Tick, tock.
Sunlight streamed through the window, painting the pale white walls in warm tones. As the sun climbed higher, the illuminated spots began to heat up, and the light grew increasingly dazzling.
The beam of light crept past the desk and moved toward the edge of the bed. The temperature beneath the covers steadily rose, feeling like someone had dropped into an oven. Yan Qianyu was overwhelmingly sleepy and wanted to pull the curtains closed, but his body rebelled against his will, refusing to budge an inch. Shrinking further into the corner, he prepared to continue sleeping.
On his rare day off, Yan Qianyu had no desire to get up this early. Pulling the blanket over his head and ignoring the notification sounds coming from his phone, he intended to sleep straight through until noon.
Tick, tock, tick.
Yan Qianyu was forced to open his eyes, dragging himself over to the bedside table to retrieve his phone. Lighting up the screen, it came as no surprise that the messages were from Shi Yi.
It is you again. Who has time to check messages every single day?
22:34
[Shi Yi]: Still busy? Getting you to step outside is really so hard.
[Shi Yi]: Asleep?
08:53
[Shi Yi]: Good morning~
[Shi Yi]: By the way, the clothes I bought for you should arrive this morning, remember to sign for them.
This sentence chased away his sleepiness, making him instantly alert.
What clothes? Yan Qianyu got up to check the package at the door.
Delayed by over a week, this was the rest-day date that Shi Yi had painstakingly nagged and scheduled for ages before finally securing. The location and content could be left to Shi Yi to decide, so Shi Yi had planned the itinerary well in advance and even had the clothes delivered this morning.
Shi Yi had meticulously handpicked an outfit, pairing it with accessories before sending it out. When purchasing it, although he had imagined what Yan Qianyu would look like wearing it, imagination was ultimately just imagination; he still wanted to see the actual effect when worn. He could be said to be looking forward to this date to an extreme degree.
He wanted nothing more than to be the very first person to gaze upon him, but regrettably, Shi Yi could only hear his voice before seeing him.
When the appointed time arrived, the crowd gathering at the street corner ahead was steadily swelling, creating a bandwagon effect as more and more people drifted toward that side, accompanied by continuous sounds of exclamation and praise. Yan Qianyu seemed trapped within it, and Shi Yi could already spot that flash of white surrounded by the crowd.
Shi Yi just wanted to shove aside these obstacles blocking their path—couldn’t they let him look first?
The wait over this short distance felt agonizingly long, yet the moment he laid eyes on Yan Qianyu, it all felt completely worth it.
Yan Qianyu had put on the outfit Shi Yi sent him. The form-fitting high-waisted black trousers made his legs look straight and slender. The upper body featured a boat-neck lantern-sleeve white shirt, revealing his slender and fair neck. A purple crystal necklace matching his eye color rested against his delicate collarbones, making his entire figure glow with whiteness.
His naturally aloof temperament, paired with this outfit that outlined his bodily contours, took on a delicate and tender sense of beauty. The moment he caught sight of him, he was captivated by those bright, gem-like eyes glistening in the sunlight, unable to look away ever again.
Stunning.
He had always worn loose outerwear and never paid much attention to styling. Yan Qianyu never expected that a single piece of clothing would provoke such a massive reaction. He was utterly unaccustomed to being watched and surrounded by so many people, finding it deeply distressing.
“This clothing is not very convenient for movement.”
The form-fitting fabric tightly wrapped around his body, restricting his walking posture. In his assessment, it fell far short of casual wear in terms of comfort and convenience.
“It suits you perfectly.” Shi Yi did not notice the distinct blush already spreading across his face. He intently stared at every single detail of Yan Qianyu. He was even more beautiful than imagined, and Shi Yi found himself immersed in an indescribable sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Walking side by side through the commercial street, their head-turn rate was nearly one hundred percent. Both of them wore outfits with subtle matching designs—one in black, one in white—which, paired with their striking appearances, made them look like a gorgeous painting when standing together, completely keeping anyone else from stepping into the frame.
“You still haven’t told me where we are going.” Yan Qianyu inquired about the destination of this date.
“You will know once we get there. There is somewhere I want to show you…” Shi Yi was still playing coy, being vague and ambiguous.
“Hm? Is it that so-called fresh experience place? If the experience turns out bad, don’t even think about asking me out again.” Yan Qianyu had actually started using Shi Yi’s own words to undermine him. With a half-joking, half-serious expression, it gave Shi Yi the sensation of being teased.
“How could you do this?! I was totally joking back then!” Leaning close to Yan Qianyu’s ear, his magnetic voice was low and sensual with an upward inflection at the end, as if attempting to bewitch a person’s mind. “If you really want to go, I can help arrange it for you.”
When it came to teasing, Shi Yi had never lost to anyone. Yan Qianyu was just about to put an end to this meaningless game of one-upmanship when he caught the distinct sound of camera shutters.
Onlookers began pulling out their phones to take photos and videos. Presuming there were too many watchers, many assumed it was some celebrity roadshow and started filming out of pure bandwagon mentality.
