The costume burned?

I’ve long known their clothes were unusual. If magical vines can grow on Si Xuanyang’s arm, then catching fire should be quite simple, right?

Yu Sen quickly walked into the house, curious to see what would happen. After all, they were wearing the clothes themselves, and if they didn’t figure it out, it would be like carrying a ticking time bomb.

No matter how nice the clothes looked, they were just a beautifully packaged bomb.

“Hey, where are you going? Quick, quick… stop him!” Si Nan shouted to the person next to him.

Before Si Nan could finish, Si Xuanyang had already started chasing after Yu Sen. He grabbed Yu Sen by the elbow, pulling him back, and tightly wrapped his arm around Yu Sen’s waist like an iron clamp. “Want to watch?”

Yu Sen nodded vigorously, his eyes bright with curiosity.

“Tsk!” Si Xuanyang frowned slightly.

By this time, the smell of burning was becoming increasingly pungent outside, though the screams inside the house could no longer be heard. Instead, there were only faint murmurs of conversation from those still inside.

“Don’t go. The smell will choke you.” Si Xuanyang’s grip on Yu Sen’s waist didn’t loosen at all.

Yu Sen sighed in resignation, just as he noticed someone emerging from the doorway of the house, waving to those in the yard. “The body has just been removed, everyone can come in now!”

That was fast. Even the clock on the wall knew when to be appropriate, Yu Sen thought sarcastically.

But with the body gone, there wasn’t much to see inside. Everyone stood in the yard, waiting for the smell inside to dissipate before going back in.

…

The deceased was named Huang Zhengxuan. According to his companion Yuan Fei, he was the owner of a construction materials company and usually very lucky. But last night, his luck ran out when he chose the Wonder Woman costume that exposed his arms and legs.

“Didn’t he wear that costume when he went out? That was a death wish! The hostess clearly stated the rules last night,” someone in the living room commented sarcastically.

“He did wear it… Many people saw him,” Yuan Fei quickly explained. “How could he not? He knew the consequences.”

“It was just too cold outside after he went out. Wearing that outfit was like wearing nothing at all. His skin was almost frostbitten, and he wasn’t someone who could handle the cold. So, he decided to come back and put on a coat, thinking that as long as he didn’t change clothes, it wouldn’t be a problem. Who knew that after taking another walk outside, he suddenly caught on fire…”

Yuan Fei looked sad, his eyes slightly moist. After finishing, he lowered his head.

A woman standing by the door, arms crossed, suddenly spoke coldly, “Wasn’t it your suggestion? I was walking behind you at the time and heard you suggest to Huang Zhengxuan that he come back for a coat. And you’re not even his friend, you’re his employee. I heard you call him boss.”

The people around them immediately looked at Yuan Fei with different expressions.

Yuan Fei froze for a moment, his expression showing a hint of panic. “So, so what? I saw he was shivering and could barely walk, so I suggested he come back for a coat. I was just concerned about him. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” the woman shrugged. “I also wondered if it was too cold and whether we could wear an extra coat. But to be safe, I didn’t. Thanks to you, Huang Zhengxuan has shown us the consequences, so I won’t be worrying about that anymore.”

Yu Sen listened to her, his long eyelashes hanging low. He grabbed Si Xuanyang’s hand and wrote the character ‘also’ in his palm.

“You also thought about that?” Si Xuanyang asked him softly.

Yu Sen quietly nodded. The flush on his cheeks from the warm air inside had faded, leaving only a pale softness.

Going in and out between the cold outdoors and the warm indoor heating had left him feeling dizzy, and his throat tickled, causing him to cough a few times.

A cup of hot water was placed in front of him. He looked up slightly to see a handsome boy, probably in his teens, blushing. When the boy met Yu Sen’s gaze, he quickly looked away, pretending not to care as he softly said, “Drink some hot water. You don’t look well.”

“…”

“Ha…” Yu Sen let out a small breath of laughter, and the boy’s face reddened even more.

Turning his head, he caught sight of the amused yet slightly sinister expression on Si Xuanyang’s face. Sensing a familiar hint of danger, Yu Sen immediately went limp against Si Xuanyang’s shoulder, pretending to be shy as he shook his head at the boy.

The boy’s eyes dimmed slightly.

Si Xuanyang moved the cup away from Yu Sen and said lightly, “Sorry, he doesn’t take things from strangers.”

Then he led Yu Sen to the dining table, stirred the tomato soup in the enamel pot, and steam began to rise.

He served a bowl of soup, placed it in front of Yu Sen, and gently tucked the messy strands of hair behind his ear. “Drink slowly first. Warm up your stomach before eating anything else.”

He then touched Yu Sen’s forehead with the back of his hand, and upon feeling the slight warmth, his brows furrowed slightly.

Yu Sen, feeling weak and dizzy, didn’t bother to swat him away. He just tilted his head away from Si Xuanyang’s hand and slowly spooned some soup into his mouth. The sweet and sour taste was perfect for his current lack of appetite.

Whenever Si Xuanyang saw him in this fragile state, as if he might break at any moment, he felt an overwhelming anxiety and an urge to find some way to cheer him up.

“I just asked. Si Nan and Luo Yu found a card with a pass in another store. Including the ones we have, that makes four. If you’re not feeling well, I’ll stay with you in the room this afternoon.”

Yu Sen’s eyes moved slightly as he pointed to the candy bag on Si Xuanyang’s body. “Hmm?”

“Oh, that… they used…” Si Xuanyang’s expression was complicated. “Twelve candies.”

Damn, that’s some bad luck!

Yu Sen rolled his eyes in disbelief, and the dizziness worsened.

The chatter in the living room continued. After confirming that all four of their group had received passes, Si Xuanyang asked Si Nan to spread the news to the others.

At this point, the news should have already spread, and some people didn’t even have time to finish their meals before heading out again.

For the moment, it made the four of them sitting at the table eating seem rather leisurely.

After using fifteen pieces of Halloween candy, there were still fifteen left. Yu Sen sighed, shaking his head as he put down his spoon.

His head was spinning so much that he really didn’t want to eat anything.

Si Xuanyang didn’t push him. This place was special, and the kitchen always had ordinary candies, cookies, and pastries available, so they could eat whenever they wanted.

He took a piece of tissue, gently wiped the tomato sauce from the corner of Yu Sen’s lips, and then, noticing how dizzy and out of it Yu Sen looked, he wrapped his arm around him and lifted him up by the waist.

The layers of the dress spread out, tracing a beautiful arc in the air before softly and gently settling over Yu Sen’s pale ankles, like feathers lightly brushing past, swaying slowly in mid-air.

Si Xuanyang held him, his arm supporting the layers of fabric underneath, barely feeling Yu Sen’s leg bones, as if holding a soft cloud, with a subtle fragrance and a hint of sweet apple candy lingering at his nose.

“You’re like a marshmallow…”

He smiled, curved his lips, gave a nod to Si Nan and Luo Yu, and then carried Yu Sen upstairs.

^[1]Author’s Note:

Every time I see those dresses with layer upon layer of soft fabric, I just want to hug the person wearing them. It must feel so cozy!