When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 255: Wild Gigolo?!

Chapter 255: Wild Gigolo?!

The living room of the villa became shrouded in a thick and uncomfortable silence. Seated beside Shen Nianzu, Jin Jiuchi couldn’t help but give in to his curiosity and observe the middle-aged couple before him.

They were none other than the Master and Madam of the Shen Family, the ones responsible for bringing Shen Nianzu into this world. There were faint resemblances he could detect – Shen Nianzu’s beautiful nose bore a striking similarity to that of his mother’s, while his tendency to furrow his brows seemed to have been carved out of the same mold as his father. But that’s it. Jin Jiuchi was astonished to find that they did not share Shen Nianzu’s striking features.

When he heard that Shen Nianzu’s parents were here, he had anticipated seeing an older, refined version of the jade doll with silver hair and purple eyes. But much to his disappointment, they looked just like any other people in this world. Sure, they appeared distinguished and elegant for people in their fifties, but in Jin Jiuchi’s eyes, they did not shine like Shen Nianzu– not even a fraction.

So how could these two people give birth to a dazzling gem like Nian’er?

The longer Jin Jiuchi pondered on it, the more intrigued he became. He turned to Shen Nianzu for answers, only to find that the jade doll’s complexion seemed to have taken on a shade of sickly blue. He looked as if he had swallowed something awful down his throat.

Startled, Jin Jiuchi edged closer to whisper into his ear, "Nian’er, are you feeling unwell?"

Alas, he failed to take into account that with how eerily quiet the room was, his whisper sounded as if he had shouted into a megaphone. A range of complicated emotions flitted across Master and Madam Shen’s faces when they heard that intimate nickname.

It was not like they had anything against their son’s sexual orientation. On the contrary, they had always been supportive of Shen Nianzu’s choices and allowed him the freedom to make his own decision.

Shen Nianzu was their only child, and growing up, he had to battle so many health issues which only diminished in recent years. For that reason, they pampered him and indulged in his every wish, hoping to bring him comfort and happiness. There had been many occasions in the past when he was admitted to the ICU due to life-threatening situations, and they had been certain that they might lose him at any moment. Yet each time, Shen Nianzu managed to persevere, defied all odds and emerged stronger until he eventually blossomed into a charismatic and dashing young man.

For them, seeing their son happy and healthy was all they could have ever asked for, but... it did not mean that they could accept it just like that upon seeing him in such a provocative position as soon as they met again!

Didn’t you say that he was just hospitalized due to high fever yesterday?!

Madam Shen shot a sharp glare at Qing Mo – who stood in a corner and stared at the vase as if it was the most captivating thing he had ever seen in the world – trying to convey her silent complaint. So where does this wild man come from?!

In response to Jin Jiuchi’s inquiry, Shen Nianzu picked up his cup of tea and took a measured sip while keeping up a composed façade, acting as if he had heard nothing at all.

But how could this ever faze Jin Jiuchi? When he heard no response from the jade doll, he drew nearer, practically hovering his face over Shen Nianzu’s own. "Nian’er? Nian’er? Earth to Nian’er???"

"Ahem!" Master Shen cleared his throat to draw everyone’s attention. His eyes skipped past Jin Jiuchi and landed on his son, inquiring about the most neutral topic, "How are you feeling? Your Mom and I heard that you’ve been hospitalized again, so we decided to drop by for a visit..." he trailed off. The awkward scene earlier must have crossed his mind because his grip on his own teacup tightened so much that his knuckles turned white. His face oscillated between shades of blue and purple, betraying his inner turmoil. He parted his lips, only to close them again because he was at an utter loss of words.

This time, it was Shen Nianzu’s turn to glare at Qing Mo, who acted as if he had become one with the air. Oh, so you’re the culprit.

And here he had specifically instructed Qing Mo not to expose anything to his parents. What a traitor!

Placing the cup back onto its saucer, Shen Nianzu responded with a calm demeanor as if he had not been caught making out with a man in broad daylight, "I’m fine now. It’s nothing more than the usual fever. No need to trouble you two to make a visit."

Master Shen sipped on his tea and nodded, "It’s good, then."

The awkward silence continued to stretch on like a rubber, making each passing second become more and more unbearable.

