Page Thirty – Tan Linhua’s Identity
“Wow! Kai, you didn’t know? You don’t have many friends at school, right?”
It was me who asked the question, but I never expected Tan Linhua to retort.
To be honest, I’m not bad with people. I can talk to anyone, but those I truly call friends are few. I always keep a relatively safe distance from others, which is my principle for dealing with things.
“Is your identity public information?”
“Although it hasn’t been widely publicized, it hasn’t been deliberately hidden either. Plus, I am quite well-known at school, so there should be plenty of people who know… This might shock you, but our school’s principal, Huangfu Yuehua, is actually my grandmother.”
“What!!!”
I couldn’t believe it and held my face in disbelief, as if I had twisted into the famous painting, “The Scream.”
My exaggerated reaction caused the raft to sway violently. If I hadn’t been strapped in with a safety belt, I probably would have jumped off the raft.
The facts Tan Linhua spoke were too shocking.
Who is Huangfu Yuehua?
She is the principal and chairman of Bìyáng Girls’ School, but she appears to be just an old lady with white hair.
Beneath her kind exterior lies a wicked heart. She is the mastermind behind the false propaganda that lured me into the boys’ school, the root of all evil, dragging countless male high school students into a twisted abyss…
There are rumors that she is an old witch who bathes in young girls’ blood every night to stay young. The Bìyáng Girls’ School she founded exists precisely for this purpose—a breeding ground for girls.
Perhaps reading something from my expression, Tan Linhua sighed helplessly, “Well, I know you have issues with her. I often get blamed for her actions at school, but in truth, the old lady isn’t so bad.”
“Not bad? She’s only nice to women, right? I remember she’s an extreme feminist, aren’t you? Look at our boys’ school with its outdated facilities and equipment, while the girls’ school has air conditioning in every classroom!”
It’s worth noting that Xiaotang’s classroom not only has air conditioning but also large-screen TVs, whereas our boys’ school has only three air conditioners: one in the teacher’s office, one in the cafeteria, and one in Tan Linhua’s secret base.
“After all, the boys’ school was established under pressure from public opinion. Those media outlets aren’t always saying that we don’t need these girls’ schools anymore…”
“Heh, you’re part of the boys’ school too. Tell me honestly, does that old woman treat us like humans?”
“Well, the budget is limited.”
Yes, the entire budget went to building her secret base.
Oh, poor Zhao Zhao, forced to attend summer remedial classes without air conditioning, let alone water. Such a big guy, dehydrated to the point of becoming a mummy.
Tan Linhua wanted to defend the old lady further, but lacking confidence, her voice grew softer. I covered my ears, indicating I didn’t want to hear more.
“So your preference for wearing women’s clothing is also related to your grandmother, right?”
Considering Tan Linhua’s situation, I naturally came to this conclusion.
He is a man, yet he was born into a family where women hold the power. Likely, he suffered humiliation from a young age, forced to play with dolls, pretend to be a housewife, grow his hair long, and wear hand-me-down dresses from mean sisters, cleaning up in skirts every day, gradually distorting his soul…
“No, no, Grandma didn’t force me to wear women’s clothes… But, she only dotes on me when I wear skirts. Over time, I started disliking men’s clothes.”
If she doesn’t like him in men’s clothes, it makes sense that Tan Linhua would become what he is now.
Tan Linhua scooped up a huge palm leaf from the waterway and tried bending it into a ring.
“But because I was born in such a family, I yearn to become a true woman. No matter when or what I do, women are always so dazzling, shining brightly…”
The palm leaf was eventually bent into a crown, which he cheerfully placed on my head, and the water dripping from the leaves onto my neck made me shiver.
He laughed, “Ha! A green hat!”
“Don’t joke! I need a girlfriend to give me a green hat too!”
“Kai wants a girlfriend, right?”
A certain emotion flashed in his eyes, and I quickly interrupted him.
“Hey! Don’t say anything about becoming a girl and being your girlfriend again!”
