Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Xu Yan’s cheeks flushed a deep, visible red, the color spreading to his pale earlobes, tinging them with a delicate pink.

He… hadn’t he left?

Why had he suddenly returned?

Receiving no answer from inside, Wen Sinian called again, "Xu Yan?"

A soft, flustered voice quickly responded from within, as if the person was caught off guard or busy.

"I—I’m fine…"

"Really?" Wen Sinian asked kindly. "You didn’t look too well earlier. Are you feeling unwell?"

Xu Yan quickly pulled his pants back up. The tie was hidden beneath the fabric, making it unnoticeable, though its slight friction against his skin as he moved was irritatingly itchy.

He opened the bathroom door to find a tall figure standing right outside, almost completely blocking the exit. He couldn't get out.

He tilted his porcelain-white face upward, the blush on his cheeks impossible to conceal. His bright, watery eyes darted away guiltily after just a fleeting glance.

"I’m truly fine, Senior."

Wen Sinian’s gaze swept over his face, as if assessing the truth of his words.

But that deep gaze then slid down from his face, lingering for a moment on his legs.

Xu Yan instinctively pulled the leg with the tie back half a step. Though it wasn’t visible, he subconsciously wanted to hide it, fearing the person before him might notice something amiss.

This seemingly proper junior, secretly wearing something like this…

Would he think I’m a pervert?

Fortunately, Wen Sinian seemed to believe him and said nothing more, stepping aside to let Xu Yan exit the bathroom.

Wen Sinian then entered the bathroom himself.

Xu Yan couldn't bear to remain downstairs. He swiftly pulled back his bed curtain and climbed onto the bed.

When Wen Sinian emerged, all he caught was a fleeting glimpse of a pale ankle disappearing from sight.

Xu Yan lay in bed for a while. A few minutes later, he heard the sound of the door closing again.

He peeked out, confirming the door was tightly shut this time. After waiting a bit longer, Wen Sinian didn't return.

It seemed he had truly left this time.

Xu Yan climbed down from the bed, clutching the skirt. He quickly tucked it into the wardrobe, then grabbed scissors and cut the tie still cinched around his leg, tossing it into the trash bin by the desk.

He climbed back into bed, took off his pants, and examined his thighs. The knotted tie had left angry red marks, distinct circles against the snowy white skin of his upper thighs.

His private phone account showed several unread messages.

【year】: It’s all my fault, baby. Don’t be mad, okay?

【year】: Did your roommate leave?

【year】: How about you move out and live with me in the future?

【year】: No one will disturb us then.

Xu Yan first edited the video. Seeing the messages, he thought to himself that he wouldn’t fall for that trick. Moving out to live with him? That would essentially be cohabiting.

No way that was happening.

【宴宴】: Absolutely not.

【宴宴】: You’re a big meanie.

【year】: Baby.

【year】: You’re cute even when you’re scolding me.

【year】: You can scold me all you want.

Xu Yan felt a little flustered after reading the messages. He bit his cheek, his lips reddening.

He had never met anyone like "year" before—someone who seemed to welcome being scolded, almost as if no matter what he did, "year" would never get angry with him.

Was that a sign of good temper or something else entirely?

【year】: Send me the video.

Xu Yan thought he had forgotten. He sent it, and soon, another message arrived.

【year】: Did you untie the tie?

In the video, a yellow tie was indeed wrapped around his thighs, crisscrossing down his pale, tender skin, looking exquisitely beautiful.

【宴宴】: I couldn’t untie it. I had to cut it with scissors.

【year】: Did it hurt you?

【宴宴】: No.

【year】: Did it leave red marks on your leg?

Xu Yan glanced at his reddened thighs and answered honestly.

【宴宴】: A little.

【year】: My poor baby.

【year】: Next time, I’ll help you untie it, okay?

Someone *had* just offered to help him earlier. If he had said yes then, would the person standing outside the bathroom door have actually walked straight in…?

Xu Yan shook his head. He was chatting with "year," so why did his thoughts keep drifting to Wen Sinian?

This wasn’t good. He should maintain his distance from Senior Wen.

After all, they had been seeing each other a bit too frequently lately.

*

Xu Yan found another opportunity to visit the villa. Before going, he specifically asked if Wen Sinian would be there. Only after Lin Xingxian confirmed he wasn’t did Xu Yan feel at ease heading over.

He had a class assignment due that required a short video to be made on the computer. Since he already had the necessary footage on his laptop, he brought it along, planning to work on the assignment if he had some free time.

The other studio members were busy on the first floor. Not wanting to disturb them, Xu Yan followed Lin Xingxian directly upstairs to the art studio.

Xu Yan expected it to be like last time—he would just sit there and pose a few times. But to his surprise, Lin Xingxian brought in a package from outside, unwrapped it, and held it against Xu Yan to check the fit.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, gorgeous."

