Little Crab: [M, why are you asking me this?]

M disappeared for over a minute before sending a message: [Same address as last time?]

Bian’er recalled and tentatively typed: [You mean the address where you put the things?]

M: [Yeah]

Little Crab: [M, did you buy me clothes?]

M didn’t answer directly: [You’ll know.]

Bian’er raised his hand and scratched his cheek.

About an hour later, Bian’er received a message from M. M told him he had left the things at the Cainiao Station near the East Gate of TCM University.

Bian’er replied with “Okay.” He put on the hood of his sweatshirt, picked up the key on his desk, and prepared to go out.

“Bian, are you going out?” Song Yongzhao, who was playing on his phone, turned his head and asked.

Bian’er coughed and answered evasively, “I’m going to get something.”

Song Yongzhao: “Buy me a Coke when you go upstairs.”

“Okay.”

The Cainiao Station at the East Gate of TCM University was the closest one to Huai University, a little over a kilometer away. Bian’er ran to the neighboring TCM University and returned to the dorm panting. Half an hour had passed since M’s message.

Song Yongzhao took the Coke Bian’er handed him and stared at the well-made paper bag on Bian’er’s desk. “Bian, what’s that?”

“I don’t know.” Bian’er said, catching his breath.

After his breathing calmed down, Bian’er opened the milky white paper bag. Inside was a semi-sealed, well-made cardboard box with a fancy English inscription on it, like a brand logo.

Bian’er lifted the lid, and a soft, light silver-gray fabric of excellent quality came into view.

Bian’er picked up the fabric and examined it carefully. He confirmed that it was a dress, and a halter-neck, backless, high-slit maxi dress at that.

“Did you get the wrong thing?” Song Yongzhao touched the dress, puzzled.

“It shouldn’t be.” Bian’er’s tone was strange. He took out his phone, took a picture of the dress, and sent it to M.

Little Crab: [M, is this the thing you sent me?]

M replied quickly: [Yeah]

Song Yongzhao had a sudden realization. “M bought it for you?”

Bian’er touched his itchy ears and sighed, “It’s him.”

Little Crab: [M, why did you think of buying me a dress?]

M: [When I passed by this store, I saw this dress and thought it would suit you.]

Bian’er: “…”

Bian’er typed with difficulty: [Thank you. I like the dress, but it’s getting cold recently. I can’t wear this dress anymore.]

Haishi was late to get cold this year. The temperature had only slowly dropped below 20 degrees Celsius in the past two days. Students on campus had gradually started wearing long clothes and pants. Bian’er had to admit that the dress M sent was beautiful. It was a silky maxi dress with a lustrous sheen, thin and smooth fabric, more suitable for summer.

It was getting a bit cold recently.

M replied in seconds: [You plan to wear this dress out?]

Bian’er inexplicably read a sense of confusion from M’s message. He wasn’t sure what M was thinking. He hesitantly sent a message, [Then what do you mean by sending me this dress?]

M: [Open your closet and take a picture and send it to me.]

Little Crab: [?]

M: [Take a picture of your closet and send it to me.]

He had been chatting with M online for a while. Bian’er wasn’t just vaguely aware, but clearly aware of the strong-willed nature of M’s personality. M had never tried to hide his strong side from him. Bian’er could read the unquestionable tone in his two messages.

But open his closet and take a picture and send it to him?

Damn it.

Bian’er hurriedly opened his closet. Shirts, sweatshirts, T-shirts, hoodies, baseball jackets, sweatpants, track pants, jeans – all were clothes for boys. Even if Little Crab liked a neutral style, his closet wouldn’t be completely devoid of feminine clothing.

M: [Why haven’t you replied to me, Little Crab?]

Bian’er was in a panic. He racked his brains trying to figure out how to get out of this situation. In a flash of inspiration, he suddenly thought of a solution. He quickly opened the chat box with Gu Mi and begged her for help.

Bian’er: [Quick, open your closet and send me a picture.]

Gu Mi: [Why?]

Bian’er: [Urgent matter.]

Gu Mi: [OK]

A minute later, Bian’er received a picture of Gu Mi’s closet. Gu Mi was a young college student, but her clothing style leaned towards black, white, and gray. Most of her clothes were simple and stylish Japanese-style boyish looks. Of course, as a girl, her closet still had a few brightly colored dresses or skirts.

Making sure that Gu Mi’s closet didn’t reveal anything too private, Bian’er sent the picture to M and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

M: [Why did it take so long to send me a picture of your closet? Little Crab, are you hiding something?]

Bian’er nervously sent a message: [I’m not hiding anything, M.]

