"This won't do, it's way too weird to wear this."
"You have to wear it like this, baby—you're too cute." Benjamin clutched his chest. "I don't even dare imagine how many people are going to confess to you at the party."
Hearing that only made Fang Chen more determined to change out of it.
But Benjamin grabbed his arm tightly. "Listen, baby, this is an animal-themed costume party. This is exactly how you're supposed to dress. Everyone's the same, it's not weird at all. I promise."
Fang Chen pressed his lips together and looked himself over in the mirror again and again, so embarrassed that even the tips of his ears turned faintly red.
He had never worn pants this short before—more accurately, it was a one-piece outfit. Milky white, made of some unknown material. It wasn't thick to the touch, but it looked fluffy.
The bottom resembled bloomers, barely covering the top of his thighs. The most embarrassing part was—
There was a small round ball attached to the back.
"A little lamb." Benjamin grinned, grabbing the little ball. "Got your tail."
Fang Chen sighed helplessly. "Stop messing around. What about you? What are you wearing?"
"Relax, I'm prepared."
Benjamin took out a few clips from the cabinet and put a pair on Fang Chen's head—right above his ears. They were little lamb ears, fluffy white with a hint of soft pink.
As for himself, he was much more casual—just a headband with fox ears.
"Today I'm Mr. Fox. Alright, let's go. I'll introduce you to some friends."
Fang Chen was dragged toward the door, struggling a bit. "No, wait—do I really have to wear this…"
Resistance was futile. Benjamin tugged him along. "Hurry up! It'll close if we're late. Don't you want to sell your watch?"
Poverty dealt Fang Chen a heavy blow. He silently gave up resisting and followed along in his awkward little lamb outfit.
—
Before this, Fang Chen had never attended a party like this. His limited understanding came from American TV shows, he imagined blinding disco lights and deafening music.
But reality was the exact opposite.
After entering, he realized the lighting was dim, tinted with a warm yellow hue. Whoever chose the venue had strange taste—it looked like a cave. There were no tables or chairs, only rock-like stools. Even the candle stands were placed inside small stone hollows.
On top of that, everyone was dressed as animals.
It gave Fang Chen the strange illusion that he had wandered into another world—inside a low cave, animals had turned into humans, holding drinks and chatting as they moved around.
While Fang Chen was still taking it all in, Benjamin beside him let out a playful whistle and struck up a conversation with a man wearing "horns."
"Baby, go explore on your own. I'll find you later."
Benjamin waved at him, then left arm-in-arm with the "horned" man. Fang Chen didn't even get a chance to speak, he only saw the man's hand slide down and grab Benjamin's butt.
Fang Chen quickly turned his head away.
…Alright. Splitting up might actually make selling the ticket easier.
But how was he supposed to find a rich sucker?
He looked around, but with everyone in costumes, it was hard to tell who was wealthy.
Passing by a curtained booth, curiosity got the better of him. He lifted the curtain slightly—
Only to see two people kissing intensely.
Hearing the noise, one of them stopped, squinted at Fang Chen, and said with amusement,
"Little lamb, want to join us?"
Fang Chen's face flushed red and pale at the same time. "N-no, sorry—please continue!"
He turned and ran in panic.
—
"Joey!" The girl sitting on his lap glared. "You never told me you liked men!"
"No, baby, I was joking. Of course I don't, I only like you." Joey cupped her face and kissed her. "What, do you think I'm Seth?"
At that name, the girl's expression brightened. "Is he really coming tonight?"
"He said he would, but who knows when." Joey bit her lip again. "Forget that stone-faced guy. Come to my place tonight—we'll watch a movie."
"And after the movie…?"
"Something more interesting. Maybe we can do both at the same time."
…
—
Even after walking far away, the heat on Fang Chen's face hadn't faded.
Okay… I know people abroad are more open. I'm just not used to it yet.
He walked with his head down for a while before stopping.
He patted his face, forcing himself to calm down.
Don't be embarrassed! Deep breath. Reset mindset. Let's go again!
Selling the ticket was the most important thing!
He had to sell it tonight!
But when he looked up—
He froze.
Where… had he wandered off to?
The lighting here was even dimmer than the main hall. He could barely see. The path ahead twisted and turned, and further on was pure darkness.
A chill crept up his spine. It reminded him of American horror movies...what if a serial killer was hiding somewhere?
He swallowed and turned to leave—
Then paused.
