When he had dropped off Xu Jinyao, along with the pile of gifts Ephraim had bought him, all firmly pushed back into his arms, Ephraim immediately asked Mister Huang to rush him home.
Once he returned to the estate, he hastily pulled Old Wu to his room, who, by now, was no longer surprised by the boy's unpredictable antics. In these past few days, the lad had done whatever he pleased, and Old Wu had more or less gotten used to it. He didn't even bother asking why the young master was in such a hurry.
Half of it was because he'd already subtly fished out today's plans from Master Shen. It turned out… they had a date. A proper, actual date.
This discovery left Old Wu astonished once more. Master Shen, a man so dense he was practically an iron block, utterly clueless about romance, was actually planning a date? Not just that, but with a boy he'd only met a few days ago… and by the looks of it, had been secretly looking forward to for a few days now.
Old Wu quietly wondered if Ling Jialei was aware of this recent development. In the end, though, he wisely decided against mentioning anything. He didn't want Master Shen to end up dead in his sleep. Especially not when he himself was currently standing in Ling Jialei brother's room, helping him lace up a corset dress he had ordered days ago and help him get ready for the date.
In other words, Old Wu too was among the criminals in the case.
Haish… Even with a head full of white hair, here he was, still playing the part of a discreet old man caught up in someone else's love story. Back in the day, this might've been something to brag about to old schoolmates. Too bad most of them had already bid farewell to the mortal world. These days, his only companions were fellow servants in the same line of work, and once in a while they'd gather to play cards. Guess this little story would make for good entertainment next time.
"Young Master, you shouldn't tighten it too much," Old Wu advised gently as he pulled the strings. "It's not good for your health."
Ephraim, however, took a deep breath and steadied himself for the next pull. "Tighter, Old Wu. The pursuit of beauty has never been easy. I want my waist to be the snatchest waist in the world. I want that man to see it… and be unable to resist the urge to hold it in his hands."
Old Wu's expression barely shifted. By now, he was quite used to the young master's outrageous remarks. As long as those shameless words weren't directed at him, he could endure it. Throwing Master Shen under the bus? Well, Old Wu had long since turned a blind eye to it. Besides, it seemed Master Shen wasn't exactly unwilling. That was good enough for his conscience.
After several rounds of struggling and adjusting, Ephraim finally achieved his dream waistline, though at the clear expense of his own comfort. He released Old Wu to attend to his other chores.
While fixing his hair, Ephraim gave Ling Jialei a casual call. As expected, she was eager to hear whether he had crossed paths with Wang Jianyuan yet, bringing up the topic in subtle, and not-so-subtle, ways until Ephraim couldn't help but chuckle.
"Jiejie, I haven't met him," Ephraim promised with a light laugh. "I haven't chased after him, I swear. I haven't tried to contact him either. Promise again. But, I did meet his lover."
"What? He has a lover?" Ling Jialei's voice was laced with disbelief. "But didn't he ditch everything, left his work in the middle of a critical period at the company, just to come searching for you? I thought he still had feelings for you."
Ephraim smiled faintly. "His lover looks like me."
Ling Jialei paused when she heard that. A few moments passed before her voice came through, several degrees colder.
"Yuyu… don't tell me… it's that boy you saved a few days ago? The one you posted those crazy things about on your socials, saying you wanted to make him a godfather or something?"
"It's him," Ephraim admitted in a light mood.
Ling Jialei's tone turned complicated, tinged with a hint of disgust.
"What the-He… That Wang Jianyuan… He couldn't have possibly fallen so low as to use a young boy as a replacement. That kid… he seemed so naïve."
"Who knows?" Ephraim replied while narrowing his eyes at the mirror in concentration as he fixed his bangs.
Ling Jialei fell silent for a while, then sighed.
"Yuyu… tell me the truth. How long have you known about this?"
Ephraim blinked, slightly surprised. From her tone, it was clear she'd already guessed that he had known of this long before ever setting foot in Country C.
[Rachel: Kitty cat, you do realize your jiejie is where she is for a reason. She's got a brain sharper than a blade, you know.]
[Ephraim: Oi oi, Rachel, are you reading minds now?]
[Rachel: Yours is easy. I like it.]
[Ephraim: Aww~ We're so in sync.]
Ephraim conveniently cast aside the underlying meaning, that it could easily be translated as "You're simple-minded. It's cute."
