After Falling in Love with a 2D Character as a Socially Anxious Person - Chapter 7

The shop assistant caught sight of An Jing’s bright red ears and was shocked. He’s embarrassed already?

 

Is he really this pure?

 

“I’m not uncomfortable.” In his urgency, An Jing pulled on Yan Qili’s sleeve, looking a bit flustered. “Don’t mind me, hurry up and pick a bed.”

 

After speaking, with the heat still on his face, An Jing pointed at Yan Qili and explained to the assistant that it was a bed for Yan Qili to sleep in alone.

 

It’s not a bed for us to share, so stop imagining things!

 

Stop playing R-rated scenes in your head.

 

Yan Qili was a prince, after all; he surely had good sleeping manners and wouldn’t make the bed creak and groan all night.

 

So the shorter one is the shy one, and the tall one is the one calling the shots.

 

The assistant followed their lead and looked at Yan Qili, recommending enthusiastically: “This model is truly comfortable. Sir, you’ll know if you just press it with your hand.”

 

The assistant spoke with great emotion, saying this mattress was good for the lumbar spine:

 

“It uses high-elastic nano-technology, which fits an adult’s spine perfectly.”

 

Yan Qili didn’t understand the strange vocabulary and didn’t really care. He had slept in deserts and wilderness; he didn’t have high demands for a bed.

 

Sturdy and big enough was all he needed.

 

The assistant’s description was flowery, but Yan Qili remained unmoved. He didn’t believe a mattress could do that much.

 

Besides, for him, sleeping too deeply at night was not a good thing.

 

An Jing felt that Yan Qili’s past hardships were partly his fault. With a compensatory “pay-to-win” mindset, he felt they could buy any bed frame, but the mattress had to be chosen carefully.

 

A person spends about one-third of their life in bed; An Jing placed great importance on sleep quality.

 

An Jing moved to the other side and pressed it with his hand. It was medium-firm, and it felt pretty good.

 

An Jing looked at Yan Qili: “Why don’t you come and take a look?”

 

Yan Qili’s attitude was casual: “Just buy whatever.”

 

Seeing the disagreement between the two, the assistant was very observant:

 

“How about this, both of you lie down and try it. If you feel uncomfortable after a trial sleep, we’ll move on to the next one.”

 

The display bed had a foot cloth, so they could lie down and try it without taking off their shoes.

 

The assistant dimmed the lights in this area and said softly: “There’s no time limit for the trial sleep. No one will disturb you during this time.”

 

“Whenever a customer finishes a trial sleep, we change the bedding promptly. You don’t need to worry about hygiene.”

 

The assistant left after speaking, telling An Jing and Yan Qili to call if they needed anything.

 

The surroundings suddenly grew dark.

 

A blue quicksand ornament on the nightstand flowed silently under the dim yellow light.

 

Only the two of them were left in this small area.

 

An Jing, who was slightly nearsighted, turned his head and squinted a bit at Yan Qili: “How about… we try it?”

 

Yan Qili stood as still as a mountain.

 

The assistant’s service was so thoughtful and the atmosphere was already set; it seemed a bit wrong not to lie down on the bed.

 

If this mattress was truly comfortable, he could buy a new one for himself, too.

 

The warm ambient lights and the assistant’s promise of no interruptions gave An Jing a sense of security.

 

He pulled his mask down to his chin and breathed in the cool air.

 

Having worn the mask for a long time, the heat hadn’t escaped, leaving a thin layer of pink on An Jing’s fair cheeks.

 

With red lips and white teeth, he looked exceptionally well-behaved.

 

Yan Qili had excellent vision. Even in the dim light, he could clearly see the slight trembling of An Jing’s eyelashes.

 

An Jing lay down properly on the edge of the bed, his hands folded over his stomach.

 

“Mm…” The feeling of lying down was completely different from pressing it with his hand. An Jing moved his shoulders and tilted his head to look at Yan Qili: “Are you really not going to try it?”

 

The mattress was indeed quite comfortable, cradling An Jing’s body and letting his mind relax.

 

In his relaxed state, An Jing patted the mattress beside him.

 

Yan Qili understood An Jing’s body language and finally deigned to walk to the bedside.

 

His knee pressed against the mattress, creating a hollow.

 

He was so tall, with the perfect proportions of broad shoulders and a narrow waist. As he approached, his shadow fell on the bed, covering An Jing’s face.

 

His aura was overwhelming.

 

Against the light, An Jing couldn’t see Yan Qili’s expression clearly, but a sudden sense of panic rose in his heart—as if he were being locked onto by a predator that could pounce and bite through his neck at any moment.

 

An Jing pulled his neck back and subconsciously moved to the side.

 

He withdrew the hand that had offered the invitation.

 

Yan Qili looked down from above at the person lying flat on the bed. His stern face showed little emotion: “No need.”

 

He did not have the habit of sharing a bed with anyone.

 

Fine then.

 

Since Yan Qili was unwilling, An Jing didn’t urge him further.

 

Besides, the two of them lying side-by-side did seem a bit strange.

