I can still salvage it chapter 9
It was dinner time but Su Ying and Shen Changhe hadn’t come back yet.
Pei Zhiyi had originally planned to make deep-fried spare ribs for Shen Mian, but Shen Mian stopped him.
“Forget it, if my mom sees me exploiting you like this, she will definitely scold me again.”
While saying this, Shen Mian was still sitting on Pei Zhiyi’s lap. He had just failed a game level and had jumped into Pei Zhiyi’s arms, asking for his help in controlling the game. Now his eyes were still glued to his phone. He finished off the last level, feeling relaxed, and then looked up.
“Let’s go out to eat. It’s on me.” He turned his head to Shen Yu, who was chatting with classmates by the window, and said, “Shen Yu, are you coming or not? If not, I’ll take Pei Zhiyi away with me.”
He was teasing Shen Yu on purpose, imitating her tone as he called Pei Zhiyi. It had a kind of unintentional clinginess to it.
To Pei Zhiyi’s ears, When Shen Mian used that tone, it sounded like delicate and lingering raindrops, with a completely different impact from the “brother” that was always on his lips.
It made him unable to control his thoughts, and he started to fantasize.
Shen Yu hurriedly ended her phone call and said, “Let’s go, don’t leave me behind.”
The three of them went to a nearby mall and had pizza, mainly because Shen Yu wanted to eat it, and both brothers indulged her.
However, after finishing their meal, Shen Yu went to play with her classmates, not even sparing a glance at them.
“She lives nearby. I’ll be back before 9 o’clock,” Shen Yu promised her brother.
But Shen Mian still couldn’t rest assured and reminded her, “Call me when you’re coming home, and we’ll come pick you up.”
Sticking out her tongue, Shen Yu thought her brother was quite protective at that moment.
“Big brother is so bossy,” she teased Shen Mian intentionally, waved her hand, and bid them goodbye, disappearing in a flash through the mall’s entrance.
Shen Mian watched his sister’s figure and murmured to Pei Zhiyi, “That’s how sisters are. If she were a brother, I wonder if I would pay any attention to her.”
Pei Zhiyi chuckled. If she were a brother, she would probably be more similar to Shen Mian. But he found it hard to imagine having two Shen Mians. For him, Shen Mian was unique, and no one could replace him.
Since they still had time, Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi took a stroll nearby. Shen Mian had originally planned to buy new headphones.
However, in the mall, the most abundant stores were women’s clothing shops. Shen Mian followed Pei Zhiyi as they wandered from one end to the other, and his steps became increasingly heavy.
In the end, Shen Mian stopped in front of a shop selling women’s clothing.
The shop was hidden behind a large phoenix tree, with a simple and elegant decoration. The furniture inside was also of deep wooden color. At first glance, it even looked like a café.
But in the shop’s display window, several sets of pretty and cute dresses were showcased. Under the soft lighting, they were enough to attract the attention of any girl.
Unfortunately, as a straight male, Shen Mian only felt a stomach ache at that moment. The pizza he had just eaten seemed to have turned into a stone, weighing heavily on his stomach, making it hard for him to breathe.
And Pei Zhiyi added insult to injury by asking him, “Do you want to buy one?”
Shen Mian covered his face, not wanting to face that question.
The task given by the system was to be completed in three days, and even if he wanted to shop online, there wouldn’t be enough time. He couldn’t possibly ask Shen Yu to lend him a dress; she would definitely beat him up and snitch to their parents.
The only option left for him was to buy from a physical store.
Shen Mian sat pitifully on a bench under a tree. He looked at Pei Zhiyi and pleaded, “Brother, I’m begging you, don’t make me go in.”
Pei Zhiyi understood that he meant for him to go in alone.
Pei Zhiyi didn’t mind, after all, he wasn’t the one who would be wearing it.
Before entering the store, he asked Shen Mian, “What style and color do you want?”
Shen Mian didn’t care about that, saying, “Anything will do, whatever you choose, I’ll be fine with it.”
Pei Zhiyi smiled,pushed the door and went in.
The shop assistant was probably not used to seeing a boy coming alone to buy dresses, especially such a handsome and tall boy. She couldn’t help but glance at him a few more times, but she maintained her professionalism and warmly welcomed him, saying, “May I ask what style the customer is looking for? Please feel free to walk around.”
