BOTM: Chapter 3 - Peeping at Beauty
"Give me the earring." Chen Yin stared at the boy and extended his hand.
The boy clasped his hands together, gripping Chen Yin's hand tightly.
"Professor Eon, can I keep it as a memento? I'm really interested in astronomy."
"No." Chen Yin withdrew his hand, leaving no room for hope.
"Alright." The boy replied with a pout, placing the earring into Chen Yin's palm, his fingertips lightly scratching his hand.
Chen Yin ignored him, put the earring back on, and restarted the car. The car fell back into dead silence. Chen Ye bit at a piece of dry skin on his lip. Were his tactics too childish?
Wasn't Chen Yin supposed to be a "repressed gay man who'd been holding back for years"? How could he show no reaction at all to his advances? He glanced sideways at Chen Yin, his gaze landing on the man's slender hands resting on the steering wheel, then noticing the watch on his wrist. His eyes widened – the watch face was half stars, half moon. It was actually the DB25 Starry Sky Observatory Tourbillon edition.
Earlier this year, he had asked the old man for this very watch. The old man had promised to give it to him as an eighteenth birthday gift, but who could have guessed that before that day arrived, the old man had passed away. Envy gnawed at him, and he wished he could snatch the watch right off Chen Yin's wrist. He crossed his arms.
"Brother, your watch is so cool. Did you buy it yourself?"
Chen Yin gave a noncommittal "Hmm."
So rich. He thought resentfully. Even without the old man's inheritance, Chen Yin was already wealthy enough. He didn't need more money – it would be put to better use if spent on him.
"Brother, can I take a look at your watch?"
"No." The man refused coldly and reached over to turn on the car radio, probably finding him too noisy.
After listening to a few seconds of boring weather forecast, he couldn't help but twist the dial, switching stations.
《This is KCBC 106.9... San Francisco police are investigating a new teenage homicide, the third local high school student victim in California this year. A police spokesperson stated that the method of this case bears unsettling similarities to the murder of an 18-year-old boy in the Portola District, raising the possibility of a serial killing. The unified school district urges all parents to remain vigilant, especially during the full moon...》
Another homicide? And involving teenagers around his age? What kind of pervert targets teenagers – Slender Man? Remembering the uncensored, bloody photo of the 18-year-old boy's throat circulating on Instagram, Chen Ye felt a chill run down his spine and switched to another channel.
The car soon arrived at their destination. Getting out of the car, Chen Ye hugged his backpack and followed closely behind Chen Yin. Seeing his presence, the servants who had previously chased him out of the castle looked surprised but, out of deference to Chen Yin, dared not stop or question him.
Chen Zhe Xiong's coffin was no longer in the hall, and of course it wasn't – the space felt empty. As they reached the second floor, he tugged at the hem of Chen Yin's shirt from behind.
"Brother, it's already very late. Can I stay here tonight? There have been homicides in San Francisco recently, and the victims are all teenagers."
Chen Yin paused for a moment but didn't turn around. "Only tonight."
Meaning he would be kicked out first thing tomorrow morning.
"...Got it." Chen Ye darted upstairs, familiar with the route as he headed straight for the largest room at the end of the second floor.
Pushing the door open, he breathed a sigh of relief. The furnishings inside hadn’t changed much, and his precious belongings hadn’t been cleared away by the servants yet. He threw himself onto the bed he’d been dreaming of day and night, hugging his favorite Qiqi squirrel plushie, and let out a long breath as he stared at the ceiling.
So comfortable... It was nothing like the cheap apartment outside.
Thinking of the cramped room he now shared with his mother – where the window wouldn’t shut properly, the corners leaked, and cockroaches roamed the bathroom – made him shudder with discomfort.
He had to find a way to stay here for good. He needed to make Chen Yin develop feelings for him. First pity, then affection.
But this guy didn’t seem like a normal human being with empathy. What should he do? Burying his face in the squirrel plushie’s belly, he pondered, but drowsiness washed over him faster than any ideas. He yawned.
💬: ⦍Lusian, where on earth have you gone? Weren’t we supposed to attend summer school together? I told you, I’d look out for you and help you sort out your college tuition. You don’t need to worry about anything.⦎
Swiping away the new message and ignoring the video call request that popped up, Chen Ye decided to keep playing dead.
