“Who are you calling sweetheart?” Huo Zhixing said, then tugged Tong Qiu to his other side.
The designer let out an ‘aiyo’ and laughed so hard he bumped into the stand behind him. When he finally stopped laughing, he sauntered over again and said with a pat on Huo Zhixing’s shoulder, “I can call you sweetheart too, if that’s what you want!”
Huo Zhixing turned to look at Tong Qiu and noted that Tong Qiu’s lips were pressed together to hide his smile.
The outrageously flirty designer insisted on helping them put on the clothes. When he saw Huo Zhixing shrug off his jacket, the designer clicked his tongue and said with a sigh, “Wow, you’re so toned.”
Tong Qiu was about to step inside another dressing room but immediately turned back when he overheard the designer.
The designer giggled when he noticed Tong Qiu. “Aiyo, looks like someone’s jealous.”
Huo Zhixing also glanced over at Tong Qiu. Ears burning, Tong Qiu quickly ducked inside the dressing room.
“Need a hand?” the designer asked. He was over half a head shorter than Tong Qiu and had to crane his neck when he spoke to Huo Zhixing.
“I’m good,” Huo Zhixing smiled politely. “I can manage on my own.”
The designer didn’t hide his disappointment and complained loudly that ‘all the good ones are always taken’.
The outfit was a bit of a headache to put on given the differences between the front and back. It was a near impossible task for one person and even though Tong Qiu managed to do up the front, he couldn’t quite figure out the back. He was still struggling with it when a knock sounded on his door.
“Xiao-Qiu.”
It was Huo Zhixing.
Tong Qiu cracked open the door and poked his head out. “You’re done?”
Tong Qiu was wearing the one with the dress-inspired front. His shoulders were covered in a translucent, gauze-like cloth and the sheerness of it was so arousing that it went straight to Huo Zhixing’s head.
“These clothes are a bit difficult to put on so I wanted to ask if you could help me.” As someone who was only used to putting on police uniforms, he really couldn’t handle something so complex.
From outside the dressing room, the designer cleared his throat and called out, “Hey handsome! I can help!”
Tong Qiu shot a glance towards the area beyond the dressing room. Huo Zhixing smiled and said, “Should I ask him to help me?”
“Come inside,” Tong Qiu ordered. He leaned to the side, opened the door wider and made enough space for Huo Zhixing to enter his own dressing room. “I can’t figure it out either,” he mumbled.
The dressing room wasn’t particularly large and was covered in mirrors on all four sides. With two grown men squeezed inside, they couldn’t help but bump into each other every time one of them moved.
“I’ll help you first.” Huo Zhixing made Tong Qiu turn so that he was facing the mirror with his back to Huo Zhixing. Huo Zhixing worked through the suit-inspired design on the back and carefully did up the buttons.
“This is all so inconvenient,” Tong Qiu complained. “It’s taking half an hour just to change.”
Huo Zhixing smiled, then lifted his head to gaze at Tong Qiu’s face reflected in the mirror – Tong Qiu was biting his lip in concentration as he tried to work out how to tie the ribbons on the front.
“It looks good on you.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Kbcu Hle ofia jr lo Leb Itlzlcu’r kbgvr tjv rabxfv j olgf klatlc tlw. Lf rabbv atfgf, qfgofmais ralii, jcv ujhfv yjmx ja Leb Itlzlcu. Lf vlvc’a xcbk ktja firf ab vb.
Huo Zhixing had never spoken to him that way before – there was an ambiguity to his words that hinted at something more.
Kgeatoeiis, Leb Itlzlcu tjv cfnfg ojcajrlhfv jybea Kbcu Hle lc j kfvvlcu vgfrr yfobgf. Lf vlvc’a tjnf j mgbrrvgfrrlcu ofalrt yea obg rbwf ecojatbwjyif gfjrbc, atf rluta bo Kbcu Hle gluta cbk jiwbra wjvf tlw tjgv.
The delicate white lace of the dress was lovely against the faint blush spreading across Tong Qiu’s cheeks. This version of Tong Qiu was one that Huo Zhixing had never seen before.
Tong Qiu stared blankly for a long moment but eventually lowered his head to avoid holding Huo Zhixing’s amused gaze. He returned his attention to the ribbons on the front of his outfit and feigned indifference as he continued to complain about how annoying the clothes were to put on. He kept insisting that the wedding dress didn’t suit him at all, but unbeknownst to him, his every movement was stirring something within the person watching him.
“Is it done?” Tong Qiu finished fiddling with the ribbons and lifted his head. He glanced at the mirror and his gaze met Huo Zhixing’s once more.
Tong Qiu didn’t know how to describe the feeling – he couldn’t help but think that their current position was perfect for doing that.
The images that flashed through his mind were so embarrassing that Tong Qiu was beginning to question his own sanity. However, the intent written in Huo Zhixing’s eyes as he stared back at Tong Qiu was unmistakable.
Tong Qiu had always thought of Huo Zhixing as the ‘chaste’ kind of husband who had few, if any, primal desires. However, he couldn’t help but feel that there was a strange glint in Huo Zhixing’s eyes.
