Chapter 31: Young Master

Chapter 31: Young Master

Cen Wu had no idea what part-time job Xie Guiluan had found this time. One evening after school, he went to a bookstore near the school to buy a textbook guide and happened to run into Xie Guiluan unloading goods at a nearby warehouse.

The night was dark and deep. Xie Guiluan wore a black T-shirt, his school uniform pants, and a pair of thick woolen white gloves. He unloaded boxes from the truck and carried them into the warehouse, one by one.

Sweat trickled down his neck and collarbone, his damp skin exuding a youthful allure.

Cen Wu gripped his backpack strap. Though he was nervous about talking to strangers, he summoned the courage to ask the boss.

"Xiao Xie," the boss said, smoking a cigarette, "I hired a few people, but he said he could finish the job in three hours and wanted the full payment."

It wasn’t Xie Guiluan’s first time helping out here, so the boss didn’t say anything and let Xie Guiluan do his work.

"I… I'll help him," Cen Wu said. "I don’t want any money."

The boss hesitated but didn’t refuse. Having someone work for free was never a bad thing.

Cen Wu hoped Xie Guiluan wouldn’t notice him. Fortunately, there were two warehouses, and the other truck was parked farther away. Unless Xie Guiluan came over, he wouldn’t be spotted.

This was a Western restaurant, and most of the goods being unloaded tonight were alcoholic beverages—heavy and fragile.

Cen Wu quietly started moving boxes from the other side. After just two boxes, his arms ached, and his fingers turned red. He took a break, trying to hoist the box onto his shoulder like Xie Guiluan did, but as soon as he did, his shoulder burned with sharp pain.

Cen Wu frowned. This body was too fragile, just like when he was fifteen or sixteen.

He began doing manual labor while working on set. During his first production, they were too poor to hire crew members, so he and Lu Jian moved the props themselves. He could unload this truck too.

After moving the boxes over, he went back and forth more than a dozen times. By then, Xie Guiluan shouldn’t be too tired, so he rubbed his sore shoulders and fingers, planning to leave.

Xie Guiluan turned around. The night was dim, and he felt someone run past the truck.

"Probably just a stray cat," the boss chuckled awkwardly. "Xiao Xie, I’ve helped you unload half of this truck. You can handle the rest. Don’t worry, I’ll still pay you the full amount."

Xie Guiluan’s lips tightened, his dark eyes fixed on the alley entrance, but no one else came out.

When Cen Wu got home, he could barely lift his arms, and his shoulders felt raw and sore. He intended to apply some medicine in secret, but Cen Xiao caught him in the hallway.

-

"What happened to your face?" Cen Xiao asked, brushing dirt off Cen Wu’s cheek.

Cen Wu stammered and acted suspiciously, which made Cen Xiao even more suspicious. He had already noticed that Cen Wu had been acting particularly strange lately, as if he had become a completely different person.

But since he was right there, there wasn’t much to question. Cen Wu always seemed timid around him, as if he would secretly cry after being scolded.

Cen Xiao decided not to ask anything.

He led Cen Wu downstairs and noticed the fresh blisters on his hands—swollen, red, and painful-looking.

Guan Xingxue and Cen Junshan were both at home. They were stricter with Cen Xiao, but Cen Wu had always been pampered, only riding in luxury cars and never getting his hands dirty. When had he ever gotten blisters?

Moreover, Cen Wu’s shoulders were scraped raw. His skin was always pale and fair, making the bleeding wounds stand out even more.

"Xiao Bao, what happened to you?" Guan Xingxue asked, looking worried, wanting to comfort him but unsure how.

Cen Wu suddenly thought it might not be a bad thing to let them see.

The Cen family was a long-established, wealthy clan that had never experienced hardship. Cen Junshan and Cen Xiao were both young masters who had never suffered hardship. The toughest things in their lives were probably studying and business battles.

But as a golden child, they were very capable and hadn't encountered many major setbacks in business.

Guan Xingxue had filmed in impoverished mountainous areas and was known among actors for her ability to endure hardships, but she became a sensation as soon as she debuted and smoothly became a best actress award winner.

Her agents and assistants always surrounded her, so even if she suffered, it wasn’t much.

There was bound to be a chasm between her and Xie Guiluan.

After Xie Guiluan was taken in by the Cen family, Guan Xingxue and the others naturally looked into what Xie Guiluan had experienced before.

They only knew that Xie Guiluan had the hard task of studying while taking care of a sick person, but they didn’t understand that this meant frostbite and blisters on his hands, bloodstains on his shoulders, forced kneeling, and years of humiliation, not to mention that in the original story, Xie Guiluan even had a disability in his hands.