Xu Yan looked at the black-and-purple Lolita dress before him. It truly was a beautiful piece, adorned with purple tulle accents on the bodice and skirt. The hem stopped above the knees, with two trailing silk ribbons at the back, swaying like delicate tails.

Seeing that Xu Yan hadn’t quite grasped the situation, Lin Xingxian directly asked, "Junior, could you model this for me today?"

"What?" Xu Yan’s eyes widened. "Me? Wear a dress?"

Lin Xingxian knew it was a bit much, but he was desperate. Having finally found an inspiring model, he couldn’t bear to let go.

"It’s for art’s sake. Just try it on for me, okay? You don’t have to keep it on," Lin Xingxian pleaded. "Please, junior. Look at my painting—it’s halfway done, but I’ve been relying on imagining you in this dress to finish it. It’s been so hard."

Lin Xingxian showed Xu Yan the large canvas he’d been working on for days. The towering artwork was a vibrant explosion of colors, bold and eerie in style—a dimly lit ancient castle with a high throne meant to seat a figure. But the person remained indistinct, just a vague outline.

Lin Xingxian had been struggling with this for too long, and now that Xu Yan was his lifeline, he wasn’t about to let go.

Xu Yan, worn down by his pleading, didn’t know what to do and finally agreed.

"Just trying it on is enough, right?"

Xu Yan felt a little uneasy. Lin Xingxian followed his social media, and if this took too long, he worried the other might notice something off.

Completely oblivious to his concerns, Lin Xingxian excitedly exclaimed, "Of course, of course! Ten minutes—no, five is enough! I’ll go out first, okay? Just message me when you’re changed, and I’ll make sure no one downstairs comes up to disturb you."

With that, Lin Xingxian left the room.

Xu Yan stared at the little witch-style Lolita dress, then hesitantly changed into it in the corner.

There was a floor-length mirror in the studio. He stood before it, adjusting the skirt. He had also put on the white lace stockings. Thankfully, it wasn’t his first time wearing such things, so he was experienced, even managing to arrange the flowing tulle tails at the back himself.

A knock came at the door. Thinking Lin Xingxian had returned, Xu Yan turned and said, "Please come in."

The door opened from the outside, but just as Xu Yan was about to ask if he’d put the dress on correctly, the words caught in his throat.

The person standing there wasn’t Lin Xingxian at all—it was Wen Sinian, who had returned unexpectedly.

Wen Sinian didn’t seem surprised to see him there, but at the sight of the dress, his usually calm expression seemed to ripple with a silent wave, only to be forcibly suppressed and hidden the next instant.

The Lolita dress accentuated Xu Yan’s slender figure in precise detail. His chest was delicate and thin, with a large expanse of pale shoulders and neck exposed. His arms were long and slender, almost alarmingly pale.

A large bow cinched his waist, emphasizing its slim, taut line, while the skirt flared out over his hips, the petticoat puffing the black-and-purple fabric into a rounded shape.

And then there were the white stockings—not even pulled up evenly, one higher than the other, cinching slightly into the soft flesh of his thighs, easily creating a small, plump curve that made one want to reach out, kneel before him, and straighten them.

Xu Yan froze for only two seconds before hastily grabbing the jacket nearby to cover his upper body.

Unfortunately, he covered the wrong areas.

"I—I…"

Xu Yan’s face flushed all the way to his ears, his mind blank from embarrassment. Wen Sinian’s gaze was lowered slightly, brows slightly furrowed—clearly finding his outfit odd.

Even though Wen Sinian had seen him in a dress at the café before, Xu Yan still felt utterly mortified now.

Suddenly, voices drifted from the hallway, as if someone was approaching. Xu Yan went rigid, his head snapping up.

Instead of stepping back, Wen Sinian moved forward half a step and closed the door behind him.

The voices in the hallway hadn’t reached the door before they were abruptly cut off by Lin Xingxian’s shout—likely having dragged the others downstairs.

The external crisis was averted, but the one before him seemed even more intense.

Wen Sinian’s gaze was completely normal, yet Xu Yan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

His legs felt trapped, as if tied up by something unseen—terrifying.

"I—I was just helping Senior Lin. He asked me to model for him," Xu Yan stammered, hugging the coat to his chest.

Wen Sinian met his eyes. "In a dress?"

Xu Yan’s voice was small. "Yes…"

"He tells you to wear it, and you just do?" Wen Sinian said. "You listen to him so well."

Xu Yan: "He’s compensating me. And he said his painting’s been stuck for a long time. He just needed me to try it on for reference."

Wen Sinian replied noncommittally, "Hm."

Xu Yan quietly wrapped the coat tighter around himself, only to hear the other’s cool tone.

"You care about him a lot."

Xu Yan: "Ah…"

Wen Sinian smiled. "Are you two close?"