Cross-dressing to Seduce My Straight Roommate - Chapter 12

“Ladies and gentlemen, the train is about to arrive at the station. The final destination of this train is Qiaochuan Island Station. Please ensure you have all your belongings with you and prepare to disembark. When getting off, please mind the gap between the train doors and the platform for your safety. Thank you for traveling with us, and we wish you a pleasant journey.”

 

The train announcement echoed through the carriage. Pei Xi slowly opened his tired eyes. The four-hour journey had left his back sore and his muscles stiff. Rubbing his stiff neck, he gazed drowsily out the window at the familiar sight of his hometown.

 

Unconsciously, the corners of his lips curved upward, and shallow dimples appeared on his cheeks.

 

Finally home.

 

Pei Xi stood up, stretched, and followed the crowd off the train.

 

He hadn’t brought much luggage—just a simple backpack containing a bottle of water and a power bank.

 

“Ring—”

 

Seeing the incoming call on his phone, Pei Xi answered with a smile. “Yeah, I just got off the train. I’m still inside the station. Did Dad come to pick me up?”

 

“Dad arrived twenty minutes ago,” Mu Mu’s gentle voice came through the receiver, tinged with laughter. “He’s wearing a red T-shirt and light blue jeans today. He should be waiting at the station entrance now. Keep an eye out for him.”

 

Hearing this, Pei Xi quickened his pace and soon spotted the familiar figure among the crowd.

 

Pei Jin was holding a cup of milk tea, looking around. The red T-shirt made him stand out.

 

“I see Dad!” Pei Xi’s voice was filled with excitement as he waved toward Pei Jin.

 

Mu Mu laughed softly. “That’s good. Be careful. Mom’s waiting for you both to come home for dinner.”

 

Pei Xi hung up the phone and hurried toward the exit. Weaving through the bustling crowd, he jogged toward the figure in red.

 

“Dad!”

 

Pei Jin opened his arms and hugged Pei Xi, his eyes crinkling into a smile. He handed over the milk tea. “It’s hot today. Have something cool to drink.”

 

Pei Xi eagerly inserted the straw and took a sip, soothing his dry throat.

 

The weather in Qiaochuan Island was pleasant, though today’s temperature still reached 36 degrees Celsius, with no sign of autumn’s arrival.

 

The buildings in the old district had no elevators. The stairwells were windowless and dimly lit. The white paint on the walls had been refreshed two years ago and still looked clean.

 

As soon as Pei Xi stepped onto the stairs, he caught the familiar aroma of home-cooked food.

 

He climbed to the third floor, where the door to his home was wide open. The scent of food wafted continuously from the kitchen. Pei Xi took a deep, greedy breath—it was the smell of stir-fried shrimp in sauce. Just a few days ago, he had told his mom he was craving this dish.

 

Hearing footsteps at the door, Mu Mu hurried out of the kitchen with a plate of food. Seeing Pei Xi after so many days, her eyes grew slightly moist. “Oh, our little treasure is back! Come wash your hands and eat. I made all your favorite dishes today. You must be hungry after such a long train ride, right?”

 

Pei Xi tossed his backpack onto the sofa and rushed over in a few strides, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in her shoulder. “Mom, I missed you so much.”

 

Mu Mu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and patted his back, chiding gently, “You’re so grown up now, still acting like a baby with your mom. Go wash your hands.”

 

Pei Xi let go and dashed toward the bathroom with a grin, calling over his shoulder, “I could smell our home-cooked food all the way from the stairwell!”

 

The lunch was sumptuous, featuring stir-fried shrimp in sauce, pine nut fish, cola chicken wings, sweet and sour pork ribs, and a plate of stir-fried greens.

 

Pei Xi sat down and first picked up a piece of pork rib. It was sweet and sour, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—different from the sweet and sour ribs made in Ningcheng. His mother’s version was more fragrant and delicious.

 

“Mom’s cooking is the best in the world,” he mumbled, his mouth still full of rice.

