Prelude to a Cross-Dressing Streamer

The next morning, Su Ran woke up to find that Pei Zhiyang had already left for his early class, but not before leaving some soy milk and soup dumplings on the table. It’s no wonder they became best friends.

However, Su Ran didn’t rush to eat but first took out his phone to reply to Fu Qian’an’s message, which he hadn’t dared to look at since Pei Zhiyang interrupted him the night before.

“I just woke up, what’s up?” Su Ran replied.

There was no response from the other end; probably still asleep, Su Ran thought. He then grabbed the breakfast and began to eat leisurely as he headed back to his own dorm room.

At that moment, a WeChat message popped up, but it wasn’t from Fu Qian’an; it was Pei Zhiyang.

“Did Baby Ran wake up?”

“I woke up, just did,” Su Ran responded.

“There’s breakfast for you on the table, don’t forget to eat,” Pei Zhiyang texted.

Su Ran sent him a photo of a baozi he had already taken a bite out of, showing off its thin skin, generous filling, and soupy juice—breakfast from the eastern canteen, quite a trek from their dorm but worth it for its tasty buns, which always drew a morning queue.

“Eating now, yum yum,” Su Ran texted back, used to sharing even the trivial bits of his day with Pei Zhiyang.

“Save half for me 🐶”

“It’ll spoil by then, can’t eat it,” Su Ran replied with blunt honesty.

“Keep it, Baby Ran. I’d eat it even if it’s spoiled, as long as you feed me,” Pei Zhiyang teased.

Su Ran didn’t bother replying and, after a while, received a few seconds long video from Pei Zhiyang—it was a clip of Professor Liu lecturing, “Professor Liu should have been a monk at a temple, he chants scriptures better than one.”

Su Ran laughed, “Pay attention in class.”

“Baby Ran, I’ll take you to eat hotpot outside the school at noon.”

“Pah, talk properly. Be civilized.”

Grinning at his phone, Su Ran was about to enter his dorm when he bumped into something—or rather, someone. When he looked up, he met Qin Yue’s icy demeanor. He seemed exceptionally irritated this morning, though Su Ran couldn’t fathom why.

Just then, Su Ran felt a liquid trickling down his hand. Looking down, he saw the soy milk and the juice from the dumplings squeezing out and dripping onto both his and Qin Yue’s clothes.

Internal panic set in—true to his dread, Qin Yue took a deep breath the next second.

As Su Ran slowly looked up, facing Qin Yue’s frosty expression and the twitch of his lips holding back anger—Qin Yue’s obsession with cleanliness made Su Ran internally curse, “It’s over.” He immediately said, “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t see when opening the door, really sorry!”

Qin Yue, right in front of him, took off his soiled shirt and threw it into the trash can.

Su Ran stared at the trash can and then at Qin Yue, unable to utter a word.

The atmosphere was awkward as Qin Yue quickly put on another shirt from his wardrobe. The swift action left Su Ran somewhat flustered.

Was that really necessary?… I could have washed it or even compensated him, but why throw it away as if it were contaminated, as if the problem wasn’t the dirt but me?

Su Ran looked at him, eyes reddening. He had initially hoped to get along with his roommates and enjoy his four years of university, but it seemed no matter how friendly he tried to be with Qin Yue, it was met with indifference. At that moment, he gave up.

“How much for the shirt?” Su Ran asked, no longer apologetic, his tone unusually cold.

“32,000,” Qin Yue responded coldly, without another word.

Crap… Su Ran was shocked. A seemingly ordinary T-shirt cost 32,000?

But he had decided he would be indifferent toward Qin Yue from now on and not initiate conversation. “Fine,” Su Ran agreed, resigned to compensate.

He immediately messaged Pei Zhiyang on WeChat, “Emergency, need 32,000.”

Without hesitation, Pei Zhiyang transferred 50,000 yuan, only asking after, “What happened, Bao, why the sudden need for money?”

After transferring the money to Qin Yue, who accepted it without looking back as he left the dorm, Su Ran watched his retreating figure, his grip tightening on his phone in anger.

Wishing he could confront him directly about his apparent dislike, but he was too timid to do so.

If they really got physical, Su Ran wasn’t sure he could withstand a punch.

Sitting back on his bed, Su Ran felt cursed; what a way to start the day, losing 32,000 first thing in the morning. “System 555, what’s with this Qin Yue?”

System 555 seemed equally perplexed, “This person… he seems to really dislike you.”

“I don’t even know what I did wrong, he’s been cold since we first met, and it’s only gotten worse. I’m worried this is going to be a plot point snag,” Su Ran said, genuinely concerned.

“No way, Sir Ranran, you look so pretty in drag; no straight guy could resist!” System 555 encouraged.

“Hope so,” Su Ran muttered.

Just then, Fu Qian’an sent him a message.

