The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 763: Qingying

That was the happiest day in Liu Haoqiang’s life and a day she would never forget as long as she lived. Outside of the morning when despair hit her, the rest of the day was perfect.

Liu Haoqiang and Ba Qiuchi skipped class together and stayed in Ba Qiuchi’s cousin’s shop. Above the second floor was an attic and Ba Qiuchi’s secret base. Sunlight shone diagonally through the skylight, bathing the attic in a warm, bright light.

The wooden floor was covered by a soft rug and piles upon piles of mangas, magazines, and novels. There was also a radio and many mixtapes. Posters of different handsome male celebrities covered the walls of the attic.

The girls lay on the rug listening to pop music, read shojo mangas that made the hearts skip, and talked about what girls talked about.

Ba Qiuchi even borrowed her cousin’s cosmetics to put makeup on Liu Haoqiang.

They fought playfully and fooled around like best friends who had known each other for years.

“Hey, stop moving! I’m gonna make your lips so red and sooooo kissable...” Ba Qiuchi laughed and suddenly remembered something. “Oh, I haven’t gotten your name yet.”

“Liu Haoqiang.”

“Huh?” Ba Qiuchi thought she had heard wrong.

“Liu Haoqiang,” she repeated.

“Why would a girl like you have such a name? It sounds terrible[1],” Ba Qiuchi said bluntly.

Liu Haoqiang lowered her head reflexively.

“Don’t!” Ba Qiuchi lifted her chin and continued to put lipstick on her. “Why don’t you give yourself a name?”

“Can I do that?”

“Why not?”

“Names are given by parents...”

“Forget about it!” Ba Qiuchi said easily. “Had my old man given me a terrible name, I would’ve changed it for sure.”

“Yeah.” Liu Haoqiang smiled, but her gaze was uncertain. “I don’t know what to change my name into, though.”

“How about Liu Qingying?”

“Qingying?”

“Yeah, I noticed you when you walked out of the apartment building this morning.” Ba Qiuchi put the lipstick away. “Done! Perfectly kissable red lips! Wait, something’s missing. Right, your eyes aren’t captivating enough now. I’ll do your lashes...”

She took out a mascara and said, “You were in a red dress and dancing on the road barefooted like a fairy, beautiful, light, and elegant...”

Liu Haoqiang blushed. It was her first time being complimented like that. “Stop it. I wasn’t...”

“I meant it! I think the word ‘qingying’[2] suits you perfectly. Your existence feels light. You’re the kind of pretty girl who’s gonna fly away and vanish in the blue sky one day when you’re hanging blankets in the backyard to be dried...”

“What a strange way to put it.”

“Haha, Liu Qingying.” Ba Qiuchi looked at her. “Don’t you think it’s a nice name?”

“Liu Qingying,” she repeated, her heart trembling like a gentle hand had caressed her soul.

She nodded with a smile. “Ba Qiuchi, nice to meet you. I’m Liu Qingying.”

“Hello, Liu Qingying. I’m Ba Qiuchi.”

“Ba Qiuchi.” Liu Qingying mustered her courage without the usual anxiety and fear. She grabbed Ba Qiuchi’s hands to stop her from applying mascara to her lashes.

“There’s something I must tell you.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m intersex.”

Ba Qiuchi blinked. “Huh?”

“My body is both male and female, intersex.” Liu Qingying held her eyes. “But my soul’s a woman’s. I’ve always thought I’m a woman since I was little.”

“Would you still want to be friends with a freak like me? It’s fine if you regret it. I’ll go, and I’ll repay the money I owe you...”

“Holy shit!” Ba Qiuchi shot to her feet and slammed into the ceiling with a bang. “Ow! Owwww!”

“Are, are you alright?” Liu Qingying didn’t expect Ba Qiuchi to react this dramatically. “I’ll go now. I’m sorry. I’ll leave...”

“Liu Qingying!” Ba Qiuchi didn’t have the time to dwell on the pain. She quickly crouched down to grab Liu Qingying’s shoulders with both hands. “You’re lucky!”

“Huh?” It was Liu Qingying’s turn to be stunned.

“You’re both a man and a woman. How cool is that?!”

Liu Qingying was at a loss.

“You’re the blessed child of God and the most perfect work of the maker! Oh, how I envy you! I would love to exchange places with you!”

Liu Qingying stared at Ba Qiuchi dumbly. The girl wasn’t acting. Her eyes were bright, earnest, and full of excitement. She really did think Liu Qingying was the absolute coolest.

Liu Qingying broke into tears once more.

She couldn’t stop tears from falling from her reddened eyes. At that moment, she felt genuine gratitude to fate for leading her to the stone bridge over the smelly ditch without making her jump. She was grateful to have met the girl before her.

It was good to be alive.

It really did get better.

...

Liu Qingying woke up on the recliner in her office. She took a nap every noon. Covered in a thin rug, the warm sun of the winter day shrouded her in a warm glow.

She always quickly fell asleep, and without the need to use Sweet Dream consciously, she always returned to the day she met Ba Qiuchi, to the warm, bright attic.

Today, though, her dream was interrupted.

Liu Qingying slowly rose to her feet and said politely, “Who is it?”

The window to her office opened by a crack, and Can’s voice said, “It’s me, Miss Liu. Sorry for bothering you when you’re napping. Are you free tonight?”

Liu Qingying didn’t say anything, but a white petal appeared on her long, delicate fingers as she smiled.

Whoosh. A breeze swept into the room and swirled around her fingers, gently lifting the petal and bringing it outside before disappearing.

“Got it. Goodbye, Miss Liu.”

The window closed then as if nothing had happened.

...

Gao Yang ‘woke up’ to a pleasant springtime breeze kissing his face and rustling by his ears. Before him was an empty balcony in a tube-shaped apartment building, where white bedsheets hung under the bright sunlight glowed with pure, clear light.

Dressed like a countryside woman from the Middle Ages, Liu Qingying wore a blue headband with white polka dots to put her hair up, two strands of hair running down her freckled cheeks. Wearing gloves and boots for starch washing, she held a basin of clothes with both hands.

She looked like a beautiful, gentle, and diligent country girl.

“Leader of Nine Scions, it’s been a while.” Liu Qingying even smiled innocently to match her character.

“It’s been a while.” Gao Yang walked into the sun. “Let’s get started.”

“Haha, you’re as direct as ever.” Liu Qingying lowered the basin and waved a hand, conjuring a finely crafted small round table and two wicker chairs. There was a pot of flower tea and a basket of waffles on the table.

They each took a seat. Liu Qingying poured Gao Yang tea. “Got any intel for me?”

Gao Yang nodded. “An S-class one and an S+ one.”

Liu Qingying’s eyes lit up. “I can always expect a big trade with you.”

1. Haoqiang 昊强 is a very old-fashioned and typically macho name, with qiang meaning “strong” and hao being the same pronunciation as “very”, only in a different tone. ☜

2. Qingying means delicate and light in a graceful way. ☜