“Yangyang, Old Shen is asking. What day should we set for your birthday?”
Zheng Shiqiang asked as he walked out of the bedroom.
He found Zheng Yang sweeping the floor again, and a look of helplessness crossed his face.
“I’m telling you, Yangyang, you’ve swept four or five times today and mopped three times. I recognized you and brought you home because you’re my daughter, not to treat you like a maid or a robot vacuum.”
Zheng Yang, dressed in a tracksuit, wiped her forehead and straightened her back with a smile.
“I have nothing else to do. Don’t worry about it, Dad!”
Zheng Shiqiang knew she needed time to adapt, so he didn’t push.
He simply asked again, “What day should we set for your birthday?”
“My birthday…”
The date March 18 flashed through Zheng Yang’s mind—her original birthday.
She sighed softly.
*’Let the past stay in the past. No one ever celebrated that birthday for me anyway.’*
“Dad, today is my second day at home. Let’s set my birthday for yesterday.”
“Haha, alright. Let me see… yesterday was June 8. Then June 8 it is!”
After Zheng Shiqiang finished speaking, he went to call Old Shen.
When Zheng Yang heard “June 8,” she froze.
Yesterday, June 8, was her son Zheng Siyuan’s birthday.
She had forgotten.
It wasn’t surprising.
She used to work like a dog, and these past few days of transformation had been a roller coaster.
She hadn’t had the headspace to think about her son’s birthday.
*’I’m sorry, Siyuan… Your dad is useless…’*
But then she had another thought.
That brat only scored 400 points and still wanted a birthday? In his dreams!
*’Wait, why am I getting sentimental? Siyuan has his dad to celebrate his birthday now. He doesn’t need me…’*
Zheng Yang shook her head to clear those stray thoughts.
The most important thing now was that her new birthday and her son’s birthday were on the same day.
This meant every time she celebrated her birthday in the future, she would think of her son…
Well, so be it.
She didn’t want to let go of her memories as a man anyway.
This would serve as a perfect reminder.
*’By the way, will President Zheng actually celebrate a birthday for a “daughter” like me?’*
*’Actually, I hope he doesn’t. It’s too hard to get used to. It feels cringey.’*
Zheng Yang focused her mind and went back to sweeping.
Zheng Shiqiang’s home wasn’t large.
It wasn’t the mansion she had imagined.
It was a very ordinary apartment with three bedrooms, two living areas, and two bathrooms.
Although 140 square meters wasn’t exactly small, it was more than enough for a man living alone.
But he was a CEO! The richest man in the city! And he lived in only 140 square meters?
In a novel, that would be impossible.
The CEOs in novels usually have beds that are 140 square meters…
The furniture in the house was typical of what middle-aged and elderly men liked—wooden Chinese-style pieces.
The sofas, chairs, tea tables, and cabinets all featured various intricate, hollowed-out designs.
Zheng Yang used to hate this style.
Dust would settle in those hollowed-out spaces within a few days.
If you didn’t wipe them, they looked filthy.
If you did wipe them, the workload was endless.
That was why her old home had been minimalist.
But now, Zheng Yang was grateful for those designs and the dust.
They gave her something to do.
They kept her from feeling panicked in this new home, unsure whether to stand or sit.
More importantly, when she was busy, she could ignore the fact that she had become a woman.
No, based on her existing concepts, she wasn’t exactly a “woman” yet—she was a “girl.”
She was 15, give or take a year.
Old Shen said her age could be set at 14 or 16, but Zheng Shiqiang suggested 15.
He said it would make it easier to handle her high school enrollment…
The feeling was incredibly strange.
A 38-year-old salaryman had suddenly turned into a high school girl.
She had dreamed of going back to school countless times after starting her career.
Sometimes she went back to college, sometimes high school.
The most ridiculous dream involved her returning to elementary school with all her 38 years of memories.
It felt as if she could finally change her fate and a life where she was never loved.
But at least in those dreams, she had always been a boy.
This time, she was going back to high school as a female student…
And as the daughter of the local richest man…
It felt more like a dream than an actual dream.
Whenever she was alone or had nothing to do, the lack of reality became overwhelming.
Talking to Zheng Shiqiang gave her a stronger sense of reality than working did.
Zheng Shiqiang said her arrival brought much-needed life to the house.
She would just smile and say that without him, she wouldn’t have a second chance at life.
She insisted on doing all the cooking.
During meals, Zheng Yang would always swallow hard as she watched Zheng Shiqiang sip his three small glasses of liquor.
