Chapter 50: Living Together

Chapter 50: Sharing a Room

The door creaked open, and Lin Shenshi, shuffling in slippers, went to investigate.

"Xiao Shi, wait!"

Yu Lanzhao's heart leaped. He shot out a hand, pulling Lin Shenshi off balance. Lin Shenshi stumbled backward, falling into the young man's embrace.

Both had just showered. Lin Shenshi's hair was damp, and his bathrobe collar was slightly loose. Yu Lanzhao had only a towel wrapped around his waist, his upper body bare. Their intimate posture was undeniably suggestive.

Just then, the room door swung fully open. The wheels of a suitcase rolled in, and the newcomer raised an eyebrow, an amused glint flashing in his slanted phoenix eyes.

"It seems I've interrupted you."

Lin Shenshi jolted.

The familiar voice made him look up sharply.

Qi Lian stood at the entrance, one hand resting on his suitcase. At 1.9 meters tall, he surveyed them from his height, his gaze sweeping over both before finally settling on Yu Lanzhao.

His expression darkened, pensive.

"!"

Lin Shenshi quickly steadied himself, slung the towel he'd been using to dry his hair over Yu Lanzhao's shoulders to cover the exposed skin, then ushered him quickly toward the inner part of the room.

"Ah Zhao, it's chilly. Go put on some clothes."

Unexpectedly, Yu Lanzhao also pushed him inward. "Xiao Shi, you go change into your pajamas first."

Their mutual urging had the air of an old married couple.

Qi Lian frowned, the playfulness in his eyes fading, replaced by a cold intensity. He kicked the door shut behind him.

"Bang!"

The loud noise interrupted their back-and-forth. Qi Lian's voice carried a chilling tone.

"Sorry, but I have no interest in watching you two flirt here."

With that, he pushed his suitcase straight to the empty bed by the window, hefted it one-handed onto the mattress, and turned his back to unpack.

Seeing that Qi Lian had stopped looking at them, Lin Shenshi quickly hustled Yu Lanzhao to put on his pajamas. At Yu Lanzhao's insistence, he changed into his own pajamas as well.

Though Lin Shenshi felt it wasn't really necessary—was a bathrobe not fine?—since Ah Zhao insisted, he changed anyway.

Finally, Lin Shenshi gave Yu Lanzhao a careful once-over, making sure not an inch of skin was exposed, then sighed in satisfaction.

Perfect. All possibilities for the perverted scumbag to have any warped ideas were eliminated.

They stood by the single bed near the bathroom, keeping their distance from Qi Lian, who was unpacking by the window.

With the sudden situation resolved, Lin Shenshi finally realized: "You... are staying here too?"

Qi Lian tossed his pajamas onto the bed, his tone mocking and amused. "Why else would I be here?"

Lin Shenshi inwardly groaned.

Oh no! Why did it have to be three people to a room, and of all people, why did the third roommate have to be Qi Lian?!

A reigning movie emperor—couldn't the crew get him a single room? Why did he have to squeeze into a room with small fries like them??

Is the crew that strapped for cash?

If necessary, he'd even pay for it himself!

Lin Shenshi ventured to ask, "How about you switch rooms?"

Qi Lian turned and glanced over, his eyes shifting between them. "Oh? So my presence really is cramping your style?"

"???"

What style? Why does Qi Lian talk so weirdly?

This Scumbag #3 shouldn't assume that just because he's gay, everyone else is too!

He and Ah Zhao share a pure friendship.

Lin Shenshi rolled his eyes internally but maintained outward courtesy. "Teacher Qi, I'm just worried that a triple room might be too noisy and disturb your rest."

Qi Lian, accustomed to flattery, sat smugly on the edge of the bed, crossing his legs and resting his chin on his knee. "I'd prefer a single room too, but unfortunately, the hotel is fully booked. I have no choice but to squeeze in with you."

Recalling what the assistant director had explained during check-in, Lin Shenshi's heart sank.

Did this mean they had to share a room with Qi Lian until after the music festival ended the day after tomorrow, when more rooms would free up?

He glanced worriedly at Yu Lanzhao.

He could handle it, but...

What if Qi Lian's beastly instincts took over and he tried something with Yu Lanzhao while they were asleep in the middle of the night?

Lin Shenshi cautiously suggested, "I heard during dinner that Brother Wang is rooming with Senior Li and Senior Du. They're veterans in the industry, more on your level. How about... you switch with Brother Wang?"

Qi Lian scoffed coldly. "If you don't want to share a room with me, just say it straight. No need to beat around the bush."

Flustered, Lin Shenshi was speechless for a moment before replying, "It's not that. It's an honor to room with you."

"If it's an honor, then accept it graciously."

After this cold remark, Qi Lian stood up, took his pajamas, and headed to the bathroom to change, cutting the conversation short.

Lin Shenshi weighed his options for a moment, then messaged Brother Wang on WeChat:

[Brother! I need a favor! Can you switch rooms with Ah Zhao?]

As long as Qi Lian wasn't in the same room as Yu Lanzhao, it didn't matter who moved out.

If Brother Wang could swap with Ah Zhao, that would be a solution.

Lin Shenshi waited for a reply, but even after ten minutes, Brother Wang still hadn't replied.

It was already past 11 PM—he might already be asleep.

With no hope of switching rooms, Lin Shenshi sighed helplessly.

