Chapter 50: Dressing Her

Luo Xing was not used to the high heels on her feet; as she walked, she slipped them off and carried them in her hand.

The tall buildings loomed close by the roadside, and the asphalt road was alive with streams of traffic.

"Luo Xing!"

A voice called from behind, pitched high. When Luo Xing stopped, he quickened his pace to catch up.

The hot summer wind fluttered the hem of Luo Xing's dress. She turned back, loose strands of hair dancing at her ear, brushing lightly over her cheek.

The sun hung high in the sky as Gu Shiyan walked toward her against the light, his steps gradually slowing.

Their eyes met, charged with a lingering, tangled contest—neither willing to yield.

"I told you not to wander off, didn't I?"

Luo Xing's lashes quivered in the wind, her gaze settling on the white collar of Gu Shiyan’s shirt, fluttering in the breeze.

He strolled toward her with casual indifference, a lighter in his hand glinting silver.

He stopped before her, his eyes lowering to her bare feet. His long lashes, lowered in the dappled sunlight, trembled softly.

To her surprise, Luo Xing detected a trace of gentleness in his usually obedient, downcast gaze...

"You didn’t even tell me you were going out?" he said softly.

Luo Xing’s eyes stung. She exhaled, helpless. "It was stifling inside."

Gu Shiyan led her to a wooden bench at the side, his hands steady on her shoulders as he pressed her to sit.

"And you’re not even wearing your shoes."

The high heels slipped from Luo Xing's grip, falling to the ground. Half-lowering her lashes, she muttered, "Mind your own business."

Gu Shiyan gave a soft, derisive laugh.

"As if I want to. The old man will blame me again soon enough."

Luo Xing’s high heels were slender black straps, with two tiny pearls clasped at the ankles, swaying in the breeze. The toppled shoe leaned against the upright one, the dark red sole revealing a subdued sense of luxury.

Luo Xing strained to lift her aching neck, enduring the glaring light to look at Gu Shiyan.

He stood with a languid air; the sunlight reflected in his eyes, tinting them a faint amber, quite unlike their usual deep black.

Under his seemingly affectionate gaze, Luo Xing felt as if she were trapped in a jar of honey, and Gu Shiyan was the very hand that eased her helplessly into it.

"Those heels are beautiful. I really like them, but they hurt too much," Luo Xing murmured, pressing her lips together. "Never mind, then."

Gu Shiyan sighed. "Some bandages would make it better."

Luo Xing shook her head. "I'd rather just wear my flats."

Her voice was soft and level, without a hint of fluctuation.

Gu Shiyan gave another mocking smile, half-crouching before her. He flicked the lighter in his hand; with a sharp click, a flame rose and flickered.

Luo Xing watched the flame in his hand, her cheeks growing hotter.

She saw Gu Shiyan slowly bring the flame toward the heels.

It started with the swaying pearl pendant.

The flame crept forward, igniting the inky black strap, then spreading to the sole. There was a dangerous beauty to it—free, wild, wanton.

The sinuous flames traced the very shape of the wind.

The hem of Luo Xing’s red velvet dress fell over her pale feet, her delicate toes curling involuntarily.

"Why are you burning them..."

Her final word was not yet steady when Gu Shiyan swept her up by the waist.

The sudden loss of balance made her clutch his clothes tightly. "What are you doing? Put me down."

Gu Shiyan carried her toward the crosswalk. "Didn’t you want flats? The mall’s just across the street."

"You didn’t have to burn them, though." Luo Xing turned to look at the burning heels, her fingers unconsciously gripping tighter.

Gu Shiyan narrowed his eyes. "I burned them. You don’t need to pay for it," he said carelessly.

"I was the one wearing them. What will I tell Grandpa Gu?" Luo Xing snapped, her frustration rising. "You call me childish, but then do things like burning shoes?"

"Why keep useless things around?" Gu Shiyan lifted his chin. "And your hair is flying right into my mouth."

Her attention wavered. She reached out to brush away the stray strands lingering on his face.

Her cool fingertips swept over his cheek and lips.

Across the street, a few people stood scattered about.

Some gazes, tinged with envy, drifted over—two figures in expensive evening wear: one radiant, one dazzling, standing together as if posing for a fashion shoot, whether in motion or at rest.

