After Thinking I Was the Top, I Was Taken by a Cold Beauty - Chapter 6

Early the next morning, Yun Deng was nudged awake by Xia Shisheng.

When Xia Shisheng woke up and saw his childhood friend, whom he had grown up with since they were in diapers, lying next to him, his first reaction was to scramble away. During their high school years, the two of them had frequently shared a bed. However, ever since Yun Deng came out of the closet, Xia Shisheng, as a dyed-in-the-wool straight man, had become adamantly opposed to sleeping in the same bed as him.

There was, of course, another reason: Yun Deng’s sleeping posture was atrocious. Spending a night in bed with him was nothing short of an epic disaster.

Yun Deng’s consciousness was still hazy when he received a kick to his calf.

“Get up already. Do not go spreading your gay energy to me.”

“I know, I know. Do not rush me.”

Even though his eyes were barely open from exhaustion, Yun Deng quickly got up and put on his shoes. He had fallen asleep the moment he hit the bed the previous night without even changing his clothes. As he bent over to tie his shoes while sitting on the edge of the bed, he finally felt a bit more awake.

Xia Shisheng was already fully prepared to head out. He had drunk himself into a stupor the night before and was currently complaining of a headache. Because he had business to attend to in the morning, he called a designated driver and left.

Yun Deng watched Xia Shisheng’s departing figure with a sense of bewilderment. He did not understand why his friend felt the need to wake him up just to leave. After his brain rebooted for a few seconds, he decided to head out early as well.

He had recently found a new target to pursue, and he had secretly vowed that if he succeeded this time, he would stay committed for the long haul. Consequently, he had made an appointment a week ago with a well-known stylist to revamp his image. He originally thought that waking up early would give him plenty of time, but he ended up caught in the morning rush hour, making it impossible to even catch the subway.

In the high-rise buildings surrounding the trendy intersection near the City Museum, there were dozens of prestigious private studios across various industries. Most of them were fully booked until the following year, making it nearly impossible to secure an appointment. The lower floors also housed countless individual shops and studios. This area was a prime commercial district, where the monthly rent for a single unit could reach nearly ten thousand.

Yun Deng entered the Rubik’s Cube Building just in time and squeezed into a crowded elevator. He successfully arrived at the difficult-to-book studio five minutes before his appointment.

The stylist was a cool, middle-aged man with a large belly and dreadlocks. He was witty, humorous, and eloquent. He possessed a keen intuition for his clients’ desires and recommended styles based on their facial features. The session lasted from noon until nearly eight o’clock in the evening. The stylist recommended various hairstyles and colors based on Yun Deng’s face shape. Unable to choose, Yun Deng simply waved his hand and told the man to do whatever he thought was best.

During his university years, Yun Deng had followed the trend and gotten his left ear pierced. Now, an assistant selected a simple, circular silver stud for him to wear. His hairstyle was transformed from a simple fringe into a Japanese-style textured perm with a hint of a curl. He also picked out a new outfit in the shop. He wore a pure white, long-sleeved cotton shirt paired with an apricot-colored cardigan. For the bottom, he wore casual suit trousers in the same color as the cardigan. His accessories included the circular ear stud and black wireless neckband headphones.

Once the process was complete, the stylist and his two assistants were extremely satisfied. They felt that Yun Deng’s new look had improved his personal image by one hundred percent.

Yun Deng had been staring into the mirror ever since his hair was finished. He felt that something was strange but could not quite put his finger on it. It was only after he put on the full outfit that he realized where the problem lay. In this state, how did he look like a Top at all?

This look was almost identical to the Bottoms he watched in adult films while hiding under his covers at night. It turned out that after using his connections and spending several thousand, he had ended up transforming himself into a Bottom from the movies. To make matters worse, the two young female assistants were standing beside him, showering him with praise.

“Your skin was already fair, but this hairstyle makes you look even more radiant. You are the perfect little milk dog type.”

The other girl added enthusiastically, “Yes, I think it suits you perfectly. You look completely different from when you arrived this morning.”

Yun Deng did not care for a single word they said, yet he still responded politely and thanked the two young women for their compliments.

At half past nine in the evening, he walked out of the Rubik’s Cube Building with a look of dejection. At this hour, the capital was teeming with tourists and vibrant lights. Amidst the laughter of the pedestrians, Yun Deng opened his phone camera to check his reflection once more. He had to admit the change was significant. He was stunned by his own reflection; the styling and outfit seemed to have altered his very aura.

The stylist had even added him as a contact to give him future advice on clothing styles and color palettes. He was incredibly considerate.

After taking a full hour to accept his new look, Yun Deng finally remembered his plan to wait for his dream man at the café. However, he deduced that the man only appeared on Friday afternoons, usually staying for an hour or two before leaving. Now, Yun Deng only wanted Friday to arrive quickly so he could bravely ask for the man’s contact information. The thought of the scene he had visualized countless times in his head made him so nervous he could hardly breathe.

It was only when the green light at the intersection began its countdown that he snapped out of his thoughts. He originally intended to go home early to rest, but the moment he sat in the driver’s seat, he received a message from Song Shuya. She said she had something to discuss and asked him to either come to her house or let her come over to his. Yun Deng was too lazy to drive another trip, so he told Song Shuya to just come to his place.

By the time the hour hand had made a full circle, Yun Deng dragged his exhausted body back to his villa. He arrived just as his pre-ordered takeout was delivered. Because he was getting his hair done, he had only eaten a piece of bread provided by the assistant for dinner. Aside from that, he had eaten nothing else all day. He was now so hungry that he felt he could devour both the food and the delivery rider.

