exposure

“Hmph, men!”

Su Xuan didn’t even need to think to know what the men eyeing him were contemplating. After all, he had once been a man himself.

In his mind, Su Xuan couldn’t help but mock these men, who harbored lustful thoughts yet lacked the courage to act on them.

“Wait, no!”

Su Xuan suddenly realized that his self-perception had shifted. At this very moment, he seemed to be confronting these men with the complete mindset of a girl, enjoying their gazes from a woman’s perspective, and even mocking their timid lust from a feminine viewpoint.

‘Why was he adopting a girl’s perspective, identifying as one? Had the influence of his Spirit Soul cultivation reached such an extent? He had tried so hard, resisted so fiercely, even conceded to wearing women’s clothing, yet was the core of his masculine thoughts now being tainted as well?’

Su Xuan’s aura abruptly transformed, radiating an air of delicate vulnerability that made the table-sharing man, who had nearly finished his meal, sigh involuntarily.

“Such a lovely, pitiful girl…”

However, he had no idea what troubled her at that moment. If only he could, the table-sharing man would brave fire and water for her, without hesitation!

As this thought struck him, he mustered his courage and stood up! He spoke loudly!

“Waiter, check please!”

“That will be twenty yuan!”

He then scuttled out of the restaurant, looking back longingly at the doorway at the beautiful woman, who appeared so fragile and solitary. All the eloquent words he had prepared had devolved into a single phrase: “Waiter, check please!”

The table-sharing man’s departure didn’t register with Su Xuan in the slightest. Perhaps from the moment he sat down, the man had completely shielded himself, eating carefully, lest he disturb the beauty. He had succeeded; Su Xuan had no impression of him whatsoever.

Gazes at the steaming chicken soup, Su Xuan couldn’t help but sigh mournfully.

‘Perhaps the moment he donned these clothes, the moment he conceded to letting “her” assist him… the moment his Spirit Soul awakened, he had already lost. What then was the point of his resistance? One day in the future, he might become utterly unrecognizable, take pride in his beauty, delight in the adoration of men, and perhaps even seek to please them in some hidden corner…’

‘The meaning of his resistance lay in preserving his core as a man amidst this silent war, never to completely forget that he was a man, never to forget his past dreams.’

‘Regardless of whether he wore women’s clothes, applied lipstick, or possessed a curvaceous figure, at the very brink of completely losing himself to womanhood, he would suddenly recall that he had once been a man. He would safeguard that inner sanctuary, preventing anyone from defiling his dignity as a man.’

‘Perhaps, this was the only thing Su Xuan could truly fight for.’

“Phew~ I won’t think about it anymore. My food’s getting cold!”

Su Xuan shoveled down his rice, hoping the delicious food would wash away the weariness in his mind.

“Mmm, this is delicious~”

Su Xuan ate heartily, completely oblivious to the gazes of others, unaware that his unreserved way of eating was utterly adorable in their eyes.

“Ah Wei, you’re dead!”

“Ah Wei, you’re dead again!”

“I’ve been… melted by cuteness! (TL Note: “Melted by cuteness” is a common internet slang term, ‘meng hua,’ used to describe being overwhelmed by something extremely cute.)”

The hearts of the boys were pierced by the incessant barrage of pink arrows, yet they could only lick their wounds in the shadows.

A boy about Su Xuan’s height pushed open the door.

If Su Xuan had looked up, he would have instantly recognized the fellow: his best friend and bromance buddy, Zhang Xun. This lewd-looking guy scanned the room as soon as he entered, immediately zeroing in on Su Xuan, who was eating with his head down.

“A stunner… definitely a stunner!”

Although her head was bowed, making it impossible to see her face clearly, years of experience allowed him to roughly deduce the girl’s appearance from subtle details.

“At least a ninety out of a hundred!”

Zhang Xun openly stared at Su Xuan without the slightest reservation, utterly unlike the other men who averted their gazes. In this regard, Zhang Xun indeed had reason to be proud, and it was precisely this shameless nature that had allowed him to succeed time and again.

“Hmm?”

Su Xuan sensed someone’s persistent gaze upon him, so he looked up. It was fine until he did; the sight made Su Xuan jump.

Their eyes met. The moment Su Xuan recognized who it was, he quickly averted his gaze and lowered his head, continuing to eat.

After a fleeting moment of astonishment, Zhang Xun was puzzled by the unusually intense eye contact.

To Liu Song, this series of actions was highly unusual.

‘Interesting. She seems to recognize me? And quite well, at that.’

‘Why else would she lower her head in fright, or transition so quickly from initial panic to composure?’

‘The initial panic was unexpected, an uncontrollable emotion, but the subsequent pretense of calm was certainly debatable.’

‘She didn’t want him to recognize her. She was scared.’

A playful smile spread across his face. ‘Such a beauty in the world, afraid of being recognized by Zhang Xun?’

Rummaging through the women he had encountered in his mind, he found that none seemed to match… except for a certain guy, who bore a slight resemblance.

‘Could I, Zhang Xun, truly be the Son of Heaven, and has the real female lead finally appeared? Was she so stunned by my imposing presence?’

Meanwhile, Su Xuan, head still bowed over his meal, was in a panic. To be caught red-handed by his best friend—if Zhang Xun discovered him, it would be utterly humiliating.

His mind became a chaotic mess, as dreams he’d had and “doujinshi” (TL Note: Japanese fan-made comics, often with adult themes, referred to as ‘benzi’ in Chinese slang.) he’d read surged up from the depths of his memory.