He laughed softly, admitting,
"Jiejie, you caught me. I've actually known about this for a while now. I came here… to help that boy. Wang Jianyuan isn't good enough. And besides, that kid's so talented, I wanted to be friends. Besties, even."
Ling Jialei let out another long sigh.
"Yuyu… you're not thinking of playing the homewrecker just for a chance with Wang Jianyuan, are you?"
Ephraim gasped dramatically.
"Jiejie, you wound me! I'm not that kind of person, okay? I'm doing this because… well… because I feel bad for him. He reminds me of us. But unlike us, he doesn't have anyone by his side. He's… lonely. And for a long time, I've felt super, super uncomfortable just leaving him like that."
"You sure?"
"Positive. Besides-"
Before he could finish, a knock came at the door, followed by a smooth, low voice.
"Little Yu, may I come in?"
"-Besides, Jiejie," Ephraim grinned, "I've got a date. And he's calling for me right now. Talk to you later~ Love you, muah muah."
"Wait - Yuyu, what?!"
"Later~ I'll tell you everything. Don't worry. He's not some shady person. It's Mister Shen, after all. Such a gentleman."
"What?!"
Ephraim chuckled, kissed the phone once more, and ended the call, leaving Ling Jialei to stew in the rising storm on the other end.
He happily trotted over to the door, but paused midway. Turning back, he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. Satisfied with his waist, his makeup, and the air of delicate charm about him, he gave himself a final approving smile.
Then, with a lighthearted hum, he stepped to the door, opened it with a vain little flourish, ready to be showered with compliments, only to momentarily pause, taking in Shen Yizhou's tall, broad frame, his clean-cut features, and those calm, unfathomable eyes.
Ephraim blinked, looking at Shen Yizhou with a dumbstruck and admiring gaze.
He wasn't dressed like usual today, not meticulously polished and sleek to perfection. No. His suit, though still clearly high-quality, carried a more laid-back air, with its vibrant yet elegant design. The shirt beneath was unbuttoned down to his chest, offering a tantalizing glimpse of sculpted collarbones and firm muscles. His hair, too, was a little tousled, giving him a roguish, bad boy allure. A few carefully chosen accessories completed the look, making the entire ensemble exude seduction and heat.
Everything about him screamed sexy and passionate. Everything, that is, except for the extremely serious expression on his face… and the very cute, pastel pink box in his hands.
"Uh… Mister Shen," Ephraim smiled up brightly, amusement twinkling in his eyes, "you're looking spectacular. Beautiful. All things hot and bothersome. Seriously though… no offense… who dressed you today? I need to find them and thank them personally."
Shen Yizhou was silent for a moment, simply staring at him. Then, in a calm, matter-of-fact tone, he spoke.
"Your waist must hurt."
Ephraim nearly staggered on the spot.
"Oh. My. Gosh. Mister Shen!" He gasped, lips puckering up in a displeased pout. "You don't just say that to someone who's spent five damn hours getting themselves together! You're supposed to turn a blind eye, nod like a gentleman, and compliment me, pretend you didn't notice the suffering!"
Shen Yizhou's expression didn't waver. "You look pretty," he said plainly. A pause. "Shall we loosen that a little? You might get injured."
Ephraim, internally, choked on his own sobs.
[Ephraim: Is this man really my date?!]
[Rachel: So it seems.]
Rachel wanted to laugh about it to her wife, but 0002, a top-ranked system, had left the day before, after helping her track Lu Ziming's actions. The central space was in a critical state lately, and with one of their own leaving his post out of nowhere, the small elite team had been forced to shoulder twice the workload.
Even so, 0002 had squeezed in a few days to see how things were going at Rachel's side, curious about the new mission executor assigned to her. She'd also wanted to see for herself what her usual troublesome mission executioner partner was up to.
Before leaving, she had informed Rachel,
[Little fox, if anything happens, let me know, okay? Not that anything could happen in a tiny world like this, but just in case. I'll cover you. Alright, baby? Bye-bye! Have fun.]
Rachel chuckled at the memory. If her wife got serious, this entire world could probably be flipped upside down in an instant. Sometimes, the thought was a little surreal.
She wouldn't ask for such help. Maybe in the future if Ephraim decided to take on more difficult tasks, she could consider it. But she rarely ever had her wife help her so that too was not possibility. Yesterday, she just felt a bit spoiled and wanted to feel a bit like a princess at the job.