Shi Yi’s expression darkened. If photos of him and Qianyu in the same frame were truly spread widely, he worried that his own background might bring unnecessary trouble to Qianyu. Pulling out his sunglasses, Shi Yi placed them onto Yan Qianyu’s face, grabbed his wrist, and steered him away from the crowd toward the inner shops.
“So where are we actually going?”
“Let’s step inside the mall first. The onlookers are about to block the entire pathway.”
Yan Qianyu suspected that Shi Yi dragging him into the mall was entirely premeditated.
Shi Yi walked into a menswear store and immediately began picking out clothes for him to try on. The sheer quantity and variety of styles gave the impression that he wasn’t just looking to buy a single outfit, but rather an entire wardrobe.
“Do I really have to try on this many…”
Shi Yi enthusiastically selected styles that caught his eye. “Since you’re right here, you can check if the sizes fit. Clothes bought for you have to be ones you actually like.” His hands danced skillfully between the clothing racks, quickly selecting a few more items to hand to the clerk while booking out the entire time slot for the store.
The sales clerk felt as though she had been struck by a pie falling from the sky, overjoyed. This was clearly a massive transaction! She immediately and respectfully introduced the VIP services to him: “Right away, we will arrange it for you! We will have all purchased clothes mailed directly to your home, plus complimentary gifts, and we provide dry cleaning and maintenance services for several years…”
Since he had already booked out the store, not buying a few extra pieces would practically be making a joke out of the clerk.
Yan Qianyu felt like a duck being driven onto the shelves as the staff invited him into the fitting room. All present clerks banded together to serve him alone, and any items where the final look proved satisfactory were immediately checked out with a swipe of the card. After browsing through a few shops like this, Yan Qianyu was physically exhausted from changing clothes, reduced to leaning against the wall just to walk. It felt as though a lifetime’s worth of clothes had been bought in a single day, and right now he just wanted to go home!
Shi Yi realized his impulsive behavior had worn Yan Qianyu out, and if he didn’t dangle a sufficiently tempting carrot, the other man might actually flip out. Well, he had certainly feasted his eyes.
Right now, Yan Qianyu was looking at Shi Yi with absolute indifference, wearing an expression that suggested he was ready to bolt at any second, regardless of what was said.
“Next… I am taking you to a top-tier dessert shop.”
Yan Qianyu, who had just opened his mouth to declare he was leaving, paused upon hearing those words, wearing an expression of utter disbelief instead. “How did you know I like sweets?”
The corners of Shi Yi’s lips curved into an attractive arc. Lowering his head to meet his gaze, the amusement reached deep into his eyes this time, carrying a bit more focus and sincerity.
“As long as it concerns you, I know everything.”
Shouldn’t this be an empty phrase or a line used to sweet-talk someone? Why did it feel like he was genuinely capable of pulling it off?
Before him, absolutely no secrets could be kept.
Perhaps due to embarrassment, anger, or some other reason, a rare flush crept across Yan Qianyu’s face. Looking away, whether he was composing his emotions or feeling annoyed by something, he looked exceptionally cute in Shi Yi’s eyes.
If he didn’t object, that meant consent; there was no way he was going to let him off the hook this fast.
Shi Yi ordered one of every signature dish in the dessert shop. The sullen, gloomy aura surrounding Yan Qianyu vanished the moment the desserts were served. The gorgeous plating and exterior design, with smooth and delicate cream spread across the surface, exuded a fresh dairy aroma, while the bright colors looked all the more appetizing.
From the very first bite, Yan Qianyu’s mood improved markedly. His softened expression seemed to savor every single bite entering his mouth, making it clear how much he genuinely enjoyed the taste of sweets.
“When working the brain to exhaustion, you frequently need a sugar boost. Besides, sweetness is one of the few things that lets a person directly feel happiness.”
The moderate sweetness—sweet without being cloying—combined with a smooth, refreshing, and melt-in-your-mouth cream texture made Yan Qianyu feel that Shi Yi looked considerably more pleasing to the eye once again. True to its name, it was a top-tier dessert.
Sitting across from him and watching his blissful expression while eating, Shi Yi lamented how many detours he had taken. “Had I known you had this hobby, I would have just brought you pastries back then.”
When someone has a problem, giving them anything is useless, Yan Qianyu mentally retorted.
Perhaps happiness really is contagious. Even someone like him who didn’t particularly care for sweets seemed infected by Yan Qianyu’s mood. If possible, he wanted to keep that happy expression on his face whenever he was by his side.
“Turns out even a genius has such a cute side.” Shi Yi rested a hand against his lips, mirth spilling from the corners of his eyes as he offered a heartfelt compliment.
Yan Qianyu never expected he would one day be associated with the word “cute,” and retorted righteously, “What are you talking about? Isn’t this a completely normal preference?”
“Haha.”
As evening fell, the red sunset in the sky gradually faded until all light vanished, and the city’s high-rises dissolved into the deep night veil. After finishing dinner, the two of them drove toward the destination Shi Yi had mentioned.
So mysterious, yet it was clear he desperately wanted Yan Qianyu to see it.
Yan Qianyu gazed at the scenery flashing past the car window. The route seemed headed straight toward the city center, stirring a few guesses in his mind.
“We have arrived.”