By the time we got near pedestrian zones, I suddenly regretted it. There was a comic convention happening in the square at the entrance, and it was bustling in the evening. He stood out so much, and to make matters worse, he was holding my hand. Although same-s*x marriage had been legalized for over a year, it wasn’t common to see such a public display like ours. The rate of people turning their heads was practically 100%. We had just made the news. I lowered my head, trying to pull my hand back from his, but he refused to let go.
“Tunshe Nalin, you’re too eye-catching,” I muttered softly, looking around nervously, afraid of running into someone who might recognize us. Just as I said this, I heard voices of conversation nearby.
“Hey, isn’t that Abmer and his muse?”
“Is that the guy from the trending topic? Damn, he’s even more handsome in person! He’s so tall, is he a model or an athlete? No way, could he be an idol preparing to debut?”
“Excuse me, are you Abmer Ran? I really love your paintings. Could you sign an autograph for me?”
“Wait, is that really Abmer Ran? His new muse is even more handsome than Ming Luo!”
“You go, get him to sign for me!”
There were many people involved in art at the comic convention, and naturally, many who recognized me. Soon, whispers and discussions started, creating a buzzing wave of voices.
I quickened my pace, trying to lose Tunshe Nalin in the crowd of people gathering, but it was as if he sensed what I was thinking, following closely behind, his hand gripping mine tightly.
“Abmer, hey! What are you doing here?”
Hearing the familiar voice, I turned my head and saw the tall, handsome guy with blonde hair and blue eyes. Leo looked both surprised and delighted. When he saw the person behind me, his smile froze slightly.
Before I could greet him, my feet were suddenly lifted off the ground, and Tunshe Nalin swept me up in a horizontal hold. Immediately, deafening screams erupted all around us.
—I covered my face. I’m going crazy. Tunshe Nalin had completely driven me mad.
He truly was my retribution, my calamity. I wanted to cry but had no tears: “I beg you, please stop, respected sir! I’m an artist, and you’ve turned me into an internet sensation!”
“The way he looked at you wasn’t right.” Tunshe Nalin said coldly, carrying me without a care as he walked a few hundred meters until Leo was completely out of sight before finally setting me down.
I lowered my head, not daring to look at the expressions of the people around us. The occasional sound of camera shutters made it clear that we’d probably be on the news and trending again tomorrow.
After finally squeezing through the crowd, he set me down, his face darkened. “Next time, don’t come to places with so many people.”
“What-what’s wrong?”
“There are too many people, too close. I can’t help myself.”
“……” Being surrounded by a bunch of people like that really doesn’t feel good.
I swallowed dryly. “How many days has it been since you last ate?”
“These past few days, I’ve been starving myself while searching for you.”
Then taking the subway is really torture for him. I laughed dryly and shivered in the wind by the river: “Do you… mainly eat meat, or blood, or both?”
He didn’t answer but held my hand tightly, perhaps because he was afraid that telling the truth would scare me. He looked at the colorful and crowded pedestrian zones in the night: “Where, to buy clothes?”
“Oh my god, so handsome, is that a celebrity?”
“If we ask him for his WeChat ID, do you think he will give it to us? He seems to have a very cool temperament…”
“What do you want? Can’t you see that he has a boyfriend? He’s sitting on the sofa!”
“Damn, are they gay? What a pity, they are both so handsome!”
Enduring the discussions behind me, I waited on the sofa outside the fitting room in an uneasy manner. I have accompanied Ming Luo shopping, but I have never helped him pick out clothes. I thought this experience would be unfamiliar to me, but I didn’t expect that even Tunshe Nalin trying on clothes would attract a crowd. Right now, there is a long line in front of the counter, but they’re not waiting to shop. They’re all here to watch Tunshe Nalin. I wonder if these crazy fans would be so scared that they would pee their pants if they knew what this 1.9-meter-tall handsome guy is really like and what he eats.
“Are you done?” I could hardly sit still, so I knocked on the fitting room door. Then a vine entangled my wrist, and I was dragged in unexpectedly.
As soon as I saw Tunshe Nalin at this moment, my eyes froze.