If it came to it, he'd just have to stay up all night keeping watch over Ah Zhao.

*

Night fell.

Lin Shenshi lay in bed, wide-eyed and tense, completely alert.

After some time, steady breathing sounds came from the bed by the window on the right.

—Qi Lian had fallen asleep.

Lin Shenshi felt some relief, but he still didn't dare to sleep, staring at the ceiling.

As time passed, he noticed something odd.

Why wasn't there any breathing from Ah Zhao's bed on the left?

"...Ah Zhao?"

Lin Shenshi called out softly.

"Xiao Shi, I'm here."

In the pitch-black night, a clear, gentle young voice responded.

Lin Shenshi was surprised. "You're still awake?"

"Yeah." Yu Lanzhao seemed to turn over, facing his direction. "I... can't sleep."

Lin Shenshi also turned toward him, barely making out the boy's silhouette in the darkness, curled up like a helpless fawn. His heart softened, and he asked gently, "What's wrong? Is the bed uncomfortable?"

"Not really..." Yu Lanzhao's voice was muffled, as if troubled, but in the end, he only said softly, "I'm just worried about filming tomorrow."

Lin Shenshi had seen Yu Lanzhao's call sheet—there were several key fight scenes for the sixth male lead in the bamboo forest, which required wirework and coordination with many background actors. It would be quite challenging.

Understanding Yu Lanzhao's stress and sleeplessness, Lin Shenshi said reassuringly, "It's okay, Ah Zhao. Just give it your best, and I'm sure you'll be fine." He encouraged him, "Just like how you believed I could handle being the second male lead, I believe in you too. You have to believe in yourself."

Though not truly troubled by this, Yu Lanzhao still felt warmed. He reached out, his hand hovering in the gap between the two single beds.

Since they'd added an extra bed at the last minute, they were very close together.

"Xiao Shi, can you hold my hand while we sleep tonight?"

"Of course."

Lin Shenshi agreed readily, extending his right hand to hook his fingers with Yu Lanzhao's, who gripped his hand tightly in return.

"Get some sleep now."

Lin Shenshi whispered softly.

"Goodnight, Xiao Shi."

"Goodnight, Ah Zhao."

First, he needed to get Ah Zhao to sleep, and then...

But as he thought this, his eyelids grew heavy until...

"!"

Lin Shenshi's eyes flew open.

The morning sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, filling the room. The bed by the window was empty, the white blanket thrown back messily.

—Qi Lian wasn't in bed!

Horrified by this discovery, Lin Shenshi shot upright. Something tugged at his fingers, and he automatically looked down.

In the gap between the two beds, Yu Lanzhao's fingers were tightly holding his. The boy was still deep in sleep, not disturbed by the movement.

Seeing Yu Lanzhao lying safely in bed, Lin Shenshi let out a sigh of relief. He looked around the room but found no sign of Qi Lian.

The room was quiet, and there was no noise from the bathroom—it didn't sound like anyone was there.

...Had Qi Lian stepped out?

Whatever the case, although he had fallen asleep last night, nothing terrible had happened. That was good.

Checking his phone, he saw it was already 6:30 a.m. They needed to meet at 7 for hair and makeup, so it was time to get up.

"Ah Zhao! Ah Zhao!"

Yu Lanzhao was sleeping soundly. Lin Shenshi called his name several times before he finally woke up.

"Xiao Shi..." Yu Lanzhao rubbed his eyes, faint dark circles visible beneath them, as if he hadn't slept well.

Lin Shenshi didn't stop to ask why he hadn't slept well. He hurriedly got their things together while urging Yu Lanzhao to get up quickly.

After a rushed cleanup, they picked up breakfast from the production assistant and hurried to the makeup room.

The makeup room was already bustling with people. Though they were newcomers and not well-known, their roles were important enough to rate dedicated makeup artists, so they didn't have to compete with extras for attention.

"Over here!"

A young makeup artist waved them over to sit down. While getting his hair done, Lin Shenshi quickly ate his breakfast.

As he pulled out a tissue to wipe away the grease from the corner of his mouth, the door opposite opened.

It was the makeup room reserved for the lead actors.

Qi Lian stepped out, dressed in a blue-white robe, a white jade crown holding his hair in place, making him seem even taller. He slightly lowered his head to step over the threshold, his flowing hair ribbon hanging down, accenting his perfect profile alongside his hair.

As if sensing the gaze, Qi Lian lifted his eyelids and glanced sideways.

Lin Shenshi quickly looked down.

The glance was fleeting. When Lin Shenshi looked up again, all he saw was the blue-white hem of the robe fluttering away.

The makeup artist, one of Qi Lian's many fans, said wistfully as he disappeared from view. "How can anyone be so handsome? I could never get tired of looking at him!"

Lin Shenshi: "..."

Handsome, yes, but also truly scummy—especially in bed, where he was completely unreasonable.

After praising his looks, the makeup artist went on about her idol's career: "...The youngest Triple Golden Best Actor in history, not just talented but also dedicated. We just arrived today, and Teacher Qi was already in the makeup room reading the script, waiting for us. He's far better than those young actors who throw tantrums after gaining a bit of fame."

Lin Shenshi caught the key information.

So, Qi Lian wasn't in the room early in the morning because he had come to the set for makeup?

But did he really need to come this early? Even before the makeup artists?