“Kai, even though I look like this, you might find it disgusting… I really like Liuliu, and I like you too.”
“Is this another mask?”
“Maybe, I don’t fully understand myself either…” Tan Linhua seemed to be recalling something, closing his eyes in silence for a moment before continuing, “That day in the bathroom, after hearing your words, I felt different. It’s like a door in my heart suddenly opened… Kai, do you still have that stone?”
“Moon quartz, I still have some.”
I have a lot of them, enough to fill a whole cookie box. I haven’t used them, so they remain untouched.
Tan Linhua fiddled with the middle rail of the raft, leaning close to look into my eyes. His eyes weren’t black but deep brown, with a hint of green reflection in the pupils.
“Regarding our agreement, the one about taking off the mask and going out to play for a day… I hope you’ll give me another chance to accompany you as a woman.”
“As a woman? Then wouldn’t that mean…”
“Yes, a date!” He leaned in as much as he could, unable to stand up due to the safety belt, stretching his neck.
His emerald-green eyes sparkled, “Kai, please go on a date with me as a woman. If you still think I’m living an inauthentic life, or that I’m a performer in a mask, I will give up… becoming a woman, and stop bothering you.”
I was scared, thinking you were giving up on life.
Tan Linhua’s serious tone made me also put aside any playful attitude.
“No problem, set the time, I’m free anytime.”
Tan Linhua looked surprised, perhaps not expecting me to agree so quickly.
“Kai… I don’t know how to thank you.”
Then, let me touch your chest!
Although I wanted to make such a joke, I was afraid Tan Linhua might take it seriously, so I didn’t say it. Besides, Tan Linhua’s chest isn’t much better than Xiao Lei’s, so why not just rub my knee?
“Cough, cough, I think whether someone shines or not has nothing to do with their gender. A dazzling soul will eventually be discovered, no matter how beautiful the exterior, it will eventually decay.”
Though I said these grand truths, Tan Linhua still looked shocked.
Hmm, shocked?
He loudly reminded, “Kai! Behind us! Behind us!!”
Only then did I realize his gaze wasn’t on me. Compared to the dim forest with only small spotlights, the light coming from behind was overly bright.
Look back.
The xenon lights from the water park reflected off the dome, illuminating our path ahead. There was a vanished forest, a broken waterway, and falling water.
It was a cliff, a waterfall, and no U-shaped tree trunk waterway.
Must be my way of turning around that was wrong…
Turning back, I saw Tan Linhua’s Ito Junji-style terrified face.
Looking again, the cliff was right in front of us, the waterfall’s current became rapid, and the raft’s speed suddenly increased. There was no time to untie the safety belts, even if I did, I wouldn’t be sure of getting away safely… Was that why the staff repeatedly warned not to untie the safety belts when we left the dock?
Orange was not afraid of the previous bridge, but of this cliff and waterfall!
Thinking carefully, if it were just a normal rafting channel, completely strapping people to the seats would be excessive protection.
Although I knew this cliff and waterfall were pre-set, fear still gripped me when it was time. Just like the initial ascent track of a roller coaster, once regret sets in, it’s too late, and you can only grit your teeth and endure it, making me break out in a sweat.
In contrast, Tan Linhua seemed to enjoy these adrenaline-pumping dangerous activities. Though he appeared panicked, there was also excitement.
The raft was already rushing towards the waterfall. I closed my eyes, gripping the raft’s handle tightly, bracing for the impending fall.
As the raft tilted and began to descend, water droplets from the waterfall splashed on my face. The feeling of weightlessness made my heart race, my heart paused for a few seconds, blood rushed to my head, making me feel dizzy, and my ears buzzed… With a splash, the raft landed in the water.
The descent lasted only a moment, but it felt like an eternity. My mind was blank, and something white, possibly my soul, floated out of my mouth, slowly drifting toward the sky, towards a naked child with wings and a halo above its head…
“Kai, are you okay? Your face looks terrible!”
Tan Linhua shook me awake, sucking the white three souls and seven spirits back into my mouth.
