Aemeath's battle outfit
Aemeath's breath sent a shiver through Lu Yan's body, yet he couldn't help feeling excited.
He had drawn countless two-dimensional characters, but now a girl was standing right in front of him, waiting for him to personally choose the "battle outfit" that would cover her body.
His gaze swept over the exquisite lingerie: the depth of black, the purity of white, the suggestiveness of nude.
Lu Yan finally pointed to a black lace set. It was a mature color that would set off Aemeath's complexion beautifully.
"And these." Lu Yan pointed to the hosiery section beside them, where several pairs of finely made black and white suspender stockings hung alongside lace-trimmed thigh-highs.
As an artist, he knew how perfect Aemeath's legs were.
If those taut, well-proportioned lines were gently wrapped in that gauzy black fabric, with just the right suggestion of flesh and skin showing faintly through...
"You have excellent taste, sir." The saleswoman took down the lingerie set and stockings.
Aemeath accepted the pile of lightweight clothing, but instead of going straight into the fitting room, she leaned close to Lu Yan and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Are you imagining what I'll look like in them? Your eyes are practically on fire already~"
A-Yan looks so good when he blushes, Aemeath thought.
"Go try them on!" Lu Yan gave Aemeath a gentle push, a little embarrassed and annoyed.
Aemeath walked toward the fitting room with a grin. She didn't really care about the styles; what she cared about was how awkward and uneasy, yet earnest, Lu Yan had been while choosing them.
It made her feel that A-Yan was personally taking part in adorning every inch of her body.
Lu Yan watched Aemeath disappear behind the fitting room's heavy curtain, then sat on the bench with his hands clasped, his palms slick with sweat.
His heart was in a state of extreme conflict.
On the one hand, he felt he didn't deserve someone as wonderful as Aemeath and wanted to hide her away completely, so the outside world couldn't see even a glimpse of her.
On the other, he felt an immense sense of achievement. The girl who had saved the world was now wearing the lingerie he had chosen, displaying her charm for him in that little space.
That feeling... really could become addictive.
Lu Yan looked at his reflection in the mirror, at the face whose listlessness was gradually fading, leaving it somewhat full of life. For the first time, he felt that life might really have something worth striving for.
Before long, a voice came from the fitting room.
"A-Yan, come in for a moment." Aemeath's voice carried a trace of bashfulness as she asked for help. "The clasp on these stocking straps... I don't think I can figure it out. Come help me."
A thunderous boom went off in Lu Yan's head, leaving his mind blank.
He stood rooted to the spot for a while, but in the end he couldn't resist the pull. He got up and walked over.
From behind the curtain came Aemeath's soft, sweet, misty voice. "A-Yan, hurry in and help me. I can't reach the back."
"Don't... mess around." Lu Yan stood before the curtain, restraining the heat that kept rising in him. "We're in a mall. Take your time and try it yourself, or ask the saleswoman for help."
"I'll wait out here. Be good."
A-Yan's restraint, the way he cherished and respected her, made her fall for him even more than if he had barged straight in.
"A-Yan is so gentle~" Aemeath murmured to herself.
She didn't call for the saleswoman. Instead, she deliberately pressed close to the curtain, and though her voice had to pass through that barrier, it still slipped straight into Lu Yan's ears:
"Then don't wander off, A-Yan. Just thinking of you keeping watch for me outside the door makes me feel like I'm not alone anymore."
Lu Yan closed his eyes and leaned against the wooden wall outside the fitting room, sensing the faint movements coming from within.
Inevitably, his mind sketched out the marks left by the tight straps, and the way Aemeath looked as she lowered her head to fiddle with the stocking clasps.
This is my Aemeath. Lu Yan lowered his head, picturing her in his mind.
A-Yan is so cute~ Aemeath lowered her head, sensing his earnest expression through the curtain. The possessiveness in her eyes was almost becoming a tangible fire, wanting to melt him completely.
Aemeath finished changing and walked out of the fitting room, extending a hand and letting Lu Yan look at her.
"After we move into our new home... can we stay like we are now, and see each other as soon as we open our eyes?"
Lu Yan gazed at those starry eyes so close to his. After a long while, he replied:
"Mm. I promise."
Aemeath smiled. It was the answer she had waited who knew how long to hear, the one that satisfied her most.
When they left the mall, Lu Yan carried the heavy paper bags, feeling a little light on his feet.
Aemeath walked at his side. His phone screen lit up briefly with a new private message from "Venus."
Venus: [Teacher Lu, thank you for your hard work.]
Venus: [I've prepared a quiet courtyard studio for you in the south of the city. If you're willing, you can move in tomorrow.]
Venus: [I've already sent the rent details and contract to your email.]
Aemeath slipped her arm through Lu Yan's, her eyes full of tenderness. A-Yan, tomorrow we'll start a new life.
