Chapter 95

Chapter 95

"Sign this agreement. As long as you adhere to all its terms, I will elevate you to an A-list actor."

A somewhat arrogant voice reached Chen Zui's ears. His eyelids fluttered slightly, fully connecting him to this small world.

He looked across the table. The man sat in a rather casual posture, wearing a red deep V-neck blazer that exposed not only his pectoral and abdominal muscles but would reveal his navel if he leaned forward just a bit more.

Nice physique. But that’s all it was.

Liang Chen: "Oh~ my dear host, the man opposite you is your target, Lu Buyan."

Liang Chen: "Now conducting a favorability test. Oh~ it’s not zero! Current favorability towards you is 2%."

A 2% favorability was merely the baseline. Chen Zui didn't dwell on it, picking up the agreement on the table and beginning to read. The small world he had entered was called "The Flamboyant CEO's Path to Regret After Losing His White Moonlight," and he was merely a temporary stand-in for Lu Buyan while the white moonlight was absent.

The agreement wasn't lengthy, with only three key points highlighted in bold.

Clause 1: During the agreement period, he must not engage in flirtatious behavior or physical contact with others.

Clause 2: He must not disclose the existence of the agreement.

Clause 3: He must be available on call at all times.

If he violated any clause… he didn't see any stated penalties in the agreement.

"It doesn't state what the penalty would be if I violate the agreement?"

He lifted his gaze, taking in their surroundings. They were in a private dining room at a restaurant—elegantly decorated, with candlelight flickering on the table and a stunning night view visible through the floor-to-ceiling window, raindrops continuously hitting and sliding down the glass.

Lu Buyan’s previously casual demeanor shifted. His almond-shaped eyes fixed on Chen Zui as if staring at an ant he could crush underfoot, and he said ominously, "It's a price you can't afford."

He picked up a pen from the table and tossed it toward Chen Zui. "Although I won't touch you, I won't allow my property to be tainted by others. You'd better be mindful of that."

The pen hit the edge of the table, bounced, landed on Chen Zui's leg, and then rolled under the table.

Lu Buyan noticed but didn’t care. He didn’t have much time to waste here; he still had to greet his good friend Xie Qingyue later.

"Sign it."

His hand rested on an exquisite box that had been on the table all along.

"This is a token gift for signing."

Judging by the logo on the box, its contents were worth at least six figures—quite generous.

Chen Zui set down the agreement and leaned back.

Facing Lu Buyan’s questioning gaze, he replied calmly, "There's no pen."

Suddenly, a gust of wind slammed raindrops against the window like rapid drumbeats of challenge, chilling the atmosphere in the room.

Lu Buyan’s gaze, through the candlelight, fixed on Chen Zui’s face. "Then pick it up."

Chen Zui: "Since the pen fell, it should indeed be picked up."

But neither of them moved.

The pen under the table would require one of them to crouch down, bend over, and crawl under the table to retrieve it.

A minor accident, due to someone's lack of cooperation, had suddenly turned into a test of submission.

A candle sputtered.

Lu Buyan suddenly sneered. "If there's no pen, then don't sign."

In his view, he was the one in charge here, and Chen Zui should be the one to obey. How dare a mere bit player act so cocky in front of him?

Someone who's being paid trying to dominate the one who pays?

In your dreams.

"Then I’ll be going now." Chen Zui pushed back his chair and stood up, his posture straight. Even the cheap suit he wore took on the quality of high-end fashion under the candlelight.

Lu Buyan stared at him intently, as if saying, "If you dare leave, you're dead meat."

Chen Zui completely ignored him, calmly walking out of the private room.

The door closed.

Lu Buyan’s lips twitched. "Damn it!"

Chen Zui entered the elevator, where another man was already standing. He moved to the other side and raised a hand to loosen his overly tight tie.

This movement was reflected in the mirrored elevator wall, catching the other man’s eye. The man’s hand adjusting the tie was slender, with thin skin tightly wrapped around the bones, veins standing out from the effort.

Perhaps because the skin was too thin, simply moving caused the skin around the knuckles to turn pink.

It’s said that the pinker a man’s joints, the more testosterone he has.

He didn’t know if that was true.

