Chapter 62#

The Cross-dressing Wife#

The day of the ball soon arrived.

In the evening, Lin Xiaodong used the [One-Click Dress-Up] skill to change into a Chinese red cheongsam suitable for attending a ball, paired with a pair of fine-heeled red high heels. The style was very modern, and the cheongsam was also decorated with lace edges and pearl buttons. Normally, a normal male should be very embarrassed to wear this kind of clothes, but perhaps these days of women’s clothing have made him accustomed to it. In short, Lin Xiaodong not only didn’t feel anything, but even thought it was quite good-looking.

System: “As everyone knows, women’s clothing only has zero times and countless times.”

Lin Xiaodong responded quickly: “Zero? I don’t want to be a zero, I want to be a one.”

System: “……”

Beyond help, take him away.

But out of a system’s professional ethics, he still reminded Lin Xiaodong: “Don’t forget to complete the task. The places where you go for free clinics are too remote, and you can’t meet key plot characters, so you can’t get their Good Person Cards.”

“I know.”

Lin Xiaodong had a premonition that this ball would definitely not be as peaceful as Gu Xingzhai expected.

“Miss, the car is ready and parked at the door.”

Hearing the housekeeper’s voice at the door, Lin Xiaodong responded, got up, and walked out of the door.

An old-fashioned dark green jeep was parked at the door of the Gu mansion, with curtains for shielding in the back seat. Gu Xi closed his eyes and leaned on the back of the chair, still wearing his eternal black long gown.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, he opened his eyes, turned his head to look, and couldn’t help but have a flash of amazement in his eyes when he saw Lin Xiaodong’s outfit today.

After all, the young man was a crossdresser, and his actual height was a full section higher than the average height of women in this era. Coupled with the high heels, it made his figure even more tall and slender. His soft and full red lips were slightly raised, making his skin appear even more white and delicate. The tear mole under his right eye was the finishing touch. Although he didn’t have a charming and petite feel, he had a bit more of a glamorous queenly temperament.

Gu Xingzhai stared at him for a few seconds, suddenly waved for a servant to come over, and whispered a few words to him. Lin Xiaodong thought he had forgotten something, but a few minutes later, the servant carefully held a red velvet box and trotted over, handing it to him.

“What is this?”

Lin Xiaodong opened it curiously and found a string of pale golden pearl necklaces with round and full colors inside. A dark green jade was hanging at the bottom, which was the size of an egg. It was obvious that it was valuable at a glance.

He looked up at Gu Xingzhai, and the man reached over him and picked up the necklace from the box, tying it very carefully around Lin Xiaodong’s neck.

“This was left by my mother,” he said in a low voice, “don’t think too much, I just think you need a piece of jewelry that can hold up the scene.”

But Lin Xiaodong didn’t show any offended expression, just smiled and said thank you, then yawned and leaned his head on the car window to take a nap.

Gu Xingzhai sat back in his original position, looking at the profile reflected on the car window. After a while, he also closed his eyes to rest.

As for what he really thought in his heart, only the man himself in this world knows.

For tonight’s ball, Master Huang specially dressed up carefully.

He smeared thick hair wax, changed into a new swallowtail coat, and looked left and right in the western mirror. He felt very satisfied with himself. The owner of the tailor shop who came specifically to deliver the clothes also praised: “As expected of Master Huang! This set of clothes is even difficult for Westerners to support. Master Huang is the first person I have ever seen in my life who can wear a swallowtail coat with such style!”

“Don’t flatter me, it’s not that exaggerated.” Scolding with his mouth, Master Huang stroked his beard, and a very satisfied smile appeared on his face, “But your clothes are indeed well-made. Someone, give him a reward!”

He took one last look in the mirror, took out a golden pocket watch from his chest pocket and looked at the time, estimating that several important guests should be about to enter. So he greeted the concubine who was waiting beside him and went downstairs together to welcome them.

With Master Huang’s official rank and status, it was originally not necessary for him to be so diligent in going out to welcome guests personally, but one of the guests coming today was a beauty he had been thinking about for a long time, and another was a master with extraordinary skills, so he finally decided to go out and take a look.

