After Falling in Love with a 2D Character as a Socially Anxious Person - Chapter 8

Once the simple chest measurement was done, both the person measuring and the person being measured let out a long sigh of relief at the same time.

 

The task was complete. An Jing was about to return the measuring tape to Cai Qi when he heard the latter say:

 

“Next, just measure the waist, hips, and leg length.”

 

An Jing: ???

 

Holding the tape, An Jing stared blankly, feeling stuck in an awkward position again.

 

What else needed to be measured?

 

Hi—hip circumference??

 

The hips!

 

An Jing followed Cai Qi’s words and glanced down before quickly looking away. Having worn the mask for so long, he suddenly felt a bit hot.

 

How was he supposed to measure Yan Qili’s hips?

 

Yan Qili was also stunned. Just as he was about to refuse, he heard Cai Qi say, “But these are quite simple; you can measure them yourself, sir.”

 

An Jing: “…”

 

Yan Qili: “…”

 

In the silence, the two looked at each other and then looked away at the same time.

 

Their habitual way of thinking had led to a misunderstanding, making things feel inexplicably awkward.

 

An Jing handed the tape to Yan Qili and fled to pick out other clothes.

 

Yan Qili moved quickly and finished the measurements. Looking at the numbers recorded on the size chart, Cai Qi gave a sincere compliment: “Sir, you have a truly great physique.”

 

Hearing this, the distracted An Jing couldn’t help but recall the feel of Yan Qili’s build when he was measuring his chest just now.

 

Yan Qili’s body was indeed…

 

Beyond words.

 

As a martial artist, he looked lean in clothes but was well-muscled underneath.

 

He truly lived up to being a “cub” created by An Jing.

 

“Please wait a moment.” Cai Qi put away the size chart and spoke to Yan Qili with a smile before going to the warehouse to find a coat in his size.

 

On this end, An Jing successfully pushed the previous scene out of his mind and picked out a few pairs of pants and two inner shirts.

 

Yan Qili wasn’t suited for clothes that were too flashy or bright. An Jing chose items that were more steady and casual.

 

When Cai Qi came out with the coat, An Jing stuffed everything in his hands over to Yan Qili:

 

“Try them all on.”

 

Yan Qili pursed his thin lips. He didn’t want to try them, but since An Jing said clothes must be tried on before buying, he turned and went into the fitting room.

 

It was just changing clothes; he didn’t know what An Jing was so excited about.

 

While Yan Qili was changing inside, An Jing continued to pick things out. Yan Qili lacked every type of clothing, so he wasn’t afraid of buying too much.

 

His wallet was ready to spend big on this paper person!

 

While An Jing was choosing clothes, Cai Qi stayed patient and only spoke when asked; he didn’t blindly push products. For anything that looked good, An Jing had Cai Qi pull a set in Yan Qili’s size.

 

The other shop assistants saw An Jing picking up item after item with Cai Qi following him around, and they felt amused in their hearts.

 

One lowered their voice: “Just watch. After trying so many, if Cai Qi manages to sell even a single tie, it’ll be a stroke of good luck.”

 

A colleague raised their eyebrows high: “Maybe it’ll be a pair of socks?”

 

“The socks in our shop aren’t cheap either. Selling a pair of socks would still count as a sale for Cai Qi.”

 

They looked at each other and shared a knowing laugh.

 

Having worked in the industry for years, they could tell at a glance that An Jing was wearing cheap goods from the internet. His entire outfit probably cost less than a thousand dollars at most. He didn’t even have a single accessory.

 

With such a poor vibe, yet picking items without even checking the price tags…

 

What was he pretending for? Acting as if he could actually afford it. Just that black coat they asked about earlier cost five figures.

 

One of them, seeing Cai Qi working so hard for An Jing, felt a bit sorry. Taking advantage of a moment when An Jing wasn’t looking, they pulled Cai Qi aside.

 

“Are you stupid?” That person glanced at An Jing and whispered to Cai Qi, “Those two obviously aren’t here to buy. Just brush them off. If they ask for anything, just say you don’t have the right size. Why are you being so serious?”

