Chapter 96

Chapter 96

Chen Zui’s performance concluded, his expression instantly reverting to its usual calm. He seemed utterly unfazed by the beauty in his arms, truly a detached man.

As he rose, the leg still wrapped around his waist was gently nudged aside. He paused.

He looked down at the man slumped in the armchair. From the slight, instinctive struggle moments before, his glasses were a little askew, his crisp shirt now wrinkled, and red marks from being gripped were visible on his neck, a strand of hair tousled.

The overall impression was one of a disheveled, ravished beauty.

The more handsome and robust he appeared, the more impeccably dressed he was, the stronger the urge to further disrupt his composure.

Chen Zui reached back, grasped the leg still hooked around his waist, and slowly unwound it to create space for him to exit. Xie Qingyue’s gaze immediately followed the movement.

He had forgotten about that leg!

Chen Zui straightened up under Xie Qingyue’s flickering gaze, stepping back. As he moved, Xie Qingyue’s leg was pulled along, surprisingly pliant.

Chen Zui crouched down, gradually lowering Xie Qingyue’s leg until his thin-soled leather shoes settled firmly on the floor. As he released it, Chen Zui also smoothed a wrinkle on his own trousers.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

He stood and returned to his original seat.

Silence descended upon the room. The three interviewers, though excited, were unsure if Chen Zui’s performance had offended Xie Qingyue, given his rather bold touches in several places.

Honestly, the scene had been almost too intense for them to watch.

The three exchanged furtive glances, each hoping someone else would break the silence.

"Was it the same as his previous performance?" Xie Qingyue finally spoke, his glasses now straight, posture re-adjusted, and shirt once again pristine.

Both participants now wore the serious demeanor of professionals concluding official business, making the interviewers’ earlier concerns seem overblown.

"They were two different acting approaches," said Wang Xinci, one of the assistant directors, who had been Chen Zui’s scene partner in the previous round. Their relationship then was simpler—killer and victim—but this time, it was clearly more complex: killer and victim, yet also lovers.

He glanced at Chen Zui, then began flipping through Chen Zui’s file.

Not signed with an agency.

Xie Qingyue nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips as he looked at the three interviewers. "It seems we’ve found the most suitable candidate for this role."

As the largest investor in the production, his words naturally drew agreement. Applause erupted, and the three interviewers warmly congratulated Chen Zui.

Chen Zui gave a slight nod. "I’m honored to have been chosen for this role. Thank you for this opportunity."

With Xie Qingyue, a prominent figure, present, everyone’s attention was focused on currying favor with him. Thus, Chen Zui soon left the interview room. The next steps would be waiting for the contract signing notice, then the call to join the production.

Chen Zui asked the staff member escorting him out, "Excuse me, do you have any band-aids? Could I have one?"

The staff member readily handed him a strip.

"Thank you."

Liang Chen: "Oh~ Host, are you injured? The human body is such a fragile and beautiful mystery."

Chen Zui: "Do you want to become human too?"

Liang Chen: "To be or not to be, that is the question. I..."

Chen Zui stopped paying close attention to its subsequent ramblings.

Chen Zui went to the restroom. Just as he finished washing his hands, Xie Qingyue walked in. The latter seemed surprised to see him. "You’re still here?"

"About to leave."

Chen Zui pulled a paper towel to dry his hands.

Xie Qingyue also stepped up to the sink, adjusting his appearance in the mirror. "You performed well earlier."

His eyes shifted toward Chen Zui.

Their gazes met.

Full of tension and probing.

Chen Zui tossed the used paper towel. "It was Mr. Xie who made it easy for me to get into character."

Though it sounded like flattery, the effect was like a feather lightly tickling one’s heartstrings.

After speaking, Chen Zui nodded and walked toward the door from behind Xie Qingyue, pausing halfway as if remembering something. He took a band-aid from his pocket and handed it to Xie Qingyue.

Xie Qingyue didn’t immediately understand and didn’t take it.

Chen Zui’s gaze shifted, openly looking at Xie Qingyue’s nipple. "It’s showing."

It was the side his hand had touched earlier.

While one side of Xie Qingyue’s shirt lay flat, the other side had a visible nipple. In what should have been an awkward situation, Xie Qingyue simply smiled lightly and said, "Thank you."

