When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 246: Never Let Go

Chapter 246: Never Let Go

"Nian’er, what are we doing here?" Jin Jiuchi stuck his face to the car window, peering out at the bustling shopping district.

He had been here once before when Shen Nianzu insisted on changing him out of his ’shabby clothes’ the first time they met. Curious, he turned to see Shen Nianzu slipping on his sunglasses, concealing his beautiful pale purple eyes from sight. "Are we going to buy clothes again? But..." he looked down at himself and saw that he was wearing one of the clothes Shen Nianzu had bought him. There seemed to be nothing wrong at all. This shouldn’t be too shabby, right?

"I noticed you have worn every single piece of clothing in your wardrobe, haven’t you?" Shen Nianzu turned off the engine and opened the door. "Let’s go."

"Huh?" Jin Jiuchi was left to stew in his own confusion. So the clothes which had been worn before were now off-limits? Alas, he did not get the chance to ask because Shen Nianzu had already stepped out of the car. Jin Jiuchi immediately forgot what he was going to ask in lieu of chasing after the jade doll. "Nian’er, wait for me!"

Last time, they had also come at a time like this, but Jin Jiuchi noted that the flow of people seemed denser. People of all ages mingled together with a smile ever present on their faces. This must be what they called a family, right? Among the throng, there were also many pairs of two – men and women – holding hands as they strolled along the street.

Jin Jiuchi stared at them for one second too long before turning to Shen Nianzu beside him. Quietly, he inched closer and took the jade doll’s hand in his. Imitating the pair he had seen earlier, he slipped his fingers into the spaces between Shen Nianzu’s, and he delighted over the fact that their hands seemed to fit each other perfectly despite the difference in size. Nian’er’s hand is so small, delicate and cold. It feels really good to hold!

"You..." Shen Nianzu was taken aback when his hand was suddenly being held, but upon noticing the joyful twinkles in Jin Jiuchi’s silver eyes, he found at a loss for words. He cleared his throat and averted his gaze, warmth creeping up to his cheeks. W–Who would have thought that this foolish husky could also be somewhat romantic despite his skewed logic? What a pleasant surprise!

"What?" Thinking that the jade doll wanted to refuse, Jin Jiuchi puckered his bottom lip into a pout and tightened his grip on Shen Nianzu’s hand. "Am I not allowed to do this, Nian’er? But Xinxin told me there’s nothing wrong with two guys being together!"

Shen Nianzu shot a glare at him, his cheeks blushing a vibrant shade of crimson. "Did I even say anything?"

Jin Jiuchi blinked, slightly caught off guard. It took him one full second to process the meaning behind Shen Nianzu’s words, and when he did, his entire person instantly brightened up as if a meadow of colorful flowers had just burst into bloom behind him. Unable to help it, he grinned and swung their joined hands back and forth. "Hehe... this feels awesome. I want to hold Nian’er’s hand all the time and never let go."

You’d better not, Shen Nianzu grumbled inwardly.

Hand in hand, they walked into a high-end boutique where they had bought Jin Jiuchi’s clothes previously. A staff member approached them with a friendly smile, "Welcome, Sirs. How may I help you today?" As she spoke, her gaze couldn’t help but dart toward Jin Jiuchi, a hint of appreciation in her eyes, though her expression quickly changed when she caught sight of the visible marks around Jin Jiuchi’s neck which had fully bloomed into a deep shade of blue and purple by now.

Upon noticing this, a trace of satisfaction danced in Shen Nianzu’s eyes and he fought to suppress the irrational displeasure in his heart. It’s okay, he told himself. They can look all they want, but in the end the man still belongs to me.

Who told this foolish husky to be so strikingly gorgeous that he seemed to draw unwanted attention whenever he went?

Shen Nianzu took off his glasses, revealing a pair of razor-sharp purple eyes that bore down on her. "Are you new here? Call your manager and tell him that Shen Nianzu is here."

She lowered her head, a little flabbergasted, and squeaked out, "Y–Yes, Sir! Please wait for a moment!"

Less than five minutes later, a middle-aged man clad in a formal suit came out to greet them with a professional smile. "Young Master Shen, you’re here!" He dismissed the young female staff and personally led them to the private waiting area at the rear of the shop. Having been here before, Jin Jiuchi no longer looked around curiously like he once did. He trailed behind Shen Nianzu, their hands still intertwined, as the manager retrieved the latest catalog and presented it to them.

"Hmm..." Shen Nianzu scanned through it and quickly made his choices. "This, this, and this— fetch them in his size for me."

The manager’s eyes fell on their hands, and a discreet smile graced his lips, "Certainly, Young Master Shen."

The outfits Shen Nianzu picked out this time were mostly formal; suits, dress shirts, tuxedos... As for the reason, did he even need one? Now that Jin Jiuchi had become his boyfriend, it was natural for him to want to dress him up, right? Shen Nianzu gave himself an affirmation nod, only to freeze when a sudden thought crossed his mind.

Wait a moment, he and Jin Jiuchi... were they truly boyfriends?

Usually, two people who had kissed each other and expressed their feelings— no wait, they had not expressed any feelings whatsoever! And judging from how clueless Jin Jiuchi was in this department, he probably had no inkling about the concept of a ’boyfriend’ whatsoever! Plus, there was also that incorrect definition of ’couple’ he had blurted out in the heat of the moment...

Shen Nianzu planted his face in his hand and groaned. Now he truly understood what it meant by ’shooting oneself in the foot’.

The manager returned soon after with the clothes and politely directed Jin Jiuchi into the single changing cubicle within the private area. "If you may, Sir."

But Jin Jiuchi remained unmoved.

Confused, Shen Nianzu turned to face him and saw that the man had a sullen and distressed look on his face. "What’s wrong?"

"Nian’er..." Jin Jiuchi shook their hands, and only then did Shen Nianzu recall that they were still clasped together. He instinctively began to pull away, intending to allow Jin Jiuchi to step into the changing room, but to his surprise Jin Jiuchi held on tighter instead. What did this foolish husky want to do this time? Brows furrowed, Shen Nianzu was about to shoo him away, when he heard Jin Jiuchi murmur, "I said I wouldn’t let go of your hand..."

What?

Shen Nianzu’s pupils dilated in shock before realization abruptly dawned on him. Goodness, this man never failed to catch him off guard. Who could have imagined that Jin Jiuchi meant it quite literally when he uttered those words? Shen Nianzu felt a spark of exasperation, yet at the same time, a warm and sweet feeling permeated his chest as though honey had been smeared all across the surface. He let out a helpless sigh, "No, you can’t just—"

"Oh, I know!"

Jin Jiuchi’s eyes lit up as a brilliant idea struck his mind. He tugged Shen Nianzu closer and whispered, "Can’t Nian’er just come with me? This way, I don’t have to let go of you, right?" A smug grin tugged on the corner of his lips, as though he was feeling so proud of himself for coming up with such a perfect solution.