 

Cai Qi gave a silly grin and said “It’s fine” before going back to help An Jing find clothes.

 

The person: “…”

 

Suit yourself. You deserve to work for nothing!

 

An Jing didn’t know what the others were thinking. While Yan Qili was changing, he walked through the entire store. He and Cai Qi picked so many clothes that they couldn’t hold them all and had to put them on the sofa.

 

Coming back to his senses after being overwhelmed by choices, An Jing looked at the pile of clothes and rubbed the bridge of his nose through his mask:

 

“Let’s start with these.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Even though he knew he would likely have to hang every single one of these back up himself later, the smile on Cai Qi’s face didn’t fade.

 

With a light creak, the fitting room door opened, and Yan Qili walked out in new clothes.

 

An Jing looked up and his expression went blank for a second.

 

He knew Yan Qili would look good in a coat, and he had prepared himself for the visual impact of the paper person’s beauty, but he hadn’t expected it to be this good.

 

As an author praised by countless fans for his writing, An Jing felt at a loss for words for the first time. His brain stalled; besides “good-looking,” he couldn’t think of any other descriptions.

 

Through An Jing’s eyes, Yan Qili wondered what this reaction meant. Was it a bad fit? Did it not look good?

 

Yan Qili didn’t care about his image in others’ eyes. Whether he was seen as a War God saving the people or a ruthless Living Yama, it was all him. He didn’t care about the criticism of scholars, and others’ words couldn’t hurt him.

 

However, since it was the Living Yama’s first time wearing such clothes, he felt a tiny bit of concern in his heart, though he didn’t show it.

 

An Jing said nothing, and Yan Qili stared back at him silently.

 

Yan Qili’s face slowly darkened. He didn’t pick the clothes himself; if they looked bad, who was to blame?

 

After the initial surprise, Cai Qi complimented him sincerely: “This set suits you very well, sir. You look very handsome!”

 

Even the assistants who hadn’t paid any attention to An Jing and Yan Qili earlier were stunned when they saw Yan Qili. One of them whispered a sigh:

 

“Those legs… they’re almost longer than my lifespan.”

 

An Jing snapped out of it at that sigh and nodded vigorously.

 

He looked great!

 

For his first time playing a real-life version of “dress up the paper person,” the visual effect was very satisfying. I can spend even more!

 

Yan Qili, who had intended to go back and change immediately, relaxed his expression slightly. Guided by Cai Qi, he looked at himself in the full-length mirror.

 

Yan Qili’s sense of style hadn’t caught up to modern times yet. Looking at the mirror that showed him so clearly, he couldn’t tell why it looked good. He just felt the outfit was strange. These clothes weren’t suited for big movements; on a battlefield, he wouldn’t even be able to swing a spear.

 

“Try this set next.” Without giving Yan Qili time to get used to the “new skin,” An Jing brought over another outfit.

 

Yan Qili frowned: “I have to change again?”

 

An Jing nodded seriously: “Yes.”

 

Yan Qili: “…”

 

With a dark face, Yan Qili went back into the fitting room. He tried on three or four sets in a row, and both An Jing and Cai Qi said every single one looked good.

 

Later, An Jing got back into his novelist mode and became a genuine “compliment machine.” He had a different way of praising every set, providing maximum emotional value.

 

Not only did the person trying on the clothes feel pleased, but even Cai Qi was stunned by the descriptions. As a professional salesperson, he felt a sudden sense of crisis—he wasn’t as good at praising as the customer. He looked at An Jing again and again.

 

Several times, Cai Qi wanted to ask: You’re so good at giving compliments; friend, have you considered writing a book?

 

Yan Qili snapped out of An Jing’s praises faster than Cai Qi. After trying on several sets, he absolutely refused to try any more.

 

An Jing let out a regretful sigh. “Alright then.”

 

He actually hadn’t seen enough yet, but he knew the Living Yama’s patience was mostly used up, so he stopped while he was ahead.

 

Cai Qi, who had just watched a fashion show, also felt it hadn’t been long enough. After Yan Qili came out in his original clothes, he asked out of habit:

 

“Is there anything you like, sir?”