Little did he know, there was nothing ‘chaste’ at all about the man standing behind him. In fact, Officer Huo was fantasizing about doing all sorts of unspeakable things to him and had gone through several scenarios in his head already.
The designer waiting for them outside had lost his patience. He knocked on the door and called out, “Listen up, you two! Why is it taking you more time to change than it takes to jack off? Shall I offer you some lube as a gesture of goodwill?”
Tong Qiu was so startled by the designer’s open-mindedness that his face turned bright red.
“Almost done.” Huo Zhixing pushed down his indescribable feelings and they quickly helped each other finish dressing. Once they were done, they opened the dressing room door.
“Wo-ow.” The designer watched them step out, one after the other. He folded his arms in front of his chest. “I was actually going to say that I’d be happy to fool around with you two, if you’re willing. But on second thought, you two should keep the ‘fooling around’ to yourselves.”
It was the first time Tong Qiu had met someone who had absolutely no filter when they spoke. He thought Chu Yao was already the most brazen person in his life but who knew there would come a day when he’d meet someone even more audacious, someone who could make him blush every time they opened their mouth.
Huo Zhixing took Tong Qiu by the hand and walked them towards a mirror.
Their reflections stood side by side and from the front, Huo Zhixing looked like he was wearing a suit while Tong Qiu wore a wedding dress. From the back, however, their images were flipped.
Tong Qiu suddenly remembered the time when Feng Kaiwen had jokingly asked if he or Huo Zhixing was being married off to the other Tong Qiu had replied ‘we’re both being married off to each other and we’re also taking each other as husbands – got a problem with that?’
Who would have thought that such a thing would actually happen, albeit after their divorce.
“May I be so bold as to ask for a favour?” the designer asked as he approached them. “Would you be willing to come upstairs to take a few photos? If it’s alright with you, I’d love to put them on the shop’s window for display.”
“Huh?” Tong Qiu said awkwardly. “But……”
Tong Qiu glanced at Huo Zhixing, worried that he would feel it was improper – after all, Huo Zhixing was a police officer whose status was a bit sensitive.
“I don’t have a problem with it,” Huo Zhixing said, then turned to Tong Qiu. “It’s up to you.”
Tong Qiu didn’t think Huo Zhixing would whole-heartedly agree. He glanced back at the mirror. They really did look like a picture-perfect couple, in spite of the fact that they were already divorced.
Tong Qiu’s insides were anything but calm as he gazed at their reflections. He wasn’t sure if the rolling waves in his heart were caused by Huo Zhixing or the clothes.
Would this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity come again? Should he seize it? Or let it go?
He and Huo Zhixing hadn’t taken any wedding portraits when they got married and after a few beats of silence, Tong Qiu thought, ‘we’re just making up for the wedding portraits we never had’.
“Then can you give us a copy of the photos after the shoot?”
“Of course,” the designer replied. “Not only will I give you the photos but if you two decide to get married, just come find me and I’ll have these outfits ready for you whenever you need them.”
After finishing his spiel, the designer even added, “For free.”
This particular wedding set wasn’t up for sale and it wasn’t just anyone who could rent it either – the designer was extremely fussy and hand-picked the clients that were allowed to wear his creations.
“Alright then,” Tong Qiu smiled, then glanced over at Huo Zhixing. “Let’s take some photos then?”
Huo Zhixing put an arm around his shoulder, flashed him a smile and nodded.
The Huo family’s future son-in-law, Huo Jia’s fiance, had been working overtime and finally arrived at the scene. He sidled over and whispered in Huo Jiao’s ear, “Didn’t you say they got divorced already? It doesn’t look that way to me.”
“They don’t look divorced to me, either,” Huo Jiao replied. “Besides, I was supposed to be the focus today but what’s up with those two? They totally stole my thunder!”
Tong Qiu and Huo Zhixing didn’t have much experience posing in front of the camera. No matter where they stood, they didn’t know where to look or what to do with their hands and feet.
The designer stood beside the photographer and goaded, “You two are basically a pair of good-looking zombies. Loosen up, darlings!”
Tong Qiu gazed helplessly at Huo Zhixing and even though Huo Zhixing didn’t know what to do either, he knew he had to do something.
“Get closer! Interact more!” the designer continued gabbling. “Don’t act all shy or play hard-to-get, show me some enthusiasm! Project your passion! There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Upon hearing his words, Huo Zhixing couldn’t suppress his smile so he reached over and looped his arms around Tong Qiu’s waist so that Tong Qiu was wrapped tightly in his embrace. “Are we projecting enough passion now?”
“Yes! That’s exactly it!” the designer called out. “If you two still can’t loosen up, I’m going to demand that you French kiss!”
Tong Qiu’s face reddened. Huo Zhixing suddenly leaned closer so that their noses were almost touching. “He’s such a nag.”
Tong Qiu smiled, “He’s even worse than Chu Yao.”
They both grinned as they gazed into each other’s eyes. The photographer snapped happily away and captured the moment with his camera.
Under the designer’s ‘patient guidance’ they posed for a little over an hour. When the photoshoot finally ended, the designer took out his handkerchief and dramatically wiped away the non-existent tears at the corner of his eyes. “The wait is over. I’ve finally found the perfect couple to wear my creations. I’m getting emotional…tonight, I’ve got to have a few drinks to celebrate this momentous occasion!”
