The heat in Bai Jingzhuo’s face simply refused to subside. Even after getting out of the car, his cheeks remained rosy, making Bai Jiao increasingly convinced that he was sick. Bai Jiao tested the temperature of Bai Jingzhuo’s forehead, only to discover that he did not have a fever after all.
Although his temperature was slightly elevated, it was still within the normal range.
“I’m not sick.” Bai Jingzhuo searched for a reasonable excuse to explain his unusual condition. “The weather is just too hot.”
“Oh.”
Bai Jiao neither said whether he believed him nor openly questioned his explanation. He merely gave Bai Jingzhuo a meaningful glance.
After all, they had been indoors earlier, where the air conditioning had been running. It had clearly been quite cool.
“Really, it’s thirty degrees today. It’s genuinely very hot.” Bai Jingzhuo tried to reinforce his explanation, as though repeating it would make it more convincing.
“Mm, it is rather hot.”
Bai Jiao stepped into the shopping mall first. A refreshing gust of cold air blew toward them, bringing immediate relief and quickly dispelling the heat they had felt outside.
Jiangcheng’s weather had been particularly strange this year. It was only the middle of February, yet the temperature felt as though they were in the middle of summer. Only at night did the temperature suddenly plummet. Fortunately, this unusual weather would not last very long. Within a few days, the temperature would inevitably drop again, returning to the bitter cold of winter. For now, they only had to endure this brief spell of heat.
“See? I told you so,” Bai Jingzhuo muttered under his breath.
This was the largest shopping mall in Jiangcheng, and it also housed the greatest number of luxury brands.
There was a huge crowd outside the mall, but once they entered the luxury shopping section, the number of customers inside the stores dwindled dramatically.
The original host rarely went shopping in person. His clothes were either custom made or consisted of the latest seasonal collections, which would be delivered directly to his wardrobe before they even appeared on the store shelves.
Bai Jiao had come out today primarily because staying at home had become boring. His second reason was that custom made clothing took too long to prepare, and it would be much more convenient to bring Bai Jingzhuo out and buy everything directly.
“This outfit looks pretty good.”
Since the weather would soon turn cold again, Bai Jiao selected a black shirt to wear underneath a Chesterfield coat. He took out the membership card the butler had prepared in advance and handed it to the sales assistant. After finding the appropriate size, he told Bai Jingzhuo to go and try on the clothes.
Bai Jingzhuo glanced at the price tag attached to the outfit and was so startled that he nearly pushed the clothes back toward Bai Jiao.
Bai Jiao pressed down on his hand and teased him deliberately, “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you don’t know how to put on clothes and need me to help you?”
“I know how to dress myself!”
Even though there was a layer of fabric between them, Bai Jingzhuo felt as though he had been scalded by Bai Jiao’s body heat. He hastily withdrew his hand in a panic and turned around to look for the fitting room.
Perhaps because he was too nervous, he wandered around for quite a while before finally finding the place with the sales assistant’s guidance.
Bai Jiao curled his lips into a faint smile. He selected several more outfits before finally sitting down to enjoy a sip of tea.
【Host, you look like you’re raising a child.】886 commented.
It was rare for the system to enter such a peaceful world. With all the new professional knowledge being introduced into its database, even it had begun to relax without realizing it. The lively, playful side built into its basic system settings was gradually emerging again.
Bai Jiao was completely unconcerned. “Have you ever seen a child this big?”
【A ‘child’ can also be a figure of speech. Besides, aren’t you basically playing a ‘raising and developing’ game with him?】
“Spend less time on the internet.” Bai Jiao delivered his brief assessment.
In the past, Bai Jiao had been busy pursuing his goals, while 886 had been occupied with organizing all kinds of information for him and remaining on standby to purchase whatever props he needed. Now that they finally had some free time, the system did nothing every day except surf the internet or run off to chat with the systems in the Male Virtue Department, most of which had practically been spoiled into useless little things.
Bai Jiao felt that 886 had been corrupted by their influence.
886 expressed its protest through silence before quickly disappearing.
“I’m done.”
Bai Jingzhuo emerged from around the corner, his head lowered as he approached with obvious uneasiness.
Bai Jiao propped up his chin with one hand and looked him over appraisingly. “Stand up straight.”
His tone was calm and casual, yet Bai Jingzhuo somehow found himself growing nervous. He instinctively lifted his chin, straightened his back, and stood perfectly upright.
Bai Jiao curled his lips slightly, thinking that Bai Jingzhuo really did resemble a little “cub.” His posture was so rigid and by the book that he looked as though he were standing at attention as punishment.
“How does it look?”
Bai Jingzhuo could not quite figure out what Bai Jiao’s smile meant.
“It’s all right, but you’re too thin.” Bai Jiao stood up and caught hold of his loose sleeve, examining how the fabric hung from his arm. “You need to put on some weight, and your hairstyle needs a little work, too.”
