Little Pink Starfish

The Queen in Red

Gao Ling and the others had long enforced a strict rule in their group: no one was allowed to post anything about the red-clothed woman on the public forum. Everyone knew the unspoken reason, and they all obeyed.

—Until two clueless idiots inexplicably shattered that silent agreement.

Gao Ling stared at the fanfic on her screen, grumbling as she read. The writing was actual garbage—disjointed logic, dry prose that read like physics formulas.

But for some mysterious reason… she couldn’t tear her eyes away. She even made herself a cup of coffee and came back to read it again.

Others in the group started reading it too, and soon the group chat lit up:

【This was just some random person messing around, right? No way they actually stumbled on the truth.】

【Yeah, I think it’s just nonsense. They didn’t even mention Yuan—just said the red-clothed woman was a man. Wild imagination, though. The way they spun it was impressive.】

Eventually, everyone agreed: it was probably a coincidence. Maybe the authors got close to the truth in parts, but they clearly didn’t know anything. No need to panic.

The small group relaxed. As long as no one was leaking actual intel, it was fine.

But then something unexpected happened.

Someone in the larger 2,000-member forum saw the fanfic, forced themselves to read it, and ended up blown away. They immediately recommended it to others.

By the time Gao Ling and her group found out, it was too late. Half the forum had already read it.

Gao Ling hadn’t deleted the post right away because it came from an unfamiliar user—if she nuked it too quickly, it might’ve raised suspicions. But that hesitation had let things spiral out of control.

【Wait, you can write fanfics like this??】

【This gender-bend idea… it’s kinda embarrassing to admit, but… it’s actually super cute? Am I sick?】

【No no no, I think it’s cute too! I suddenly had a similar idea. Hold on—I’ll post mine!】

Gao Ling watched the forum explode into creative chaos and panicked, rushing to the small group chat.

【What do we do now?】

The group discussed for a while before someone suggested:

【Let them write whatever they want. If we suddenly ban it, that’ll only draw attention. It’s better to act natural. Besides, these kinds of stories are so off the wall, no one will take them seriously.】

【Exactly. Let’s not interfere unless they start connecting it to Yuan. As long as they’re only talking about the red-clothed woman being a man, that’s fine. The second they link it to Yuan, then we step in.】

And so, that became the plan: hands-off unless Yuan was directly mentioned.

As a result, within three days, gender-bend fics exploded on the forum, multiplying exponentially.

When Fat Cat and Yuan Yuanyuan popped in for a peek, they were absolutely dumbfounded.

“…Did we do this?” Fat Cat asked timidly.

“Looks like it…” Yuan said. “Didn’t you see? Our posts are pinned and marked as ‘Editor’s Pick.’”

No matter how you looked at it, this was the new forum reality. It had always been niche, but after this fanfic trend caught fire, its popularity skyrocketed—even as it got more niche. Site traffic now resembled that of a full-blown fanfic hub.

One thing Gao Ling and her group had predicted correctly: even though visitor numbers had soared, very few people talked about the site elsewhere. Most had stumbled upon it by accident, and those who stuck around rarely spoke about it—probably because the content was so “out there” that mentioning it publicly might get them labeled as freaks. So most people just quietly enjoyed the chaos in private.

The Monster Chronicle updated again. The tension between the anti-war faction and the Mask Organization had escalated, and the two sides had clashed several times. Fa Ning had now officially sided with the anti-war faction. The story was clearly in its second act, moving toward the endgame. In typical manga fashion, the protagonist would win, justice would triumph, and peace would be restored.

Standard shounen stuff—but executed well. The recent battles had kept readers on the edge of their seats.

One particular battle stood out—quick, stylish, cinematic.

The Mask Organization was preparing to act, but the anti-war leader suddenly struck, killing the enemy in a single move.

The curtain flew up. Readers couldn’t see her face, but they caught a glimpse of her long flowing hair and slender fingers. Her red robe fluttered like fire.

