Flirted Then Forgot Everything - Chapter 9

The office for the table read was spacious and the air conditioning was blasting, yet Jian Li felt uncomfortably hot. With Yu Cheng sitting right beside him, he kept his eyes on the script while cautiously tugging at his collar to let some air in.

This was Jian Li’s first time participating in a table read. Surrounded by a Film King and seasoned veterans, along with several talented young actors, he didn’t dare to be slack. He remained focused throughout and managed to get through the session without a single error.

During the mid-session break, the two veteran actors—Chen Jing and Hu Xin—proved they weren’t the type to enjoy silence. They joked with each other and took turns praising Jian Li’s vocal performance.

“Little Jian’s delivery is quite good. I wouldn’t have guessed he’s never acted before; he sounds like he has plenty of experience.”

“I’m a singer, after all, so I have a bit of a foundation,” Jian Li replied modestly.

Hu Xin nodded with a smile, but then his tone shifted abruptly. “On the other hand, Xiao Yu, what’s going on with you? Are you in a relationship?”

Jian Li had just picked up a bottle of mineral water. Hearing the veteran’s question, his ears immediately perked up, and he froze mid-motion while unscrewing the cap.

Yu Cheng flipped through his script casually. “No.”

Chen Jing and Hu Xin exchanged a look. “Then what’s with that mark on your neck?”

Yu Cheng remained calm, sitting steadily in his chair. “A cat bit me.”

“Bitten by a cat and you’re in such a hurry to show it off?”

“The wound heals slower if it’s covered by clothes.”

Jian Li gripped his water bottle, staring intensely at the labels on the plastic to avoid looking around. Hearing the banter, he felt the heat rising in his chest until it became unbearable; his heart began to thud rhythmically and wildly.

“Can’t open it?” Yu Cheng’s voice suddenly sounded right against Jian Li’s ear.

The water bottle was plucked from his hands. Yu Cheng naturally unscrewed the cap for him and handed it back.

Jian Li’s eyes widened as he stared at Yu Cheng in disbelief. Was this the same Yu Cheng who usually met him with cold glares and sneers? They hadn’t seen each other for only two days—how could the change be this drastic?

Jian Li glanced at the bite mark on Yu Cheng’s neck, wondering if an infected wound had somehow impacted the man’s IQ.

Yu Cheng went back to his script, his pen moving as he marked various sections. Jian Li’s gaze was so blatant it was impossible to ignore, yet Yu Cheng said nothing, allowing Jian Li to stare.

Chen Jing and Hu Xin weren’t finished with their teasing. “That doesn’t look like a cat bite to me. The edges are too even; looks more like it’s from a person.”

Jian Li, who had just taken a sip of water, immediately burst into a fit of coughing. He set the bottle down and frantically reached for Yu Cheng’s collar, trying to yank the loose fabric up to hide the mark.

“Cough, cough—Film King Yu, the AC is really strong in here. It’s too cold! Cover it up, cover it up be careful not to catch a cold.”

Yu Cheng slowly looked over, staring at Jian Li’s flushed cheeks before swatting his hand away. “Cold? You look like you’re burning up to me.”

Seeing that they hadn’t managed to fluster Yu Cheng but had nearly scared Jian Li to death, the two veterans shared a look and mercifully changed the subject.

Jian Li took a deep breath, his heart still hammering. He quietly nudged his chair a bit further away, trying to create some distance so Yu Cheng wouldn’t hear his pulse. Fortunately, Yu Cheng ignored him, and the break ended quickly as the next round of reading began.

The system’s mechanical voice spoke in Jian Li’s mind—a tone so steady it always felt like it was mocking him.

“Host, a reminder: Yu Cheng is your target. You should spend more time with him to increase favorability, rather than avoiding him.”

“I know! I know! Stop it!” Jian Li snapped back internally, patting his chest to soothe his traitorous heart.

When the afternoon session ended, Jian Li stood alone at the entrance. He looked at Wan Tao’s name on his phone but shoved the device back into his pocket. Since their falling out, Jian Li hadn’t reported his schedule, and Wan Tao hadn’t offered to pick him up.