Su Xuan sped up his eating, planning to quickly make his escape afterwards, denying Zhang Xun any further chance to observe him.

When Zhang Xun noticed there was an empty seat beside the beautiful woman, an idea immediately struck him.

After ordering his food, he sat down next to Su Xuan, openly scrutinizing his appearance.

“Damn, that guy’s got guts, daring to make a move on our goddess!”

“Motherf***er, that perverted guy has no shame! Aren’t there other seats available?”

Countless thoughts flared in the minds of the other boys, as if Liu Song had inadvertently broken some unspoken rule.

“Hmm?”

Zhang Xun suddenly noticed something very familiar on the beauty’s neck.

“No way… I’ve got it!”

Zhang Xun pulled out his phone, opened his contacts, and tapped on his best friend’s profile picture.

“I have died every day waiting for you, Darling, don’t be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more~”

The sound wasn’t very loud, but it undeniably emanated from the “girl” sitting beside him.

“Heh heh~”

A playful expression spread across Zhang Xun’s face. Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he leaned in, whispered something into Su Xuan’s ear, and then reached out to touch Su Xuan’s cheek.

“That bastard…”

“I’m calling the police!”

Some boys were already poised, ready to rush over and beat the man up the moment the beauty cried for help!

“Su Xuan?”

“M-mm…”

Su Xuan’s face flushed crimson, and his body trembled involuntarily.

“H-how did you find out?”

Su Xuan asked in a soft, quiet voice, using his original voice. After all, he had been found out, and there was nothing more to say. As long as it wasn’t spread around, he wouldn’t face social death.

“That mark on your neck. I’ve never seen anyone else with it.”

Su Xuan suddenly remembered the heart-shaped red birthmark on the back of his pale white neck.

“You even noticed that?”

Su Xuan said with a wry smile.

“Heh heh, of course. Actually, the moment our eyes met, I noticed you seemed a bit flustered, so I just came over to take a look. No one’s going to die.”

The two spoke in hushed whispers, their faces close together.

The men around them, who had been clenching their fists, stared blankly at the harmonious pair. The imagined scene of a hero saving the beauty never materialized; instead, they were fed a massive mouthful of “dog food.” (TL Note: “Dog food” (gouliang) is Chinese internet slang for public displays of affection, often used by single people to describe what they feel when witnessing couples.)

“My youth is over…”

“To hell with this Braised Chicken and Rice shop. It should be called ‘Dog Food Sprinkled Everywhere’…”

“Suddenly, I’m full…”

Countless boys glared fiercely at Zhang Xun. If looks could kill, Zhang Xun would have died tens of thousands of times over.

They couldn’t fathom how such a lewd and sleazy-looking man could possibly charm such a beautiful girl. Had times truly changed?

Alas, these clueless onlookers, these “melon-eaters” (TL Note: ‘Chiguazhong’ literally means ‘melon-eating crowd,’ a Chinese internet slang term referring to bystanders or spectators who are passively observing an event, often with a sense of entertainment.), could not possibly comprehend Zhang Xun’s peculiar torment.

“I originally thought I’d finally escape singlehood today!”

Zhang Xun said playfully. As for his long-time friend suddenly dressing as a woman, he had no thoughts beyond finding it amusing. Moreover, his thick skin, honed by countless encounters with girls, allowed him to chat with Su Xuan without any awkwardness.

“Oh, so I owe you an apology, then?”

“Heh heh, absolutely! You owe me a girlfriend. Look…”

Zhang Xun said, giving Su Xuan a roguish look.

“Get lost… I’m not into that!”

Su Xuan couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He wasn’t gay at all; he was “steel-straight” (TL Note: ‘Gangtie zhi’ literally means ‘steel straight,’ a Chinese internet slang term emphasizing extreme heterosexuality.), preferring the type who wore black stockings and were mature and alluring.

“This afternoon, how about you come shopping with me? Let me experience what it’s like to have a beautiful girlfriend?”

Zhang Xun asked, leaning his face close to Su Xuan’s. His nose caught an extremely pleasant milky fragrance, making Zhang Xun want to inhale deeply.

“Is there any compensation?”

Su Xuan wiped his mouth; all the food was gone.

“None…”

“Maybe another time. I have to cultivate this afternoon; the assessment is coming up soon.”

“Alright… But what’s with this outfit? There were no signs of this before.”

Although Zhang Xun felt a little disappointed, it was understandable. These invitations were merely spur-of-the-moment whims, quickly arising and quickly fading.

“Hmm… It’s hard to explain clearly. It’s just a very complicated issue, I suppose.”

Su Xuan thought for a moment and decided not to reveal it. After all, a cross-dressing enthusiast and someone who possessed a female spirit were two entirely different concepts.

In this era, admitting to having a feminine Spirit Soul was akin to saying that in his previous life, he had been found to possess a complete female reproductive system and tested as genetically female.

“Alright… Sigh. But remember to find a chance to let me experience what it’s like to be a beauty’s boyfriend.”

“Hey, you perverted weirdo.”

Su Xuan’s cute little foot stomped on Zhang Xun’s leg.

“Oww~”

“Pervert… How do I even have a best friend like you? Oh, and don’t spread this around, or those crazy girls will have more material.”

“Okay… Okay, give me a few more kicks.”

Zhang Xun gazed at Su Xuan with a dazed, infatuated expression, his lewd face amusing to behold.

“Die, you bastard!”

Su Xuan fiercely kicked his thigh several times, then stood up and walked away.

“Don’t forget!”

“Got it!”