Volume 1 / Chapter 43: Early Checkup

It was a bright Saturday morning. The sky was clear with barely a cloud in sight, and the sun hung high, casting its warm light over the world.

This was one of the most pleasant days of the year—the kind of weather where even aimlessly wandering the streets felt like a rare delight.

Her father pedaled leisurely through streets and alleyways with her on the back seat of his bicycle.

Some areas were quiet, some bustling.

Some were vibrant, others rundown.

Roadwork here, demolition there, new construction elsewhere—the city pulsed with growth and vitality.

Today, they were heading to the hospital for a post-op checkup.

The so-called follow-up.

Normally, it would be scheduled once a month. But this time was special: not only was it her first checkup since discharge, catching potential issues early was better…

…and more importantly, Mò Xuěyáo  was due to start military training next Monday. Her parents wouldn’t feel comfortable letting her attend unless her health was cleared in advance.

Her mother had already left the house at the crack of dawn. She had taken on a lot of domestic work lately, and even if it was still early morning, her destination varied depending on the day.

Her father, however, had a bit more breathing room now. The lease discussions with Auntie Jin technically Grandma Jin, considering Xuěyáo’s generation had gone well—they just needed to sign the contract and pay the half-year rent.

He had originally planned to put down a deposit, but the landlord didn’t ask for one, simply telling him to come directly when ready.

So now, what her father mulled over was—what kind of shop to open?

The original plan was a fruit shop, but there were a few other options on the table too. Today’s goal was to scope out the market and figure out what kind of store would be the best fit—one that could actually turn a profit.

The biggest concern with a fruit shop was losses. Fruit had to be fresh or it wouldn’t sell, and unfortunately, it didn’t keep for long…

That was the core of his hesitation.

So today, while taking Xuěyáo to the hospital, he also planned to visit a few fruit vendors around Hangzhou First Hospital to check the scene.

Xuěyáo squinted into the sunlight and turned up her collar to shield herself from the breeze brushing past.

Since it was the weekend, she finally got a break from wearing the Yǔkōng High School uniform. Today, she wore a set of long-sleeved and full-length casual wear—unisex, comfortable, and modest.

The feeling of being fully covered gave her a great sense of relief—at least she wouldn’t have to worry about the wind lifting her skirt and revealing things she’d rather keep private.

"Screech—"

Her father pulled the brakes gently, bringing the bicycle to a smooth stop.

“Hangzhou First Hospital. We’re here, Xuěyáo. Time to get off.”

“Okay!” Xuěyáo hopped nimbly off the back seat and stretched her arms high in the air with a long yawn.

They’d already arranged the visit with the doctor the day before.

After all, Xuěyáo was considered a special case—she was on file with hospitals in both Hangzhou and Shanghai.

The First Hospital here had already been notified. A few doctors had scheduled time to handle her examination.

This time, the hospital had assigned her a female urologist. From her voice over the phone, she’d sounded barely out of college…

But in person, it turned out she was actually thirty-four. Exceptionally well-maintained, though, and radiating that graceful charm unique to a confident, mature woman.

“Hello, Mò Xuěyáo. We’ll probably be seeing each other more in the future. I’m Yún Mèng ,” she said with a warm smile, extending a hand.

Xuěyáo, a bit shy, reached out as well, letting the other woman give her hand a gentle shake.

“Let’s start with a blood test and urinalysis first—to check your general indicators. Come back to me afterward for the clinical exam.”

With that, Xuěyáo was escorted by her father to register and queue up for the tests.

After the blood draw, the lab tech handed her a small paper cup and pointed her toward the bathroom...

Honestly, Xuěyáo would’ve preferred another round of blood tests.

This was just too embarrassing.

And inconvenient too, doing this sort of thing in a public hospital bathroom.

Still, she managed to collect a proper sample and handed it in to the lab tech.

The tech, of course, didn’t even bat an eye—which somehow made Xuěyáo feel more awkward.

After all that was done, she returned to Dr. Yún Mèng’s office.

A young man had just finished his clinical exam and was walking out, clutching his backside.

In his hand was a small glass vial, containing a cloudy, semi-transparent liquid.

When he saw Xuěyáo walk in, his face flushed a deep shade of red—like pig’s liver—and he quickened his pace toward the lab, eyes down.

“Alright, Mò Xuěyáo—come in and sit down~” Dr. Yún Mèng greeted her warmly, handing her a cup of tea. It was clear Xuěyáo was getting VIP treatment.

Feeling a little stiff, Xuěyáo sat down carefully. The doctor’s eyes were fixed directly on her, which made her fidget.

“No need to be shy, Xuěyáo. Just relax.”

“...Okay.”

“Any discomfort lately? Anything feel off?”

“...Not that I can think of,” Xuěyáo said after a moment of thought, shaking her head.

“No coughing? Fever? Cold symptoms?”

It was starting to sound less like a follow-up and more like a general physical.

Then again... they were kind of the same thing?

“None.”

