Crossdress Ch20 and Ch21part1

Xu Yan’s eyes widened instantly, and the entire side of his body went numb. His heart felt like it had stopped beating for two seconds. Aside from the scent of coffee, he could now also smell the faint aroma of sandalwood from the man in front of him.

By the time he reacted again, Wen Sinian had already straightened up and leisurely stepped back, thoughtfully giving him some breathing room.

Once his heart hit a certain threshold, it began racing wildly within his narrow chest cavity. Blood surged to his brain as Xu Yan opened his mouth in a daze, mumbling a confused question:

“Ah…”

Wen Sinian asked, “Lunch. Have you eaten?”

Xu Yan doubted his ears. Just now, he was sure Wen Sinian hadn’t said that, but seeing how composed the man looked, how could he have possibly said something as terrifying as “I’m going to eat you”?

Maybe he had just misheard it from being too nervous…

Xu Yan shook his head. “Not yet.”

They weren’t allowed to leave the café bar unattended, so they always ate lunch during rotating breaks. Their lunch hours were a bit later than usual.

The coffee cup was moved from his cheek and handed to him. In the next second, a delicate pink bag was also stuffed into his other hand.

“Want to eat it here or take it with you?” Wen Sinian reminded, “The cake has an ice cream filling. It melts easily.”

Xu Yan looked down at the items in his hands and asked a silly question: “Is this for me?”

“Yeah,” Wen Sinian reached out to adjust the slightly crooked dragon horn on his helmet. “Who else would it be for?”

“…But why?” Xu Yan asked. He’d spilled coffee on the man and ruined his clothes—and yet he was the one being given food.

Wen Sinian replied naturally, “I don’t eat sweets.”

Oh. So he was being asked to take care of it for him.

Xu Yan looked at him with sparkling eyes. “Then… are you still going to complain about me?”

Wen Sinian curled his lips ever so slightly and tapped the top of Xu Yan’s helmet with two fingers.

“Finish it all, and I won’t complain.”

There were really such things in the world?

Xu Yan’s eyes lit up like stars. He nodded enthusiastically. “Okay! I’ll finish it all! Not a single crumb wasted!”

What kind of delivery driver got to leave a house with both coffee and dessert?

Xu Yan walked out of the villa with his coffee and cake in hand, thoughtfully closing the gate behind him.

He finished the coffee on the way back. Once inside the shop, Yangyang noticed him returning from the delivery carrying something and asked curiously, “Why’d you take so long? Was the place really far? Did you buy cake on the way back?”

“It wasn’t far. I just accidentally spilled a cup of coffee, so it took a bit longer,” Xu Yan explained. “And the cake wasn’t something I bought.”

Yangyang got the hint. “Someone gave it to you?”

Xu Yan nodded. “Yeah.”

Yangyang glanced at the packaging. “Whoa, that store’s crazy expensive! And there’s always a line out the door. Who gave it to you? Someone trying to woo you?”

Xu Yan immediately denied it. “No, definitely not.”

Since he was so firm, Yangyang didn’t press further and said, “So the person whose coffee you spilled—did they give you a hard time? Should we make another cup and send it over, or offer a refund?”

Xu Yan stared at the beautiful little pink cake. “No need.”

As long as he finished the cake, it would all be fine.

Though Yangyang was full of questions, a customer walked in, so she had to go help.

After finishing his own tasks, Xu Yan unwrapped the pink bag and couldn’t resist taking a bite.

The creamy ice cream melted in his mouth, its coldness balancing the sweetness of the cream, leaving only a fragrant sweetness behind.

Inside the bag, aside from the cake, there were also a few Patchi chocolate truffles.

As Xu Yan nibbled on the cake, he thought to himself Senior Wen was actually… kind of nice.

But as he ate, his phone screen kept lighting up with WeChat notifications.

It suddenly hit him—he’d forgotten something important.

He quickly switched to his alt account and, as expected, Year had been sending him messages ever since he’d said he wanted to meet—over thirty minutes ago.

[Year]: Baby, don’t you miss me?

[Year]: Aren’t you curious about me?

[Year]: I’ve been miserable these days not seeing you…

[Year]: I think I’ve fallen for you. What do I do, baby?

[Year]: No updates during the holidays. No one else gets to see you.

[Year]: That’s not okay.

[Year]: Don’t ever let anyone else see you in a skirt again.

[Year]: Only wear it for me.

[Year]: I really like you. I have to see you.

Xu Yan froze. He hadn’t expected Year to suddenly say all that. He remembered him claiming to be straight. So how could he say he liked Xu Yan now?

It left him anxious and uneasy.

Could it be that after seeing so many photos of him in skirts, Year had started imagining him as a girl?

Xu Yan bit his spoon, trying to think of how to respond—how to reject the request to meet without sounding too cold. After all, he had never intended to meet his top supporter in real life.

[Yanyan]: Gege, why do you suddenly want to meet me?

[Yanyan]: We haven’t known each other that long, and we don’t really know each other that well yet…

[Yanyan]: Maybe because we chat so often, it creates a kind of illusion, like ambiguous feelings. But if we actually met, I think you’d realize you don’t really like me at all.

But just as he sent the message, a video call suddenly popped up.

Startled, Xu Yan’s hand trembled and he quickly declined the call.

[Year]: I wouldn’t stop liking you.

[Year]: I’d only like you more.

[Year]: Why didn’t you answer? Didn’t you say you wanted to get to know me better?