The three-dimensionally tailored silver-gray suit is more slim-fitting than his antique robe, but I don’t know if the size of the clothes is too small or he simply doesn’t know how to wear it. None of the buttons on the suit jacket, vest, and shirt are buttoned, and the zipper of his pants is not zipped up either, but it is enough to highlight his excellent figure. Coupled with his ascetic and cold looks and mysterious and classical temperament, it creates a sensuality as rich and smooth as tequila.
I swallowed and looked at him blankly.
He looks like an old nobleman or the godfather from a movie, the kind of character that makes people want to call him “daddy” involuntarily.
“Ranran, put it on for me.”
I came back to my senses after hearing his voice and lowered my eyelids: “The size is too small, take it off first.”
I asked the salesperson to send me another suit in a larger size. Under his pressure, I had to stay in the dressing room to help him put on this complicated and retro three-piece suit.
“Look, this is how you button your shirt. It’s very simple. And this tie, tie it like this.”
I taught him seriously, but when I looked up, he was staring at my face and wasn’t learning at all.
“Pants.”
I knew he was talking about the zipper of his pants, and I didn’t want to do it, but I saw his eyes getting darker, so I had to be obedient and zip it up for him. Before I could zip it, he bent his knees against the door of the locker room and hugged my waist. I was so scared that my whole body went stiff, but I didn’t dare to scream. I lowered my voice and said, “Tunshe Nalin, this is a public place! Don’t mess around! There are people outside!”
“You seduced me.” He said in a hoarse voice.
I’m so f*cking wronged! I was clearly forced by him to help him change clothes, so how did it turn into me seducing him!
I widened my eyes and glared at him in anger, but then I felt his hand caressing my waist, and I dared not move. He bit my earlobe and whispered, “From now on, you’ll help me change clothes every day.”
“Gentlemen, have you finished changing?”
The salesperson knocked on the door, probably sensing something was off and fearing we were about to cause another incident like the Uniqlo scandal. I felt a bit embarrassed and quickly responded, “Almost done, I’ll take this outfit.”
“Do you hear, Ranran?” He asked persistently in a low voice.
I nodded.
“What did you hear?”
“Help you change clothes every-everyday.”
“Help who changes clothes?”
I pressed my lips together, suddenly feeling my sweater being lifted. Startled, I quickly responded, “Fu-Fu Lang[mfn]Once again it means husband[/mfn].”
My good behavior did not win me any mercy. He still pushed me against the wall, lifted my sweater to my chest, and took off my pants. He then bullied me wantonly.
By the end, my chest was swollen, and the skin on the inside of my thighs was burning from being rubbed.
Finally, in order to make up for the salesperson’s wasted time, I felt bad and bought four sets of clothes for Tunshe Nalin in one go. Because my clothes were wet, I had to change into new ones as well. In total, I spent more than 90,000 yuan. The damage to my wallet was not a big deal, but my mental loss was really great.
After changing him into a suit, the blindfold was no longer suitable for him, so the next stop was the glasses counter. I didn’t dare to take off his blindfold in public, so I took him to the dark room for measuring the degree, picked out sunglasses for him to try, and tried several pairs, but he was not satisfied with any of them.
“Actually, you don’t have to do that. I just saw that many of those people had eyes of various colors, and red was not uncommon. As long as I don’t actively use the pupil technique, it won’t take away people’s souls. I wore a blindfold before because I was afraid that my red pupils would scare you.”
I see?
I was stunned: “You, so, your eyes are not sensitive to light?”
“Except for the sun, other light has no effect on me.”
“Then are you still going to wear this?” I looked at him and raised the sunglasses in my hand.
Actually, he looks quite handsome in sunglasses. No, I shook my head. Why am I being such a fangirl?
He was silent for a moment, then said, “Are you still afraid of, my eyes?”
My chin was lifted up, and I looked directly into his red eyes. His vertical pupils made my heart skip a beat, in fact, I was still a little scared. His red pupils were captivating and did not resemble the effect that could be achieved with contact lenses.
In just this moment of hesitation, my chin was pinched tighter by his fingers: “Just now I saw a sign on the table, which seemed to say that, there is a kind of glasses that can cover the eye color?”
I was stunned. Contact lenses?