 

Mu Mu and Pei Jin barely touched their chopsticks, simply watching him eat and occasionally adding more food to his bowl.

 

This was Pei Xi’s first time traveling far from home, and he had been away for nearly a month. Mu Mu and Pei Jin had been worried, checking in with him daily through their family WeChat group.

 

“You seem to have lost a little weight,” Pei Jin observed, frowning slightly as he looked at Pei Xi’s face. “Is our little treasure not used to the food in Ningcheng?”

 

Pei Xi quickly shook his head. “The food in Ningcheng is quite good. I eat a lot every day.”

 

“It might be because of the military training. With the increased daily activity, you’ve slimmed down. Speaking of which, after so many days of training, you haven’t gotten tanned at all,” Mu Mu said, placing another piece of rib in his bowl and studying his face carefully. “I thought with Ningcheng’s strong sun, you’d definitely get a little darker.”

 

Pei Xi had been worried about this too, but hearing his mother’s words put his mind at ease.

 

During the military training, he had used three entire bottles of sunscreen, applying a thick layer every day. He had also finished a whole jar of post-sun repair cream and gone through several boxes of face masks.

 

After all, as a streamer who relied on his looks, his face was his most important asset.

 

After the meal, Pei Xi offered to help clean up, but Mu Mu stopped him, telling him to rest.

 

“Our little treasure doesn’t need to do chores when he’s home. Just relax.”

 

Sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, falling on Mu Mu and Pei Jin as they worked in the kitchen—one washing dishes, the other tidying the stove.

 

The faucet ran with a steady flow, and the clinking of dishes was crisp and pleasant.

 

Pei Xi lay on the sofa watching a variety show, suddenly feeling that this was what coming home felt like.

 

He dozed off on the sofa for half an hour before waking up. His parents had already left for work.

 

On the coffee table was a note left by his mother, held down by his water cup, telling him there was cut fruit in the fridge for him to eat when he woke up.

 

Pei Xi carried the fruit plate back to his room.

 

The room was exactly as he had left it—the bed neatly made, the curtains drawn open, and sunlight pouring in, warming the entire room. Even the succulent on his desk was well cared for, plump and healthy.

 

He placed the fruit plate on the desk, grabbed his pajamas, and headed to the bathroom for a shower. It was time to prepare for his livestream.

 

After applying his makeup, there was still plenty of time before the stream started, so Pei Xi took plenty of photos for future use.

 

After the National Day holiday, his next livestream might be a long time away.

 

Outside, the sky hadn’t fully darkened yet. An orange-red sunset painted half the sky, its light seeping through the gaps in the curtains and falling onto the floor of his room, creating a cozy atmosphere.

 

Pei Xi uploaded a few photos to Douyin.

 

【Xixi: Miss you all~ See you tonight at 7 p.m. OuO】

 

As soon as the video was posted, the number of likes in the backend began to skyrocket.

 

【Baby! You’re finally back!! Missed you so much!!】

 

【Who wouldn’t be mesmerized by this!!】

 

【I’m refreshing like crazy, why isn’t the stream starting yet ahhh】

 

Pei Xi touched up his makeup in the mirror and began his livestream.

 

The moment the stream went live, comments flooded in like a tide, and viewers kept pouring into the live room.

 

“Hello~ babies, good evening! Long time no see~”

 

【Xixi!! I’m here!!】

 

【Wow, it’s been almost a month!】

 

【Missed you so much!!! Wuwu Q_Q】

 

【My fan badge can finally be renewed. National Day is coming up, so you’ll be streaming for several days, right? Right?】

 

【Is Xixi back home? The familiar room setup!】

 

Pei Xi leaned closer to the phone screen and adjusted his bangs. “Yeah, after military training ended, we got a break. I probably won’t be back at school until the 6th or 7th, so I’ll be streaming for everyone during this time.”