 

It was his mistake.

 

With Yan Qili standing right there, An Jing didn’t feel right staying in bed and got up after just a short trial.

 

An Jing asked: “So, this one?”

 

The mattress was a bit expensive, but it was indeed comfortable to lie on.

 

Yan Qili wasn’t picky: “It’s fine.”

 

With the mattress decided, they chose a simple solid wood bed frame. However, because it would be a bit tight for someone of Yan Qili’s height to sleep on a two-meter bed, they ordered a custom extra-long and extra-wide one. They scheduled the delivery for tomorrow along with the mattress.

 

The first stop cost them five figures. An Jing didn’t even blink when he scanned the code to pay.

 

Yan Qili stood to the side and saw that An Jing only flashed his phone, and the assistant sent them out of the shop with a face full of smiles.

 

When they had passed a phone shop earlier, the “Living Yama” had learned that the small square An Jing never left was called a “cell phone.”

 

Coming out of the shop, Yan Qili looked at An Jing’s phone: “Is the money paid just like that?”

 

Hearing Yan Qili’s words, An Jing suddenly felt he was failing as a guide. He had actually forgotten to introduce the phone to Yan Qili.

 

The phone’s functions were powerful and couldn’t be explained quickly. An Jing picked a few key points to explain and finally summarized:

 

“I’ll buy you one later. You can study it slowly when we get back.”

 

Yan Qili was surprised by the level of technological development in this world, but he didn’t refuse An Jing’s suggestion.

 

From An Jing’s few words, he already felt the importance of the phone.

 

With the sleeping issue solved, it was time for clothes.

 

The two walked into a high-end men’s clothing store. In the past, An Jing wouldn’t have dared to enter a shop where there were more assistants than customers.

 

It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford it, but he was afraid of being swamped by assistants the moment he stepped in.

 

His clothes mostly came from online shopping.

 

To be precise, for anything that could be bought online, An Jing would choose online shopping.

 

Today, because he was with Yan Qili and Yan Qili was drawing all the attention, he dared to walk into this kind of shop.

 

After the two entered, a few staff members who were idling looked them up and down. No one moved a muscle; only one greeted them lazily:

 

“Feel free to look around. You can try anything you like.”

 

The prices in this store were not low. The two were dressed modestly, and the clothes Yan Qili was wearing didn’t fit. The staff assumed they were just browsing without buying and didn’t want to bother serving them.

 

The staff’s indifference was exactly what An Jing wanted.

 

An Jing was overjoyed. Instead of being displeased, he smiled and said to Yan Qili:

 

“See if there’s anything you like in this shop. If not, we’ll look elsewhere.”

 

Thinking about how Yan Qili had never worn modern clothes before, An Jing’s eyes sparkled as a thought occurred to him:

 

“How about I pick for you?”

 

The eagerness in An Jing’s eyes was too obvious. Yan Qili didn’t know what he was looking forward to and gave him a suspicious look.

 

An Jing’s head was full of the idea of a “fictional character dress-up game” coming to life. He blinked at him, his eyes full of sincerity.

 

Yan Qili: “…”

 

He really didn’t know how to choose, so he finally nodded.

 

Yes!

 

The little person in his heart cheered. An Jing restrained himself from laughing out loud and turned around, seemingly calm, to pick clothes for Yan Qili.

 

It was early March, and the shop had already put out its spring collection. An Jing immediately spotted a black cashmere coat suitable for early spring.

 

With Yan Qili’s build, he would definitely look good in a coat.

 

An Jing held the coat up against Yan Qili: “How about this one?”

 

Yan Qili didn’t refuse: “It’s fine.”

 

The coat on display was a small size that Yan Qili couldn’t wear. An Jing held the coat and looked toward the staff, wanting them to bring a large size.

 

An Jing opened his mouth: “Hello, excuse me…”

 

The people standing together chatting either didn’t hear him or chose to ignore him. From beginning to end, they didn’t even give him a glance.

 

“Hello?” An Jing plucked up his courage and raised his voice slightly to call again.

 

This time he was sure they heard him because two of them looked over.

 

But they only looked.

 

By now, even the slowest person could see that they were intentionally ignoring him.

 

Their attitude made An Jing lose his confidence. He stood there awkwardly holding the coat, not knowing if he should call a third time.

 

What if they still ignored him?

 

Maybe he should try another shop…

 

It was so embarrassing…

 

An Jing didn’t even dare turn his head to see Yan Qili’s expression.

 

Yan Qili naturally noticed it too. He looked at them with an unhappy expression.

 

Being glared at by the intimidating “Living Yama” made them feel a chill. One person couldn’t pretend anymore and was about to move when a young, round-faced boy popped out from the back warehouse.

 

The round-faced boy, who had just finished organizing the warehouse, looked at his chatting colleagues and then at Yan Qili and An Jing. After hesitating for two seconds, he walked forward:

 

“Hello, is there anything I can help you with?”

 

For once, when a stranger talked to him, An Jing didn’t want to run; instead, he was grateful: “Could you please tell me if this coat comes in other sizes?”

