Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Xu Yan didn't quite grasp what "his type" implied.

While working the night shift at the convenience store, Xu Yan received a photo from Shen Nanli. Seizing the moment when no customers were around, he clicked it open.

It was a boy with a clean aura and delicate, gentle features.

[Shen Nanli]: I finally understand what Senior Li meant.

[Xu Yan]: What do you mean?

[Shen Nanli]: After my rigorous and meticulous investigation, I found out this person was formerly from the dance academy. He was also the most fervent pursuer of Wen Sinian, employing every conceivable tactic—a living textbook on "108 Ways to Chase a Male God." His glorious deeds are still occasionally commented on in the forums, and the rumors about Wen Sinian being homophobic originated from him.

[Xu Yan]: Oh, I see.

[Shen Nanli]: I heard that later, Wen Sinian's homophobia grew more severe, gradually evolving into an aversion toward any man who deliberately approached him—except, of course, his inner circle of friends.

[Shen Nanli]: And Yan Yan, babe, have you noticed that you and that dance academy guy are actually the same type?

[Shen Nanli]: But you’re better-looking than him. [Heart/Heart]

A "ding-dong" sounded as the automatic door slid open, and a customer walked in.

Xu Yan quickly tucked his phone under the counter, adjusted his cap, and reflexively said, “Welcome~”

Judging by the footsteps, the customer had headed straight for the drinks section. Xu Yan freed one hand to type on his phone.

[Xu Yan]: But I don’t like guys.

The reply came instantly.

[Shen Nanli]: Eh, who knows what the future holds?

[Shen Nanli]: But to be safe, you should still keep your distance from Wen Sinian. These young masters are incredibly difficult to deal with. Since you’ll be seeing him constantly in the dorm, you absolutely must not offend him. His family seems to have some connections with the school administration, and I’m worried he might make things difficult for you later.

[Xu Yan]: That probably won’t happen, right?

[Shen Nanli]: Why wouldn’t it? Rich people hold grudges. And you should also be wary of Wen Sinian’s friends—like that Chen Xun who came to your dorm the other day. So-called "heartthrob of the law school"? Don’t let his handsome looks fool you; he’s not a good person at all. I’ve heard these young masters are quite the players.

Xu Yan stared at his phone, feeling Shen Nanli’s indignation as if he had experienced it firsthand.

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he prepared to reply, but then he heard slow, heavy footsteps approaching the counter.

He hurriedly set his phone down and put on a practiced smile, ready to ring up the customer.

“Hello~”

The moment he looked up, he met a pair of dark, cold eyes.

His phone screen was still lit with unread messages—

[Shen Nanli]: Birds of a feather flock together.

[Shen Nanli]: So Wen Sinian and his friends are all cut from the same cloth!

The very Wen Sinian being harshly condemned was now standing at the counter. After placing a mango juice bottle on the counter, his fingers lingered on it. His black biker jacket was impeccably tailored, revealing forearms with sharply defined muscles, his wrist wrapped in several layers of bandages.

His gaze lingered on the young cashier’s face for a few seconds before his narrow, cold eyes flicked downward.

Xu Yan guiltily shoved his phone further into the hidden compartment under the counter, ensuring that even someone as tall as Wen Sinian wouldn’t catch a glimpse of its edge.

“Aren’t you going to ring me up?” the young cashier asked politely.

But Xu Yan’s smile felt a little stiff, and his exposed teeth felt a bit cold.

*This place is so far from campus—how could we run into each other here?*

He also noticed a faint trace of blood seeping from the corner of the other man’s lips, as if he had been injured.

“Marlboro Black Ice.” The voice was as cold as condensation on a glass bottle.

“Sure, one moment.”

Xu Yan turned around, the soft, light brown curls under his cap lightly brushing against the shelves.

He stood on tiptoe to reach the cigarettes on the top shelf, the black apron strings tightening upwards with his movement, forming a delicate arc behind his waist. A sliver of pale, smooth skin flashed like a dazzling ribbon.

A very slender frame, a very thin, very pale waist, fleetingly visible.

Xu Yan turned back with the cigarette box, scanned it, and handed it over.

After paying for both the cigarettes and the mango juice, Wen Sinian’s expression seemed even colder. Without another glance at the innocent young cashier, he turned and left.

Just then, another customer stumbled in—a drunk who could barely walk straight.

The convenience store was near a street lined with bars, so Xu Yan was used to drunk customers during his night shifts.

But this drunkard clearly wasn’t here to shop. The moment he entered, he staggered straight toward the counter, slurring, “Drink! Keep drinking! You—I’m calling for you! You’re coming with me!”

The drunkard reached the counter, sprawled himself across it, and grabbed Xu Yan’s wrist, yanking him forcefully.

“You’re coming with me tonight! You have to! I paid! A lot of money! Come out! Get out here! You’re coming with me!”

Xu Yan had never encountered anything like this. He struggled to pull his wrist free, his voice trembling. “Sir, please let go. I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. This isn’t a bar…”

“I said get out here! Come drink with me! After drinking, you’re coming home with me! You hear me? Tonight—you’re mine! Get out here!”