 

【Beauty overload!!】

 

【Screen licking time (O﹃O)】

 

Pei Xi was wearing a deep red spaghetti-strap dress today, adorned with many roses on the chest and hem. The skirt fell just above the knees and would flutter lightly when he twirled.

 

He was wearing pure black, wavy wig today, with a delicate, vibrant red rose clipped by his ear. His makeup also differed greatly from his usual sweet style—today, he was going for a sexy look.

 

【User10557880 gifted Fan Badge ×1】

 

【User10557880 gifted Little Hearts ×520】

 

“Thank you, User-ge, for the Little Hearts.” Pei Xi hadn’t expected the other person to actually be waiting in his live room, arriving the moment he started streaming. His voice carried a hint of laughter. “Thank you all for coming. It’s been a long time since I last danced for everyone. Is there any dance you’d like to see?”

 

【Thanks to User-ge for the Little Hearts~】

 

【Xixi, we love watching you dance no matter what!!】

 

The comments were filled with praise for him, so Pei Xi had no choice but to select a few familiar dance BGM tracks from his music library and play them in order.

 

It had been quite a while since he last danced, and his movements felt rusty.

 

Pei Xi felt his stamina had improved. He wasn’t even out of breath after dancing through these songs. It seemed the physical training over the past twenty-some days had been quite effective.

 

“Thank you, User-ge, for the handcrafted Little Hearts~” Pei Xi looked at the continuously scrolling comments, picking and choosing which to reply to. “I don’t feel like doing PK battles today. It’s been so long since I last streamed, so I just want to chat with everyone.”

 

【User10557880 gifted Luxury Cruise ×1】

 

【User10557880 gifted True Love Eternal ×1】

 

【User10557880 gifted Douyin No. 1 ×1】

 

Suddenly, gift effects exploded across his screen. Pei Xi laughed in pleasant surprise. “Wow, thank you, User-ge, for the gifts.”

 

He stood up, made a heart gesture toward the camera, and then performed two short dances as a thank-you.

 

【User-ge is working on the exhibition hall again】

 

【Every time User-ge comes to the stream, he just coolly sends gifts without saying a word. A heartless gift-sending robot, an AI?】

 

【Thanks to User-ge for lighting up the exhibition hall, boss is generous!!】

 

When Pei Xi returned after dancing and saw the comments filled with “AI,” he was taken aback. “What are you all saying about AI?”

 

【They’re saying User-ge is an AI】

 

【Saying he’s from a studio here to boost votes】

 

“User-ge couldn’t possibly be an AI.” Pei Xi was amused by their comments. “Where would I get the money to hire a studio to boost votes for me? You all think too highly of me. Honestly, I’m broke. If I had money, I probably wouldn’t even be in the live-streaming industry.”

 

The barrage comments were a bit rowdy today, with several users sporting fan badges spamming the screen. Pei Xi subtly furrowed his brow before raising a smile and saying to the camera, “Then how about the user brother says a few words to clear things up?”

 

【User 10557880: Hmm? What should I say?】

 

【User 10557880】used a floating barrage comment, and a few lines of golden text appeared in the center of the screen.

 

【User 10557880: I’m not an AI, nor am I from a studio.】

 

【User 10557880 sent Carnival ×1】

 

【User 10557880 sent Carnival ×5】

 

【User 10557880 sent Carnival ×52】

 

【User 10557880: What more proof do you need?】

 

The screen was filled with special effects, drowning out all the doubts, leaving only the barrage comments uniformly spamming 【666】.

 

Pei Xi vaguely felt that 【User 10557880】was angry. He quickly switched to the backend and sent a private message.

 

【Xixi: Cat lying down.jpg】

 

【Xixi: Cat secretly observing.jpg】

 

【Xixi: Are you angry, brother?】

 

【Xixi: Cat trembling.jpg】

 

The gift effects lasted for several minutes. Pei Xi added the troublemaking users to the blacklist, straightened his face, pursed his lips, and said, “Don’t spam baseless comments. I’m very grateful to the user brother for supporting me. He’s a benefactor in my streaming career, helping me win many PK battles and silently protecting me. He’s a very, very good person.”

