Chapter 27: Gender Struggles
Hours of yin: 3-5 am
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Hua Cheng whispered to your ears, and your pupils widened, eyes twinkling. Once he let go you put a finger under your chin
"What do you think, jiejie?" He played with your hair while waiting for your response
"I'm in" You smirked "The preparation will start tomorrow, are you okay with it?"
"Yup, no going back. This is for A-Lian after all." Hua Cheng prepared a surprise for Xie Lian but he wants you to help him, he trusts your judgement as his jiejie.
"I'll come pick you up tomorrow at the hours of yin, wait for me outside" With a hoarde of butterflies circling him, he slowly disappears staring at you with a soft smile.
When he was gone you just realized that the bowl in your hands were gone, when you looked down there was none. It was then that in the corner of your eye, a pair of silver butterflies already threw away the "fruit" salad Xie Lian made below the hill and gently placed the bowl on the ground then disappearing into thin air.
You breath a sigh of a relief when Hua Cheng already let his butterflies took care of the mini problem. You picked up the bowl, already hearing the voices of Qi Rong yelling.
Once you entered, Xie Lian was already sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, peeling potatoes and many potato skins beside him on the left, to his right is the basket filled with potatoes waiting to be peeled.
Big claps to Rouye for still holding the bitch down, Qi Rong was trying to get close to Xie Lian with knitted brows and red face from anger
It was a hilarious sight until you saw the freshly peeled potatoes next to the potato skins. It doesn't look like potatoes at all. It looked like unnatural shaped rocks!
The shapes were undefined, when you squinted your eyes to see the "potato skins" they weren't just the skins but also the flesh.
"Cousin prince! Does the task require the flesh too!? You're not peeling them but you're also slicing them!" So that was why Qi Rong kept on yelling
Xie Lian hummed while "peeling" the potato skins, ignoring his cousin berating him.
"Peeling potato skins require minimal force. You have to slowly and gently slice off the skin! Not the flesh too!" Qi Rong didn't stop. Guzi was playing with the potato "skins" too busy to care for what's happening.
"Heh, i'm surprise you know the method" you finally spoke "Of course i do!" Qi Rong hmphed
"I know because i watch my servants peel off human skins before they cook my food!" What a good way to ruin the atmosphere, Qi Rong.
"Are you a cannibal?" you quirked your brow "He is. Baobei, just ignore him" Xie Lian's words added to Qi Rong's rage
"Ignore!? IGNORE!? I might be a lowly cannibal in your eyes but cousin prince, i know the kitchen better than you! (Name) Wu, what do you think of his peeling method!? You're an expert! Go on, tell him!"
Xie Lian halt on his peeling and the entire room's eyes are focused on you. Like the court waiting for the judge's verdict.
"Hate to break it to you but A-Lian, but that's the wrong way"
The second after you said that, Qi Rong went to laugh mockingly at his cousin. Xie Lian grew bashful and lowered down the potato he was peeling and the knife.
"Ahem, although i agree your cousin is a madman, he's right on this one" You placed the bowl on the table before approaching Xie Lian then sitting down on the empty space behind him.
"Grab the knife, I'll guide you" When he grabbed the knife, you put your hand over his. The same with his left hand holding the potato. You gently held both of his hands.
The closeness, it was too much for him. Xie Lian thought that if you were on your female form right now, it would be even more embarrassing for him.
Everytime you're in your male form, Xie Lian feels a little relieved. He's awkward with women, and he can't imagine being awkward with you in your female form, it would ruin his chances and courting process.
Xie Lian's ears were red, and you were hovering above him, his head against your chest. He let you hold him like a puppet with strings.
"The knife shouldn't cover too much space, it should only be at the thin crust, first, you must slowly slice it then when you reach halfway through, swiftly slice the skin off...." As you rambled on, Xie Lian couldn't concentrate.
You smelled good, did you buy another perfume? Or is it the same perfume you gave Hua Cheng in the gambler's den? Your chest was hard but not too hard, it was logical because you didn't wore alot of layers in your male form.
Xie Lian unconsciously gulped, watching his own hands being controlled by you, peeling the potatoes skillfully. He wonders if your fingers were also skilled in different ways...
He can't help but imagine, if you were in your female form right now, your hands would've been smaller, your chest would've been softer....ah no, he can't think of that yet. It's too early.
"And done. Did you understand?" He did not, infact, understood anything.
"Y-yes..." Xie Lian mustered a little cough before hearing his cousin cackle out of nowhere, rolling on the floor "What's with the lmfao, Qi Rong?"
"Hahaha...HAHAHA!" He let his laughter die down a bit before speaking "I don't know what the hell that means, all i know is that cousin was having a boner!"
