After Reuniting, My Beautiful Ex-Lover Fishes for Me Every Day - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Unclothing

Yan Xu brought the cold-dispelling tea upstairs and pushed open the half-closed master bedroom door. He saw the clothes Wei Changli had been wearing earlier tossed haphazardly on the floor, staining the well-decorated but cold-natured room with a hint of ambiguous, worldly decadence.

On the meticulously maintained, flat bed, several jelly-cup-packaged condoms had been thrown onto the pillow—a glaring provocation that provided a stark visual impact at first glance.

Facing this room of “fleeting spring nights,” Yan Xu’s expression remained calm as he placed the tea on the bedside nightstand. He picked up the clothes and had just finished folding one piece when he heard the bathroom doorknob turn.

When Wei Changli walked out barefoot, he was wearing only a thin bath towel tied loosely. The wide-open collar generously revealed a patch of white, moist, and delicate skin. The skin over his collarbones was thin, making the faint blue veins visible as they pulsed rhythmically against the bone.

Yan Xu lowered his eyes slightly: “Will you drink some tea? It’s to warm the body.”

“Warm the body? No need for such trouble.” Wei Changli gave him a slight smile—a smile that was both beautiful and professional in its seductive quality. He climbed onto Yan Xu’s bed as if he were climbing onto a hotel bed, his gaze ambiguous and flirtatious as he asked, “Is this not warming enough?”

Yan Xu watched his movements silently.

“Saving me on a stormy night counts as once; dealing with Shen Shuqiang for me counts as once; getting Zhuohua to give me work counts as once,” Wei Changli leaned closer to Yan Xu, the fresh scent of the same shower gel radiating from him. Simultaneously, he held up three fingers almost playfully: “Three times, Director Yan. Have I counted wrongly?”

Yan Xu’s dark eyelashes drooped peacefully. It was a long time before he spoke: “Must it be like this?”

Wei Changli’s eyebrows knitted adorably, his entire being radiating a look that was both pure and lustful. He knelt on the bed and raised his head, pressing his lips close to Yan Xu’s ear. His breath brushed the skin behind the ear—neither touching nor far away—as if he might lick it the very next second.

Then, he hooked a lock of hair by the man’s ear, his smile gradually turning cold: “That is exactly what I wanted to ask.”

In the next instant, Yan Xu pressed against Wei Changli’s shoulder to push him away, his voice already strained with suppressed emotion: “If it were someone else, would you be like this too?”

Wei Changli blinked noncommittally, leaving the question unanswered.

Yan Xu’s gaze was heavy and concentrated.

He knew exactly what Wei Changli meant. This “little master,” who had been the darling of heaven since birth, would never accept a shred of favor from anyone even if he fell into the mud.

Even if that so-called favor was restrained, disciplined, and kept to a minimum, in his eyes, it was forced and an unbearable burden.

This display wasn’t an act of weakness; rather, by debasing himself, he was unscrupulously trampling on each other’s sore spots as a show of force.

Wei Changli stared at Yan Xu without blinking. Seeing no reaction, he provocatively and explicitly reached out to untie the man’s robe belt, only to be grabbed firmly by Yan Xu.

“I will not interfere with your affairs again.”

Yan Xu’s gaze turned completely cold, revealing for the first time an unapproachable aura before the youth.

Wei Changli knew this was an expression of the other man’s suppressed anger, but he felt no fear. He had heard the answer he wanted. He gave a cold laugh and said, “Thank you.”

The next moment, the youth looked down and pulled his open collar tight. Not a trace of the submissive, flirtatious charm remained; with a clear expression, he shattered the lingering mood in the room.

Yan Xu turned and left, the door shutting with a muffled thud.

Listening to the footsteps, Wei Changli silently lowered his eyes.

Even though he had obtained the promise he wanted, he still felt exhausted—like a drowning person treading water, gulping air and water into his windpipe until his lungs felt ready to explode.

Wei Changli’s fingers silently gripped the bedsheets. He unthinkingly recalled things from the past.

Actually, after Yan Xu went abroad, he had called him.

Yes, even knowing full well that Yan Xu likely broke up with him to secure his career path, Wei Changli still couldn’t help calling. During that time, he liked to hide away alone and drink high-proof alcohol, brainwashing himself into believing that this “pathetic clinging” was just a side effect of being drunk.

Whether it was a confrontation or a plea for reconciliation didn’t matter. Wei Changli knew he just wanted to hear that voice one more time.

But in those three years, Yan Xu never picked up once.

Later, Wei Changli called less often. It became his second great trauma after his refusal to see doctors.

Perhaps Yan Xu’s rejection of his call just now had pricked a fragile spot in his heart, allowing impulse to take full command of his emotions. Thinking back on what he had just done, even Wei Changli thought it was absurd.

But all he had left was a bit of hard-guarded pride—neither knowing if it was good or bad, a blessing or a curse.

Wei Changli sat on the bed alone for a while. Then, he threw those eyesore condoms into the trash can, picked up his clothes from the floor, and cleaned up the deliberately feigned atmosphere of debauchery, restoring everything in the bedroom to its original state.

The fluffy surface of the pillow and quilt carried that Epiphyllum scent common to Yan Xu. He couldn’t resist patting it with his hand when he suddenly saw a stray hair behind the pillow.

Long, flexible, and black as ink—it belonged to the owner of this bed.

Wei Changli hooked the strand of hair into his palm, stared at it for a long time, and then gently placed it back.