Without even avoiding eye contact, he reached out and took the other end of the band-aid. "I’m quite sensitive."

Their fingertips touched like evenly matched opponents.

Chen Zui: "My apologies. I didn’t realize my touch was so heavy."

Their locked gazes grew so intense it felt as if they could ignite, burning away all reason.

Someone entered the restroom. Chen Zui released his hand, and Xie Qingyue lowered his. One turned to leave, while the other entered a stall with the band-aid.

Though it was an open, accidental encounter, they tacitly acted as if nothing had happened.

In the stall, Xie Qingyue looked at the band-aid in his hand. An interesting man. Lu Buyan actually had some taste this time. However, he wouldn’t give Chen Zui special treatment just because he was Lu Buyan’s kept man. Xie Qingyue despised nepotism, which was why he had come today to see if Chen Zui had real talent.

He had exceeded expectations.

Xie Qingyue unbuttoned his shirt, revealing defined chest muscles, and looked down at the overly sensitive nipple. So you enjoyed being touched, huh? How pathetic. He tore open the band-aid and put it on, covering a small mole on his areola as well.

——

Chen Zui received a call from Lu Buyan. He had thought this guy would never get over his pride and contact him. Lu Buyan just gave him an address and told him to come over.

Chen Zui looked up the address on a ride-hailing app. The fare would be over sixty yuan.

This tycoon wasn’t very impressive—usually, in such situations, shouldn’t there be a chauffeur arranged?

The original person's savings were only in the four digits, with the first number less than 5. It was the end of the month, and next month’s rent was due soon. Although Lu Buyan had transferred a million to him after they signed the agreement, Chen Zui felt it was a waste to spend that money on Lu Buyan.

So Chen Zui took a screenshot and sent it over.

"Will this be reimbursed?"

Lu Buyan couldn't help but laugh at his message. What a cheapskate.

Chen Zui quickly received a transfer of 10,000 RMB.

Lu Buyan: "Take the fanciest car available!"

Chen Zui: "Add a note stating it’s explicitly a gift."

Lu Buyan: …

He snorted, swinging his crossed leg casually. This guy was being overly cautious. He hadn’t planned to cheat Chen Zui out of his money anyway. With a smirk, he typed "explicitly a gift." As if he would stoop to swindling his sugar baby—if word got around in their circle, he'd never live it down. Lu Buyan had his reputation to protect.

Chen Zui accepted the transfer.

He arrived at a hillside villa, brightly lit. Lu Buyan must have given a heads-up, as Chen Zui was led straight inside.

Only Lu Buyan was present.

This was their first meeting since their falling out in the private room last time.

Lu Buyan still looked annoyed. His first words upon seeing Chen Zui were: "Couldn’t you buy some decent clothes?"

Chen Zui was simply dressed in a black T-shirt and casual pants. Though his good figure made anything look good on him, it clearly didn’t align with Lu Buyan’s taste. After all, Lu Buyan was wearing a deep V-neck shirt adorned with white feathers, pants with chains, and nearly a hundred accessories in total.

One was minimalist, the other extravagant.

Chen Zui couldn't be bothered to deal with him, not even wanting to clap back. He generally ignored people he had no interest in, as long as they didn’t provoke him. But now, he had a task to complete.

How rare.

Chen Zui was also in a tricky spot.

"Qing Yue told me you joined his project team."

"Mm."

"Do a good job and don’t embarrass me. I won’t let Qing Yue give you any special favors."

Chen Zui: "Why did you ask me here?"

Lu Buyan cut the small talk and stood up from the sofa. "Come with me."

Walking one after the other with over a meter between them, no one would guess they were in a sugar daddy arrangement. Their destination was a well-appointed piano room. Lu Buyan gestured toward the piano worth seven figures (in RMB). "Sit down."

"I don’t know how to play the piano."

"I’m not asking you to actually play—just pretend."

Chen Zui walked to the piano. Lu Buyan’s white moonlight was an excellent pianist—it was during a piano performance that he had been smitten at first sight. Chen Zui sat down and placed his hands on the black and white keys.

His expression was focused and serious.

