The cross-dressing master's online romance unmasked

Early the next morning, Ning Shile took Zheng Ye to an old residential complex beyond the Third Ring Road.

The elderly men and women out for their morning exercise all had breakfast in hand, eating as they chatted beside the exercise equipment.

The sight made Ning Shile hungry, so he bought a bag of soup dumplings to share with Zheng Ye.

"What are we doing here?" Seeing how much Ning Shile enjoyed the food, Zheng Ye took a dumpling too.

He took a bite and gave a small nod.

The wrapper was thin, the filling generous, and the flavor delicious. It was unexpectedly good.

"To watch a good show." Ning Shile sat on a bench and picked up the hot porridge he had just bought, holding a cup in each hand. "One black rice, one oatmeal. Which do you want?"

"Oatmeal," Zheng Ye answered.

"Here." Ning Shile generously handed it over, pierced the lid of his black rice porridge with a straw, then explained, "I added Assistant Wang's younger brother yesterday. He should be here soon."

Zheng Ye raised an eyebrow. "You arranged to meet him?"

"No." Ning Shile covered his mouth with a wicked grin. "He arranged to meet his 'girl'friend."

Before Zheng Ye could ask anything else, he saw a man enter the complex carrying a bouquet of roses.

The man was dressed formally in a suit and leather shoes, looking rather out of place.

Zheng Ye studied him. He had a round face and glasses and looked to be in his twenties. He was smiling and humming as he walked, pulling out his phone and typing rapidly, apparently messaging someone.

Bzz, bzz—

Zheng Ye's phone suddenly buzzed. Puzzled, he opened it and saw a WeChat message pop up.

Your bro Wang: Are you sure little Jingjing lives in this complex? I'm telling you, I'm here. If you're messing with me, you're dead!

"?" Zheng Ye was confused. He didn't remember adding this person.

"That's Assistant Wang's younger brother." Ning Shile hurriedly wiped his hands, took Zheng Ye's phone, and typed a reply.

Z: Yes, right here. Unit 2, apartment 101.

Your bro Wang: Little Jingjing wouldn't tell me her address even after three years of dating online. How did you get it? What exactly is your relationship with her?

Rather than answer directly, Ning Shile asked a question.

Z: Aren't you two about to get married? You don't even have her address?

Your bro Wang: Little Jingjing said she'd come meet me once I bought a house and put her name on it!

Ning Shile shook his head at that, then typed.

Z: I'm not lying. Go find her if you want.

The man snorted and stopped at the entrance to Unit 2. He smoothed his hair and cleared his throat, then walked into the building with his chest puffed out and knocked on the door of apartment 101.

Ning Shile covered his mouth to stifle a laugh and returned the phone to Zheng Ye.

Zheng Ye didn't understand. He thought Ning Shile was tricking Assistant Wang's brother, but after the man got someone to answer the door and exchanged a few words, he went inside.

Huh?? Why did he go in?

Ning Shile craned his neck, a soup dumpling still between his teeth, his eyes as round as a little squirrel's.

Damn it, am I going to miss out on this juicy drama?

Ning Shile looked stunned.

Then I got up this early for nothing!

Zheng Ye didn't understand what drama Ning Shile wanted to see. He watched the scene before him, puzzled.

Wasn't this just an ordinary first meeting between an online couple?

Zheng Ye opened his phone and read the chat history from the beginning, getting a rough idea of the situation.

Assistant Wang's younger brother was named Wang Ming, and he had an online girlfriend. Though they had never met, they were already discussing marriage. The woman said she would marry him if he bought a house and added her name to the deed.

Wang Ming was already twenty-seven, old enough to settle down and establish himself. After he told his parents about this, they became desperate to marry Assistant Wang off so they could use her bride price to get Wang Ming a wife.

But that only left Zheng Ye even more confused.

Wasn't Ning Shile trying to help Assistant Wang? Wouldn't letting Wang Ming meet his online girlfriend in person only speed up their marriage?

And wouldn't that make his parents push Assistant Wang even harder to marry that scumbag?

As he pondered this, a thud! came from inside the apartment.

Then the front door suddenly burst open.

What, what! They're coming out!

Ning Shile's eyes widened.

"You bastard! You actually pretended to be a woman online to scam people out of money!" A middle-aged man wielding a rolling pin viciously beat a man in red pajamas.

The man in red pajamas was short but very fat, his face covered in scruffy stubble. After running a few steps, he fell with a thump.

The middle-aged man glared furiously. "He's tracked you all the way home! Have you got no shame?"

"And you fucking told him your name was Su Jingjing! You're Su Jingjing, are you? So you're Su Jingjing?!" The middle-aged man was practically steaming with rage. He grabbed the man in red pajamas and rained blows down on him. "Su Jingjing is your mother's name! How fucking dare you use it!"

The man in red pajamas wailed and dodged. "Dad! I was making money! Making money!"

You little punk!!

This is how you make money? Fine, fine, go ahead. Who could possibly outdo you!

Ning Shile snarked inwardly.

"Making money?! You're fucking making money by pretending to be a woman?!" The middle-aged man struck even harder. "I'll beat you to death today, you disgrace!!"

The middle-aged man brought the rolling pin down again and again, drawing a string of howls from the man in red pajamas.

