CHAPTER 86: CHANGING ROOM FIASCO

Yu Xi’s eyes flicked away from the mirror, not at all taking him seriously. But Jian Ci’s smile lingered, steady and knowing, as though he had already made up his mind.

Minutes later, Jian Ci ran his fingers along a rack of sheer, silky tops, a playful smirk on his lips. "I am going to try this one next," he declared, pulling out a complicated black garment with an array of delicate straps. "We are getting this one."

Yu Xi leaned against the mirrored pillar, arms crossed. He had long since given up trying to understand Jian Ci’s whims, especially when it came to shopping. "It looks like a nightmare to put on."

"That’s half the fun," Jian Ci sang back, while pressing it against his chest.

"You should try the navy trousers. I want to see how they look on those endless legs of yours."

With a sigh that was more fond than annoyed, Yu Xi took the hanger and disappeared into one of the plush changing rooms.

Soon Yu Xi came out and waited outside Jian Ci’s door, adjusting the cuff of his own sleeve when he heard his name. "Little Xi?"

The voice was muffled by the thick curtain. Yu Xi stepped closer. "What’s up?"

"I need help with this. It’s snug at my hair. It’s tangled."

Of course it was. "Okay. Can you step out and let me see?"

"I can’t. Just come in here."

Yu Xi glanced around. The attendant was hovering nearby with a patient smile. He waved her off with a slight shake of his head, and she melted away into the store. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and slipped inside.

The changing room was spacious, but it felt incredibly small the moment Yu Xi’s eyes landed on Jian Ci. His brain stuttered, then seemed to short-circuit completely.

Jian Ci was not wearing pants. His long, toned legs were completely bare, leading up to a pair of tight, black briefs that did nothing to hide the shape of him. The sight was a direct, overwhelming shock to Yu Xi’s system, a jolt of pure heat that shot straight to his groin. He jerked his gaze upward, focusing on the wall, his heart hammering against his ribs.

"Let me see," Yu Xi said, his voice tighter than he intended.

Jian Ci turned, presenting his back, and the problem. The top was a bizarre mesh of straps and buttons, and one of the thinner straps had indeed caught in the dark strands of his hair. But Yu Xi’s focus wasn’t on the knot. It was on the two perfect curves of Jian Ci’s ass, framed so perfectly by the dark fabric of his underwear. He was trying so fucking hard not to react, not to let his breath catch, not to let his eyes trace every inch of exposed skin.

"Why did you even pick this up in the first place?" Yu Xi grumbled, his fingers carefully working at the tiny snag.

"Because I wanted to try something new. How would I know if something suits me if I don’t try?" Jian Ci’s voice was light, airy, as if he was completely unaware of the torture he was inflicting.

Yu Xi finally freed the strand. "Done."

He turned to leave, desperate for the cool, open air of the store.

"Wait," Jian Ci said. "Help me take it off properly. Otherwise it might get tangled again."

Yu Xi stopped, his hand on the curtain. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second. This is a test. This has to be a test. "Put your hands up."

Jian Ci obeyed, raising his arms obediently. Yu Xi grabbed the hem of the silky top, his plan to just yank it off and flee. But as he pulled the fabric up, his fingers brushed against the warm, smooth skin of Jian Ci’s abs.

Jian Ci shivered violently, a sharp, genuine tremor. "Little Xi... I didn’t think you were the type to hold grudges."

"Stop talking nonsense," Yu Xi commanded, his own voice rough, and he pulled the shirt up higher, over Jian Ci’s ribs. He was trying not to see the way the muscles of Jian Ci’s back flexed, trying not to notice the scent of his skin this close.

Suddenly, Jian Ci yelped. "Ow, ow! It caught my hair again!" He took a sudden step backward to alleviate the tugging, but he misstepped, his bare foot slipping on the polished floor. He stumbled, falling backward directly into Yu Xi.

Yu Xi’s arms instinctively wrapped around him to stop their fall, his back slamming against the wall. He was now holding Jian Ci, whose front was still trapped in the twisted shirt, his face covered by the fabric. Jian Ci writhed, trying to get his bearings, but he only succeeded in grinding his nearly-naked body against Yu Xi’s fully-clothed one.

For Yu Xi, it was pure, undiluted torture. The heat of Jian Ci’s skin burned through his own clothes. The firm press of his ass against Yu Xi’s hardening cock was maddening. He could feel every shift, every frantic movement.

"Help," Jian Ci mumbled, his voice muffled by the fabric.

"Stop moving," Yu Xi gritted out, the words strained. He could feel the fine tremor in his own hands as he finally, carefully, worked the shirt over Jian Ci’s head and freed him.

Jian Ci tossed the offending garment aside and sighed in relief, turning within the circle of Yu Xi’s arms. "Little Xi, I almost died," he breathed out, and then he did the most natural thing in the world for him: he hugged Yu Xi.

It was a full-body press. His bare chest, smooth and warm, was against Yu Xi’s shirt. His legs, those long, gorgeous legs, were tangled with Yu Xi’s. The only thing separating their cocks was the thin layer of Jian Ci’s underwear and the fabric of Yu Xi’s trousers. Yu Xi felt like he was the one who was going to die. He was painfully, trying to stop himself from getting hard.

Yu Xi knew it was impossible, but he was seriously starting to think Jian Ci was doing this on purpose. The thought broke the last of his control.

He didn’t push Jian Ci away. Instead, his hands, which had been hanging stiffly at his sides, came up to grip Jian Ci’s back. His fingers dug into the skin there, holding him in place. Jian Ci stilled in his arms, his playful demeanor vanishing, replaced by a sudden, sharp awareness.

"Jian Ci," Yu Xi said, his voice a low, dark rasp.

Jian Ci leaned back just enough to look at him, his eyes wide and unblinking. The playful glint was gone, replaced by worry. He asked, "What’s wrong?"