Found Him! My 'Glass-Hearted' Ex is a Pop-Up Star - Chapter 30

Sunday.

Today was the day for the pumpkin farm.

Ying Ruo woke up, toasted a slice of bread for breakfast, and tidied his messy bedhead in the mirror. His apricot eyes were watery, and the natural curls at the ends of his hair gave him a touch of boyishness. His cheeks carried a warm glow, toasted pink from the heat of the blankets.

The weather seemed quite nice today. Looking out the window, the sky was cloudless and blue. It was a bit windy, but London was always like that; this was already good enough.

The Pumpkin Farm is one of the more popular Halloween attractions in the United Kingdom. It has a strong autumn atmosphere, and at night, they offer a Spooky Halloween Night experience.

The farm is not in the city center; it spans over 100 acres and takes nearly two hours by train to reach. However, word had it there were over a million pumpkins there. Ying Ruo had never seen so many pumpkins at once, and apparently, visitors could even try their hand at carving Jack-o’-lanterns.

He felt quite excited just thinking about it.

Since tickets for Halloween day itself were impossible to get, they had chosen a different date to avoid the massive crowds. Between this and his previous cosplay for the bar job, Ying Ruo felt his exchange program was truly allowing him to experience foreign culture to the fullest.

Ying Ruo took a bus to the train station. He and Duan Zhuyan had agreed to meet directly at the station.

Temperatures at the farm would be lower than in the city, so today he wore a dark green fleece-lined hooded jacket over his versatile white shirt. Ying Ruo was naturally good-looking, with fair skin, long limbs, and a slender frame. He looked well-behaved and clean. The outer corners of his eyes naturally drooped, and his clear pupils gave him an air of unintentional innocence when he looked at people.

He arrived at the station and checked the time. He sensed that Duan Zhuyan should be arriving soon. It had been a while since they last met. The man had actually been obedient and had not come looking for him for quite some time. Truth be told, it felt a little strange not seeing him.

Just as Ying Ruo was thinking this, a stylish man wearing sunglasses strode toward him. The man wore a black cardigan with a deep V-neck, revealing the neckline of a white distressed knit undershirt. His sleeves were casually rolled to his mid-forearms, showing off strong, powerful muscle lines.

His chest muscles were massive and firm. Today, he wore matching black studs in his ears, and his hair had clearly been styled.

Ying Ruo wondered if he was going to a fashion show. Since they were going to a farm, he thought the man was dressed a bit too exquisitely. However, every time Duan Zhuyan met Ying Ruo, he fastidiously dressed himself up to look handsome and lingered in front of him. Ying Ruo was used to it.

He smiled, revealing two shallow dimples, and complimented him sweetly, “You look so handsome today, Duan Zhuyan.”

It was meant as a polite pleasantry, but the cold expression on the other man’s face softened slightly. Duan Zhuyan stared straight at him for a long moment before looking down and rubbing the back of his neck. He lightly bit his lip and spoke, “You too. You are very beautiful.”

Ying Ruo maintained his expression, but a giant question mark flashed through his mind. He had expected Duan Zhuyan to say something like “As if you need to tell me” or “I know,” or some other stubborn, slightly narcissistic response.

He had not expected the man to actually call him beautiful this time. It caught Ying Ruo off guard. Even though he was dressed like a pumpkin-themed primary schooler, seeing Duan Zhuyan looking so incredibly embarrassed made his own face start to flush for no apparent reason.

For some reason, his voice felt a bit tight as he offered a somewhat stiff thank you, “Ah, thank you.”

The two stood there, neither daring to look at the other for a moment.

The tips of Duan Zhuyan’s ears were red. He knit his brows, feeling like he was acting like a total creep. Perhaps it was because it had been so long since he had seen Ying Ruo in person, but just one look had made his heart feel like it was going to explode.

He wondered how someone could be so beautiful and so cute. He thought about how Ying Ruo looked so good in any clothes, like a fluffy ball with soft hair and a soft face. He wondered what Ying Ruo had eaten this morning to make his lips look so red.

Ying Ruo scratched his cheek. Standing here forever was not practical, so he spoke first, “Let us head in.”

Ying Ruo did not know if he had ever gone on a short train trip like this with Duan Zhuyan before. They had only dated for two weeks, so there probably had not been time for trips. However, it was not impossible; they had even had sex.

The more Ying Ruo stayed with Duan Zhuyan, the more curious he became about their past. This guy clearly looked like the conceited, aloof type who ignored people, yet he insisted on clinging to him.

Duan Zhuyan did not say anything, simply nodding and following Ying Ruo. Despite living in the United Kingdom for so long, he had never been to the Pumpkin Farm. His family had a farm back home, and he did not have the habit of celebrating Halloween. At most, he would see the costumed monsters on the street or be dragged to a party by Song Chengxu, only to leave after less than ten minutes.

