I Dressed as a Woman to Lure My Archrival, Then It Backfired

Love at first sight with his boss, whose heart catches fire late in life, gong × insecure, pathetic corporate drone shou.

Pei Yuan has gone into streaming.

Not that kind of "gone into streaming."

He became a streamer because his office-worker salary wasn't enough to cover his expenses.

The good news: he's handsome.

The bad news: being handsome is all he's got.

Since he knows nothing about how livestreaming works, he gets banned as soon as he goes live, thanks to the wall of vile comments.

Seven days later, he makes a comeback, having spent a fortune on a sailor outfit and a voice changer.

The chat goes wild: "She's gorgeous! She's blushing! Don't hide, sis!"

Pei Yuan grits his teeth and thinks: Who are you calling "sis"? I'm a man, a real man!

But the people watching are the ones putting food on his table, so he has no choice but to sing in a fake high voice, completely off-key. The viewer count drops straight to zero, and Pei Yuan still hasn't made a single cent.

Looks like he really has no talent for this. Just as he's about to end the stream, a user with a default avatar enters and starts showering him with gifts. Flashy effects fill the screen, and the sound nearly blows his headphones off.

Pei Yuan's eyes light up.

*

Gu Jinxian comes across the livestream on his assistant's phone while working late. He catches a glimpse of a pretty face filling the tiny screen and recognizes him immediately.

He makes a show of casually grilling his assistant, then successfully enters the stream. He taps every button he can, finally lighting up the virtual gallery and pushing Pei Yuan into first place.

Then he watches his pretty little thing stumble through a tongue-twister, bowing his hands together like a kitten wishing someone a happy new year.

Mr. Gu: So silly. So cute.

The more Gu Jinxian watches, the cuter and more lovable Pei Yuan seems. He sends another round of gifts to the gallery, and more and more people join the stream. Then, all of a sudden, the other side goes offline.

Gu Jinxian stares at the dark screen, feeling a little lost.

The next second, a private message pops up on his phone:

Yuan Zhi Zao Zao: "Big brother, I love you most. Here's my WeChat."

Gu Jinxian stares at the string of numbers. Before he can work out what it means, his hand has already added the contact.

Mr. Gu: Confessing your love the first time we meet? So direct. I love it.

*

Every day, Pei Yuan checks in on him, wishing him good morning and good night and reminding him to dress warmly when it's cold. He even privately sends photos of himself wearing the little dresses Gu picked when sending gifts, indulging the weird tastes of an older man.

Off camera, Pei Yuan types with a cold expression. On camera, "Yuanyuan" is sickeningly sweet.

Gu Jinxian thinks he's fallen in love. He grins foolishly at his phone, wondering when he can reveal his secret identity and start a passionate office romance.

Instead, he gets Pei Yuan's resignation letter, and even the WeChat of his number-one gifter has been deleted.

Gu Jinxian's heart shatters into a million pieces, forming a QR code. Scan it, and it still says: "I love you, Yuanyuan."

After finally finding him, Gu Jinxian corners him in the stairwell. "You called me big brother on WeChat, and now you're pretending not to know me?"

Pei Yuan plays innocent. "Hello, Mr. Gu."

Gu Jinxian laughs in disbelief. "Then why did you message me every day? Didn't you like me?"

Pei Yuan replies indifferently, "Big brother, you made fun of me all through my childhood. Wasn't that enough? What's wrong with me messing with you a little?"

It turns out he wasn't the only one who recognized the other at first sight. Pei Yuan recognized him too. Gu Jinxian had thought the stubborn little crybaby from back then had forgotten him.

Gu Jinxian looks down at him, his nose stinging:

"How about going out with me and stealing my heart too?"

Later...

Gu Jinxian lifts him onto the desk. "Date me."

Pei Yuan looks as though he's facing a great enemy. "No way. If I date my number-one gifter, how am I supposed to make money? Do you have no professional ethics?"

Gu Jinxian gives a low laugh. "That's fine. I'll make more money. I'm worth ten thousand of them. Now, date your boss."

Pei Yuan: "...Could you capitalists try having a little shame?"

Blurb written on August 25, 2026

Theme: A fierce wind reveals the strength of the grass.