“No, you can just wear sunglasses.” I put the sunglasses on his face, but he took them off again. “Ranran, I don’t want to be with you day and night, lying side by side, while still wearing something that covers my eyes. Go, pick out a pair, I want a blue one.”
The blue one? Could it be that he is still jealous of Leo?
I didn’t dare to disobey him, so I asked the salesperson for a pair of blue contact lenses. Fortunately, I had worn contact lenses when I was cosplaying in college, so I put them on him clumsily. He blinked, as if he was a little uncomfortable, and when he opened his eyes again, I couldn’t help but stare at him in amazement.
—I never expected that blue eyes would complement him so well. He was already incredibly handsome, and with the fierce, beast-like red eyes covered, the darkness and malice faded away, leaving behind a cold, noble aura. It was as if a divine being, untouched by the mortal world, had descended into it. The impulse to paint surged in my veins, my heart pounding wildly. In a moment of distraction, I found myself pressed against the mirror by him, his lips brushing against my earlobe. “You prefer me like this, don’t you?” He whispered.
I couldn’t deny that the sight of his blue eyes stirred my passion for painting even more. I almost wanted to rush home right then and there, grab my brush, and paint him without restraint. But just as a chill ran through my lower abdomen, I snapped back to reality.
“What are you doing!” I pushed him away in a panic.
He raised his hand, twisted his fingertips, lowered his eyes, and glanced down, smiling: “As expected.”
I actually reacted to his blue eyes.
My ears were burning hot. I opened the curtain and rushed out of the dark room.
When I came out of the mall, I felt like a wilted eggplant and was so hungry that I saw stars.
All the snack stalls on the pedestrian street have been set up, forming a long line.
“Is that the snack street, you mentioned?”
“Yes.” I nodded and pointed to the park across from the market: “There is a hospital across the park. Maybe you can find something you can eat inside… or you can go eat yours, and I’ll eat mine here? Then,” I looked at my phone, “At nine o’clock, we’ll meet here and go home, alright?”
He looked at me quietly.
I was frightened by his gaze and immediately backed off: “Then let’s go eat together.”
As soon as I entered the market, I was greeted by a variety of aromas, such as sweet, salty, spicy, sour. They mingling together. Spicy crab, grilled oysters, fatty pork intestines with scallions, roasted pig’s feet, fried fish tails, tofu skin, stinky tofu, red willow branch lamb, shrimp pocket bread, crab leg hot dry noodles, grilled bean curd, spicy soup… my mouth watered uncontrollably. I forgot about escaping for a moment and plunged into the pile of delicious food.
I ordered a skewer of red willow mutton and shrimp-stuffed flatbread, then began to devour them. Without thinking, I glanced at Tunshe Nalin. He was looking at me, the corners of his lips slightly curved. The smoke from the market surrounded his figure, and the colorful lights cast a hue on his pale face, adding a touch of worldly warmth to him. It was as if he had blended into this mortal world, and we were just an ordinary couple among the crowd.
I don’t know why, but I was suddenly overcome with an impulse to share, even though I knew he couldn’t eat human food. As if seeing through my thoughts, Tunshe Nalin took my hand, bit into the lamb I was holding, and swallowed it, his adam apple moving as he did.
I froze again, saying, “If you can’t eat it, you don’t have to force yourself.”
Seeing that he hadn’t spat it out, I was a bit surprised. Could it be that he could actually eat human food but just didn’t like it? I then brought the shrimp-stuffed flatbread to his lips, saying, “This… it tastes pretty good too.”
He took hold of my hand and took a bite.
After swallowing, he murmured, “En, it’s delicious.”
I relaxed in my heart, and for some reason, a spark of joy blossomed within me. I then ordered a bowl of fried small yellow fish, saying, “This, this is also very delicious. It’s a local specialty, the small silver fish unique to this place.”
He raised an eyebrow and said, “Feed me.”
I hesitated for a moment, then picked up a piece with my chopsticks and brought it to his lips.
How cheesy. When have I ever done something like this with anyone?
T/N: Red dust and fireworks in the chapter title is a Chinese expression that refers to the mundane and fleeting aspects of human life, often symbolizing the ordinary world filled with desires, emotions, and impermanence. It evokes the imagery of life’s ephemeral beauty, much like the transient nature of fireworks in the red dust of the world.