Even if they saw it with their own eyes, they couldn’t comprehend how much pain Xie Guiluan felt when his fingers were broken one by one, let alone if they hadn’t seen it.

Their love meant nothing to Xie Guiluan; it only made him feel how absurd his life had been.

When Xie Guiluan was eventually recognized and brought back, Guan Xingxue and the others would realize that the wounds he had suffered, Xie Guiluan must have endured too.

It definitely wouldn’t be a bad thing.

"Xiao Xie?" Guan Xingxue nodded after Cen Wu mentioned that he went to help Xie Guiluan. "That kid is indeed quite hardworking."

Cen Junsan, who was helping apply the medicine, casually asked, "Didn't Xie's father give him any money? His mother is in the hospital, right? Is he really that strapped for cash?"

The Cen family was still considered respectable people, so they didn’t openly talk about how poor Xie Guiluan was. It would have been too harsh.

Although Cen Junsan meant exactly that.

Cen Wu: “……”

Dad, he’s not some poor kid.

He’s your own son.

Cen Wu didn’t say anything more. He just wanted the Cen family to understand Xie Guiluan better without exposing his precarious situation. Xie Guiluan definitely wouldn’t want anyone to pity him.

Not even his biological parents.

Guan Xingxue applied some medicine to Cen Wu and originally intended to pop the blisters on his fingers, but Cen Wu, fearing the pain, hid his hands and wasn’t willing. Guan Xingxue couldn’t bear to force him.

"When Dr. Lu comes tomorrow," Guan Xingxue said, gently touching his head, "let him take care of it."

Cen Wu agreed and was relieved that he had finished his homework during evening self-study. Otherwise, with his hands hurting so much, he wouldn’t have been able to hold a pen.

The next day, Cen Wu didn’t see Xie Guiluan at school. Xie Guiluan only came to the classroom after the early self-study session.

Xu Lingling and her deskmate huddled together, struggling to approach Xie Guiluan. They wanted to speak but hesitated.

Xu Lingling’s deskmate was also a girl, named Jiang Yi, the one who had performed in a play, acting as Cinderella in a cross-dressing role, with the chase scene where "he escapes, she pursues, he’s unable to fly."

Xie Guiluan looked up. Guan Xingxue had a bit of French-German mixed blood, and Xie Guiluan’s prominent brow bones made his eye sockets appear deeper. With a sullen expression, he gazed over, exuding a dark beauty.

"What do you want?" Xie Guiluan’s voice was cold.

Xu Lingling was momentarily confused, thinking he was looking for a fight.

Jiang Yi summoned the courage to come closer. "Bro Xie, your and the second young master's programs haven't been finalized yet. Since you didn’t volunteer, we need to decide for you. There are two scripts left that no one has chosen. Do you want to pick one?"

Xie Guiluan frowned, his thin lips moved, but before he could speak, Xu Lingling interrupted.

Xu Lingling: "We can't say no to performing!"

Xie Guiluan: "..."

Xie Guiluan seemed a bit irritated and asked, "What's the program?"

"*Beauty and the Beast*," said Jiang Yi, "or *Gone with the Wind*. You can pick one."

Cen Wu: "..."

Xie Guiluan: "..."

The other classmates had already paired up, leaving only Cen Wu and Xie Guiluan to team up.

Xie Guiluan paused, looked up at Cen Wu, and asked, "The second young master, what do you want to perform?"

Cen Wu: "..."

Weren't you not talking to me?

"I... I want to play the Beast," Cen Wu stammered after taking a look at the script.

With the Beast's headpiece on, he wouldn’t have to worry about social interactions anymore. A socially anxious person could never part with masks, hats, and headpieces in this lifetime.

Xie Guiluan was silent for a few moments before saying flatly, "So... I play the Beauty?"

"Haha," Jiang Yi interrupted with an awkward laugh, hoping they wouldn’t reconsider. "It's settled then. After school on Saturday, the whole class will go try on costumes."

After saying that, she and Xu Lingling huddled together and slowly left.

Xie Guiluan didn’t say anything more and seemed to have no strong opinions about it, so Cen Wu didn’t say anything either. When Saturday came and school was dismissed, the whole class headed to the costume rental shop together.

The rental shop was near No. 13 High School, close to No. 1 High School. It was unclear what kind of luck the schools had, but No. 13 High School produced a lot of art students, some even applying for film academies.

Every year, their school performances were outstanding, and the rental shop next door was huge, offering everything from European-style costumes to traditional Chinese clothing.