This was his first time, and he was with Ying Ruo. He wondered if this was a date. Even though they had not explicitly defined the outing, he thought that two men going out together could be nothing else.

Duan Zhuyan’s throat felt a bit dry. He was actually quite expectant because Ying Ruo had been the one to invite him out. It felt so ambiguous. He believed Ying Ruo must still subconsciously like him.

However, he noticed the train was full of adults with children. He did not see any other young couples.

When they finally got off the train, took a bus, and arrived at the entrance of the Pumpkin Farm, they saw a massive poster hanging by the gate that read, “Pumpkin Farm: Family Carnival Festival.”

Duan Zhuyan was confused. Both of them fell silent. Foreign children of various ethnicities scurried past them, hopping and skipping while holding their parents’ hands as they excitedly entered the farm.

The two of them, standing there as adult Chinese men, looked somewhat out of place.

Duan Zhuyan’s nose bridge wrinkled slightly. He looked at Ying Ruo with a dark expression and asked, “What is the meaning of this?”

Ying Ruo was not entirely innocent. When he looked it up, everything was in English, and he had not read it clearly. He had accidentally chosen a family-only session. After all, pumpkin farms essentially existed for families to pick pumpkins for Halloween.

Duan Zhuyan felt like he had been played again. He had convinced himself this was a date, but fate had come to slap him awake in a particularly undignified way.

His temper flared instantly, and he said sarcastically, “What, are you the father or am I the father?”

“Do not say it like that,” Ying Ruo said sheepishly. “We could be brothers.”

Hearing this made Duan Zhuyan even more dissatisfied. He looked down with dark pupils and said fiercely, “Who wants to be brothers with you?”

His tone was harsh, his attitude poor, and his aura was heavy. His back was ramrod straight, and his eyelashes did not hide his emotions at all. The surrounding light seemed to dim by a degree.

Ying Ruo wondered why he was being so mean. “Then speak nicely,” Ying Ruo said, standing before him and looking into his eyes. His naturally soft voice trailed off at the end as if he were acting spoiled. “Why are you snapping at me?”

Duan Zhuyan pressed his lips together tightly. Ying Ruo was staring at him. Perhaps due to his youthful features and the natural curls in his hair, he looked soft even when he was not smiling.

Duan Zhuyan could not hide his subtle expression. He turned his head away, his teeth repeatedly grinding against his clenched lip. He shoved his hands into his pockets, struggling to maintain his usual aloof and distant persona, and remained silent.

“We are already here; does it really matter if it is a family session?” Ying Ruo said. “Why are you throwing a tantrum?”

Duan Zhuyan’s mouth felt like it was blocked. He stammered, unable to find words. After a moment, he softened and spoke properly to Ying Ruo, “I am not throwing a tantrum. And I was not snapping at you.”

“And?” Ying Ruo prodded.

Duan Zhuyan refused to continue; it felt as if saying another word would cost him his life.

Ying Ruo felt that Duan Zhuyan was truly difficult to teach, but he needed his cooperation. Whether it was the promise to find his memories or help him resolve the case, he was involved in quite a lot with this man. He had thought their paths would diverge after the breakup, but Duan Zhuyan clearly could not let go, and it was genuinely affecting Ying Ruo’s life.

Ying Ruo exhaled, wondering what the man actually wanted. He wondered if Duan Zhuyan wanted him to regret it that much.

Fine, since they were here, the most important thing was to have fun. Ying Ruo was quite easygoing; if Duan Zhuyan said he was not snapping, then he was not snapping.

He tilted his head to look at him, grabbed the edge of the man’s cardigan, and said kindly, “Do you want to go play?”

The tips of Duan Zhuyan’s ears were a bit red. Although his brows were tightly knit, he did not look displeased. Finally, after repeatedly biting his lip, he relaxed. After a long moment of restlessness, he managed to squeeze out a word, “Yes.”

Sometimes Ying Ruo really wanted to pat the head of this man who was nearly a head taller than him. There was no specific reason; he just looked too much like a big dog. Of course, Ying Ruo did not actually think of him as a dog; he still respected him.

Duan Zhuyan mentally slapped himself twice. He wondered why he had a mouth if he could not talk properly.

They had their tickets checked and entered the farm. Upon entering, they saw huge wooden crates filled with piled-high pumpkins. They were lined up in various sizes, colors, and strange shapes. These were the pumpkins available for purchase.

Everyone who came could take a wheelbarrow, the primitive kind that you have to lift up and push on two wheels. The Halloween atmosphere was thick. Jack-o’-lantern scarecrows were everywhere, their tattered clothes fluttering in the wind. There were even vintage tin cars like the ones in movies, with skeletons sitting in the driver’s seats. Next to each pile of pumpkins was a crookedly written sign that said, “Ghosts Haunted: Every pumpkin comes with its own spirit.”