Xu Yan frantically tapped on his screen, fingers flying.

[Yanyan]: That’s not what I meant…

[Year]: Then what did you mean, baby?

[Yanyan]: Can we not meet, please? 

[Year]: Why not?

[Year]: Do you have a boyfriend?

Xu Yan licked his lips nervously. The other party was being too aggressive, and he was feeling cornered.

Besides, why ask if he had a boyfriend?

Shouldn’t the question be whether he had a girlfriend?

[Yanyan]: It’s not that…

[Year]: So that means no?

[Yanyan]: Mm…

[Year]: Good boy. Baby, are you trying to be in a relationship with me?

Xu Yan suddenly shot up from his chair, pacing in the break room with his phone in hand. How had the topic taken such a turn into territory he could no longer control?

[Yanyan]: I don’t like guys. And also, please stop calling me that.

All the “baby this, baby that” was making his face burn just from reading it.

[Year]: Why not?

[Yanyan]: …Just don’t.

[Yanyan]: We’re not in a relationship.

Using such ambiguous nicknames between them was just too strange. Xu Yan didn’t even dare look at the screen properly—just reading it made his ears feel like they were burning up.

No one had ever called him that affectionately, except for his grandma who used to call him “good boy.”

The other side didn’t respond immediately. Xu Yan let out a breath of relief, thinking he had finally made his intentions clear. But the next second, a new message popped up.

[Year]: Then let’s be in a relationship.

***

That message… Xu Yan never responded to it.

After getting off work and returning to the dorm that evening, his mind was still tangled up with everything that had happened that day.

He hadn’t eaten dinner. Aside from the small cake at noon, that was all he had. He wasn’t even hungry, but he felt dizzy, so he unwrapped a chocolate and popped it into his mouth.

The rich, smooth flavor instantly melted in his mouth, the nutty filling making him narrow his eyes with satisfaction.

But what if Year insisted on meeting? Leaning on his desk with his hands on his cheeks, Xu Yan spaced out.

He absolutely did not want to reveal his real identity. The problem was, Year was far too smart—he already knew what school Xu Yan attended, and even mentioned wanting to date him and become a couple.

Absolutely unacceptable.

Xu Yan frowned, face scrunched up in distress, lying on the desk, completely at a loss.

Zhao Qingji and Li Huaiche had both said they’d be coming back late tonight, so once again he was alone in the dorm.

He was too mentally exhausted to do anything. After showering early, he locked up and climbed into bed.

It wasn’t even 10 PM yet when another message came from his alt account.

Xu Yan didn’t want to look. He covered his eyes with his bunny-eared sleep mask, pretending to be asleep.

But avoiding it wasn’t a solution. After a while, he finally clicked in to check.

[Year]: Are you asleep, baby?

[Year]: I scared you, didn’t I?

[Year]: We can take it slow, okay?

[Year]: If you don’t want to meet, we don’t have to.

A flicker of hope rose in Xu Yan’s chest. He quickly typed back:

[Yanyan]: Really?

[Yanyan]: I really don’t want to meet up…

He responded so quickly that the other side seemed to pause. The typing indicator blinked for a while.

[Year]: Mm.

He was finally relenting. The weight that had been crushing Xu Yan’s chest all afternoon lifted at last. Thank goodness—crisis temporarily averted.

But then, more messages followed.

[Year]: I thought you at least had feelings for me.

[Year]: Turns out you actually don’t like me at all.

Xu Yan’s heart, which had just settled, suddenly leapt back into his throat. The way that was phrased—it was like an accusation, as if he were being blamed for something he never said.

He had never said he disliked Year. In fact, during the break, when Year stopped replying, he’d even felt a hint of disappointment he couldn’t hide.

He quickly sat up in bed and fired back in a panic.

[Yanyan]: No, no!

[Yanyan]: I definitely don’t dislike you!

[Year]: Really?

Xu Yan was getting anxious, afraid Year would misunderstand.

[Yanyan]: Really, really! It’s just that I never thought about meeting in real life. You suddenly brought it up today, and I was caught off guard…

[Year]: It’s because I haven’t seen you these past few days.

[Year]: I think about you while I’m working. You’re in my dreams at night, too.

[Year]: That’s when I realized how much I like you.

There it was again.

Xu Yan couldn’t tell if Year was being sincere or just playing with words. He hadn’t even seen Xu Yan’s real appearance—could feelings like that really be genuine?

He doubted it.

[Year]: I want to see you, baby.

[Yanyan]: I don’t want to show my face.

[Yanyan]: I don’t want to video call, either.

[Year]: No video, then. Just send me a few pictures, okay?

[Year]: Wear the dress I gave you.

Xu Yan hesitated.

[Yanyan]: If I send the photos… can we not meet?

[Year]: Okay.

Sending a few pictures was much less risky than meeting in person. And the dresses were ones Year had bought anyway.

[Yanyan]: Alright. Wait a sec.

Xu Yan got out of bed, turned the lights back on, and casually grabbed a dress from the wardrobe.

It was a very pretty pink tulle puff dress—so perfectly fitted, it was as if it had been custom made just for him.

He stood in front of the mirror and took a few pictures, trying different flattering angles. After picking two of the best, he sent them.

A reply came almost instantly, as if the other person had been waiting by the phone the entire time.

[Year]: So pretty, baby.

[Year]: Your waist is so slim.

[Year]: You’re so skinny.

[Year]: Can you take a few more?

[Yanyan]: Sure… how should I pose?