He didn’t want to rely on An Kexia. Back in the fraternity, they were equals – in fact, An Kexia often followed his lead. And putting aside pride, depending on An Kexia was far from a wise move. That guy was domineering by nature. The only reason he’d put up with being strung along before was because of Chen Ye’s status as the Young Master of the Chen Family. Now that things had changed, would An Kexia still treat him the same? Chen Ye had long seen through it – that guy wanted him, badly, and wouldn’t miss this chance to take advantage of his situation.
He wasn’t gay, and selling himself for tuition was hardly worth it. Putting on an act to reclaim the inheritance was a much safer, more profitable deal.
💬: ⦍Hey, Lusian, I heard you’re Professor Eon’s brother?⦎
It was a message from Hans, the Chinese guy he’d met during the day. Chen Ye replied with a simple ⦍Yeah⦎ and scrolled through the linked Instagram profile in the other’s bio. The latest photo was taken during Chen Yin’s public lecture earlier – a hand gesture in the foreground, with Chen Yin lecturing on stage in the background.
A fanatic. Chen Ye made his judgment.
💬: ⦍Could you... take a photo of Professor Eon for me?⦎
He was about to refuse when another message popped up.
💬: ⦍I can pay you. I know you’re probably not short on money, but... how about this Venom Hulk statue?⦎
A photo flashed on the screen, and Chen Ye’s eyes widened instantly. Hans was a Marvel fan just like him. Chen Ye had collected the entire Sideshow series – except for this one piece. Its market price had skyrocketed, and what’s more, it was nearly impossible to find. The one Hans had was a truly unique collectible.
⦍Fine⦎ he replied, pursing his lips as he sat up.
Hans replied instantly: ⦍Yeah! If possible...⦎
💬: ⦋Take a photo of... that...⦎
💬: ⦋You know, without clothes on. Just the upper body is fine. If you can get it, I also have a Venom Hulk keychain – also a limited edition.⦎
Chen Ye nearly choked on his own saliva. Just as he’d guessed – among these students fanatically obsessed with Chen Yin, a good portion weren’t there for astronomy. They were just lusting after his face and his body.
Take compromising photos of Chen Yin in exchange for a limited edition figurine? No cost involved, it's a pretty good deal.
Licking his lips, he typed a few words: ⦍Can't guarantee, but I'll do my best.⦎
After replying to the message, Chen Ye jumped off the bed. Not forgetting his primary task, he stuffed the valuable figurines, designer clothes, sports watches, and other items from the room into his suitcase.
Although it pained him, some of it had to be sold. With only expenses and no income lately, his mother's private savings and his own stash were visibly dwindling.
💬: ⦍I followed that damn gay back to the castle. He allowed me to come back and pack my things.⦎
💬: ⦍Great, get Mom's jewelry out too.⦎
After packing his own belongings, he went to the next room, only to find his mother's dressing table completely empty – the expensive jewelry was gone. Stunned for a few seconds, he opened the wardrobe. At least the clothes were still there.
He packed his mother's clothes into the suitcase, then stood there for a moment, thinking. He decided to ask Chen Yin about it. These were his mother's personal belongings, and neither Chen Yin nor the castle staff should have touched them without permission.
But which room did Chen Yin stay in? He walked into the hallway. The castle was quiet, with no lights on, only moonlight streaming through the windows. The servants were probably all asleep.
He remembered that when they parted, Chen Yin had gone upstairs. He climbed to the third floor, where the doors to several rooms were open and empty. Only the door at the far end was closed. So, Chen Yin was sleeping in the old man's former bedroom.
Approaching the door, he pressed his ear against it, trying to eavesdrop on any sounds inside. He couldn't hear anything. Was Chen Yin asleep?
His phone vibrated in his pocket again, reminding him of the reward Hans had promised – the limited edition Venom Hulk figurine beckoning to him. And then there was the other possible will.
He swallowed dryly, gripped the doorknob, and twisted it. The door wasn't locked and opened a crack, revealing the sound of running water. Chen Yin was taking a shower.