At night, the shop was nearly empty, practically reserved for Class 2 of the second year. There were over a dozen fitting rooms on the second floor, just enough for everyone to change clothes.

A few boys in cross-dressing roles stood around the dresses, holding the hems and falling silent.

Zhang Yuanzhou was selected to perform *The Phantom of the Opera* with Xu Lingling, making him the class’s most polished male performer.

"The second young master," Xu Lingling had actually found a Beast headpiece for Cen Wu. "Try this on."

Xie Guiluan was handed a dress, and as he headed toward the fitting room, his expression was so cold that Jiang Yi couldn’t tell if he was angry or not. She quickly handed over the clothes and left, rubbing her arms.

Cen Wu, holding the headpiece, found all the fitting rooms occupied. He ended up sitting on a bench outside with Lu Wang, waiting.

Xie Guiluan emerged after only a few minutes, still fully dressed in his school uniform, jacket, and pants, all tightly wrapped up—he could probably win first place in a men's virtue contest.

Cen Wu: "..."

Was he guarding against someone?

"I can't wear it," Xie Guiluan said, his dark peach-blossom eyes looking down.

Xie Guiluan was tall, and even the largest size dress was a bit of a struggle. There was also a boy who was going to play Cinderella, with a broad chest and a height similar to Xie Guiluan’s, so the larger sizes had to go to him first.

Xie Guiluan’s waist was quite slim—Cen Wu had hugged him just a few nights ago and found it quite comfortable. Technically, the dress could fit, but his back muscles got caught in the zipper, and it wouldn’t budge.

Xu Lingling gave a look of regret.

She couldn’t even fathom how shocked the whole class would be if Xie Guiluan agreed to perform, especially in drag.

Still not ready to give up, Cen Wu clutched the beast headpiece. “You… take your jacket off, let me see,” he said.

Xie Guiluan, with his eyes lowered, like a young and handsome wolfhound that had been tamed, obediently took off his school jacket. His back muscles were well-defined and solid, clearly the result of hard work and exercise, with no excess fat. His skin was as cold and jade-like white.

Nearby boys couldn't help but feel envious. “Bro Xie, how do you train? Can I touch it?”

The straight guys were quite forward, reaching out to touch without hesitation, not seeing anything wrong with it. If it were anyone else in the class, they would have been all over them by now.

Xie Guiluan shot the person a cold sideways glance.

The person immediately shut up, but his eyes were still restless, nudging others, and many turned to look at Xie Guiluan.

Cen Wu: “……”

Cen Wu lifted his leg and placed it on the opposite knee, like an imperious young master, and spoke to Xie Guiluan again. “Put it on, will you?”

Quite the scandalous guy.

Xie Guiluan remained obedient, putting the jacket back on, and then went to the changing room to switch back to his own clothes.

At the beginning of the month, No. 13 High School celebrated its school anniversary, and these days they were holding events. Actually, many clothes had already been borrowed. There weren’t many princess dresses remaining. Xu Lingling originally wanted to find a yellow princess dress for Cen Wu, but she couldn’t find one. Instead, she found a green velvet dress with a large skirt that could fully be used to play Scarlett with the help of a petticoat.

Cen Wu was very slim, and this size fit him too.

“The second young master,” Xu Lingling pleaded, pressing her hands together.

Cen Wu: “……”

Just the thought of it made Cen Wu feel like he couldn’t breathe. There was no doubt that if he went on stage, he wouldn’t be able to speak.

Xu Lingling, being relatively familiar with him in the class, could tell that he didn’t really like to talk. She tempted him with her words, “You and Bro Xie don’t have any lines. You just need to dance for about a minute, then the others will join you on stage.”

Cen Wu’s resolve wavered a little, but Xu Lingling didn’t push him to decide immediately. She first went to find a suit for Xie Guiluan.

It was easy to find clothes for Rhett Butler; any black suit would do, and the store had plenty of three-piece suits.

Lu Wang was going to play the ugly duckling, which he had chosen himself. The store had animal onesies for school performances. He had already tried it on and was now watching Xie Guiluan change with Cen Wu.

The suits in the rental shop weren’t expensive, but Xie Guiluan had a great figure. The suit pants wrapped around his long legs, making him look very noble.

He looked a bit too young to play Rhett Butler.

But there was nothing that could be done about it.

Xie Guiluan tried on several suits, but neither Cen Wu nor Xu Lingling dared to make the final decision.

Cen Wu still hadn’t put down the beast headpiece and now held the green dress Xu Lingling had given him in his arms. His arm rested on it, making his skin appear exceptionally snow-white. His beautiful mist-like eyes curved slightly, a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, as he stared at Xie Guiluan.