Xu Yan was yanked so hard he lost his balance, his body slamming against the cold, hard counter. The tile bit into his side, and his wrist burned from the tight grip.

“Sir, sir, please let go, let go of me…”

Realizing the drunkard wasn’t listening, Xu Yan scanned the empty street outside. It was almost midnight. His free hand fumbled blindly under the counter for his phone, ready to call the police.

But the drunkard noticed his movement. His gaze turned razor-sharp, though his grip on Xu Yan’s slender wrist didn’t loosen.

“What are you trying to do?! Didn’t I say I’d pay? How much do you want? Name your price! Money’s no issue!”

As he spoke, he swung his arm violently across the counter, shattering several glass displays.

Xu Yan recoiled, his face paling.

The drunkard suddenly exerted brutal force, ripping through the counter barrier. Xu Yan was nearly dragged out from behind it.

Then—*ding-dong*—the door chime rang. Someone had arrived.

Hope surged in Xu Yan’s chest. Before he could call for help, he saw the person who had just left return.

Wen Sinian strode toward the counter, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. In one swift motion, he grabbed the drunkard’s arm and twisted. The drunkard immediately released Xu Yan, screeching as he staggered back, cradling his twisted arm.

By now, the drunkard had completely sobered up. Pointing at the man who stood half a head taller than him, he began spewing a stream of obscenities too crude to repeat, making Xu Yan itch to slap him just to shut him up.

Wen Sinian stood lazily, pulling out a lighter from his pocket as if preparing to light his cigarette.

Seeing his chance, the drunkard suddenly swung a punch straight at Wen Sinian’s face.

Xu Yan’s eyes widened in shock, barely managing to cry out, “Watch out!”

The cigarette remained unlit. Wen Sinian dodged quick, then countered with a sharp, professional boxer's punch, gripping the lighter as he threw a punch straight at the drunkard’s nose.

A heavy blow landed squarely on the drunkard’s nasal bone, knocking him out cold.

But the lighter went flying somewhere. Wen Sinian shook the blood off his knuckles, used his bandage to wipe it, then pulled out his phone to make a call.

Soon, a few men in what looked like boxing gym uniforms rushed in. Their clothes bore some lettering, but before Xu Yan could read it clearly, they had already dragged the drunkard away.

Snapping back to reality, Xu Yan hurried out from behind the counter as Wen Sinian headed for the door.

“Wait.”

He pulled out two band-aids from his apron pocket and handed them over with a cautious, timid little smile—different from the practiced, eight-teeth grin from earlier.

“Here, take these. And… thank you.”

Wen Sinian paused, glancing down at him.

The young cashier’s cap had fallen off at some point, revealing doe-eyed and damp eyes beneath soft chestnut hair. His dark pupils seemed to hold scattered starlight, his delicate lashes casting butterfly shadows over porcelain cheeks. The slender wrist bore a vivid red mark—just from a rough grip, yet it had flushed so intensely.

Now, with a hint of pleading and a tone that almost coy, he spoke again.

Wen Sinian didn’t take the band-aids. Instead, he leaned in closer, studying his eyes as if he could see right through him.

The sudden proximity made Xu Yan catch a whiff of bitter scent, soon mingling with the night breeze’s faint sweetness—a cool sandalwood fragrance, yet also like a finely woven net, enveloping him entirely.

Xu Yan’s heart raced. He held his breath without realizing it.

After a moment, Wen Sinian replied coolly, “No need.”

With that, he walked out of the convenience store.

Xu Yan remained standing there, still holding the band-aids, watching as Wen Sinian got into a sleek sports car parked by the curb. The engine roared, and the car sped off.

*

Two traffic lights later, Chen Xun rolled down the window a bit to disperse the metallic smell of blood in the car.

“Why’d you stop by that convenience store today? It’s not on your way home.”

Wen Sinian handed him the mango juice and put the cigarette pack back into his pocket. “The usual one’s under renovation.”

Chen Xun, steering with one hand, asked curiously, “Not smoking? Where’s your lighter?”

Wen Sinian’s brow furrowed slightly. “Lost it.”

“Lost it?” Chen Xun blurted out, “The Spade King one? You treasured that thing—even Lin Xingxian wasn’t allowed to touch it.”

A fleeting image of pale skin flashed through his mind, inexplicably irritating.

Wen Sinian said coldly, "I’d rather throw it away than let him touch it."

Chen Xun sensed his unusual mood tonight and asked, "What did the doctor say the other day?"

Wen Sinian replied, "Self-control. I’m trying to get off the meds."

Chen Xun asked, "Still want you to move back to the dorm?"

Wen Sinian neither confirmed nor denied it. "Told me to interact more with normal people. Living on campus is a way to socialize."

Chen Xun got the gist and didn’t press further.

Wen Sinian’s condition wasn’t exactly life-threatening, but it wasn’t trivial either. Medication could control it, but it came with dependency, and the effects would gradually weaken. It mostly came down to mental discipline and willpower.