“Mr. Wang and Miss Yu arrive!”

“Mr. Zhong and Miss Zhang arrive!”

“Mr. XX and Miss XX arrive…”

Master Huang smiled and motioned to the guests on the surface, but he was actually already a bit impatient. The concubine next to him snorted even more, wrapped in a white fox fur shawl, and said to him quite proudly: “They are all a bunch of ordinary people, not a single one is worth looking at.”

“That’s right,” Master Huang put his arm around her waist and somewhat lightly reached out to pinch her chin, “how can these women compare to you.”

Before he could finish his sentence, he heard the doorboy at the door suddenly shout in a stuttering voice:

“Mr. Gu and Miss Lin arrive!”

The people who were holding glasses and talking around the round table looked outside in unison.

On the red carpet at the door, a pair of handsome men and beautiful women with their backs to the bright headlights slowly walked toward them.

The man wore a traditional black long gown, and the dark embroidered cloud pattern on it flickered as he walked. Inside, he was matched with a white undershirt, and the collar was buttoned to the top, but it didn’t look bloated. Instead, his straight back and steady steps gave people a sense of maturity that didn’t match his age; the woman attracted the attention of all the men and women present at the moment she got off the car. Smooth large wavy curls were draped over her shoulders, like a red rose in full bloom. Her figure wrapped in a cheongsam was slender and tall, with smooth and beautiful curves. The exposed calves were even more white and slender. A pair of red high heels seemed to have stepped on Master Huang’s heart.

He couldn’t help swallowing, and even didn’t care about the angry gaze of the concubine next to him. He immediately went up to meet them with a brilliant smile: “Welcome, welcome! Miss Lin’s arrival truly makes this humble abode shine!”

Lin Xiaodong smiled at him and took the arm of Gu Xingzhai beside him in front of everyone.

Master Huang’s face stiffened. Who present didn’t know the relationship between these two? Lies repeated a thousand times become true. He looked at their intimate appearance somewhat unbelievably and said with difficulty: “Miss Lin, you are…?”

“She is my dance partner tonight.” Gu Xingzhai said in a deep voice.

“Haha, quite good, quite good.” Master Huang, who didn’t achieve his goal, had a somewhat ugly face, so he could only give a few dry laughs to brush it off. Other people at the banquet also looked at them and whispered to each other. The men shook their heads in regret, and the women looked disdainful.

“You look at them,” Lin Xiaodong picked up a glass of red wine from the tray, shook it gently, and raised the corners of his mouth, “they think they have mastered the truth and start pointing fingers at others. It’s really interesting.”

Gu Xingzhai saw that his expression was as usual, so he felt relieved.

“There’s no need to pay attention to these people,” he said coldly, because he has seen too many in so many years, “they are no different from the gossip-mongering idlers in the market, they just changed into a more noble skin.”

“You’re right.” Lin Xiaodong raised his glass to him, “So, for the rare consensus we’ve reached, cheers?”

Hearing the young man’s smiling voice, Gu Xingzhai’s cold expression could no longer hold. He helplessly raised his glass and clinked it simply with Lin Xiaodong’s, but didn’t forget to warn: “Don’t drink too much.”

“I know, like a nag.”

Lin Xiaodong gave him a very “unladylike” roll of the eyes, let go of his hand, and ran to other tables to find small snacks to fill his stomach. Gu Xingzhai stood on the spot with a stiff face, and suddenly heard a laugh behind him: “Miss Lin has a true personality, Brother Gu, what good fortune.”

Gu Xingzhai’s expression soon returned to its usual coldness.

He turned to look and saw a young man in a beige suit standing at the back, looking at him with a teasing smile. His appearance and dress suggested he was a fashionable person who had returned from studying abroad, and his features even bore some resemblance to Master Huang.

Gu Xingzhai thought that this should be his eldest son, Huang Jianshu.

Huang Jianshu shook his wine glass and said expertly: “Brother Gu, are you usually not very good at getting along with women? Women, they still have to be coaxed and pampered. You have to be soft. If you try to control them too much by being hard, it will instead make them rebellious. Just like birds in a cage, they will fly away if you are not careful.”

