I Was Forced into the Limelight After Pairing with a Top Star - Chapter 16

Lin Wang ran his thumb over his phone. He wanted to say something to Chi Yuan, but as he stared at the chat interface, he did not know what would be appropriate to say.

The post was already out there. Saying something like “this is bad for your image” would seem too affected now, and besides, Chi Yuan was likely already asleep.

He cycled through various messaging apps. Before long, Yu Qi sent him a message telling him not to respond to Chi Yuan’s retweet for the time being, as the studio was working on an explanation. Lin Wang replied with a simple “Okay.”

Yu Qi’s message was brief. Lin Wang assured him he would not cause any more trouble.

Because of that one retweet, Yu Qi’s blood pressure had skyrocketed. He was so busy he could barely think, standing on the balcony late at night taking call after call. He had a video conference running on a second phone as the entire studio held an emergency meeting to handle the boss’s long-awaited “spontaneous situation.”

“How nostalgic,” one of the girls in the office said between yawns. “These nights where the moon is awake and I am not, desperately trying to fix things for the boss.”

“From this moment on, we are Nüwa,” a young man joked, his eyes tearing up from exhaustion, “mending the heavens in the middle of the night.”

Yu Qi felt a headache coming on from their chatter. “Stop the nonsense. Double overtime pay for everyone. Get the comment section under control immediately.”

While Yu Qi’s side was in a frantic meeting, Lin Wang was quietly savoring the complicated feelings in his heart. No one spared a thought for the boss, left alone in the villa, unaccompanied, having just caused a mountain of trouble.

At some point, Chi Yuan had sat up. Draped in Lin Wang’s jacket, he was expressionlessly browsing the comments section of Lin Wang’s retweeted post on Weibo.

Not only was he browsing, but he was also replying, starting from the very top.

@Fan1: Hubby, when is the new album coming out? How am I supposed to live without it!!! @ChiYuan: Listen to the old ones.

@Fan2: Brother, what kind of play is this? Quickly explain to us sisters. Shhh.jpg @ChiYuan: Acting as a left-behind child.

@Fan3: Slurp! Hubby!!!!! Lewd.jpg @ChiYuan: Belongs to someone else.

@Fan4: Damn, am I witnessing Brother leaving the single life? Oh my god, I am so excited. I have to share my hubby with someone else now. Blushing.jpg @ChiYuan: Calling the police.

@Fan5: How should I put this? It is a good thing Boss Chi entered the singing industry; otherwise, with that dog temper, he would be a menace to society no matter what he did. Doghead.jpg @ChiYuan: You.

He did not get to reply to the fifth one because Yu Qi’s call came through. Chi Yuan tapped the screen listlessly and hung up.

Yu Qi nearly fainted. He immediately dialed Lin Wang, and this time, Lin Wang answered. “Brother Yu?”

“Lin Wang, right now, immediately, as fast as you possibly can, coax Chi Yuan to sleep! Make him delete Weibo, tell him not to touch his phone. I am begging you!”

Lin Wang was stunned, feeling a bit of an urge to laugh. “What did Chi Yuan do now?”

Yu Qi said, “He went crazy staying home alone for the Mid-Autumn Festival. He is losing it on Weibo. Hurry up and stop him; he is not taking my calls.”

After hanging up, Lin Wang did not even check Weibo. He called Chi Yuan immediately.

Chi Yuan answered quickly, his tone flat as he called him, “Brother.”

“Still awake?” Lin Wang sat up helplessly. He did not know if his words would carry weight, but he repeated them verbatim. “Yu Qi called me. He told me to tell you to stop playing on Weibo. It is best if you uninstall it.”

The other side went quiet for a moment. Chi Yuan asked in a low voice, “When are you coming back?”

Lin Wang had originally planned to say the day after tomorrow so he could spend one more day with his parents, but the words shifted as they left his mouth. “At the latest, tomorrow night. I will leave after breakfast in the morning.”

Chi Yuan suddenly fell silent. The sound of quiet breathing came through the receiver. As a sensitive and perceptive person, Lin Wang immediately sensed the change in Chi Yuan’s mood.

In reality, Chi Yuan was a full six years younger than him. Setting aside the contract, Lin Wang felt in his heart that as the older one, he should yield to Chi Yuan and take care of him more.

Lin Wang’s voice softened as he whispered, “I will bring you a gift when I get back. Go to sleep now; do you know what time it is? I will try to leave as early as possible tomorrow morning, okay?”

After a pause, Chi Yuan gave a low response. It was hard to tell if he was happy or not. Lin Wang struck while the iron was hot and told him to stop playing with his phone and to let him know when he got into the car tomorrow. Chi Yuan agreed to everything.