“Baby, wanna make some quick cash?”

Seeing his message, Su Ran thought, ‘A pillow offered as one is about to doze off,’ given his new debt of 32,000, of course, he was interested!

“How?” Su Ran inquired.

“Be a streamer. You’d earn more than me if you streamed,” Fu Qian’an replied quickly.

“But I don’t play games,” Su Ran said.

“Not a gaming streamer,” Fu Qian’an explained, then added, “Are you free this morning? Come over, and I’ll explain properly.”

Su Ran agreed immediately, curious about the part-time job. Pei Zhiyang had always discouraged him from working part-time, insisting on looking after his needs and spoiling him with anything he wanted.

Indeed, Pei Zhiyang had saved him a lot of money, but as a self-proclaimed refined gay, Su Ran’s monthly expenses on personal care and fashion were hefty. He couldn’t always ask Pei Zhiyang for money, even though their relationship was closer than close—they weren’t boyfriends, after all.

Gathering his things, Su Ran set off for Fu Qian’an’s place. Upon knocking, the door quickly opened.

Fu Qian’an was mid-brush, toothpaste foaming at his mouth, “You’re here, baby. Come in.”

Su Ran entered, scanning the much tidier room—likely cleaned due to Fu Qian’an’s OCD flare-up the previous day. He also knew Su Ran cared about cleanliness. Though there was still a lingering smell of smoke mixed with dust, as if the house had absorbed the scent over the years, and no matter how clean it was, it looked somewhat grimy because of its age.

After quickly wiping his face, Fu Qian’an led him to the bedroom he had changed in the previous day. The room was small, about ten square meters, with a single bed that had been covered in cardboard boxes until today, when it was adorned with a clean, blue checkered bedsheet. Next to the bed was a desk with a well-equipped computer.

“Baby, I knew you were cut out for this the moment I saw you. You’re so pretty, lots of people will like you. Plus, streaming is easy and relaxed. I’ve already figured out the basics, I can easily bring you in,” Fu Qian’an said.

Hearing this, Su Ran was tempted, “Can I really do it?”

“Of course, baby. Believe in yourself,” Fu Qian’an encouraged, placing his hands on Su Ran’s shoulders. “If it were some other tough job, I wouldn’t have called you. But streaming is both easy and profitable. Look at you, pretty and wanting to make money. If you don’t try streaming, wouldn’t that be foolish?”

Fu Qian’an’s smooth talking lifted Su Ran’s spirits, his confidence boosted, “So, how do I do it?”

“It’s simple. Just sit in front of the computer, chat with the viewers, provide them some emotional value, and maintain good customer relations,” Fu Qian’an explained.

It sounded simple, but Su Ran knew the reality was that the industry was saturated, and streamers were highly competitive. Even streamers who relied on their looks needed various talents and often skirted the edges of what was acceptable, unless their looks were truly out of this world.

As Su Ran pondered, Fu Qian’an continued to coax him, “Just give it a try, see if it’s really that simple.”

After a moment’s thought, Su Ran nodded. He was really determined to start earning money, “Alright, I’ll give it a shot.”

Su Ran looked at the computer, considering sitting down when Fu Qian’an added, “Okay, but baby, you’ll have to dress up as a woman. Female streamers attract more viewers, and Big Brother is more willing to donate to female streamers. Besides, you look fantastic in drag!”

“Ah?” Su Ran hesitated. He had only cosplayed female characters at anime conventions, which was a different scenario. Now, to be a female streamer?

Seeing his hesitation, Fu Qian’an immediately guided him to sit in front of the computer, “It’s okay, just try streaming like this for now, and then try in drag.”

With that, he switched on the computer, tweaking various settings, “Baby, you don’t even need a beauty filter. Aim for no filters, no beauty apps. These days, few dare to do that. You’d attract a huge audience by just being real.”

Su Ran, heart racing with the excitement of the woven dream Fu Qian’an spun for him, still had reservations—was cross-dressing for streaming really a good idea?

Before he could fully articulate his concerns, the stream was unexpectedly live.

“Someone’s here,” Fu Qian’an noted.

The public chat showed, “Hello, host, you look so pretty!”

“Hello…” Su Ran peered at the room count, a mere single digit…

Soon, though, the room filled to about a dozen people, and Fu Qian’an closed the stream, Su Ran feeling somewhat disappointed, “Only a dozen viewers.”

“That’s great, you know when I started streaming, it was just two people from start to finish, one was even a bot. Looks like you really are suited for streaming,” Fu Qian’an remarked.

With that, Fu Qian’an left the room, “Change into the dress, and try again.”

Su Ran looked at the dress laid out on the bed, bit his lip, and decided to give it a try.

When Fu Qian’an returned, his eyes lit up. Although he had seen Su Ran in drag before, he was still amazed, even feeling a nervous thrill.