[Year]: That dress comes with two accessories.

Xu Yan rummaged through and, sure enough, found them.

He didn’t expect Year to know these outfits so well—he hadn’t even looked into the packaging himself earlier.

Xu Yan didn’t really know how to wear them, so he carefully followed the model picture on the card to put them on.

[Yanyan]: Done.

[Year]: Let me check.

[Yanyan]: Uh… how?

[Year]: Send me a picture.

Xu Yan’s cheeks flushed. He hesitated, feeling shy about taking that kind of photo.

A message popped up.

[Year]: Can’t put them on properly, baby?

[Year]: I’ll teach you when we meet, okay?

The moment he saw the word “meet,” Xu Yan went black in the eyes. As long as he could keep Year from insisting on meeting, he’d do whatever it took.

A photo wasn’t painful or dangerous.

Xu Yan quickly got it done and hit send.

There was no immediate reply. He stared at the chat window anxiously, then slowly typed:

[Yanyan]: Did I wear it wrong?

The reply came back slowly.

[Year]: No.

[Yanyan]: Then how else should I take it?

[Year]: Turn around.

Xu Yan’s wide eyes blinked in surprise. He didn’t quite get it.

[Year]: A back view, baby.

Ah… Xu Yan understood. He set up his phone, but since he couldn’t see himself, he had to try a few times.

After a while, he finally managed to take a few that didn’t reveal his identity and looked decent enough.

In the photo, the slim figure in the soft pink tulle dress was slender and delicate. Only the body from the shoulders down was shown. The butterfly on the lower back looked vivid and lifelike, the soft skin exposed on either side of the waist like a flawless canvas. The skirt cinched tightly at the waist, then flared gracefully in a rounded arc.

Below that were two slim, pale legs pressed closely together, the hollows behind the knees soft and vulnerable. On the left leg, a white ribbon peeked out near the thigh, slightly loose and barely hanging on, gently wrapping around the soft curve of his upper thigh. Around the right ankle was a silver bell anklet, fastened obediently.

It was an odd pose—but a beautiful back view.

Xu Yan finally realized how suggestive it was and stared at the photos, hesitating.

[Year]: Done?

Taking a deep breath, Xu Yan closed his eyes and hit send, then buried his face deep into his pillow.

Let’s just pretend someone else sent them.

He didn’t know how long he waited, but when the heat in his ears finally cooled down, he dared to check the messages.

There were only two.

[Year]: Baby, you’re beautiful.

[Year]: Don’t show anyone else. Got it?

Xu Yan pouted a little.

‘So possessive.’

***

After Xu Yan refused to meet, Year really did hold back and didn’t bring it up again.

Instead, they messaged even more frequently than before. Year seemed desperate to know what Xu Yan was doing every moment, and when he didn’t get replies quickly, he’d keep pressing.

Xu Yan managed to cope—for now. As long as they didn’t meet in person, chatting online was still bearable. His typing was fast anyway.

These days, it was Year who always initiated with “good morning” and “good night.”

[Year]: Morning, baby.

[Year]: Do you have class today?

Xu Yan had told him not to call him that, and Year had agreed verbally—but it clearly went in one ear and out the other.

[Yanyan]: Yeah, I do.

[Yanyan]: I have classes this morning and afternoon.

[Yanyan]: It’s a full day.

The implication was clear: I’m busy, so stop messaging me nonstop. But just a moment later, another message came.

[Year]: Liar.

Xu Yan’s heart skipped a beat. Feeling guilty, he nervously tapped the back of his phone.

His psychological endurance wasn’t great. Why did a single message make his heartbeat spike and his fingers clench?

[Yanyan]: I’m not lying!

[Year]: You don’t have afternoon classes.

[Yanyan]: How do you know?

He had never given Year his schedule.

[Year]: I asked about your classes every day last week. I remembered.

Xu Yan bit his lip quietly. Why would you even memorize that…

[Yanyan]: I only have that class every other week. You remembered it wrong.

[Year]: Then send me the correct one, baby.

Xu Yan realized that sending it might reveal his personal information, so he declined politely.

[Yanyan]: It’s not really convenient…

[Year]: What if I can’t help but miss you?

[Year]: I can’t message you during class?

[Yanyan]: No, I really have to focus during class.

[Year]: Then send me a picture tonight. I won’t bother you this afternoon.

He had already gotten photos out of him for all kinds of reasons—sometimes to calm him down, other times to “make it up” to him.

Xu Yan thought This guy is like a greedy capitalist. Ruthless.

[Year]: Or I can come to campus and sit in on your class?

The moment Xu Yan saw that message, alarm bells rang.

[Yanyan]: No!

[Yanyan]: Don’t come!

[Yanyan]: I’ll take the picture tonight!

Finally getting a reply he liked, the other person seemed quite satisfied.

[Year]: Okay, my good baby.

Xu Yan switched to his main account and glanced at it. His posting frequency had dropped recently, and Year didn’t allow him to post many of the pictures anymore.

Frustrated, Xu Yan jabbed at his phone and opened his wallet balance—only to be surprised by the sight of a new large tip. Year had just sent another big reward. Altogether, it was nearing 100,000 yuan.

Seeing all those numbers in the backend made Xu Yan’s previously annoyed heart feel a lot better.

‘I really hope next month comes soon, he thought, so I can finally withdraw the money.’

In truth, Xu Yan didn’t have class that afternoon.

He had lied on purpose—Year had become way too intense lately, and he needed some air.