But it was definitely appealing and captivating.

Especially since the man performed the gesture with a hint of wildness.

Chen Zui turned his dark eyes, directly meeting the man’s peeping gaze.

The man flustered, lowering his eyes.

Liang Chen: "Oh~ my dear host, he’s checking you out~"

Chen Zui: "Your way of speaking is really cute."

Liang Chen: The system blushed.

No wonder Brother Ao Tian’s first instruction to it was not to fall for Chen Zui.

It had scoffed at the idea, believing itself to be all business.

Who knew he’d be so charming!

Chen Zui and the other man exited the elevator in succession, passing through the lobby to the entrance. It was pouring outside.

Chen Zui didn’t have a car, and there weren't any bus stops nearby.

But he wasn't about to walk in the rain either.

He was about to hail a ride.

As he moved, he heard a "ding" sound and glanced toward the elevator, only to see Lu Buyan striding out hurriedly.

His hand, which had been reaching for the phone, paused.

The man with him was holding an umbrella but paused at the entrance without stepping outside.

No one could tell what he was doing.

Even though the car keys were right in his hand.

Chen Zui curled his lips: "Hello."

The man jumped, trembling a little as he looked at him.

Chen Zui: "Mind if I share your umbrella from the rain?"

The man's face turned visibly red, and he stammered: "N-Not at all. Where are you headed? I can give you a ride!"

Chen Zui's smile widened: "Thank you, I’d appreciate that."

Lu Buyan, who had followed them out, came to a halt, watching helplessly as Chen Zui merely smiled and the other man quickly held up the umbrella, even subtly stood on his tiptoes to match Chen Zui's height. As they stepped outside, he angled the umbrella mostly over Chen Zui, allowing his own shoulder to get drenched.

Lu Buyan: ...

He clenched the agreement and pen in his hand tightly.

Suddenly, under the umbrella, Chen Zui tilted his head slightly. His eyes, filled with a provocative smile, were glistening with raindrops, breathtaking.

It was only after the car had driven away for quite some time that Lu Buyan snapped back to reality.

He snorted.

He believed Chen Zui would surely regret coming to find him.

——

Chen Zui returned to his residence, an ordinary neighborhood with a standard one-bedroom apartment.

After graduating from drama school, the original host's career had been rather mediocre, mostly stuck doing bit roles. To date, his best role was that of a servant to the second male lead in a web series.

His youth was wasting away.

It was at this point that he met Lu Buyan, about a month ago.

Lu Buyan didn't believe in courting; he just flashed his cash to impress and then, that very night, laid out his demands and presented the agreement.

The original host signed the agreement.

Over the course of their interactions, he developed feelings for Lu Buyan and was eventually propelled to become a movie star. Later, when Lu Buyan's first love returned, the original host did some things to harm the first love, leading Lu Buyan to punish him by setting him up to accompany drinks and then exposing it as scandalous material.

From then on, the original host's acting career declined, and everyone turned on him.

His story ended in this novel—a cannon fodder character in a melodramatic story.

After Liang Chen recounted this story to him, he found it slightly strange. Although the ultimate goal of the mission was also to "take down the protagonist," it sounded more like a side character’s self-redemption.

But Liang Chen insisted emphatically that the story was exactly as described—it was a novel, and it had read it clearly.

Moreover, the character names matched up, so there was definitely no mistake in the world he’d entered.

Thus, Chen Zui chose to believe it.

After washing up, Chen Zui decided to go to sleep. There was a lot of information to process all at once, and his head felt a bit dizzy.

In the bedroom, many actor posters were plastered on the walls.

It was clear that the original host truly loved acting, though he had absolutely no talent for it. The phrase he heard most often was: "I hate that you're as stiff as a board."

It wasn't as if no one had tried to make a pass at the original host.

But he rejected all of them.

Lu Buyan was the exception.

Chen Zui lay down. Truthfully, he wasn't that into Lu Buyan's appearance—he wasn't his type. Frankly, he had no interest in "taking him down."

——

Amber Mansion

A group of wealthy socialites had gathered here for a party, indulging in food, drink, and entertainment, with extreme extravagance and pleasure.