At that moment, Su Ran appeared completely feminine, his features naturally soft and his figure slender, a scarf hiding his subtle Adam’s apple, his chest padded making it appear full.

Thinking that it was just soft silicone underneath, Fu Qian’an wanted to reach out and squeeze, but faced with Su Ran’s divine appearance, it seemed nothing fake but rather a goddess’s body, and he dared not defile it.

Su Ran sat back down, and this time, the effect was significant.

Just seconds into the stream, the room count was already in the double digits, and it continued to rise. Su Ran watched excitedly as the numbers climbed.

Before long, there were over a hundred viewers, and the chat became lively.

“So beautiful, such a pure beauty!”

“My God, new waifu! Waifu, stick to me!”

“New streamer, right? Haven’t seen you before.”

“Beauty, can we see a bit more?”

“Can’t you pull your top down a bit?”

“OMG, so gross!”

“Protecting my waifu, her little butt is only for me to see! Creepy guys get lost!”

“……”

Su Ran blushed at the public chat. Though he was usually quite unrestrained online, this was… excessive. Glancing at the usernames, he could instantly tell which comments were from those disgusting types of guys; some seemed to be from girls, although flirty, none seemed malicious.

Fu Qian’an walked in and closed the stream, “Don’t worry, if you encounter comments you don’t like when you’re live, you can just block them. Look, you’ve only been streaming for a few minutes and already have a hundred viewers and received over eighty gifts. If you stream regularly, you could earn a lot. And you’re likely to attract Big Brother types, you could be making tens of thousands a day. After graduating, you could be financially free.”

Listening to Fu Qian’an’s persuasive pitch, Su Ran felt increasingly tempted, mulling over it all the way back to school. Fu Qian’an had asked him to come over in the evening to shoot content for the account he was going to launch, and he had agreed to give it a try.

Carrying two cups of milk tea, Su Ran arrived at Pei Zhiyang’s dorm door, receiving a call from him. The phone rang a few seconds before being hung up, and then the door opened.

“Where have you been, why didn’t you reply to my messages?” Pei Zhiyang asked, taking the milk tea from his hands, “Baby Ran, you’re so sweet.”

“Pei Zhiyang, I’ve found a part-time job,” Su Ran said straightforwardly.

Pei Zhiyang was taken aback, then anxiously took Su Ran’s hand and sat him down on the bed, “Didn’t we agree you didn’t need to work? I can support you. Are you short on money? I’ll transfer it to you now.”

As he spoke, Pei Zhiyang took out his phone, but Su Ran stopped him, “No need, you just transferred 50,000 to me this morning. I just want to try working part-time, to gain some experience and earn some money.”

Seeing Su Ran so determined this time, Pei Zhiyang sighed, resigned to ask, “What job is it? You better not be doing something too exhausting.”

“It’s not tiring; I’m planning to be a streamer,” Su Ran said.

Hearing this, Pei Zhiyang frowned, then asked, “What kind of streamer?”

Su Ran suddenly felt embarrassed but still said, “A beauty streamer.”

“Baby Ran, I beg you, I’ll give you money, okay?” Pei Zhiyang seemed vehemently opposed to this line of work, “Your looks are definitely not an issue, but do you know? This kind of streaming involves a lot of harassment. You look so soft, what if they ask to see your waist, or even your legs? And those who donate small amounts might want your private photos, talk dirty over the phone, or even ask to meet you in private! You’ll be constantly harassed, can you handle that?”

Pei Zhiyang’s depiction was frightful, the more he spoke, the more he seemed unable to accept it himself, his voice rising continuously.

Su Ran, familiar with surfing online, knew that female streamers often faced this, but he hadn’t told Pei Zhiyang he planned to stream as a female.

Though he felt more unrestrained online, and it was a different identity, so he could accept it, but first, he had to convince Pei Zhiyang, “I’m a big guy; if they want to look, let them.”

“That’s a dangerous mindset,” Pei Zhiyang clutched Su Ran tightly, “Baby Ran, I’m setting no limits on your spending money; I’ll transfer as much as you need.”

Su Ran shook his head. Pei Zhiyang’s family was practically the wealthiest in the area; the difference between their families was stark, but that didn’t mean he should take it for granted and live off Pei Zhiyang’s money. He wanted to be independent.

No matter what Pei Zhiyang said, Su Ran was set on going, and for a while, the two were at an impasse, unable to persuade the other.

At that moment, someone knocked on the dorm room door. Pei Zhiyang, already somewhat anxious, now looked even more upset, “Come in.”

A male classmate, who was on the basketball team with Pei Zhiyang, named Zheng Jiafan, opened the door, immediately grinning upon seeing them together, “Eh, sister-in-law is here too.”