 

Cai Qi was just asking the routine question and didn’t have high expectations. From start to finish, Yan Qili hadn’t shown any excitement or interest in the price. He didn’t spend long in each set; he basically just stepped out to show his face and then went right back to change.

 

Moreover, there was still a pile of clothes on the sofa that the customer had picked out but hadn’t tried yet. If they might not buy the ones they tried, then the ones they didn’t try were even less likely to be bought.

 

Although Cai Qi really hoped the customer would buy something so he could make a sale—having some performance results would make it easier to talk to the manager about a permanent position. However, seeing that An Jing and Yan Qili didn’t seem to have much intent to buy, he didn’t feel discouraged. He maintained his attitude from beginning to end, providing smiling service until the very last moment.

 

At worst, I’ll just finish my three-month internship and change careers, Cai Qi comforted himself. Then, An Jing spoke:

 

“Everything he tried on just now—please pack them all up for us.”

 

If there’s nothing he liked, then so be it. No need to buy—Wait?

 

The automatic response in Cai Qi’s head hit the pause button. He suddenly whipped his head toward An Jing. “Wh-what did you say?”

 

Was he hallucinating?

 

Pack them… up?

 

All of them! Pack them up?

 

Cai Qi’s head turned so sharply and his eyes were so bright that An Jing felt a chill down his back. He shrank closer to Yan Qili.

 

Looking at An Jing, who had turned back into a timid rabbit, Yan Qili: “…” Where did the courage go that he used to tempt me into trying on clothes?

 

An Jing swallowed and stuttered along with Cai Qi: “Is… is something wrong?”

 

Did he say something wrong?

 

An Jing’s gaze caught the pile of clothes on the sofa, and he suddenly had a realization—was the man unhappy that he had picked so many but only bought a few?

 

Thinking he understood, An Jing immediately raised his hand weakly: “Those ones too. Pack them up.”

 

Even though Yan Qili hadn’t tried those clothes, An Jing had personally picked them out with great effort and had intended to buy them all along. He just hadn’t had the chance to say it yet. Seeing Yan Qili in those few sets made him believe that there were only clothes Yan Qili could or couldn’t fit into, but nothing that wouldn’t look good on him.

 

Cai Qi hadn’t even woken up from the first “pie falling from the sky” when he followed An Jing’s finger and was knocked dizzy by a second, even larger pie.

 

“Those… those also need to be packed up?”

 

Cai Qi, who had never sold a single piece of clothing, felt his head spinning. He could only repeat An Jing’s words. After repeating them, Cai Qi suddenly let out a “ga” sound.

 

Ga?

 

An Jing, who heard it clearly: “…?” Is that a sound a human can make?

 

Now An Jing not only took a step back himself but also pulled Yan Qili back with him. Cai Qi’s reaction made An Jing uncertain about his mental state.

 

An Jing looked at Cai Qi, whose eyes were terrifyingly bright, and asked after a few seconds of hesitation, “Is that okay?”

 

“Of course, it’s okay!”

 

Before Cai Qi could crawl out of the pile of “pies,” his colleagues snapped out of their initial shock. They stopped chatting and rushed over like a swarm of bees:

 

“Sir, are you sure you want all of these?”

 

“Please sit here, you two. Just a moment, I’ll pack them for you right away.”

 

“Sir, I see you chose a coat. This model is also very good; would you like to try it?”

 

“Cai Qi, what are you doing? It’s been so long and you haven’t even poured some water for this gentleman.”

 

“Sir…”

 

Someone was almost reaching out to pull An Jing. If they closed this sale, they wouldn’t have to worry about this month’s performance goals!

 

The assistants, regretful for misjudging them, ignored the sting of embarrassment and crowded around, pushing Cai Qi to the side. This successfully terrified An Jing.

 

Earlier, when these people ignored him and didn’t speak, An Jing could treat them like wooden posts that didn’t move. He used that mental imagery to lower his fear of strangers. Now, the wooden posts had suddenly come to life and were standing so close.

 

When the assistants rushed over, Yan Qili felt a jolt in his heart and immediately pulled An Jing behind him. However, the fear and anxiety brought by being in a crowd swept in and instantly overwhelmed An Jing.