“Thank you for your guidance, Master Huang.” Gu Xingzhai said lightly.

“You don’t believe it?” Huang Jianshu smiled, walked to his side, and stood still in a position parallel to Gu Xingzhai.

Ignoring the man’s slightly furrowed brow, he turned his head and said to Gu Xingzhai: “Since that’s the case, Brother Gu shouldn’t mind if I invite Miss Lin at the ball, right? I don’t believe those rumors outside. Brother Gu looks like a person who walks straight and sits upright, but based on my many years of experience, you definitely haven’t won Miss Lin’s heart yet. So,” under Gu Xingzhai’s increasingly cold gaze, his eyes flickered, and the smile on his face deepened, “how about we compete fairly?”

“…Suit yourself, I won’t keep you company.” Gu Xingzhai said coldly, “But let me state in advance, she is not a woman who will be easily moved by sweet words.”

“Is that so?”

Huang Jianshu raised his eyebrows high.

He looked at Gu Xingzhai’s retreating back and suddenly snorted, drinking the red wine in his cup in one gulp.

“Pretending to be a saint.”

Huang Jianshu was a famous playboy far and wide before he was sent to study abroad by Master Huang. Not only that, he was also a bi, and he had slept with no less than a thousand men and women. For Lin Xiaodong, he was determined to win.

On the other side, seeing that most of the guests had arrived, Master Huang clapped his hands to signal everyone to be quiet. After a few simple words of speech, he loudly announced the start of the ball. A soft female voice with a bit of noise came from the record player, and the men present stretched out their hands to their female companions and slid into the dance floor in groups of two and three.

Seeing this, Gu Xingzhai also bowed slightly toward Lin Xiaodong and stretched out his hand to invite him to join. Under the envious and jealous eyes of other men around, he took Lin Xiaodong’s hand and moved slowly with the music, changing dance steps.

“They are all looking at you.”

Gu Xingzhai looked down at the beautiful face only inches away from him and couldn’t help but whisper.

“I know,” Lin Xiaodong also followed his lead, smiling and gently moving his lips, and answered in a voice that only the two of them could hear, “Let them look, I only dance with you alone anyway.”

The man remained silent and didn’t answer.

As they had agreed before they came, Gu Xingzhai let go of his hand after finishing a dance. But Lin Xiaodong noticed that the man’s earlobes had been stained with a light layer of crimson. It seemed he was really shy.

The system said sincerely: “Open a class.”

Lin Xiaodong was not at all modest: “No way, it’s innate.”

Actually, it was also because he understood the person in front of him too well. If a stranger came, it really wouldn’t necessarily have such a good effect.

They only danced one song and stole the attention of the entire audience. There was no way around it; the man was handsome and the woman was beautiful. Standing there, they were a match made in heaven. Who wouldn’t love to watch? So even if they were grumbling in their hearts, the surrounding audience still clapped their hands quite generously.

Seeing Gu Xingzhai very coldly leaving Lin Xiaodong alone on the dance floor and leaving by himself, several men even glared at him, thinking he was too lacking in gentlemanly grace. But then, all the men present began to become restless, including Master Huang, who was absent-mindedly dancing with his concubine.

The concubine who was stepped on several times by him was so angry her face turned white: “What kind of thing is this!”

She stomped her foot and directly found an excuse to go back to her room to rest, out of sight and out of mind.

Before the next dance started, Huang Jianshu tidied his collar against the glass cabinet on the wall, gave a light cough, and walked in front of Lin Xiaodong before all the men. He bowed to him politely and asked in an aria-like tone that made people’s scalps numb: “Ah, beautiful and moving lady, may I have a dance with with you?”

Lin Xiaodong: “……”

With a fake smile on his face, he originally wanted to refuse, but his peripheral vision noticed someone outside the crowd with a seemingly calm and indifferent, but actually tense and focused gaze. His eyes flickered and he suddenly changed his mind.

“Alright,” he said lightly, “but I don’t know how to dance this kind of dance, so please bear with me.”

