Yu Sen’s body was already so stiff that he nearly slid off the doorframe. Si Xuanyang caught him just in time and managed to keep him upright.

He looked down at the clothes in the box with a complex expression and suddenly thought of something. He raised his eyes, looking at the equally shocked Si Xuanyang in front of him, “You didn’t do this on purpose, did you, Young Master Si?”

“Ah?” Si Xuanyang was caught off guard, pausing for a second before immediately blushing, “No, of course not! How could that be? I don’t have x-ray vision. How could I know what’s inside the box?”

Si Nan also came over, teasingly fanning the flames, “Oh, Yu Ge is going to wear a dress, huh?”

Si Xuanyang turned his head and glared at him, then cautiously looked back at the expressionless Yu Sen. His lips moved silently before he finally said, “… But this dress has so many layers; it seems quite practical and should be pretty warm.”

Yu Sen: “……”

Practical?

Damn it! Are you a straight man among gays?

He didn’t have time to chat idly. Dragging his box, he went into the house.

As soon as he entered the living room, the warmth from the heating made his eyes sting. After stumbling and leaning against the wall, he slowly sat down and reached out to feel the dress in the box.

He wasn’t sure what material it was, but it was a pale cream color and felt softer than cream.

Sighing helplessly, someone squeezed over and sat quietly beside him, grabbing his hand and rubbing it gently. “Are you angry?”

“No,” Yu Sen coughed lightly and rubbed his aching temples. “Just feeling a bit unlucky.”

The person beside him didn’t say anything. Once Yu Sen calmed down, he asked, “Did you choose your box too? What’s inside?”

Si Xuanyang hesitated for a moment before opening the lid and pointing it out. “It’s all black and looks like something from Death or a demon. I couldn’t see clearly.”

It was a black velvet cloak with red trim, looking very cool.

Yu Sen’s heart instantly felt like a sea of lemons.

He unwillingly threw himself onto Si Xuanyang, biting his teeth in frustration. “It’s not the clock that’s cursed me, it’s you! What kind of clothes are these…”

“Why are you taking it out on me?”

Si Xuanyang laughed and caught his body, instinctively supporting Yu Sen’s waist to keep him away from the hard edges of the box. He rubbed Yu Sen’s still-cold arm and teased, “Well, let’s trouble Mr. Yu to be a princess this time.”

Yu Sen’s earlier silent expression had really scared him. Now that he finally had the energy to complain, Si Xuanyang felt relieved.

“A princess, my foot!” Yu Sen grumbled, pinching him. Looking at Si Nan and Luo Yu also coming in with their boxes, he secretly hoped someone else was also in women’s clothing so he wouldn’t be alone in social embarrassment.

But clearly, everyone was more satisfied with their outfits than he was.

Si Nan was dressed as a clown, and Luo Yu looked like a zombie ghost with a strange headpiece that had a prop knife stuck in it, making it look like the knife was embedded in his temple.

They all looked pretty cool.

Yu Sen’s mood dropped sharply.

---

The living room was decorated with a festive atmosphere, but since it was Halloween, the eerie vibe was a bit frightening for them.

Besides that, the fireplace was burning, with wood crackling and popping. The dining table had paper cupcakes decorated with icing, pumpkin pie, and various small candies. Hot mulled wine was steaming in the cups, creating a unique peacefulness and comfort on this quiet, cold winter night.

It almost made them forget they were in the clock’s world.

Through the window, they could see other guests being picked up by the female host.

Si Xuanyang helped Yu Sen up. “Let’s go upstairs to find a room and settle in. After being out in the wind, you should take a shower. You catch colds too easily.”

Yu Sen shot him a disgruntled glance, followed him to the stairs, and suddenly remembered something important. He asked, “Did you ask her how long until Halloween Eve? How many days do we need to stay here?”

“I asked. It’s the night after tomorrow,” Si Xuanyang said as he led him upstairs. “The task on the note seems simpler than before; it looks like we just need to eat cake that night.”

“But they haven’t mentioned any conditions,” Yu Sen muttered.

“What are they?”