 

He had already made plans with Shen Nanli and Zhao Qingji to head over to Ares this afternoon since they didn’t have class, to shoot a few more b-roll shots. The promo video had technically already been edited, but no matter how many times Xu Yan watched it, he just wasn’t satisfied.

He was a bit of a perfectionist, always wanting things to be just right.

Right before they were about to leave in the afternoon, Year sent another message.

[Year]: Have a good class, baby.

Xu Yan locked his phone screen and decided he wouldn’t reply to Year all afternoon.

Shen Nanli arrived at Room 318 at the agreed time, and Zhao Qingji had already borrowed the filming equipment from school.

Just as they were about to leave, someone knocked on the door.

Zhou Zhengyi strolled in like he owned the place. Seeing them with bags and gear, he immediately asked, “You guys heading out?”

Shen Nanli replied, “Going to shoot some stuff.”

Xu Yan had thought Zhou Zhengyi finally got the hint and backed off—those basketball tickets he gave him were still sitting in Xu Yan’s bag, and the game was already over. Xu Yan hadn’t gone.

Most people would’ve taken the hint after that kind of rejection. But Zhou Zhengyi clearly wasn’t “most people.” Xu Yan really didn’t know what else to do to make his position clear.

Zhou Zhengyi, acting like nothing had happened, asked enthusiastically, “Where are you guys shooting?”

Zhao Qingji replied, “Off-campus.”

He and Shen Nanli exchanged a quick glance toward Xu Yan.

Zhou Zhengyi also looked at Xu Yan and asked, “Is just the three of you enough? I’ve got no classes this afternoon. I was actually going to ask you guys to hang out. Want me to come along? I can help out.”

As he spoke, he snatched the lens case out of Xu Yan’s hand and started carrying it himself.

Xu Yan tried to get it back, but he wasn’t Zhou Zhengyi’s match. He politely declined, “Thank you, but it’s really not necessary. The three of us are fine. Last time, we went with just three too.”

“Then why didn’t you invite me last time?” Zhou Zhengyi said with a grin. “Can’t date me, but can’t even be friends?”

Shen Nanli coughed and quickly pulled Zhao Qingji along to leave first with an excuse.

The dorm room was suddenly down to two people. The air turned awkward, and Xu Yan’s gaze started drifting all over the place, refusing to meet the eyes of the person in front of him.

Zhou Zhengyi spoke sincerely, “Xu Yan, are you still avoiding me?”

Xu Yan mumbled guiltily, “I’m not avoiding you.”

Zhou Zhengyi smiled, as if something had just occurred to him. “You’re not still thinking I’m trying to chase you, right? I actually gave up a while ago. You were very clear with me, and when you didn’t show up to the basketball game, I got the message. I realized we just weren’t going to happen. I’ve moved on now—I actually like someone else, a girl.”

Hearing that, Xu Yan’s eyes clearly brightened. “Really?”

“Of course,” Zhou Zhengyi said. “Why would I lie? When I said I wanted to be friends, I meant it. I probably misunderstood my own feelings for you before and thought it was romantic, but after meeting someone I really like recently—a girl—I realized I’m definitely straight. My whole class knows I’ve been pursuing her. If you don’t believe me, go ask around the sports department.”

He had said so much so frankly that Xu Yan couldn’t think of himself as narcissistic enough to believe someone would be hopelessly obsessed with him.

“That’s great,” Xu Yan said, smiling in relief. “I was really afraid you were wasting your time on me. I hope it goes well for you.”

Zhou Zhengyi paused and smiled back. “Thanks. If it works out, I’ll treat you to dinner. Anyway, I really have nothing going on today. Let me tag along. I’d love to see how you guys film your stuff—I’m actually really curious about photography.”

Xu Yan didn’t doubt him. Though Zhou Zhengyi wasn’t professionally trained, he was tall and strong, and pretty useful at hauling equipment.

Xu Yan already had every shot in mind. Luckily, the boxing gym wasn’t crowded that day, so they quickly finished shooting.

Before leaving, they recorded some voiceovers with the gym manager.

Afterward, the manager asked, “Everything go smoothly?”

Xu Yan nodded. “Yup, we got everything we wanted.”

Shen Nanli added, “There weren’t many people here today—perfect for capturing clean footage.”

Zhao Qingji agreed, “Seriously, we barely had to discard a single take.”

The gym manager chuckled. “The reason the place is so empty today is actually kind of special. I wasn’t going to let anyone come film, but the boss specifically said you guys could shoot anytime, so I didn’t stop you.”

Zhou Zhengyi was clearly fascinated and eagerly asked, “What special reason?”

The manager looked at him, puzzled. “You’re their classmate? I didn’t see you last time they came to shoot.”

Xu Yan quickly explained, “He’s not. He’s just helping out today.”

Zhou Zhengyi stepped behind Xu Yan and played along, grinning like a devoted sidekick. “Yup. I don’t know anything—I’m just helping. I specialize in being quiet and obedient.”

The manager looked at them but didn’t press. “Well, there’s a match tonight in the central octagon. It’s a VIP-only event, not open to the public. So if you’re done filming, you’d better head out soon. People will start prepping the venue any minute now.”

As he spoke, buses carrying the fighters began arriving. The manager stopped chatting and went to work.

The four of them left together. Zhou Zhengyi again carried all of Xu Yan’s gear. Knowing resistance was useless, Xu Yan helped Shen Nanli instead. They all headed toward the bus stop.

Once the students were gone, a black car slowly pulled up outside the gym.

