Chapter 96

But how should she explain the skirt? She wanted to say she was still a man, a tough, hardened woman. But now?... "Sigh..." The girl sighed softly, picking up the black JK skirt from the sofa. She used to be curious about how the skirt stayed on without falling down... Turns out there was an adjustable buckle. With a slightly flushed face, Hua Xin put the skirt on, smoothed out the wrinkles, placed her white shirt inside, and lifted the skirt to a comfortable waistline. The gray-black short skirt was just above her knees; although the size was slightly large, it suited her better. After all, if it were too short, like the mannequins in the stores, only reaching her thighs... Hua Xin's fists instantly hardened. She chose this outfit because it was cheap, cheap, cheap, and... well, it didn't expose too much skin, so she wouldn't attract too much attention, and probably no one would notice her... right? After all, the purpose was to agree to be with someone... Ahhhhhh, this is so annoying!!! Everything was to defeat the bad woman and protect her friends, everything was to safeguard their hard-won friendship. It was a white lie, no, it wasn't a lie, it was... it was... part of the plan (nodding). The girl sat on the sofa, closed her eyes, and picked up the... special socks (black) still in their packaging. Already somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, Hua Xin's face turned even pinker. Her hands trembled as if steam was rising from her head as she slowly opened the packaging, taking out the smooth, neatly folded silk fabric. We usually call this... black stockings. "It's just socks, it's just socks..." "It's no big deal, it's no big deal..." Hua Xin kept telling herself, her eyes darting around as she lifted her leg and placed her small, cute feet on the sofa. Her round, pinkish-white toes were free of any other color, and faint blue veins were visible on her fair instep. From the perspective of the male servant Lao Xia kneeling on the washboard, one could even see the pinkish soles of her feet, tinged from being barefoot on the floor since returning home. Just as she hesitated, instinctively tucking a strand of hair that had fallen beside her cheek behind her ear, the miniature version of Hua Xin, who had disappeared into the grove, reappeared. "What's going on?!" The girl stared in shock at the two tiny figures flanking her, rubbing her eyes in disbelief, but when she opened them again, they were still there. The Demonic Hua Xin, her tone filled with exasperation and anger, shouted, "Wake up! You're a real man! What are you doing now?" "Do you want to become a disgrace to men?!" "Put down what you're holding!" Hua Xin froze, her eyes glazed over, and involuntarily lowered the Blacksi she was holding. The Angelic Hua Xin's tone was one of helplessness and confusion. She plunged the golden holy sword into the angel's chest and said calmly, "But you're a girl now. You can maintain a boy's mindset and dignity, but you have to admit that physiologically, you're now a completely female." "Menstruation, physical differences, and the fact that you can only present yourself as a girl." "Excessive emphasis and insistence will only make you more closed off and more conflicted." "If you don't do this, if you don't accept yourself, how can you protect your current friendships, your current friends, your current life?" "You!..." "Nonsense! Utter nonsense! Nonsense! Bewitching!" The Demonic Hua Xin retorted loudly, somewhat agitated, then raised her demonic fork and fiercely glared at the gentle-faced angel before her. "Enough..." This time, without Chun Qiu's help, Hua Xin lowered her head, her body trembling slightly as she reached out and swatted at the two little figures, making them dodge left and right. Then, without saying anything more, she gradually faded away. "Hua Xin is Hua Xin?!..." The girl murmured firmly, already having her own answer. Having made up her mind, she couldn't back down easily! Gently rolling up the over-the-knee black stockings, she no longer hesitated, her hands trembling slightly as she slipped them over her toes. Then, with gentle movements, she slowly pulled the stockings down, until her ankles, calves, knees, and the edges of her thighs... were all shrouded in a mysterious black veil. Inside the stockings, clinging tightly to her thighs, was a faint cat paw pattern, clearly for protection and slip resistance. "This... this is what it feels like to touch black stockings?"... "How can it be so smooth... so moist... so..." Hua Xin silently removed her hands from her right leg's black stockings. She murmured with a hint of grievance, "Why are these perfect black stocking legs mine?!" She put on another pair of over-the-knee socks, then placed her carefully chosen forty-dollar "black JK uniform cute Mary Jane shoes" on the ground. Hesitating slightly, biting her lip, the girl slipped her black-stockinged feet into the shoes. A perfect size. She then put on the last piece of clothing, a "pure black knitted autumn cardigan for the elderly" matching the "JK uniform" outfit. The girl, who had been filled with shyness and indecision, was now surprisingly quiet. Hua Xin quietly walked to the bathroom. She didn't have a full-length mirror; she could only see her reflection in a small mirror above the faucet. The girl stood gracefully, very beautiful. "So beautiful, so beautiful, so beautiful..." Hua Xin didn't know how to describe her feelings. Perhaps it had nothing to do with plans, goals, identity, or any other random things. She stretched out her hand and made a peace sign next to her pretty face. The girl in the mirror did the same, very cute, but because of her cool-toned clothing and aloof demeanor, it seemed somewhat unexpected, creating a charming contrast. Her vision blurred, and she silently wiped away the tears that had somehow streamed down her face. All she knew was that after so many years, she had new clothes again... 6. The resourceful Hua Xin is determined to protect her brothers! Sometimes, accepting oneself isn't something that can be achieved simply by changing one's own mindset. A more effective way is to gain recognition from others, which is most effective for someone who is sensitive and fearful of reality. Because she craves recognition more than anyone else. ——————Excerpt from Hua Xin's Collected Writings...Final exams. For most students, this is a terrifying word, whether in elementary, middle, high school, or university; these two words represent both pain and joy. Pain comes from facing the grueling exams and the agony of not knowing the scores or whether they will fail. Joy naturally comes from being able to go home for a long vacation after the exams, without having to suffer at school. But Hua Xin didn't have this concept; she only knew that after the exams, she could stay home, play games, watch anime, and enjoy a life of eating rice every day. Having never experienced the typical Chinese-style education of middle and high school, this fear was naturally less intense, leading her to not realize the seriousness of the problem when she sat down in the classroom. Naturally, it was because she had studied with Xia Yan for two weeks, coupled with her extraordinary confidence, that she felt she "would win." But...