Lu Buyan held a wine glass, looking bored as he slouched on the sofa. A week had passed, and Chen Zui had more patience than he’d thought—he hadn't contacted him for an entire week.

Had he found someone else?

Irritated, he took a large gulp of wine. That flirt, hitting on everyone he came across.

He still couldn't forget the scene of him leaving with that man that night.

"What's on your mind?"

A gentle inquiry sounded.

Lu Buyan looked toward his close friend Xie Qingyue. He couldn't stomach making the first move to seek out Chen Zui, but he also couldn't wait any longer.

Xie Qingyue: "Why are you staring at me?"

"Brother Xie, come quick, pick a card for me—let me ride some of your luck," someone nearby handed over a deck of cards.

Xie Qingyue casually drew one: "If we lose, I’ll cover it."

"Brother Xie is so generous!"

Even within the circle of the wealthy, there were hierarchies. Those like Xie Qingyue and Lu Buyan were at the very top of the pyramid. Xie Qingyue had returned from abroad just a week ago, and everyone was busy sucking up to him, striving to get on his good side.

"Qing Yue, I need your help with something."

Lu Buyan's expression was serious: "You absolutely have to help me make this happen."

In his view, Xie Qingyue was easygoing and well-spoken.

If anyone could pull it off, he could.

Since he had asked, and it wasn't anything particularly troublesome, Xie Qingyue naturally didn’t say no.

Moreover, he was also a bit curious—just what kind of person was this?

More than anything, it was curiosity about Lu Buyan’s "white moonlight." Through this substitute, he might get some idea.

When Lu Buyan was 18, he went on a trip and returned with someone unforgettable in his mind—someone no one knew or had ever seen.

It was one of the great unsolved mysteries in their circles.

Xie Qingyue tapped his fingers on his leg. "Alright, I’ll help you this once."

—

Chen Zui spent the week focused on one thing: planning his career.

First, he couldn’t keep playing those background roles without even a single line.

He needed to show his face.

He needed to speak.

Over the week, based on the messages from over a hundred group chats, he compiled a list of upcoming productions and selected some roles that matched his current standing.

From those, he picked out the most standout ones.

He had already sent out his resume and photos. Three had replied with audition times, and only one—the one he ranked highest—hadn’t responded yet.

A psychopathic killer.

Sifting through all this information was a huge task. After another busy day, Chen Zui went downstairs.

The elevator doors opened.

Outside stood a man, standing like a sculpture.

Handsome, with a tall, slender build.

His shirt was buttoned all the way up, and behind his glasses were piercing, intense eyes, framed by thick, dark lashes.

Their eyes met abruptly, without warning.

Both checked each other out openly.

The air grew thick with tension.

Chen Zui looked away and exited the elevator. This man perfectly matched his type, but since he wasn’t a target, Chen Zui didn’t want to waste time.

"Chen Zui?"

As they passed each other, the man called his name.

Chen Zui stopped. The man before him wasn’t someone the original person knew.

The man extended his hand. "Xie Qingyue, a friend of Lu Buyan’s."

Chen Zui shook the offered hand. Behind the glasses, Xie Qingyue’s eyes smiled.

Chen Zui: "What is it?"

Xie Qingyue held up the agreement in his hand. "Could you do me a favor and sign your name?"

He smiled at Chen Zui, his vivid lips parting. "I’ll be sure to thank you properly."

Liang Chen: "Oh~ Is it just me, or does his 'proper thanks' sound suggestive? People are so complicated—I just can’t figure them out."

Chen Zui lifted his hand, palm up.

Xie Qingyue immediately took out a pen from his folder, removed the cap, and placed it in Chen Zui’s hand.

As he withdrew, his fingertips grazed lightly against Chen Zui’s palm.

As if accidental.

Xie Qingyue had already opened the folder to the page where Chen Zui needed to sign.

His attentiveness was impressive.

Chen Zui was satisfied with that. He stepped closer.

The folder rested flat on Xie Qingyue’s palm. Chen Zui pressed the pen down hard, each stroke feeling as if it were carved into Xie Qingyue’s palm.

While Chen Zui signed, Xie Qingyue studied him. He never expected the person Lu Buyan described to look like this—someone who hit all the right notes of his aesthetic preferences.

