Chapter 53

(The legendary closet)

With a devout heart, Pei Ying followed Mrs Song to her “secret closet.”

Though she’d called it a closet, it was bigger than the apartment that Pei Ying once rented. There was a large mirror in the room, but most of the space was used to store clothes—clothes of all colors, styles, and sizes, as well as shoes, bags, and accessories.

Everything was organized neatly, by color and style, and even by clothes for children, girls, and women.

It wouldn’t be undue to call it a girl’s paradise.

Pei Ying’s mind went blank as she looked around. She hadn’t expected Mrs Song to be a collector. But why were there even children’s clothing??

It didn’t take long for Mrs Song to address her questions. “Have you heard Nanchuan mention it? I’ve always wanted a daughter, but then I had three sons. Boys aren’t nearly as cute as girls. Girls can dress up like dolls, and they can take all sorts of pretty photos. Ah, just the thought makes me so happy.”

Pei Ying, “….”

Mmh, every girl likes playing dress up. When they’re younger, they play with Barbie dolls, and when they get older… Well, she still played dress up games on her phone… Orz.

But, dressing up real people as a game was a bit…

Mrs Song continued, “Before I had my first son, I bought a lot of girl’s dresses. I was so much looking forward to him being born, to play with me, but he ended up being a boy.”

…Mmh, that must have been very sad.

“But the clothes I bought were so cute. It would be too much of a waste not to wear them, so I still dressed him up in them.”

Pei Ying, “…??!!” What?

“Do you want to see the photos?” Mrs Song asked Pei Ying excitedly.

“…Sure!” Even in such a difficult situation, Pei Ying still maintained her smile.

She must leave a good impression!

Having gotten an answer from Pei Ying, Mrs Song went over to her dresser and pulled out a photo album. “Look. Didn’t he look just like a girl when he was younger?”

…Pei Ying’s brows twitched. Dressed up to that extent, of course he looked like a girl.

“Yes, very cute~” Contrary to the conflict she felt inside, Pei Ying had a bright smile on her face, as if she were truly a kindred spirit to Mrs Song.

Mrs Song continued down memory lane, “Then, before my second son was born, I bought more girl’s clothes. Unfortunately, my second child was a son too.”

Pei Ying, “….”

Wait, had Brother Two been unable to escape her scheming as well?

Indeed. Mrs Song flipped to the next page in her album. “Lao Er was a bit naughtier. He was never still, so photographing him was always so tiring. Thankfully, I got pregnant again.”

Pei Ying, “……..”

There was no need to tell her who the third child was. Her heart ached briefly for him.

Mrs Song said, “At the time, I thought that, after having two sons, I couldn’t possible have another. So, I didn’t hold back with buying girl’s clothes. But then…” Mrs Song’s eyes dimmed. “After Nanchuan was born, I really wanted to switch him with the baby girl beside him in the nursery.”

Pei Ying, “….”

“Fortunately, Nanchuan was the prettiest of them all. He even had a beauty mark, and it was so delicate. So, I stopped taking photos of Lao Er. Nanchuan was the prettiest when dressed up.”

…Her heart ached again.

But Pei Ying was soon captivated by the doll-like child in the photos. “Oh my, it’s so cute! Is this really Chuan Chuan?”

“Yes. I liked it so much that I just wanted to raise him as a girl. Only, his father wouldn’t allow it. As he grew up, he wouldn’t let me take photos of him anymore either, so I had to store away all these clothes…” At this point, Mrs Song’s eyes lit up again. “But then I realized that when they all get married and bring their pretty wives home, I can take photos of them.”

Pei Ying, “….”

Wait. That didn’t mean what she thought it meant, did it?

“Look, I took these ones of Sister-in-law. Isn’t she pretty?” Mrs Song turned the page in the album to reveal a photo of Sister-in-law. “Sister-in-law looks very gentle and she looks good in a qipao. This kind of long dress is also very elegant. But now she’s pregnant, so she can’t take photos with me anymore.”

Pei Ying was taken aback. “Sister-in-law is pregnant?”

“Mmh. She’s two months along. We don’t know yet, but I hope she can have a daughter.”

Pei Ying, “….”

Mrs Song was especially… attached to this.

“Ms Pei, you have such a nice figure. I wonder if you have any interest in trying on a few outfits?” Mrs Song looked at Pei Ying, her expression particularly sincere.

“…Sure!” Pei Ying replied with interest.

Mrs Song happily started picking out clothes for Pei Ying. Pei Ying changed into a sweet, princess dress. Then, she changed into some sexy outfits. Finally, she even tried on a lolita dress set, before the pleasant afternoon finally came to an end.

After changing back into her own clothes, Pei Ying earnestly recommended the mobile dress up game she played to Mrs Song.

And, Mrs Song gifted Pei Ying with a photo of a young Song Nanchuan in girl’s clothing, as a keepsake.

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Song Nanchuan and his father were currently sitting in the living room. When he saw Pei Ying and his mother return downstairs, he walked over and whispered to Pei Ying, “What did my mom ask you to do?”

Pei Ying responded, “Play dress up.”

Song Nanchuan, “….”

He pulled Pei Ying out to the terrace, his expression dark. “Did she take you to her closet?”

“Yeah. There were a lot of clothes inside. And I saw photos of you guys as kids.”

Song Nanchuan, “….”

Where was there a mother who sold her sons in this manner? Keke…

“Auntie said that when you were born, she was really tempted to switch you with the baby girl beside you in the nursery.”

“….” Song Nanchuan was silent for a moment. No wonder he’d always felt that he wasn’t really her son. With a sigh, he said, “Sorry for not giving you a warning ahead of time. Sister-in-law wasn’t taken into the closet until after she got married… This is part of the dark, secret history of the Song family. You’d better not let anyone know about it.”

