“And that concludes today’s livestream! Thank you all for your continued support! Until next time, I hope our paths cross again!”
Before the camera, the sweet and charming Nine-tailed Fox girl waved her small hand, bidding farewell to her fans with a smile. Simultaneously, she moved the mouse to click the exit button. The computer screen was already awash with a torrent of scrolling bullet comments.
“See you, Ling Xian~ ⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄”
“Ahhh, I won’t see Ling Xian for a while again, I’m going to die! (○ °△ °)っ”
“Ling Xian-mei, when will you stream next?!”
“Ling Xian, I wuv you!!!!”
Such comments flashed wildly across the screen, all clearly indicating the identity of the girl before them. Her online name was “Lingyun Shangxian,” but netizens affectionately called her “Ling Xian” because of the ineffable spiritual aura that emanated from her every word and gesture. As a popular streamer, she commanded considerable fame within the livestreaming community.
“Phew~ It’s a bit hot today!”
Having closed the livestream, and to be safe, turning the camera away, the girl pulled out tissue after tissue to wipe the sweat from her brow. She then removed the wig, fox ears, and tail from her head.
“Next time, I need to turn on the air conditioning!”
Indeed, this self-proclaimed “most spiritual super beautiful girl streamer” was, in reality, an ordinary male high school student! His real name was Lin Xuan. While the pronunciation was similar to Ling Xian, there was ultimately a subtle difference.
As for why he embarked on the path of cross-dressing, that was a long story. To put it simply, the young man, unwilling to inherit his family’s wealth, ran away from home to live independently. He rented an apartment and began to support himself. Then, one day, through a coincidental (or rather, forced) encounter orchestrated by his older cousin, the young man’s destiny intertwined with cross-dressing.
Quickly changing out of his female attire and into his school uniform, Lin Xuan saw that it was nearly time. He slung his pre-packed backpack over his shoulders and approached the door, taking a deep breath as he grasped the doorknob.
*Click!*
“Oh, already awake, are we, Onii-chan~?”
The door opened to reveal an adorable little loli in an apron, holding a kitchen knife, standing at the threshold. Her long, off-white hair was braided into a single plait that hung over one shoulder. Her sparkling, clear eyes blinked, and she flashed an angelic smile at the young man before her.
“Hungry, aren’t you? Breakfast is ready, Onii-chan. Do you want to eat breakfast first, or do you want to, eat, me, first~?”
As she spoke, the little loli subtly lifted the hem of her skirt, a hint of shyness on her face, her large eyes darting expectantly towards the young man. However, the young man’s attention was mostly fixed on the cold gleam of the kitchen knife in her hand.
“I choose to only eat breakfast!”
With that, he immediately bypassed the little loli and headed for the kitchen.
‘Ah, a sister and a home, with busy adoptive parents. That pretty much describes my situation,’ he mused. ‘And my sister is a true beauty, skilled in all household chores. Yet, what most otaku would dream of feels… how to put it, complicated, for Lin Xuan. I always feel like this sister is a bit strange.’
Breakfast consisted of bread, fried bacon, eggs, and a glass of milk. What seemed like a simple meal felt like a grand feast after passing through his sister’s hands. With little time to spare, Lin Xuan didn’t savor it too much. Under his sister’s smiling gaze, he devoured everything, cleared his dishes in the kitchen, and immediately returned to the door.
“Have a safe trip, Onii-chan! Ling’er will be waiting for you at home~”
“Ling’er, aren’t you going to school?”
“No need! Ling’er specifically took the day off today to serve Onii-chan, so later, Onii-chan can enjoy Ling’er to your heart’s content~”
“That won’t be necessary. But Ling’er, be careful alone at home. Remember not to open the door for strangers, and don’t pay attention to anyone claiming to check the water meter…”
“Uh… Onii-chan, if you don’t leave now, you’ll be late for school~”
Her eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly. The little loli then smiled sweetly and forcibly pushed Lin Xuan out the door.
“Hey, hey? Wait, I haven’t finished…”
“Then, Onii-chan, see you this afternoon~”
*Bang!*
****
It was a bright morning. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, and the air was imbued with the fresh scent of grass. Amidst the birdsong, a refined-looking young man with short hair walked along the path to school, his backpack slung over his shoulders. Beside him, a strikingly handsome young man, about 180cm tall with light golden hair, was engaged in an enthusiastic conversation with his companion.
“Xiao Lin, I really strongly recommend you check out Ling Xian-chan! She’s truly amazing! Look, this is a screenshot I took this morning from Ling Xian’s livestream. Isn’t she super cute, super ethereal?!”
“Oh, oh, she’s quite pretty!”
