Hong Jie’s allure: How a cross-dresser in China got other men hooked on him

Whispers of the name “Red Sister” have spread like wildfire across Chinese social media.

The moniker belongs to an enigma: one 38-year-old internet celebrity surnamed Jiao, who goes by the pseudonym "Nanjing Hong Jie".

With the help of a brown wig and make-up, the man donned this persona to lure countless victims into his bed, including an engaged man.

Little did they know, their sexcapades would be unknowingly filmed and circulated on the internet by Jiao himself.

Faces of his victims made the rounds online, bared for all to see.

Jiao was later arrested on Jul. 5 and detained for spreading obscene materials, according to a statement by Nanjing police.

Police are currently investigating the case, while the internet is hard at work churning out meme after meme.

But as the public and authorities alike sieve through the sordid details of the Red Sister saga, the inexplicable hold that Hong Jie had over his clients remains a mystery.

How did Jiao manage to keep a steady stream of masculine “suitors” coming back for more, undeterred by his true identity?

Were they that desperate? In denial? Or driven by the kind of morbid curiosity that only rears its head behind closed doors?

A matter of convenience

Some of Jiao’s victims reportedly took to Weibo, recounting the moment they discovered he was male.

They thought that since things had already progressed as far as they had, it would be a waste not to finish what one started.

This gave rise to the phrase "来都来了", which ended up being tagged to a majority of the online discourse surrounding Hong Jie.

It loosely translates to: "Since I'm already here, I might as well see this through."

A literal cheap thrill

Another possible reason could be the affordability of Jiao’s services.

Men need only show up at Jiao’s doorstep with items like fruits, peanut oil, and milk, according to China Press.

Compared to the price points of similar services in the market, household items don't seem like such a bad trade.

Still, a humble cost and accessibility alone don’t seem to justify Hong Jie’s inexplicable magnetism.

The answer, perhaps, lies in something less tangible.

Like the uncanny softness of Hong Jie's every word and move.

A "safe" space

In a leaked clip of Jiao and one of his clients, the latter was seen fumbling with a box of condoms.

Jiao calmly handed over a pair of scissors—an act that apparently spoke volumes of his character to observers online.

“I can feel that [he] is really loving and patient,” one person noted.

Quiet and tolerant, Hong Jie effectively gave his clients a respite from the harsh judgement of the outside world—a "safe zone" for "emotional healing", as one online user put it.

Others found themselves hung up on another clip where Jiao spies a cockroach.

Instead of yelling, his “freakout” comes in hushed tones: “What is this? It’s so big.”

“[His] voice is gentler than 80 per cent of Chinese women," read one comment.

Another person analysed that Hong Jie could “obviously kill the cockroach in one go”, but was “considerate” enough to play the damsel in distress.

This allowed his customer, a college student, to assume the role of the “hero”.

A red-tinted illusion

Consider how fixated people are on Hong Jie’s subservience, and we might be able to discern the real reason his clients flock to him, warning signs be damned.

He allows them to be someone else, if only momentarily.

Hong Jie’s clients might have sought him out at first for a quick physical relief, but found a different sort of high in the emotional affirmation and comfort he offered.

It made it easy to pretend their meet-ups were non-transactional, and easier still to dismiss the thought that it might all be too good to be true.

The Red Sister enables fantasies of being a provider and protector, of coming home to a lady who showers you with care and attention.

Though, as it turns out, he also serves as a cautionary tale of letting one’s impulses get the better of you.

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Top images via Douyin and Weibo