Pei Zhiyi couldn’t tell the difference between the dresses in front of him. He straightforwardly said, “Show me a set of dresses that are above the knee.”
The shop assistant couldn’t help but smile and asked softly, “Is it for your girlfriend?”
Pei Zhiyi glanced at Shen Mian waiting for him outside the window, lying on the backrest of the bench like a dog obediently following its owner’s instructions, bored and unable to run around.
He curled his lips and said, “Yes.”
“What is your girlfriend’s waist size and height? What color does she like? We have a few styles that sell particularly well. Would you like to take a look?”
Actually, when the shop assistant asked this question, she didn’t expect to get an accurate answer because many boys were clueless and didn’t even know the different sizes.
But Pei Zhiyi quickly gave precise answers, “Waist size 28, height 175, and she likes gray and blue.”
A few minutes later, Pei Zhiyi walked back to Shen Mian with a shopping bag in hand.
Shen Mian stared at the light-colored shopping bag as if it were a bomb, not even daring to look inside.
He scratched his head and asked Pei Zhiyi in a dejected tone, “How much is it? I’ll transfer the money to you.”
Pei Zhiyi pulled him up and said, “No need, just do two extra sets of extracurricular papers this weekend.”
Shen Mian didn’t argue with Pei Zhiyi. They both spent countless amounts of money on each other, so he decided he would buy a gift for Pei Zhiyi later.
The two of them carried the shopping bag and detoured to pick up Shen Yu before going home together.
On the way, Shen Yu curiously asked Pei Zhiyi, “Brother Pei Zhiyi, what did you buy?”
Pei Zhiyi glanced at Shen Mian and casually replied, “I bought a toy for your brother.”
Shen Yu immediately lost interest.
Shen Mian, on the other hand, became tense all over.
Taking advantage of the night, he glared at Pei Zhiyi discontentedly and quietly held Pei Zhiyi’s finger, signaling him not to say anything more.
But the grip wasn’t painful at all, and instead, Pei Zhiyi chuckled.
Now they had arrived at Nanhu Lane. There was a wind chime hanging under the eaves of a house, and the night wind hurriedly passed by, producing a crisp and long-lasting sound in the summer.
Pei Zhiyi thought Shen Mian would find ways to delay the task again, but he didn’t expect Shen Mian to say seriously the next morning, “I’m ready. It’s just a dress, so what? A real man is never afraid of cross-dressing.”
Pei Zhiyi held a cup of coffee and took a sip, surprised by Shen Mian’s proactive attitude.
That morning, everyone in the Shen family, except Shen Mian, had gone out. It was just the two of them left in that quiet little house, which was indeed a good time for a task.
So Pei Zhiyi didn’t hesitate and quickly took out the dress he bought the previous day from the closet and threw it to Shen Mian.
“Put it on, I’ll wait.” Pei Zhiyi sat by the window, picked up Shen Mian’s homework, and looked at it. That day, he wore glasses and a V-neck sweater, looking more refined and mature than usual.
Shen Mian looked at the dress in his hand. Although he had mentally prepared himself, he was still filled with disbelief when he grabbed the light fabric. He couldn’t help but wonder if girls felt cold wearing such thin clothes during the spring and autumn seasons.
He didn’t avoid Pei Zhiyi and took a deep breath before sitting on the edge of the bed and starting to change into the dress.
Pei Zhiyi’s gaze was initially focused on Shen Mian’s test paper. Shen Mian’s handwriting was distinctive, and only someone who had grown up with him could quickly distinguish it. But when he heard the rustling sound next to him, he couldn’t help but raise his eyes.
The room was brightly lit, and although the windows were closed, the curtains were not drawn. There were no tall buildings around, so no one would see them. The warm sunlight poured in through the transparent glass, illuminating every detail in the room clearly.
Pei Zhiyi blinked behind his glasses.
The dress wasn’t difficult to put on, and Shen Mian had already changed quickly.
He stood next to the bed, wearing just a simple white T-shirt inside. The ash-gray dress fit him well, perfectly accentuating his slightly slim waist. The length of the dress barely covered Shen Mian’s thighs, fully exposing his straight and slender legs, especially his delicate calves and slim ankles.
He stood barefoot on the floor, bathed in the gentle morning sunlight, his fair skin almost sparkling.
He still felt embarrassed and pressed down on the dress with his hands, a faint blush spreading across his face. His eyes wandered around, unable to look at Pei Zhiyi.