For a moment, Lu Buyan was transfixed. This made him resemble Si Gui even more. Without thinking, he reached out to touch Chen Zui’s face.

An off-key note sounded—Chen Zui had pressed a key, snapping Lu Buyan back to reality. His hand, about to touch Chen Zui, froze mid-air.

He felt a surge of anger and grabbed Chen Zui's hand, yanking it away.

"Who told you you could play!"

"This piano was prepared for him. You're not worthy of playing it!"

People who spoke to Chen Zui like this usually ended up with bad endings. The two words Chen Zui hated the most were "not worthy."

"Oh, host... we can’t kill the protagonist."

Sensing Chen Zui’s rage, Liang Chen quickly interjected, "How about this? I’ll teach him a lesson tonight and give him diarrhea. You're above this—just don't stoop to his level. We’re doing this for the mission’s success. A real man knows when to bend and when to stand."

"You can go now."

Lu Buyan shook off Chen Zui’s hand. He wasn’t in the mood tonight.

After much persuasion from Liang Chen, Chen Zui temporarily held back from doing anything to Lu Buyan. He left the villa, pulled out a piece of candy from his pocket, and put it in his mouth.

Chen Zui: "This is a one-time thing."

Liang Chen understood exactly what he meant: "But we really can’t kill him."

Chen Zui bit down on the candy: "I didn’t say I’d kill him. Action doesn't have to mean killing."

There was also the possibility of making the other person wish for a fate worse than death.

Liang Chen was shocked. It had never come across a host who wanted to beat up a mission target, but thinking about it, it did seem pretty satisfying: "Alright, next time I’ll follow your lead."

It would wait to see how things unfolded.

Lu Buyan sat dejectedly in front of the piano. A fake was still a fake in the end.

——

In the afternoon, Chen Zui received a call from an unknown number. It was Wang Cixin, the assistant director who had interviewed him the other day. Wang invited him to meet, saying he wanted to discuss signing with an agency.

Chen Zui wasn’t in a hurry about this. For one, he had already secured the role, and he figured Xie Qingyue wouldn't replace him.

Signing with an agency now, without any notable works or roles to his name, would only lead to exploitation. Once the series aired and he gained some recognition, more companies would be lining up.

At that point, he would be the one choosing the agency, with companies competing to sign him by offering better terms.

Even though this was his plan, as a courtesy, he felt he should still meet the assistant director. But...

"Cough—" Chen Zui coughed twice. "Director Wang, I really should accept your invitation, but I’ve been unwell lately. Cough... The script reading session is starting soon, so I need to focus on recovering first. If you don’t mind, let’s schedule for another time. Cough..."

"If you’re in a hurry, Director Wang, I’ll crawl there if I have to."

With Chen Zui putting it that way, Wang Cixin couldn’t possibly let him "crawl" over. He told him to focus on resting and take care of his health.

Chen Zui was genuinely sick. After hanging up, he curled up under the covers. The cold itself wasn’t too bad, but the fever was severe. The previous night, he had been burning up and disoriented, and he hadn’t eaten anything since.

He rarely fell ill, but when he did, it tended to be serious.

Chen Zui was also the type who avoided hospitals and preferred to tough it out. His heavy eyelids drooped shut, and his breath hit the blanket before warming his face as it bounced back.

He drifted into a hazy sleep.

In his sleep, he alternated between chills and fever, pulling the covers on and off repeatedly.

When the phone woke him again, it was already dark. Chen Zui pressed the phone to his cheek and grunted, "Hello?"

His voice was muffled.

But Lu Buyan on the other end didn’t notice anything unusual. "Come over," he said, sending another address.

This time, however, he added a request for Chen Zui to freshen up.

Liang Chen chimed in, "Ooh, Host, you’re sick right now—this is the perfect chance to win some sympathy and boost your favorability."

Chen Zui hadn’t given up on the mission yet, and it was about time to get somewhere. Otherwise, he was just wasting time. After sleeping, he felt much better.

He got up and went to wash up.

—

In the private room of the restaurant, everyone was drinking and chatting, glasses clinking.

"Buyan, this is the first time you’ve ever invited someone to join us. I really need to take a good look at what kind of stunning beauty this is," someone teased.

Another jumped in, "So you’ve finally moved on from that so-called 'white moonlight' of yours? We have to drink to that!"

