Mannequin.

Wúyǐng harboured a profound aversion to shopping for clothes. Fashion sense was a foreign concept to him, and he'd cherished the days when Mi-do took the reins, her selections always spot-on. Despite the jests from his peers about his readiness to heed a petite girl's advice, Wúyǐng shrugged off their laughter. Mi-do had an impeccable taste that made him look effortlessly chic— why question a winning formula?

Now, bereft of his muse, Wúyǐng found himself adrift in a sea of indistinguishable hoodies, each one blurring into the next. He wrinkled his nose in distaste, the idea of resorting to ‘eeny, meeny, miny, moe’ to make his selection tempting him. Lost in this contemplation, he was startled by the sudden warmth of a hand on his arm.

Turning just his head, he encountered the gaze of a strikingly attractive man who was now delicately examining the fabric of his hoodie. The gesture was intimate, unexpected. Wúyǐng's eyes narrowed, a mix of curiosity and intrigue flashing through him as the stranger's fingers daringly ventured to caress his chest. Surrendering to the bold touch for a fleeting moment, Wúyǐng then seized the man's wrist, anchoring his hand firmly against his chest.

“If undressing me is your wish, all you have to do is ask,” he murmured, a playful yet seductive grin dancing on his lips, his voice a sultry whisper.

Wúyǐng observed the man before him, a mix of amusement and a twinge of guilt weaving through his consciousness. The man's feeble attempts to reclaim his arm were futile against Wúyǐng's superior strength, his scrawny limb trapped in a gentle yet unyielding grip. The avoidance in the man's gaze, coupled with his reliance on a cane, painted a picture that Wúyǐng couldn't ignore. For a fleeting moment, he teetered on the edge of remorse for cornering someone so clearly at a disadvantage.

The man's words faltered, a tangled mess of syllables that failed to form a coherent thought, only serving to widen Wúyǐng's smirk. “Sorry, I’m afraid I didn’t catch that,” he said, his tone dripping with feigned concern. His grip on the man's wrist remained firm.

“Can you repeat that?” Wúyǐng asked, the question hanging between them like a challenge.

Wúyǐng's gaze lingered on the man before him, dissecting his every move with a meticulous eye. The man's complexion was a telltale blend of embarrassment and alarm, his smile forced, laughter tinged with unease, as he offered a clumsy apology for mistaking Wúyǐng for a mere mannequin. Such a comparison was not only absurd but also slightly offensive. Wúyǐng, reduced to an inanimate object? The thought was laughable.

With a deliberate lean forward, Wúyǐng maintained his grip on the man's wrist, an unspoken assertion of control even as the man attempted to assert some of his own by placing his hand atop Wúyǐng's. “You thought me a doll? I can’t decide if I'm insulted or merely intrigued,” Wúyǐng mused, his voice laced with an amused curiosity. The edge of a smirk played at his lips as he added, “It's alright. Go ahead, feel for yourself.”

Then, with a chuckle that seemed to carry both amusement and a hint of bemusement at the bizarre encounter, Wúyǐng released the other’s hand.

The man's dismissive words were met with Wúyǐng's undaunted spirit, his response a blend of amusement and defiance. A sly, confident smirk played across his lips as he retorted, “I’m not the one touching strangers, sweetheart.” Far from being desperate, he was secure in the knowledge that his own ventures in Cerynia had been both fortunate and free from desperation. The city had treated him well, sparing him from the plight of seeking desperate connections.

With an eye roll that conveyed his indifference to the man's words, Wúyǐng shifted his attention back to the task at hand. He casually took a hoodie from the assortment he had been perusing, the fabric slipping through his fingers with ease. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the garment towards the man, his voice laced with a playful taunt, “Is this what you were after?”

Wúyǐng tossed the hoodie towards the man, questioning if it was the item he'd been searching for. The response was a swift denial, the hoodie flung back in Wúyǐng's direction. With minimal effort, Wúyǐng caught it, a curious tilt to his eyebrow as he leaned forward.

