I Was Forced into the Limelight After Pairing with a Top Star - Chapter 13

Shi Yu had called Lin Wang last night, telling him that he would soon be appearing on a variety show. She urged him to check his Weibo Super Topic frequently and interact more with his fans.

Lin Wang was surprised for a long while and said with a laugh, “I actually have fans?”

Shi Yu managed so many top-tier celebrities, all of whom meticulously maintained their fan bases. Meanwhile, Lin Wang had been silent for months. “If you do not start building a presence, your fans will be gone soon. Do not come crying to me then!”

Lin Wang replied, “In that case, I should probably post something. I was just on the trending searches, after all.”

He had agreed to it then, but when it came time to actually post, Lin Wang felt lost.

He did not know what other actors usually posted. While Chi Yuan was appearing on stage at an event, Lin Wang spent half an hour backstage searching for ideas.

Celebrities mostly posted a grid of nine polished selfies, photos of objects or scenery, or daily life updates that looked anything but ordinary. Lin Wang chose carefully. He was always serious when dealing with unfamiliar things. Finally, following Xu Wenyang’s suggestion, he decided to share a selfie where his face was visible.

Lin Wang had not been hiding during this trip. People had recognized him the moment he stepped out of the car, so there was no need to avoid showing the location. Backstage, he asked Xu Wenyang to help him take a photo and picked one to post on Weibo.

@LinWang: Good evening.

Lin Wang had headed out today wearing a simple white T-shirt and casual pants. Due to the previous incident with Liu Linjia, he also wore a jacket so he would not be left bare if one layer was removed.

On an ordinary person, it would have been a plain outfit, but Lin Wang’s natural looks were exceptional. He leaned against a wall, smiling casually at the camera while holding a bottle of mineral water. The veins on his arms were slightly visible, the corners of his eyes were tilted down gently, and his gaze was calm and peaceful.

Even though his entire being screamed “I am displaying masculine charm,” he maintained a clear sense of boundaries and distance. It made people’s hearts heat up, yet he remained untouchable. Even saying “I like you” failed to describe exactly what it was they liked.

Xu Wenyang felt embarrassed after taking the photo and showed it to Lin Wang happily. “Brother Lin, this photo will definitely gain you followers. My face is even turning red. The last time that happened was when I saw you shooting for a magazine.”

“It is fine if your face is red, but I will pass.” Xu Wenyang had taken over a dozen photos, and they all looked the same to Lin Wang, so he picked one at random.

After posting, Lin Wang did not check it again. The event began at five in the evening and did not end until after dark. He sat until his whole body felt stiff.

Xu Wenyang had originally planned to stay overnight, as traveling back late was too much trouble, but Chi Yuan suddenly told him they were leaving immediately.

When they got back to the van, Chi Yuan’s expression looked the same as usual. He leaned against Lin Wang with his eyes closed and appeared to fall asleep shortly after. Lin Wang sensed something was wrong, but he could not put his finger on it.

The driver drove through the night. Since Xu Wenyang was also in the car, Lin Wang asked a question in a low voice, but receiving no response, he stopped asking.

The air conditioning in the car was set low. Lin Wang took off his jacket and draped it over Chi Yuan. He touched Chi Yuan’s forehead. It did not feel hot, but the man was definitely listless.

There was a heavy traffic jam due to an accident on the highway. It was nearly midnight by the time they reached home. Chi Yuan went upstairs immediately after getting out of the car without calling for Lin Wang.

Even someone as slow as Xu Wenyang realized something was wrong. After putting away Chi Yuan’s things, he did not dare stay long. Lin Wang saw him to the door and instructed him and the driver, “Drive slowly on the way back.”

“Understood, Brother Lin,” Xu Wenyang said, then added in a whisper, “If things get bad, call Brother Yu. Chi Yuan still listens to him.”

Lin Wang closed the car door for him. “Mhm, I know.”

Once everyone had left, the villa became silent.

Lin Wang closed the door and walked toward the stairs by the light of the small night lamps. As he passed the sofa, he saw a silhouette. His back turned cold from the fright, but a closer look revealed it was Chi Yuan.