[Ephraim: What are you laughing about, Rachel?! This is a serious crisis! This man doesn't appreciate the blood, sweat, and tears I've poured into this look. This is a tragedy… I'm about to-]
[Rachel: …You could ask him to loosen the strings at the back for you.]
Ephraim froze. Then, in the blink of an eye, his mood lifted exponentially.
[Ephraim: Heh heh heh… Rachel, you clever girl.]
With a bright, almost mischievous smile, Ephraim glanced up at Shen Yizhou. His voice turned soft and sweet, the end of his words tinged with a delicate lilt.
"You're right. It is a bit tight. Could you… help me loosen it?"
Shen Yizhou, unsurprisingly, did not look the least bit flustered. Of course not.
Without a word, he stepped forward and placed the shiny, pastel pink box into Ephraim's hands. Then, moving behind him, he gently brushed the long strand of the wig over Ephraim's shoulder, the tips of his fingers barely grazing against the exposed nape of his neck. His movements were calm and unhurried as he carefully untied the corset strings, his fingertips brushing lightly against Ephraim's shoulder blades as he loosened the garment and adjusted it to a more comfortable fit.
[Ephraim: …This isn't what I had in mind… Where's the sweltering, heart-racing, steamy moment? This feels more like… a parent helping their kid get dressed…]
[Rachel: What else were you expecting, Sugar. A stripping down? Slow down, hon.]
Ephraim pursed his lips, suppressing another faint pout threatening to rise. After a brief pause, he spoke, "So… Mister Shen. Someone helped style you today, didn't they?"
"Yes," Shen Yizhou answered simply, as though stating a fact. "I mentioned to my secretary yesterday that I was having dinner with someone tonight, and that I wished for it to be a pleasant evening for the other party. He then brought up my attire and disapproved of my usual suits, insisting he was well-versed in matters like this. He convinced me to buy this outfit. And… one thing led to another. He styled my hair too."
Unspoken in his voice, a faint trace of helplessness.
Perhaps he had grown a bit fond of this boy. He was even willing to let his secretary boss him around for a bit because said mister secretary had told Shen Yizhou about how it might please his partner if he looked his best.
In truth, Zhou Gao had remained expressionless on the surface, but inwardly he'd been both excited and astonished. His president, usually indifferent about such things, had actually expressed the desire to leave a good impression on someone. Naturally, Zhou Gao had assumed the president was finally going on a proper date, and with someone he truly liked, no less. Gathering his courage, he had taken it upon himself to carefully prepare every detail.
Ephraim was thoroughly pleased when he heard this. In his heart, he praised this secretary figure to the high heavens. A man of fine taste! A true master of fashion! What a fine comrade. Admirable. Respectable. Deserving of offerings.
Finally, his gaze dropped to the soft pink box in his hands. Curiosity gleamed in his eyes as he asked, "And this… what's this for, Mister Shen?"
"Those are… manicure tools," Shen Yizhou said quietly. "I originally intended to call a professional for you. I noticed you hadn't had them done yesterday, and you've been busy all day today as well… Since you seem to like looking your best, I thought you might appreciate it. But... Old Wu convinced me otherwise."
He held back a sigh. "I've only just gotten the hang of it over the past three days, but I'm hardly a professional. Still… Old Wu seemed to believe I could manage, and before I even had time to call a nail technician after arriving home just now, he pushed the box into my hands and told me to come to your room directly, since there's still some time before we leave. But if you do not want-"
Before he could say more, Ephraim cut him off hurriedly.
"Please do them for me."
Shen Yizhou stilled. "...But, I've only just learned the basics."
Ephraim's grip on the box tightened, his lips curving into a shy, jubilant smile. His head lowered slightly, eyes warm and tender.
"It's fine… please… do them for me."
Shen Yizhou's gaze unintentionally fell to the smooth, pale nape revealed when Ephraim's head dipped down like that. For a brief second, his eyes lingered, before he shifted them away and lightly cleared his throat.
Releasing his hold on Ephraim's waist, he stepped back, watching as the boy turned to face him once more with a bright, open smile. Now that Ephraim seemed more comfortable in his clothes, without the earlier stiffness or discomfort, Shen Yizhou's gaze swept over him slowly, taking in the sight with softened eyes.
His voice was steady, tinged with rare gentleness.
"You look very beautiful today, Little Yu."
Oh.
Ephraim felt a soft thud against his chest, warmth blooming quietly. His smile brightened as he met Shen Yizhou's gaze, his voice light and sweet.
"Thank you, Mister Shen. You too… You look very charming today. You really do."