed, and lazily closed her eyes. When bored, she often did this, relaxing her eyes and trying to perceive the world through her ears.

"BOOM—!" A clap of thunder sounded, followed by the distinct pitter-patter of rain. It was as if the heavens were cooling the scorched earth.

A soft knock sounded at the door. It had to be one of the nurses; her mother would just push the door open directly, and the doctors, mostly men, knocked heavily, never this gently.

"Come in," Xueyao called out, opening her eyes.

The door opened, and a young woman in a nurse's uniform walked to her bedside. After almost a month of interaction, the two were fairly familiar with each other.

"Time for the dressing change?" Xueyao tried to sound natural.

Truthfully, at the beginning, being examined by male doctors hadn't bothered her. But having female nurses change her dressings made her blush furiously and freeze up. Even now, it wasn't much better.

"Mhm, come on, pretty girl~ pants off~" The nurse teased mischievously, then pulled back the thin blanket covering Xueyao.

"Ahem... should be almost done, right?"

"Almost done? Let me see~" The nurse chuckled softly as she pulled down Xueyao's pants, carefully peeled off the bandage, and leaned in for a close inspection.

At times like this, Xueyao was so embarrassed she felt like she'd stopped breathing. To make it worse, the nurse was extremely thorough; Xueyao could even feel her warm breath.

"Mmm, very good. It's almost completely healed. You can barely see the incision. Expert surgery, indeed. The suturing technique was excellent..."

"Eh... really?"

"Mhm. Today we'll just apply some scar-minimizing solution and put on a thinner bandage... You can probably be discharged tomorrow."

"Huh? So soon?"

"Soon? It's been a month already!" The nurse picked up her phone and glanced at it. "It's already September 27th! A month without school – will you be able to catch up when you go back?"

"Should... be okay." Xueyao sounded unsure. As she spoke, she couldn't help but glance at the textbooks on the bedside table.

"I'll get the doctor to come check later. If everything's confirmed fine, you can have your mom start the discharge procedures! After being cooped up here so long, you must be itching to get out and run around, right?"

"Ah... yeah, kinda want to ride my bike or kick a football around on the field," Xueyao nodded.

The nurse chuckled and lightly flicked her forehead. "Oh no, you can't do that. You need to be very careful until December. No strenuous exercise, or there could still be some risk."

"Eh... Well, just walking around will be nice. Damn, I'm so sick of being stuck here!" Xueyao exclaimed, a couple of curses slipping out unintentionally in her excitement.

"Such language! Young ladies should be elegant, you know."

"Force of habit, force of habit." Facing someone outside the family, Xueyao didn't argue like she would with her mother. She coughed awkwardly twice and turned to look out the window.

"Alright, all done. I'll get the doctor to come see you soon. Once confirmed okay, you can get ready to leave!" The nurse patted Xueyao's rounded thigh with a playful grin. "Feels so soft?"

"...Eh? Have I gotten fatter?" That's what worried Xueyao.

"Hmm... that reaction is quite girlish," the nurse murmured. "No, not fatter. Just softer, that's all. Girls are like that—soft! Even skinny boys aren't as soft as girls!"

"......" Xueyao rolled her eyes, deciding to ignore the nurse's theory. Her main worry was that being so short, if she got fat, wouldn't she become really ugly?

"Alright, ring if you need anything. Bye!"

"Okay..." Xueyao nodded, picking up a cup of water from the bedside table and taking a small sip.

When her mother returned at noon, the doctor also came for a check. Confirming Xueyao was fine, he asked her mother if they wanted to proceed with discharge. After repeated assurances that there were no issues, and considering the significant amount already spent, her mother agreed.

That afternoon, they went through the discharge procedures and paid the total medical bill, including hospitalization fees, amounting to ¥41,867.

As for the remaining portion of the money, her mother seemed undecided about whether to return it directly to Xueyao's godfather. Xueyao didn't ask; after all, that was the adults' business.