Chi Yuan had just showered and was lying on the sofa in dark pajamas. If not for his pale skin, he would have almost blended into the night.

Lin Wang took off his jacket, hung it by the door, and went to sit beside Chi Yuan. He ruffled Chi Yuan’s hair, not asking why he was lying there, but simply saying, “Dry your hair before sleeping. It is soaking wet and getting my hand all watery.”

“Turn off the lights,” Chi Yuan said, his voice a bit raspy.

Lin Wang looked up. A sensor night light near the entrance was still on. He looked down at Chi Yuan and said, “It will turn off on its own in a moment.”

Chi Yuan’s eyes were tightly shut. It was impossible to tell if the moisture on his forehead was sweat or water dripping from his hair. Under the moonlight, it had a faint, cold shimmer.

“Is the air conditioning set too low? Did you set it to the teens again?” Lin Wang found the remote under Chi Yuan’s arm and turned the temperature up a few degrees.

Chi Yuan frowned. “It is too bright.”

The night light had already gone out, but tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Tonight’s moon was round and bright, making the room look as if a light were on.

Lin Wang stood up, wanting to close the curtains. Just as he rose, the previously prone Chi Yuan suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm. Using unexpected strength, he pulled Lin Wang back down onto the sofa. By the time Lin Wang realized what had happened, Chi Yuan had already sat up, pressing down on Lin Wang’s shoulders.

“Where are you going?” Chi Yuan’s face was completely pale, but his voice and gaze were deep and steady.

Whenever he spoke like this, Lin Wang felt as if he were under a spell, unable to muster any presence. He answered instinctively, “I am going to pull the curtains. The moon is too bright.”

“Sit,” Chi Yuan said.

Lin Wang nodded. Chi Yuan let go and watched as Lin Wang sat upright with his legs extended, leaning against the sofa. Only then did Chi Yuan lie down on Lin Wang’s lap with his back to the window.

Chi Yuan grabbed Lin Wang’s hand and slowly slid his fingertips between Lin Wang’s fingers. Half of his face was buried against Lin Wang as he suddenly whispered, “Speak, Brother.”

Lin Wang’s palm felt itchy from Chi Yuan’s movements. His fingers twitched, and because of that “Brother,” his tense shoulders relaxed slightly. “What do you want to hear?”

Chi Yuan wanted to chat, so Lin Wang asked casually, but Chi Yuan opened his eyes in the moonlight and stared at Lin Wang’s hand, thinking for a long time.

Chi Yuan held Lin Wang’s hand, kneading and squeezing it gently. After a few minutes, he rolled over to lie on his back, looking into Lin Wang’s eyes. The corner of his lip hooked up slightly. “Sing for me.”

Lin Wang froze, then laughed. “Me?”

It was one thing to show off over the phone, but singing in front of Chi Yuan, the thought was almost too much. Even someone as thick-skinned as Lin Wang felt he was being a bit shameless.

“You want to hear me sing?” Chi Yuan arched an eyebrow, his gaze playful.

Chi Yuan’s voice was so raspy that Lin Wang did not have the heart to ask him to sing. He had been fine during the event, but it had become this severe in just a few hours. Many people could not refuse hearing Chi Yuan sing a cappella, but Lin Wang asked instead, “Do you have a cold? Where is the medicine kept?”

Chi Yuan did not answer him. He raised his hand and looked at Lin Wang through the gaps between his fingers in the moonlight. After a while, a raspy voice pierced straight into Lin Wang’s heart: “У-умри, если меня не любишь, Я ломаю руки, я ломаю губы, Я ломаю твоё тело насквозь.”

Chi Yuan sang the song Lin Wang had once sung to him. This was the first time Lin Wang had heard Chi Yuan sing, and he was stunned for a long time, unable to find a single word to accurately describe his current feeling.

To Chi Yuan, a raspy voice had nothing to do with technique or emotion. He simply hummed it out, yet Lin Wang did not know how to express his mood.

This simple humming made the segment Lin Wang had sung a few days ago seem like a childish kindergarten performance. But Chi Yuan sang seriously, and Lin Wang listened just as seriously.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Wang reached out and covered Chi Yuan’s eyes, blocking the moonlight for him.

