Chapter 12: Little Shell

Chapter 12: The Little Shell

Wen Yu returned to the Wen family home and locked his door behind him.

On the nightstand, the phone screen glowed, the WeChat chat still open on Gu Junhan's avatar.

"Send me a photo of each one."

Wen Yu stared at those clear words, stood up on trembling legs, and walked toward the huge floor-length mirror.

The young man's hands trembled as he unbuttoned his pajama shirt.

The first item was a purple lace dress.

The icy fabric pressed against his burning skin, sending goosebumps across his skin.

Underneath, the boy's slender frame was completely outlined by the tight dress.

Fragile, yet carrying an indescribable air of depravity.

Wen Yu picked up his phone, his finger hovering over the shutter button. He hesitated for a long moment before closing his eyes and pressing it.

"Click."

The photo was sent.

This was too humiliating. Were they even in a pure relationship between two guys?

Wen Yu hadn't seen this packaged outfit before. He only remembered grabbing six bags, but somehow ended up with seven.

The purple lace made him feel deeply ashamed—even resistant—especially since it came with a matching lace eye mask.

Wen Yu didn't know what he was doing. He sat in his room, lost in thought for a long time.

Suddenly, the WeChat screen buzzed—a video call.

In his panic, the young man accidentally hit the accept button.

"Beep." The call connected.

The screen lit up instantly, and the man's handsome yet gloomy face filled the entire view.

Behind him was a study shrouded in darkness. The faint red glow of a cigarette tip flickered between Gu Junhan's fingers.

"Why did it take you so long to answer?"

Gu Junhan's voice came through the signal, tinged with a lazy huskiness. "Hiding... from me, huh?"

Wen Yu curled up in the corner of the bed, clutching a pillow, wearing the purple dress, with large swaths of pinkish skin and delicate collarbones exposed.

"N-No..." Wen Yu's voice trembled, thick with a nasal tone. "I... I was changing..."

"Changing?" Gu Junhan let out a cold snort. "Only sent one photo?"

Wen Yu shook his head. "I was just about to put on the next one."

Gu Junhan chuckled softly. He adjusted the angle of his phone slightly, settling into a comfortable position to watch the young man.

"Wen Yu, I can't see the photo you sent clearly," Gu Junhan said with malice.

He blew out a slow ring of smoke, the haze curling in the darkness and obscuring his expression. "How about you change into the next one right now, live?"

"Wh-What..." Wen Yu instinctively tried to pull the hem of the dress down to cover his trembling legs.

The man's voice suddenly turned cold. "Put the pillow down. Hands by your sides."

Wen Yu's body stiffened. He released the pillow.

"So cute." The gloom in Gu Junhan's eyes lifted slightly, replaced by a morbid fondness. "Can you stand up?"

Wen Yu hesitated, his legs as weak as noodles. The tight dress outlined the boy's youthful, slender figure.

"Turn around."

"Let me see the back."

Wen Yu's face burned with shame. He turned his back to the camera, afraid to move.

"Wen Xiaobao." Gu Junhan's voice was gentle, yet chilling. "What's a boy like you so afraid of?"

Wen Yu shuddered.

Maybe that was true—friends shouldn't keep anything from each other.

He turned around stiffly.

"Stop."

Gu Junhan spoke suddenly.

"Your legs." The man's gaze landed on Wen Yu's still-closed thighs, his brow furrowing slightly.

Gu Junhan leaned in toward the camera, his voice low and unhinged.

Wen Yu clutched the dress tightly, dazed. "Wh-What's wrong?"

"I used to study medicine. I can tell your body isn't healthy," Gu Junhan said, pulling back slightly. "Want me to take a look at you?"

Before Wen Yu could respond, Gu Junhan cut in. "Open the door."

"You studied medicine?"

Those words exploded in Wen Yu's head. He bit his lower lip. "Then you're breaking medical ethics!"

"Xiaobao, you're a grown-up now."

Wen Yu squeezed his eyes shut in terror. "I'm going to sleep..."

"Sleep with the lights on," Gu Junhan commanded. "I want to watch you."

Wen Yu nodded helplessly and reached over to turn on the bedside lamp.

The harsh light blazed on, illuminating his pale face and the absurd dress he was wearing.

Gu Junhan stubbed out his cigarette, propped his phone on the desk, and settled into a comfortable position. "Sleep tight, my friend."

The next morning, the video call had ended on his phone.

The Wen family discussed it and decided that Wen Yu's high school diploma was a bit embarrassing, so they arranged to send him straight to a prestigious university.

Wen Yu asked on the forum: What does it mean when a friend tells you to wear a skirt? (I'm a guy, and my friend is also a guy)

Replies came flooding in.

"Lighter: OP, you've got a target on your back!"

"Cash King: I know this one—your friend wants to snatch you up and make you his wife!!!"

"Heehee: Don't worry, OP, your friend's a pervert, and so are you, hehehe."

Wen Yu saw this reply. Pervert?

"Yu Bu Jia Tang: I'm not a pervert, stop talking nonsense."

A "ding" went off, and Heehee replied.

"Heehee: If you weren't a pervert, why would you let a pervert do all that stuff to you? When you get into bed, you'd be praising him like he's amazing!"

Wen Yu quickly replied.

"Yu Bu Jia Tang: I just can't say no to friends, he's a good person."

The more Wen Yu thought about it, the more something felt off.

Gu Junhan always seemed to be doing things like that, exactly like the deadbeat the villagers talked about.

No way was he having a deadbeat—that guy reeked of trouble!

So he blocked Gu Junhan on WeChat without a second thought.

That way, Gu Junhan couldn't find him.

Around this time, he also applied to live in the dorms. (Dear mods, please, the MC is already 18 o(╥﹏╥)o)

The Wen family didn't shortchange him materially, but they weren't generous either.

That university was the city's top school.

Everyone there was super competitive and materialistic.