“So, if it’s not this hoodie you wanted, what had you touching me so intently?” His voice was laced with intrigue as he closed the gap between them. “It’s clear you weren’t shopping for jeans. Or have you had a change of heart?” The smile that played on his lips suggested amusement, hinting at the more compromising scenario the man might have found himself in.

The moment the other stated that the hoodie Wúyǐng was wearing was the one he wanted, Wúyǐng couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow, a playful smirk dancing on his lips.

At the inquiry regarding Wúyǐng's intentions, he couldn’t resist the opportunity to inject a dose of flirtatious banter into the conversation. “Well, I was aiming for you to touch me again, to be honest,” he admitted with a sly, flirtatious undertone, effortlessly blending sincerity with seduction.

“But if it’s my hoodie you’re after…” he trailed off, seamlessly transitioning into action by peeling the hoodie off in one fluid motion and tossing it towards the other man with deliberate nonchalance. “Consider it yours,” he finished.

The blind man's fiery retort sparked a certain appreciation within Wúyǐng. His declaration, asserting that Wúyǐng was pursuing an unattainable dream, and dismissing any possibility of a repeat encounter, was met with a scoff, a sly smirk accompanying his playful observation. “That's unfortunate. I was rather looking forward to discovering the talents of your hands,” he said, his voice carrying a flirtatious edge, suggesting a curiosity beyond mere conversation.

Wúyǐng's offering fell short of expectations, leading to an accusation of lacking shame, only amusing him further. He scoffed lightly. “Shame? An interesting concept, but hardly useful,” he countered smoothly. “After all, shame has never gotten me into bed with a handsome stranger,” he added in bold flirtation.

The man's remark about the untapped potential of his hands drew a contemplative hum from Wúyǐng, a low sound that buzzed in his chest. “Indeed, a real pity,” he concurred with a playful lilt, “though, always leave room for the unexpected.”

Noticing the blush that dusted the man's cheeks—a clear sign of the impact of his words—Wúyǐng sensed an opening. The man's challenge, suggesting Wúyǐng might find it easier to pursue someone less resistant, only fueled his interest further. Closing the gap between them with a confident step, Wúyǐng's proximity was calculated, his lean in deliberate.

“Why settle for anything less when someone so captivating has caught my eye?” he posed, his voice a blend of inquiry and assertion. “I'm all ears, eager for insight. How exactly does one captivate a difficult target like yourself?”

Wúyǐng's response to the observation of his confidence was smooth and untroubled, “My confidence has been nurtured by my success.”

The banter escalated as the stranger mentioned that telling would make it too easy— and that perhaps, Wúyǐng was overestimating his own skills. To Wúyǐng, this confirmed the other was into it. After all, wasn’t he now challenging him to put in more effort?

Wúyǐng, ever adaptive and quick on his feet, offered a playful rebuttal, “Well, sadly I cannot win you over with my charming smile and abs,” he mused, before adding, “unless you want to try feeling me up again.” Which meant his most common weapons were rendered useless against this man.

“So I wonder… whether you’d like to hear just how handsome you are, or if you’d like to hear just what I’d like to do with a man like yourself.”

“Guess you just need a closer feel to really appreciate them,” Wúyǐng shot back with a grin, his comment a playful jab at the scepticism regarding his physique. Sure, he wasn't a muscle-bound gym fanatic, but he was confident in the appeal of his toned form—enough to suggest a more... intimate exploration. With hands, or other body parts. He wasn’t picky.

The reaction to his flirtatious remark was immediate and unmistakable. The other guy's retreat was marked by a deepening blush that Wúyǐng found both amusing and oddly satisfying. It wasn't every day he got to see someone turn fifty shades of flustered at a proposition. Yet, as the guy clumsily made his exit, bumping into things in his haste, Wúyǐng couldn't help but let out a low, entertained chuckle.

“No shame in admitting what you want,” Wúyǐng called out after him, his voice laced with a mix of amusement and a touch of challenge. The sight of the guy literally running off with his hoodie was the cherry on top of an already memorable encounter. Shrugging off the loss of his garment, Wúyǐng realised he’d have to buy one more hoodie.