Chapter 76

Chapter 76

For convenience during their outing, Ning Chan and Kane changed into casual attire, removing any accessories that might reveal their status and even donning non-prescription glasses.

"Let me tie your hair up for you," Kane said, gazing at the oversized glasses perched on Ning Chan's delicate face. His emerald-green eyes gleamed like light dappling a forest canopy, reflecting a mesmerizing hue, making Kane’s heart pound wildly.

Ning Chan like this was so beautiful—his face so small, seemingly smaller than Kane's palm.

Ning Chan brushed away the unruly strands of hair that kept sticking to his face. Naturally curly hair had this annoying habit; if not properly managed, it easily looked messy. "Sure, just tie it up casually for me."

He had considered cutting it short before, but short hair required frequent trimming to look good. A middling length would only ruin his appearance. Rather than dealing with the hassle, he preferred keeping it long and simply tying it up.

Blunt as a hammer, Ning Chan had never paid much attention to how exceptionally attractive his looks were. Others might need hairstyles to enhance their appearance, but as long as he didn’t turn himself into a patchy bald spot, he could never look ugly.

The stylist in the room watched as his king worked deftly on Ning Chan’s hair, sighing silently while holding a comb and scissors. Finally, another stunning beauty had arrived at the palace, yet she had no chance to work her magic.

Ning Chan's hair was softer and slightly curly, making it prone to tangling. When styling, he usually combed it first himself, using his Wood-element Superpower to smooth it out before letting others assist.

But Kane didn’t give him the chance to act, directly stepping in. His pale fingers nimbly threaded through the jet-black strands.

Somehow, the slightly unruly strands were effortlessly guided into place, framing his face neatly.

This softened the dazzling intensity of his original appearance, adding a touch of gentleness and charm.

With his hair neatly tied, Ning Chan examined himself in the mirror, gave an approving nod, and gave Kane a thumbs-up.

Like this, he probably didn’t even need a mask—after all, hardly anyone in the capital knew his face.

Now that he was ready, what about Kane? His thin-framed glasses didn’t change his appearance much.

Still, the glasses suited him well, giving him a refined and elegant look. From the side, his thick lashes nearly brushed against the lenses—those naturally defined eyes were the envy of many.

Noticing Ning Chan’s studying stare, Kane blinked lightly and smiled. "Do you want to tie my hair too?"

Ning Chan glanced down at his own fingers—they were nice, made for drawing and writing. But when it came to hairstyling, he only knew the basics, like ponytails.

Well, he was also quite adept at braiding vines with his Wood-element Superpower.

"Would you be okay with cutting your hair short?" Ning Chan redirected his gaze to Kane’s face, asking instinctively. Come to think of it, he had never seen Kane with short hair before.

Having lived in this era for so long, he had grown accustomed to men keeping long hair. Even when they did cut it, it was usually just to ear or shoulder length—never really crisp and clean.

"Short? Sure, I’ll leave it to you." Kane didn’t even ask how short or what style Ning Chan intended—he simply sat on a nearby chair, utterly at his mercy.

The moment the question left his lips, Ning Chan’s stomach dropped. After over a decade, did he still have the same haircutting skills from back then?

Recalling his usual results when pruning plants, Ning Chan steadied himself. *Stay calm. Think of his head as topiary.*

"Are you really sure you want me to do this? What if I mess it up..." Ning Chan gave Kane a fair warning, lowering his hopes to avoid utter devastation later.

He remembered scenes from the post-apocalyptic era where people, unable to find barbers, took turns cutting each other’s hair—only to be mutually horrified by the results. Right now, he felt like he was about to commit a crime.

"I trust you." Kane had already made up his mind the moment he agreed. No matter how Ning Chan cut it—even if he shaved it all off—he would sing his praises—no, marvel at how steady Ning Chan’s hands were, how perfectly round and clean the shave was.

To preserve Kane’s (and his own) dignity, Ning Chan asked the stylist to step out, leaving him to work alone.

Of course, dreading a botched job that might traumatize Kane, Ning Chan first trimmed just a little to get a feel for it. Once he regained some confidence, he snipped off a large section of hair before refining it gradually.

Ning Chan didn’t discard Kane’s cut hair carelessly. Instead, he tied it neatly with a string and placed it in a box. Such silky, golden strands—it would be a shame to throw them away.