There was hardly any flesh on Bai Jingzhuo’s body. Although he was quite tall, he was as thin as a bamboo pole, looking as though a strong gust of wind might blow him over.
Whenever Bai Jiao pinched Bai Jingzhuo, he never used much force. He simply felt that Bai Jingzhuo was far too delicate to withstand any rough handling. In Bai Jiao’s eyes, the other man was practically indistinguishable from a fragile porcelain doll.
“Then don’t!”
Bai Jingzhuo had not even finished his sentence when Bai Jiao took out a black card, the kind Bai Jingzhuo had previously seen only on the internet.
“Get all the outfits I looked at earlier in this size. Charge everything to this card.”
“Certainly, Mr. Bai.” The sales assistant responded respectfully before asking, “Would you like us to deliver these items to your home, or would you prefer to have your driver come and collect them?”
“I bought them for him, so of course he’s the one who should carry them.” Bai Jiao answered as though it were the most natural thing in the world. He then turned toward Bai Jingzhuo with a smile. “Brother, don’t you agree?”
“Huh? Mm, all right.”
Bai Jingzhuo thought that it was only a few sets of clothes. He was perfectly capable of carrying them himself, so there was no need to trouble anyone else.
However, when the sales assistant led him to the counter, Bai Jingzhuo found himself staring at eight enormous shopping bags, each one packed to the brim.
“Go and change into this short sleeved shirt first. After that, carry the things over to the store next door and find me.”
Bai Jiao stuffed a set of short sleeved summer clothes into his arms, then strolled out of the store at a leisurely pace, leaving Bai Jingzhuo absolutely no opportunity to say anything.
Bai Jingzhuo: “…”
Bai Jiao was in the neighboring store, looking at shoes for Bai Jingzhuo. Just as he was in the middle of selecting a pair, a young man with chestnut brown curly hair approached him, his eyes lighting up with delight the moment he saw Bai Jiao.
“Bai Jiao, what are you doing here? What a coincidence!”
The young man had well proportioned features and a handsome appearance. The moment he appeared, he attracted the attention of quite a few people both inside and outside the store.
Bai Jiao searched through the original host’s memories and identified him. He cast the young man a faint glance but did not bother to acknowledge him.
Shen Jin, the male lead gong of the original novel. The lunatic who treated Bai Jingzhuo as a substitute for the original host.
“Why aren’t you talking to me? Did I do something to upset you?” Seeing that Bai Jiao was ignoring him, Shen Jin asked nervously.
“No. I simply don’t feel like talking to you.”
The porcelain vase displayed on the counter accentuated the fair, luminous complexion of Bai Jiao’s face. A faint smile rested on his lips, making him look nothing like someone who had just uttered such an openly dismissive remark.
Shen Jin almost began to wonder whether something was wrong with his ears.
Bai Jiao continued without the slightest courtesy, “You smell terrible. Stay away from me.”
Shen Jin had just finished playing basketball. He was wearing nothing but a dusty looking white basketball jersey and a pair of black shorts. Sweat drenched his body, accentuating his firm, well built physique and making his excellent figure clearly visible.
However, the moment he came close, all Bai Jiao could smell was the sharp, unpleasant stench of sweat. He was so disgusted that he wanted to kick Shen Jin out of the store and then go back to choosing shoes, without the slightest desire to experience the masculine allure described in the book.
Shen Jin was petrified.
He could hardly believe that such words had actually come out of the mouth of the person he liked.
The original host had always been good at maintaining appearances in public. Even when speaking, he made a point of being gentle, refined, and considerate, always ensuring that everyone who heard him would feel pleased. He was the very embodiment of a white moonlight in countless people’s hearts, an idealized figure whom everyone admired and cherished.
The three day period during which Bai Jiao had to maintain the original host’s character setting had already ended. Bai Jiao had always had a short attention span when it came to people and things, quickly losing interest once the novelty wore off. Now that the amusement of maintaining the original host’s persona had faded, he naturally had no reason to keep pretending. He could say whatever he wanted and do whatever he pleased.
“I… I… I just finished playing basketball. I’m sorry.”
Shen Jin’s face flushed with embarrassment. He took several steps backward, lifted the hem of his shirt, and lowered his head to sniff himself.
Influenced by Bai Jiao’s words, he had begun to feel that the smell of sweat on his own body was unpleasant, too. He wished he could rush home and take a shower immediately, yet he could not bring himself to give up the opportunity to interact with Bai Jiao.
Usually, although Bai Jiao appeared approachable and easy to get along with, there was always a faint, detached air about him, a sense of distance that made it difficult for anyone to get close. Today, however, that feeling was even more pronounced. He had not even bothered to maintain his usual gentleness and tact.
Keeping a moderate distance behind Bai Jiao, Shen Jin tried once again to strike up a conversation. “Bai Jiao, why haven’t you been coming to school lately? Everyone misses you.”