"But you shouldn't just toss things at the roadside," Luo Xing protested, glancing back—only to see Assistant Song already handling the matter.

She lowered her head, saying nothing more.

Only when Gu Shiyan carried her to the mall entrance did she struggle, "Put me down."

The asphalt outside was scorching hot. She could let him carry her out here, but inside the crowded mall, she would die of embarrassment.

Gu Shiyan did not insist. He set her down steadily.

Luo Xing took a deep breath. She'd sworn not to walk with Gu Shiyan, yet here she was, standing by his side to buy shoes.

She pressed her lips together, trying to quell the restlessness rising in her chest.

Gu Shiyan, watching her resentful expression, gave a light, derisive laugh. "Is standing with me such an insult to you?"

She looked for all the world like a chaste widow clinging to her virtue.

Luo Xing said nothing, feeling as if even the weather conspired to amplify her mood.

The air was dry and stifling.

They entered a boutique shop.

Unlike other bustling stores, this one contained only a couple strolling with bubble teas in hand.

As soon as Luo Xing and Gu Shiyan entered, the three staff members and the couple all turned to look.

It wasn’t common to see people dressed like this shopping.

Yet their bearing left no impression of ostentation.

Luo Xing lowered her lashes, her figure slender and graceful. Loose hair framed two lustrous white pearls, her porcelain skin as delicate as oil paint, made even creamier by the pearls.

A slender neck bore a string of dainty pearls, perfectly matched to her red velvet dress.

Beside her, the young man stood with an air of distant nobility. What ought to have been a somber, dignified dark suit became, on him, rakish and nonchalant.

Even with all eyes upon him, he remained unruffled, drawing the elegant girl beside him to sit on the store’s sofa.

A store clerk, curiosity in her eyes, approached carefully, glancing at Luo Xing’s bare feet, and asked in a gentle voice, "Miss, can I help you?"

Gu Shiyan was still standing directly before her, so close that her curled toes nearly touched his shoes.

She thought for a moment, then looked at the clerk. "Please bring me a pair of your new STARWALKs. Thank you."

By chance, this random boutique Gu Shiyan had chosen was one of Luo Xing’s usual favorites.

She wore a size 36. The clerk went to fetch them from the back.

Luo Xing’s soles pressed against the cool tile, her toes flushed red. She lifted her feet.

But holding them up was tiring, and as she went to lower them, a warm palm cupped her ankle.

For the second time that day, Gu Shiyan half-knelt before her.

He lowered his lashes, took off his jacket, and spread it on the gleaming floor.

Luo Xing was stunned, her foot still suspended.

Gu Shiyan lifted his eyes, dark as lacquer, and gazed at her. "Go on."

She looked at the luxurious woolen suit jacket on the floor, hesitating to step on it.

The lapel rolled naturally, right beneath her foot.

Suddenly, she thought—this is the closest place to the heart...

Gu Shiyan gave her no time to hesitate, pressing her ankle down onto the jacket.

Luo Xing’s pale foot settled, the suit buttons imprinting on her sole.

The charcoal gray fabric was exquisitely soft; compared with the cold, hard tile, it felt like stepping on air-light cotton.

The clerk not only brought her the shoes to try, but also handed over a pair of white socks.

Luo Xing reached for the socks, but her movement froze.

Gu Shiyan’s hand was still wrapped around her ankle...

"Give them to me," he said.

He took the soft cotton socks from her hand.

Luo Xing braced herself on the sofa, her collarbones sharp and prominent. She bit her lip, watching Gu Shiyan kneeling at her feet.

With his jacket off, his thin shirt outlined the muscles and bones of his back; broad shoulders tapered to a trim waist, the subtle pattern of his belt catching the light.

Though he knelt, ostensibly at a disadvantage, there was a fierce, predatory air about him.

His warm, dry palm enveloped her ankle, fingertips pressing gently on the bone.

His focused gaze fell solely on her feet.

Luo Xing shivered involuntarily.

Gu Shiyan lifted his eyes, glancing up at her lightly.

Then he looked down again, concentrating on his work.

As he moved, his fingers brushed her arch, making Luo Xing jerk her foot away as if startled.

Her toes curled, flushed with a soft pink.