Xia Xingjian wanted to become a game streamer, but his family kicked him out and canceled his credit card. With no other choice, he looked for a roommate.
He stood outside the tiny, run-down rental, luggage still in hand.
A beautiful girl with fair skin and twin ponytails opened the door and sweetly called, "Big brother."
Xia Xingjian's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Wait, wasn't the roommate I found supposed to be a guy?!
*
Some time later, he posted online asking for advice:
[Question: What should I do if my roommate is a cross-dressing guy?]
[He's really cute, a great cook, and so considerate. He knows I'm afraid of the dark and even asked if I wanted to sleep together tonight...]
Reply 1: OP, if you don't make a move, I will!
Reply 2: Maybe he's struggling with his gender identity and is especially sensitive and vulnerable. Try being gentler with him.
Xia Xingjian found this very convincing.
*
From then on, whenever he got up early to exercise, he brought breakfast for his roommate, who streamed all night. He was thoughtful and caring every day, and fussed over him whenever he was sick.
Until one day, his roommate asked him with teary eyes if he would be his boyfriend.
Xia Xingjian: !!! What?
It turned out his roommate wanted him to pretend to be his rumored boyfriend.
Xia Xingjian: "So what should I do?"
His roommate smiled.
And so...
As soon as Xia Xingjian started streaming, a long, beautiful hand appeared on camera, offering freshly baked heart-shaped cookies.
"It's nothing, we're just good roommates, okay?"
After a few sweet interactions, the viewers were swooning over the romance.
[Who says this is fake? This sweetness is delicious!]
[Anyone who can't appreciate this factory-made sugar can get lost.]
*
Their interactions continued, and Xia Xingjian's streaming career flourished.
But then a netizen posted an exposé online.
They weren't actually a couple at all. They were just pretending for business!!
Following the clues, netizens found Yi Mingxu's Zhihu account, only to find a single question:
"How do I convince a cold, straight guy to stream with me as a fake couple?"
The only answer he'd liked said:
"Easy. Just make him your boyfriend."
The netizens: ??? Huh? Wait, weren't they only pretending?
*
The controversy grew, and both of them stopped streaming.
Two months later, Yi Mingxu's long-silent account suddenly posted a photo.
In the picture, two hands were intertwined, matching rings on their ring fingers, with a sunlit beach in the background.
[It was an act, but we've decided to keep acting for the rest of our lives ^^]
Reader notes:
1. Fake struggling-roommates story. At first, both leads think the other is poor.
2. A silly, fluffy romance. The game is Identity V, but it probably won't take up much of the story, so you can enjoy this even if you don't play.
Theme: Friends are the best feature of any game.