Lu Yan took a deep breath of the mall's slightly cool air, trying to calm the heat inside him.
Just then, his phone vibrated gently in his pocket. He pulled it out as though grasping a lifeline, using it to hide his somewhat awkward gait.
When he saw Venus's messages, Lu Yan froze. Then an immense sense of unreality washed over him.
A courtyard in the south of the city? In an age when every inch of land was worth a fortune, that mysterious client had even prepared a studio for him?
He stopped and opened the email attachment. The rent field on the contract clearly read: 1,000 yuan per month.
"Is this poverty relief?" Lu Yan muttered, glancing at Aemeath beside him.
Aemeath was looking down and fiddling with her phone, seemingly unaware of what he was looking at. Only her pink ahoge bobbed with delight.
Aemeath looked up and asked with clear eyes, "What's wrong? Is the client rushing you for the draft again?"
"No. The client says she's prepared a courtyard studio for us, and the rent is ridiculously cheap." Lu Yan brushed the hair off his forehead, looking a little dazed.
He collected himself and replied: [Teacher Venus, thank you so much. I'll go see the place tomorrow. I won't let you down.]
Putting his phone away, Lu Yan looked outside the mall. The heat from the fitting room was gradually leaving him, replaced by a weighty sense of happiness.
"Let's not think about it for now. Let's go eat." Lu Yan took Aemeath's hand, and its warm, soft touch made him feel that, compared to elusive good fortune, what he held in his hand was the truest miracle.
"Okay! I want hot pot!" Aemeath practically hung halfway off his arm.
They entered a retro hot pot restaurant with an exceptionally atmospheric décor.
Inside were red bricks and green tiles. Clouds of steam billowed in the light, and the rich aroma of beef tallow filled the air.
Soon after they sat down, the broth came to a boil. Aemeath stared hungrily at the tripe rolling in the red chili oil, her eyes fixed on it.
"A-Yan, quick, I want that!" Like a little animal waiting to be fed, she opened her mouth and waited for Lu Yan to feed her.
Lu Yan shook his head helplessly but indulgently. He cooked a slice of tripe, dipped it in the sesame oil dish, and blew on it until it cooled before bringing it to her mouth.
"Slow down. Be careful, it's hot."
Aemeath bit into the tripe, her eyes narrowing to slits with happiness.
As Lu Yan withdrew his hand, she suddenly leaned forward and gently sucked on one of his slender fingers.
Lu Yan snatched his hand back as if he'd been shocked, his entire face instantly turning bright red. "What are you doing?"
"It tastes even better with A-Yan's flavor on it." Aemeath licked the corner of her lips, her eyes full of sly amusement. Her voice was so sweet that even the young couple at the next table couldn't help looking over.
The young man at the next table looked at Lu Yan, his eyes full of undisguised jealousy.
The young woman, meanwhile, was pinching her boyfriend's arm.
Being the center of attention made Lu Yan feel, for the first time, that being noticed might actually be rather nice.
After dinner, the two walked slowly back along the riverside path.
The river breeze was cool, tossing Aemeath's long pink hair into disarray.
"A-Yan." Aemeath suddenly stopped.
"We're moving tomorrow. We'll have to throw away a lot of things in that old room, won't we?" She tilted her head up, the streetlight falling into her eyes.
"Mm. We can't take some of the old furniture, so we'll leave it behind."
"Once we get to the new place, we'll buy everything new." Lu Yan smoothed Aemeath's windblown hair at her temples.
"Can we leave those lonely memories behind in that room too?" Aemeath's voice was a little low, with a trace of vulnerability.
A sudden ache gripped Lu Yan's heart.
He knew what Aemeath was talking about.
He opened his arms and pulled the girl who was perfect to him tightly into his embrace.
This time, he didn't shrink back because of the looks from passersby. Instead, he held her firmly and truly felt her body's warmth.
"Let's throw them all away." Lu Yan made a soft promise in her ear. "From now on, there won't be any loneliness in your world."
"If you're afraid, I'll be your harbor."
Aemeath rested against his shoulder, listening to his steady, strong heartbeat, and closed her eyes in contentment.
Afterward, they returned to the cramped rental. He pushed open the door to the place that had once been his lonely fortress, but was now the starting point of their new life.
Lu Yan carefully placed the paper bag containing the black lace lingerie on the table.
"Let's sleep, Aemeath. We're moving tomorrow."
"Mm, moving." Aemeath lay on the bed, watching Lu Yan's curled-up figure on the sofa, and silently corrected him. A-Yan, wherever you are is home.
That night, a light rain began to fall outside, tapping softly on the window.
Inside, the two souls drifted into deep sleep, holding dreams of that little courtyard in their hearts.
What he didn't know was that the cage called Venus was opening its gentle arms, waiting for him to embrace it completely.