Dr. Yún nodded, then turned to her father with a polite smile.

“Would you like to wait outside for a bit? We’re starting the clinical part now.”

“Oh, sure!” Her father patted the pack of Dàqiánmén cigarettes in his pocket—clearly, his craving had kicked in again.

“I’ll be downstairs, Xuěyáo. Come find me when you’re done.”

“Just say you want a smoke next time,” Xuěyáo rolled her eyes.

Busted, her father let out an awkward laugh and quietly stepped out, pulling the door shut behind him.

“Xuěyáo, could you lock the door? Just to be safe—don’t want anyone walking in by mistake,” Dr. Yún said, getting up from her chair. She tapped the narrow examination bed, adding, “Then lie down here for me.”

Xuěyáo locked the door, then hesitantly made her way to the bed.

She watched as Dr. Yún spread a fresh sheet of sterilized plastic on it.

“This’ll keep things clean. Alright, up you go.”

“Should I... take off my shoes?” Xuěyáo asked in a small voice.

“Yes, please. What, afraid you’ve got smelly feet?” the doctor teased.

“I... I don’t have smelly feet...” Xuěyáo mumbled as she crouched down, slowly untied her shoelaces, and gently slipped off her shoes before sitting on the bed and lying down, clearly stalling.

She moved slowly on purpose, trying to delay the inevitable.

But what had to come, would come.

Lying there, she felt like a white lab mouse awaiting dissection. Her eyes squeezed shut on their own.

“Don’t be shy. I’m a woman too, you know.”

That’s exactly why it’s embarrassing...

No, wait—even if the doctor were a man, this wouldn’t be any easier to endure.

Her legs trembled slightly as she felt Dr. Yún’s hands tug gently at her waistband.

Her pants slipped down slowly, and a cool, almost playful breeze brushed underneath her—like it wanted to burrow into her.

But then—nothing happened.

Curious, Xuěyáo cracked one eye open and saw Dr. Yún, now gloved in latex, leaning in to examine her lower body with focused attention.

“Looks like everything’s healing well. Almost no difference from a typical girl now. Mmm... Wáng Hǎifēng really knows what he’s doing. The external work is quite refined.”

Then Xuěyáo froze. She could feel Dr. Yún’s gloved hand touching her—gently parting things, carefully inspecting the internal area.

“Mmm, nothing unusual. Though...” Dr. Yún sniffed lightly. “Did you not wash properly during your last shower?”

“Eh!?”

“There’s a bit of a smell,” the doctor chuckled. “As a girl, you’ve got to keep up hygiene, especially down here. Even if you don’t shower, try to clean this area daily. And during showers—be thorough. Gynecological infections are a pain to deal with.”

“Ugh…”

“All done—let’s get your pants back on.”

The check was quicker than she’d feared, and Xuěyáo let out a breath of relief.

“Now sit up,” Dr. Yún instructed.

“Mhm…”

She pulled a small stool up to sit across from Xuěyáo, tossing the used gloves into a disposal bin already filled with six or seven pairs.

She pressed a thumb into various points on Xuěyáo’s abdomen.

“How’s this feel?”

“Ticklish...” Xuěyáo said, trying not to laugh.

“And here?”

“Still ticklish…”

“How about here?”

“Pfft—!” Xuěyáo burst out laughing, now sure Dr. Yún was doing it on purpose.

But when she met the doctor’s serious eyes, she felt a bit guilty for thinking that way.

After checking around her abdomen, the doctor finally looked toward her chest. She pressed lightly along the sides and asked, “How does this feel?”

“A little sore.”

“And this spot?”

“Kinda hurts…”

“Not bad! You're recovering well. Looks like you’re entering a growth spurt soon. Should see a decent height increase.”

“How tall can I get?” Xuěyáo asked eagerly.

“Four or five centimeters, maybe more. Hitting 170 cm’s not out of the question.”

“I hope I can get that tall…” she murmured, full of anticipation.

“Well... maybe you should be wishing this part would grow instead.” Dr. Yún poked her chest and teased, “You’re nearly 160 cm already, that’s not bad at all.”

“……”

“Alright, I’ll go get your lab results. Just wait here.”

“Okay…”

Before long, Dr. Yún returned holding two pages filled with medical terms—some in English, some in Chinese.

Even the Chinese ones were hard to decipher, possibly phonetic loanwords.

“Your estrogen levels are already comparable to a typical girl entering puberty. We can cut your current dosage in half. Also…” She continued with various details, carefully noting everything in Xuěyáo’s medical file.

Amazingly, her handwriting was neat and precise—not the usual scrawl most doctors left behind. Even if Xuěyáo forgot what she’d said, she could easily review it later without struggling to decipher anything.

“So... is that everything?”

“Yup, that’s all for now. Come back in a month for the next checkup. But if anything unusual comes up before then, don’t wait—come in right away.”

“Okay…” Xuěyáo exhaled deeply, clutching her file and lab reports as she walked out of the hospital.