Yi Shi sat in a corner by the window, maintaining a polite posture with his knees together and hands on his thighs, stiffly afraid to move.
He had never worn such tight “pants” before. To be precise, they should be called leggings. The ones on his legs were flesh-colored, giving the visual effect of bare legs in the cold wind. Yu Xue had said that these were the popular “bare-leg artifact” that fashionable girls loved to wear on the streets. Even in winter, they could show off their sexy legs, catching the attention of passersby.
This was the first time Yi Shi had worn such a thing, and the leggings clung tightly to his legs, making him feel as if he was being bound and unable to move. His walking posture had even become stiff. He couldn’t stand it after walking just one street. His legs felt like a pair of prosthetics, and the light woolen mid-length skirt was barely a decoration, doing nothing to block the wind. He couldn’t understand—weren’t many girls said to have cold bodies? Then why not wear more clothes in the winter and take better care of themselves?
After complaining about the lower half of his body, it was time to talk about the upper half—the puffer jacket. Puffy and bulging like an inflatable protective bubble, Yu Xue introduced it as a “puffer jacket.” The loose, oversized coat was supposed to accentuate a woman’s petite frame and add a touch of cuteness. Yi Shi felt a shiver of discomfort and reluctance even to reach out to take it; the coat next to it seemed more appealing. Yu Xue had confidently stated that Yi Shi’s height was over the limit, so wearing this loose, oversized coat would visually make him look shorter.
“…So what does that have to do with the color?” Yi Shi struggled. “Can’t it be blue or black?”
“You think you’re still Yi Shi? You’re now Shi Yiyi, a kindergarten teacher, so you need to wear bright, cute colors to be approachable for the kids.”
“Then these… leggings…”
“Leggings.”
“Can I not wear them?” Yi Shi struggled. “They’re uncomfortable. How about jeans?”
“Can you hide anything in jeans?” Yu Xue tugged at the skirt. “The clothes I chose for you are all well thought out, definitely not on a whim.”
“…” Yi Shi silently walked into the fitting room, feeling that Yu Xue’s words were somewhat high-sounding.
After changing, he was too embarrassed to go out but was eventually dragged out by Yu Xue.
The store clerks whispered among themselves, their curious gazes making Yi Shi uneasy. Yu Xue rubbed his chin and pointed to Yi Shi’s short black hair. “Now all you need is a hairstyle.”
Hearing that he had passed the test, Yi Shi eagerly unzipped his coat, but Yu Xue stopped him: “What are you taking it off for?”
“Aren’t we going to buy a wig?”
“Yes.” Yu Xue nodded seriously. “And you’re going out like this.”
“…?”
Yi Shi opened his mouth, confirming that Yu Xue wasn’t joking—he really intended for him to walk around in women’s clothing!
The temperature seemed to drop several degrees in an instant. Yi Shi appeared silent, but his eyes were full of cold accusations. Yu Xue, completely unaffected, put his arm around Yi Shi’s shoulder, gently persuading him, “You need to start getting used to it now, find opportunities to practice more. What if you slip up?”
“…Can I quit?”
“What, you want to defy orders from the organization?”
2000 Years Later.
In a beauty store, Yi Shi stood obediently while the young store owner stared at him for a long time before exclaiming, “A cross-dressing master!”
“…” Yi Shi casually picked up a black wig to cover his face.
The shop owner giggled, “Oh dear, why are you covering up? We get so many cross-dressing guys buying wigs here. But wow, you’re really good-looking! It’s just that your expression is too cold. Can you smile for me?”
“Come on, give me a smile! If you like any of these, I’ll give you a discount! And by the way, do you livestream? What’s your account on that site? I’ll follow you right away and send you some gifts…”
Yi Shi was backed into a corner, feeling stuck. Yuxue, having had enough of the fun, finally rescued him from the shop owner’s clutches and asked her to help pick out a suitable wig.
“You’re dressed so cutely, why not try this medium-length one? It’s been selling like crazy, almost out of stock.” The shop owner took a shoulder-length ash-blonde wig with straight bangs and inward-curling ends from a mannequin. After putting it on Yi Shi, she even helped trim the bangs a bit more. Finally, hands on her hips, she proudly asked, “Looks good, right?”
Yuxue snapped his fingers, “Really nice! And he hasn’t even put on makeup yet, but I can barely recognize him.”
??? Was that a compliment?
The shop owner clasped her hands to her face, showering Yi Shi with endless praises, every word filled with admiration. Several times she tried to take a picture with her phone, but Yuxue blocked her each time. Yi Shi’s lips twitched as he silently put down the mirror and stood up to leave, but Yuxue, quick as lightning, pushed him back into the chair and asked the shop owner to do his makeup.