He looks very pretty.
That was the first thought that came to Pei Zhiyi’s mind.
He had always known that Shen Mian was good-looking, with more delicate features and contours than most boys his age. But he had never fantasized much about Shen Mian cross-dressing. Shen Mian was just Shen Mian, and he could wear whatever he liked.
But he didn’t expect Shen Mian to look so good in a dress.
He even began to suspect that his type in a romantic partner had been hijacked by Shen Mian because even though Shen Mian wouldn’t be mistaken for a girl even when wearing a dress, he inexplicably felt that Shen Mian was cuter than any girl in school.
Pei Zhiyi set aside the pen in his hand and walked up to Shen Mian.
Shen Mian was constantly trying to press down the edge of the dress, but after struggling for a while, he gave up. The dress was indeed too short. Not only did it barely cover his knees, but it also struggled to cover his thighs.
He sensed a shadow in front of him and instinctively looked up, only to be startled by the refined and handsome face of Pei Zhiyi, who happened to be right in front of him.
“Pei Zhiyi?” Shen Mian called out.
Pei Zhiyi placed both hands on the bed, enveloping Shen Mian between his arms. Their noses were almost touching, and another inch closer, and their lips would touch.
He looked at Shen Mian calmly and said, “Did you forget that the task has two parts?”
Shen Mian didn’t forget, or rather, he tried to forget, but because the other part of the task was too bizarre, it stuck firmly in his mind.
That task not only required him to wear a dress but also required Pei Zhiyi to kiss his ankle.
Shen Mian’s face turned even redder, and he could hardly dare to look up and meet Pei Zhiyi’s gaze.
Damn, he belatedly thought, that request was even more excessive than making him wear a dress. It would take a twisted personality to come up with such a sinister task, asking a young man with a strong will to kiss another young man’s ankle.
He patted Pei Zhiyi’s shoulder, not knowing how to console him. All he could do was mumble, “Brother, I owe you a great favor. Whatever you ask me to do, I’ll do it…”
But before he could finish speaking, his shoulder was pushed lightly yet firmly, and he fell onto the soft bed, completely unguarded. The pleated dress also lifted, supported only by his elbows as he propped up his upper body.
Then someone gently held his ankle.
Shen Mian’s voice got stuck in his throat.
He watched as Pei Zhiyi slightly lifted his ankle and then half-knelt down on one knee, tilting his head and placing a butterfly-like gentle kiss on his ankle.
The scene was really strange. Pei Zhiyi looked refined and dignified, sharp enough to represent the grade and speak on the platform. On the other hand, Shen Mian was dressed messily, with the last button of the dress opened, revealing a small patch of snow-white skin at his waistline.
But it was Pei Zhiyi who lowered his head in submission, in a tamed posture.
In the sunlight, Pei Zhiyi’s profile looked like a prince from a fairy tale, even though he had a cold and aloof appearance. When his lips touched Shen Mian’s skin, an inexplicable sensuality emerged.
As he kissed Shen Mian’s slender ankle, he glanced up at Shen Mian. That glance was indescribable. His amber-colored eyes, tinged with sunlight, looked like a predator staring at its prey, yet they also resembled a lover gazing at the rose they had yearned for for years.
Shen Mian’s mind went blank, and a rush of blood quickly spread across his face, his ears, even his neck.
For some reason, he felt that the room suddenly became very quiet.
The sounds of passing cars and idle chatter outside the window disappeared, leaving only the rustling of leaves swaying in the wind, softly rubbing against the sensitive spot in his heart.
Unconsciously, he bit his lip. His slightly reddened lips were soft and plump, like a half-ripe fruit. A gentle bite would leave a crescent-shaped mark.
“Congratulations to host Shen Mian. Host Pei Zhiyi has completed the task and receives a special reward of forty points.”
Suddenly, a calm and familiar electronic voice sounded in Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi’s ears, breaking the strange ambiguity in the room. Time started flowing hurriedly again, and the faint noise from outside the window resurfaced.
Shen Mian was startled by the sound, gripping the blanket beneath him as if waking up from a dream.
Pei Zhiyi released his ankle. His foot landed on the slightly rough texture of the carpet with a gentle but firm thud.
In a corner of his heart, Pei Zhiyi inexplicably let out a small “pu” sound, like a sigh or a breath of relief.