Suzhou in August was muggy. The breeze carried the steam left behind by the rain, making the air feel heavy and humid.
When she had been a man, Yao An always felt that girls' clothing looked delightful, with endless styles and variations.
Men's clothing had always seemed dull and repetitive by comparison.
But after becoming a girl, she finally realized how difficult it was to maintain the appearance of a beautiful young woman.
First came the clothes.
For boys in summer, there were only three items: T-shirt, shorts, and underwear.
Yet today, although she appeared to be wearing only a dress and stockings, underneath she also had two pieces of intimate clothing and safety shorts.
Then came the makeup.
Even though the products were all from reputable brands, her face still felt sticky and uncomfortable in the humid air.
Everything has a price, and beauty is no exception.
Arm in arm, Yao An and Jiang Jingya left the neighborhood and hailed a taxi to Suzhou Center, the largest shopping mall in the city.
In the car, the two girls drank papaya milk. Jiang Jingya spoke like a lively little sparrow.
"Later I want to eat Hunan cuisine. Chef Fei's is good, but the line is always too long. Hotpot could work too, but it causes breakouts. I also want Japanese food. I really cannot decide. An'an, what do you want to eat?"
"Anything is fine" Yao An replied absentmindedly. Her mind was still on the system task.
Logically, since she had put on makeup and stockings, Task 2 should have been completed already.
Yet there was no reaction from the system.
She reviewed the task description again and suddenly understood.
[Task 2: Do something that only girls do]
The key word was "only."
Makeup and wearing women's clothing were not exclusive to girls, so these actions did not count.
So what counted as something that only girls did?
She thought for a long time and still could not figure it out.
Even things that were considered feminine were done by some boys, such as manicures or entering women's restrooms.
"After lunch, should we watch a movie or play claw machines? Both sound boring. Forget it, we can just walk around and get dessert later. I want matcha cake. Two slices."
Yao An turned her head.
"So dessert was the real goal."
"Hehe, you caught me. I will reward you with a strawberry cake."
Helpless, Yao An reached out and tapped the tip of her nose.
She actually liked this feeling. It felt no different from being in a relationship.
But once she thought of Jiang Jingya possibly dating someone else in the future, maybe even getting married, the thought left a tight ache in her chest.
This version of Jiang Jingya did not have a childhood sweetheart. Who knew if she liked some boy now?
Just as Yao An was about to subtly ask, the taxi came to a stop.
"Sixteen yuan" the driver said, looking at them through the rearview mirror.
"I will scan the code" Jiang Jingya said and prepared to pay.
"My QR code sticker fell off and I did not bring my phone today. Why do you add me on WeChat. You two go have fun first. You can transfer it later."
"Oh, sure, you can..." Jiang Jingya began to reply.
Before she could finish, Yao An took out a 20 yuan bill and handed it over.
"Change, please."
The driver rubbed his nose with an embarrassed expression.
"I do not have cash. You can give me your WeChat ID. I will transfer the change back to you when I get home."
Yao An took back the bill and pursed her lips.
"What is your phone number?"
The driver's eyes brightened.
"132..."
Before he could say anything else, Yao An opened Alipay, entered the number, transferred sixteen yuan on the spot, then opened the door and walked away with Jiang Jingya.
The driver was left stunned.
"So he was trying to get your WeChat" Jiang Jingya finally reacted once they were outside.
"He may have wanted yours too."
Yao An had noticed earlier how he kept glancing at them through the mirror.
She did not know exactly what he was thinking, but the general intention was clear.
"It is actually fine to add him first. We can delete him afterwards."
"After shopping all afternoon, you will forget. Most likely you would leave him in your contacts and he would slowly look through your Moments. Maybe even send some annoying messages later."
"Look through my Moments?"
"Male gaze."
The two girls burst into laughter at the same time.
This laughter drew many glances from passersby.
One girl was sweet and gentle. The other elegant and bright. Both girls were strikingly beautiful.
The combination was eye catching.
Although she still felt somewhat uncomfortable being stared at, Yao An was slowly adjusting.
Since she could not avoid attention, she decided to enjoy it instead.
She was beautiful. It was natural for others to look.
As long as they did not stare at her chest or hips, she could tolerate it.
After this taxi incident, she made up her mind to get a driver's license.
She imagined herself in the future, wearing sunglasses and red lipstick, stepping out of a sports car while people stared in admiration.
She found herself eagerly anticipating that day.
After her gender change, her dream of becoming a Dragon King was gone.
She could only become a Phoenix Queen now.
To drive a sports car, she needed more than a license. She needed money.
System, I place my hopes in you.
They did not eat Hunan cuisine, Japanese food, or hotpot.
As a tourist city, Suzhou had many visitors in summer. Every popular restaurant had long lines during meal times.
So they chose a less crowded local cuisine restaurant instead.
There was a reason it was not crowded.
The food was mediocre and the service slow. The only decent thing was that the server treated them politely.
After finishing lunch at 2:30, Jiang Jingya immediately pulled Yao An to their usual dessert shop.
They waited ten minutes in line.
"One matcha double-skin milk, one matcha cake, one strawberry mousse, two blueberry shaved ice, and two mango pomelo sago."
"We are sold out."
Jiang Jingya froze.
"Sold out of what? Matcha cake or mango pomelo sago?"
"Everything. Business was too good today. Even the tofu pudding that no one used to buy is gone. Most items will not be ready again until after 5."
"Ah?"
Watching the disappointed beauty leave, the staff felt oddly guilty.
They tried three more well-known dessert shops.
Matcha, mango, strawberry. All sold out.
Jiang Jingya's standards for desserts were high.
Since she could not have what she wanted, she refused to settle for anything else.
Seeing her squatting at the entrance, hugging her knees with a pitiful expression, Yao An could not help laughing and reached out to gently pinch her cheek.
"Are sweets really that good? They are high in calories. You will gain weight."
"You ate the most bayberries at your house earlier."
That was true. Thinking of the bayberries, Yao An also felt a little craving.
"I know a hidden dessert shop in this mall. The matcha there is very good."
Jiang Jingya looked skeptical.
An'an rarely took the initiative to talk about sweets.
Her sudden suggestion sounded suspiciously unreliable.