In the distance, Yu Cheng was walking toward his van. Zhou Qingbai hopped out to open the door.

Thinking of the system’s constant nagging and his precarious 61-point favorability score, Jian Li summoned his courage and ran over.

“Film King Yu!”

Yu Cheng paused, his foot halfway into the van. Jian Li caught up, figuring a smile is hard to rebuff, and looked up with an exceptionally cute expression.

It was dusk, and the hazy golden light of the sunset draped over Jian Li’s face like a thin veil of gold leaf. The light reflected in his clear, light-colored eyes, making them look like translucent glass.

“Film King Yu, give me a lift?”

Yu Cheng retracted his gaze from Jian Li’s face and refused without hesitation. “It’s not on the way.”

Seeing Yu Cheng about to get in, Jian Li lunged and grabbed the man’s wrist. Yu Cheng wasn’t wearing a jacket, and his shirt fabric was thin. Jian Li’s warm palm pressed directly against his skin—feeling like a soft, sticky piece of fresh rice cake. It was a sensation that made one want to reach out and give it a squeeze.

“I haven’t even told you where I live yet! How can it not be on the way?”

Yu Cheng didn’t squeeze the “rice cake.” Instead, he pried Jian Li’s fingers off one by one. “It doesn’t matter where you live; it’s not on the way.”

They were standing by the road. Even if there were few people around, it didn’t mean they were alone. Zhou Qingbai, from the driver’s seat, spoke up: “Just get in. People will start gathering soon. I’ll give you a ride.”

Jian Li nodded vigorously and slipped into the van before Yu Cheng could object. Once inside, he conscientiously scooted deep into the back to make room. Yu Cheng sat down with a cold face and slammed the door shut in silence.

Jian Li stole a glance at him. How can one person be so complicated? He was the one who flaunted the bite mark, yet he was also the one acting completely indifferent now. Even women weren’t this hot and cold.

Yet, the favorability score remained stable, meaning his actions hadn’t disgusted Yu Cheng.

When Zhou Qingbai asked for his address, Jian Li rattled it off and then had the audacity to ask where Yu Cheng lived. Yu Cheng didn’t make a sound, so Jian Li looked expectantly at Zhou Qingbai.

Zhou Qingbai laughed and told him. Their homes were on opposite sides of the city; it truly wasn’t on the way.

Jian Li felt genuinely embarrassed now. “That’s so far. Why don’t you drop me at the next intersection? I’ll take a taxi.”

Zhou Qingbai shook his head. “It’s fine. We weren’t heading home yet anyway; we have business to attend to near your neighborhood.”

Since it didn’t sound like a mere courtesy, Jian Li settled back quietly. The van was spacious, but even sharing the back seat, he and Yu Cheng maintained a gap wide enough for a third person.

Jian Li peeked at Yu Cheng several times. The man sat perfectly upright with his eyes closed, clearly determined to ignore him.

Instead, Zhou Qingbai struck up a conversation. “Jian Li, where’s your manager? Why didn’t he pick you up?”

Jian Li licked his dry lips. “He’s busy. I can get back on my own; I don’t need a ride every time.”

Zhou Qingbai frowned. “I heard Wan Tao only has you as an artist. If you aren’t busy, what could he be busy with?”

Caught off guard by the bluntness, Jian Li gave an awkward laugh, not knowing how to respond. Fortunately, his phone rang, saving him from the moment. It was Wan Tao. Jian Li took a breath and answered.

The second he picked up, Wan Tao’s frantic voice exploded through the line:

“Jian Li! Why are you becoming so disobedient? Did you leave with Yu Cheng? What are you doing following him! Didn’t I warn you to stay away from him? Have you no memory? Go check Xunsheng yourself! One crisis after another—look at what a mess this has become!”

The shouting made Jian Li’s head throb. He suppressed his own rising anger and said as calmly as possible, “I’ll handle my own business.”