Then Wang Ming emerged from the apartment too, his eyes red and his shoulders trembling. His legs were weak as he walked out.

God, the person he had dated online for three years was actually a man whose dick was bigger than his??

Wang Ming seemed to age ten years in an instant. He covered his face, unable to accept it.

Boohoo...! I can't take this humiliation!

The elderly people doing their morning exercises were startled by the scene. They hurried over to intervene, shielding the man in red pajamas behind them. "Why are you beating your child like this? Talk it out!"

"Why am I beating him?" The middle-aged man's fury flared as he pointed at the man sitting on the ground. "Go on, ask him!"

The elderly men and women turned to look at the man in red pajamas.

How could he possibly say it?

What was he supposed to say? That he had pretended to be a woman online to trick men into dating him? That after three years of online dating, he had even promised marriage? That someone had now tracked him home and exposed him?

The man in red pajamas stammered without managing an explanation. The middle-aged man grew even angrier, rolling pin in hand. "So you know it's shameful? Huh?! You know you can't say it out loud!"

"I... I'll give him his money back, all right!" The man in red pajamas shielded his face with his hands. Seeing his father stop, he hurriedly looked at Wang Ming.

Their eyes met, but the man in red pajamas couldn't immediately recognize him.

He had several online "husbands," and several had promised to buy a house and marry him. He only recognized their usernames and aliases, not their faces.

"Are you bro Chao or bro Ma?" The man in red pajamas tilted his head, thinking. "Or are you bro Li?"

At those words, Wang Ming nearly cried.

Bro Chao, bro Ma, bro Li? Not only was the person who had conned him out of his money and affection a man, he didn't even remember who he was!

Damn it, who the hell invented online dating!!

Other people are trouble makers, and I've become a double joker!!

Wang Ming tipped his face toward the sky and wept.

Boohoo, I'm never dating online again!!

That day, when Assistant Wang came to pay compensation and submit her resignation, she made a point of thanking Ning Shile.

She said that after Wang Ming went out that morning, he stopped pushing to buy a house and get married. In fact, he got angry whenever the subject came up, saying he would only consider marriage after establishing his career.

With Wang Ming no longer demanding a house, his parents naturally stopped pressuring her so hard. Assistant Wang immediately broke up with the scumbag, then went to the police station to turn herself in for theft.

Theft carried a heavy sentence, but since Assistant Wang had voluntarily surrendered and returned the stolen property, there was a chance her sentence would be reduced.

Hearing this, Zheng Ye's mother grew curious. She took Ning Shile's arm and asked, "How exactly did you help Assistant Wang?"

Ning Shile didn't hide anything and told her the whole story.

Zheng Ye's mother was shocked. "Something like that actually happened? Wang Ming must have been heartbroken!"

Ning Shile nodded vigorously and said solemnly, "Heartbroken. Absolutely heartbroken."

Zheng Ye's mother raised her eyebrows. "Right!"

At this point, Zheng Mother began to regret not going out with Ning Shile that morning.

Watching from beside them, Zheng Ye found it amusing. These two really did have plenty to talk about.

But one shouldn't talk while eating or sleeping, so Zheng Ye reminded them, "Eat."

Only then did Ning Shile and Zheng Ye's mother quiet down and pick up their bowls and chopsticks.

The housekeeper had prepared dinner: four dishes and a soup, all delicious. The three members of the Zheng Family and Ning Shile sat around the round table in a harmonious atmosphere.

Halfway through dinner, Ning Shile's phone suddenly rang.

He turned on the screen and saw that the caller was Chu Ran.

Why was Chu Ran calling him?

Puzzled, Ning Shile swiped to answer.

Chu Ran asked from the other end, "Shile, are you busy tomorrow?"

"No. Why?" Ning Shile answered.

"Then come to a wedding with me tomorrow," Chu Ran said. "Afterward, I'll go to your place to pick up the painting."

Ning Shile didn't really want to go. He would rather spend that time sleeping at home.

"Old Master Bai, Bai Hai's granddaughter, is getting married tomorrow. Their relatives are all abroad, and they're worried it won't look good if too few people turn up on the bride's side, so they invited me," Chu Ran explained. "If you're free, why don't you come along?"

Ning Shile's refusal stalled on his lips.

Old Master Bai's granddaughter is getting married? This sounds like that online gambling scandal!!

Old Master Bai? Bai Hai?

Zheng Ye looked up.

What online gambling scandal?

Actually, Zheng Ye wasn't looking for gossip. He had always wanted to expand his business into Haicheng, but with Old Master Bai holding sway there, he hadn't been able to make headway. He had been looking for a chance to speak with Old Master Bai.

Old Master Bai's granddaughter's husband is addicted to online gambling and owes tens of millions. Debt collectors even crash the wedding!!

And her husband only tricked her into marrying him for her money! Later, he even drives Old Master Bai's granddaughter insane and lives it up on her money!!

"Okay, I'll go," Ning Shile said quickly. "What time tomorrow? Send the location to my phone."

"No need. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning," Chu Ran said.

"That works." Ning Shile didn't stand on ceremony. "See you tomorrow morning."

Zheng Ye raised his eyebrows. It looked like he would have to work overtime tonight to clear his schedule for tomorrow.