 

An Jing still couldn’t make eye contact. His gaze landed on the round-faced boy’s name tag—

 

Intern Assistant, Cai Qi.

 

Cai Qi had been on the job for less than two months and hadn’t finished his internship. Usually, he didn’t get a turn with customers.

 

He mostly got tasks like organizing the warehouse or ironing clothes. Or, like now, customers that other colleagues didn’t want to serve would fall into his hands.

 

His colleagues were workplace veterans who would judge whether a customer would spend money based on their dress and behavior, having different attitudes for different customers.

 

But Cai Qi wasn’t picky. Standing around was idle anyway; if the customer didn’t buy anything, he’d just treat it as gaining experience.

 

Cai Qi was very open-minded. After hearing An Jing’s words, he wasn’t impatient at all. Instead, he asked warmly:

 

“May I ask which of you two will be wearing it?”

 

An Jing pointed to Yan Qili: “He is.”

 

Cai Qi looked at Yan Qili: “Sir, what size do you usually wear? I’ll go get it for you.”

 

“…” Yan Qili looked at An Jing.

 

An Jing: “…”

 

He was the person in the world who knew Yan Qili best, but no matter how detailed he had made the male lead’s settings, he had never considered what size clothes an ancient general should wear in modern times.

 

“It’s okay.” Cai Qi smiled. “It doesn’t matter if you aren’t sure. We can just measure.”

 

Seeing Cai Qi go to the counter to get a measuring tape, his colleagues looked at each other, all seeing disdain in one another’s eyes.

 

Even the measuring tape was out. These two clearly weren’t the store’s target customers; after all that trouble, it would just be wasted effort.

 

Only an intern would do such a thankless task.

 

“Sir, please stand still.” Cai Qi opened the measuring tape, wanting to measure Yan Qili’s shoulder width and sleeve length.

 

However, before he could get close, Yan Qili frowned and avoided his reaching hand.

 

Yan Qili spoke coldly: “No need.”

 

Cai Qi: …?

 

Looking at the standoffish Yan Qili, An Jing realized the “Living Yama” didn’t like people getting too close to him.

 

This was his fault.

 

He had to take the blame for his own character settings. An Jing steeled himself and said to Cai Qi: “I’ll do it.”

 

After speaking, An Jing carefully asked for Yan Qili’s opinion: “I’ll measure you, is that okay?”

 

Yan Qili stared into his tea-colored eyes for two seconds, then finally nodded as if granting mercy.

 

Cai Qi understood that some customers weren’t used to people getting close, so he readily handed the tape to An Jing: “Then I’ll record the numbers.”

 

Shoulder width and sleeve length were relatively easy to measure, and An Jing finished them effortlessly.

 

“Next is the ch—chest circumference.” An Jing stuttered a bit and asked Yan Qili to spread his arms.

 

Although Yan Qili’s face showed little emotion, he cooperated and spread his arms.

 

Measuring from the front felt a bit strange.

 

Measuring from the back also felt strange.

 

An Jing held the tape and walked around Yan Qili in a circle, but simply couldn’t find a place to start.

 

Standing straight, Yan Qili looked down and saw An Jing holding the tape for a long time without making a move. He raised an eyebrow: “What’s wrong?”

 

“N-nothing.”

 

Both Yan Qili and Cai Qi were waiting. An Jing couldn’t delay any longer. He steeled his heart, took two steps toward Yan Qili, held both ends of the tape, and passed it under his arms.

 

Given the difference in their builds, to ensure the accuracy of the numbers, An Jing’s face was almost pressed against Yan Qili’s chest.

 

From behind, it looked as if he were hugging Yan Qili from the front.

 

It wasn’t just a trick of perspective; even with that soft measuring tape, An Jing’s movement was basically the same as a direct hug.

 

The distance between them suddenly closed. Yan Qili’s body stiffened imperceptibly for a moment, and his gaze uncontrollably fell on the top of An Jing’s head.

 

When those tailors came to the Prince’s manor to measure him in the past, no one dared to measure the notoriously dangerous “God of Slaughter” like this.

 

Yan Qili’s nostrils flared slightly. He suddenly smelled a very faint scent.

 

It came from An Jing.

 

The scent was a bit like the sweet fruit wine offered as tribute from the Western Regions.

 

Yan Qili liked strong spirits and didn’t like soft fruit wine, finding it lacked a kick.

 

The wine itself was lacking, but he couldn’t deny it smelled quite nice.

 

After pulling the tape together, An Jing moved his head, wanting to tilt it back to see the numbers.

 

As he moved, the top of his head brushed against Yan Qili’s chin, and his slightly long hair swept across the other man’s neck, bringing a gentle, tingling itch.

 

It was a very unfamiliar sensation.

 

Yan Qili wasn’t used to it. He instinctively tilted his head back and took half a step back.

 

As Yan Qili stepped back, An Jing had to follow. The measuring tape in his hand loosened, and he got a bit anxious:

 

“Don’t move.”

 

Yan Qili: “…”

 

The Living Yama stood still.