Chapter 4: The Cross-Dressing Part-Time Job — His Ge Is Wearing a Skirt and Posturing Seductively inside.
“Taking your brother out for a walk again?” the neighbor auntie greeted them with a beaming smile. “The young man is really handsome.”
“Mn, just walking around a bit.”
Once they had walked a few steps away, the whispering and tongue-wagging started behind them.
“I heard he’s a cripple.”
“How is he crippled? He walks fine. He just doesn’t like to talk; probably has something wrong with his brain.”
“He must have injured his bones. You don’t see him come out once in a blue moon. Don’t know where he came from either… they say he’s a distant relative, but after all these years, I’ve never heard of Chunrong having such a relative.”
“Poor kid, that Xiaonian. His parents died, and now he’s stuck with a paralyzed burden like this. How will he manage in the future?”
“Forget it, forget it. At least Xiaonian has a companion. Worry about yourself.”
“…”
Jiang Yunian glanced cautiously at Jiang Yan, only to see the man walking steadily, completely unaffected.
When Jiang Yan first arrived, his legs weren’t working well, so he didn’t like going out. Now that he was mostly recovered, they occasionally came out for fresh air, but they still couldn’t escape the gossip. When asked, Jiang Yunian had explained that Jiang Yan was neither crippled nor stupid, but no one believed him.
If there wasn’t something wrong with him, why would he be leeching off you?
Gossips always complain their tongues aren’t thick enough; the two of them couldn’t be bothered to pay attention. But soon, Jiang Yunian discovered some unfamiliar malice that couldn’t be dodged.
“Look! The idiot!”
A coin-sized stone smashed near their feet. Both paused and looked over.
At the entrance of the convenience store, a few teenage punks were holding slingshots, grinning cheekily and yelling, “Idiot!”
Jiang Yunian knew them; they were a group of local hooligans who bullied the weak and feared the strong. He picked up a stick to chase them off.
“Nyeh nyeh nyeh! He’s not just an idiot! He’s a cripple too! Cripple, cripple!”
“Hahahaha…”
The troublemakers stuck their tongues out at them and scattered like smoke before Jiang Yunian could even wave the stick.
Behind him, Jiang Yan ground the stone under his foot, staring at the scene with cold indifference.
Given this unpleasant interlude, the two didn’t stroll for long before heading home. Auntie Wang from the tailor shop next door called out to them, handing over the clothes sent for repair a few days ago—the black shirt Jiang Yan had worn when he first arrived.
“I’ve patched up the snag on the cuff. You have to be careful next time with such fine material.”
Jiang Yunian thanked her and took it.
Auntie Wang looked at him as if she wanted to say something but stopped. She knew Jiang Yunian’s situation inside out; ordinary people couldn’t afford this kind of fabric. Suddenly popping up with a “distant cousin”—she had no idea what kind of relative this was.
Asking too much would only make her annoying, so she held her tongue. Fortunately, Xiaonian was an honest kid, poor as could be, with nothing to scam, so she just let it be.
Early the next morning, when Jiang Yan woke up, Jiang Yunian had already gone to school. Nan University wasn’t far, just a twenty-minute walk, but his Ge had gotten up very early.
On the coffee table in the living room, a few banknotes were weighed down. They were old-style bills he had never used—40 yuan in total, a mix of small and large denominations, the kind used to dismiss beggars.
Next to the money was a note, written in delicate handwriting:
I went to class. Remember to eat on time. Wait for me to come back.
— Ge
At the end, a crooked smiley face was drawn, its eyes curved just like the person himself.
Jiang Yan stared at it for a few seconds before tucking the note into his pocket. Then, his phone vibrated. A text message.
[5:00 PM. Heaven on Earth.]
The front row of an 8 AM class never seemed to fill up, while the back row was a sea of sleeping bodies. The professor, accustomed to this, simply told the students to manage themselves after finishing the lecture.