 

By the end, Pei Xi’s voice was thick with emotion, his eyes glistening as if he were about to cry at any moment.

 

【User 10557880: Don’t cry.】

 

【User 10557880: It’s not worth getting angry over.】

 

【User 10557880: Your streams are great, that’s why they attract me.】

 

After the troublemakers were blacklisted, with no one left to stir up trouble, the barrage comments became peaceful.

 

【Exactly! Who was spamming that our user big shot is an AI?! Thank you, user brother, for your support! You helped us discover Xixi, this treasure!!】

 

【User brother is truly a benefactor! Since he arrived, the number of viewers in Xiao Bao’s stream has multiplied several times!】

 

【Wuwu, thank you, user brother, for protecting our little Xiao Bao!!】

 

【Xiao Bao, don’t cry Q_Q】

 

【Our Xiao Bao is the best! And our user brother is the best too!! I won’t allow anyone to defy our little Xiao Bao and user brother!!】

 

Pei Xi looked at the comforting words in the barrage comments, feeling warmth in his heart. He quietly sniffled and huffed, “I’m not crying, there’s just sand in my eyes.”

 

【User 10557880: Our Xiao Bao is the strongest, he would never cry.】

 

Pei Xi stared at this floating barrage comment, his gaze stunned as he looked blankly at the screen, hardly believing that 【User 10557880】had said such a thing.

 

This sentence didn’t sound like 【User 10557880】’s usual style. Though it was meant to comfort him, it carried a teasing tone that made Pei Xi blush. He pressed his lips together tightly and said angrily, “Of course!!”

 

Pei Xi gradually calmed down, retrieving the forgotten fruit platter from the corner. He nibbled on watermelon while responding to the barrage comments.

 

“I’ll probably start streaming at 7 PM tomorrow as well. I’ll be streaming every day for the next few days, until the National Day holiday ends.”

 

“Is Ningcheng fun?” Pei Xi hesitated for a moment. He didn’t really like talking about these topics, but since so many people asked, he picked a few questions to answer: “Ningcheng is pretty fun, but the weather is just too hot.”

 

“How are things with your roommates? Hmm… I think it’s okay. They’re all really kind people and take good care of me.”

 

“I might consider renting a place near the school, but I haven’t made a decision yet.”

 

“I’m eating a pear. It helps soothe the throat.”

 

After chatting for almost half an hour, Pei Xi was starting to feel tired. He glanced at the clock on the wall—it was still early, just past 8 PM. Seeing the comments still scrolling nonstop, he tentatively said, “It’s about time, isn’t it? Should I end the stream?”

 

[What kind of talk is this?! You’ve only been live for an hour!!]

 

[Are you planning to quit streaming, host?!]

 

[It’s only 8 PM! Wake up, Q_Q]

 

[You’ve only talked with us for a bit, and you’re already ending the stream? At least stream until 10 PM!]

 

Pei Xi yawned, looking at the reluctant comments, and coaxed them a little: “I don’t want to leave you either, so I’ll stream a bit longer. I’m just a little tired today. How about I stream longer tomorrow?”

 

[User10557880: If you’re tired, rest early. You can stream again tomorrow.]

 

Pei Xi leaned on the table, moving closer to the camera. His big eyes blinked, looking especially adorable.

 

“How about I prepare some little games for everyone tomorrow?”

 

“I don’t know how to play Honor of Kings, League of Legends, or PUBG, but I can download one and learn.”

 

As the conversation continued, it drifted back to his real life. Pei Xi’s previously drowsy eyes suddenly widened. “I don’t have anyone I like in real life, and I don’t have any plans to date for now.”

 

[Does Xiao Bao like boys or girls?]

 

[???]

 

[Is that something you can ask?]

 

Pei Xi didn’t hide anything. In front of everyone in the stream, he answered very honestly:

 

“I like boys.”