Yet I could never have guessed what this demon girl would do next.

She turned to the onlookers and suddenly raised her voice eight octaves: “Quick intro! I’m from Orange Fish Culture. This young lady is our newly signed artist—stage name Xixi-chan. Today’s an impromptu roadshow!”

Wait, what the heck is a “roadshow”?! And wasn’t I signed as a model? Since when am I an “artist”?!

So… was that contract for modeling… or a slave contract?!

Inexperienced as I was, I shed quiet tears of regret for my own naivety and recklessness. *Sigh*… Never signing anything carelessly again…

The crowd, however, barely blinked—seasoned by today’s endless stream of internet celebrities, they’d seen it all.

And… somehow… no one seemed to notice I was a guy?

My ears are sharp. From every snippet of chatter I caught, not a single person mentioned “male.”

A silver lining, I guess. Cross-dressing in public was mortifying… but as long as no one recognized me, I could *just* endure it.

*Sigh*… I’d already learned to find humor in hardship and numb myself to the absurdity.

The girl cleared her throat. “To thank everyone for coming, Xixi-chan will sing some lovely songs! Her voice isn’t perfect, but she’s a hardworking girl! Please support her—follow her on Bilibili, Weibo, Kuaishou, and Douyin under the same username~”

Wait—since when did *I* have accounts named “Xixi-chan”?!

Confused but curious, many onlookers actually pulled out their phones to search.

“Alright, Xixi-chan~ To show gratitude for everyone’s love… shouldn’t you sing one more?”

I…

Under her threat, I sang three more trendy pop hits. My voice has always been naturally androgynous; pitching it slightly higher made me sound nearly identical to a girl. Paired with my flawless feminine appearance… no one suspected a thing.

Of course, the demon girl wouldn’t let me off easy. Standing nearby like a micromanaging manager, phone recording the whole time:

“Xixi-chan! Tone! Make it cuter!”

“Bigger gestures! Or I’ll leak these raw clips!”

“Would you rather nail the perfect adorable video I want… or have me post your blooper reel? This is your *debut* roadshow! Buck up—treat this like your spotlight stage!”

Debut my foot!

And… ugh, so embarrassing! Cross-dressing *and* singing live? If that demon girl hadn’t been hovering right there, I would’ve bolted ages ago.

Thankfully, the crowd stayed kind—mostly just snapping photos. Some even cheered: “Xixi-chan, I’m your fan now! Keep it up!”

No, please… I’m really not an idol.

Suddenly, her phone rang. She glanced down, then up at me with that familiar wicked smirk. “About time. The clock’s up.”

Wait—“clock’s up”? Is this my death countdown? Will an assassin leap from the crowd the second time’s up?!

“Hey, Xiaoxi…” Her voice softened unnervingly. “If I put you on a stage with thousands watching… could you sing?”

Huh? Why so gentle all of a sudden?

Flustered, I stammered, “I… I guess so?”

I’m no pro, but I’ve always loved singing alone. I know I’m no worse than an amateur—I can handle most songs. So I hinted at my confidence… gently.

But this had to be her teasing. Sure, there was a crowd… but “thousands watching”? Impossible…

She smiled, pleased. “How about rap?”

“Popular rap songs… I can manage.”

“Perfect. I’ve got another option for you—”

“What do you mean?”

Before I could process it, she flashed a mischievous grin into the phone: “Yes, Uncle Cheng—come pick us up now.”

“Where to? Taking me home?” I asked, anxious yet with a flicker of hope.

“Hehehe… My dear Xiaoxi… what comes next… is the stage—I’ve built just for you.”

A stage… *for me*? What does that even mean?! What’s she planning?!

Just then, the familiar black sedan rolled into view. Cheng Shun leaned out the window and gave a thumbs-up.

So… what conspiracy were you two cooking up?!

I slid back into the car, heart pounding.