She didn’t hate alcohol.
She just hated the drinking parties where you were forced to get drunk.
She really wanted to share a drink and a conversation with this old man whose values aligned so well with hers!
But she couldn’t.
After all, she was only 15…
The biggest risk wasn’t her health; it was the fear that if she drank too much, she might accidentally spill all her secrets.
After three days like this, Zheng Yang’s household registration was completed, and her ID card was ready.
Zheng Shiqiang was thrilled and said they should go out for a meal to celebrate.
Beside her gratitude, Zheng Yang felt overwhelmed by the favor.
Before following Zheng Shiqiang out, she slipped back into her room, grabbed something, and tucked it into her tracksuit pocket.
“Dad, where’s my ID? Can I see it?”
On the way, Zheng Yang summoned her courage to ask.
She knew there was a reason Zheng Shiqiang hadn’t given it to her yet, but she really wanted to see it.
“What’s the rush?”
Zheng Shiqiang laughed.
“Don’t young people, especially girls, care about ‘a sense of ceremony’?”
“Don’t let the fact that this registration only took three or four days fool you. Your Uncle Shen and the others put in a massive effort.”
“You had so little information that everything had to be supplemented or even made up.”
“Then… how should I thank Uncle Shen?”
“Why should you thank him? I’ll do it. You’re a minor, and I’m your guardian.”
“Oh… then, thank you for your hard work, Dad~”
“Haha. So, since something so difficult was accomplished, how could I just toss the ID on your bed? That would be too disrespectful to the effort.”
Zheng Yang felt a bit moved.
“Dad, don’t treat me like one of those shallow girls. I don’t have any requirements for ceremony.”
After all, a “sense of ceremony” was the thing old salarymen hated most.
“Fine, you don’t have requirements, but I do. Just spend some time with your dad, okay?”
“Dad! Look at what you’re saying…”
Zheng Yang felt embarrassed by his teasing.
She lowered her head and suddenly realized she was pouting.
She felt even shyer and quickly pressed her lips together.
At the same time, she touched her pocket, becoming even more determined in her plan.
Zheng Shiqiang drove Zheng Yang to Wuwei Ju.
Wuwei Ju again!
Zheng Yang thought back to the drinking session before her transformation.
Her scalp felt tight with tension.
She really didn’t want to come here.
This place held too many dizzying memories for her.
But the restaurant had rare four-person private booths.
That was likely why Zheng Shiqiang chose it.
Sure enough, Zheng Shiqiang led her to a secluded little booth, ordered the food, and closed the door.
Zheng Yang reached across the table and took Zheng Shiqiang’s hand, giving it a gentle shake.
“Dad, when can I finally see it?”
Zheng Shiqiang gave her a doting smile.
“Impatient! I was going to wait for the food, but fine…”
He pulled the ID card from the inner pocket of his jacket and handed it to Zheng Yang.
Zheng Yang took it with both hands, her heart racing.
The specific bold font on the ID card clearly stated—
**Name: Zheng Yangyang**
**Gender: Female**
**Date of Birth: June 8, 2011**
…
Ha.
A middle-aged man had now become a member of Gen Alpha…
And there was that word, “Female.”
And the name “Yangyang.”
It was a nickname her parents hadn’t used since she was old enough to remember.
Now, it was her legal name.
All of this made her 38-year-old male soul feel ashamed.
But why did she want to cry so much?
“Dad, I really… thank you…”
Zheng Yang fought back tears and sniffled.
“If you want to cry, just cry. Who’s going to laugh at you?”
Zheng Yang finally realized that while men weren’t supposed to cry, she no longer had to follow that rule.
She carefully put her ID away, but then she pulled something else out of her pocket and fastened it around her neck.
It was the bell collar.
Zheng Shiqiang stopped smiling and watched her quietly, as if waiting for an explanation.
“Dad, you probably didn’t think I’d keep this, right?”
Zheng Yang asked with tear tracks on her face, yet looking relaxed.
“I took the bell off. It actually looks pretty good.”
Zheng Shiqiang raised an eyebrow.
“Yangyang… you aren’t still blaming me, are you?”
“How could I?” Zheng Yang pointed to her neck.
“It’s just ‘concealer’ for the mark.”
Zheng Shiqiang burst out laughing.
“You’re not telling the truth. You definitely still blame me.”
“Oh, Dad!”
Zheng Yang’s voice couldn’t help but take on a whiny tone.
“Look at you, forcing me to say it… wearing this means that I’m yours… and I’ll be yours for the rest of my life…”
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