After his theatrics, he spun around and asked Tong Qiu and Huo Zhixing, “Want to come along?”
“No thank you,” Huo Zhixing replied, “We have plans tonight.”
The designer expressed his disappointment, then asked Tong Qiu to leave an address to send the photos too once they were ready.
As they walked out the shop, Tong Qiu felt as if this whirlwind of an afternoon had been some kind of dream. He was supposed to be accompanying Huo Jiao to shop for a wedding dress but in the end, he had been the one posing for wedding photos – and with his ex-husband, no less. Someone who didn’t know better might think that he was the one about to be married.
Tong Qiu stood at the door and unconsciously brought his hand to his lips. During the photoshoot, there were a few moments when Huo Zhixing was close enough to kiss him. Their lips had been a bare breath apart and he had felt the warmth of Huo Zhixing’s exhale against his face.
Even though Tong Qiu had closed his eyes so that all his senses were trained on his own mouth, he still couldn’t be sure if Huo Zhixing had actually kissed him. Perhaps he had, perhaps he hadn’t – Tong Qiu couldn’t be sure. It was no different than a feather landing on the surface of a pond.
“Shall we get dinner together?” Huo Jiao suggested.
Huo Zhixing checked the time, then asked Tong Qiu if he had plans. However, Tong Qiu had already promised to meet up with Chu Yao so had no choice but to decline.
“Another time,” Tong Qiu said, “I’m meeting up with a friend tonight.”
“Fang Baicheng?” Huo Zhixing asked.
Tong Qiu stared blankly at him, then let out a small laugh. “No, it’s just Chu Yao.”
Huo Zhixing couldn’t help but feel relieved and realized that he couldn’t let his guard down just yet. That Fang Baicheng was far too clingy. Tong Qiu, on the other hand, was softhearted and might feel bad enough to relent and simply accept Fang Baicheng’s feelings.
“I should get going then.” An empty cab pulled up and Tong Qiu climbed in.
Huo Jiao waved at him. “See you next time, saozi.”
Tong Qiu, who was long used to being called saozi, also glanced over at Huo Zhixing and waved goodbye to him too.
Once the cab had driven off, Huo Jiao looped her arm around her fiance’s elbow and said to Huo Zhixing, “Ge, you didn’t give up from the start, did you?”
“Give up?”
“I think you still like him a lot,” Huo Jiao said. “Since you still like him, why did you go through with the divorce?”
She had always thought they were extremely compatible as a couple and were basically a match made in heaven. The fact that they suddenly decided to get divorced made her wonder if it was because of some deep, dark secret.
“Life needs spicing up sometimes, that’s all.” Huo Zhixing watched as the cab disappeared into the distance and said to Huo Jiao. “Your saozi is an interesting guy. You wouldn’t understand.”
Huo Jiao’s lips twitched as she answered, “Of course, of course, you’re the only one that understands. You know, the look in your eye when you were watching my saozi was almost like a starving wolf. Just telling it like it is.”
Huo Jiao turned and said to her fiance, “I think I finally understand. Those two are both repressed animals!”
Tong Qiu, the victim of her slander, sat in the car and touched his still-burning ears. He glanced down at a certain area of his body, whose ‘unflagging interest’ was just as prominent as before, and thought, ‘There is no one else on earth that’s more annoying than my ex-husband!’.
—
The author has something to say:
Huo Zhixing: If there was, then it’s just my alter ego. Get ready, Tong-laoshi, brace yourself.
Lol Huo Zhixing just want to gobble him up 🤣🤣🤣
Thank you for the update ❤❤
More like they both want to gobble each other up! Lol😂
Ahaha too true 😆😆 Thank you for reading! 😀
Thank you so much for the chapter!(๑´>᎑<)~❤
I reaaaaaly want smth spicy 😎😉
Things will get ~spicier soon 😉 Thanks for reading!
This is ADORABLE!!! Haha. Prideful ex-husband😂
Yes it’s super fluffy >u< Thank you for reading! 🙂
Is there smut in this story? I can’t help asking cuz the sexual tension between these two is soooo thick that it can probably walk on its own 😂
Hahahaha the original novel is from JJWXC so there’s nothing explicit, unfortunately 😅 But there’s definitely lots of ~bedroom activities in future chapters 😉 Thanks for reading!
ah.. if they’re that attracted to each other this whole time I can’t believe they had such horrible sex while married… and only a handful of times… please turn on the seduction level to 9000+
Yes, the flirting and seduction will level up soon~ Thanks so much for reading! 😀
and that’s what i’m here for~ Thank you so much for translating 💛
That photoshoot took their sexual tension to new heights!!
Thanks for the chapter!
Quick question, is there going to be any ns4w scenes in this novel if so then.. I’ll gladly read it! 👀👀
Thanks for the chapter! 💕
This designer annoys me 😒
I really love how sister Huo knows them very well
I love the designer! hahahaha
Thank You for the chapter (੭ु´･ω･`)੭ु⁾⁾❤