Chapter 76 Carrying Shoes
Yanluo not only showed off in the group chat but also posted Thanatos’ calligraphy on his Moments as a keepsake.
If only he weren’t afraid of being blocked by Thanatos out of embarrassment, he would’ve even set those four characters as his profile picture, letting them last for eternity.
However, Thanatos could also see his Moments. Yanluo rarely posted, so whenever he did, it always stood out.
Yanluo: I have carried out a cultural exchange with the Western God of Death. Today is another day to spread the beauty of traditional Chinese calligraphy. [Image: I Love Yanluo]
Thanatos: “……”
Yanluo, that bastard……
What culture exchange? It was clearly deception, and he still had the nerve to post it, dressing it up with such grandiose reasoning……
Thanatos quickly sent a private message to Yanluo: Delete it.
Yanluo pretended not to understand: Delete what?
Thanatos: The post on Moments. I saw it.
Yanluo: But you wrote it so well. Why delete it?
Thanatos sent a sticker of a Gatling gun firing wildly to express the rage in his heart.
Yanluo: Don’t be mad.
A few minutes later, Yanluo sent another message.
Yanluo: Alright, check your Moments again, don’t be angry anymore.
Thanatos thought Yanluo had deleted the post. He clicked to check, only to find that it hadn’t been removed at all.
Not only had it not been deleted, but there was now a new post.
Yan Luo: Courtesy demands reciprocity. [Image: I Love Thanatos]
This time, Thanatos understood.
The ink on the paper hadn’t even dried yet. It was obvious that it had been written just now.
A faint blush spread across Thanatos’ face.
Yanluo was so shameless. Thanatos felt like he should be even angrier.
Strangely enough, he didn’t feel angry anymore.
In fact, he felt like he was eating a mountain of desserts.
Thanatos quietly saved the picture Yanluo had sent.
Yanluo then sent him another private message: Did you see it? Are you calm now?
Thanatos didn’t reply, pretending he hadn’t seen it.
Even if he was calm, he didn’t want to forgive Yanluo so easily.
Yanluo always picked on him like this. Thanatos wasn’t good with words, so he could only sulk by himself, not wanting to pay attention to Yanluo.
But Yanluo knew exactly how to handle him. He had figured out Thanatos’ temper and had a way of dealing with a sulky little reaper.
Yanluo: Ignoring me?
Yanluo: poke
Yanluo: Poke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke……
The window kept bouncing up and down, and Thanatos couldn’t pretend he hadn’t seen it.
Thanatos: ……Aren’t you bored?
Yanluo: Not when I’m talking to you.
Yanluo: Aren’t you bored staying in your room all the time? How about going out shopping this afternoon?
Thanatos: No.
Yanluo: Other couples go out for dates and shopping. Don’t you want to try?
Thanatos: No.
Yanluo sent a sad emoji: Little Reaper, I want you to learn how to say no, but I didn’t expect the first thing you’d reject would be me.
Thanatos: ……
Yanluo’s words reminded him.
He wasn’t afraid of going out anymore, yet he still turned Yanluo down.
Thanatos had never been good at saying no. As a person with social anxiety, he was afraid of being rejected, and he was also afraid of rejecting others, so he always silently went along with everything.
A god hated by the world, a god who despised himself, deep down had a bit of a people-pleasing personality. No one liked being overlooked or dismissed, and gods were no different.
Thanatos had never received validation before. It was Yanluo who constantly told him his existence mattered, that he deserved to walk in the sunlight. When Thanatos said he wasn’t likable, Yanluo would say that he liked him.
Being able to reject Yanluo so so petulantly was already a sign that he had accepted Yanluo as someone close.
He didn’t need to please Yanluo, because he knew deep down that no matter what he did, Yanluo would always look after him.
There was a phrase in China that could describe this: becoming conceited by relying on someone’s favoritism.
Even the greatest fear could turn into fearlessness if one received favoritism.
Yanluo sat in the living room and waited for a while. When the little reaper still hadn’t replied, he smiled and shook his head, putting away his phone. He figured their afternoon date was off.
Just then, the bedroom door suddenly opened, and the young man stepped out. “Where are we going?”
On the desk, the words I Love Thanatos were written on the paper. Thanatos quickly glanced at it before hastily looking away.