Xie Lian's face was now red like his ears while he sits down, and you who was standing up, staring at him with a quirked brow.
"Him? Having a boner? Morning erections are normal, it's part of the male biology." Qi Rong's laughter died down as he looked at you with a wtf face "What the hell do you mean!? It's not morning!"
"Oh? Then what do you mean by A-Lian having a boner rn? I didn't see it, i thought you were telling me he had morning wood, which is normal"
Qi Rong trembled before laughing again "(Name) Wu! Let me say it, he was having a boner when you were teaching him! Not this morning!"
Oh...OH!...so that was it...
Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He wanted the earth to swallow him whole. He wanted to fall from grace again from the embarrassment. He was busy fantasizing to notice he was having a big boner.
"I can't get erect" flashbacks when he told that to the lady in ghost realm. That was a big fat lie.
Stop the cap Xie Lian. You're gonna experience the next boner once you're inside a coffin with Hua Cheng.
"Stop the cap Qi Rong" you groaned "I won't believe it until i see it"
You walked towards the small pile of potato "skins" collecting it inside the unwashed bowl that the "fruit" salad was in.
"HUH!? I FUCKING SAW IT!" Qi Rong was trying to prove his point, however you ignored him while collecting the potato "skins" in the bowl and ready to throw it downhill.
"Phew..." Xie Lian wiped the sweat on his forehead, you didn't believe Qi Rong. Which was good, he can't imagine what would've happened if you believed his insane cousin.
Guzi who was still a child, unaware of what the word boner means. Helped you collecting the garbage. While Qi Rong kept yelling at Xie Lian inside the shrine.
It was finally nighttime. You were unable to prepare a bigger dinner since: One, you cooked a big feast. Two, Xie Lian ruined the dinner, aka the potatoes.
"Here's the onigiri" you placed ten of it on the table, all of you ate inside this time. "Are these...rice balls?" Xie Lian asked
"Yes, but not the sticky type which is Tang Yuan. These are just regular rice molded into triangular shape. I added tuna mayo as filling and wrapped it with seaweed paper. Dig in."
Qi Rong never complained when it's your cooking. It was a simple supper, yet Qi Rong already finished half of the onigiri. You and Xie Lian each have two onigiri in your plates while Guzi only had one.
Feeling pity, you gave your last onigiri to Guzi and he happily chewed it. "Baobei, i never saw this kind of rice ball before. Is this from another land?"
"Yes, idk what do you call Japan in this world...Ahem, I mean it's from the eastern land." Compared to your past self who knows that Dongying was the name of Japan, you were completely unaware.
It was silent except Qi Rong's chomping on his rice balls loudly. Xie Lian broke the silence by starting a conversation
"Baobei, can you tell me about the netherworld? People frequently thinks it's other name is Diyu. Is that true?"
You gulped water and let out a refreshed sigh before replying "No. The netherworld is not Diyu."
"Actually Diyu is a subcontinent in the netherworld. It's a part of the netherworld. I'll explain..."
As said in the location description, it's very vast and has subcontinents. Diyu is a part of it. Think of the netherworld as another planet with different kingdoms.
It's true that the netherworld and diyu have the same purpose, where souls are judged and left to atone their sins. But Diyu is just a part of the big thing which is the netherworld. In summary, Netherworld is like a kingdom and Diyu is a village inside the kingdom.
Of course the "village" and "kingdom" is totally inaccurate to describe just how big the netherworld and diyu is. But you get the point right? Diyu is a part of Netherworld.
"Diyu has ten courts but they're all just members of one Supreme Court which is located at the heart and capital of the netherworld. Yes Diyu has their own capital but its incomparable to the main one. Which is where the Court of Souls is"
"I'm the Iudex and the head of the netherworld, which means the heads of Diyu is just another subordinate of mine" you lazily took another bite of the onigiri "The ten judges or lords of Diyu, how should i put this? My relationship with them is complicated. Can't elaborate further rn"
Xie Lian was only asking one question, you answered it and gave a bonus insight about the ten lords of diyu. These ten lords are unknown to the heavens and they barely cause any headache compared to the four calamities
"Ah by the way, since the heavens will prepare for the mid-autumn banquet. I'll be absent for a few days, starting tomorrow, i'll leave early at dawn-"
"Wait! Who's gonna cook for us!?"
Qi Rong paused on eating just to say that, his cheeks were smeared with tuna and mayo.
"Maybe he- erm...well...." You were about to say A-Lian but you remembered his food was poisonous. "I'll cook you a last meal which is breakfast before i leave tomorrow, I'll be away until the banquet which is next week"
Outside the shrine, Qi Rong's scream and cry for help could be heard "NOOOO! DON'T DO THIS TO ME!"