He hung up and opened the app. In the front, Zhou Qingbai also took a call before handing a tablet back to Yu Cheng.

In the span of ten minutes, photos of Jian Li grabbing Yu Cheng’s wrist had spread everywhere. Rumors and speculations were once again dominating the trending lists. The kissing scandal from the awards hadn’t even fully died down, and these new photos reignited the public’s memory.

Jian Li scrolled rapidly. The lingering anger from the fight with Wan Tao made his eyes sting. Tears began to well up, and his shoulders trembled slightly. He looked utterly pitiful.

Suddenly, Yu Cheng reached out and snatched the phone from his hand.

Jian Li froze, looking at Yu Cheng in confusion. He didn’t actually want to cry—he was just so angry he wanted to fight Wan Tao—but his body simply reacted that way.

Yu Cheng tossed the phone onto the seat. He didn’t even look at the tablet Zhou Qingbai had offered; instead, he opened his script.

“So a few photos were taken. What are you afraid of?”

Jian Li tried to speak, but his voice came out with a sob, so he clamped his mouth shut.

Yu Cheng pushed the script toward him, pointing to a section he had underlined. Jian Li looked down, his mouth falling open. He wished he could sink through the floorboards.

The underlined text read:

Li Xiaoli is pinned against the table by Gao Mochen. The beautiful porcelain Gao Mochen collected specifically for him is swept to the floor. Gao Mochen leans in slowly, his fingertips reaching out.

It was a scene from Imprison Your Love. They had literally just read it this afternoon.

Right in front of Jian Li, Yu Cheng flipped to another page. A kissing scene was also heavily underlined in black ink. Then Yu Cheng kept flipping—hugs, kisses, and even the bedroom scenes—every single moment of intense physical contact was meticulously highlighted.

Jian Li suddenly realized what Yu Cheng had been doing with his pen all afternoon. He had thought Yu Cheng was taking notes on the craft; he hadn’t expected he was cataloging this.

Seeing that Jian Li had finally composed himself, Yu Cheng asked, “Finished?”

Jian Li nodded. He had forced back his tears and regained his composure, but his cheeks and ears remained a vibrant crimson. If his neck weren’t hidden by his high collar, that too would surely be flushed a deep scarlet.

Yu Cheng closed the script, his voice cool yet steadying.

“Once the movie is released, hundreds of millions of people will see us holding hands, embracing, kissing, and even in bed together.”

“Jian Li, be professional. This isn’t just your movie, and I have no intention of letting my reputation be ruined because of you.”

Jian Li had been panicking, but Yu Cheng’s blunt provocation shifted his perspective. Suddenly, a few leaked photos of them holding hands felt like nothing at all. Besides, their kissing photos had already been exposed; why fear a few hand-holding shots?

Yu Cheng was right. Once the film hit theaters, their intimacy would be scrutinized by countless eyes. What was there to be afraid of? If Yu Cheng wasn’t scared, why should he be?

Jian Li puffed out his chest and shot Yu Cheng what he thought was a fierce glare. In reality, with his pink cheeks, soft hair damp against his forehead, and the heat radiating from his skin, he looked anything but threatening.

“Don’t you worry. Even if this is my first time acting, I won’t be the one dragging you down!”

Faced with Jian Li’s bold declaration, Yu Cheng had already leaned back and closed his eyes again.

“Is that so? I look forward to it.”

After dropping Jian Li off, Zhou Qingbai turned the van around and headed toward Yu Cheng’s home. He glanced at Yu Cheng through the rearview mirror and teased:

“Film King Yu, was the reverse psychology effective?”

Yu Cheng opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and clear.

“Whether it worked or not, we’ll find out soon enough.”

Meanwhile, the moment Jian Li stepped through his front door, the system’s voice chimed in:

“Target Yu Cheng favorability +1. Current score: 62. Keep up the good work, Host.”

Jian Li was utterly baffled. Why the sudden point? Because I talked back to him?

Yu Cheng, surely he doesn’t actually have a masochistic streak, does he?

That would be intense!