Fortunately, it arrived just in time. After clearing some clutter off the coffee table, he sat down on the carpeted floor and began to eat. When Song Shuya arrived, she saw the coffee table covered with desserts and drinks. The aroma of braised chicken with mushrooms drifted through the air while Yun Deng was busily slurping his noodles. Seeing her arrive, he put down his chopsticks and invited her to sit.

“Have some pudding. I ordered it specifically for you.”

Song Shuya sat down beside him and noticed that her friend had changed his look. She leaned in to examine him closely for a moment before pinching his cheek. Yun Deng was eating like a starved ghost and only wanted to finish his meal quickly. He did not expect Song Shuya’s sudden attack as she pinched his left cheek quite hard.

He turned to look at Song Shuya’s scrutinizing gaze and said unhappily, “Why did you pinch me?”

In the past, Song Shuya thought Yun Deng was just as annoying as her distant relative, Xia Shisheng. Now, seeing his new hairstyle, she found him much more pleasing to the eye. She ran her hand through his fluffy curls and then squeezed his face with both hands. Looking at his confused expression, she said, “Our Deng Deng has become so cute after changing his hair.”

Yun Deng immediately felt a shiver of disgust. He swatted Song Shuya’s hand away and said, “Your disgusting words and behavior are becoming more advanced. I am so repulsed that I can barely finish my meal.”

“Not at all. This perm is done very well and it really suits your face,” Song Shuya said seriously.

Yun Deng did not feel like engaging with her. He was already filled with regret and only wanted to finish his noodles. A moment later, after clearing the coffee table, he turned on the television to a random program for background noise and prepared to talk business with Song Shuya.

Song Shuya maintained the image of a cold and elegant woman in public, but in front of her close friends, her true nature was fully exposed. She reached out and snatched a piece of cake from him.

“Do your online fans know you are like this at home, lady?” Yun Deng asked with a look of grievance after his cake was stolen.

“They do not. But you reminded me; I will use your living room for a live stream tonight. Your decorations are quite nice.”

Yun Deng sighed, sat back on the sofa, poured himself a glass of water, and asked, “You said you had something to talk to me about. What is it exactly?”

“It is nothing major. I just want you to attend a parent-teacher meeting for the younger sister of an editor in my studio.”

Upon hearing this, Yun Deng nearly doubted his own hearing. He was completely baffled. Seeing that Song Shuya’s attitude did not seem like a joke, he found it even more absurd. Attending a parent-teacher meeting for a stranger’s sister was simply too ridiculous.

“The entire studio and I will be going on a business trip next week, and I truly cannot find the time. Besides, her family situation is quite complicated, so it is not convenient for me to reveal too much.”

“But you cannot just ask me…”

“You are the one with the most free time. Besides, the little girl is quite pitiful, actually.”

In the end, Yun Deng could not find a way to refuse and had to nod in agreement. However, the location was quite a coincidence; it was the same Xihe High School next to the café. The timing, however, did not suit Yun Deng at all, as it was scheduled for this coming Friday afternoon. He had originally planned to make his move on that beautiful man this week. Now, he would have to delay it for another week, and he was worried the man might not show up then.

Before going to bed that night, he could not help but visualize the man’s face in his mind. He could not stop fantasizing about what it would feel like to be in a relationship with him. The more time was delayed, the more his heart ached with anticipation. When the time came, he would definitely give the most precious treasure to that person.

Seeing him staring blankly and smiling like an idiot, Song Shuya felt a chill run down her spine. She instinctively thought he was possessed. After all, such a vacant, happy expression was quite eerie.

After enjoying his personal moment of happiness, Yun Deng prepared to go upstairs to rest. He instructed Song Shuya to make sure she locked the door if she left, and reminded her that there was a guest room available if she stayed. Song Shuya’s pool party from the previous night had allowed her to make new friends, and they had agreed to do a joint live stream tonight. Yun Deng’s place was quiet, spacious, and well-insulated, making it perfect for a live stream battle.

Inside his room upstairs, Yun Deng locked the door, drew the curtains, and went into the bathroom to shower. Afterward, he wrapped himself in a blanket and emerged from the stall. He placed the blanket on a rack and collapsed into bed to sleep.

As soon as he closed his eyes, the image of that handsome man appeared in his mind again. The scene returned to that rainy Friday. As his consciousness drifted, the images began to distort, and some steamy, beautiful scenes surfaced in his heart. Yun Deng was jolted awake by the scenes he had just imagined. His breathing grew ragged, and his hand instinctively reached down under the covers.

Realizing he was reacting to the scenarios he had conjured up, he immediately pulled his hand back. Without even turning on the lights, he ran back to the bathroom. A moment later, the sound of the shower echoed in the stall. Yun Deng immediately knocked his head against the wall tiles. He did not stop until his forehead throbbed with pain and he had completely regained his senses. He did not even know the man, yet he had reacted this way; it felt incredibly untoward.

After lying back down, Yun Deng found himself completely unable to sleep. His face was burning with heat, and he felt an overwhelming sense of shame for his earlier behavior. Amidst his embarrassment, he realized this was the first time he had ever reacted this way to a man. With his previous partners, he had only wanted a quiet, simple romance; he had never harbored such thoughts.

Ultimately, he realized he was just a coward; he had even been too shy to hold hands. Thinking this, Yun Deng suddenly pulled the covers over his head, forcing himself to fall asleep. He hoped that when he woke up tomorrow morning, he would have forgotten the entire incident.

However, a beautiful man who looked that gentle was truly difficult to forget. He felt he had completely lost face.

Support