Persuade With Reason

Shocked by the book titles, Jin Bo cleared out all the haphazardly stuffed novels and magazines from the bookshelf.

Some of the books were published several years ago, and their pages were filled with math formulas his sister had casually scribbled. With mixed emotions, he flipped open the synopsis on the first page. The female protagonists in these stories were either sword-wielding heroines roaming the world or queens who ruled the realm.

He checked the publication dates of the books, and the latest one was *The Domineering Prince and the Charming Prince Consort*. His sister probably hadn’t finished reading it yet, as a metal bookmark was still wedged on page 28.

The bookmark looked familiar. Jin Bo held it in his hand and examined it for a while, suddenly recalling an incident from a few years ago.

It was during a time when he hated being compared to his sister. As her birthday approached, fearing a scolding from his parents, he had casually bought a box of bookmarks from a stationery store near his school as a birthday gift for her.

At the thought, Jin Bo suddenly felt the bookmark burning in his hand. He hurriedly tucked it back into the book and returned the novel to the shelf.

After a moment of dazed silence, Jin Bo smoothed out the curled edges of the magazines and novels, neatly arranging them one by one. Then he sat down on the study floor, his mind a chaotic mess.

“Why are you squatting on the floor? Are you a puppy?”

“Sis?” Jin Bo turned around to see Jin Fei leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking at him.

Jin Fei walked into the study and ruffled his hair. “Why so glum? Did someone bully you at school?”

Jin Bo shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“If you’re fine, then perk up.” Jin Fei pulled open the study curtains, and the sunlight illuminated her face, making her glow. “A young boy like you should be full of energy.”

“Sis.” Jin Bo looked up at Jin Fei. “Have you ever thought that maybe the Great Phoenix Dynasty doesn’t exist at all?”

Jin Fei glanced back at him and chuckled. “Why are you suddenly asking this?”

“I’m just curious.” Jin Bo fiddled with the globe on the table, which displayed the map of their country.

“The territory of the Great Phoenix is right here.” Jin Fei pointed to the country’s map on the globe and began describing the local customs and traditions of various regions.

Jin Bo: “…”

When a top student indulges in fantasies, their logic is seamless, leaving no room for flaws.

“But these customs and traditions are just the local practices of our own country.” Jin Bo cautiously observed Jin Fei’s expression.

“That’s why I deeply love this land and want to join the army to protect it.”

Jin Bo: “And then you failed the physical exam?”

Jin Fei coughed awkwardly. “Actually… I didn’t even qualify to sign up.”

“Huh?!” Jin Bo was stunned.

“I was too old.” Jin Fei, the self-proclaimed “Prince Fei,” really didn’t want to admit that at the prime of her youth, she was considered a year too old to enlist.

After all, a woman at forty is still a flower, and at twenty-three, she’s just a budding blossom.

Jin Bo couldn’t help but laugh, earning a glare from his sister. He quickly straightened his face. “Even at four hundred, you’d still be a flower.”

“A flower blooming on my bones, maybe?” Jin Fei reached out her hand. “Get up. The floor’s cold.”

Jin Bo wanted to get up on his own, but under his sister’s gaze, he obediently handed her his hand and let her pull him up.

After dinner, Jin Fei and Jin Bo were kicked out of the house by their parents for a walk. The park near their neighborhood was well-maintained, and many parents were out with their children.

However, the tranquility of the evening was shattered by a child’s cries.

Under the streetlight, a five- or six-year-old boy was covering his face and sobbing, a fluffy doll lying on the ground beside him.

“If you buy this kind of thing again, I’ll break your hand.” The man standing next to the boy was of average height and thin build, his voice filled with anger. “I’ve told you before what you should like and what you should learn. Stop crying! Don’t cry!”

His face twisted with fury, looking terrifying under the streetlight.

The boy sniffled, his cries growing quieter.

“What are you crying for? I don’t want you growing up to be a sissy!” The man’s anger didn’t subside with the boy’s quieter sobs. Instead, he kicked the doll away.

The doll soared through the air, landing with a few rolls before stopping at Jin Fei’s feet.

She bent down to pick up the doll. It had big eyes and a cute, rosy-cheeked face.

After brushing the dirt off the doll’s face, Jin Fei walked over to the furious man.

“Excuse me, as an adult, the first thing you should do isn’t forcing your child to like certain things but making sure you don’t litter.” Jin Fei crouched down to look at the boy. “Little one, is this your family?”

The boy nodded tearfully.

“This doll is adorable. Both my brother and I like it.” Jin Fei handed the doll back to the boy.

The boy didn’t dare take it, instead casting a timid glance at the thin man.

“I’m disciplining my own child. You shouldn’t…” The man started to curse at the meddling woman, but when he saw her face, he swallowed his words.

“You shouldn’t interfere.” The man paused for a few seconds before spitting out this sentence.

“Sir, a mature man shouldn’t curse in front of a child, let alone resort to violence.” Jin Fei smiled up at the man, but her words were firm. “You can’t even act like a proper adult. How can you demand what your child should or shouldn’t like?”