Lin Xuan replied perfunctorily. The person beside him was Shi Chen, his childhood friend, and also the school’s top student and campus heartthrob. With his cool, handsome appearance and his role as the basketball team captain, he consistently ranked in the top three of the school’s heartthrob list. Under his brilliant aura, the relatively “handsome” yet low-key Lin Xuan was not as conspicuous. Furthermore, because he always appeared aloof on the surface, many even speculated that this heartthrob might be gay, but the truth was quite different.
Almost no one knew that this stern, high-cold heartthrob was also particularly fond of watching livestreams, and whenever he talked about them, he would break into a silly, doting grin just like this.
“Hehehe, if I could have a girlfriend like Ling Xian-chan, I would die without regrets!”
“Then go die…”
He truly wondered what those fangirls at school would feel if they saw their heartthrob drooling over a phone screen. Lin Xuan, for his part, felt goosebumps prickle his skin.
“Eh? I noticed you’re not interested in Ling Xian at all?”
“Uh, I’m just not very interested in livestreams, that’s all…”
Lin Xuan averted his gaze, feeling a little guilty. Currently, almost no one knew that the “Ling Xian” who was famous across the entire internet was Lin Xuan himself. It was fortunate that Shi Chen’s attention was mostly still on his phone screen; otherwise, his abnormality might have been discovered. Lin Xuan cleared his throat.
“Compared to that, it’s better to play Pantheon Legends. It seems they’re releasing new cards soon!”
“Ah, I really want to meet Ling Xian-chan in person!”
“…”
‘Here we go again…’
Every time this happened, Lin Xuan’s heart was a mix of emotions. Initially, he had wanted to tell Shi Chen his true identity, but…
You never know what it feels like when you achieve a small success in the streaming world and want to share it with your best friend, only to see your friend excitedly holding a photo of you in drag, their eyes sparkling as they declare they’ve finally found the true love of their life. That feeling is truly as refreshing as being struck by five bolts of lightning.
As they spoke, the two had already arrived at the school gate. As expected of one of the school’s top heartthrobs, a large group of girls surrounded Shi Chen asking for his WeChat as soon as they entered the campus. However, Shi Chen coldly refused them all. Due to the “heartthrob aura” effect, some smitten junior students and fangirls who wanted Lin Xuan’s contact information didn’t dare approach too closely. Lin Xuan, however, was happy for the peace and quiet.
“Sigh, I really envy you for being so popular with girls. If only I were as handsome as you~”
“Sigh, constantly being surrounded by girls is also troublesome. But speaking of handsome, you’re not bad either. And with your looks, one could say you appeal to both genders!”
Glancing at the boys and girls secretly peeking their way, then at Lin Xuan beside him, Shi Chen chuckled softly, almost imperceptibly. His childhood friend was good in every other aspect, but his appearance was too delicate. His fair skin, slender waist, and exquisite features made most girls feel ashamed of themselves. Spending too much time with him, one truly felt that most girls were merely common beauties. Of course, their bond was purely one of brotherhood.
“Stop teasing me.”
Lin Xuan sighed. Shi Chen then leaned closer again.
“If you like them, just confess quickly. I’m getting uncomfortable watching you secretly pine away!”
“Don’t even mention it. They’ve already turned down three suitors this week. If I go next, won’t I be beaten to a pulp?”
“Ahaha, isn’t everything worth a shot?”
As they spoke, the two had already arrived at the classroom. With class about to start, the class monitor had already begun taking attendance.
The girl was tall and slender, with hair as black as lacquer and skin like jade. Her every action was dignified and elegant. In her hands, she held a hardcover edition of the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*. Seeing the two enter, she gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
“Good morning, Mo Yuan!”
“Good morning. Hurry and get to your morning reading. You’re 32 seconds late again today!”
“Understood!”
Lin Xuan felt a slight thrill in his heart. This girl, Mo Yuan, was the object of his unrequited affection for nearly a year. Ever since he first entered high school, he had been captivated by this serene beauty, but she always seemed busy, and he never had much opportunity to speak with her. So, after a year, despite finding various chances to interact with her, their relationship had made little progress.
However, as a laid-back young man, he didn’t pursue her too aggressively.
‘Let nature take its course,’ was his consistent principle.
****
Time swiftly passed, and soon it was dismissal. Shi Chen had left early due to basketball practice, leaving Lin Xuan to leisurely organize his books in the classroom. He also used a secondary QQ account to politely fend off students from other classes who came asking for contact information. By the time everything was done, most people had already left the classroom.
“Hmm? What’s this?”
As he finished packing his bag and passed Shi Chen’s seat, Lin Xuan suddenly felt a flash of light across his eyes. He turned his head and saw a small red sphere rolling out from under the desk. Just as it was about to fall to the floor, Lin Xuan, with quick reflexes, snatched it into his hand.