After a few more haircuts like this, maybe I can even weave a wig out of it. When Kane starts losing hair in clumps, I can give it back to him as a gift—after all, Westerners tend to go bald easily.

"Aren’t you throwing this away?" Seeing Ning Chan’s action, Kane reached out and played with the trimmed locks. Having so much cut off made his head feel noticeably lighter.

Under Kane’s curious gaze, Ning Chan bit back the comment about fearing premature baldness and instead brought up another tradition involving hair.

"I’ve heard there’s a tradition in one place where two people in love tie their hair together with a red string, to symbolize being bound for life—never to part, growing old together."

Ning Chan remembered attending Bai Yue and Gu Si’s wedding, where the couple had done just that. The banquet was grand, with the entire city draped in joyous red decorations.

When the two appeared before the crowd in their resplendent wedding robes, hand in hand, it evoked a love that transcended time.

Even though their post-apocalyptic kind usually despised glaring red, at that moment, the flood of red only filled their hearts with joy and blessings for the couple.

Sadly, that couple never kept their vows.

Ning Chan lowered his gaze slightly, pulling his thoughts back from the memories to focus on the hair before him.

That story was long past. He could only hope those two would meet again in another life.

Kane, brimming with pure affection, felt his toes curl with excitement at these words.

So, just tying their hair together would bind them? Ning Chan’s hair was so long—perfect for knotting with his own.

Next time Ning Chan got a haircut, he’d help the stylist collect just a *little* extra. Surely that wouldn’t be a problem!

Little did Ning Chan know, his hair had just gained another owner.

Not just the trimmed strands—even the ones left on pillows or the floor were carefully gathered by Kane, hoarded, worried some rival might get the same idea.

He wasn’t sure what Ning Chan had in mind, but Kane was already pleased with his decision.

Ning Chan’s fingers combed through his hair, gently brushing his forehead, cheeks, and neck. He was right there, so close Kane could feel his breath.

How he longed to remove those bothersome glasses, disrupt that steady breathing, and watch those cool eyes glisten with tears and flush with color.

Once the trimmed strands were cleared away, Ning Chan ran fingers through Kane’s hair a couple more times, pleased with the results.

Crouching in front of Kane, he scrutinized the look and felt something was still missing.

Leaving the bangs down made Kane look soft and sweet, but sweeping them slightly upward might better match his demeanor.

Spotting a jar of styling pomade on the table, Ning Chan dabbed a bit, lifting a few strands of Kane’s bangs and smoothing them back.

Admiring the new look, Ning Chan’s smile deepened. "There, how’s that?"

As Ning Chan stepped back, Kane reluctantly turned his gaze to the mirror—and startled by the stranger in the mirror.

Still young, barely an adult, Kane’s beauty had always been ethereally androgynous. If not for his serious air and sharp edge, countless men and women would’ve fantasized about sharing a night with him.

But with this new hairstyle, Kane found himself looking more dashing and commanding.

Though he loved the change, he worried it might make it harder to act vulnerable around Ning Chan.

Did he seem too stern now? Too intimidating?

(The purged emperors, nobles, and wealthy elites: *You’ve always looked unapproachable! That pretty face couldn’t soften you!*)

"Your skills are excellent. I love it. What do you think—do I look good like this?" Kane stood, tilting his face up to Ning Chan for inspection.

Ning Chan instinctively took half a step back as Kane closed in, his waist hitting the edge of the table. He quickly steadied himself with his hands behind him, then nearly laughed at a sudden thought that flashed through his mind.

Wasn’t this the classic "table slam" scene from romance comics?

But the two of them weren’t in that kind of relationship. Kane was still so young, barely an adult—he couldn’t possibly be thinking about those things. He just liked craving praise.

Having spent his own adolescence either fighting for survival or striving for success, Ning Chan had forgotten there was a term specifically for young people like this—young love.

And honestly, by the standards of their era, once you turned eighteen, you weren’t considered young anymore.

In fact, in this day and age, if not for the laws they’d changed, someone his age still unmarried would have been a rarity.

"Of course you look good! How could you not? My skills paired with your face—a perfect match!" Ning Chan averted his gaze from the unexpected sight before him, avoiding Kane’s intense stare as he suppressed the weird flutter in his chest. Bracing his core, he pushed Kane back.

Kane, initially disheartened by the rejection, lit up again when he noticed Ning Chan’s exposed ear from the slight turn of his head.

It had turned red.