Dreaming With My Dragon Lover

But the clothes shopping didn't go very smoothly.

Just as Rong Qiuchen is looking around aimlessly, a strange pair of trousers in a shop window catches his attention. The trousers are black and tattered, covered with various sizes of elastic bands. He can not help but laugh, pointing to the window and saying, "Gege, how can they sell such rag like trousers in a shop? My fifth brother's best friend, Yee Bo, the little beggar I told you about before, was wearing clothes similar to these."

"You're so out! These trousers are called 'You're My Attachment' and they sell for - wait for it - at least 30 taels of silver!"

Rong Qiuchen is astonished to hear this, "How is this possible? How can a beggar's outfit be so expensive?"

"Do you like it? Why don't we buy it for you? It's a trendy Korean brand,  quite fashionable." Yuan Ge can tell at a glance that not only is this pair of trousers in this season's trendy colour of black, but it is also a limited edition.

When Rong Qiuchen sees that Yuan Ge is about to walk into the shop to buy it, he immediately pulls him back, shaking his head like a rattle while saying, "I'm not going to wear trousers that look like a beggar." Then he drags Yuan Ge away from the shop as fast as he could.

Thus they carried on shopping in this way. Yuan Ge couldn't find any trousers that would fit Rong Qiuchen's long legs and please him at the same time, so they ended up just buying a couple of pairs of comfortable yoga pants for him.

As for the tops, Rong Qiuchen was completely unimpressed by those so-called big brands. Every piece of clothing was too ugly in his eyes, and he couldn't find anything he liked in those fashion shops and department stores. In the end, he picked out a few T-shirts with the heads of Peking Opera characters on them at a roadside stall.

"I say, you really can't tell the difference between the expensive stuff and the cheap crap!"

Yuan Ge paid for the T-shirts, clearly indignant that his good intentions have been let down.

"These crappy clothes only cost twenty or thirty yuan each, and they're all a rip-off for passing tourists! The ones I picked out for you earlier cost at least a thousand yuan a piece! What kind of taste do you have? You can't even go out and meet people wearing clothes like that! If you don't buy some decent new clothes, you'll have to keep wearing mine."

Rong Qiuchen blushed a little at his words, "Gege has gone to a lot of trouble for me. I will definitely find ways to repay you the money one day!"

"Repayment? What nonsense! This is the New Year's red packet money my dad gave you yesterday. But the way you are spending it, which is almost nothing, makes it look like I'm embezzling it all. I'll have a bad conscience if this money continues to stay in my account. I should have asked Amélie to take you clothes shopping. She's a fashionista and might be able to handle someone as fussy as you are!"

Although Yuan Ge talked tough, he still felt sorry for Rong Qiuchen, so he went back to the department store and bought him two sets of vintage designed long robes from some niche brand.

When Rong Qiuchen sees Yuan Ge carrying a large bag of stuff, all bought specially for himself, he is very touched in his heart and unconsciously puts his hand in the pocket of Yuan Ge's coat again to quietly hold his hand.

Yuan Ge is long accustomed to such overly suggestive gestures from him. This little loony's ridiculous habit has gotten deep into his bones, always saying that recharging has to be done with physical contact. Rather than spending dedicated time charging him when they return home, it would be better to let him do it to his heart's content while shopping.

But Rong Qiuchen seems to be full of energy today, and he doesn't look like he needs to recharge his batteries anyhow. 

Yuan Ge asks him curiously, "Have you been shopping for too long and feel less energetic?"

Rong Qiuchen blinks his innocent peach blossom eyes and suddenly gives him a bright smile, "The method that Gege used to charge me up yesterday morning was very effective. It lasts longer compared to the method of holding hands …"

Yuan Ge's face instantly turns red, feeling as if everyone in Wangfujing has found out what he and Rong Qiuchen did yesterday, and he just wants the ground to open up and swallow him right there and then.

"Shut up! Don't talk about it! Don't even mention it! Who gave you the idea that battery charging could be upgraded!"

"I have experienced first-hand the effects of this upgraded battery charging method.  My ears and eyes have become more sensitive after my intimate encounter with Gege yesterday. Today I feel stronger and more energetic, even my heartbeat and breathing are much faster than before ..."

"Shut up and stop thinking!"

Seeing how embarrassed Yuan Ge has become, Rong Qiuchen smiles faintly and stops teasing him. The two of them walk out of the main street and stroll along the narrow alleys until they have reached Meilue Hutong near the old Eastern Depot site[1], where Rong Qiuchen has turned in for some unknown reason.

"These hutongs are full of old shops. I don't think there's anything to buy there."

Yuan Ge feels puzzled when he sees Rong Qiuchen heading towards the back of the hutong.

Has this guy remembered something? Could it be that his family is nearby?

Rong Qiuchen stops at the entrance of a small shop and Yuan Ge looks up - it is a very inconspicuous toy shop with a few big red letters on the window - SHOP FOR SALE!

--------------------

[1] Eastern Depot or Eastern Bureau was a Ming dynasty spy and secret police agency run by eunuchs.. It was created by the Yongle Emperor.