After hanging up, Lin Wang contacted Yu Qi. Yu Qi was so moved he almost wanted to call him “father.” Lin Wang did not know whether to laugh or cry and quickly told him to calm down.

Lin Wang truly did not sleep well that night.

The back-to-back calls before bed kept his mind occupied, and even after falling asleep, he was constantly thinking of the person in the other city, in that other house. He had a series of jumbled dreams, and he woke up in the morning feeling numb.

When he left, Lang Zhi gave Lin Wang a large backpack and a paper bag, both packed to the brim with food and drinks.

“It is not all for you. Share it with Chi Yuan.” Lang Zhi straightened Lin Wang’s collar, the reluctance of a mother showing in her eyes. Frowning, she said, “Tell the driver to go slow on the way back. The highway is crowded these few days. Call me and your father when you arrive. Put the food in the backpack in the fridge when you get home. Eat the things in the bag today with Chi Yuan; they will not keep.”

Lin Hanchuan stood restrained behind the mother and son, adding in a deep voice, “The weather is turning cold. Wear more clothes when you go out.”

“I know, do not worry. I am an adult; I can take care of myself,” Lin Wang said, reaching out to hug them both with a smile. “I will be back next holiday.”

Returning a day earlier than planned, Lin Wang failed to get a ticket again. By the time he arrived back at the villa via carpool, it was pitch black. He carried his things inside, and the interior was even darker than the outside. Lin Wang nearly tripped on the step at the entrance, only steadying himself by grabbing onto something.

There was a faint movement near the sofa. It was too dark to see anything clearly. Lin Wang called out tentatively, “Chi Yuan? Are the lights broken?”

Chi Yuan’s footsteps were incredibly light. Without his vision, Lin Wang could only vaguely sense Chi Yuan moving toward him. Fearing Chi Yuan might fall, he said, “Do not come over. I will turn on the flashlight so you do not trip.”

Chi Yuan did not listen. He stopped only when he was close enough for Lin Wang to feel his breath. Lin Wang smelled the damp moisture on him; soft, wet hair tips brushed against Lin Wang’s face, leaving a thin trail of water.

Chi Yuan had just showered. He carried the scent of humidity.

They were too close. At this distance, any relationship felt far too ambiguous, like a signal that made one’s heart tremble. Lin Wang’s breathing slowed down. He was not a fool who forgot the pain once the wound healed. With two prior experiences, he could guess that Chi Yuan was unhappy.

When Chi Yuan was unhappy, he ignored people, refused to call Lin Wang “Brother,” and his aura turned cold.

Lin Wang asked, “Have you eaten? I brought back a lot of food. Want to eat together?”

Lin Wang felt Chi Yuan raise his arm. For some reason, the rumor Lang Zhi had mentioned flashed through his mind. The bloody association made him uncontrollably close his eyes. But Chi Yuan simply reached past his shoulder and slapped the hidden switch on the wall.

Snap.

The sensor light at the entrance flared to life, and Lin Wang’s heart eased. Through the blurred light, he first saw Chi Yuan’s pitch-black pupils. With his head tilted down, Chi Yuan looked at him with an expression that was flat and far too calm.

Lin Wang’s lips were so dry he wanted to lick them. Avoiding Chi Yuan’s gaze, he bent down inconspicuously to change his shoes. “Why did you not dry your hair? It is soaking wet.”

The moment he stood up, a hand was suddenly pressed against his lower abdomen, pushing him forward with light force.

Lin Wang’s waist and stomach were sensitive and should not be touched. Without needing Chi Yuan to apply much strength, he backed up a few steps until his backpack hit the door with a muffled thud. His abdominal muscles tensed instantly.

Chi Yuan approached silently, his palm pressed flush against Lin Wang’s skin. He leaned down toward Lin Wang’s face. Lin Wang’s breathing grew sharp, and his upper body stiffened against the door.

Chi Yuan’s nose pressed against the corner of Lin Wang’s lips, brushing past his cheek with negligible force before slowly nuzzling his way to his chin, his neck.

Lin Wang tilted his head back nervously, not daring to breathe heavily. Chi Yuan’s breath hit his skin in fine mists. The warm sensation lingered at his most vulnerable spot. The area where he was touched began to heat up, followed by a scorched shiver.

His hands pressed too hard against the door. In a daze, Lin Wang felt as if Chi Yuan were smelling him.

The hand on his abdomen slowly pulled away, sliding up the folds of his clothes. Just as Lin Wang instinctively tried to turn his body to dodge, a knuckle rubbed heavily over his Adam’s apple, and Chi Yuan firmly seized his jaw.

Lin Wang’s lips trembled from the pain. Forced to look up, he urgently tried to capture Chi Yuan’s expression in the dimness.

