After I Cross-Dressed, Even My Roommate Kissed Me - Chapter 6

Pei Yisheng felt that he had been so infected by the people around him that he, too, had become a bit of a gossip. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the two of them walking closely together. They stopped in front of a takoyaki stall and ordered a portion.

“I’m not used to seafood, so I’ll just try two of yours,” Fang Xin said, looking somewhat embarrassed. “I—I don’t want to take advantage of you. Tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll buy it for you.”

“I really didn’t mean to… It’s just that I used to live in the countryside, and I’ve never seen these things before.”

Qi Min was tall and sturdy. He didn’t care at all about the rumors surrounding Fang Xin in class, nor did he care about the small change spent on food.

Hearing Fang Xin say he had never eaten or seen such things, Qi Min offered to give him the experience. “No need. I bought this for you. You’ll get used to it once you eat and see more of it. Aren’t the others in the wrong? Why are they always staring at you?”

Fang Xin looked at Qi Min gratefully. “Thank you, Qi Min. You are the first friend I’ve met here.”

Qi Min gave a hearty laugh and scratched his head. “You’re welcome.”

Soon the takoyaki was ready. The stall owner, having overheard the entire conversation, handed the box directly to Fang Xin, while Qi Min scanned the code to pay.

The two then walked toward the next food cart.

Pei Yisheng caught only a few stray words and figured it was just a new friend Fang Xin had made, so he stopped paying attention.

In any case, he firmly believed in the power of the plot. Even if this tall guy had certain intentions, he could only ever be cannon fodder.

Unless… unless Fang Xin was willing.

This was Pei Yisheng’s own speculation. Because in this story, Fang Xin was the protagonist, and the “leads” were also protagonists. Since the leads could make choices slightly different from the original plot, then Fang Xin naturally could too.

Deep down, Pei Yisheng felt a faint anxiety that he didn’t know how to dispel. Instead of fading over time, this worry made him increasingly uneasy even Su Yiyi noticed it.

“If you’re not in a good state, stop studying for a bit. You can’t keep going at it non stop like this,” Su Yiyi advised, thinking he was just exhausted.

Pei Yisheng shook his head. “It’s fine. Health is the capital of revolution; I won’t work myself to death.”

Seeing that he couldn’t be persuaded, Su Yiyi’s eyes darted around and said, “A friend of mine invited me to a bar near the school. Why don’t you come along with me to let off some steam?”

“There aren’t many people, just four or five. If you’re not comfortable, we can come back early,” Su Yiyi pleaded, clutching Pei Yisheng’s arm.

Pei Yisheng thought about it. The original plot didn’t seem to have a bar setting, so it should be safe.

He nodded in agreement, planning to go with Su Yiyi after class.

The bar wasn’t far from the school a short walk away. After class, the group of six, all handsome men and beautiful women, were very eye catching on the road.

Su Yiyi had specially dressed a bit “slutty.” Two other boys shared a similar style, while the two girls were more neutral, dressed coolly with a hint of punk. One of them looked at Pei Yisheng with sparkling eyes.

After the introductions, she kept talking to Pei Yisheng. “Shengsheng, you really hit all my aesthetic buttons. How can you grow up to be so good-looking? Those eyes, that mouth it’s a look I couldn’t achieve even in my next life.”

Pei Yisheng found the enthusiasm a bit hard to handle. “Chengcheng, you are very beautiful too.”

“I am pretty, but you are even prettier!” Chengcheng praised him unreservedly.

Su Yiyi, standing to the side, was laughing like crazy. “Chengcheng, Shengsheng is very traditional. He won’t play 4i with you, so don’t even think about kidnapping him.”

Chengcheng didn’t care. “I know. I just like talking to beautiful people.”

Pei Yisheng took a deep breath; his horizons were being expanded once again.

Upon entering the bar, Su Yiyi headed straight for a booth. Before long, a promoter brought out the drinks.

The atmosphere was lively. College students with nothing better to do gathered in groups to play. They didn’t even need the bar’s hosts or hostesses; they could have a blast on their own.

Soon, their booth went from full to having only Pei Yisheng and Chengcheng left. Even Su Yiyi had gone off to “forage,” saying that he had to find a handsome guy to kiss today.

The groups on either side were playing finger-guessing games with great fervor. Chengcheng asked Pei Yisheng if he wanted to join, but he shook his head. When one of the boys returned, Chengcheng ran over to play.

Although Pei Yisheng didn’t move, many people in the bar noticed him. It could be said that from the moment he entered, he was distinct enough from the rest.

When going out to have fun, people either dress for the occasion or let loose. Pei Yisheng did neither. He looked obedient and well-behaved. Some people had a sense of morality and didn’t have any designs on him, while others desperately wanted to pull him down to see how tempting his cheeks would look flushed with alcohol.

Cao Qing had hidden at home for over half a month before his face finally recovered. As soon as he was healed, he couldn’t sit still and hurriedly organized a group to come out and play. Listening to his lackeys flatter him one after another, he felt completely lightheaded.

The shadow of being severely beaten had faded, and his blurred eyes were already a bit dizzy. Seeing a beauty under the lights from a distance, Cao Qing’s base instincts surfaced again. He blew a wolf whistle and felt his way over.

Even as he approached, he didn’t notice anything wrong. The short hair on the beauty’s head only stayed in his sight for a second before his eyes went straight to the face. He held a glass up between them. “Beauty, have a drink. It’s on me tonight.”