Being scolded by such a beautiful girl, the man surprisingly didn’t retort.

“Sis.” Jin Bo whispered as he leaned closer to Jin Fei. “This is their family matter. Maybe we shouldn’t get involved.”

“Protecting children means protecting the future of our nation.” Jin Fei remained unmoved. “Do you have tissues?”

Jin Bo shook his head.

“How can a boy go out without tissues?” Jin Fei gave him a disapproving look, then used her slender fingers to gently wipe the tears from the boy’s face. “Here, your doll. I picked it up for you.”

“He’s a boy. He shouldn’t like these things…”

“Shouldn’t like these things? Then what should he like?” Jin Fei looked at the man, confused. “What’s the problem?”

“Everything’s the problem.” The man shot back. “For example, if you had a daughter, could you accept her playing with swords and knives all day?”

“What’s wrong with a girl playing with swords and knives?” Jin Fei was even more puzzled. “What’s wrong with choosing what you like?”

“Who decided what boys and girls must like?” Jin Fei frowned. “The feudal era ended over a century ago. As a man, can’t you update your mindset?”

What was wrong with this man? Even she, a prince from a feudal dynasty, didn’t have such rigid gender biases.

He was a man himself. Why was he imposing such outdated ideas on his son?

Why make life harder for your own kind?

“So you’re saying boys can like things girls like?” The man pressed further.

Jin Fei found the man a bit odd. This wasn’t a Q&A session. Why was he asking these questions?

“Hobbies are hobbies. Why divide them by gender?” Jin Fei stuffed the doll into the boy’s arms and stood up to face the man. “Education is about communication and respect, not yelling and hitting.”

Such a cute little kid, crying like this was heartbreaking.

“Miss, thank you.” The man suddenly smiled. “Sorry, we’re actually part of a social experiment. This was a little street test to observe how people react. Thank you for caring about our little actor.”

“Huh?” Jin Fei looked at Jin Bo, confused.

Jin Bo quickly whispered in her ear, “He means everything that just happened was staged to see how passersby would react.”

Jin Fei: “…”

People these days really have too much time on their hands.

“Thank you, big sister.” The little actor shyly smiled at Jin Fei and handed her the doll. “Big sister, this is for you.”

“Thank you. My brother really likes this doll. He’ll cherish your gift.” Jin Fei accepted the doll with both hands and turned to hand it to Jin Bo.

Jin Bo: ???

The hidden host of the show stepped out and presented Jin Fei with a gift box, explaining the purpose of the recording.

“The show will be edited and aired later. If you don’t want your face shown, we can blur it out for you.”

"It's fine." Jin Fei had great confidence in her appearance, after all, she was the esteemed Princess Fei, adored by countless people.

Gender stereotypes have always been a hot topic of debate, but most discussions revolve around whether girls can like things that boys do. However, the topic of boys' hobbies is rarely brought up.

After this episode of the observational program aired, viewers noticed that many passersby simply glanced at the scolded little boy without reacting to the skinny man's angry tirade.

That is, until a young couple appeared.

This was a strikingly handsome pair, especially the girl who bent down to pick up the doll. When she appeared on the observation screen, it was as if the leading lady of a romantic drama had made her entrance.

"Hobbies are just hobbies. Why should they be divided into what girls or boys like?"

Her voice was pleasant, and her tone made it seem like this was the most natural thing in the world, not even worth discussing or considering.

[When the big sister handed the doll to her little brother, his confused expression was kind of adorable.]

[She used both hands to accept the doll from the young actor, showing that she’s a very thoughtful and well-mannered girl.]

[Did you notice what the big sister said when she complimented the doll? She said that both she and her brother loved dolls. She probably said that to make the little boy feel like liking dolls isn’t something to be ashamed of, because there are other boys who like them too. Beautiful, gentle, and considerate—this big sister is like a fairy.]

[The big sister is right. Who says boys can’t like dolls?]

Netizens can sometimes be swayed by public opinion, but when it comes to beautiful moments, they never hold back their praise.

Of course, Jin Fei, who was engrossed in watching *Tom and Jerry*, was oblivious to all the buzz online.

Late at night, as she stepped out of the bathroom, she received a message from Shi Yibai.

Shi Yibai: Miss Jin, are you free tomorrow to go car shopping together?

After sending the invitation, Shi Yibai took off his glasses and stared at the trending video on his computer screen.

Thirteen years ago, a sixteen-year-old boy clutched his injured finger, sweating profusely from the pain.

A little girl asked him, "Do you feel like crying because it hurts?"

The prideful young boy shook his head, his face cold and stern. "I'm a man. I don't cry."

"Boys can cry too," the little girl tilted her head, her big eyes looking at him earnestly. "If you're worried about crying being embarrassing, you can hide in a quiet place and cry secretly. If it’s a secret you don’t want anyone to know, just do it in private, and no one will find out."