Wen Sinian got out of the driver’s seat, with Shen Xun in the passenger seat. The two walked in together.

The manager had been organizing fighter rooms. Upon seeing them, he hurried over.

“Boss,” he greeted them both. “Wen-Ge’s here too!”

He was actually older than both of them, but everyone just followed how others addressed them.

Wen Sinian gave a slight nod.

The manager seized the chance to report to Shen Xun. “Boss, the Tai group asked if they could be moved to the end of the match lineup. One of their fighters isn’t feeling well.”

Shen Xun asked, “What’s wrong?”

The manager replied, “They said the guy had some kind of reaction to the climate, ended up in the hospital. He was still on an IV this morning. Not sure if he’ll make it for the match tonight.”

Shen Xun said, “Handle it as you see fit. We’re only here to spectate.”

The two didn’t linger and started heading to the more open view on the second floor. As they walked off, the manager called after them, “Oh, by the way—those students came to shoot again, just to fill in some missing shots. The final version should be ready next week.”

Shen Xun glanced at Wen Sinian, who showed no particular reaction. He replied, “Got it.”

The manager added, “Also, there was an extra person with them today.”

Wen Sinian stopped walking and looked down the stairs. “Extra?”

“Yeah,” the manager said. “Tall guy. Said he came to help. Didn’t seem to know anything, but he was super eager—carried all their gear and never let that team lead of theirs lift a thing.”

The manager seemed to be recalling the youthful, cheerful group leaving earlier. With a grin, he added, “Honestly? The more I think about it, the more it seemed like those two were a couple.”

Wen Sinian smiled faintly, his voice calm but eyes cold.

“Is that so.”

‘A couple, huh.’

***

That night, back at the dorm, the roommates hadn’t returned yet, so Xu Yan couldn’t take a photo. He sent Year a message saying he’d find time tomorrow instead, then buried himself in video editing.

He kept working until nearly lights-out. Then he rushed to wash up. When he returned, he saw unread messages on his alt account.

[Year]: Did my good baby have class this afternoon?

[Yanyan]: Yep.

After replying, he climbed into bed. It was exactly 11 PM—the lights went out.

His phone lit up again with a faint glow as a new message arrived.

[Year]: You’re so good.

[Year]: So… it’s not that you don’t like guys.

[Year]: It’s just… you don’t like me.

Xu Yan stared at the message, completely confused. Weren’t they just talking about class? How did it suddenly veer into that topic?

 

[Yanyan]: I don’t dislike you.

 

[Year]: Then do you like me?

 

Lying in bed, Xu Yan tugged at the long ears of the bunny plush in his arms.

 

He didn’t dare say he didn’t like him—year would definitely get upset again, and then he’d have to coax him.

 

But he couldn’t say he liked him either. He didn’t want to lie.

 

Couldn’t there be something in between liking and not liking?

 

[Year]: Are you with some other guy right now and ignoring my messages?

 

[Yanyan]: No…

 

[Year]: Not even this afternoon?

 

Xu Yan had more than once felt like year was watching him all the time. Why did it feel like he always got caught whenever he lied?

 

It was as if year already knew who he was. That was the truly terrifying part.

 

[Yanyan]: Really, no.

 

Xu Yan curled up under the blanket. At this point, he had no choice but to double down on denial.

 

A few moments later, a message popped up on the screen.

 

[Year]: You’re being naughty.

 

Xu Yan suddenly hugged his bunny plush tightly, pressing his cheek against its soft fur. His eyes stayed fixed on his phone, and even his breathing grew shallow.

 

[Year]: Beijing City University has two campuses. Which one are you at most of the time?

 

[Year]: The north one, right?

 

[Year]: I’ll come find you tomorrow.

 

Xu Yan gasped sharply, nearly scared out of his wits by just a few simple words.

 

If year really came to the northern campus to find him, then he wouldn’t even dare go to work anymore. He’d have to hide in the dorm every day and not go anywhere.

 

But after a moment of calm, he reconsidered. He’d never shown his real face in any photo. Year didn’t know what he looked like. How could he possibly find him?

 

He must just be trying to scare him.

 

But then year, as if reading his mind, completely crushed that last sliver of hope.

 

[Year]: Baby, I can recognize you just from your legs.

 

Xu Yan’s fingers trembled. His lips pursed as he almost started crying.

 

[Yanyan]: Don’t—please don’t.

 

[Yanyan]: Whatever you do, don’t come.

 

[Year]: Then will you behave?

 

[Yanyan]: I will.

 

[Year]: Then will you be my baby?

 

Was there really any other choice…?

 

Xu Yan consoled himself: maybe he could just agree for now. Keep year pacified and prevent him from coming to school—that was the most important thing. He could always break it off later.

 

It’s just an online relationship anyway. As long as he didn’t agree to meet in person, no one would find out. That should be fine… right?

 

And maybe year was just infatuated. Sooner or later, he’d get bored and find some other cute little streamer, and then he’d dump Xu Yan himself.

 

Sniffling a little, Xu Yan felt completely wronged.

 

[Yanyan]: Okay…

 

[Year]: Did you really agree, baby?

 

[Yanyan]: As long as you don’t come to school, I’ll agree to be with you.

 

[Year]: Good baby. Then can we video call now?

 

[Yanyan]: No… my roommates are asleep.

 

[Year]: Then go to the bathroom and take a picture of you in a dress.

 

[Year]: I want to see you. Don’t you want to see me, baby?

