Chapter 104 – Extra
In the evening, the car pulled into the garage, and when Xu Sinian opened the door to come inside, the lights were already on in the living room, along with the sound of the TV. Hearing him, the big white dog came bounding over, did a quick circle around him in greeting, and then dashed back to the living room. Draping his jacket over his arm, Xu Sinian followed along.
The big dog had comfortably taken its place on the couch, leaning in for a head pat from the person next to it. The TV was playing an animated movie, and the person on the couch was sitting cross-legged with a script spread out on his lap. Noticing the footsteps, he glanced over and gave a quick wave.
Next to the couch sat a box, nearly the same height as the couch itself. The box’s tape had been cut open but then pressed shut again. Xu Sinian placed his coat on a nearby rack and approached the couch, asking, “Does it fit?”
It was clear what he meant by “fit,” and the response was an impromptu pillow attack. The pillow, light and harmless, was caught by Xu Sinian, who sat down beside him and tucked it back under Chen Bai’s waist.
Comfortably leaning back, Chen Bai soon sensed something off. Eyes wide, he closed the script and, glancing at the box, reached out to thump Xu Sinian once more. “Why’d you even buy this?”
“Don’t you like it?” Xu Sinian asked, unphased by the playful attack. He opened the box and said, “I thought it would suit you.”
Chen Bai’s brows shot up in disbelief. “It’s not about whether it suits me or not…”
The man beside him looked down at the clothes in the box and then back at him. “So, you don’t like it?”
“Well, it’s not that I don’t like it…”
Chen Bai petted the dog as it came over to him, trying to find the right words, but he couldn’t quite get there. For someone who could speak on a stage for hours without a hitch, he suddenly found himself at a loss and instead gave Xu Sinian a light, head-butted nudge.
The nudge didn’t do much, though. Earlier that afternoon, he had only opened one box; after Xu Sinian came back, he’d unboxed the entire set, accessories and all.
Meanwhile, Yiwan, who usually caused trouble whenever there was a package to open, lay peacefully with his little blue shark toy, oblivious to his father’s silent plea for him to stir things up.
With the animated film still running in the background, Chen Bai watched as Xu Sinian finished organizing the clothes, setting them in a tidy stack. Sure enough, as soon as he finished, Xu Sinian turned to look at him. Leaning against the pillow, Chen Bai met his gaze and heard the familiar, gentle question: “Will you?”
Fighting a twitch at the corners of his mouth, Chen Bai gave one last attempt at resistance. “You really want to see this?” The answer was obvious. Xu Sinian nodded, his expression steady, confirming it.
After a silent moment, Chen Bai rubbed his face, ultimately taking the pink outfit. “Fine, I’ll wear it. Not like it’ll cost me anything.”
Clearly, he had no plans to try it on in the living room; he took the clothes upstairs. This time, his dopey son stayed behind, sleeping soundly on the couch.
The last time he’d worn a skirt was years ago; he’d practically forgotten how to put one on and spent some time figuring it out. Under strict instructions not to come upstairs, Xu Sinian waited downstairs. The animated movie was still playing, and Yiwan was curled up with his toy. A notification flashed on Xu Sinian’s phone, but he ignored it, waiting patiently.
When there was finally movement upstairs, Yiwan had already dozed off enough for his little shark toy to fall onto the floor. Xu Sinian picked it up, put it back next to him on the couch, and turned his gaze toward the stairs just as Chen Bai appeared.
The outfit was unmistakably pink, easy to spot at a glance. It had white trim along the collar and pleated hem, with the pink skirt falling just above his knees. White knee socks completed the look, and the top was cropped, revealing a sliver of fair skin at his waist whenever he moved.
Xu Sinian’s gaze followed him intently as he descended, taking in the entire outfit in silence.
Completely oblivious to the fact that he was wearing a skirt, still feeling as if he was in his usual sweatshirt and pants, Chen Bai bounded down the stairs, two or three steps at a time. Before Xu Sinian could say anything, Chen Bai leaped onto the sofa, one hand pressing down on Xu Sinian’s shoulder, looming over him with the other hand firmly covering his mouth. “You bought this,” he declared, “so if you laugh, I won’t allow it!”