Pei Yisheng found the voice familiar, and the face looked somewhat acquainted too. While the other man kept blathering on and his followers acted as wingmen, Pei Yisheng took a few more looks and actually remembered who he was.

It wasn’t just him who remembered; Cao Qing’s lackeys remembered too.

After all, being someone’s lackey required a sharp eye. They had clearly seen Qin Zhou’s attitude when he spoke to Pei Yisheng after the beating. That was someone protected by a living “Yama” someone their boss, Cao Qing, couldn’t afford to provoke.

Instantly, they bowed and scraped, flanking Cao Qing to hoist him up. “Uh, he’s drunk. Whatever he said wasn’t meant to offend you. Please be the bigger person and don’t tell Brother Qin. Our boss has really changed; we’ll keep an eye on him.”

Pei Yisheng was happy to have a way out. He nodded, his reserved composure like a sliver of moonlight, shattering many people’s dreams.

Cao Qing was considered a bully in this area. If there was someone even Cao Qing couldn’t touch, what capability did they have? One by one, they withdrew their offensive gazes, leaving Pei Yisheng in peace.

Pei Yisheng stayed a while longer until he felt a bit short of oxygen. He found Su Yiyi and told him he was going back.

Su Yiyi was still quite loyal. “Do you want me to walk you? Or should I just go back too? We have class tomorrow anyway.”

Pei Yisheng could tell he hadn’t had enough fun yet, so he smiled. “No need. It’s such a short distance, what could happen? I just don’t know where the others are, so you’ll have to look after them.”

“It’s fine. They all love to play. You’re the one I’m most worried about. I’ll go back with you.”

Having said that, Su Yiyi didn’t linger. He grabbed Pei Yisheng’s hand and they stepped out.

The air outside was indeed better. Pei Yisheng took several deep breaths, feeling as though the air in his lungs had been completely replaced, clearing his mind significantly.

He and Su Yiyi walked slowly toward the school, treading on the glow of streetlights and moonlight.

Although the root of Pei Yisheng’s anxiety hadn’t been resolved, experiencing something new was a good experience. Moreover, the bars near the school weren’t very chaotic and were well-managed, which reignited his previous thought about finding a part-time job at a bar.

He hadn’t finished his conversation with the bar promoter last time. This time, he would have a proper talk. If he could work part-time, he would fix a few time slots.

Thinking this, his heart felt a bit lighter.

Returning to the dormitory, the dark room gave him a sense of security. Humming a soft tune, he turned on the light.

The light flared up. Qin Zhou turned his head slightly to avoid it, a very small movement. Pei Yisheng hadn’t realized there was someone else in the room at all.

He followed his own rhythm brushing his teeth and showering. When he came out and saw Qin Zhou sitting boldly on the bed, shirtless and playing on his phone, he was stunned.

“Did… did I wake you? I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in the room,” Pei Yisheng explained softly.

Qin Zhou lifted his eyelids to glance at him, his voice carrying the nasal tone and hoarseness of someone who had just woken up. “It’s not your fault. No need to apologize.”

Pei Yisheng pursed his lips. His eyes darted twice, and upon catching sight of those well-defined abdominal muscles, he quickly looked away. Taking Qin Zhou’s words as truth, he nimbly climbed into bed to sleep.

Because it was already past his usual bedtime, he fell into a deep sleep almost effortlessly.

Listening to the faint sound of heavy breathing from the opposite bed, Qin Zhou let out a chuckle. He didn’t quite understand why he had sat up to say a few words to Pei Yisheng.

The guy didn’t even seem to care.

Qin Zhou turned and switched off the light, going to sleep as well.

Perhaps because he had been interrupted once, Qin Zhou didn’t feel very sleepy lying there. His thoughts wandered aimlessly, eventually landing on Pei Yisheng.

If he wanted to know about the Pei family’s affairs, he only needed to look at his father’s desk.

To put it bluntly, the Pei family was simply unlucky. They had taken on a failed construction project, and with their “umbrella” of protection falling from power, the family refused to default on wages or loans, which eventually dragged them down.

But even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Surely it wasn’t so bad that Pei Yisheng had to live frugally and work to earn money?

His small face looked even thinner than it did half a month ago.

Qin Zhou couldn’t figure it out. He wasn’t willing to rashly hire a detective not because of high morals, but because he felt that if he investigated, Pei Yisheng would be angry.

This was yet another inexplicable form of concern. Qin Zhou thought that it was better to wait until Pei Yisheng was willing to talk before learning the truth.

Pei Yisheng’s biological clock was very dedicated. Even though he had slept late, it still woke him up early. Unable to stay in bed, he simply got up.

Just like when he had returned, Qin Zhou was still sleeping. Pei Yisheng grabbed his toiletries and quietly went to the communal washroom.

On his way back, he bumped into Lin Jiayu carrying breakfast, looking worried about how to get into their dormitory.

Seeing Pei Yisheng, Lin Jiayu’s eyes lit up. “Shengsheng, quick, let me in! I brought breakfast for you too; it’s still warm.”

Pei Yisheng didn’t know when he had become so familiar with Lin Jiayu, but he still used his fingerprint to unlock the door. “The dorm is a bit messy, don’t mind it.”

“It’s fine. Dorms are small and people have a lot of stuff; it’s normal for it to be messy. A home only stays tidy if someone is diligent about cleaning,” Lin Jiayu’s voice trailed off as he saw the full view of Pei Yisheng’s dorm it was clean, tidy, and organized as if by someone with OCD.

Except for Qin Zhou’s bed. Seriously, brother, you’re embarrassing us!

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