“It’s okay!” Huang Jianshu was overjoyed, “I’ll lead you!”

At the moment Lin Xiaodong stretched out his hand, Gu Xingzhai’s hand holding the glass cup instantly tightened.

The strength was so great that even the glass cup made an overburdened creak.

The man gritted his teeth, thinking that this enchantress was indeed full of lies. Just a moment ago, she had confessed to him with a look of deep affection, saying she would only dance with him alone, and turned around to be affectionate with others… shameless!

Gu Xingzhai had a breath stuck in his chest, couldn’t go up and couldn’t come down, but on the surface, his face became increasingly cold, and he didn’t even look at the dance floor. The ladies who were originally attracted by his tall figure and handsome appearance and wanted to invite him to dance together immediately stopped and didn’t dare to go forward.

Some wives who were jealous of Lin Xiaodong’s appearance took the opportunity to whisper with their best friends: “Look at her like this, even her dance partner doesn’t like her, what is she still proud of?”

“Although these two look like a good match, one is a ma’am and the other is a young master, there’s a full generation gap between them.”

“That’s right, men all like young ones. It’s possible she pestered Young Master Gu all night before he was persuaded to bring her over. And I see Young Master Gu looks like a gentleman, so it’s obvious he’s not the kind of person who would do that kind of thing.”

And the men began to doubt their previous judgment—could it be that these two really just have a simple dance partner relationship?

Otherwise, why is Lin Xiaodong dancing with someone else, but Gu Xingzhai still has an indifferent look?

“Unshakeable even with a beauty in one’s lap, a role model for our generation.” one person sighed.

And Gu Xingzhai, who already had extraordinary hearing, had his face turn black directly after hearing this sentence.

Master Huang, who had his opportunity snatched by his son, also felt very unhappy. It was clearly the woman he took a fancy to first, but as a son, he was competing with his father. What kind of thing is this?

But after all, it was his own son. In public, Master Huang couldn’t say anything. He could only give a dry laugh under the teasing eyes of the people around him and suffer this silent loss.

The concubine went upstairs, and he was not in the mood to invite other women to dance. Master Huang swept his eyes and suddenly saw one of today’s protagonists in the corner. He immediately raised a smile and walked there: “Master! When did you arrive? I thought you weren’t coming!”

“Master Huang,” the man in a gray cloth coat who looked a bit out of place with the golden hall didn’t pay attention to his pleasantries, but stared at the direction where Lin Xiaodong was with a serious face and asked with a frown, “Who is that woman?”

Master Huang, who met with a soft rebuff, twitched the corners of his mouth and said with no lack of jealousy: “Lin Xiaodong, a member of the Gu family. Master, do you also take a fancy to her?”

“Not really, but…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a cry of alarm suddenly came from the dance floor.

“What’s wrong!!??”

Master Huang was startled and saw a middle-aged man fall on the floor with his eyes tightly closed, his face red, and his body shaking violently. The gentlemen and ladies around were so scared that they dispersed, and no one dared to go forward, for fear of losing their lives.

As the host of the ball, Master Huang naturally had to take this responsibility. He braced himself and walked to the side, pinching the man’s philtrum while shouting: “Go get a doctor quickly!”

“I… I’m going now!” The doorboy’s face was pale, and he was so scared that he turned and ran.

“It’s too late,” a calm voice suddenly came from the crowd, “I am a doctor, let me take a look.”

Under the gaze of the crowd, Lin Xiaodong pushed through the crowd and stood out proactively.

At this moment, Master Huang couldn’t care about jealousy or anything. Although he was a local official, those present were all wealthy and noble big families. He was a newcomer and had to rely on their support to gain a foothold. Seeing Lin Xiaodong kneeling beside the patient, he hurriedly said gratefully: “Miss Lin, quick, help me see, what happened to him?”

Lin Xiaodong frowned and asked the system to help detect it, and found that this person suffered from high blood pressure and heart disease, probably caused by his usual lack of restraint in life. But normally, people suffering from this disease will carry medicine with them, and even if they have an onset, there should be a trigger… His gaze shifted and suddenly landed on the colorful juice on the table next to him.