Cold fingers ground heavily against Lin Wang’s lips, causing them to flush with blood and heat until they felt scorched and injured. Lin Wang unconsciously pursed his lips, his entire attention focused on the tip of Chi Yuan’s finger. His heartbeat thundered against his chest.

Chi Yuan spoke with an unreadable tone: “You came back late.”

Lin Wang tried to explain, his voice raspy in a way he had not noticed. “I could not get a ticket for today. I.”

Long fingers pried his lips open, pressing against his tongue to forcibly stop his words. Chi Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. Anyone could sense the displeasure in his calm tone. “Whose scent is on your body?”

Lin Wang’s tongue felt sore, and his cheeks began to burn. He struggled to remember before recalling something. Enduring the suppressed shame, he said indistinctly, “The driver. There was a lot of perfume sprayed in the car.”

As he spoke, his tongue tangled and brushed against the fingers. It was practically indistinguishable from another kind of act. Lin Wang closed his eyes in an attempt to escape.

Chi Yuan asked, “Do you like it?”

Lin Wang carefully moved his teeth aside, the tip of his tongue exerting enough force to make the bridge of his nose sting. He said hoarsely, “I do not like it. It smells bad.”

Chi Yuan withdrew his fingers, his knuckle casually brushing past the corner of Lin Wang’s eye. After Lin Wang swallowed hard, Chi Yuan leaned his weight against him and whispered in his ear, “I am hungry.”

“Hungry?” Lin Wang’s nerves were still taut. Hearing this, he froze for two seconds before finally breathing a sigh of relief. He smiled silently, raised the paper bag in his hand, and reached out to pat Chi Yuan’s back. “My mom made food this morning. Do you want this, or do you want the food Auntie Zhou made?”

Chi Yuan nuzzled Lin Wang’s neck. The perfume scent was strong, causing his brows to knit in displeasure. He said softly, “I will eat this.”

They did not go to the dining room. They sat side-by-side on the sofa eating the small cakes Lang Zhi had made.

There was a tiny light on the edge of the side table with a switch hidden underneath. When pressed, it would stay on. Lin Wang had never noticed it before.

Lin Wang ate one and put it down. Chi Yuan looked up at him, the corners of his eyes tilted.

Lin Wang took a sip of water to wash it down. “It is too sweet. I am not used to it. You eat first; I will go to the kitchen to tidy up.” He went to the kitchen, put everything from the bag into the fridge, and poured a glass of water for Chi Yuan before returning.

The speed at which Chi Yuan ate increased imperceptibly. After finishing the entire bag of cakes, he tilted his head and looked at Lin Wang with a lazy, weary expression. “Gift.”

Lin Wang had nearly forgotten. He pulled a wooden box from his bag and handed it over. “I do not know if you will like it.”

Chi Yuan took it, examining the packaging carefully. He traced the edges with his fingertips. His well-defined fingers against the dark wood looked unintentionally suggestive. After a long while, he opened it.

Inside was a deep blue fountain pen from an expensive brand.

In social circles, give-and-take was unavoidable. Lin Wang was very skilled at giving gifts. He was an expert at putting himself in others’ shoes and could always hit the mark perfectly, which saved a lot of trouble during business negotiations.

Over the past month, Lin Wang had observed that while Chi Yuan frequently used ballpoint or gel pens to write on his manuscripts, all the drafts that were actually kept were written in fountain pen.

Lin Wang guessed he preferred fountain pens.

Chi Yuan’s expression remained flat as he took out the pen and tested it on the back of his hand. The red ink left a small trail on his delicate skin. As he put it away, his eyes were weary. It was impossible to tell if he liked it or not.

For the first time, Lin Wang thought he might have guessed wrong.

The few failures in his life seemed destined to happen with Chi Yuan. Lin Wang felt he had missed some part of the equation and found it difficult to see through Chi Yuan’s thoughts.

Accustomed to being thorough in all aspects, Lin Wang said with a smile, “If you do not like it, I can go buy another one tomorrow.”

Chi Yuan did not reply. He closed the lid, stood up holding the box in one hand, and looked back at Lin Wang. “Let us go.”

Lin Wang assumed he was going to sleep and stood up as well, following him upstairs.

When they reached the bedroom, Lin Wang intended to enter his own, but Chi Yuan’s palm pressed against his waist from behind. With a firm push forward, Chi Yuan whispered in his ear, “Come back.”

The fingertip poked right at that section of his spine, sending a tingle through him. Lin Wang’s legs nearly went weak. He forced himself to take a couple of steps before recovering.

The bathroom in Chi Yuan’s bedroom was larger and had a big bathtub.

Lin Wang was pushed inside. Chi Yuan leaned against the doorframe, leaving the door open. He looked down at him with his arms crossed.

“Wash yourself clean.”