When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 163: Looks So Pretty

Chapter 163: Looks So Pretty

Just looking at the twinkles in Jin Jiuchi’s expectant gaze was enough for Shen Nianzu to know that the man’s main goal was diving, whereas checking the hull was only a random excuse.

Still, he could not find it in himself to refuse because he knew that Jin Jiuchi was right. He hated being passive. If there was something unknown, then he’d rather take the risk to discover it than to have it come to them when they were unguarded. "Then..." he showed a hesitant look, and Jin Jiuchi’s eyes lit up impossibly brighter.

"Let’s go, go, go!" He turned to Gu Luoxin and Noir, "How about you guys?!"

"I..." Gu Luoxin looked at the vast body of water and felt a wave of dizziness. "I think I will skip." Beside him, Noir also shook his head to refuse, as he disliked getting himself wet.

With the decision set, Jin Jiuchi pulled Shen Nianzu to register, then they were provided with wetsuits to change into. The two of them made their way to the changing room where there were already a few NPCs inside. Only one stall remained empty. Jin Jiuchi stared at it for a while and offered earnestly, "Should we change together?"

"No!" Shen Nianzu did not even need to think before he blurted out his refusal. He shoved Jin Jiuchi into the stall and gritted out, "You go first!"

"But—"

"No buts." Shen Nianzu glared at him coldly and slammed the door shut before Jin Jiuchi could resort to something crazy like forcibly dragging him in.

Meanwhile, Jin Jiuchi stared at the door in front of him and tutted, "Why is Nian’er still so shy? It’s not like we haven’t seen each other before..."

"What did you say?" Shen Nianzu’s voice drifted from outside, tinged with a hint of murderous intent. Hearing that, Jin Jiuchi’s scalp tingled and he promptly replied, "Nothing! Nian’er must have heard wrong!"

As he took off his clothes, he couldn’t help but grumble at how stingy Shen Nianzu was. Come to think of it, apart from the time they showered together in the Shishen Apartment, Shen Nianzu had always refused to undress in front of him!

There was this one time when Jin Jiuchi accidentally walked in on him while he was changing, and he only caught a glimpse of the fair and pale skin of Shen Nianzu’s waist from where the hem was lifted before Shen Nianzu quickly covered up. That one glimpse was akin to the tip of the feather grazing across his heart, making him feel itchy and curious. Nian’er’s skin was so pale like porcelain, would he look even paler on the spot where it was covered by clothes all day long? His lashes were cream in color, so did it mean that down there, he would also...

Jin Jiuchi’s thoughts continued to veer into dangerous territory as he pulled on the wetsuit. The tight clothing clung to his skin more than he expected, making him slightly uncomfortable. Frowning, he tugged at the collar and pulled open the stall door to ask, "Nian’er, don’t you think this is too small for me?"

When no answer came, he raised his head to find Shen Nianzu’s gaze fixed on him— or to be exact, his body. There was a heated glimmer in the depth of his eyes that sparked the fire in Jin Jiuchi’s heart. He had seen this kind of gaze before, when they had just met in the real world for the first time. He had come out of the changing room wearing the clothes Shen Nianzu chose for him, and Shen Nianzu also had a similar look in his eyes. At that time, the silver-haired man said nothing at all, but he immediately turned to the staff and asked them to ring everything up.

A sly grin graced Jin Jiuchi’s lips, and amidst the bustling changing room filled with NPCs, he moved closer to Shen Nianzu and deliberately lowered his voice, his tone downright sultry, "What’s wrong, Nian’er? Do I look good?"

That teasing question managed to snap Shen Nianzu out of his trance and he finally tore his gaze off Jin Jiuchi’s muscular chest and abs which was perfectly defined by the slim-fit wetsuit, to meet Jin Jiuchi’s eyes. Alas, it did not seem like a good choice either.

Perhaps he had taken his shirt off carelessly, his hair turned out slightly disheveled. But it was far from ugly. On the contrary, the messy strands added on to his roguish charm, looking so effortlessly beautiful as it framed his sharp, almost aggressive features. He was just so...

Shen Nianzu hastily averted his gaze, flustered. J–Jin Jiuchi, he... he knew what kind of effect he had on Shen Nianzu, and he had no qualms about using it to his full advantage! How unfair!

Shen Nianzu’s pulse raced beneath his veins. He took a step backwards out of shock, only to have his back bump against the sink. The combination of that hot body and roguish smirk was very bad for his heart. "S–Speak properly!" He tried to be stern, though he almost bit down on his tongue when he spoke, "Why would you come so close?!"

"But Nian’er didn’t react when I called him, so I thought he did not hear me." Jin Jiuchi took a deliberate step forward, and Shen Nianzu instinctively placed his hands in front of him, pushing him away.

"Y–You... don’t mess around! We’re in public right now!"

"Hmm..." Jin Jiuchi glanced at the NPCs around them, before his gaze settled on the beautiful flush on Shen Nianzu’s cheeks. He ran his tongue over the tip of his sharp canines and teased, "So it’s okay if we’re not in public?"

Shen Nianzu snapped his gaze to Jin Jiuchi in disbelief. In that split second, as he looked into Jin Jiuchi’s eyes, he had an instinctive hunch about what the man was about to do. His breath hitched on his throat and before his brain could process it, his body had moved on its own. He sidestepped to evade Jin Jiuchi’s outstretched hand and darted to the empty stall, slamming the door shut behind him!

Staring at the door where Shen Nianzu disappeared into, Jin Jiuchi harrumphed softly and lowered his hand, "What a pity..."

Inside the stall, Shen Nianzu clutched his chest, gasping. He could feel his heartbeat pounding against his palm, so loud and chaotic that he could hear them beside his ears. T–That was such a close call. If he had been just a beat slower, he was certain Jin Jiuchi would have dragged him into the stall!

Was it only his imagination or... had Jin Jiuchi become more forward and touchy-feely recently? To be exact, it started from the day they entered the Cycle when they woke up on the same bed in the morning. At that time, Jin Jiuchi...

Shen Nianzu slapped his cheek and shook his head. Stop thinking about it! He was in the Cycle right now, he must not be distracted by these messy thoughts! As Shen Nianzu changed into a wetsuit, he told himself again and again to ignore Jin Jiuchi. But the man’s presence was too powerful, and he always hung out in front of Shen Nianzu’s eyes as if afraid that Shen Nianzu would not notice him.

Jin Jiuchi was like a gum that could not be easily removed once stuck. How was he supposed to ignore someone like that?

With his thoughts in a tangled mess, Shen Nianzu checked on himself for the last time, took a deep breath and opened the door. In an instant, his gaze locked with Jin Jiuchi’s in midair.

Jin Jiuchi’s scorching gaze glided across his body, from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and he found his cheeks warming up under the intensity of those silver eyes; so tangible that he could almost feel them on his body, like the soft caress of the air around him. Making him feel surrounded and trapped. Even though nothing was wrong with the outfit, he could not help but feel self-conscious. Still, he put on a brave front and asked, "Are you done? If you are, let’s go."

Shen Nianzu took the lead to walk toward the door, but he had not even taken more than two steps yet when Jin Jiuchi grabbed his arm from behind, halting him on his tracks. He could feel the heat of Jin Jiuchi’s palm through the wetsuit, searing into his skin and warming up his entire body.

Shen Nianzu’s heart leapt to his throat, but his voice remained calm and steady as he uttered coldly, "Let go."

"Nian’er..."

His heart trembled when he sensed Jin Jiuchi’s presence closing in on him from behind, followed by the caress of his hot exhale on his ear. "Nian’er looks so pretty in this suit. What should I do? I don’t want anyone to look at you..."