Chapter 246 243. Side Effects
On New Year’s Eve morning, the streets were still bustling with open shops, but by the afternoon, most stores had closed, leaving only a few greedy business owners who hadn’t given their employees the day off.
Pedestrians thinned out, with almost everyone returning home to prepare for the New Year’s Eve celebration.
At dinner, the table was set with seven or eight dishes, and on a nearby folding table, more than a dozen small bowls were neatly arranged. The small room felt even more cramped with the extra table. The strong scent of fireworks lingered in the air, a bit harsh on the nose, but it added to the festive atmosphere.
Mother sat on a small stool by the door, a large metal bucket in front of her with flames burning inside, and she occasionally added more stacks of yellow paper. Once the stacks were burned, she stood up, closed the door to block the smoky air, and smiled: “Dinner’s ready.”
Only then did An Han start eating, grabbing a fried chicken leg straight away.
On New Year’s Eve, everyone wore cheerful expressions, except for her little sister, who pouted in dissatisfaction as she picked at the food—a way to vent her frustration after being forced to do homework all day.
An Han glanced at her, knowing she was inviting a scolding.
“An Han, you need to be careful with that boy from this morning.” Mother’s warning was aimed at An Han. “He doesn’t look like a good person.”
An Han froze for a moment, instantly recalling Lin Fan’s pale face. She couldn’t help but smile: “Don’t worry, I’m not stupid.”
“I think you are. You just take things people give you without thinking.” Father frowned. “You can’t eat just anything from outside. Doesn’t your sister know better?”
Well…
“He’s Lin Yue’s cousin, right…” An Han mumbled.
“Are you crazy? Look at the news. Bad people like to target people they know.” Mother agreed with Father. “You can’t just eat something someone gives you… what if it’s drugged?”
“…This is ridiculous.”
An Han felt like her parents were treating her like a child.
Her sister, who had been sulking just moments ago, now joined in with a self-important nod: “Yeah, I know not to eat things from strangers.”
“Can’t we just not talk about this on New Year’s Eve?”
But Mother was getting more intense: “You’re a girl now, so you need to be more aware of your safety. Avoid bars and KTVs if you can, and always be cautious with your friends—who knows what they might be thinking. And your rented place, with so many people coming and going, isn’t safe either. Let your dad spend a bit to rent a proper apartment next semester.”
Father chimed in: “She’s right, listen carefully.”
“Got it, got it…”
An Han hadn’t been lectured like this in a long time. Even as a minor, her parents barely cared if she stayed out all night. And now, in her early twenties, she was being treated like her little sister.
While going through the motions of listening to her parents, she occasionally glanced at her father. The father who had seemed so resistant to her new gender a few days ago had now fully accepted the fact that he had another daughter. Still, whenever they went out, he avoided the neighbors’ gaze.
“I’m full.”
She put down her chopsticks and stretched, heading upstairs.
“Remember to come down at eight to watch the Spring Festival Gala.”
“Sis! I want to play games too!” her little sister said, putting down her half-eaten bowl and rushing after her.
An Han originally intended to shoo her away but suddenly remembered the system item in her wardrobe. It was time to try it out.
Although her parents didn’t say anything, An Han had noticed through the computer records on the first floor that they had been searching for strange things online: “Reasons a boy turns into a girl,” “When a son becomes a daughter,” “Consequences of suddenly becoming a girl,” “Should I buy a house for a girl?” “Psychology of a 20-year-old girl”… Clearly, they couldn’t rest until they understood why An Han had changed.
“Sis! I want to play that shooting game!”
“Later. Half an hour, then we’ll go watch the gala.”
An Han opened the bedroom door on the third floor and waited for her sister to enter before closing and locking it.
The lock made her sister curious and a bit suspicious: “Sis, are you going to do something secret?”
“Are you video chatting with that handsome guy again?! You can play for half an hour and I won’t tell Mom!”
“You mean just Dad, right?” An Han rolled her eyes, already familiar with her little sister’s tactics.
Opening the wardrobe, she found it filled with women’s clothes. Mother had bought her some recently, and her father had also gotten into the habit of buying clothes, packing the small wardrobe full.
From the depths of the wardrobe, An Han pulled out her medical examination report.
“Play later.” She turned around and noticed her sister had already impatiently opened the computer: “Come look.”
“What is it?”
Her sister, oblivious to any danger of becoming a test subject, leaned closer curiously: “What’s that in your hand?”
“Take a look.”
An Han opened the system item.
Her sister’s eyes immediately locked onto the report, her pupils dilating as if reading carefully. A few minutes later, she looked up in realization: “Oh, that’s why brother turned into sister!”
“What?” An Han asked nervously.
She felt nothing looking at the item herself, but her sister seemed to understand something.
Unsure of the item’s side effects on her sister, An Han watched closely.
“An older sister is an older sister!” her sister answered matter-of-factly, then dashed to the computer: “Sis! That shooting game!”
Was it some kind of hypnotic effect?
An Han was puzzled, but seeing her sister, it seemed the item had no side effects. Her sister’s affection hadn’t fluctuated, nor did she show any strange reactions.
Relieved, An Han brushed her hair aside and bent over to operate the mouse, launching CS:GO for her sister.
“Sis, this is different from last time I played.”
“It’s the same.”
Last time her sister had played the web version of CF, which An Han thought was too simple for her clever little sister.
While keeping her sister engaged, An Han observed her carefully, feeling reassured. No side effects had appeared.
Just as she was about to start a solo match for her sister, she suddenly noticed something was off.
Wait! Since when has my bangs grown long enough to cover my eyes?
She had just cut her hair a month ago.
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