“It’s cold. Is it a glass marble?”
Smooth and warm to the touch like jade, Lin Xuan found himself momentarily unwilling to put it down. He toyed with it for a moment before slipping it into his pocket.
‘I’ll take it home and play with it for a day! I’ll give it to Xiao Chen tomorrow.’
The setting sun slowly descended beyond the mountains, painting the sky with crimson clouds, as if a celestial maiden had cast down a red gown.
Walking home, Lin Xuan pulled out the phone he had kept hidden in his backpack all day. He switched off the silent mode, and soon, a series of pings erupted from it. Opening QQ, he tapped into a peculiar group chat named “Divine-Demonic Communication Group.”
– Lord Shao Hao: “Hey hey, is anyone there? I’m so bored lately! (ﾉ)`ω´(ヾ) ”
– Hai Na Bai Chuan: “? What’s wrong? Didn’t you just kill the thousand-year sea demon from the East Sea two days ago? Is the inner core refined already?”
– Lord Shao Hao: “Long refined. I’m currently wondering what to do with all this sea demon meat.”
– Hai Na Bai Chuan: “Sea demon meat? Give it to me! I haven’t eaten thousand-year sea demon in ages (*^ω^*)”
– Lord Shao Hao: “Sure, trade something for it (｡>∀<｡)”
– Wu Xian: “Thousand-year sea demon meat? How about I offer a Heart of a Earth Ghost?”
– Hai Na Bai Chuan: “Oho! Found a rival?”
He had been inexplicably invited to this group a while ago. He initially thought it was a normal social chat group, but after joining, he realized it was a hub for chuunibyous. The members constantly spoke of immortal pills, spiritual medicines, and all sorts of strange, unheard-of items, such as a witch’s veil, an angel’s wings, or a god’s underwear.
As a mature young man who considered himself long past his chuunibyou phase, Lin Xuan naturally wasn’t keen on associating with these chuunibyou teenagers. Still, flipping through their chat history when he was idle was quite amusing.
– Daoist Bad Luck: “??? Who changed my name again? Group owner, come out! @zzz”
– Lord Shao Hao: “Hahahahaha, the group owner must be asleep! (*σ´∀`)σ”
– Daoist Bad Luck: “Damn it! Never mind, never mind, I have something urgent!”
– Hai Na Bai Chuan: “What is it?”
– Daoist Bad Luck: “Uh, well, I lost my wallet two days ago, so I wanted to set up a stall and sell some useless stuff to get some food money. And then I accidentally lost the ‘Heavenly Pearl’…”
– Wu Xian: “Typical you…”
– Lord Shao Hao: “(￣y▽￣)~*捂嘴偷笑”
– Hai Na Bai Chuan: “The ‘Heavenly Pearl’ you obtained after a near-death experience in the ancient emperor’s tomb two days ago?”
– Daoist Bad Luck: “Yes…”
– Hai Na Bai Chuan: “Can I laugh?”
– Daoist Bad Luck: “You motherf—! Don’t mess around, help me find it! Losing that thing randomly can kill people!”
– Hai Na Bai Chuan: “Why should I care if people die? I can help, but I need payment!”
– Daoist Bad Luck: “I can give you a free divination.”
– Hai Na Bai Chuan: “Excuse me, goodbye.”
– Daoist Bad Luck: “Hey, hey, wait!”
After some haggling, the two eventually reached an agreement. However, upon seeing the address sent by the other party, Lin Xuan’s expression turned a little strange.
“H City?”
‘Isn’t that where I am?’ In a moment, a few more messages popped up on QQ.
– Lord Shao Hao: “I remember little Tu Su is also going through tribulation these days, and she seems to be in H City.”
– Daoist Bad Luck: “Really? That’s great! @Apprentice Little Red Immortal”
– Wu Xian: “If you @ them, they’ll definitely be offline.”
Pfft! Although he wasn’t clear on the specifics, this Daoist Bad Luck really lived up to their name. Just as Lin Xuan was chuckling to himself, the screen suddenly lit up with a small red dot.
– Hai Na Bai Chuan: “@Nine-tailed Celestial Fox, is this demon cultivator friend present? I recall your location also being in H City.”
– Lord Shao Hao: “Wow ⊙∀⊙! Nine-tailed Celestial Fox?! When did another big shot join our group? Group status -1.”
– Hai Na Bai Chuan: “The group owner added them two days ago, but they haven’t spoken yet. They might be busy or offline.”
– Daoist Bad Luck: “Sigh, I’m having such a hard time.”
Outside the screen, Lin Xuan silently turned off his phone, pretending not to see. ‘Well, this kind of chuunibyou incident looks very troublesome. I’d better not get involved…’