Yanluo curled his lips into a smile, taking in Thanatos’ silver-glittering ancient Greek attire. “Anywhere’s fine, but you need to change before we go out. Otherwise, too many people will stare at you.”
China was currently experiencing a revival of Hanfu, so wearing one in some cities had become quite common, often not drawing much attention. However, Greek-style clothing was extremely rare, especially when paired with the young man’s distinctly exotic features.
Dressed like this, he’d turn heads wherever he went, and it would make him an easy target for robbery.
Without a word, Thanatos threw on a black cloak.
Yanluo sighed. “That’s not going to work. People will still stare at you just as much.”
The young man’s voice was low. “I don’t have any other clothes.”
He was so poor.
Without a second thought, Yanluo said, “Then wear mine. My wardrobe’s in the bedroom. Go ahead and pick whatever you want. I’ll wait for you outside.”
Thanatos nodded and turned toward the bedroom.
Inside Yanluo’s wardrobe were countless Hanfu garments. Thanatos had been curious about the flowing, beautiful traditional Chinese clothing for a long time, but he didn’t know how to wear them. Besides, Yanluo was taller than him, and the clothes would drag on the floor, making them quite inconvenient.
After thinking for a moment, Thanatos decided to choose something modern instead.
Five minutes later, Yanluo saw Thanatos emerge in his new outfit.
Thanatos was wearing a simple shirt and shorts. Because of their difference in builds, the shirt that fit Yanluo perfectly was too big on Thanatos, with the hem of the shirt drooping to his thighs. The shorts, meant to stop at the knee, became mid-length pants on Thanatos, and his shoes were clearly a few sizes too large.
Due to his slim waist, the waistband of the shorts was still loose even after being pulled as tight as possible, so Thanatos had to use a belt to secure them.
It wasn’t the best fit, but with the young man’s striking looks and overly delicate features, he pulled off the outfit surprisingly well, creating a unique style all his own.
The little reaper was wearing his boyfriend’s shirt.
Yanluo couldn’t help but curl the corner of his lips, but quickly suppressed it, pushing away the chaotic thoughts running through his mind.
“It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t fit. We’ll go to the mall later and get you a new outfit,” Yanluo said.
When they went downstairs, Thanatos moved slowly because the shoes were too ill-fitting.
Yanluo asked, “Do you want me to carry you?”
Thanatos shook his head firmly. Carrying him up Mount Tai was one thing, but carrying him up four flights of stairs was too much. That would make him too spoiled.
Yanluo chuckled, then swiftly descended the stairs, waiting for him at the bottom.
Thanatos was still moving slowly, step by step. The shoes were so big that every few steps, they would slip off, and he had to put them back on. He pressed his lips together, feeling a bit irritated.
Yanluo called from downstairs, his voice tinged with amusement. “If you need help, just let me know. I’m always available for boyfriend-carrying services.”
Thanatos’ temper flared. He was inherently stubborn and didn’t want to ask Yanluo for help over something so trivial.
After putting his shoes back on for the third time, Thanatos looked up at the remaining seven or eight steps. He lowered his gaze, lost in thought, and stopped trying to move step by step.
A few seconds later, he lifted his foot, kicked both shoes off, and sent them sailing through the air in a graceful arc, tossing them to the bottom of the stairs.
If Yanluo hadn’t dodged in time, one of the shoes would have hit him in the face.
Without the restriction of the shoes, Thanatos moved much faster. Barefoot, he quickly descended the stairs, expressionless, and stomped hard on the shoes before casually slipping his feet back into them. His posture remained regal and aloof, without a trace of the earlier irritation.
Yanluo: “……”
Help, the way the little reaper got so mad at a pair of shoes was so cute.
Yanluo pulled the car out of the driveway. This time, without needing to be asked, Thanatos automatically slid into the passenger seat and buckled his own seatbelt.
It was his second time in Yanluo’s car, but his identity had changed drastically.
Last time, Yanluo had said, “Next time, sit here. You’re the only one who can get in my car, anyway.”
Back then, Thanatos had thought: There’s going to be a ‘next time’?
No one had expected that the next time they’d be together, they’d be in a relationship.
The sunlight outside the car window was still fierce. Without the black cloak to block it, the light bathed Thanatos’ pale, almost transparent face. In the rearview mirror, the youth’s cool aura stood out as he basked in the golden glow.