Not far ahead… someone seemed to be sitting there.
He hesitated, then slowly edged closer.
This time he saw clearly.
A man sat lazily on a stone stool, a cigarette in his mouth, looking down at his phone.
Fang Chen carefully observed, just one person. No one in his arms. No one nearby.
More importantly—
Even in the dim light, Fang Chen immediately noticed the watch on the man's wrist. It looked like it was set with countless diamonds, dazzling even in the dark.
A rich man.
Found him.
—
At that moment, the man extinguished his cigarette and suddenly looked up, sharply toward Fang Chen's direction.
Their eyes met.
Fang Chen's breath stopped.
The man wore a mask, a gray wolf design, like black iron, carrying an ancient and oppressive aura. In the dark, it was terrifying.
As if he really were a little lamb hiding in the shadows—caught in the gaze of a wolf.
The man said nothing.
Through the dark mask, a pair of gray-blue eyes locked onto Fang Chen.
Under that pressure, Fang Chen quickly lost his nerve. He licked his lips and forced himself to walk over.
"Hello, sir."
Up close, he realized the man wasn't wearing a costume, just a simple shirt and slacks. But with his relaxed posture, the shirt stretched tight across his chest, faintly outlining strong muscles beneath.
A phrase popped into Fang Chen's mind:
A beast in a suit.
The man raised an eyebrow, put down his phone, and rested his head on one hand, casually observing him.
Fang Chen hesitated, suddenly nervous. Lowering his voice, he asked carefully:
"Do you like boxing matches?"
"Hm? Whose match?"
The man's voice was low and lazy, tinged with indifference.
The moment Fang Chen heard it, he paused—it sounded familiar.
But he didn't think too much and hurried on:
"Seth Bolton's. You know him, right? He's… uh, a very good boxer."
As he spoke, he clenched his small fist and threw a punch into the air.
Lost in the excitement of finally selling the ticket, he didn't notice the dark, unreadable look in the man's eyes.
—
Seth's cold gaze rested on the boy.
So this was the so-called "Street Rat."
But he clearly looked like a little lamb.
Seth had already noticed someone watching him. Pretending to use his phone, he had glanced over—behind a rock wall, a little lamb was peeking at him.
An Asian boy. Black hair, bright eyes. Dressed as a lamb, with soft pink-tinted ears on his head.
Could something like this really be the ticket scammer that even the police couldn't catch?
Or maybe… this was deliberate. A disguise to lower people's guard.
At that thought, Seth's expression turned colder, though his tone remained calm.
"Then how much are you selling the ticket for?"
Fang Chen glanced again at the man's watch, steeled himself, and boldly said:
"Four thousand dollars."
Seth almost laughed.
This scammer really dared to ask for it.
His lips parted slightly as he replied coolly,
"Four thousand… for one ticket?"
What a greedy little thing.
Hopefully, when he ends up in prison, he won't regret that appetite.
Being questioned like that made Fang Chen nervous instead, afraid this big fish would slip away.
"Sir, the price is negotiable!"
"No. Four thousand."
Seth slowly stood up, adjusting his watch.
"But this isn't a suitable place. Let's change locations for the transaction."
What's unsuitable about this?
It was quiet, dim, and empty.
Fang Chen thought it was perfectly fine.
But the buyer had the final say.
He nodded obediently. "Alright, as you wish."
—
He hadn't noticed while sitting, but once the man stood up—
He was so tall.
Walking behind him, Fang Chen silently compared. Even with slightly raised heels, he only reached the man's chest.
Why didn't my height change after transmigrating… still 175 cm.
And all the men here are so tall, it makes me look underdeveloped!
Muttering internally, he didn't realize he had followed the man all the way out.
This seemed to be a back exit of the party.
It was empty. No one in sight. The night was thick and dark—there wasn't even a light.
A faint unease rose in Fang Chen's chest. He instinctively moved closer to the man.
"Sir, what payment method would you prefer? Is cash okay?"
The man turned his head slightly. The gray wolf mask looked especially cold under the night.
He spoke slowly:
"As a little lamb, you should remember the law of the jungle."
"At the very least… stay far away from wolves."
"Huh—?"
Before Fang Chen could react—
The man suddenly moved.
With swift precision, he grabbed Fang Chen's arm, twisted it behind his back, and slammed him against the cold wall.
"Bad kid. This ends here."