 

[Year]: I’ll send one of me too, okay?

 

Xu Yan lay still for a while, quietly kicking at the blanket. In the end, he tiptoed out of bed.

 

He gently opened the wardrobe, careful not to make a sound. From the bottom, he pulled out a piece of clothing—he didn’t even check what it was—then cautiously shut the wardrobe again and slipped into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

 

Unfolding the fabric in his arms, he saw it was a tight, short black bodycon dress—with black fishnet stockings.

 

Xu Yan blushed furiously at the sight.

 

This… this was way too sexy…

 

And way too revealing. How was he supposed to take a picture in this?

 

He hugged the dress and opened the door again, intending to go switch it out for something else.

 

But before he even stepped out of the bathroom, he heard a voice from one of the beds.

 

“Xu Yan? Xu Yan?”

 

Li Huaiche called him twice, and Xu Yan quickly retreated with the dress still in hand.

 

Li Huaiche asked, “You okay? Not feeling well?”

 

Xu Yan lowered his voice. “No, just going to the bathroom.”

 

“Oh. Just keep it down, okay? I gotta get up early tomorrow.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Xu Yan obediently stayed in the bathroom. Fine then, he’ll just wear this one.

 

He stood in front of the mirror, looking from side to side. He didn’t even know whether to put it on from the top or the bottom.

 

After struggling for a while, he finally decided to try it on—maybe once it was on…

 

It’s too revealing.

 

The top is a shoulder-free, chest-high outfit, exposing large areas of fair and delicate shoulders and neck. Below the flat chest is a slender waist. The hem is astonishingly short, barely covering the dangerous areas, and any slight movement would surely expose both front and back.

 

There isn’t an ounce of fat on his chest, so the tube top can’t stay up. Pulling it down to cover the root of his legs would expose the dark red above.

 

He also wore black silk stockings, thinking they could cover a bit more, and then spent a lot of effort tidying himself up.

 

A pair of straight, long legs are tightly wrapped in stockings, faintly revealing a white and tender base color. The stocking tubes are tightly tied at the root of the thighs, leaving a small gap from the hem of the skirt. The soft, tender thigh flesh is marked with a small circle of red, and after wearing them for just a short while, it has already started to turn slightly red. The snow-white skin above is strikingly eye-catching amidst the black.

 

Year: Is it hard to wear alone?

 

Year: I’ll help you next time.

 

Xu Yan looked at himself in the mirror, his cheeks and the roots of his ears completely red, even his neck blushing with extreme shyness.

 

Although dressed in such a sexy and provocative black silk short skirt, his eyes were misty with a pitiful and wronged look.

 

He picked up his phone, covering his chest with one hand while replying with the other.

 

Yanyan: I can do it myself.

 

Year: Okay, baby, you can.

 

Yanyan: I’m dressed.

 

Year: In the bathroom?

 

Year: Place the phone on the windowsill and set the timer for the photo.

 

The bathroom isn’t large, and there’s a windowsill next to the shower, which is indeed a suitable place to put the phone.

 

Yanyan: Placed it.

 

Yanyan: What should I do?

 

He stood in front of the windowsill, staring blankly at the phone screen as if waiting for instructions.

 

After a couple of seconds, the instructions came.

 

Year: Stand facing the wall.

 

Xu Yan blinked. Is that all? So simple.

 

He set a five-second timer for the photo, walked to the wall, let his hands hang softly by his sides, and didn’t forget to use his fingers to pull down the hem of the skirt slightly to prevent exposure from behind.

 

After taking the photo, he glanced at it—a well-behaved back view, like a model’s standard photo. Then he clicked send.

 

Year: Baby, spread your legs a bit more.

 

Year: Bend down, hands against the wall.

 

Xu Yan obediently went to the wall and followed his instructions, lifting his hands to press against the wall in front of his chest. He couldn’t really bend over; he could only slightly lean his upper body towards the wall. Fortunately, he was flexible enough to stand steadily with his upper body against the wall.

 

After taking the photo, Xu Yan didn’t look at it much and directly clicked send.

 

If the other side wasn’t satisfied, he wouldn’t take any more photos. Even a rabbit would bite when provoked; he had a temper too.

 

He took off the skirt and black silk stockings. Sure enough, there were red marks around his thighs, which felt a bit itchy when touched.

 

After putting on his pajamas and coming out of the bathroom, he moved lightly like a feather. He didn’t dare to open the wardrobe again and directly climbed onto the bed with the skirt, placing it inside the bed. He could only wait until early morning when his roommates were all out to quietly put it back.

 

After doing all this, he lay on the bed and unlocked his phone.

 

Year: Will you do whatever I ask you to do?

 

Thinking of the message he had just received, he took the initiative to type and send it.

 

Yanyan: I want to see you too.

 

The other side replied instantly.

 

Year: It’s not very convenient right now.

 

Xu Yan’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he looked at the message again.

 

He thought to himself, sure enough! He was indeed deceiving me!

 

Yanyan: You said you would show me.

 

Yanyan: You don’t keep your word.

 

Yanyan: You’re lying to me.

 

Yanyan: Bad guy.

 

Yanyan: I won’t send you any more photos in the future.

 

After sending the messages, he locked his phone screen and stuffed it under the pillow, closing his eyes to sleep with a bit of anger.

 

But no matter how he tossed and turned, he felt it was extremely unfair. He was the one who said he liked him and wanted to be together, but now he couldn’t even bear to send a photo.