He breathed in lightly.

Catching a faint scent drifting from the other—too faint.

He’d have to bury his face in to identify what floral note it was.

By the time Chen Zui looked up, Xie Qingyue had returned to normal.

"I’ll be waiting for your proper thanks."

Chen Zui turned and left. Xie Qingyue watched until he disappeared from sight, taking in his shoulders, back, waist, hips, and legs completely.

His conclusion: perfect.

Even the lock of hair against his neck was perfect.

Xie Qingyue closed the folder. Too bad—this was someone Lu Buyan was interested in.

You don't mess with a friend's crush...

He, Xie Qingyue, wasn’t the kind to cross that line.

—

Late that night, Chen Zui received the audition notice for the role he’d been hoping for.

For a moment, he wondered if it was Lu Buyan’s doing.

But so what.

Chen Zui pressed his fingers to his cheek, wanting a cigarette. But he currently couldn’t afford to custom-order his preferred cigarettes.

And he couldn’t tolerate the ones available commercially.

He grabbed a lemon candy from the bedside table and tossed it into his mouth.

Lu Buyan checked his phone for the 800th time again. Beside him was the agreement Xie Qingyue had delivered, signed by Chen Zui. Just as expected, Qing Yue was reliable when it came to getting things done.

Should he send Chen Zui a message?

But he had already taken the initiative to have someone approach him. Sending a message now would make him seem cheap and desperate.

In the end, Lu Buyan didn’t send Chen Zui a message. After all, he was just a substitute.

If it weren’t for that face, which was 70% similar to Si Gui...

Thinking of Si Gui, Lu Buyan was overcome with loneliness. How much longer until you come into my life...

——

By the time Chen Zui arrived at the audition site, three people were already waiting.

He took a seat, and the man next to him greeted him.

“Are you here to audition for the role of Ah Wen too?”

Chen Zui’s immediate thought was, “Obviously. Why else would I be here?”

“Yep.”

“What a coincidence! I’m also auditioning for Ah Wen.”

Chen Zui: ...

Before they could chat further, three important-looking people walked over. They were likely the interviewers, chatting and laughing as they passed by the candidates, completely ignoring the two who tried to greet them.

As a mercenary, Chen Zui had little experience with the social hierarchies of a lawful society.

It seemed this world was even more stratified than the mercenary world.

Soon, the first candidate was called in. He emerged over ten minutes later, dejected.

The man who had spoken to Chen Zui held his chest. “I’m so nervous. You look totally relaxed—I envy you.”

Chen Zui was very familiar with killing; he was confident in playing a murderer. Over the past few days, he had also studied what makes psychopaths tick. After all, he wasn’t one himself and needed to learn.

The second candidate came out looking pleased.

The talkative guy said, “I’m up!”

Chen Zui: “Good luck.”

The man came out crying and ran off, likely too nervous to even deliver a single line.

It was Chen Zui’s turn.

After he entered, the three interviewers looked at him, then at the photo he'd submitted.

When they first saw the photo, they thought it must have been doctored.

Unexpectedly, he was even more striking in person.

“My name is Chen Zui. I graduated from XX Drama Academy and have been acting for...”

“Enough, skip the introduction. Let’s just begin.”

Chen Zui turned his dark eyes toward the man who had interrupted him.

In an instant, his demeanor changed—dark, oppressive, even bloody, emanating from his tall frame. He took a step toward the man, his face expressionless, but his eyes fixed on the man with an almost demonic intensity.

The man being stared at swallowed hard, his lips twitching, goosebumps rising all over his body.

As Chen Zui drew closer, the man instinctively leaned back.

“Bang!”

Chen Zui’s hands slammed down hard onto the table, startling the other two interviewers. One of them even let out a gasp.

Chen Zui’s gaze never left the man’s face.

“I’ve been acting for five years. You should pay attention to what I have to say.”

As he spoke, he bent his arms, leaning closer to the man, a chilling smile rising in his eyes.

“This is the information of the person who killed you.”

At that moment, he didn’t just seem like someone who would kill the man—he looked as though he would skin him alive and savor every moment of torment.

