After I Cross-Dressed, Even My Roommate Kissed Me - Chapter 1

“Yisheng, are you feeling any better? Get up and eat.”

The takeout bag from Xianwei Restaurant was placed on the table. A curl of steam drifted toward Pei Yisheng’s nose. Like a cat lured by dried fish, he braced his arms and struggled to flip over, pulling back the bed curtain and reaching down from his bunk.

His flushed face, sleep-mussled hair, messy collar, and eyes reddened like scorching peach blossoms all wordlessly drew the gaze of others.

“The fever has gone down a little. I took medicine this morning,” Pei Yisheng replied sluggishly to Wen Xiuyun. “Thanks for the food. Tell me how much it was, and I’ll transfer the money to you.”

As he spoke, Pei Yisheng reached under his pillow. After a couple of swipes and finding nothing, he turned his head with a slow-motion look of surprise. “Where is my phone?”

He clearly remembered putting it by his pillow; it was a habit of his. He couldn’t have forgotten it just because of a fever. He grew a bit anxious, his back breaking into a light sweat. His dry, pale mouth pursed; the rough, peeling skin from dehydration acted like tiny blades, poking until they bled.

“Don’t worry, it definitely isn’t lost. We’ll look for it slowly in a bit. It’s just a dinner; do you really think I’d take your money?” Wen Xiuyun grasped Pei Yisheng’s wrist, applying a bit of pressure to hold him steady, while his other hand pressed a tissue against Pei Yisheng’s lips. “It’s bleeding. Wipe it first.”

Before Pei Yisheng could look over, Wen Xiuyun retracted his hand.

“Oh, you’re awake? And the food is already here?” The newcomer raised an eyebrow. His smirk faded slightly as he narrowed his eyes at Wen Xiuyun standing by the bed. Seeing Wen Xiuyun rubbing his fingertips, his expression cooled further.

“Shengsheng, I brought you chicken soup. You can’t be biased and only eat the food Xiuyun brought, right?” Song Wen had the face of a “bad boy,” but he was wealthy to boot. His sweet talk came in sets, and he was better at acting jealous than a club host.

Pei Yisheng had been living in dire straits lately, and eighty percent of that was thanks to Song Wen’s mouth.

“I’ll eat it all, I’ll eat it all. You’re both my good roommates. Let me just wash my hands and I’ll be right there.”

Ignoring his dizziness, he bolted off the bed like the wind and rushed into the washroom. After a quick face wash, he let out a long sigh of relief.

What a disaster. He was just an ordinary “scholar.” How did he end up transmigrating into this world just because he spoke up for justice in the comments of a smutty manga?!

Transmigrating was one thing, but he had managed to secure a spot in a dormitory filled with “Top” protagonists. Wasn’t this like a mosquito biting a wooden puppet picking the wrong target?

Don’t be fooled by their kind attitudes; it was all an illusion. Once they met the “Bottom” protagonist, they would ruthlessly kick him out of the dorm in a heartbeat and welcome the protagonist in with a grand palanquin.

He had no complaints about this; in fact, he hoped the protagonist would show up sooner. After all, being a “water-balancer” trying to keep everyone happy was exhausting.

The moment Pei Yisheng disappeared behind the door, Song Wen stopped pretending. He looked at Wen Xiuyun with a cold sneer and hissed in a low voice, “Hypocrite. Despicable. We agreed to compete fairly, yet you make a move while I’m away. If you’re going to play like that, I’ll take him to bed tonight and have some real fun.”

“Which eye saw me making a move? You know how guarded he is. If I had actually touched him, he’d have curled up and refused to leave the bed by now.” Wen Xiuyun’s expression was cold as he stared down at his fingertips.

Song Wen couldn’t stand him. “Hmph. Consider yourself lucky you kept your word.”

“Likewise.”

Pei Yisheng didn’t dare stay inside too long. Otherwise, one or both of them would come to ask what was wrong or if he needed help. The first time they had asked him that, he had been stunned, wanting to ask: Are you gay guys always this helpful?

As soon as he came out, the tension between the two instantly smoothed over. Wen Xiuyun pulled out a chair for him. “Yisheng, fill your stomach first. These soup dumplings from Xianwei Restaurant won’t taste good if they get cold.”

“Who gets soup dumplings for takeout? Next time, I’ll take you to the restaurant to eat.” Song Wen draped his arm across the back of Pei Yisheng’s chair, leaning his head close to his shoulder. Seeing the less-than-perfect appearance of the dumplings, he secretly turned his head to make a face at Wen Xiuyun.

Pei Yisheng thought they were fine. Each dumpling was packed individually in a small crystal bowl. The broth was fresh and delicious worthy of the Xianwei Restaurant name.

“It’s okay! I’ve been there before. The taste is only off by ten or twenty percent; it’s no big deal.”

Pei Yisheng ate quite happily. His family had, after all, gone bankrupt. Since the “consumption downgrade,” he had basically said goodbye to restaurants like Xianwei, where a single meal cost a month’s worth of his food budget.

Wen Xiuyun shot a provocative smile at Song Wen and said softly to Pei Yisheng, “I also had them pack some new side dishes. Try them.”

“Mmm! They’re crunchy. They’d be even better with porridge.” Pei Yisheng was an expert at providing emotional validation.

When he was about sixty percent full, he pulled the chicken soup toward him, beginning his daily “water-balancing” act. “The chicken soup is delicious too. The meat is so tender. This is great.”

Song Wen beamed. “Of course. The master chef has worked at my house for twenty years. If you want to drink it again, just tell me. I’ll take you home to have some.”

