After I Cross-Dressed, Even My Roommate Kissed Me - Chapter 10

Why was Cao Qing calling him?

Although Pei Yisheng wasn’t sure of the reason, he answered anyway. Given Cao Qing’s penchant for drinking and partying, he’d likely end up slumped on some roadside in the middle of the night. It was safer to pick up, just in case this was the guy’s “one last call” before passing out.

As expected, the call yielded nothing useful. Cao Qing was in the middle of a drunken frenzy, insisting on becoming Pei Yisheng’s “little brother” and demanding that Qin Zhou cover for him while he, in turn, covered for Pei Yisheng.

What a complete mess.

Pei Yisheng heard other voices in the background and realized that even if he hung up, someone would look after Cao Qing. He offered a few vague words of comfort and ended the call.

After hanging up, Pei Yisheng remembered that Wen Xiuyun had seemed to be saying something to him earlier. “What did you just say? Sorry, the ringtone was too loud and I didn’t hear you clearly.”

Wen Xiuyun smiled. “It’s nothing. I’ve forgotten it myself.”

There was no need to repeat words that had been interrupted. It had been a momentary impulse; now that he had calmed down and thought about it, Pei Yisheng might not necessarily agree. Why invite a rebuff?

Moreover… Pei Yisheng had become different from before.

Although Wen Xiuyun didn’t know who Pei Yisheng had been talking to, he could tell from the tone of voice that they were quite close. Calling after midnight suggested at least a close friend a person who hadn’t existed before Wen Xiuyun left. It had only been half a month.

How could Pei Yisheng be so “restless”? It was one thing to give Song Wen the cold shoulder Song Wen truly wasn’t a good person but in all fairness, Wen Xiuyun had never exposed his own unpleasant side in front of Pei Yisheng. Why, then, did the boy have such a strong guard against him?

Wen Xiuyun narrowed his eyes. He had long regarded Pei Yisheng as a prize in his pocket; he wouldn’t let him slip away.

In the blink of an eye, Wen Xiuyun decided not to move back home for the time being. He wanted Pei Yisheng to realize the reality: only he was the best choice for him.

Wen Xiuyun pulled a bag out from beside the desk. “This is a souvenir I brought back from my trip. Shengsheng, why don’t you see if you like it?”

“Why did you bring me a gift? It’s too expensive, I can’t accept it.”

“It’s nothing valuable. Just some small things I picked up while wandering through the folk streets. You’ll see when you look.”

Hearing this, Pei Yisheng opened the gift box and saw a jumble of items inside: a small ceramic pig, a hand-carved wooden rabbit, and a bamboo wind chime. At a glance, there were seven or eight items. They weren’t expensive, but they were clearly chosen with care.

He closed the box. “Thank you.”

“As long as you don’t think it’s childish. It’s getting late, go get some rest,” Wen Xiuyun said with a gentle smile.

As if granted a pardon, Pei Yisheng scurried into the bathroom, quickly finished his business, exchanged goodnights with Wen Xiuyun, and climbed into bed to sleep.

He slept until noon, and the dormitory was already empty.

However, there was a cold breakfast on his desk with a sticky note left by Wen Xiuyun.

Pei Yisheng sighed, feeling that trouble was brewing.

No matter how nice or considerate Wen Xiuyun acted, he was still one of the “Protagonist Gongs.” He wasn’t a good person at his core; his gentlemanly demeanor was entirely a facade. Therefore, Pei Yisheng didn’t take any of Wen Xiuyun’s actions to heart.

However, judging by actions rather than intent, since Wen Xiuyun was being thoughtful and polite, Pei Yisheng had to reciprocate. Simply accepting everything wouldn’t work he wouldn’t have a leg to stand on when it came time to settle scores later.

Seriously, when was Fang Xin going to move in? Why hadn’t he used his charm to make the Protagonist Gongs head over heels yet?

Pei Yisheng felt like he couldn’t take much more of this.

He soon noticed that Wen Xiuyun was spending more and more time in the dormitory and becoming increasingly intimate.

When Pei Yisheng returned from the library with Su Yiyi at night, Wen Xiuyun would leave the light on for him and prepare snacks. Sometimes, while Pei Yisheng was doing homework in the dorm, Wen Xiuyun would sit beside him and ask if he needed help.

Every time this happened, Pei Yisheng’s skin crawled.

He proactively extended his study time outside the dorm and became very diligent with work. He did everything he could to avoid being alone with Wen Xiuyun. He felt that Wen Xiuyun was planning something big, and his intuition told him he wouldn’t like it.

The weather was getting colder, and Pei Yisheng was starting to enjoy sleeping in especially lately, as his wandering thoughts had led to poor sleep quality. He found it harder to leave his warm bed. But he had work today at Meng Zihua’s studio. He counted to a hundred with his eyes closed before gritting his teeth and getting up.

No wonder it was cold; an autumn rain was falling.

Fine droplets of rain created a hazy mist, and the chill made him shiver. Pei Yisheng wrapped his clothes tightly and hadn’t walked a hundred meters before his nose started running and he called a taxi.

At the studio, Meng Zihua was handing out milk tea. It was warm and sweet, and Pei Yisheng sucked up the taro balls, chewing happily.

After a month of initiation, Pei Yisheng had become quite composed regarding female crossplay. While he wouldn’t say he enjoyed it, he no longer felt anxious or resistant. Even when Linda gave him tiny scraps of fabric to wear, he put them on without changing his expression.