After saying this, the person downed his drink first.

Lu Buyan just smiled without a word.

Xie Qingyue, sitting beside him, had someone add a chair between them.

Lu Buyan remarked, "You’re so considerate."

Xie Qingyue raised his glass and took a sip.

The moment Chen Zui appeared at the door, the room went dead silent. All eyes turned to him, wide with shock and admiration.

The person before them was indeed handsome.

But wasn’t this guy a little too masculine?

Everyone had assumed that Lu Buyan’s type would be either cute and petite or sleek and glamorous.

But this...

Would someone like him really be the submissive type?

Lu Buyan called out, "Come here."

Chen Zui went over and sat between him and Xie Qingyue. Under the table, their legs brushed against each other by accident.

It was an accident.

But neither of them moved their legs away.

They remained pressed together like that.

Chen Zui: "Hello, Mr. Xie."

Xie Qingyue nodded slightly.

Lu Buyan didn’t need to introduce Chen Zui to everyone—who he was or what his role was, because everyone already understood his position.

Lu Buyan said, "Let's keep drinking, everyone."

The atmosphere at the table grew lively again. Lu Buyan lowered his voice, displeased, "Didn’t I tell you to clean up your appearance a bit?"

Chen Zui was once again wearing a T-shirt and cargo pants that made him look like a miner. Lu Buyan was very dissatisfied; he felt like everyone was starting to suspect that he was the bottom.

Chen Zui couldn't be bothered to respond. He hadn’t eaten all day, and now, looking at the table full of food, he was hungry.

"Since you’re a friend of Buyan’s, I should toast you," a drunken guest said, raising his glass toward Chen Zui.

Lu Buyan didn’t stop him.

Chen Zui calmly took a pack of pills from his pants pocket, popped one out of the pack, and swallowed it. Then he said to the man, "Sorry, I just took some cephalosporin."

This left everyone speechless.

But he had indeed just taken medicine, and the man holding the glass sobered up quite a bit.

Aside from him, the one left most embarrassed was Lu Buyan, because everyone turned to look at him.

The implication was clear: this "kept man" of yours is a bit unruly.

Only Xie Qingyue’s lips quirked into a slight smile.

Lu Buyan pasted on a smile and said, "He’s had a cold these past couple of days. Alright, don't mind him—let’s keep drinking."

He raised his glass and tapped glasses lightly with the man who had wanted to drink with Chen Zui, then drank it down, suppressing his anger.

Xie Qingyue called over a server to add a few more dishes, which were quickly placed near him.

Behind his glasses, his eyes glanced at Chen Zui, saying nothing but conveying everything.

The newly added dishes were all light and suitable for someone who was ill, with the main course being a thick, properly cooked porridge.

Xie Qingyue’s actions were straightforward and proper—and indeed, he had every reason to be. Chen Zui was scheduled to star in a project he had invested in, and with filming about to start, Chen Zui needed to stay healthy. Eating well was key to maintaining good health. He was just doing an investor's job.

Chen Zui said, "Thank you."

He picked up his chopsticks.

Lu Buyan, thinking Chen Zui was speaking to him, leaned slightly closer and asked, "What did you say?"

Chen Zui pretended not to hear and began to eat.

Lu Buyan was so mad he wanted to flip the table, but being a man who cared about his image, he held back.

Chen Zui became the outsider at the dining table, occasionally getting some looks from others.

People speculated that since Lu Buyan hadn’t lost his temper despite Chen Zui's acting up, he must still be quite into him. So, everyone just accepted his presence and resumed chatting and drinking.

Xie Qingyue’s voice was heard occasionally.

Most of the time, he was responding to others, rarely initiating conversations himself. Unlike the others, whose faces and necks turned red from drinking, he stayed composed.

He was still dressed in formal attire, though his posture had relaxed slightly. His eyes, a little glassy from drinking, carried an easy smile that made him seem approachable and smooth as jade.

While replying to the person across from him, he reached for the lighter on the table but accidentally knocked it off.

Xie Qingyue, with a cigarette between his lips, bent down.

The lighter had fallen near Chen Zui’s feet, an easy spot to pick it up.