Yu Sen gave him a slight smile. “The condition is that we have to survive until the parade.”

---

They must have arrived early. There were still several empty rooms on the second floor, all decorated as modern family rooms.

They picked two rooms directly across from each other, both with private bathrooms. The four of them wished each other goodnight and tidied up before resting.

Unlike on the ship, the bathroom had hot water. Yu Sen took a nice hot shower and then lay down in bed, enjoying a good night’s sleep with his little heater.

During the night, he heard the sounds of neighboring rooms being occupied, but it only made him open his eyes briefly before falling back asleep.

He thought he wouldn’t catch a cold again, but his body’s condition, combined with the cold wind from last night, left him waking up with a slight headache and a heavy chest, unable to catch his breath.

---

Until the sounds outside gradually became livelier, Yu Sen’s groggy mind slowly reacted.

— Ah! I have to wear a dress!

---

He remembered a saying he had seen somewhere, which roughly went, “Every man has a dream of wearing a dress.”

Yu Sen thought it made sense.

Otherwise, why, despite resisting with all his might last night, was he now feeling a bit of anticipation?

Damn it! This thought is a bit dangerous!

Yu Sen took a deep breath, his hair tousled as he sat on the bed and tangled with the blanket. He complicatedly let Si Xuanyang change first.

His little boyfriend didn’t have so many thoughts. After acknowledging him, he put on the black outfit piece by piece, and fastened the complex accessories one by one.

Yu Sen: “……”

His gaze, which had been intently observing at first, gradually became evasive.

The outfit seemed to have a kind of magic. At first glance, it didn’t change his appearance, but the black, form-fitting devilish long coat with the hood gave him an inexplicable aura of aloofness and coldness.

The long coat was locked with some chilling chains, wrapping around his long, powerful body like slender, cold-blooded snakes—both sexy and dangerous.

What was even stranger was that when the hood of the cloak was put on, a black magical pattern spread from Si Xuanyang’s neck up to his right face and ear. It looked like dry, twisted branches stained with ink, adding a touch of wild, unrestrained wildness to the cold, mysterious vibe.

“Damn it! One-click smart makeup!”

“Who is this demon? Where’s my gentle and refined little boyfriend? Bring him back!”

Yu Sen’s heart was pounding. Although he wanted to get closer, his body involuntarily trembled and he instinctively moved back on the bed.

However, the next second, a burning hand grabbed his ankle and pulled him forward, making his body slide forward.

“Ah—!”

Yu Sen’s heart skipped a beat. The skin being held felt scorching, making him shiver and his sweat hairs stand on end. He let out a startled cry.

Si Xuanyang was stunned. He loosened his grip on Yu Sen’s ankle, pulled him into an embrace, and kissed his pale cheek, his voice a bit flustered: “What’s wrong? What happened, baby?”

Yu Sen’s body tensed for a moment, his hands hesitantly resting on Si Xuanyang’s shoulders. The cold touch of the accessories made his fingers tremble slightly.

“I thought you…”

…Were possessed by some kind of devil.

Outside the door, there was an urgent knock. Si Nan was anxiously calling out: “Yu Ge! Was that your voice just now? What happened? Yu Ge?”

“It’s nothing,” Si Xuanyang forced back a laugh as he stared at the still-shaken Yu Sen for a while before calling out to the door: “He was just startled by my Halloween costume!”

Yu Sen’s eyes widened as he angrily punched Si Xuanyang’s chest: “Shut up!”

“Oh, I see…” Si Nan laughed in relief, “Don’t be scared, Yu Ge. Everyone’s face will have some corresponding makeup effects after putting on the costume. Make sure you’re not scared when you see Luo Yu later, hahaha—”

“Shut up!” Yu Sen hissed, pressing his fingers against his temples and yelling toward the door.

“Alright, you two go downstairs first. We’ll come down after we change,” Si Xuanyang said.

He embraced Yu Sen’s waist and lifted him off the bed. Yu Sen’s body felt cool and limp, as if he had no strength.

“Is your body feeling unwell again?”

