A short gender-swap story, not pure romance (please don't flame me if it's not your thing). Much of this story draws on my own real-life experiences, and it was written on the spur of the moment.
With the Bodhisattva's blessing, I lived the next twenty years as my older sister. I built a happy family and became a busy, inadequate mother.
My father's memorial tablet is enshrined at a temple, and I often go there to visit him. He still looks so young in his photo. My mother's health is still good, but she's always forgetful and sometimes mistakes her grandson for me.
My husband has aged faster than I have. After all, when he was young, he smoked and drank without restraint and loved chasing women. But he's still handsome, and he no longer fools around. He's recently learned to cook, and now he makes meals for me and our baby every day.
The baby is in middle school now and, just like I was, hates studying. He's as tall as an adult, but still loves clinging to me.
My younger sister married far away into a reliable, wealthy family. She and her husband rarely come home, but they respect me deeply.
I became the chairwoman of Xianghua Group and carried on the business my father left behind. In the end, I got the fame and status I wanted. The price no longer mattered.
I've grown old, too. My skin isn't as radiant as it used to be, wrinkles have appeared around my eyes, and my muscles have lost their firmness. They say I still look the same as when I was young. I just smile.
Last night, over drinks with a business partner I'd worked with for more than a decade, I found myself thinking back to the tumultuous days twenty years ago, a time full of danger and opportunity.
My name is Xiang Boyu. Bo as in
