When light returned to Lin Ge's eyes, he found himself in the center of an immense circular library with Granphiddy, the shopkeeper, standing in front of him, observing with satisfaction the object in her hands: a pitch-black ink bottle.
Lin Ge touched his lips, his emotions far from calm. Was that mouth in the darkness Granphiddy's? Had he been kissed by a man?
"Shopkeeper, are you male or female?" he finally couldn't help but ask.
"Does it matter?" the shopkeeper asked, inserting a feather from the Feathered Elder into the bottle's mouth, speaking casually.
"Maybe not, but I want to know."
Granphiddy looked up at him, saying, "Well, I did ask you to come with me today because I intended to tell you some things. Since you're so curious about my gender, I'll tell you."
Lin Ge listened intently.
"I am not an ordinary human, and gender distinctions mean nothing to me. But if I must choose, I could be either male or female."
"What do you mean?" Lin Ge's eyes widened.