Until Madam Shen decided that she’d had enough. With a composed and elegant smile, she directly addressed the elephant in the room. "Nianzu, why don’t you introduce this... gentleman to us?"

Jin Jiuchi immediately perked up. Finally, the conversation turned to him! He was ready to introduce himself and make the perfect first impression when Shen Nianzu beat him to it, uttering the words in one breath. "He is Jin Jiuchi, my boyfriend."

Although Master and Madam Shen had anticipated this, hearing the confirmation from their son’s lips still caused them to draw in a sharp breath.

Meanwhile, Jin Jiuchi’s mind was full of question marks. I am Nian’er’s boyfriend? Wait, what is a ’boyfriend’ again? He wanted to ask, but for some inexplicable reason, his instinct warned him that he would be doomed if he were to blurt out this question, so he could only go with the flow for now. "Yep, it’s me. I am Nian’er’s boyfriend!" He flashed a brilliant grin at the middle-aged couple, revealing a row of white teeth and sharp canines. He tried his best to look nice and friendly. "Nice to meet you, Nian’er’s parents!"

"What a cheerful fellow you are." Madam Shen maintained her polished smile as she responded. All parents would want to discover everything about their child’s partner, and she was no exception. Not to mention, this was the very first time Shen Nianzu had ever introduced someone to them! She subtly scrutinized Jin Jiuchi from head to toe, and decided to start from the most basic question. "Are you a native here, Mr. Jin?"

"Native?" Jin Jiuchi blinked as he rolled the word in his tongue. "Ah, do you mean to ask if I’m from this area? No, I’m not."

Shen Nianzu’s heart almost leaped to his throat at that one inquiry from his mother. He had wanted to provide an answer himself, but a stern look from his father froze the words on the tip of his tongue, causing him to miss the timing to stop Jin Jiuchi.

However, much to his surprise, Jin Jiuchi responded seamlessly with a normal answer.

It seemed like... there was no problem at all?

Alas, Shen Nianzu had let down his guard too soon. Madam Shen’s curiosity got the better of her, and like a bursting dam, a torrent of questions full of unrestrained curiosity followed. This was no different than an interrogation! "You’re not from here? How did you and Nianzu meet, then? Where is your family located? Do you have siblings? What kind of work do you do?"

Shen Nianzu’s heart lurched. He whipped his head to Jin Jiuchi in panic, intending to stop him from speaking, but he was a second too late.

Jin Jiuchi glossed over the first question because the Nightmare Cycle was not something he could discuss with ordinary people. Thus, he moved on to the next question. "I don’t know about my parents, but I have a brother!" His silver eyes lit up at the mention of the man, seemingly as if he wanted to tell the whole world about him. "I’m actually looking for him right now, but there’s no need to be worried. I can sometimes hear his voice in my head, and I know that he is living within me. As for my job..." he trailed off, blinked, and turned to Shen Nianzu in confusion. "Nian’er, what’s my job again? Is being your boyfriend considered a job?"

Shen Nianzu buried his face in his hands, a mixture of despair and helplessness washed over him. He did not even need to look up to know that both Master and Madam Shen were likely going through a rollercoaster of emotional turmoil. How... how could he even think that Jin Jiuchi could answer the questions normally until the end?! The excessive indulgence earlier must have reduced the performance of his brain cells to a minus!

Master Shen abruptly rose from his seat and spoke the words through clenched teeth, "Nianzu, I need to speak with you. Alone." The last word was directed pointedly at Jin Jiuchi. Madam Shen also stood with a somber expression on her face.

That left only Jin Jiuchi who looked at them back and forth with a mixture of confusion and bafflement. Wait a minute, had he said something he shouldn’t have? But he had tried to be on his best attitude; he did not even say that he had come out of an asylum lest the Shen couple would truly think that he was insane! He tried to catch Shen Nianzu’s eyes for answers, but all he received was a helpless look and a gesture for him to wait.

The Shens left the living room and headed straight outside. As the door shut behind them, Master Shen wasted no time and confronted his son with suppressed anger, "You! Where did you find that wild gigolo?!"

The emotional damage Madam Shen received was so massive that she began to shed tears. "He said that he could hear his brother’s voice inside his head. Son, is there something wrong with his head?"

Shen Nianzu: "..."

It’s over. Jin Jiuchi could surely hear every single word inside the house.