They weren't leaving that afternoon, but scheduled for the next morning. Since they were leaving tomorrow, her mother didn't go to her hourly job in the afternoon. After paying the bill, she started packing their things.

After living here for a month, the room felt like a second home to Xueyao. Seeing the many clothes hanging by the window suddenly all taken down felt a bit strange.

That evening, she took a long, comfortable shower in the private bathroom attached to the room, starting to daydream about when she could renovate her own home to be like this...

The spacious bathroom let Xueyao look at herself in the mirror while showering. The reflection showed a familiar yet unfamiliar girl. The girl in the mirror was serene and lovely, making Xueyao feel momentarily dazed, as if it wasn't herself. Yet every smile and frown she made appeared in the glass.

Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, the longest strands now resting on her shoulder blades. The untrimmed bangs in front were a bit messy, but it lent a lazy, casual beauty. Not knowing how to tie her hair, she gathered it loosely, imagining how it would look in a single ponytail. It seemed to make her look more... docile.

She gave an awkward, self-mocking smile, revealing a row of beautiful, white teeth like melon seeds.

"Xueyao, done yet? You've been in there an hour." Her mother's voice called from outside.

"Done, done!" Xueyao snapped back to reality, hurriedly pulling on her clothes. Without drying her hair, she walked out, dripping wet.

"Come here, get your hair dried," her mother ordered.

"Eh... drying hair again."

"Still complaining? If you catch a draft with wet hair, you'll catch a cold for sure!"

"Got it—" Xueyao answered resignedly, walking over to her mother and letting her dry her hair with the hairdryer. The noise of the dryer gave her a bit of a headache – perhaps a lingering effect from her previous headaches.

The night passed. Early the next morning, it was finally time for the official discharge.

She gazed at the hazy morning sky, walking hesitantly behind her mother. Her delicate hands twisted together as she shyly, and with a touch of reluctance, said goodbye to the nurses, doctors, cleaning ladies, and even the security guard at the entrance—some familiar, some only seen a few times.

Dr. Wang, who had only returned a few days ago, had gotten up early to drive them to the train station.

"This is really... too much trouble..." her mother said awkwardly, forcing a smile. "You... you've already done so much for us."

"It's nothing. I don't have surgery scheduled today anyway. A drive in the early morning is quite nice," Dr. Wang said gently, looking kindly at Xueyao sitting in the back seat. "Next time you come to Shanghai, you can visit my home. I have a daughter about your age."

"Ah... y-yes, okay," Xueyao answered hastily, then looked at her mother, clearly wanting her to take over the conversation.

"Dr. Wang must be considered a senior expert now, right?"

"Haha, I haven't retired yet, can't call myself 'senior'," Dr. Wang joked.

Seeing her mother take over the conversation, Xueyao breathed a small sigh of relief. Talking to older people wasn't her strong suit, especially in a car—she still got a bit carsick. Only by staying silent and looking out the window did the nausea ease slightly.

Shanghai was vast and bustling. By 6 AM, the streets were already showing signs of life. Thankfully, the traffic flowed smoothly, no jams in sight. The car moved at a steady pace, carrying mother and daughter to Shanghai South Railway Station.

Yang Xiaoyu had already bought the train tickets for 8 o'clock. They had planned to take the bus initially, so they'd allowed extra time. Dr. Wang driving them meant they arrived at the station with plenty of time to wait. But waiting at the station was still better than rushing.

"I'll leave you here," Dr. Wang said, waving from inside the car.

"Thank you, Dr. Wang!" her mother said sincerely.

"Thank you," Xueyao quickly added.

"Take good care of yourself," Dr. Wang said meaningfully with a smile, then drove away.

Xueyao didn't dwell on his words. She just looked once more at the rising sun—

Leaving Shanghai meant waving goodbye to the past sixteen years and stepping into a new life...

Life as a girl.

Could she... adapt well?

Even in Xueyao's own heart, there was unease and uncertainty.

But no matter what, time wouldn't stop for her hesitation. Life had to move forward.

...

— Prologue: Sixteen Years Like a Dream — END