Jiang Yunian napped for a while too, then quietly pulled out his phone, planning to check for part-time jobs nearby.
With an extra person to feed at home, tutoring alone wasn’t enough.
Messages in the part-time job group chat refreshed constantly. Apart from tutoring, it was all selling SIM cards or delivering food. Begging people to open card accounts felt like a scam, and food delivery was difficult since the city center banned motorcycles and e-bikes, with strict enforcement.
“Yunian, are you looking for a part-time job?”
A hushed female voice came from beside him. It was his high school deskmate and current university classmate, Hao Meng. It was fate; neither expected to end up in the same major.
“Mn, trying to earn some living expenses.”
Hao Meng knew his situation. Relying entirely on scholarships and tutoring fees, living alone wasn’t easy.
She glanced at the podium; the professor was sitting there, not paying much attention to their side.
“Our team is short a model recently,” she whispered. “Guys work too. Interested?”
Hao Meng had been doing short videos since freshman year. Relying on her outstanding looks and figure, she was somewhat famous in the Chemistry Department. Later, she joined a senior’s team to help manage accounts. The one in her hand was a fashion account with tens of thousands of followers. Besides herself, they needed a tall model for women’s clothing. She didn’t have many female friends who met the requirements, and finding someone trustworthy was hard. Putting gender aside, Jiang Yunian was definitely the top choice.
She roughly explained the work content and payment, mentioning they could sign a contract.
Once a week, and the price was right. But…
“Women’s clothing?” Jiang Yunian instinctively resisted upon hearing it.
Hao Meng narrowed her eyes and smiled at him, batting her lashes—clearly holding back a mischievous idea.
Jiang Yunian face-palmed. Here we go again.
Hao Meng had seen him cross-dress before. In high school, a girl in their class got injured and couldn’t participate in the cultural festival performance. Since there were few girls in the science class to begin with, the slender Jiang Yunian was forced to substitute. When he appeared in that princess dress, he stunned the entire audience. With makeup on, his beauty blurred the lines of gender, leaving a lasting shock on Hao Meng back then. If he weren’t straight, she would have worshipped him as her dream shou.
Jiang Yunian was conservative at his core; he didn’t understand these things. He thought boys should be masculine, like Eddie Peng.
Besides, if someone recognized him…
“Relax, no face reveal. Once we add special effects, who can tell if you’re male or female?” Hao Meng continued to instigate. “Plus, don’t you still have tutoring? Running back and forth is such a hassle. We shoot right here at school, the hours are super flexible. Don’t miss this chance.”
Under her repeated persuasion, Jiang Yunian half-reluctantly agreed to try it out. He really didn’t have a better option right now.
Hao Meng was thrilled about Jiang Yunian joining. After school, she dragged him to the dorm entrance and gave him a dress sent by an advertiser to take home and try on.
It was a standard floral dress, soft texture, white background scattered with small yellow daisies.
Hao Meng: “Wear it tomorrow and put on some makeup. You’ll be a proper innocent white flower.”
Jiang Yunian: “I have to wear makeup too?” I thought you said no face reveal.
“Of course,” Hao Meng said. “Don’t forget how recognizable your face is at school. You don’t want to be recognized, do you?”
That made sense. And so, Jiang Yunian dazedly smuggled the dress home.
Fanying Street, the most bustling street in the city center. Jiang Yan, his face half-covered by a black mask, glanced left and right before slipping into an inconspicuous hidden door.
“Heaven on Earth” was a famous high-end clubhouse in Nancheng. Its entertainment options were endless, a place ordinary people couldn’t even afford to peek into.
“You’re here?”
Inside the private room, the lights were dim. A man in a casual suit leaned back on the sofa, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Hearing the door, he blew out a smoke ring.
“Mn.” Jiang Yan removed his mask, casually plucked the cigarette from the man’s mouth, and crushed it in the ashtray.
Zhou Shu shrugged, eyeing his shabby appearance askance. “You’re living a nice little life. Giving up on Qi Sheng?”