As the shop owner approached with a makeup case and a strange expression, Yi Shi’s face turned pale, as if facing an imminent disaster. Yuxue firmly held his shoulders, calmly picking out a lipstick shade. Yi Shi trembled; how does he even know how to choose a color? Could Yuxue be the real “cross-dressing expert” here?!
“Wow, you sure know a lot, handsome,” the shop owner said with a smile, holding a powder puff. “Are you like, a ‘friend of women’?”
“Thanks to my little aunt who loves to mess around,” Yuxue shrugged. “She keeps asking me to help pick her lipstick shades, always asking which foundation is good. If I give the wrong answer, she complains about me being clueless. It used to be a blind spot for me, but after so much exposure, I kind of learned.”
Before long, Yuxue handed the mirror back to Yi Shi. This time, Yi Shi wasn’t silent; he was shocked. Was the person in the mirror a human or a ghost?
To be fair, the shop owner’s makeup skills were impeccable, and she had given Yi Shi a light, work-appropriate look, with only the lipstick standing out. But for Yi Shi, who had gone almost thirty years without ever wearing makeup, it was like seeing a ghost. Just thinking about going on a mission with this “horrifying” look made him feel dizzy.
Seeing Yi Shi on the verge of erupting like a volcano, the shop owner added fuel to the fire by exclaiming how beautiful he looked. Yuxue had to patiently explain again, convincing Yi Shi to accept his “unbearable” cross-dressed appearance.
After packing up a bunch of “useless” cosmetics, Yuxue also picked out a pair of non-prescription contact lenses and bought a bunch of wig stabilizers before paying the bill. On the way back to the city police headquarters, Yi Shi walked carefully, taking small steps, afraid that the tight stockings might tear (?). Even though Yuxue assured him that such a thing wouldn’t happen and he could move freely, Yi Shi couldn’t shake his psychological discomfort. Not to mention the unpleasant feeling on his lips; accidentally touching them would leave him with a mouthful of color and fragrance, leaving him parched and miserable.
At that moment, Yi Shi suddenly empathized with many women. Having experienced firsthand how difficult it was to be a woman, sacrificing so much for a refined appearance, he realized that those who peddle “appearance anxiety” and harshly judge women were truly unforgivable.
As it turned out, his disguise was highly successful because when he returned to the Haijing City Police Department, none of his colleagues, who had been working with him for some time, recognized who he was. Yuxue sat him down in an office chair and, with a smile, told the others that this was a guest of his and asked them to take care of her while he attended a meeting.
The Haijing colleagues all nodded enthusiastically, eager to offer the “beauty” tea and coffee, constantly checking in on her and urging her not to hesitate if she needed anything. After all, they were dedicated public servants who loved their jobs and enjoyed helping others.
In response, Yi Shi stiffly shook his head, thanking them but insisting he needed nothing. All he wanted was to sit quietly and not be noticed.
Everything was going smoothly until a policewoman in a white coat with her hair in a bun showed up, looking around, “Hey? Pingping isn’t here?”
“She’s in a meeting, in the conference room.”
“No wonder she didn’t reply when I messaged her about lunch.”
Hearing that voice, Yi Shi’s entire body tensed even more, cursing his strong memory—it was Wen Xining, the forensic examiner he’d met once before at Haijing.
Wen Xining, taking a break, wandered into the criminal investigation department and immediately noticed the beauty sitting by the window. She pulled a colleague aside and whispered, “Who is that?”
“Someone Captain Yu brought from Nanyi.”
“Is she Captain Yu’s girlfriend?” Wen Xining examined her, noting her fashionable, cute outfit. Her height was definitely over 170 cm, and her posture was both elegant and dignified. Especially those legs—long, shapely, and without an ounce of excess fat. She was so envious! Was Captain Yu’s girlfriend a model?
The beauty kept her head down, making it hard for Wen Xining to see her face. Curiosity was clawing at her, so she boldly approached to strike up a conversation, “Hello.”
Yi Shi, hidden beneath the oversized puffer coat, stiffened like a board, not daring to move. Wen Xining noticed the cold cup of water on the table and offered, “I’ll get you a fresh cup of hot water.”
In less than two minutes, a steaming paper cup was placed on the table. Wen Xining sat opposite, resting her chin on her hands as she gazed at the beauty, “I heard you came here with Captain Yu. Are you his girlfriend?”
Yi Shi awkwardly shook his head. Wen Xining tilted her head, trying to get a better look at her face, but the ash-blonde wig blocked most of it, only revealing a delicate nose. She sighed but couldn’t bring herself to ask her to look up, feeling frustrated that she couldn’t fully appreciate this beautiful woman.
