Oh my missing mother—Huangfu? Isn’t that Rinka’s grandma’s surname?!

If my guess is right, Old Feng was probably taken in by none other than Huangfu Yuehua.

That old lady, with her extreme matriarchal mindset, would definitely feel pity if she came across a girl like Old Feng—alone and homeless—and wouldn’t hesitate to bring her home as an adopted daughter or something.

Well, I could probably be calling her Xiao Fei now. Even if her soul’s still that of a forty-year-old man.

Rinka hadn’t followed me at first, but when I suddenly turned and stared at her, she flinched. Looking confused, she came over.

“W-why are you glaring at me like that?” she asked, lowering her voice.

“She’s got the same last name—Huangfu. Could she be related to your grandmother?” I slightly nudged my chin, hinting at Xiao Fei, who was still pretending to read.

“That surname’s pretty rare… Lemme take a look.”

Rinka leaned over the low partition and stared at Old Feng for a good while. Then she shook her head.

“Doesn’t ring any bells… If I had a relative that pretty, no way I’d forget.”

Maybe Fei overheard that. She looked up, her eyes flinching slightly. She gently closed her study book and rested it on her black-skirted lap.

The ever-cold expression on her face melted into something faintly warm—a gentle smile.

“If I remember right, you’re Sis Zhen’s son, right? Rinka, wasn’t it? Still cross-dressing at this age? A man ought to look like a man.”
A full sentence. A long one. Rare, coming from her.

Now I was the one confused. Judging by her tone, she not only knew Rinka’s mom but had known her for a while.

“Who… are you, exactly?” Rinka furrowed her brows, clearly trying to dig up some memory of this "Huangfu Fei." Of course, she came up blank—Fei hadn’t even existed in the world a month ago.

“Have we met before?”

“I held you when you were little.”

That vague response drove Rinka nuts. She quickly circled over the partition and plopped down beside Fei on the couch.

“Okay, seriously—you look about my age. Why are you calling my mom ‘Sis’?”

“I’m thirty-seven this year.”

I believed her. Rinka did not. She eyed the high school prep books on Fei’s lap, lifted an unimpressed eyebrow, and looked like she was about to say “you’ve got to be kidding me.”

Fei could clearly read Rinka’s expression. She hesitated, glancing at me a few times—probably because my presence made it hard for her to speak freely.

“Should I give you two some space?”

“That won’t be necessary.” She turned to Rinka. “Little Rinka, how long has it been since you last returned to the main family estate?”

“Over a month. I haven’t been back since the start of summer break,” Rinka answered honestly.

“Well, when you get the chance, come back for a visit. We can talk more by then.”

She picked up the book from her lap and slipped them into a bag, then rose to her feet. Her jet-black hair swayed as it fell, silky and resilient, cascading all the way down to her ankles. Paired with her porcelain skin, she looked as delicate and refined as a handcrafted porcelain doll from the East.

“It’s almost noon. I’ll be heading out.”

As she walked out of the reading nook, I realized—I forgot to ask for her contact info!

“Wait, Miss Huangfu—could I get your number?”

“No. I’m not interested in you.” She shook her head with a heavy wave of her hair.

“And since I’m older than both of you, just call me Sis Fei.” Her voice cooled, her face icing over again. It made me shiver. “And young man, you really shouldn’t flirt with girls using such clingy methods. You’re not my type anyway.”

Well… thank god for that, honestly.

Still, I didn’t want to leave a bad impression. But I couldn’t tell her the truth either—if she knew I was the one who turned her into a woman, she might actually come at me swinging.

Seeing me go quiet, Fei turned to Rinka with a softer look. “Your grandma hasn’t been in great health. If you can, visit more. Or at least call.”

“…She doesn’t really want me around,” Rinka mumbled, eyes downcast.

I always thought she moved out because of drama over cross-dressing, but now it seemed there was more to the story.

“I’ve had my share of trouble with the old woman too,” Fei said. “But still, you’re her grandchild. You should go back at least once.”

“Who are you, really?” Rinka asked again.

Fei didn’t answer this time. She just picked up her bag and left the store, walking back toward the metro station.

So… not only did I fail to get her number, I now looked like a pushy creep. The only way to find her again would be through Rinka.

“Your family… seems complicated,” I said.

Rinka forced a bitter smile. “It’s not all that complicated, really—pretty much like you guessed. My grandmother doesn’t like men, so the male members of the family generally don’t go back to the main estate.”

“What about your dad?”

“My parents don’t live in the big family house. But after my aunt got divorced, she’s been staying by the old lady’s side ever since.”

That caught my attention—something in that clicked.

“Wait, your aunt got divorced? Does she have a kid?”

“She has a daughter… Now that you mention it, that Miss Huangfu Fei does look kind of like my cousin Jing.”

Back when Old Feng told me his tragic life story, it was the whole “once a top chef, now a disfigured street vendor” arc. But he never mentioned the Huangfu family.

Still, there was one opening—he once mentioned having a wife and daughter. If I was right, Rinka’s aunt was that ex-wife… and her cousin Jing? Probably Old Feng’s daughter.

Considering how that old headmistress operates, it’d make sense. Once Old Feng got disfigured, she probably took the girl back herself to keep her from suffering.

Then Old Feng, now Fei, turned to his ex-wife for help. As a woman, she was easier to accept—and maybe that’s how she ended up living under the Huangfu roof again.

It all made sense now.

I was honestly pretty hyped to have pieced it together. But I had to keep cool—if Rinka figured out something was off, and went home to verify the story with Fei, she'd definitely start suspecting me. Who’s to say Old Feng didn’t already recognize me from behind?

To deflect, I changed the subject.

“So, what about your grandpa? Did he and your grandma split?”

“Of course they did. I’ve never even met him. I heard he took my uncle together when he left.”

I was about to ask more, but a tap-tap came from the counter lady, tapping the divider with her finger.

She pointed at the sign. “This reading area is for paying customers, okay?”

“We’re so sorry! We’ll leave right away!”

We left the reading corner—and I didn’t dare linger to soak up the AC. Rinka and I headed back out into the scorching sun. It was even hotter than before. The city center’s heat island effect made the air feel like burning steam, even breathing it seemed to scald your lungs.

I was drying up like a sponge. “It’s so hot! I’m dying!”

“Stop whining! I told you to hurry earlier when it was cooler!”

We walked along Pingcheng New Street’s stone path for a bit before Rinka turned a corner and slipped into a narrow alleyway.

Unlike the main road’s modern look, this alley felt older and more worn the further we went. Faded carvings hung over old shop doors. The musty smell of rotting wood filled the air. These buildings were even older than the ones on Mifeng Street—it was hard to believe we were still in the city center.

Still, the good thing about narrow alleys? No direct sunlight.

“How much farther? Where are we even going?”

“Just five more minutes. Don’t worry—there’s AC at our destination.”

These winding paths formed a natural maze, but Rinka navigated them like her own backyard.

“We’re here!”

She led me out onto a wide street. The sudden burst of sunlight was blinding.

“Kai, welcome to my childhood paradise, the real Pingcheng Street.”