The skirt was so large that even with Cen Wu holding it, it almost dragged on the floor, flowing like a mist.

Xie Guiluan paused and didn’t change anymore. He walked over and leaned down to ask, “The second young master, still not satisfied?”

“You… aren’t you not talking to me?” Cen Wu looked up.

Xie Guiluan pressed his thin lips together and said, “I’m not.”

It didn’t matter to him who Cen Wu hung out with since he didn’t even like Cen Wu. Even if Cen Wu left with Xie Shangjing, it wouldn’t make any difference to him. There was nothing for him to mind.

Some classmates saw Xie Guiluan changing clothes repeatedly and couldn’t help but glance over. Changing clothes can be pretty exhausting.

This is bullying, isn’t it?!

But Xie Guiluan didn’t seem too bothered, making them hesitate to step in.

Cen Wu pouted; seeing Xie Guiluan squirm made him feel better. He figured that if it was just for a minute, he could probably manage. He got up to change clothes.

The dress's design differed from the one in the movie, with intricate lacing on the back. Cen Wu barely managed to put it on, but when he tried to tighten the laces behind his back, the wound on his finger was painfully pinched. After struggling for a long time, he still couldn’t get it right.

Worried about staining the dress with blood, he cautiously opened the fitting room door just enough to peek out. "Xie... Xie Guiluan."

Xie Guiluan approached and asked, "What’s up, Second Master?"

Cen Wu’s ear tips were a little red as he pulled Xie Guiluan’s arm and said, "Can you... help me put it on?"

Xie Guiluan then entered the fitting room. The green velvet dress almost flowed to the ground. It was already a strapless dress, and Cen Wu hadn’t worn it properly, so it was loose and barely covering his chest, exposing large areas of his collarbone and fair skin.

Xu Lingling had given Cen Wu a wig that didn’t quite match the movie, but they didn’t have time to fix it. The long dark brown curls made Cen Wu’s already striking face appear even more striking, with deeper eye sockets.

The separate waist corset was another piece Cen Wu struggled to fasten correctly. Feeling awkward under Xie Guiluan’s gaze, Cen Wu pursed his lips and turned around for help.

The fitting room was very narrow, and with Cen Wu wearing a petticoat and such a large skirt, it was quite cramped for the two boys to stand.

Xie Guiluan steadied him by holding his waist, but when he moved the curls off Cen Wu’s pale shoulders, his gaze froze.

The spot on Cen Wu's shoulder, which had been scraped, hadn’t fully healed yet, and the bruising was still visible, looking quite frightening at first glance.

Xie Guiluan noticed the blisters on Cen Wu’s fingers, his lips moving slightly but remaining silent. Then, without a word, he told Cen Wu, "Second Master, wait for me."

Cen Wu didn’t know what he was going to do and could only wait. Xie Guiluan soon returned with a sterilized needle. Cen Wu’s fingers immediately tensed up but were held firm by Xie Guiluan’s hand.

"I... I don’t want to," Cen Wu said softly.

Xie Guiluan’s voice, usually cold, carried a rare hint of patience, almost creating an illusion of coaxing. "It won’t hurt."

Lu Wang hadn’t seen Cen Wu in a dress before. He waited eagerly outside and overheard Xie Guiluan speaking to Cen Wu.

Lu Wang suddenly panicked. This fitting room wasn’t soundproof at all. They could hear everything clearly outside.

Through the door.

"Don’t be nervous," Xie Guiluan said softly again.

After some hesitation, Cen Wu decided to trust Xie Guiluan. He whispered, "Then... be gentle."

The soft murmurs and rustling fabric created an intimate atmosphere.

Lu Wang’s face turned red. No, he was still a child.

But he didn’t leave. He was afraid that someone might come too close, so he cautiously looked around and shooed anyone away who came near.

Today, he was the love bodyguard for his brother's relationship!

His classmates gave him several puzzled looks.

One minute later.

Cen Wu: “……”

You liar!

Popping the blister still hurt, but Xie Guiluan worked fast, so Cen Wu only felt a brief sting.

Xie Guiluan wiped the blood from his fingertip. Seeing that Cen Wu wasn’t angry, he helped him put on the dress. He lowered his head, grabbed the satin ribbons on the back of Cen Wu’s dress, and tightened them one by one, fitting them snugly around his waist before tying a bow.

Xie Guiluan didn’t have a girlfriend, but he’d wrapped gifts professionally at a bar before. His fingers were nimble and slender. At first, he was a bit awkward, but by the last few ribbons, he had become quite adept, tightening them without making Cen Wu too uncomfortable.