Safe to say that Qi Rong will have to endure his cousin's cooking for a long time.
The next morning, you woke up at dawn. Since you slept early last night, you were able to wake up at 3 am.
In your slave days you usually wake up at 4-5 am to prepare your master's breakfast, do laundry and your skincare. Ever since you started traveling you woke up late but the habit is still there, waking up early without feeling tired.
Wake up late and your master will whip you for being a lazy servant.
"Time check 3:12 AM" you mumbled, you tried to roll out of your way from Xie Lian's grasp. Yes, he unconsciously hold you during his sleep. Since the first night you slept with him, you can feel him hugging you, like a married couple in bed. It's quite...embarrassing.
"Maybe A-Lian is just a touch-starved person" as you would think
Xie Lian spooned you, your head on his chest as he softly snored. He was quite beautiful sleeping, like the sleeping beauty but male version. You tried to slowly roll your way out of his grasp, and you realized...
You had morning erection. And it hit the hardest part of the floor.
You successfully rolled away from him and out of the straw mat, but once you hit the floor, your morning wood did too.
It was painful, but not as painful as period cramps.
You winced a bit, and you turned back to your female form. Feeling relieved that you won't have to deal with random erections in a day.
"Oh yeah, i forgot i need to wear a chest binder again...fucking hell" Man or a woman, you still have struggles in both forms.
You weren't fond of wearing bras because they didn't conceal your breasts enough. Infact, it would just make them look bigger, it's not even push-up bras, just regular ones.
"Wearing a corset? Hmmm, i'm not wearing a gown, i'll do it during an event...chest binder it is then" Chest binders are uncomfortable, but who said bras are also comfortable? But you have no choice.
The binders helped you look flat (for my flat chested girlies, in this book you don't have that, and i have nothing against you besties) and helps on everyday life.
Isn't it annoying that you're fighting and your breasts just keeps on bouncing? Chest binders are there to help. Sports bras too. But you haven't packed any sports bra...which is bad luck.
As for your male form, you prefer wearing boxer briefs than regular briefs. Briefs doesn't cover up your penis that much and when you're fighting, and an enemy hits you THERE, the damage is twice more painful. Boxer's protection can lessen the damage applied. Boxer briefs is what you usually wear.
But since you dont have a functioning male reprodutive system, you don't worry about getting infertile and losing sperm. From centuries of experience, you conclude that being an assigned female at birth is a curse, menstruation is the main reason.
You cooked a simple fried rice mixed with diced chicken, peas, carrots, potatoes, scallions and eggs. Knowing Qi Rong's appetite you made alot, worried that Guzi won't be able to eat anything because of his damn father.
Speaking of father, your father in the heavens wants you to attend the banquet. And help on the preparation.
Hua Cheng comes first, you'll go in the heavens once you talked things with crimson rain sock flower.
Once you were done, you washed your face, wore your female robes and wore your everyday clean makeup. Just light foundation, concealer, lip tint, eyebrow gel, black eyeliner, mascara and natural eyeshadow with glitter (and blush if u want to)
Applying hair oil (Tip to my besties, use &honey melty moist repair hair oil. I use it and it's the best, it's a Japanese hair care brand btw) and styled your hair.
The second you stepped outside and closed the door, silver butterflies greeted you. The butterflies circled and the man himself appeared.
"Is this always your villainous entrance, Hong-er?" He only chuckled at your words "Villainous? You wound me, jiejie, i am just a mere ghost...and..."
He scanned you head to toe, smirk plastered on his face "You look charming as ever" you scoffed your hair "I always slay everyday"
Hua Cheng doesn't know what that means, but judging by your tone, it's not an insult so he can only grin. "Jiejie, does your father want you to attend?"
"Yup, old man is running me ragged since he also wants me to help on the preparation. I just met my dad and i'm starting to be afraid of him, papa is too powerful bro...it's giving..." Your voice drifted off trying to finish the phrase "...two-faced? i dunno..."
"Anyway i can't just talk behind his back like that. Let's go bro" Hua Cheng thinks you're right, your father was two-faced. But he can't say that yet.
"Hold on to me, we'll go to ghost city"
"Your paradise manor? Didn't Qingxuan- we burned it down?"
You didn't want to put the blame on one person since you know Xie Lian was also involved.
"It's back now, don't worry about it. Hold on tight" Hua Cheng opened a portal with his silver butterflies. You only clung to his sleeve, holding it with your hand, but Hua Cheng wasn't satisfied with that. So he used his free hand to hold your waist and finally, entering Ghost City.