“…Okay.” Pei Ying really wanted to laugh, but she simply nodded. “Actually, I don’t think it’s so bad. I used to be a model after all. Change clothes, take photos. It’s just like that.”

Although Mrs Song’s interest was a bit unusual, her collection was very considerable. There were quite a few outfits from famous designers, and it was really enough to satisfy a woman’s vanity.

“Oh yeah. In order to thank me, Auntie gave m a photo of you.” Pei Ying pulled the photo out of her bag and waved it in front of Song Nanchuan. “I’d have never thought that you were so cute when you were younger, Nanchuan meimei.” (t/n: meimei means “little sister,” but is often added onto little girls’ / a younger girl’s name)

Song Nanchuan, “….”

He extended his hand to snatch away the photo, but fortunately, Pei Ying responded quickly and moved away in time. “What are you trying to do? Deprive me of my reward?”

“Why would you keep a photo like that?”

Song Nanchuan continued trying to grab the photo, when his mother passed by. She looked at them and said, “Time to eat. You can continue your fun later in your room.”

Pei Ying and Song Nanchuan, “….”

The guests for dinner had decreased. Elder Brother, Sister-in-law, and Brother Two were all not present. Mrs Song looked at Pei Ying with a smile and asked, “Ms Pei, do you think you’ll want a son or a daughter?”

“Daughter,” she responded without a second thought.

Mrs Song nodded in agreement. “Girls are so much cuter than boys. And daughters are a mother’s cotton jacket.” (t/n: “cotton jacket,” meaning they are warm and treat their parents well)

“Right.” Pei Ying said with a smile.

Mrs Song asked Song Nanchuan, “What about you, Nanchuan? Do you want a son or a daughter?”

Song Nanchuan replied, “As long as Pei Ying’s the mother, I’ll like them regardless.”

His words left Pei Ying rather embarrassed. Mr Song, who’d been drinking his soup, suddenly put down his spoon. He called to the kitchen staff, “This soup is too sweet. Please bring me another.”

Pei Ying, “….”

After dinner, Song Nanchuan and Pei Ying finally had time to spend alone. Song Nanchuan held Pei Ying’s hand, and the two went for a moonlit stroll in the courtyard.

“Your performance wasn’t bad today. My mom seems to like you a lot, so I guess you passed.”

“Mmh. But your dad doesn’t seem to like me very much.”

“That’s just how my father is. Don’t worry. As long as my mother likes you, there’s nothing he can do.” The fact that her secret closet still existed to this day was evidence to that.

“Okay…” Pei Ying nodded.

Song Nanchuan stopped and then kissed her on the forehead. “We should rest earlier today. We’ll head out to the beach tomorrow.”

Pei Ying agreed, and then a man’s voice suddenly sounded from the bushes. “Tsk tsk. Can’t you be a bit more aware when you’re out in public? It’s almost sickening how sweet you are.”

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Song Nanchuan frowned and pulled Pei Ying to the side. Indeed, sitting in the courtyard barbecuing… was Brother Two.

“You’re barbecuing here?” Song Nanchuan really didn’t understand how his brother’s mind worked sometimes.

Brother Two raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side. “It’s not the first time. Having some beer and grilling some meat under the moon. You can’t always live so extravagantly.”

“…You must not have been hit enough by Dad.”

Brother Two waved him off. “Do you two want to join me? I bought a lot of meat, and I won’t be able to finish it all.”

As Pei Ying looked at the platter of various meats, her mouth started watering. Though she’d eaten her meals on time that day, she hadn’t eaten nearly as much as usual. Her stomach… felt a bit empty.

Song Nanchuan saw her eyeing the food, and he knew that she wasn’t full yet. After considering it, he said, “I’ll grill. What do you want to eat?”

“Beef, chicken wings, and scallops. Thanks!”

At the side, Brother Two couldn’t help laughing. “Looks like our meals don’t exactly match your tastes.”

Song Nanchuan glared at him. Then he rolled up his sleeves and started grilling some meat.

Brother Two added a rack of ribs as well. He said to Song Nanchuan, “Thanks. Might as well grill it together.”

Song Nanchuan, “….”

Pei Ying walked over and said, “Why don’t I grill then?”

“That’s okay. Stand back, otherwise the smell will stick to you.”

“Oh…” Looks like Chuan Chuan wanted her to maintain the rich miss character to the end.

She stood at a distance and watched Song Nanchuan. Brother Two brought over a chair for her, and then they sat and started chatting.

Song Nanchuan couldn’t help throwing some corn kernels at his brother. “Can’t you come help me?”

Brother Two, “I’ll help eat later.”

Song Nanchuan, “….”

For Ying Ying’s sake, he would bear it.

After he turned the food, the housekeeper came out. The housekeeper had already seen many things, so this barbecue session in the courtyard didn’t faze them. Turning to Song Nanchuan, they said, “Youngest Master, your father is in the study. He said he has some business to discuss with you.”

Song Nanchuan nodded and handed the grilling duties back over to Brother Two. “Come over and grill.”

“Yeah, yeah, alright.” Brother Two stood up and walked over to the grill. Song Nanchuan took care of his clothes and then said to Pei Ying, “Just let him grill. Don’t do anything. If my parents find out, just tell them that he dragged us over to eat.”

“Oh…”

Brother Two harrumphed disdainfully. After Song Nanchuan left with the housekeeper, he took the finished meat off the grill and brought it all to Pei Ying.

“Thank you.” Pei Ying accepted the food and took a bite. With surprise, she said, “How can it be so good?”

Brother Two smugly said, “I often grill here at night. After absorbing all the moon’s essence, of course the food will taste good.”

Pei Ying guffawed as Brother Two handed her a can of beer. “Want a drink?”