Cue another eruption of fandom chaos. The comment section was full of people screaming “WIFE!” at the top of their digital lungs. The red-clothed woman was now dominating all female character rankings, rising to the top like a queen.

【Ahhh that’s my wife! She’s so cool!】

【She calmly wiped her blade after the kill, then bowed to apologize! So elegant and gentle. Definitely wifey material—queen on the streets, chef in the kitchen.】

【She’s so versatile. Last time she reclined like a regal queen. This time, she’s the perfect demure housewife. Amazing.】

【This world is amazing… to have such a beautiful person in it!】

Yuan Yuanyuan glanced at the comments, then turned to Fat Cat. “I didn’t know otakus were into this kind of thing. This is… kinda terrifying.”

She had always assumed otakus liked the cutesy, clingy types. Ideally soft, sweet, and well-endowed—like that famous character who married the village chief.

She figured cold, flat-chested dominatrix types were a turn-off. But now this red-clothed woman had gone viral?

She didn’t get it.

…Maybe otaku tastes were more complex than she thought. Maybe they liked being dominated, too. Like the Empress or Saber—top-tier strong female characters with huge fanbases. Had she misjudged them?

She rambled for a bit and then noticed Fat Cat wasn’t responding. She turned—and saw him slowly typing with one paw…

【Your Majesty! Please step on me with your high heels…】

“Die!” Yuan roared, slapping Fat Cat senseless. “You’re a male cat—can’t you go chase a female cat for once?!”

Meanwhile, Gao Ling looked at the latest fanfics on the site and felt utterly defeated. After the latest comic update, everyone had fresh material, and the stories exploded in volume and creativity.

【He was a slender man, his wrists so thin they looked breakable.】

【But the blade in his hand gleamed with blood, terrifyingly sharp.】

【When the man lifted the curtain, he looked up—only to freeze in shock.】

【What happened? Was it because… from behind the curtain, that noble, graceful, gentle figure—was actually a man?!】

Gao Ling wanted to cry but forced a smile. Amid the sea of “Your Majesty!” screams, at least their fanbase was… unique.

【I think Red-Robe Guy is incredible! He gives me this weird rush.】
【Especially the bowing scene after the kill—so elegant. Imagining it as a guy just makes it even hotter.】
【Even if he’s a dude, he’s gotta be the prettiest dude ever. Maybe even prettier than most girls.】
【Ahhh this setup is so good! I hope the artist sees this and draws it! I’m obsessed!】

Gao Ling thought of Yuan—over 1.8 meters tall, always in black, perpetually sarcastic, cold expression, deadpan tone, hits like a truck…

Now people were calling him “gentle,” “feminine,” “ethereal”…

Who am I? Where am I? What is happening?

That day, Yuan Yuanyuan paid another visit to the Mask Organization. She was in a decent mood—things had been quiet lately, and the tavern atmosphere was more like a vacation spot than a war zone.

She entered the “Big Egg” compound. Some people greeted her, and she nodded back a bit coldly to maintain her persona.

She had to juggle three identities now and constantly reminded herself to stay in character. Just moments ago, someone greeted her and she instinctively smiled and bowed—only to immediately correct herself. Wait, this is the tavern. Don’t act like the red-robed woman here!

She walked to the far end of the compound, where a crowd had gathered.

Leaning against the wall, she looked into the center—only to realize, with some surprise, that she recognized the man at the center of attention.

“I’m not telling you anything! Don’t try to trick me! I’m not saying a word about our headquarters,” the young man shouted, tied to the ground but defiant.

Yuan Yuanyuan remembered him. He’d once toasted her at a banquet.

“Now that Yuan is here, let’s discuss how to deal with this one,” said the leader of the Mask Organization.

The others began murmuring among themselves. Yuan Yuanyuan silently pulled out a mask and placed it on her face, stepping to the front of the crowd.