Chapter 243 240. Shopping
Life had finally settled into a normal rhythm.
She no longer had to worry about her father discovering her true gender, no longer had to worry about upsetting him, and no longer felt ashamed of her feminine traits being noticed.
The flush that had always lingered on her face gradually faded, and An Han’s mood lightened now that this troublesome matter was over.
She put on a high-necked cotton jacket and low-waist slim jeans, paused to check herself in the bedroom mirror, then wrapped a scarf around her neck twice.
Her fingers felt warm and itchy; after hesitating for a moment, she finally put on the gloves that Su Peng had knitted for her.
The temperature had dropped to around five degrees Celsius. Even when playing on the computer at home these days, her fingers felt stiff and cold. She didn’t even realize when her fingers had begun showing signs of frostbite.
Even at home, she always wore cotton socks, but now her feet were also itchy and red.
A few days ago, she had been too busy dealing with her father to care about such minor issues. Now that her mind and body were relaxed, she began to worry about how to treat the frostbite.
“Frostbite every year…”
After putting on earmuffs, An Han opened her bedroom door and saw her sister waiting outside.
“Brother! Why aren’t you wearing a little skirt?”
“Aren’t you wearing one either?” An Han replied, closing the door behind her. “You can call me ‘sister’ now. Dad already knows I’m a girl at lunchtime.”
“I know, brother!”
She gave her sister a light smack on the back of the head and glared at her.
“My poor grades are all your fault…” Her sister ran downstairs, whining, and within minutes, An Han heard her screaming to their father, “Dad! Sister hit me again!”
Downstairs, their father froze when he heard the term “sister,” not immediately reacting.
He soon realized that the “sister” was An Han, and his expression grew complex.
Seconds later, An Han, dressed in feminine clothing, rushed downstairs, grabbed her sister by the ear, and scolded, “How dare you tattle!”
Her sister tried to call for help, but their father remained frozen, showing no reaction.
An Han felt her father’s gaze sweep over her face, pause briefly on her chest, then move down to her hips and legs.
It wasn’t a lecherous stare, but having just revealed her gender at noon and now standing in front of her father in figure-accentuating female clothes felt incredibly embarrassing.
She instinctively turned toward her father by the dining table, offering an awkward smile. “Dad, can you go upstairs and urge Mom? She’s taking forever to do her makeup.”
Thinking her father hadn’t responded to her sister’s complaint, she planned to drag her sister upstairs quickly, but he was right there…
And she probably should have worn an extra jacket.
Fortunately, her father didn’t linger on her figure. He got up and called upstairs, “Are you ready yet? The kids are ready to go!”
“Coming, coming!”
Her mother was still in a long dress, as she loved elegant dresses. In summer, she occasionally wore long qipaos.
Since her father’s return, this was the first time the family was going out together.
However, her father seemed a bit reserved.
He now knew what the neighbors had been gossiping about and felt embarrassed stepping outside, often avoiding eye contact.
An Han was also slightly tense, walking close to her mother and occasionally glancing at her father’s reactions.
By this point, her father seemed a little more accepting of her, though his smile was still slightly forced…
She finally breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that after a few more days together, he would grow accustomed to having a daughter.
Her mother had already bought the essentials for the upcoming New Year—chicken, duck, fish—and now intended to pick up some couplets, small festive decorations, and snack packs like the Wangzai gift sets.
Exiting the alley, her father’s expression visibly relaxed. On the bustling street, no one was pointing or whispering about their family anymore.
“Sis! I want stinky tofu!”
Her sister, excited at the sight of street food stalls, reached for An Han’s hand, only to find An Han already at a teppanyaki stall.
She then grabbed her father’s hand instead. “Dad, buy me stinky tofu!”
“Eat less of the stuff outside,” their mother reminded them from behind, slightly displeased.
“Did you hear that? Eat less,” their father echoed.
Because of their mother’s usual authority, their sister clearly felt closer to their father at this moment.
As the New Year approached, the street had a festive atmosphere—banners stretched across the night market, and privately operated tricycles and motorbikes had doubled in price. Thankfully, food prices hadn’t risen much.
After browsing the food stalls, An Han returned to her mother with her hands full of various fried snacks and skewers.
“Mom, want some?”
“So dirty,” her mother rolled her eyes. “Next time, make it at home if you want to eat it.”
“Sounds like you’ve never eaten it yourself.”
An Han knew her mother often indulged in street snacks herself. Though she looked proper, she had a sweet tooth.
With her mouth full of snacks, An Han glanced at her father being pulled along by her sister and couldn’t help smiling. “This is nice.”
Though her father still seemed somewhat distant, it was a big improvement from a few days ago.
“Why are you wearing those gloves again?” her mother asked, noticing her hands and frowning.
“They’re getting a bit of frostbite!” An Han replied confidently.
Her mother knew the gloves were knitted by Su Peng—they looked far too ugly to have been bought.
“I’ll buy you another pair—they’re awful.”
“I think they’re fine…” An Han mumbled quietly, still not understanding why her mother disliked Su Peng so much.
Suddenly, a gaze landed on her from afar.
She looked up and saw Lin Yue, eyes wide, staring at her in shock.
Oh no…
Their last meeting had been when she was male, even going on a blind date with Lin Yue. Now she was wearing female clothes…
“What’s wrong?” her mother followed her gaze and also saw Lin Yue. “A classmate? Quite a pretty girl.”
“I-I’m her blind date…” An Han stammered.
“What a shame.”
“Not shameful at all!” Perhaps because of her female attire, the remnants of her male mindset didn’t surface.
Then she saw Lin Yue eagerly running over, panting slightly.
“An Han! I thought I had mistaken you!”
“You actually…” Lin Yue looked at An Han’s mother, surprised and curious. “You’re so pretty in female clothes!”
And she came out shopping in female clothes with her family? That guy’s boldness is unbelievable.
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