Bian’er tried to get away with it. [M, you should trust me a little more.]

Little Crab: [I’ve always been good, haven’t I?]

Little Crab: [Little cat cute JPG]

M: [Really? You haven’t hidden your revealing clothes?]

Revealing clothes?

Bian’er’s eyes blinked rapidly. He vaguely guessed the reason behind M’s sudden request for a picture of his closet.

Bian’er typed: [M, I don’t have any revealing clothes.]

M: [How can I believe you?]

Little Crab: [If I’m lying, punish me by making me gain twenty pounds in the next three months.]

The picture of the closet was a lie, but the fact that Bian’er’s closet didn’t have any revealing clothes was not a lie.

M: [Alright, I believe you.]

Before Bian’er could reply, a new message from M appeared on his phone screen.

M: [Little Crab, I need to tell you, I don’t like it when my partner wears clothes that are too revealing. Of course, I will also hold myself to the same standard.]

Little Crab: [I don’t like wearing too revealing clothes either.]

At this point, Bian’er’s eyes swept over the sexy backless dress on his desk. He hesitated and typed: [But the dress you bought me, it’s very revealing.]

M calmly sent a question: [Did I tell you to wear the dress out?]

Bian’er licked his lips. M hadn’t told him to wear the dress out, but it wasn’t a nightgown either. A formless thought flashed through his mind.

M’s next message appeared in Bian’er’s eyes.

M: [It’s for you to wear for me alone.]

M: [Can I be the only one allowed to appreciate your beauty?]

Bian’er raised his hand and touched his cheek, which felt like it was burning up. He typed hesitantly: [Of course.]

M: [Good boy.]

Compared to M, he was the older one. But listening to M’s slightly approving words, perhaps because M had shown his unquestionable dominance from the beginning, Bian’er not only didn’t feel strange, but the temperature on his cheeks continued to rise.

Suddenly, Bian’er remembered something. [Do you want me to wear it for you now?]

M: [Can’t you do it?]

Little Crab: [I have a roommate in the dorm.]

He had worn a female costume for cosplay. Bian’er didn’t feel too uncomfortable wearing a female costume in front of his roommate. Of course, maybe it was because Cheng Xu, this straight male junior, had already worn female costumes several times in public. Bian’er’s psychological threshold had been raised.

M: [It seems you’ve remembered what I said.]

Bian’er: [You said I was good.]

M: [I can accept the existence of your roommate.]

M: [Now, change into it immediately.]

Bian’er put down his phone, went to the washbasin on the balcony, splashed some cold water on his face, and then picked up the dress and went into the bathroom.

It was a silver-gray halter-neck dress. There were two thin matching straps at the back. The dress had a high slit on the left side, and there were wavy ruffles at the hem.

Bian’er was wearing slippers. He held the hem of the dress and walked out of the bathroom.

Song Yongzhao praised without reservation, “Bian, this color looks so good on you. You’re glowing white.”

He circled Bian’er again, his eyes scanning Bian’er’s lower back and hips. He exaggeratedly swallowed. “That waist-hip ratio is so exaggerated. Bian, why don’t you consider becoming a 1 for me! Forget about M. We don’t need him!”

Bian’er knew Song Yongzhao was joking. He wasn’t completely confident. He asked nervously, “Isn’t it a bit strange?”

The last time he cosplayed, although it was a female character, it was a character from a game. It had an exaggerated and unrealistic feel. Today’s dress, however, was full of a strong sense of the real world. It was the kind of dress that a sexy and beautiful girl in reality would wear.

“Your hair is a bit short, but from the neck down, it’s perfect.” Song Yongzhao didn’t hesitate to shower him with praise.

Bian’er lowered his head and glanced at himself. “Isn’t my chest too flat?”

Song Yongzhao: “True beauty doesn’t care about flat or not. And the focus of this dress is on the back, okay? How come I never realized your back was so beautiful? Bian, you even have a dimple on your lower back.”

Song Yongzhao’s sincere praise gave Bian’er more confidence. He stood in front of the full-length mirror and looked at himself. He took out his phone and asked Song Yongzhao to take a picture of him.

Song Yongzhao was an art student, with a sense of aesthetics far beyond the average person. He circled Bian’er and then said, “Bian, take off your slippers. They’re ruining my picture.”

Bian’er looked down at his dark gray open-toe sandals. He looked puzzled. “Should I wear those gray puppy sandals?”

This was a dress. He couldn’t wear sneakers or Dr. Martens, could he?

Song Yongzhao: “You can go without them.”

Bian’er: “?”