The man was so frightened he nearly fell off his chair.

Chen Zui straightened up, the terrifying aura disappearing as he returned to his original position.

“I’ve finished my performance.”

For what felt like ages, no one responded. The other two interviewers were still staring at the man; they could clearly see the cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

This shift in presence, this performance, combined with his looks...

They had struck gold!

They could already imagine the massive response it would cause after airing.

A knock sounded at the door.

The three interviewers snapped out of their daze upon seeing the newcomer, rising to their feet with smiles.

Chen Zui hadn’t expected it to be him.

Behind frameless glasses, a pair of eyes shot him a quick glance before looking away.

Assuming no one noticed.

“President Xie, you came in person for such a small matter. You’re really committed.”

“No wonder they say President Xie is accomplished while young.”

As they flattered him, Xie Qingyue responded casually, “How’s the audition going?”

“We’re on the last candidate. His performance was really impressive.”

“Oh? It’s not easy to earn your praise. Let me see.”

Someone had already brought over a chair.

After Xie Qingyue sat down, the other three resumed their seats.

Xie Qingyue’s sofa chair was placed separately to the side, with no table in front of it. He elegantly crossed his legs, one over the other.

He looked at Chen Zui: "Perform something different from the last."

He acted every bit the boss, completely different from when he had met Chen Zui that day.

Xie Qingyue said, "Now I am your opponent."

Chen Zui had been pursued by many people, and he could tell at a glance whether someone was interested in him.

Originally, he didn’t want to waste time on someone who wasn't his mission target, but since the other party had taken the initiative, he might as well pass the time.

He walked toward Xie Qingyue, his steps light and his demeanor relaxed—completely different from before.

He bent his left knee and pressed it against Xie Qingyue’s trouser-clad leg, pressing it against the armchair.

The sudden proximity shocked the three interviewers. Even Xie Qingyue’s pupils contracted slightly.

"You’re back."

Chen Zui spoke, grabbing Xie Qingyue’s dangling foot. His large hand wrapped around the ankle, his spread thumb and forefinger perfectly matching the protruding ankle under the black dress sock.

An air of ambiguity arose.

One interviewer stood up, wanting to interrupt, but was pulled back down by the person beside him.

Chen Zui’s hand slid upward from the ankle, not going into the trouser leg but gliding over the calf, then the knee over the trousers, lifting the straight leg onto his own shoulder.

He could feel the other’s body tense under his touch. He had him completely under his control.

The three interviewers nearby seemed to not exist at all.

One sofa chair wasn't big enough for two grown men.

If they had to fit, they had to press close together.

"I’ve waited for you for so long. I’m not happy."

Chen Zui continued reciting his lines. Xie Qingyue’s breathing grew heavier. He hadn’t expected Chen Zui to be so bold, but he was the one who had started this improv.

All his senses focused on that hand. Thankfully, it hadn't ventured somewhere dangerous. He breathed a silent sigh of relief as the hand moved to his waist and continued upward.

"If I’m not happy, you have to pay the price."

"What price must you pay?"

Chen Zui was practically muttering to himself, the ambiguity tinged with a hint of eeriness.

The three interviewers were utterly captivated. The scene was full of sexual tension, especially with the undercurrent of danger, which made their adrenaline surge.

What price would he pay?

Where would that hand finally stop?

The hand passed over Xie Qingyue’s chest, grazing over something, fingertips already touching his Adam’s apple.

Xie Qingyue refused to be outdone: "What price do I have to pa— ah—"

The trailing sound turned into a pained groan.

It was thrilling.

Chen Zui’s hand clamped down hard on his neck. The neck was completely encircled by a hand, the veins on its back standing out, the skin between the fingers gradually turning red, Xie Qingyue’s breathing tightening bit by bit.

His raised hands and lifted feet thrashed toward Chen Zui, unsure whether to kick him away or do something else.

If this were an 18+ novel,

Chen Zui would say: "Get fucked to death by me."

But it wasn’t. This was an interview for the role of a psychopathic killer.

So Chen Zui spoke.

He said, "Die."

His hand clenched.

Xie Qingyue’s other leg had already hooked around his waist.

The three interviewers looked on, dumbstruck.