Just as he was about to reach for it,

Chen Zui shifted his foot, kicking the lighter with his heel to a spot between his own feet—a tricky spot.

The cigarette in Xie Qingyue’s mouth jumped up when he clenched his teeth. He left his chair and crouched down,

ducking under the table,

heading for the space between Chen Zui’s feet.

He didn’t need to crawl far—it was close enough—just a slight adjustment of direction.

His head appeared beside Chen Zui’s knees.

Suddenly, Chen Zui’s leg shifted and bumped against Xie Qingyue’s cheek. Xie Qingyue couldn’t help but look up, his gaze naturally drawn first to…

It seemed like a size that would fill your mouth.

His eyes lifted further, meeting Chen Zui’s dark, unreadable eyes.

Xie Qingyue knew that kneeling here like this made him look like a dog.

From this perspective, Chen Zui looking down at him would be the dog’s master—

He didn’t let the thought continue, nor did he look away, as he reached for the lighter.

Just then, Lu Buyan’s voice spoke up: “Huh? Where did Qing Yue go?”

Xie Qingyue was only picking up the lighter, but he suddenly got nervous.

Then, he saw Chen Zui, who had been looking down at him, speak.

He said, “Under the table.”

Xie Qingyue’s heart hammered. His fingers hooked the lighter, and as Lu Buyan leaned down to look under the table, he crawled out.

Lu Buyan, not seeing anything, looked up at Xie Qingyue.

“The lighter fell,” Xie Qingyue said calmly, placing the lighter back on the table.

“I forgot Mr. Chen is sick,” he added, tossing the cigarette into the ashtray.

On the surface, he seemed fine, but only he knew how hard his heart was racing.

He didn’t understand why he felt so nervous just from picking up a lighter.

Lu Buyan had brought Chen Zui here to drink, but now he couldn’t drink or smoke.

He was totally in the way.

“You should head back first.”

Chen Zui was in a good mood now, since he'd finished eating. He glanced at Xie Qingyue.

“Mr. Xie, I’ll get going then.”

“Yeah, get home safe.”

Chen Zui stood up and left the private room. Lu Buyan just blinked in confusion. Wait, who’s paying whom here? Even if Xie Qingyue is the boss on his new movie!

Shit! If he’d known it would be like this, why did he even sign that sugar daddy agreement? He might as well have invested directly and been his producer.

“Qing Yue.”

Xie Qingyue reached for the lighter again, waiting for what came next.

Lu Buyan gritted his teeth. “Give him a hard time on set.”

“That doesn't seem right.”

“Why not? Look at him—he needs to be taken down a peg.”

“Aren’t you using him as a stand-in for your white moonlight? Won’t you feel bad if he suffers?”

Lu Buyan found the question amusing. “Why would I care about a stand-in?”

Xie Qingyue eyed Lu Buyan, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and exhaled slowly. The smoke hid whatever he was thinking.

Lu Buyan added, “But you have to keep an eye on him for me. Don’t let him cheat on me.”

Xie Qingyue brought the cigarette to the ashtray, tapping it lightly with his slender index finger. Ashes fell.

“Don’t worry, I’ll watch him close.”

“But since he’s sick, if you keep bossing him around at will, it might break his heart. A resentful stand-in isn’t ideal either, is it?”

Lu Buyan considered this and agreed, but he couldn’t just go running after someone he’d just dismissed. Besides, he wasn’t good at taking care of others, and there was still the next party to attend.

He turned to Xie Qingyue.

“Qing Yue, since you’re not joining the next round, do me one more favor—just deliver some medicine.”

—

Xie Qingyue showed up at the door of Chen Zui’s apartment, holding a bag of medicine.

Lu Buyan made him come.

He was just helping Lu Buyan out. He’d leave the medicine and go.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

A long moment passed before the door opened, revealing a scene completely beyond his expectations.

Chen Zui appeared at the doorway shirtless, with just a towel slung low around his hips—so low that half his hip bones were exposed.

The water on his body hadn’t been wiped dry yet; beads of water traced paths down his pecs into the ridges of his abs. Some dried there, leaving behind glistening traces, while others continued downward, vanishing unabashedly beneath the towel.

A gust of steam and raw male scent washed over him.

It finally clicked what that scent was.

It was the scent of roses.