 

Previously, when he sent a photo, he said it was sent by mistake and retracted it without even looking clearly.

 

How could there be such a two-faced person.

 

The more Xu Yan thought about it, the angrier he became. He groped for his phone again, and the bright screen light made him squint slightly.

 

There were unread messages on the screen, and he unlocked it.

 

Ten minutes ago.

 

Year: I’ll send it to you.

 

Year: Don’t be angry, baby.

 

Year: I’m outside, finding a place without people.

 

Xu Yan stared at the screen, silently waiting.

 

Before long, a photo was indeed sent over from the other side.

 

He didn’t know where the photo was taken; the surroundings were somewhat dim. The person in the photo was bare-chested, with no face shown. His collarbone was sharp like a knife, and his robust, solid chest and muscles were bursting with energy. The traces of working out were obvious, and the dim side light outlined the distinct undulations and troughs. The abdominal muscles were neatly and clearly defined. Below, he seemed to be wearing black pants, with only a little black edge visible.

 

Xu Yan covered half of his face with the quilt, only revealing a pair of surprised and moist doe-like eyes.

 

Even through the screen, he could feel the scorching breath and terrifyingly oppressive aggressiveness coming from it.

 

Xu Yan set his phone aside and stared into the pitch-black ceiling above his bed, taking a few deep breaths. He touched his cheeks—they were burning slightly.
He had only asked for a photo, so why… why wasn’t he wearing a shirt…
And that body in the picture—he looked so strong, like he could knock out ten guys with a single punch.
Xu Yan began to feel a little anxious. If he really pissed the other person off and got caught in real life, wouldn’t he end up getting beaten to a pulp?
He absolutely, absolutely couldn’t let his identity be exposed!
[Yanyan]: Where are you right now?
[Yanyan]: Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?
[Year]: Watching a match with some friends.
[Year]: I thought baby wanted to see me without a shirt.
Xu Yan’s fingers trembled. He couldn’t help but mutter silently to himself:
Pervert.
[Yanyan]: I did not!
[Year]: Oh, then it’s me who wants to see you without clothes.
[Year]: Can I?
Such an overbearing tone. Such an inappropriate request.
[Yanyan]: No.
[Year]: Do you still want to see more of me?
[Year]: Just a little lower, okay?
Xu Yan clicked back into the photo from earlier. It already showed the edge of black waistband—any lower and…
Afraid that the other person really would send anything, his fingers quickly flew across the keyboard.
[Yanyan]: Don’t.
[Yanyan]: I don’t want to see anymore.
[Yanyan]: Don’t you dare send anything else.
After that, no more photos came.
[Year]: Baby, you’re such a scaredy-cat.
A few more seconds passed.
[Year]: We’ll look together… in person.