Xu Sinian didn’t laugh. He simply reached for his phone on the table and opened the camera app. Chen Bai, realizing what he was doing as he came face-to-lens, widened his eyes in disbelief. “Are you… taking a photo?”
His ears were already red-hot just from wearing it, but he hadn’t expected this man to try and capture the moment too. Only when Xu Sinian didn’t respond did he realize he was still covering Xu Sinian’s mouth, so he let go. Freed, Xu Sinian simply said, “You look great.”
Xu Sinian’s admiration seemed genuine, his gaze never straying. Feeling a familiar prickling sensation at the back of his neck, Chen Bai hesitantly ventured, “You wouldn’t happen to…”
His words trailed off in hesitation, but Xu Sinian broke the silence, asking, “Can you try on another one?”
This time, Chen Bai’s eyes flew open. Straddling Xu Sinian’s lap, he blinked in surprise. “Another?”
While the dog continued napping on the sofa, Xu Sinian led Chen Bai back upstairs. Inside the wardrobe, Chen Bai was surprised to find another outfit neatly hanging in the cabinet—a familiar black dress he had worn while filming. It was in perfect condition, even the delicate, long ribbon was intact. He hadn’t expected to see it again, let alone wear it.
Xu Sinian took the black dress off its hanger, loosening his tie and rolling up his sleeves. As he approached, he gently unhooked the pink choker from around Chen Bai’s neck. The clothes that had taken Chen Bai so long to put on were deftly removed in mere moments by Xu Sinian.
After he changed, Xu Sinian led him to sit back on the closet ledge and wrapped the long, thin ribbon around his neck. Chen Bai looked at Xu Sinian’s hands as he worked, tracing the prominent veins and muscular forearms as he tied a knot at the nape of Chen Bai’s neck, the black ribbon trailing down his back, brushing over his shoulder blades and blending into the black fabric of the dress. Red marks from the night before dotted his pale skin, stark against the black dress.
As Xu Sinian’s calloused fingers traced the marks along his back, Chen Bai already knew what would come next. Lifted effortlessly, the hem of his skirt fluttered as he was carried, his ear pressed against Xu Sinian’s chest, catching the steady beat of his heart. Not one to go down without a fight, he leaned up and bit Xu Sinian’s throat, leaving a clear mark.
The lamp on the bedside table cast a warm yellow glow. As Chen Bai sank into the soft bedding, his tousled hair spread across the pillow. The black dress fanned out, a striking contrast against the white sheets and his pale skin. Caught up in Xu Sinian’s embrace, his words were cut off before he could say, “Xu Sinian, you—”
That was the last thing he managed before he lost his breath again.
A long night later, when Chen Bai finally drifted off, his mind was a haze, not sure if it was from exhaustion or something else. He barely recalled when he’d showered or changed into pajamas. By the time he woke the next day, even lifting his eyelids felt like a chore.
Years of being on set had trained his body clock to wake at 5:30 a.m., so he groggily registered he was still on break and promptly went back to sleep. He awoke later that morning, realizing his human pillow was gone. Used to sleeping with Yiwan curled beside him, he instinctively reached out, half-awake, and grabbed an arm.
Still groggy, Chen Bai’s grasp was weak, but Xu Sinian, having just woken, let himself be pulled back onto the bed. Brushing Chen Bai’s messy hair back, he whispered, “I’m heading to the office.”
In his half-asleep state, Chen Bai vaguely understood, then rolled over and clutched the pillow.
Several seconds later, still half-asleep, he shot up, staring at Xu Sinian in disbelief. “You’re going to the office today?”
He looked pointedly at the clear mark he’d left on Xu Sinian’s neck, positioned in a place neither collar nor tie could hide. Chen Bai collapsed back onto the bed, surrendering.
With his face buried in the covers, he waved Xu Sinian off, mumbling, “If anyone asks, just say Yiwan bit you. Goodbye.”