Chi Yuan held Lin Wang’s other hand with light pressure. When he blinked, his eyelashes brushed against Lin Wang’s palm, feeling ticklish.

The second hand on the wall passed twelve with a soft click. Chi Yuan said, “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.”

The Mid-Autumn Festival was a day for family reunions and eating mooncakes. Lin Wang had not celebrated this holiday in a long time. Hearing Chi Yuan’s blessing, he smiled silently and whispered, “Mhm, happy Mid-Autumn Festival to you too.”

Chi Yuan seemed to have calmed down. The coldness he had shown when forcing Lin Wang to sit had vanished. He asked in a very low voice, “How did Brother used to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival?”

“I,” Lin Wang hesitated. Chi Yuan was asking how “Brother” used to spend it, not how the original owner did.

Late-night conversations between men often make it easy to open one’s heart. Lin Wang took a deep breath. His words were vague, but he did not lie. “Depending on how long ago you mean, if it was a long time ago, the festival was quite fun.”

Chi Yuan asked, “Fun how?”

Lin Wang leaned against the sofa and watched the moon outside the window for a while, his smile nostalgic. “It seems there was nothing particularly special. Does sitting together as a family to play cards count? The mooncakes were terrible. Every year, my mom would call whoever bought them an idiot, yet my dad bought them every single year. They had a fight every Mid-Autumn Festival.”

The emotion in Lin Wang’s eyes was very soft as he spoke. This was one of the few memories he had left that carried no burden. He could still see his parents’ faces clearly and had not forgotten the tone of their voices during their arguments.

Things that are gone still remain in another form, whether as memories or sadness, they are remembered.

“And you?” Lin Wang looked down.

Chi Yuan took Lin Wang’s hand off his eyes and stared quietly at him, repeating Lin Wang’s own question. “Depending on how long ago you mean.”

Lin Wang thought for two seconds and said fairly, “Tell me about a long time ago then. How did you spend the Mid-Autumn Festival when you were a child?”

“I did not,” Chi Yuan answered just as fairly. “I was taking medicine.”

Lin Wang paused for a second. Judging by Chi Yuan’s behavior up to now, this was not a memory that could be easily dismissed. Based on Lin Wang’s past experience and style, he would not press for details on what had happened.

When a person carries too much on their own shoulders, they are often unwilling to look at the hardships of others. Furthermore, Lin Wang felt his relationship with Chi Yuan was not yet deep enough. In his position, asking too much would be overstepping.

Lin Wang was used to speaking and acting cautiously in public. Having learned from many falls, he would not do something that lacked boundaries.

The sudden silence made the small, warm space turn cold. Chi Yuan watched Lin Wang for a long time with quiet eyes before slowly closing them.

After a while, Lin Wang heard him hum a very soft, unfamiliar tune, as if he were coaxing himself to sleep.

For a moment, Lin Wang’s mind was unclear. Rarely, and without thinking, he blurted out, “Were you sick? Why were you taking medicine?”

The tune slowly stopped. Chi Yuan pointed to his temple and said indifferently, “It hurt here.”

Lin Wang frowned slightly. “A headache?”

“Mhm,” Chi Yuan lowered his hand and tilted his head to look at Lin Wang. “My mom said only smart children feel pain.”

“She was right,” Lin Wang said, his breathing growing light for some reason. “What about now? Does it still hurt?”

Chi Yuan said, “It hurts, right now.”

Lin Wang pressed his hand over Chi Yuan’s eyes again, unaware of how deeply he was frowning. His tone was soft enough to touch the heart. “Then do not think about the past. If you do not use your smart brain, it will not hurt.”

This time, Lin Wang’s words made Chi Yuan laugh. The curve of his lips was obvious. Although Lin Wang was pressing down on his eyes, he knew that when Chi Yuan laughed, his eyes were beautiful.

Chi Yuan laughed for a good while before saying raspily, “Brother, sing a song. I am sleepy.”

“You are the singer; why do you always make me sing?” Lin Wang thought about it helplessly. “A lullaby?”

Chi Yuan was never picky and gave an “Mhm.”

Lin Wang said with a smile, “How old are you? Fine, but do not laugh at me if I am out of tune.”