When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 401: Free Of Charge

Chapter 401: Free Of Charge

"I’m sorry, Senior," Gu Luoxin blurted out before he could stop himself.

Sensing Noir’s gaze shift toward him, he cleared his throat and took a sip of the sparkling water to calm himself. He could hardly tell if the trembles on his fingertips were due to the chilly air or nervousness. He braced himself to say, "I mean, you were not a fan of water to begin with, but we still dragged you to the beach. And now... you came out with us when you disliked the crowd. It must be very uncomfortable for you..."

He wasn’t just saying this in the heat of the moment. Such thoughts had been swirling in his mind since Jin Jiuchi and Shen Nianzu played that prank on them. While Noir did not seem annoyed – well, he did look murderous at first, but he quickly regained his bearings after a violent brawl with Jin Jiuchi – Gu Luoxin couldn’t shake off the thought that... what if Noir was harboring the discomfort inside? What if he was secretly displeased or even bored, but chose not to show it on his face for the sake of politeness?

Gu Luoxin had no idea why he was so hung up on this matter either. But one thing for certain— he wanted Noir to enjoy himself, just as they did.

The ballad singer left the stage, making way for a DJ who infused the air with upbeat music. The crowd erupted into cheers, dancing exuberantly in front of the stage. Yet for some reason, all those noises seemed distant to Gu Luoxin, as if coming from a faraway place. The only thing he could hear with vivid clarity was his own thundering heartbeat. Amid the irregular rhythm, Noir’s low and smooth voice drifted to his ears,

"You’re right. I don’t know why I decided to come here either."

Gu Luoxin’s heart sank lightly, and to mask the unreasonable loss and sadness he felt, he forced out a chuckle and took another sip of his water. But then, Noir added in a casual drawl,

"But unexpectedly... it’s not bad."

"Pffft— cough cough cough!" Gu Luoxin sprayed out the water in his mouth, almost hacking his lungs out. He hurriedly grabbed some tissue papers to clean his face and table before whipping his head to Noir in shock, "W–What did you just say?"

He must have heard wrong, right???

The booth they occupied was half circular, providing a clear view of the stage. Originally, they were sitting side by side when Jin Jiuchi and Shen Nianzu were still here. Now that the two of them had wandered to God-knows-where, Gu Luoxin had consciously distanced himself for the sake of his own sanity. There was the distance of a person between them, and Gu Luoxin could only catch a glimpse of the emerald-eyed man’s face when he turned his head.

Earlier, Gu Luoxin had spoken all those words earlier with his gaze lowered, as he couldn’t bring himself to examine the man’s reaction. Only now when he turned toward Noir did he realize that... the man’s gaze was transfixed on him, chin held up in a hand.

Under the dim lighting, Noir’s emerald eyes glimmered like untouched meadows kissed by morning dew, filled with indescribable intensity that made Gu Luoxin’s heart race. It was as if he was gazing at something alien, an exotic creature, or a complex equation he had no idea how to solve.

Gu Luoxin unwittingly took a sharp breath. S–Since when had Noir been looking at him like that?!

Within those crystal-clear eyes, Gu Luoxin could see his own reflection— eyes wavering in fluster, pink cheeks and lips pursed tightly. It gave him the impression as if he was the only one those eyes could ever see. He couldn’t help but wonder, in the eyes of others, did they look like a couple when they sat together like this, gazing into each other’s eyes?

Oh dear God in Heaven, this... this was too dangerous!

How could one simple look from Noir turn him into such a nervous mess? He was better than this! Or... could there be alcohol inside his sparkling water? That was the only thing he could think of to explain why he was feeling hot all of a sudden. Sweltering, even.

Noir parted his lips to speak, "I said, it’s not too bad. I—"

A burst of loud cheers reverberated in the air as the DJ switched into another song. Gu Luoxin could see Noir’s lips moving, but he couldn’t hear him. He scooted closer and offered his ear, shouting, "What did you say?!"

He felt more than saw when Noir leaned in. A warm exhale brushed against the shell of his earlobe, accompanied by the man’s smooth and velvety voice that always seemed even and unhurried, sounding as if he would remain unfazed even if the sky came crashing down. "I didn’t say that I was uncomfortable, so where did you get the idea from?"

Gu Luoxin felt as if electrical charge had just seared through his ear, traveling all over his body down to the tip of his toes. He had to fight back the urge to shrink away.

Holy hell, this person’s voice was just so...

Unwilling to delve into that train of thought, Gu Luoxin forced his mind to focus on the conversation, though if one looked closer, they would have noticed that his eyes, which were fixed straight ahead, were spinning like a wild vortex. "Ha... hahah, I guess I have been overthinking, huh?! I was afraid that you were forcing yourself to hang out with us! I mean, I was so sure that you wouldn’t even come when I asked!" He did not even realize what he was blabbering anymore. Every cell in his body was painfully conscious of the warm and solid presence beside him. If he were to move even a little, his arm would have pressed against Noir’s chest!

"I know," Noir huffed. "Lately, I have been acting so unlike myself that it surprised me..."

"What..." Gu Luoxin instinctively turned to him without a second thought because the words he said were just too shocking. But then his pupils dilated when he noticed that they were too— close!

So close that the tip of their noses almost touched!

Gu Luoxin unleashed a scream not unlike a banshee inside his heart, though outwardly he was utterly frozen. He could do nothing but stare at the person before him, barely breathing. Ba-thump! Ba-thump! His heart no longer somersaulted, but it was performing a marching band while doing gymnastics inside his ribcage. The air seemed to be charged with an inexplicable tension as Noir searched his eyes, though it could only be Gu Luoxin’s overactive imagination talking.

Eventually, Noir’s gaze landed somewhere beside him, reaching out, and this time Gu Luoxin bodily flinched when he felt the man’s fingers brushing against his ear.

"You know," Noir remarked with nary a fluctuation in his tone, as if he hadn’t nearly sent Gu Luoxin straight into a cardiac arrest. "Your earlobes are suitable for a piercing. Come to me if you’re interested. I will do it for you... free of charge."

Breathe, Gu Luoxin, he told himself. Breathe, or else you’re going to pass out soon!

Despite having not consumed even a drop of alcohol, Gu Luoxin felt like he was transported back to that day when he had gotten wasted and blurted out all his honest thoughts to Noir, praising the latter crazily like an obsessive fanboy. He opened his mouth, but he did not even know what to say because his mind was utterly blank save from— God, he looks more handsome up close. How can he smell so good? I really want to ask what cologne he is wearing. His hair looks so soft, his eyes so pretty, and his fingers... his fingers. Are. Touching. My. Ears!! How do I look? Do I look all sweaty and disheveled? Do I smell bad? Gasp, do I have eye boogers?!!

"S–Senior..." Gu Luoxin began, only for his voice to be drowned by another wave of even wilder cheers.

He subconsciously turned to the direction of the hubbub, and his eyes flew wide when he caught sight of two familiar people making their way to the front of the stage, while the crowd parted ways for them.

They were none other than Jin Jiuchi and Shen Nianzu!