He climbed over the windowsill and left like a thief, not disturbing the person inside again.

The moon rose and then set slowly as the stars shifted. Near dawn, when the dew was heavy and humans slept most soundly, Yan Xu opened the door with a cold face and entered almost soundlessly.

Morning light drifted behind the sheer curtains; the room was empty and quiet.

Yan Xu held a set of clean clothes. When he saw the flat bed and the cup of cold tea on the nightstand, he was first stunned, then turned toward a quiet stillness.

He was gone.

…

A week later, the filming for the TVC advertisement promised by Zhuohua arrived. Wei Changli packed himself off to join the production crew.

Normally, artists who have signed contracts with agencies are strictly forbidden from taking private jobs. However, his situation was special; as the “little master” tossed to the agency by the Wei family, Wei Changli had no substantive contract with his current agency, “Hexing.”

Out of a sense of responsibility, Wei Changli still reported his recent work status to his manager, Tao You. But Tao You was so busy cultivating new talent that she likely didn’t look at the specific schedule, only replying with a generic “OK” emoji in the early hours of the morning.

As it was PERME’s centennial celebration, the brand took it very seriously, collaborating with multiple ad agencies and talent firms on a grand scale.

As soon as Wei Changli entered the dressing room, he saw a familiar face. Tao You, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, had permed her hair into a festive “sheep-wool” curl and was leaning against a makeup table talking on the phone.

He waited for her to hang up before calling out “Sister You,” but the girl was still startled when she turned around. Her cute baby face showed an expression of shock followed by guilt.

“Chang-chang-chang… Changli?!” Tao You leaned back, her butt hitting the makeup table, accidentally knocking over a setting spray. “Why are you here?”

Wei Changli knew from her reaction that this busy bee hadn’t read his messages. He explained the situation again.

“I see,” Tao You awkwardly tucked a stray hair behind her ear, blinking her eyes for forgiveness. “Sorry, Changli. I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t been able to look after you…”

Wei Changli waved it off casually and asked, “Hexing sent artists today too, right? Is it that junior who’s preparing to debut?”

He thought for a moment, recalling the name: “Zhai Wo?”

Tao You nodded first, then sighed worriedly:

“Yes, it’s Xiao Wo. This time the company went to great lengths to pull strings for him to be the male lead of the ad. After all, it’s his debut; the higher-ups take it very seriously. But after arriving on set today, ‘Global Entertainment’ suddenly said they want their actor to have equal billing! How long is a TVC? There are only four sets of shots in total. Our side is definitely unwilling!”

Tao You sat on the table, swinging her feet, then lowered her voice to a gossiping and complaining tone:

“I’ll tell you a secret: actually, Global was half-dead not long ago, but somehow they’ve perked up again recently… With President Shen’s arrogant ‘crab-walking’ attitude, Hexing doesn’t want to provoke them.”

Wei Changli’s eyes flickered slightly at this. He said neutrally, “So what happens now?”

“Neither side has reached an agreement yet. The brand is in a difficult position and doesn’t want to offend either party,” Tao You suddenly put her hands on her hips in anger. “I just got a call saying the car Xiao Wo was in suddenly broke down! He’s transferring now. The company’s business vehicles are serviced regularly; they don’t just malfunction like that… If he can’t arrive on time, the ‘Top Billing’ for the first set of shots will definitely go to Global!”

Wei Changli remembered Yan Xu’s cold words: “I will not interfere with your affairs again.”

Shen Shuqiang was indeed quite the character. Without someone secretly suppressing him from above, the speed at which Global Entertainment restarted was beyond his imagination.

Just then, a makeup artist from Zhuohua was looking for him. Wei Changli patted Tao You’s shoulder reassuringly and went to get his makeup done.

The Zhuohua makeup artist was a woman with skillful hands. She was cool, spoke little, but had excellent technique. She first applied basic moisturizer and skincare to Wei Changli, then squinted her eyes, gesturing back and forth across his face before reaching a conclusion:

“You need ‘Yielding Makeup’.” (Makeup designed to make a person look less prominent or attractive so as not to outshine others).

This was Wei Changli’s first time participating in a formal production. In a sense, he was a total greenhorn; he looked at her blankly.

The makeup artist found it a bit tricky, frowning as she confirmed: “You’re an extra?”

Wei Changli nodded.

The makeup artist said no more and signaled him to close his eyes.

While Wei Changli was having his “miraculous” looks turned into “mediocrity” by the makeup artist’s heavy hand, the empty seat next to him was taken. The new arrival seemed determined to assert his presence, making a noisy “clatter and bang” with his belongings.

Immediately, an arrogant and sharp male voice rang out: “A brand as big as PERME doesn’t even provide a private dressing room? How can I be expected to huddle with the extras for makeup? People might think we’re a troupe going to a village stage to sing opera!”

The words were unpleasant. Wei Changli couldn’t help but lift his eyes, catching a glimpse of the newcomer through the mirror.

The mirror revealed a young man with a face full of powder and oil, sporting a blindingly bright dyed yellow hair. He wasn’t ugly, but his features carried an intense sense of artificial refinement.

The makeup artist clicked her tongue, seemingly annoyed at having underestimated the amount of work needed to “downgrade” Wei Changli’s face.

The artist turned his head at the sound, catching Wei Changli’s eyes in the mirror. He was stunned for a moment, then spoke even more imperiously: “What are you looking at! Got a problem?”