He scanned the room. The layout hadn't changed much, except there were many more books on the bookshelf beside the sofa. On the desk sat a ring-shaped metal device he hadn't seen before, something like a model of the galaxy or similar.
Did the other will his mother mentioned really exist? If it did, where would the old man have hidden it?
Walking over to the desk, he suddenly heard a faint hissing sound. Looking down, he was startled – under the desk... there was a snake. Thankfully, it was kept in a glass tank. The snake had a black back and a silver belly, its scales sharp like thorns. On its head grew a pair of horns, giving it a strange appearance. He remembered seeing it in a magazine before – it was called a horned viper, or something like that.
The horned viper flicked its bright red tongue at him. He kicked the glass, nudging it further inside, then rummaged through the drawers. Except for one that was locked, the others were all empty.
Could it be in the locked drawer? Where would the key be?
He pursed his lips, his eyes darting around until they landed on the coat rack beside the sofa, where Chen Yin's clothes were hanging. Tiptoeing inside, he walked straight to the coat rack and slipped his hands into the clothes. He checked the pockets of the trench coat and suit jacket. Aside from a car key, there was only Chen Yin's wallet.
There were many cards inside – credit cards, membership cards, and the like – along with a fair amount of cash. After a moment’s consideration, he only took two $100 bills before stuffing the wallet back. If he were discovered right away, he’d lose any chance to get close to Chen Yin. Sacrificing small gains for greater plans – there would be plenty of time ahead.
Just as he tucked the bills into his pocket, the sound of running water from the bathroom stopped. He scanned the room and swiftly slipped into the large wardrobe beside the bed.
Crouching in a corner, curled up and hidden behind clothes, he peered through a gap. Within seconds, the bathroom door swung open. He instinctively held his breath, his pupils dilating slightly.
The man emerging from the bathroom was naked except for a towel wrapped around his waist, revealing broad shoulders and a narrow waist – a physique that was both slender and elegantly muscular. As he moved, his damp, pale skin shimmered under the light, and his waist-length, platinum blond hair, still dripping with water, made him look almost inhumanly beautiful, like a moonlit spirit… It was visually striking.
Though Chen Yin’s clothed appearance had already hinted at a lean frame with hidden muscle, the sight before him still exceeded his expectations.
Before he could pull out his phone, Chen Yin had already approached the wardrobe. He had no choice but to freeze, tucking his feet in and hugging his knees tightly. With a creak, the wardrobe door was pulled open. Through the gaps in the clothing, he caught a glimpse of the man’s chin.
A drop of water traced a path around his Adam’s apple, trickling down his neck and chest before disappearing along the line of his abs into the edge of the towel. The next moment, a long, slender hand rested where the drop had vanished, pulling the towel open.
With a soft thud, the damp towel slipped to the floor just as a drop of water landed on the tip of his nose. His gaze, unable to avoid it, fell directly on a certain area right in front of his face. Chen Ye inhaled sharply.
Though Chen Yin had what he himself possessed, and seeing it shouldn’t have been a big deal, he was still deeply shaken. He glanced down at his own – a fully grown man of mixed Slavic heritage compared to someone like him, a pure Asian with a naturally smaller build – they were simply two different types.
As the clothes hanging in front of him were shifted and one was pulled out, he looked up to see Chen Yin slipping into a bathrobe, reminding him of his purpose for being there. Once the wardrobe door closed, he carefully retrieved his phone, propped the door open a crack, and aimed the camera at the man sitting on the bed drying his hair.
His phone emitted a deafening noise in the silence. Chen Ye froze, his hair standing on end. Through the crack, he saw Chen Yin put on his glasses, stand up, and scan the room.
He silently prayed Chen Yin wouldn’t suspect someone was hiding in the room, but against his hopes, after surveying the area, Chen Yin’s gaze locked precisely on the wardrobe, and he began walking over.
ʿ*This is bad.*ʾ He hugged his arms and curled his legs, trying to shrink into the smallest possible ball, but it was futile. Two seconds later, the wardrobe door was pulled open, and with a rustle, the clothes shielding him were pushed aside. The man’s shadow fell over him completely.
Perhaps it was too bizarre to find a living person in the wardrobe in the middle of the night. After several seconds of dead silence, he finally heard the man’s voice: “What are you doing here?”