Boxing helped him blow off steam, but his therapist had told him he could only practice privately, in moderation—no matches, and definitely no pushing himself to the point of injury.

Wen Sinian agreed. When he couldn’t take the meds and the cravings kicked in, he’d spend half a day at the boxing gym.

His phone lit up with a flurry of messages. Both of them received them, from the "AAA Scenic Spot" group chat.

[Lin Xingxian] sent a video link.

[Lin Xingxian]: Click for a mermaid miracle!

One of them kept driving, the other remained irritated. No one responded.

About five minutes later.

[Lin Xingxian]: Did you watch it?

[Lin Xingxian]: This is the beauty I scoured the ends of the earth for you young masters, waking up early and staying up late. You gotta check this out! No risk, no regrets.

[Lin Xingxian]: This time it’s really different. This one’s next-level amazing.

Another five minutes passed.

[Chen Xun]: Phone’s busted. Can’t watch.

[Lin Xingxian]: Don’t you have two phones?

[Chen Xun]: Both broken.

[Lin Xingxian]: Sure. And the other prince?

Your friend [Wen Sinian] hit ‘Not Interested.’

[Lin Xingxian]: So neither of you clicked, huh? Whatever, man.

[Lin Xingxian]: No taste at all!

*

A drunk wrecked two machines at the convenience store, but the boss dumped all the blame on Xu Yan, saying the accident happened during his shift, so he should bear the losses.

Xu Yan refused and decided to call the police. After all, the store’s surveillance could prove he wasn’t at fault. Unexpectedly, the drunk suddenly showed up at the store, did a total 180 in attitude—not only bowing and scraping to Xu Yan but also covering the repair costs.

His nose had been broken by a punch. His nose was bandaged up like Squidward’s.

Though the matter was resolved, Xu Yan still quit on the spot. After this incident, the boss’s attitude left him cold, and he couldn’t see himself staying after that.

Xu Yan received his salary of one thousand yuan, shouldered his backpack, and took the bus back to school.

On the bus, he got a call from the hospital. The doctor who had been helping him pay the medical bills said the card balance was insufficient, so Xu Yan transferred all the freshly earned money—still warm in his hands—over to the account.

Now, his remaining balance was just over two hundred yuan, and it would still be half a month before his next part-time job paid out.

Xu Yan puffed his cheeks and decided he needed to find another night shift.

Just then, a message from Shang Jia came in, asking if he had tried on the clothes and if the size fit, saying they could be altered if they were too small.

The packages were still buried at the bottom of his wardrobe, their packaging intact.

Xu Yan replied that he would try them on as soon as he got back.

By the time he returned to the dorm, it was noon, and his roommates were all out, presumably for lunch.

Xu Yan opened the wardrobe and randomly pulled out one of the packages. After making sure the dorm door was tightly shut, he stealthily climbed onto his bed with the clothes in hand.

Once he confirmed the bed curtain was completely sealed, he began changing under the dim light filtering through.

After taking off his clothes, he unfolded the small, revealing dress and examined it—a short black lace skirt with dangling ties at the back.

Moving around on the bed was a bit awkward. Kneeling at the foot of the bed, he let the lace hem pool around his knees, like ink spilled on pristine white paper, the ribbons brushing against the dip of his waist and eliciting tingling shivers.

After struggling to put it on, Xu Yan tugged at the precariously short hem—just a slight movement would expose half of his...

There was also a mysterious circular item in the bag. After checking the picture, he realized it was a garter meant to be worn around the thigh.

He bit his lip lightly, flushing his soft cheeks and ears pink with embarrassment and shyness.

It was a black lace garter with an elastic band.

Xu Yan’s legs were slender, so it only stayed secure when worn high up on his thighs. Soft flesh peeked through the lace mesh like frosting through a pastry tip, creating soft, rounded curves against his milky skin. A faint red mole was hidden beneath the garter.

Soon, the surrounding skin was lightly marked by the pressure. Despite his slender frame, his flesh was firm and evenly distributed, leaving some softness still spilling out under the pressure.

The black satin ribbon sank gently into his creamy skin, like a ribbon cinching a frosted cake.

The size...

Probably fit.

But it was too short. After all, Xu Yan was a boy—even with a slender frame, he was still slightly larger than a girl, making photos impossible.

Xu Yan decided to take the skirt off.

Just then, he heard what sounded like a faint sound from the dorm door.

Was a roommate coming back?

Xu Yan froze instantly, staying perfectly still in his kneeling position, fingers silently gripping the edge of the skirt as he listened intently.

But the door didn’t open. His legs were starting to go numb.

He exhaled quietly, thinking he must have misheard.

Hastily, he began removing the shoulder straps, fumbling hurriedly. Just as the dress draped haphazardly over his chest, the dorm door opened—this time unmistakably.

A deep, unhurried set of footsteps entered the room.

Xu Yan went rigid in shock, holding his breath.

He thought... he detected a faint, familiar scent of sandalwood.