Bai Jiao had spotted a simple pair of white sneakers that he liked, so he instructed the sales assistant standing beside him to make a note of them.
“And the other pairs I looked at just now. Have you written all of those down, too?”
“Yes, yes, Mr. Bai. I’ve written down every single pair.” The sales assistant was a newcomer. With her head lowered, she kept writing hurriedly in her notebook. Faced with a young master like Bai Jiao, who was both extraordinarily wealthy and devastatingly handsome, she was too embarrassed even to raise her head and meet his eyes.
“Bai Jiao…”
“Bai Jiao!”
The voices of Shen Jin and Bai Jingzhuo rang out at the same time, but the latter spoke much louder, completely drowning out Shen Jin’s voice.
Bai Jingzhuo had already changed into the clothes Bai Jiao had told him to wear. His entire appearance had been transformed, and he now looked like an entirely different person. Carrying a huge pile of shopping bags, he was preoccupied with figuring out how to persuade Bai Jiao to stop buying more things. He had not even noticed that there was someone standing beside Bai Jiao, and he walked straight toward them.
“Hmm?”
Bai Jiao turned to look at Bai Jingzhuo and asked, “What’s your shoe size?”
“Forty three.” Bai Jingzhuo answered automatically, only realizing what was happening after the words had already left his mouth. He hurriedly tried to stop Bai Jiao. “Don’t buy any more. I already have shoes to wear.”
He had checked the bill earlier. Eight sets of clothes had cost more than a million yuan! That amount was enough to buy two apartments in a small county town. If Bai Jiao started buying shoes as well, Bai Jingzhuo could not even begin to imagine how much money he would spend.
Bai Jiao gestured to the sales assistant standing nearby, signaling her to take the shopping bags from Bai Jingzhuo’s hands. Then he asked, “Weren’t your shoes thrown away by Li Lang?”
“I have other shoes.”
“Those are all old.”
“They’re still wearable.”
“But I want to buy you new ones.” Bai Jiao grasped Bai Jingzhuo’s wrist. His thick, raven feather like eyelashes lowered slightly as he spoke in a soft voice, “Just consider them a welcome gift from me to my older brother. Is that not allowed?”
“…”
Bai Jingzhuo stared at Bai Jiao’s suddenly closer, exquisitely handsome face, and his breathing momentarily stopped. It was only when Bai Jiao, as expected, gave him another little pinch that he finally managed to speak, his face turning red. “You can, but don’t buy anything too expensive. We can go somewhere else to shop. I know a store…”
Bai Jiao’s hand moved downward, and he gently squeezed Bai Jingzhuo’s palm before pretending to be dissatisfied. “Shouldn’t I be the one choosing the gift I’m giving you?”
As he touched Bai Jingzhuo’s hand, he noticed that the lines on his palm seemed unusually complicated. He spread the other man’s hand open and studied the patterns carefully.
Bai Jiao knew how to read palms. Seeing the numerous branches extending from Bai Jingzhuo’s main lines, he thought that the other man truly had a fate full of twists and turns. However, these lines seemed to be showing signs of change, as though his arrival in this world had already begun to alter the course of Bai Jingzhuo’s life.
The faint, elegant fragrance lingering on Bai Jiao filled Bai Jingzhuo’s nostrils, gradually helping his body relax.
His deep set brows and eyes softened. Following Bai Jiao’s movements, he stared at their hands in a daze before finally agreeing, “All right.”
Bai Jiao’s hands were so beautiful. Each finger was long and slender, with clearly defined joints, completely unlike his own rough hands…
Bai Jiao had no interest in what he might be thinking. Once he had finished examining the lines on Bai Jingzhuo’s palm, he released his hand and, as usual, gave Bai Jingzhuo’s soft cheek another little pinch.
He smiled pleasantly. “Then go and try them on to see whether they fit.”
“Okay.” Bai Jingzhuo obediently covered his cheek and answered in a daze.
Just as he was about to follow Bai Jiao’s instructions and go try on the shoes, he turned around and nearly collided with Shen Jin, who was standing nearby. Fortunately, Bai Jiao pulled him back in time, preventing the accident.
Shen Jin’s face was filled with disbelief, as though he had only just come back to his senses. He stared at Bai Jiao and asked, “Bai Jiao, who is he?”
He had witnessed the entire interaction between Bai Jiao and Bai Jingzhuo just now. The closeness between them was completely different from the way Bai Jiao usually treated him.
Shen Jin was so jealous that he nearly ground his back teeth to pieces. As he stared at Bai Jingzhuo, his expression became increasingly vicious, his gaze practically murderous.
He had known Bai Jiao for so many years, yet forget about holding his hand, even getting close enough to whisper intimately with him had never happened.
Bai Jiao was always outwardly warm but inwardly cold toward everyone. So why did he treat this sudden stranger who had appeared out of nowhere so well?