Pei Yisheng didn’t dare agree to that. What if the protagonist group held a grudge later and dragged him into it?

He lowered his head and drank vigorously.

After a warm meal, Pei Yisheng truly felt much better. Every pore felt as if it had been through a sauna; his body felt two pounds lighter, and his head was no longer groggy.

“Thank you so much. Once I’m better, I’ll treat you both to a meal.”

Although Wen Xiuyun and Song Wen couldn’t stand each other, they both wished to spend more time with Pei Yisheng, so neither refused. As for how to ditch the “third wheel” and eat alone with him later that would depend on their own skills.

Pei Yisheng tidied up the takeout trash and was about to take the thermos to wash it when Song Wen quickly pressed down on his shoulder, preventing him from standing up. “No need for you to handle such small things. I’ll take it back.”

If he didn’t have time to take it back, he’d just throw it away; Song Wen did that often. He tilted his chin. “You should rest more. Get back to bed.”

Wen Xiuyun urged him as well. In the dorm, Pei Yisheng never went against the young masters’ wishes. If they told him to rest, he went to rest.

Returning to his small bed, Pei Yisheng felt much more comfortable.

His fever hadn’t fully broken yet; eating had only restored some of his energy. The moment he lay down, he felt his entire being relax, and before long, he drifted into a hazy sleep.

He fell asleep so quickly that Wen Xiuyun didn’t even get a chance to give him his medicine. Song Wen leaned against the table with his arms crossed, looking incredibly smug at Wen Xiuyun’s frustration. Some “gentle and cold scholar” more like a hypocritical old fox.

Seeing there was no more advantage to be gained, Song Wen didn’t bother staying in the dorm. He grabbed the thermos and left, closing the door behind him.

A short while later, Wen Xiuyun also received a call and stepped out.

As if sensing safety in the air, Pei Yisheng slept even more soundly. If it hadn’t been for someone storming into the dorm in the middle of the night, waking him with a chaotic mess of footsteps and voices, his sleep would have been perfect.

“Brother Qin, you’re really not going home? The dorm conditions definitely aren’t as good as home. Staying here is just suffering. Why not come to my place?” a slightly flattering voice persuaded.

The person being persuaded looked up. A cold, sharp gaze shot toward the speaker, instantly choking back the rest of his words. Seeing the other person’s sheepish smile, Qin Zhou found it tedious.

He surveyed the dorm once more, still finding it cramped. Looking at the people in front of him made it even more of an eyesore. The hostility in his expression was almost uncontainable, and his voice was as cold as a blade. “Fine. All of you, go back.”

The moment Qin Zhou had looked up, everyone had fallen silent as if chilled to the bone. Now that he gave the word, they filed out like puppets. No one dared to say another word. The last person closed the door with extreme care, fearing that the volume of the click might provoke the “King of Hell” and lead to consequences they couldn’t handle.

With the extra people gone, the space felt much larger.

Qin Zhou, however, still wore a cold face, looking irritable.

The drag race he had planned for tonight had been abruptly cancelled, leaving him with a belly full of fire. Returning only to hear an earful of useless nonsense had made his head throb. Qin Zhou gritted his teeth, his fingers pressing hard against his temples.

Pei Yisheng pricked up his ears to listen to the movement outside. It had been chaotic people talking, people being afraid, and then people leaving. Now, only Qin Zhou remained.

He bit his lip and carefully rolled over. Two tiny versions of himself were fighting a fierce battle in his head: To go to the bathroom? Or not to go to the bathroom?

Pei Yisheng’s logic told him not to go out and risk triggering Qin Zhou’s bad mood, especially since Qin Zhou sounded quite unhappy. But he had drunk too much chicken soup before bed… He cursed Song Wen for being so troublesome and complained about the disruptive Qin Zhou, but finally decided to go to the bathroom.

Nothing was more important than his physical needs!

The sound of rustling fabric came from the upper bunk across the room. Qin Zhou shot a cold look over. He wasn’t the type to believe in ghosts; it was obviously a roommate. He thought to himself that this person was quite patient they hadn’t said a word during the commotion earlier. So why come out now? It couldn’t be to try and suck up to him at this hour.

That ship had sailed.

Qin Zhou stared expressionlessly at the ladder area, wanting to see who was being so “unique.”

A fair foot emerged first, followed by half of a slender calf. As if startled by the coldness of the steps, the toes curled slightly. The moment the foot pressed down firmly, the sole turned a rosy pink. The rich blood flow gave that porcelain-like skin a touch of life.

Qin Zhou silently took it all in. His gaze followed the calf upward, inch by inch, until he reached the thigh. The thin sleepwear was ruffled from rolling around in bed, carrying a loose, lazy air. A snowy curve of the waist flashed by, and Qin Zhou’s eyes were drawn to the next sight: a pale chest, a graceful neck, and a stunningly beautiful face.

Pei Yisheng was completely unaware of the scanning gaze. His only focus was getting to the bathroom quietly. Perhaps because his fever had only recently broken, his strength hadn’t fully returned. He moved sluggishly, his fingers gripping the horizontal bars of the bed with all his might to avoid slipping and falling.

Focusing his weight on his feet left him no room to wonder why Qin Zhou was so quiet. Pei Yisheng moved down step by step. The last step was a bit high; he tried to be careful, but his legs gave way. He lurched, tilting toward the floor. If he landed hard, it would mean either a leg injury or a very sore backside.

Pei Yisheng’s heart hung in suspense.

The next second, he himself was suspended!

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