***
Xu Yan barely slept the entire night, plagued by a series of terrifying dreams.
He dreamt that Year really came to the school gate to catch him, dragged him into a dark room, forced him to wear a skirt, forced him to look at things that weren’t shown in the photos, and made him do all kinds of strange things.
Xu Yan was so frightened he almost cried. When he opened his eyes, thankfully, he was still lying safely in his dorm bed. His roommates had already gone to class, leaving him alone.
He rubbed his eyes, got out of bed hugging the skirt, and carefully put it away in the wardrobe.
He had class during the second period. On the way there, Shen Nanli was talking non-stop about gossip—that Zhou Zhengyi was really chasing after a girl from the Sports Institute—but Xu Yan was distracted and only nodded occasionally, clearly not listening.
His mind was entirely preoccupied with how he impulsively agreed to an online relationship with Year the night before. Now that his head was a little clearer in the morning, it just felt increasingly absurd.
Year was straight, and he didn’t like guys either.
How could the two of them possibly date?
Hopefully, Year was also just acting on impulse and would be the one to suggest breaking up, which would save Xu Yan from having to worry about it.
He figured he needed to keep reminding Year that he was a guy—to shatter whatever unrealistic fantasy Year might be harboring.
Shen Nanli noticed Xu Yan spacing out and waved a hand in front of his face. “Yanyan, what’s going on with you? You’ve been zoning out this whole time. Something happen?”
“I… um…” Xu Yan hesitated upon seeing Shen Nanli’s concerned face. He wanted to come clean, but the whole thing was just too embarrassing. “It’s, um…”
“Is it about that top donor guy?” Shen Nanli asked.
Xu Yan was shocked. “How did you know?”
Shen Nanli gave him a knowing look. “Are you two dating?”
Xu Yan was even more stunned. “You…”
“I don’t even need to guess,” Shen Nanli said. “You two chat literally all the time. If nothing happened, that’d be the real surprise.”
Xu Yan didn’t know how to respond. “We don’t chat that much…”
“Really? Then check if he’s messaged you recently.”
Xu Yan pulled out his phone and checked. Sure enough, his alt account had several unread messages.
“It’s just coincidence,” he mumbled guiltily.
But the truth was, at the frequency Year messaged him, “coincidence” was hard to believe. Wasn’t Year supposed to be busy with work? Why was he suddenly so clingy—messaging every few minutes?
He opened the app to read:
20 minutes ago:
[Year]: Baby, are you awake?
[Year]: It’s time for class, right?
10 minutes ago:
[Year]: Why aren’t you replying, baby?
2 minutes ago:
[Year]: I miss you so much.
With people walking all around, Xu Yan didn’t reply—afraid someone might see—so he locked his phone and self-consciously touched his earlobe.
Shen Nanli happened to glimpse the last message and couldn’t help but comment, “Oh my god, top donor guy is completely head over heels for you.”
Once they reached the classroom, Xu Yan took out his phone to reply.
[Yanyan]: I’m in class now.
After that, he put his phone away and focused on the lecture.
By noon, he hadn’t received any more messages. Xu Yan met up with Shen Nanli and Shang Jia at the mall as planned. The three of them had agreed to eat lunch together and then watch a movie in the afternoon.
During the meal, Xu Yan got a message from his alt account. He glanced at it quickly:
[Year]: What’s baby doing this afternoon?
[Year]: Will you be in the dorm?
Of course Year remembered his schedule down to the detail. Xu Yan replied while holding a fork with one hand and typing with the other.
[Yanyan]: I’m eating out.
[Year]: With who?
[Yanyan]: Friends.
[Year]: What kind of friends?
[Year]: Guys or girls?
He was asking too many questions. Xu Yan didn’t want to tell the truth and was trying to think of how to dodge it.
Shang Jia, noticing Xu Yan glued to his phone even during lunch, asked, “Yanyan, who keeps messaging you? Don’t tell me you made a new bestie or something?”
Actually, Shang Jia and Shen Nanli were his best friends—he usually only talked closely with them. But now… there was someone else.
Shen Nanli chimed in, “It’s not a best friend. It’s a boyfriend.”
Shang Jia almost spat out her food. Her eyes went wide as saucers as she looked at Xu Yan, who sat there looking like an innocent baby bunny.
“Yanyan—wait—you have a boyfriend?!”
She emphasized those last three words, because she’d always assumed Xu Yan was just cute, gentle, soft-spoken, and a little delicate… Okay, maybe it made sense he’d end up with a boyfriend, but still—it was so sudden.
Xu Yan put his phone down, bit the spoon in his mouth, and said softly, “It hasn’t been that long.”
Since he was going to tell them eventually anyway, he took a deep breath and admitted, “Actually, it was just yesterday…”
“Yesterday?!”
Shang Jia felt like a precious, innocent cabbage had just been stolen right under her nose. She instantly became furious. “Who is it?! Do I know him? Don’t tell me it’s Zhou Zhengyi—he’s not good enough for you! Let me think, in our department, there’s not a single person worthy of you. So who is it?!”
While Shang Jia was spiraling, Shen Nanli calmly handed her a glass of water.
“Calm down, Jie. We don’t know him—it’s that top donor guy. I only just found out today, but I’m not as shocked as you are.”
Shang Jia was still in disbelief. “That top donor guy? Wait, what the hell? Yanyan, I thought you were just chatting for fun—how did you end up chatting yourself into a relationship?”
The whole thing was both complicated and not. No matter the reason, the fact remained that he had agreed to an online relationship.
“I don’t really know either,” Xu Yan said a little sadly. “But I plan to break up with him soon. I also don’t want to meet him offline.”
Shang Jia nodded. “Yeah, don’t meet up. You never know who’s actually on the other side of the screen. What do you even know about him? What’s his name? How tall is he? Is he skinny or fat? How old? Does he work or is he in school? Where’s he from?”
Xu Yan’s face went blank. He didn’t know a single answer.
Shang Jia and Shen Nanli looked utterly distressed. Their sweet, trusting bunny of a friend was about to be sold off and would probably still thank the buyer.
Shang Jia came up with an idea: “How about this—you try to casually ask him a few personal questions when you chat. See if he’ll actually tell you. Don’t just blindly trust everything he says. Keep your guard up. Who knows, he might be making it all up to trick you.”

Shen Nanli added, “Exactly. Even if he has money, maybe he’s ugly or weird in real life and couldn’t get a date, so he turned to online relationships. What if he’s targeting pretty little fools like you?”

Xu Yan blinked. “I’m not a fool. I have his photo.”

Shang Jia: “He actually sent you a photo?”

Shen Nanli: “What does he look like? Ugly? Handsome? Or just average?”

Xu Yan scrolled to the shirtless photo Year had sent, but hesitated. It felt too private—was it really okay to show this to someone else?

He didn’t end up showing the picture, only said, “His face isn’t in it.”

“You can’t tell anything if his face isn’t showing.”

The other two immediately lost interest.

Xu Yan took a sip of his milk tea. “His body… is kind of nice…”

He didn’t have much experience judging others’ bodies and didn’t know how hard it was to get that kind of muscle. But from his own aesthetic sense, he had to admit—though he didn’t want to—that the guy’s body was really good.

“How do you know his body’s nice?”

Shang Jia and Shen Nanli exchanged a glance, then both burst out in shocked screams:

“He sent you a nude?!!”

Xu Yan waved his hands frantically. “No, no, it’s not—it’s not a nude! Just… just no shirt!”

Shang Jia clapped her hands. “This top donor guy really knows what he’s doing! Yanyan, don’t be fooled! That body pic could be from the internet. And even if it’s not, it could be edited!”

Shen Nanli added, “Yanyan, don’t tell me you’re getting swayed by him too? It’s like you two are fishing for each other.”

“I’m not,” Xu Yan muttered while fidgeting with his fingers. “I’m not taking it seriously.”

Shen Nanli pointed at the phone on the table. “You’ve got another message.”

Shang Jia teased, “Top donor guy checking in again?”

Under their watchful eyes, Xu Yan opened his alt account and took a look.

[Year]: Baby, I’m really worried about you.

[Year]: You don’t have to meet me offline.