Zheng Jiafan didn’t notice the tension between them, “Brother Yang, we’ve decided to go to the city center bathhouse tomorrow; you guys wanna come? Experience it together.”

He and Pei Zhiyang were from the south and had never experienced a northern bathhouse; they were curious to see what it was like.

“No,” Pei Zhiyang flatly refused.

“Oh,” Zheng Jiafan turned to leave.

Then, Su Ran quickly asked, “What time are you guys going tomorrow? I want to try it.”

Although he was born in the south in this world, his soul was from the north; what could be more relaxing than a good scrub and massage, a one-stop shop where you could eat and drink in comfort.

Pei Zhiyang stood up to close the door, then wrapped his arms around Su Ran’s waist, “That kind of place, everyone’s naked, exposed for all to see.”

Su Ran didn’t understand; Pei Zhiyang seemed quite open-minded, so why was he unable to accept going to a bathhouse now? It felt like their roles had reversed; he was the straight guy, and Pei Zhiyang was the gay man, afraid of being seen naked.

“Yeah, but it’s all men, what’s there to be afraid of?” Su Ran said.

Pei Zhiyang held him even tighter, “Even boys need to protect themselves when they’re out. Have you forgotten about the thug who harassed you outside school during high school? If I hadn’t chased him away, the consequences would have been unimaginable. And since you started university, have you counted how many love letters you’ve received? Nearly all from boys.”

Su Ran, “……”

Indeed, his refined appearance often led to misunderstandings… Wait, wasn’t his character supposed to be gay?

Seeing Su Ran wavering, Pei Zhiyang continued, “And we’ve never bathed together, so why go to a big public bath with a bunch of men?”

Su Ran puzzled, “What’s the logic in that?” Then he heard Pei Zhiyang’s voice, low and magnetic, sending tingles to his ears, “Let’s try bathing together tonight first.”

“I’m not comfortable with a bunch of men bathing together, so I thought we’d try it just us first,” Pei Zhiyang explained logically, “The first time bathing with a man, if it’s you, I can accept it.”

Su Ran thought there was some sense in that, considering it hard for southerners to accept communal bathing. He could accompany Pei Zhiyang to ease into it, a kind of preparation, “Indeed, I’ll get used to it too.”

Pei Zhiyang buried his nose into Su Ran’s neck, inhaling his scent, feeling incredibly comfortable with Su Ran, comfortable doing anything, always thinking of him first for any new experience.

“What’s your streaming account? Tell me when you start; I’ll be your number one Big Brother,” Pei Zhiyang said, seeing he couldn’t dissuade Su Ran. He was usually soft, but sometimes stubborn. It was good Zheng Jiafan came in, or they would have argued, breaking their record of never having fought.

Su Ran paused, then said, “I’ll keep it secret. If acquaintances are in my stream, I can’t be myself…”

“Not even telling me the account!” Pei Zhiyang pretended to be upset, reaching under Su Ran’s clothes to tickle him.

After more playful teasing, Su Ran finally returned to his own dorm after lunch.

He couldn’t avoid going back; he had to face it.

Entering the dorm, Qin Yue was at his desk taking notes. Hearing the door, he glanced up then returned to his notes.

Su Ran didn’t want to look at him, heading straight to his bed. He opened a yoga video Fu Qian’an had shared, suggesting he practice to see his flexibility, as girls are generally more supple.

Just do it. Su Ran placed his phone on the bedside and began following the instructions.

Su Ran wore earphones, listening to the gentle female voice, “Next, kneel on the mat with knees slightly apart, lean forward and try to get your chest as close to the mat as possible…”

Su Ran was quite focused, but Qin Yue, looking up from his materials, frowned upon seeing Su Ran’s raised, rounded buttocks and the exaggerated arch of his waist…

Somehow, the more he watched, the more irritable he became, pulling his gaze away to the dense text, which only added to his irritation.

“What are you doing?”

The icy voice carried well, and Su Ran removed an earphone, looking back in the pose he held, “Doing yoga.”

He hadn’t expected Qin Yue to initiate conversation, and the next second, he saw Qin Yue snap his book shut and lie down on the bed.

Su Ran, “……”

Did my yoga offend you?

At that moment, he remembered what Fu Qian’an said when he decided to try streaming as a female host; he was somewhat unsure, feeling maybe his good luck that day brought so many people to his stream, which seemed to attract mostly girls, not the wealthy Big Brothers he’d feel less guilty about accepting gifts from, so he wasn’t sure if he’d attract Big Brothers once he started streaming.

But Fu Qian’an was confident, suggesting, “Just casually add a guy first and chat, see his attitude to know for sure.”

And now, Su Ran thought of Qin Yue, with his difficult personality. If he could like him, then probably everyone would.

And with Qin Yue’s attitude so terrible towards him, letting him taste a bit of love’s bitterness wouldn’t hurt.