Found Him! My 'Glass-Hearted' Ex is a Pop-Up Star - Chapter 8

The air fell into silence.

Duan Zhuyan’s movements became visibly stiff. He remained frozen for several seconds before tilting his head and looking away, pretending to be confused. He was playing dumb.

Ying Ruo sighed.

In his mind, Duan Zhuyan was breaking into a cold sweat. He gambled on whether Ying Ruo was just bluffing. He had not even shown his face, so how could he have been discovered?

Suddenly, a flash of snowy white moved before his eyes.

A cool but incredibly soft touch lightly brushed against Duan Zhuyan’s earlobe and the piercings on his ear. It carried the faint scent belonging to the owner of that hand. Because Ying Ruo was leaning down, the thin bone at the base of his neck protruded slightly.

The collar of Ying Ruo’s shirt, which was already a bit low, flared out at the chest as he moved. His fair skin was revealed to Duan Zhuyan, glowing with a warm pink hue.

Then, Duan Zhuyan heard him say very softly, “Duan Zhuyan, your new ear piercings suit you very well.”

Boom.

Almost instantly, Duan Zhuyan turned a deep red from his neck to his ears. He practically launched himself backward, covering his ears with his hands, completely speechless.

Ying Ruo looked at him with confusion.

Duan Zhuyan stood there, towering over him and wearing a mask, so Ying Ruo could not see his expression. He had only intended to remind the man, but he did not expect such a massive reaction. Strangely, he found it quite cute.

The bar played old-fashioned phonograph music that matched the Halloween atmosphere. Lights and shadows shifted, and the air was thick with the scent of musk and strong liquor. The two of them stood still, staring awkwardly at each other for a long time.

After a brief silence, Duan Zhuyan admitted defeat. Without saying a word, he covered his ears, turned around, and ran away.

“Hey,” Ying Ruo called out, staring blankly at the retreating back of the man who looked as though he were fleeing for his life. He looked at the food on the table and asked, “Are you coming back to eat these?”

Duan Zhuyan did not answer him. He felt as though he had lost all his dignity.

He charged straight into the restroom. The Halloween atmosphere of the bar was very thorough. The naturally dilapidated bathroom looked even more eerie with the decorations. A skeleton prop with severed limbs lay on the sink counter.

Duan Zhuyan kicked the skeleton bones out of the way and walked quickly to the sink. He took off his mask and turned on the cold water to wash his face. The faucet was turned on high, and the water splashed against the ceramic basin, wetting his shirt front.

Duan Zhuyan bent over, his breathing heavy. He supported himself with his hands on the counter and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were red at the corners. The wet hair on his forehead hung messily, and his aggressive features were flushed with shame.

The cold water did not cool his face. Droplets slid down his tense jawline and across his neck. He looked fierce, his ears and neck a bloody red. The silver-white ear studs shone brightly under the ceiling lights.

Duan Zhuyan wiped his face roughly. His arm muscles were taut, and his fists were clenched. The crimson flush on his ears continued to spread. His Adam’s apple bobbed with difficulty as he stared at his disheveled self in the mirror and cursed under his breath, “Damn it.”

How could he have forgotten about the ear piercings? That meant Ying Ruo had recognized him long ago and had been playing along this entire time.

Looking at it this way, he felt like a stalker who was shamelessly trying to attract his ex-boyfriend’s attention to beg for a reconciliation. However, he wondered if Ying Ruo really recognized him just by his piercings.

Duan Zhuyan felt his heart racing. He almost buried his face in the basin again. Just then, his phone rang.

“Young Master, I have found the information you requested.”

Duan Zhuyan finally composed himself slightly. He wiped his forehead, stood up straight, and took a deep breath to adjust his state. He returned to his usual indifferent tone and asked, “How is it?”

“The NHS has no record of a registration. Later, we checked several private hospitals and finally found the hospitalization records and medical charts at Nuffield Health Hospital. Currently, the cause of the injury remains unknown. I have sent the relevant documents to your phone.”

Duan Zhuyan’s deep eyes darkened slightly. “Understood. Thank you for your hard work.”

“You are welcome, Young Master,” the person on the other end said politely. “I will contact you again if there are new findings. I wish your lover a speedy recovery.”

Duan Zhuyan hung up the phone. His expression was cold and blank, completely different from the man who had just been blushing from a few words. He looked down, picked up his mask with his well-defined fingers, and opened his email on his phone. He carefully reviewed the file he had sent someone to find.

The title of one document read: From Nuffield Hospital—Ying Ruo’s Hospitalization Report and Fee Statement.

Ying Ruo did not see Duan Zhuyan return for a long time. He watched the direction the man had gone from the bar, but Duan Zhuyan did not reappear. He wondered if the man had left.

Ying Ruo looked around for a while longer. For some reason, Duan Zhuyan always reminded him of a grumpy dog he had raised when he was a child. The way Duan Zhuyan kept ringing the bell earlier was just like a big dog wanting someone to play with him, especially after doing something wrong and then running off to sulk.

But why was he not coming back? He had not even eaten the food he ordered.