Footsteps echoed toward the office, and Wen Xining stood up, noticing the beauty finally looked up at the door, seizing the chance to observe closely. She was indeed stunning—her skin flawless, without a visible pore, fair and smooth, with a perfect contour from her nose to her jawline. Yet it wasn’t the kind of artificial, overdone look typical of social media influencers. She was undoubtedly a natural beauty!
Captain Yu’s girlfriend… no, female friend, really isn’t a model or an actress?!
Moreover… Wen Xining rubbed his chin and muttered to himself, “Why do I have this inexplicable feeling of familiarity? I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before. There’s no way I wouldn’t remember such a beautiful lady…”
Upon hearing this, Yi Shi broke into a cold sweat. Please, don’t remember.
At that moment, Yu Xue happened to walk in and waved at Yi Shi, “Come, this is the undercover agent I’ve arranged. Everyone, take a look.”
Under everyone’s gaze, Yi Shi gritted his teeth, leaned on a chair, and stood up, fearlessly meeting the scrutinizing eyes of the crowd.
Li Changsheng and the others, upon seeing the beautiful lady’s face, were all taken aback. Where did Captain Yu find such a stunning girl? Can she really be an undercover agent? With that slender waist and legs, she looks so delicate—can she even run in danger? If she had to fight a criminal, could she manage?
Song Ping had the same reaction as Wen Xining. They both shared a similar interest in beautiful women and never forgot a pretty face. Song Ping looked her up and down, feeling even more certain that only she could do this job as an undercover agent—this pretty and cute girl should be streaming on some social media platform! She’d surely receive a flood of donations every day. Why do such a dangerous job? What if her face gets scarred?!
Among the crowd, all mesmerized by Yi Shi’s disguise, only one person sensed something was wrong—the wise old veteran, Liu Chenyi. He felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity with this woman and asked, “Captain Yu, who is she?”
“A friend, here to help.”
Liu Chenyi noticed the flat boots on Yi Shi’s feet, which were a bit too large—almost as big as a man’s feet. Although her face was made up, the familiar features couldn’t be hidden, especially the upturned corners of her eyes when seen from the side, which gave him a sense of physical discomfort…
At the same time, Wen Xining exclaimed, “Oh~ I remember now! You look a lot like that guy from Nanyi with the cold demeanor! Are you siblings?”
“……”
Yi Shi didn’t want to answer.
Liu Chenyi suddenly realized, his finger trembling as he pointed at her, “You… you… you—are Yi Shi?!”
Zhang Rui was stunned, nearly stepping back and only managing to stay upright by holding onto the edge of a table. Song Ping rubbed her eyes, desperately needing eye drops at this moment, while Wen Xining covered her mouth, stifling a cheer, “Yi Shi?! Is it really you? Are you cross-dressing?”
The group, who had been eagerly flattering her earlier, stood dumbfounded for a few seconds before rushing over. The more they looked, the more it seemed right; the more they looked, the more their lips twitched, and the sweatier their palms became.
Under the intense scrutiny, Yi Shi felt utterly uncomfortable and, in resignation, replied in his usual cold voice, “Stop guessing. It’s me.”
There was a three-second silence in the office before it erupted into a chorus of wails.
“No way! Is it really him?!”
“I’ve been sitting here for an hour, and I didn’t even realize it was a man!”
“A man? Fine, but Yi Shi?! My God, did he pick out this outfit himself?”
“I might as well donate my eyes. I was waiting for Pingping to come back and tell her about meeting a big beauty.”
“Could this be… a team benefit?”
“Bro, that’s a bold thought. Watch out, or he’ll punch you.”
“As expected of Nanyi, young leaders really know how to shake things up!”
…
Even the people from Nanyi were no better off, their pupils dilating and jaws dropping. Especially Ding Ju, who stared fixedly at Yi Shi, examining him from head to toe and back again, his heart racing—what’s going on? I know he’s Yi Shi, so why won’t my heartbeat slow down?
…A team benefit, is there such a good thing?
Meanwhile, Li Changsheng felt as if he’d just dodged a bullet. Thank goodness, it’s not a girlfriend—what a relief…
Yu Xue stood side by side with Yuan Kang and whispered, “What do you think, pretty convincing, right?”
Yuan Kang clicked his tongue in amazement, “Impressive, impressive. We’ve caught quite a few cross-dressing fraudsters, but none of them pulled it off as well as he does.”
Liu Chenyi clutched the table, feeling a surge of anger stuck in his throat, “Captain Yu, didn’t you say the undercover wasn’t him?!”
“That’s right, Yi Shi isn’t the undercover agent.” Yu Xue smiled, walked over, and pushed Yi Shi forward.
“Let me introduce you—this lovely lady is ‘Shi Yiyi,’ soon to be a kindergarten teacher.”