With his back to Xie Guiluan, Cen Wu stood very still. He was very slim, and when he lowered his head, the lines of his shoulder blades were very clear, like a pair of snow-white butterfly wings.

The dim, cramped fitting room forced Xie Guiluan to get close to him. His hot breath brushed against the vertebra and the thin bone on Cen Wu’s neck, making his back tingle. The bright red mole on his cold, white ear began to bleed, a dazzling red.

“Al... alright,” Cen Wu stammered, feeling almost dressed. Panicking, he shoved Xie Guiluan aside and yanked open the door without bothering to fix the hem.

Cen Wu was wearing high heels and wasn’t good at walking in them, so he didn’t go out. He just opened the door to let Xu Lingling and the others take a look.

His skin was snow-white, and his lips were a thin red. Even without makeup, he could carry off the green dress, though his eyes betrayed his nervousness, making him look like a small animal caught by the scruff of its neck.

Xu Lingling was already quite satisfied. She had started acting two years ago, and though she was just a small actress, she had met many celebrities. She couldn’t even imagine how popular Cen Wu would be when he debuted.

Seeing Xu Lingling nod in approval, Cen Wu hurriedly retreated to change back into his regular clothes.

The high heels were killing him after just a few minutes. He wanted to change shoes but couldn’t find them. He remembered that he had taken them off outside.

Xie Guiluan said, “Step on my foot, sir.”

Cen Wu hesitated, but since Xie Guiluan had said it himself, he couldn’t hold a grudge. He kicked off the high heels and really did step on Xie Guiluan’s foot. His foot immediately felt less tired.

Xie Guiluan wrapped his arms around his waist, letting Cen Wu lean against his chest. He then lowered his head and untied the satin ribbons on the back of Cen Wu’s dress.

Cen Wu couldn’t stand steadily, so he raised his arms and wrapped them around Xie Guiluan’s neck. After lying against him for a while, he carefully turned his head to look at Xie Guiluan and straight into his dark eyes.

Caught off guard, Cen Wu hadn’t realized Xie Guiluan was watching him too. But since Xie Guiluan was holding him, he couldn’t run away. He could only tighten his arms a little more and continue looking at Xie Guiluan.

His long curls cascaded over half his pale face, leaving only his nose and wide, innocent eyes visible. His waist was thin and delicate, possessing a beauty that blurred gender lines. But Xie Guiluan was clear that he was holding a boy.

He lowered his head to untie the last few ribbons, his fingers pausing for a moment. If he pulled the ribbon just a little more, he would see the snow-white, pert area underneath.

Cen Wu was unaware, standing barefoot on Xie Guiluan’s leather shoes, feeling uncomfortable. He lifted his foot, trying to find a better position, then placed it back down. His snow-white toes curled, hooking onto the shoelaces, and fidgeted, trying to untie them himself.

“Don’t move around,” Xie Guiluan’s voice was a little hoarse as he placed a hand on Cen Wu’s back, his palm directly touching his smooth skin.

The bones on Cen Wu’s back were delicate, and he trembled when Xie Guiluan touched him, obediently curling his toes and not daring to move around anymore.

Xie Guiluan moved his hand away, closed his eyes, and untied the last few ribbons, making sure Cen Wu could take the dress off. He then asked, “Can you take it off yourself now?”

“Yes,” Cen Wu responded softly.

Xie Guiluan held him, letting him sit on the bench nearby to change shoes. Then he knelt down and helped Cen Wu put on the high heels since they would have to go out soon.

The skirt was too large, and there was a petticoat underneath. From this angle, it looked like Xie Guiluan was swallowed up by the voluminous skirt, an embarrassment so acute Cen Wu wished he could punch him.

His face turned beet red as he tried to smooth the dress down, but it felt even more off, so he ended up gathering it in his arms.

Xie Guiluan held his ankle, helping him fasten the buckle of the high heels, "Need any more help, second young master?"

Cen Wu pursed his lips, shook his head, but then added, "In the future, don't... don't call me 'young master.'"

The term sounded so outdated that he felt like he was about to be dragged off for some organ theft.

With the green dress on, his long curly hair kept falling into his face, making him uncomfortable, but his sore hands made it impossible to fix, leaving him looking disheveled and pitiful.

He couldn’t even get dressed by himself.

Xie Guiluan wanted to see him embarrassed again but couldn’t help picking him up and dressing him bit by bit.

Xie Guiluan responded, lowering his gaze as he moved closer. His long, slender fingers gently brushed Cen Wu's hair away, his lips curling into a mischievous smile as he asked, "What should I call you then? Miss?"