The car eventually stopped in front of the parking space at Yanluo Mall. The name alone made it clear that this was yet another one of Yanluo’s properties.
Yanluo was truly very wealthy.
In the mall, there were both mortals and demons running shops. The demons had all signed contracts that prohibited them from harming people or revealing their identities to mortals. The first place Yanluo took Thanatos was a shoe store owned by a cat demon.
The cat demon was also one of the tenants in the Yanluo Apartments. As soon as he saw Yanluo, he recognized him instantly, nearly losing one of his nine lives from the shock.
What wind had blown His Majesty into his store? Normally, if King Yan wanted something, he would just make a phone call and have it taken care of. There was no need for him to come personally.
That was indeed the case. Except this time, Yanluo was out shopping with the little reaper.
The cat demon hurriedly approached to greet them. Since there were other customers in the store, he couldn’t directly address Yanluo as “Your Majesty,” so he bowed respectfully and asked, “Mr. Yan, which pair of shoes are you interested in?”
Yanluo turned to Thanatos and asked, “Which pair do you like?”
It was then that the cat demon noticed the young man behind Yanluo. A flash of admiration quickly crossed his cat-like eyes.
Such a noble and beautiful foreign boy.
From the powerful aura subtly radiating from him, it seemed he was also a god.
The cat demon was shocked. Why would King Yan be walking around with a foreign god?
The cat demon knew full well that Yanluo had a deep aversion to the West. He vividly remembered when he first opened the store and had planned to wholesale foreign shoes. Yanluo had given him a harsh scolding, declaring—Only domestic brands were allowed in Yanluo Mall! His territory had no place for foreign products!
Even the rent for the shops was handled differently. The cat demon’s rent was a full ten percent higher than the one across from him, simply because he was a Persian cat, while the other shop was a Chinese pastoral cat.
And now, he had brought a foreign god into his store.
Thanatos looked around, overwhelmed by the options. “I can’t choose.”
The wealthy Ing Yan grinned. “Then we’ll buy them all—”
“No!” Thanatos quickly pointed to a pair of simple sneakers with closed eyes, fearing Yanluo would really buy the entire store.
He had already eaten Yanluo’s food and stayed in his place. He couldn’t let Yanluo spend any more on him. Even in a relationship, one couldn’t always be the one taking. Yanluo was happy to give, but he couldn’t feel comfortable just accepting.
But right now, he really didn’t have any money. He’d have to wait until he went back to Greece, where he could dig up some treasure to repay Yanluo.
The cat demon was very perceptive. Whether or not Yanluo disliked foreigners, it was clear he liked this particular foreign god. And if Yanluo liked him, the cat demon couldn’t afford to offend him.
He quickly retrieved the sneakers and eagerly said to Thanatos, “You have great taste. These are the newest style. Please, sit and try them on. I’ll help you put them on……”
The cat demon bent down to remove Thanatos’ shoes, but Thanatos instinctively took a step back.
It seemed that, aside from Yanluo, he still wasn’t comfortable with physical contact from others.
Yanluo was quicker to react. He took the shoes from the cat demon’s hands and said, “I’ll do it.”
Cat Demon: “……?”
Then, he watched in astonishment as King Yan crouched down and removed the ill-fitting leather shoes from the silver-haired boy’s feet. His long fingers gently gripped the boy’s ankle.
Thanatos’ feet were delicate and pale, with toenails shimmering a soft, pearlescent pink. His ankles were so slender, they looked as though they might break with the slightest bend. It was clear these feet had rarely walked far, and they were incredibly sensitive.
The moment Yanluo grasped his ankle, Thanatos’ long lashes trembled slightly. He tried to pull his foot away, but Yanluo tightened his grip, not allowing him to move. The thumb that had held the Judge’s Brush softly traced over the smooth top of the boy’s foot, almost as though signaling for him not to move.
The foreign boy’s beautiful face flushed instantly, but he obediently stopped struggling. His fingers tightened around the armrest of the chair.
Yanluo took his time, carefully putting the sneakers on Thanatos’ feet and slowly tying the laces. Once it was finally on, Thanatos was about to rise, but Yanluo chuckled softly and said, “The other one.”
Cat demon: “……”
Had he misjudged the situation? It was just putting on a pair of shoes, why did he see a whole drama unfold?
Was this really the same King Yan who had once said, “Foreign gods are not even worthy of carrying this king’s shoes”???
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