Today’s cosplay was an anime character: a twin-tailed lolita. The skirt barely covered his backside, and his long, fair legs were encased in loose socks and custom Lolita shoes. He looked like an oversized porcelain doll. He was so adorable that the guys in the studio kept peeking at him, looking like they wanted to say something but held back, which actually made Pei Yisheng blush.

After an hour of shooting, the studio shots and post-processing couldn’t meet the client’s requirements. Meng Zihua made the call: they were going on location.

To preserve the integrity of Pei Yisheng’s look, Meng Zihua found him a furry cape. “Shengsheng, it’s a bit cold. It’s hard on you, but please endure it for a bit. Don’t worry, there’s a subsidy for location shoots. I’ll make sure to compensate you well.”

“Senior, you’re being too formal,” Pei Yisheng said, obediently wrapping himself in the cape like a delicate piece of white sugar cake. “Let’s go. The sooner we shoot, the sooner we finish.”

Meng Zihua’s studio had been open for years, and today’s client ranked in the top three for being difficult. No matter how excellent her models were or how hard the post-processing team worked, the client always found something to complain about it was as if they were there specifically to make her life miserable.

From dawn to dusk, Meng Zihua’s patience finally ran out.

“Last time. If it doesn’t work, tell him to get lost.”

Pei Yisheng’s fingertips were white with cold, and he was feeling drowsy. Meng Zihua felt terrible seeing him like this and immediately called a car for him. “Shengsheng, go back to the dorm and rest. Take a hot shower as soon as you get there and take some cold medicine. Don’t get sick in this weather. That god awful client is definitely going on my blacklist!”

Pei Yisheng nodded dazedlly and was escorted into the car by Meng Zihua.

Meng Zihua watched the car disappear around the corner, but she felt like she had forgotten something. A flash of realization almost hit her, but she was called back by the client before she could grasp it.

It wasn’t until Pei Yisheng was almost at the dormitory that Meng Zihua remembered: she forgot to let him change his clothes!

Help!!!

Pei Yisheng had fallen asleep as soon as he got into the car. During the nearly hour-long ride, he slept quite comfortably. The professional driver was very ethical, and the warm air from the heater allowed him to relax completely. When his phone rang, Pei Yisheng answered lazily.

“Shengsheng! You’re still… in girl’s clothes!!”

“!!!”

Pei Yisheng’s eyes widened in terror. In the rearview mirror, his eyes were sparkling and bright. He touched his legs they were bare and warm to the touch.

But Pei Yisheng’s heart went cold.

What was he supposed to do?

Meng Zihua gave him advice over the phone: put on a mask, take off the cape, find a time when there were few people, and sneak into the dorm. As long as no one checked, he wouldn’t be exposed. Or, he could just stay at a hotel outside the school for the night.

Pei Yisheng immediately ruled out the hotels near the school. Those were where young couples went; the chances of running into a classmate were as high as being in the school itself. Plus, he’d have to register at the front desk, so that was a no-go.

Going to a hotel further away would be the same as going back to the studio another hour of traveling. Pei Yisheng was truly exhausted.

He looked up at the dormitory balcony. It was dark; no one was in the room. It was already lights-out time for the building, so there shouldn’t be many people in the corridors. He could probably sneak in.

Pei Yisheng gathered his courage, stepped out of the car, splashed through a puddle, and ran toward the entrance. He stealthily swiped his key card and sprinted upstairs. The moment he shut the door, his heart was still pounding.

He made it! Yes!

Pei Yisheng shared the good news with his senior. Under her praise, he felt lightheaded with relief as he took his pajamas to go shower.

He hummed a song, slowly undoing his hair ribbons.

He had no idea that the moment he stepped out of the car, someone had seen him.

Qin Zhou had been very annoyed lately. He felt something was off with himself; he kept wanting to go back to the dorm for no reason. He disciplined Cao Qing once a week, listening to him ramble about how “obedient” and “sensible” he was, and how he had looked after Pei Yisheng at the bar.

He had finished a few drinks today. Though not drunk, he felt mentally relaxed. He walked back to the dorm with his hands in his pockets.

From about a hundred meters away, he saw a long-haired girl get out of a car. A fleeting glimpse of her profile told him she was beautiful. In fact, that side profile seemed somewhat familiar.

The girl headed straight for his dormitory building. Strangely enough, she entered smoothly.

Qin Zhou pressed his tongue against his cheek and followed without a second thought.

He carefully maintained his distance from the girl as they ascended the stairs. The scent of orange blossoms lingered in the air like an invisible thread guiding him.

At the turn of the stairs, her hair fluttered, and her intricate skirt swayed slightly. Below the hem, her long, straight legs climbed three steps at a time, the muscles in her calves tightening. It was incredibly beautiful.

Qin Zhou thought, She’s simply dropping dead gorgeous.

He even noticed a partial wet footprint on the step like a Cinderella who would vanish at midnight the water mark slowly evaporating into the air.

Qin Zhou followed unhurriedly. Seeing that they were reaching his floor, he even had the mind to wonder who was so bold as to bring a girlfriend to the male dormitory. But that guy wasn’t being a gentleman, so it shouldn’t matter if he tried to “poach” her and offer her a better life, right?

“Hey, Qin Zhou, perfect timing. I have something for you. The teacher said you must fill out this form. It won’t take two minutes, just fill it out here so I can turn it in.”

In those two seconds, the figure upstairs vanished.

Qin Zhou looked coldly at the intruder. The thick-skinned class monitor was undeterred, even shoving the form toward Qin Zhou’s face.

Support After I Cross-Dressed, Even My Roommate Kissed Me