The air smelled of dry hay and the warm fragrance of roasted toffee apples in the distance.

This was the first time Ying Ruo had seen such a massive display. Some pumpkins did not even look like pumpkins; they looked like squashes or mushrooms. He picked up a pumpkin that looked like a flower and showed it to Duan Zhuyan happily, “Look, look. Does this color and shape not look like a chrysanthemum?”

Duan Zhuyan picked one up at random and said half-heartedly, “This one looks like genitals.”

Ying Ruo just assumed he was having a moment and did not argue. Duan Zhuyan did not mean it on purpose; his mind was just full of too many thoughts. He had been listening to a lot of unorthodox advice lately. He was wondering how to seduce Ying Ruo. On this outing, he had to make Ying Ruo feel something for him; it could not keep going on like this.

Duan Zhuyan stared intently and longingly at Ying Ruo, who was happily looking for pumpkins. Ying Ruo noticed the gaze and looked up at him. But the moment their eyes met, Duan Zhuyan hurriedly looked away. His gaze was hot and stifling, a stark contrast to his cool demeanor just moments ago.

Ying Ruo wondered what was wrong with him now.

Duan Zhuyan hesitated before asking, “Do you want to put on some Halloween makeup?”

Ying Ruo put down the multi-colored little pumpkin he had just found and brushed the dust off his hands. “Right now?”

“Look at all those kids; they are all dressed up. We look too out of place,” Duan Zhuyan lied. “Just something simple, just a few strokes on the face.”

Ying Ruo had seen that kind of subtle Halloween makeup, just a few little ghosts or crosses drawn near the eyes or on the cheeks. However, he did not agree immediately this time. Instead, he asked, “If I do it, will you do it too?”

Duan Zhuyan pulled a pen out of his pocket. He had clearly brought it on purpose. He said bluntly, “I will do it if you draw it for me.”

“Okay,” Ying Ruo blinked and smiled. “Then you draw mine first.”

Duan Zhuyan had specifically looked up guides and found a cute ghost look that suited Ying Ruo best. He gestured to him, “Come here.”

Ying Ruo obediently moved in front of him. The youth’s dark green jacket fit the scene perfectly, matching the orange pumpkins. Standing there, small in front of him, he looked like a little pumpkin hidden among the rest.

The crown of his head was cute, and his hair was fine and soft, curling obediently. Ying Ruo had a delicate, elegant nose, and he looked even more exquisite up close. His jacket was open and slightly lopsided, revealing the hollow of his slender collarbone and his fair, thin chest beneath.

Duan Zhuyan looked down, his hot fingers tilting Ying Ruo’s chin up. His voice was low and cool, “Lift your face a bit.”

His thumb joint pressed against the small chin, tilting it upward. Without needing any force, Ying Ruo cooperated and tilted his head back, revealing his smooth, full forehead.

The soft flesh of his cheek was slightly squeezed. Ying Ruo fluttered his long eyelashes, which cast fan-shaped shadows beneath his eyelids. “Should I close my eyes?”

Duan Zhuyan’s eyes were dark, and his features were sharp and full of a cold intensity. He said calmly, “It is up to you.”

Closing his eyes felt a bit strange, so Ying Ruo thought about it and decided against it. “I will keep them open then.”

Duan Zhuyan did not say anything. One hand held the youth’s chin, subconsciously rubbing it, while the other hand held the eyeliner pen and began drawing the cute ghost. His hand was very steady. After all, he was someone who could precisely and uniformly plate bacteria in the lab using ten microliter pipette tips.

The fine, soft tip felt quite tickly on his face. Because the color did not show up in one stroke, he had to go back and forth repeatedly, meaning he had to keep his head tilted up for a while.

Ying Ruo’s lips were moist, glowing with a damp sheen. His lips were slightly parted from the pressure of the hand, looking exceptionally full. When his mouth opened, the tip of his tongue was faintly visible.

Duan Zhuyan did not know where to look. In a daze, he snapped back to reality and met Ying Ruo’s gaze again. Ying Ruo did not think much of it and instead gave him a sweet smile.

Duan Zhuyan froze. His eyes wavered, and his Adam’s apple rolled. He thought Ying Ruo was so much more obedient than he was. It was precisely because Ying Ruo was so well-behaved and sensible that Duan Zhuyan was willing to sit still and listen to him. He felt a bit excited.

Duan Zhuyan’s deep gaze bypassed the lips, wanting to peer inside and see what was there. He wanted to stick his fingers in and stir things up. There was a noisy buzzing in his ears. The man’s eyes were as dark as water, letting no light in.

He was annoyed. They were surrounded by chattering minors who were not even as tall as his legs. However, he really wanted to kiss him.