SBAB Chapter 3

The majority of the top comments consisted of playful banter, while the rest were split between advertisements for films and skin-whitening products. Just as Lin Xin was about to give up on scrolling through the comments, a clean and straightforward comment caught her attention.

“Is it just the sex chromosomes turning into XY, or have all the other chromosomes changed too?” a user named “Big Summer Before” asked. The question was sharp yet thoughtful.

Lin Xin immediately sent a private message: “I guess all of them must have changed because I lost my chest, sobbing.”

“Did you grow a beard?” the person quickly replied.

“No beard, but a voice box did appear,” Lin Xin said.

“You could just be losing weight,” the person doubted. To prove it, Lin Xin took a photo of her neck showing the pronounced voice box and sent it over. “This obvious voice box couldn’t have just appeared from sudden weight loss, right?”

“Pfft!” The person replied with a random comment and then went silent.

Did they get scared?

Suddenly, Lin Xin’s phone rang— it was Shang Xiao Xia. She guessed that her roommate was asking why she hadn’t gone to class in the afternoon. Lin Xin quickly came up with an excuse for a family emergency and decided to brush it off. Before she could say anything, Shang Xiao Xia teased her with a mocking tone, saying, “Mr. Lin?”

Hearing that, Lin Xin realized it was a coincidence that her secret account had collided with Shang Xiao Xia’s.

At a loss for words, Lin Xin replied, “I don’t know.” Her roommate’s suspicion was raised when she heard Shang Xiao Xia’s soft voice asking, “Who are you on the phone with?” and then suggesting a meeting at the mall in the afternoon.

Lin Xin was relieved that Shang Xiao Xia didn’t want to disclose her secret to the others, a wise decision considering fewer people knowing was always better. She quietly appreciated Shang Xiao Xia’s willingness to keep things hidden.

The afternoon passed quickly, and Shang Xiao Xia arrived 10 minutes early at the agreed-upon meeting spot. She found a good hiding place and used her phone as a makeshift telescope, waiting for Lin Xin’s arrival. Although Shang Xiao Xia was skeptical of Lin Xin’s words, her curiosity got the best of her. If true, it could be the biggest secret she knew; if false, she could use it as a funny story for the next four years.

However, 10 minutes passed, and Lin Xin didn’t show up.

“Something’s not right; she’s never late,” Shang Xiao Xia thought, starting to feel tricked. Just as she was about to give up, she heard a familiar voice teasing her: “Why are you crouching behind a trash can? Picking up bottles?”

“No, no,” Shang Xiao Xia replied, embarrassed while searching for Lin Xin. There was a strange figure nearby—a person dressed warmly in this hot weather, with a scarf and a mask. This outfit screamed either a celebrity or a wanted criminal.

It wasn’t a celebrity, but it wasn’t a criminal either. The person pulled down their mask and said to Shang Xiao Xia, “Sorry, I hesitated for a while about wearing a scarf to cover my voice box. I got here late. The scarf is hot.”

Yes, it was Lin Xin herself.

Seeing Lin Xin’s outfit, Shang Xiao Xia’s hand almost reached out involuntarily to touch the scarf, which covered a prominent voice box—sharp and nearly triangular. Shang Xiao Xia felt a twinge as her fingertip brushed against its sharp edge. Could it be true? This was a weird world indeed.

Lin Xin shivered as Shang Xiao Xia’s hand lingered on her neck. She quickly brushed it away and asked, “What should I do?”

Shang Xiao Xia, embarrassed, replied, “I think wearing a scarf isn’t a long-term solution. But you need to cover up the voice box somehow.”

“You don’t say,” Lin Xin shot back. “Wearing a scarf is unbearable in this heat. Maybe in two months, it’ll be more plausible.”

Shang Xiao Xia suddenly had an idea. “You could buy a choker; they’re all the rage right now.” She pulled Lin Xin away.

Lin Xin wasn’t exactly fashion-savvy, but she trusted Shang Xiao Xia’s sense of style. She reluctantly agreed and put on the simple, black cloth choker.

Lin Xin felt uneasy wearing it, constantly adjusting the choker and scanning her neck. After several attempts, she confirmed that no one would notice the voice box. She smiled at Shang Xiao Xia and said, “Looks like it works pretty well.”

Shang Xiao Xia’s eyes suddenly seemed to see Lin Xin as a cute little Akita puppy, wanting to pet her. But just as she was about to reach out, a large hand beat her to it. Lin Xin looked up, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Senior…?”