Chapter 98: Late-Night Snack
“It’s over, everyone! Good job today.”
At night, the intelligent-looking shop owner, wearing glasses, clapped her hands and called out loudly, “Get ready, you can all clock out now!”
“Finally off work.”
Lin Yi let out a long sigh, stretched her arms, and smiled happily.
“Standing all day really killed me.”
If it weren’t for that cute crossdressing boy to tease, she would’ve died of boredom.
She turned to look at An Han, whose face was stiff while still forcing a polite smile for customers. Immediately, she leaned in and whispered in his ear with a devilish grin.
“Does your bra feel comfortable, little sister~?”
An Han’s body froze. His smile disappeared instantly. He glanced at Lin Yi expressionlessly, then walked out of the store without saying a word.
“You haven’t picked up your pay yet!”
He instantly turned back and hurried toward the counter.
The convention would last for three days, but An Han had no plans to come again tomorrow. Throughout the entire day, his sense of shame had been tested again and again. Luckily, he was strong enough not to run away in embarrassment halfway through.
Lin Yi’s teasing was one thing, but he could also see Long Xing watching him from afar, Su Peng occasionally coming by to mess with him, and even Counselor Ren Chi sneaking photos of him at least ten times from the crowd.
Thankfully, he had learned to adjust his shame level. As long as he stopped caring about his dignity, he could ignore everyone’s teasing.
After receiving his first day’s pay, An Han followed Lin Yi out of the venue, his body completely worn out.
“Why do you still look so unhappy after getting paid?” Lin Yi asked. She was still wearing her hanfu, the elegant and luxurious outfit didn’t match her playful smile at all.
An Han didn’t bother answering. He turned his head to look at the bright, lively city lights.
“You’re not even changing out of that outfit? Don’t tell me you got addicted to wearing it?”
“How is that possible? I just want to go home early.”
Because the task still wasn’t complete!
If “one day” in the mission only meant daytime, it should have ended long ago.
Looks like this “day” means a full twenty-four hours.
Knew it! That stupid system was never that nice!
An Han complained silently in his head. But after walking just a few steps, he noticed Su Peng standing not far away, waving at him.
His heart skipped a beat. He quickly stood on tiptoe to look around. Thank goodness, no sign of Long Xing or Chen Junjie.
“Ohh~ there’s a handsome guy coming to pick you up~”
“He’s not a handsome guy!” An Han didn’t want to have any more contact with Su Peng.
Su Peng walked over, while Lin Yi was already grinning like a love-struck fool. An Han, on the other hand, blushed and lowered his head, tugging at the edge of his dress to cover his thighs. He knew it didn’t really help hide anything, but at least it made him feel a bit better.
Inside the convention hall, no one cared what weird clothes people wore. But now they were out on the street, and dressed in a tight cheongsam that showed off his long white legs, he drew plenty of men’s gazes and whispers.
Just get used to it, he told himself. After being stared at by men the entire day, he quickly regained his calm.
“Heading back to campus?” Su Peng asked when he reached them.
“Sure, let’s go,” Lin Yi said eagerly.
“I’m not going. I still have something to do...” An Han planned to stay up all night at the internet cafe, as he originally intended.
He was about to turn and leave, but after taking one step, he hesitated and looked back at Su Peng.
Would it be dangerous to go to the internet cafe alone? Late at night, dressed like this, he might attract attention from perverts or creeps, whether on the street or in the cafe.
Even though public safety was usually good... what if something happened?
I’d better have someone protect me!
But the problem was… could Su Peng really protect him, or was he just giving that guy an easy chance to take advantage of him?
Seeing An Han’s eyes shifting around, clearly unsure and hesitant, Su Peng asked curiously,
“What’s wrong?”
An Han put a finger to his chin and thought for a long time before finally asking in a soft voice,
“How about... we go get a late-night snack together?”
“Sure.”
“I…”
Before Lin Yi could open her mouth, An Han pressed a hand on her shoulder and said quickly, “You go home first. Su Peng and I still have something to do.”
Lin Yi’s cheerful face immediately darkened. While calling for a ride on her phone, she mumbled softly, “They’re definitely up to something. Going for a late-night snack and not letting me come along, suspicious!”
The two ignored her muttering and walked together toward the nearby street.
Su Peng’s eyes occasionally glanced at An Han, and after a while, he couldn’t help asking,
“Why didn’t you change back into your men’s clothes?”
“I…” An Han paused for a moment, then used the same excuse he gave Lin Yi, “I was too tired, so I didn’t want to bother changing.”
To make it sound more believable, he continued rambling, “You don’t know how long it takes to put on makeup, like half an hour! And removing it takes just as long. I can’t wear my guy clothes while still having a girl’s face, right?”
Su Peng calmly pointed out the flaw in his logic. “Why not? Girls wear men’s clothes all the time now.”
“......”
I shouldn’t have explained that much!
Feeling guilty, An Han quickly looked away and pointed toward a large barbecue place nearby.
“Let’s eat barbecue! That one over there!”
Su Peng could clearly tell he was changing the subject, but seeing him in that beautiful cheongsam, he didn’t press the issue.
Still, in his heart, a thought crept up —
Could it be that An Han actually liked wearing that cheongsam and didn’t want to take it off? At school, he always had to wear men’s clothes to at least keep up his male appearance, but now, maybe he could finally enjoy dressing like a girl freely?
When they reached the barbecue restaurant, An Han turned his head and saw Su Peng still looking thoughtful.
Who knows what this guy’s imagining about me right now! It’s just a mission, that’s all!
“Today’s my treat.” An Han took out his phone and showed his payment record with a smile. “I made five hundred today!”
Su Peng looked up at him and smiled. “Let’s split the bill. You worked hard for that five hundred.”
“Whatever you say.”
The cool night breeze brushed past them, making An Han’s bare shoulders feel cold. He instinctively shrank them inward, and his legs, exposed under the skirt, pressed tightly together for warmth.
As the wind lifted the edge of his dress slightly, he quickly pressed a hand down to stop it from flipping up.
Even though he tried to ignore the fact that he was still in women’s clothing, the shame of walking around dressed like this in public kept hitting his brain again and again.
“Let’s go inside before you catch a cold,” Su Peng said.
“Mm.”
An Han pushed open the restaurant’s glass door first. The warm, smoky air inside instantly drove away the chill on his body. Now that there was no wind, he didn’t need to worry about his skirt anymore, and his movements became more natural.
They found a seat, and An Han smoothed his skirt under him as he sat down, neatly tucking it beneath him.
Su Peng rested his chin on one hand and watched him, that smooth and graceful motion looked so natural that no one would believe this was actually a guy.
A moment later, the waiter came over with the menu.
An Han grabbed the pen with one hand, his face slightly red, eyebrows furrowed in thought. His left index finger rested unconsciously on his lips, and after a while, he looked up and wrinkled his small nose.
“What do you want to eat? Everything looks so good~ The pictures are so tempting~”
Obviously, the most tempting thing at the table isn’t the food.
Su Peng didn’t dare say what he was really thinking and replied calmly, “Let me take a look at the menu.”
“Here, take the pen too. I only ordered a few skewers.”