 

An Jing’s limbs went weak. Too close, too many people… they’re all talking, it’s so hard to breathe…

 

Just as he felt he couldn’t get enough air, someone caught him.

 

“An Jing.”

 

Yan Qili gripped his shoulders and called his name.

 

An Jing, struggling in fear and anxiety, trembled all over. He looked up, following the strength of the grip, and met Yan Qili’s calm, dark blue eyes.

 

“Yan Qi… Yan Qili?”

 

An Jing’s throat felt tight; even his voice was shaking.

 

“Mm,” Yan Qili responded. He took off the mask that was hindering An Jing’s breathing. “Breathe.”

 

Fresh air entered his chest, and An Jing instinctively took a deep breath. Yan Qili firmly caught An Jing’s waist so he wouldn’t fall over from his weak legs. “Can you still stand?”

 

An Jing gave a very soft “mm.” Just as he wanted to turn his head, Yan Qili forcefully pinched his chin and turned him back.

 

Yan Qili frowned: “Don’t look at them.”

 

The bright spotlights above made An Jing squint slightly. With his chin held by Yan Qili, he could only look at him. In his tea-colored eyes, there was only Yan Qili’s reflection.

 

After a few seconds, or perhaps a long time, the dazed An Jing heard Yan Qili ask:

 

“Are you feeling a bit better?”

 

An Jing didn’t know if he was better, but he guessed he must have nodded, because he saw Yan Qili’s brow relax slightly.

 

The shop assistants, including Cai Qi, were frightened by An Jing’s reaction. They didn’t know why he had suddenly become unwell out of the blue. It looked quite serious.

 

The entire shop went quiet. Everyone looked at each other, filled with suspicion and fear: Was it a seizure or something else?

 

Some suspected the two were regretting the purchase and were acting on purpose to show them, but looking at Yan Qili’s expression—his face was so dark he looked like he might eat someone; it didn’t look like an act. If the acting were really that good, he would have a place in the entertainment industry and wouldn’t need to come to their shop to cause trouble.

 

After waiting for a while, someone spoke up boldly: “Sir, you—?”

 

“Shut up,” Yan Qili interrupted coldly.

 

the person immediately shut up.

 

Yan Qili led An Jing to sit on the sofa and unceremoniously dismissed the group: “We don’t need you here.”

 

Then, the Living Yama tilted his chin at Cai Qi: “You, come over.”

 

A customer had become the one giving orders, but under his intimidating aura, no one raised an objection. The assistants surrounding them scattered as fast as possible, leaving only one silly, round-faced guy.

 

With fewer people around, An Jing’s face looked much better, and his breathing became smoother. Social anxiety, being a psychological condition, was like that—the symptoms came quickly and left quickly.

 

Cai Qi, the only person allowed to stay, looked at An Jing with concern but didn’t feel right asking what exactly happened. What if it was the customer’s private matter?

 

Yan Qili didn’t give him a chance to ask either. An Jing sat on the sofa to recover while Cai Qi packed the chosen clothes.

 

“Yes, yes, right away,” Cai Qi nodded repeatedly. Before packing the clothes, he didn’t forget to pour a glass of warm water for An Jing first.

 

By the time Cai Qi had packed everything, An Jing had mostly recovered. He gave Yan Qili a grateful look. “I’m okay now.”

 

His social anxiety wasn’t actually that severe; it was just that what happened was sudden and he was completely unprepared. Seeing that An Jing’s complexion had indeed improved, Yan Qili felt a little more at ease.

 

Under the envious and jealous gazes of the other shop assistants, the recovered An Jing swiped his card and paid the bill. Because they bought so much and Cai Qi knew they didn’t have a car, he said they could deliver to their door: “Just leave an address and contact information.”

 

There were still many things to buy, and carrying so many clothes was indeed inconvenient, so An Jing agreed.

 

Yan Qili remained silent, looking at An Jing’s thin frame, deep in thought. “Social Anxiety Disorder”—it was his first time hearing of this condition today, and An Jing’s symptoms were a bit more serious than he had imagined.