“What did he just drink?” He suddenly looked up and stared at the female companion who came with the middle-aged man tonight and asked sharply.

“I, I don’t know,” the woman looked as if she were scared witless and answered somewhat stutteringly, “I-it should be wine? Or juice?”

System: “It’s grapefruit juice.”

Lin Xiaodong took a deep breath.

No wonder.

Grapefruit juice can magnify the medicinal effect. For a patient who has just taken medicine, it’s no less than a fatal poison/medicine. Just like cephalosporin with wine, one cup can take a person away. But he observed the dosage. Fortunately, this person didn’t drink much and could still be saved.

“Prepare warm water. I’ll induce vomiting for him first. If you have golden needles at home, give me a set quickly.” Lin Xiaodong didn’t know if it was really useful, but now he can only treat a dead horse as a live horse, “And you, help me prop him up.”

Master Huang was stunned by being ordered around: “Ah? Okay, okay…”

After a burst of chaos, with a sound of vomiting that made the ladies present frown and cover their noses, the face of the middle-aged man who was pricked by Lin Xiaodong with a dozen needles in succession finally eased a bit.

But for the subsequent situation, he still had to be sent to a big hospital for specific examination. Lin Xiaodong took a handkerchief expressionlessly, wiped his stained hands, watched the man being carried onto the car and sent away, and said to Master Huang: “This is not your fault. Grapefruit juice itself is nutritious, but it will reduce the activity of a metabolic enzyme in the human body, which in turn affects the process of breaking down drugs. So next time, for the sake of being careful, it’s better not to provide this kind of drink in public.”

“Thank you, thank you.” Master Huang said gratefully again and again, although he didn’t hear a word.

But he knew that if it weren’t for Lin Xiaodong’s explanation, if someone with intentions spread it, this scapegoat would probably be pinned on his head.

“Ding, Good Person Card +1.”

Lin Xiaodong smiled and took this opportunity to get up and leave: “I’ve been rescuing for a long time, and I’m a bit tired. Master Huang, we’ll leave first.”

“I’ll see you off.” Master Huang hurriedly said, but was politely rejected by Gu Xingzhai: “No need, please stay.”

The man squeezed Lin Xiaodong’s hand, pulled him into the car, and said to Master Huang, who was still somewhat reluctant: “You don’t need to worry. After we go back, we will also help you explain. But please do us a small favor. My father and Lin Xiaodong are indeed not in that kind of relationship. If it’s convenient for you, please also explain for us.”

“Of course.” Master Huang immediately agreed.

But after the car had traveled for a while, Lin Xiaodong, who had been quiet since getting into the car, suddenly gave a light laugh.

“They all say that Young Master Gu is unshakeable even with a beauty in his lap, a gentleman…” He looked sideways at Gu Xingzhai, who had a cold face and was leaning on the back of the chair with his eyes closed. His gaze went from top to bottom, and his naked gaze was direct and bold, as if to strip off the man’s black long gown, “Is that true?”

Gu Xingzhai’s eyelids flickered and he slowly opened his eyes.

He looked down at a certain enchantress who had leaned on his shoulder at some unknown time. Lin Xiaodong looked like he had no bones, and half of his body was leaning on him. The young man had drunk wine at the ball. Although it wasn’t much, it was also stained with wine. His face was red and his eyes were sparkling. He looked like the legendary snake demon Medusa, startlingly beautiful, yet making people afraid to look into his eyes.

“Get down.” Gu Xingzhai’s voice was hoarse.

There is still a driver in the car.

“Because of the driver?” As if knowing what he was thinking in his heart, Lin Xiaodong’s voice also sounded.

The young man reached out and pulled the curtain, and asked persistently:

“Or are you unwilling for me to dance with others, so you’re jealous?”

Gu Xingzhai squeezed his five fingers in endurance: “No!”

“Is that so?” The enchantress deliberately lowered her voice, her smile mixed with steaming wine. He raised his head, and his soft red lips ambiguously brushed across the man’s neck, causing a burst of trembling throughout Gu Xingzhai’s body.

“But why do you not dare to look into my eyes?”