“Ruo,” Ian’s voice came from the side. “The customers over there have been ringing the bell for a long time. Go and check on them.”

Ying Ruo snapped out of it. “Ah, I am sorry. I was daydreaming.”

“It is fine,” Ian smiled. He looked at Ying Ruo’s face and said, “But you look a bit pale. Do you need to rest for a bit? I will take over here.”

Ying Ruo thanked Ian quickly. “I am very sorry. I will go take a break.”

He suspected he had caught a cold because of the weather. To make it to this shift, he had only managed to eat two bites of his sandwich. Now his stomach felt empty and uncomfortable. Ying Ruo thought about making something for himself to eat and having Ian deduct it from his wages.

He walked back behind the bar and picked up the menu. He was shocked when he saw the first price.

“How much?”

A portion of pumpkin fries was 12 pounds. Ying Ruo rubbed his eyes and looked at the numbers again. He had only been focused on learning the names of the items earlier and did not realize they were so expensive.

A pumpkin cake was 16 pounds, a hash brown man was 18 pounds, a Halloween-themed burger was 22 pounds, and any drink cost at least 20 pounds. This price could buy so many meal deals. No wonder the hourly wage was 60 pounds. It was pure capitalist profit.

Ying Ruo closed the menu. He decided he would just stay hungry. It would not kill him.

“Ruo, it is good that you are still here,” Ian said as he ran over. “It seems this place is busier than I thought. I might not be able to let you rest for now.”

Business was great. Despite the high prices, there were many wealthy people willing to pay.

“All right, I will help now.” Ying Ruo nodded. He knew he had to act like an employee. He picked up the menu and went to a table marked by a jack-o’-lantern to take orders.

The Halloween event reached its peak, and there were many more “monsters” at this hour. The people dancing upstairs came down to eat and chat. A tall pumpkin-headed ghost stood in the center of the bar. Its tattered white hem fluttered in the draft created by people moving past, making it look as though it were truly floating. The colorful lights made the atmosphere even more eerie.

Ying Ruo took orders, prepared them at the bar, and served them. The crowd continued to grow.

“Hey, little wizard, is my broomstick cake ready yet?” a young man wearing cat ears asked.

Ying Ruo looked at the order slip. “What is your order number, please?”

“I do not remember. It should be written there,” the cat-eared man said. He was leaning against a masked man who was shirtless except for a bowtie. He drank his liquor and said flirtatiously, “Could you hurry up, please?” He stared at Ying Ruo for a moment and added, “You are so cute. If you ever feel lonely, I can introduce you to someone.”

Ying Ruo saw the seductive look in his eyes and felt that the introduction would not be anything good. He shook his head. “No, thank you.”

The cat-eared man shrugged. “What a pity.” Then he turned around and began passionately kissing the man behind him.

Ying Ruo was stunned. It was a French kiss. This was the first time he had seen two men kissing so intensely at such close range. He looked away immediately, his face feeling hot. He took the cake and ran out from behind the bar to deliver it.

Perhaps because of the crowd, the air felt thin. Mixed with the scent of tobacco and alcohol, it felt very heavy. Inhaling it made him feel unwell, but he decided to endure it.

Just then, a drunk person holding a beer bottle collided with him head-on. Ying Ruo lost his balance completely. With nothing to hold onto, he fell straight to the ground.

A loud crash echoed as the stainless steel tray carrying the cake flipped over. Ying Ruo fell painfully. Some cream splashed onto his lace shirt and slid into his collar. His black garter stockings were caught on a protruding corner of the wooden floor, creating a large tear that ripped from the top of his thigh down to the middle, revealing skin that was whiter than the cream.

Ying Ruo was not scrawny; his skin was soft and fair. The tear in the stocking created an unintentional sense of vulnerability. However, his eyes were clear and innocent. His hair was slightly tousled, and his face was flushed as he looked at the ruined stocking in confusion. He worried if he would have to pay for it.

The dazed little wizard did not notice the crowd of “monsters” staring at him with predatory eyes. Ian was shocked. He knew that sitting on the floor like that would make Ying Ruo a target.

The next second, a black cloak was draped over the little wizard, completely covering his legs and body.

Ying Ruo looked up quickly. He saw Duan Zhuyan’s face. The man was no longer wearing his mask. His features were sharp and handsome, and his eyes were cold. Up close, they were beautiful but hidden with complex emotions. He leaned down, his shadow blocking out the overhead light.

Ying Ruo smelled that woody scent again. It was clear and pure, a stark contrast to the mixed smells of the bar. It filled his senses like a heavy net. Then, the man hooked an arm under the youth’s legs and lifted him up with a gentle force.

Ying Ruo flinched and instinctively wrapped his arms around Duan Zhuyan’s neck to keep from falling. It was so effortless, as if the man were picking up a toy.

Ian was truly startled and stepped forward to stop the man. “Wait, sir. Who are you? Please do not just take our employee away! Put him down immediately.”

Duan Zhuyan looked down at the Frenchman with extreme displeasure. He tightened his grip on the youth. His expression was naturally cold, and his voice was low and icy.

He spoke in French. “Je suis son petit ami.”

I am his boyfriend.