“My head hurts a bit,” Yu Sen said, lowering his eyes. His long lashes cast a faint shadow on his pale face, trembling weakly. “It shouldn’t be anything serious.”

“Should I help you put it on?” Si Xuanyang asked, rubbing his temples while unable to resist placing a kiss on his almost transparent eyelids.

Yu Sen frowned and looked up, eyeing Si Xuanyang’s innocent expression with suspicion. “Why do I feel like you had this planned all along?”

Before he could finish, he shifted his gaze away. The thirsty look Si Xuanyang had for today’s costume made him feel uneasy.

“I didn’t plan anything,” Si Xuanyang chuckled, his face showing a trace of bloodthirsty cruelty as he looked down, “It’s just a Halloween gift for me.”

Yu Sen’s heart skipped a beat. His ears turned red as if bleeding, but he pretended to be calm and said sarcastically, “Pervert!”

Si Xuanyang laughed, planting a kiss on his lips, and said softly, “Shall I get the dress out now?”

“……Okay.” Yu Sen reluctantly nodded.

There was no escaping now, so he had to accept it.

Although Yu Sen had a tiny bit of anticipation for the dress, he wasn’t ready to admit it yet.

……

The dress was taken out of the box and shaken open by Si Xuanyang.

It was basically a long dress from the European Middle Ages, but modified for modern people, removing the inhumane waist restraints.

This kind of dress used to be supported by hard underdresss or internal hangers, but this one used dozens of layers of lining to create the flared effect. It was somewhat heavy, but the special fabric made it manageable.

The fabric felt soft like clouds and emitted a faint fragrance.

Si Xuanyang imagined how it would look on Yu Sen, and a surge of heat rushed to his brain, his throat going dry.

“Let’s take off your clothes, baby.” He cleared his throat.

Yu Sen gave him a strange look, turned around, and removed his pajamas, leaving only his underwear. Although the room was warm, he still felt a bit uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Si Xuanyang acted quickly and swiftly pulled the dress over his head.

The smooth, soft fabric fell from his bare back, and Si Xuanyang gently caressed his waist, his body pressed close. His husky voice whispered in Yu Sen’s ear, “Your waist is so slim baby, it fits the dress perfectly…”

“Stop being so lewd!” Yu Sen tensed, turned his head, and jabbed his elbow backward.

The dress, probably designed for women, was a bit short for Yu Sen. The hem didn’t reach the ground but fell above his ankles, revealing a small portion of his pale, slender ankles.

The cascading layers of fabric gently clung to his legs. With a slight movement, it spread out like white rose petals, revealing layer upon layer of tender inner core, tempting one to take a closer look.

The dress outlined an extremely fitted waistline. Above that, a milk-white collar extended with pure white transparent lace, hugging Yu Sen’s delicate, white neck and revealing a hint of snow-like skin.

Yu Sen sighed and put on the only accessory from the box—a white wide-brimmed hat adorned with smooth pearls.

He then turned to face Si Xuanyang.

“Does it look strange?” he asked.

At the moment he put on the hat, his hair at the temples and back of his neck seemed to grow a bit longer. His features remained unchanged, but his pale lips had a touch of moist, light pink, and there was a hint of unease in his eyes.

Normally, despite how good-looking Yu Sen might be perceived, he would never be mistaken for a girl. But now, perhaps due to the dress’s magic, he had an ambiguous beauty. Despite being taller than most men here, Si Xuanyang felt that it could ignite an indescribable desire in everyone who glimpsed him.

The cold, pure white more easily brought out those dark and evil hidden thoughts.

“…I don’t want to let you go out.”

Si Xuanyang murmured the impulse stirring in his heart, his gaze darkening as he reached out to wrap his arms around Yu Sen’s waist, pulling him close.

The soft dress, delicate as a flower petal, brushed against his leg. Even through several layers of fabric, it still made his head spin with temptation.

Yu Sen caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and was a little surprised at how he looked, but quickly began to admire himself, bluntly rejecting Si Xuanyang, “I didn’t expect it to look this good. No, I have to show off this outfit!”