Jiang Yan sat opposite him without speaking.
This guy is really calm. Your home base is about to be stolen, and you’re still playing house.
Jiang Yan took a sip of wine. “How is it?”
“That depends on your cheap uncle,” Zhou Shu said seriously. “Logically, I shouldn’t interfere in Qi Sheng’s business, but just as you had your accident, Qi Liangji started secretly acquiring shares. He’s making it clear he wants to force an abdication.”
“He’s looking for you behind the scenes. The news of your accident will probably spread by tomorrow.”
Jiang Yan was unbothered. “The Old Man is still there. He wouldn’t dare.”
Zhou Shu glanced at him, weighing his words. “I heard the Old Man was so angry he fell ill. You really aren’t going back to take a look?”
“Why should I go back?” Jiang Yan asked in return, as if it had nothing to do with him. “It’s not like he hasn’t faked illness before.”
Going back now would be playing right into Qi Liangji’s hands.
What was his would be his sooner or later; others couldn’t steal it even if they tried.
The Emperor isn’t worried, but the eunuch is anxious to death. Zhou Shu laughed. What am I panicking for?
With that settled, he didn’t waste more words. When he went to leave, he must have seen someone outside, because this dignified young master instantly lost his composure.
“What the hell are you hiding for? I asked you to come accompany me for drinks and you’re nowhere to be seen. It’s not like I’m going to eat you!”
“…”
Night fell, and a fine, dense rain began to drift down, blowing obliquely into the windowsill, carrying a raw, damp scent.
Jiang Yan stood on the balcony, his profile hidden in the misty curtain of rain, his ink-black eyes looking even more gloomy.
“Go do it.”
He hung up the phone just as Jiang Yunian’s voice came from the living room.
“Ah Yan, it’s raining. Bring the clothes in.”
The bathroom light was on. Jiang Yunian had washed up early today. Wrapped in his pajamas as usual, he walked back to his room nonchalantly.
It was a hassle; apart from the master bedroom where Jiang Yan stayed, the only other bathroom was the shared one in the living room.
He dried his hair and took the slightly wrinkled floral dress out of his bag. He fussed in front of the mirror over how to put it on. It took him ages just to barely zip up the back.
Having one hand reach back was quite inconvenient.
After putting it on, a thought occurred to him. He dug out the wig he had used in high school and paired the outfit with flesh-colored stockings.
Jiang Yunian stood in front of the mirror. The slightly curled long hair draped over his shoulders, making his face look small. His rounded, fair cheeks carried a faint flush.
Looking down, the small daisies wrapped charmingly around his body, revealing a pair of straight, slender legs.
Even without makeup, he was clean and handsome—beautiful, but not effeminate.
He was a quick learner. Having Hao Meng teach him makeup to hide his masculine features shouldn’t be too hard.
Jiang Yunian reached out to smooth the wrinkles on the dress, and facing the mirror, he twirled gently. The hem of the skirt lifted in a small arc, brilliant as summer flowers.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he felt a bit more confident. This challenge didn’t seem too difficult for him after all.
On the other side of the door, Jiang Yan piled the collected clothes on the sofa. Right on top was a pair of light gray underwear, obviously much smaller than the others. Under the light, the fabric looked a bit faded from repeated washing.
He pinched a corner of it, bringing it close to his nose to sniff. A smell of cheap laundry detergent mixed with sun-baked warmth—far inferior to the pure, original scent of the pair in the wardrobe.
Expressionless, Jiang Yan folded the small piece of cloth and placed it on one of the two piles of clothes. He then picked up the stack and walked toward his Ge’s bedroom.
Just as he was about to knock, his hand paused. The door wasn’t fully closed.
Peering through the crack, he saw a figure moving inside, a skirt hem lifting and falling.
His Ge was inside, wearing a skirt and posturing seductively.
Jiang Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly. Since when did his Ge have this kind of hobby?
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