I Was Forced into the Limelight After Pairing with a Top Star - Chapter 7

The air had long since lost its initial chill, becoming so damp and hot that it felt as if one were being soaked; every breath was parched.

Lin Wang did not dare to look down. He tugged at the elastic waistband of his trousers, ignoring everything else as he hurriedly hid the evidence of what had just happened.

“Chi Yuan, I know you are listening.”

Qu Hua’s voice made Lin Wang’s fingers jerk. Usually a composed man, he nearly choked himself with his own clothes.

Having hidden the evidence, Lin Wang was about to take a breath when a well-defined finger suddenly poked the small hollow of his shoulder blade. The pressure was firm, kneading and rubbing until it nearly left a mark. Lin Wang had never been touched below the shoulder blade like this in his entire life. His arched lower back straightened instantly, and his aching muscles tensed up.

He swallowed unconsciously. Lin Wang felt fingers gripping his shirt, twisting the fabric into a coil at the hem. A second later, he was yanked backward with force. Lin Wang, along with the small side table he was sitting on, slammed into the sofa. The impact was so strong that his back hit Chi Yuan’s chest with a dull thud.

The sudden change in distance stimulated his frazzled nerves. Lin Wang’s palms instinctively reached back for support, and without thinking, he pressed them right onto Chi Yuan’s leg. His palms flinched as he tried to pull away, but Chi Yuan suddenly pinned the retreating hand down. With a clever twist, he locked Lin Wang’s hand against his own waist, his knuckles pressing into the indentation of Lin Wang’s spine.

The sensation was sharp, sore, and somewhat itchy. Lin Wang flopped forward like a fish out of water, trying to escape.

Chi Yuan gave him no chance to flee. He lifted a leg and stepped on the edge of the side table, using his knee to block Lin Wang’s struggling body. His other hand reached around to lock firmly onto Lin Wang’s neck, hard bone and muscle fitting perfectly against the fragile Adam’s apple.

“I told you to speak.” Chi Yuan leaned against Lin Wang’s ear, his eyes lowered. His nose brushed against the reddened earlobe, and his voice was low and raspy: “Speak.”

With his throat restricted, Lin Wang’s breathing became so difficult that he could only tilt his head back sharply. His pinned hand pressed against his waist to push forward, his entire body straining like a drawn bow in Chi Yuan’s grip.

He gripped his phone tightly, then loosened his hold, barely able to hear what Doctor Qu was saying. Under Chi Yuan’s command, he forced himself to speak, his voice incredibly hoarse: “He is beside me, Chi Yuan is beside me.”

Warm, soft breath brushed against the back of his ear.

Chi Yuan’s voice sounded as if it were coming from far away, whispering gently: “Well done.”

Lin Wang’s breathing hitched uncontrollably. His heart felt tingly and numb, as if a hand had squeezed it hard and then rubbed it soothingly, leaving him feeling both sore and full.

Qu Hua remained silent for a few seconds. Her tone grew anxious, yet remained gentle: “Chi Yuan, you know this is wrong. Let Lin Wang go; he is innocent. Your mother would not be happy if she saw you doing this.”

Chi Yuan pinched Lin Wang’s jaw, pressing it back inch by inch until Lin Wang was leaning against his shoulder and could see him out of the corner of his eye. Only then did Chi Yuan lower his gaze and press a finger against Lin Wang’s lips.

The cold touch pressured the burning heat. The sensation of needing permission for even a single breath fiercely triggered an adrenaline rush in Lin Wang’s body.

Lin Wang opened his mouth, trying in vain to resist with his own strength, but he was ruthlessly pinned down. He could only make sounds of failed resistance, all of which were transmitted clearly through the receiver.

Lin Wang did not know what was wrong with him. Even though his head was spinning and his vision was blurred, his right hand gripped the phone as if possessed.

Finally, Chi Yuan bit his lip. Moving closer to the receiver, he leaned lazily and suggestively against Lin Wang’s ear to respond to Qu Hua: “Sorry, Doctor, but I actually want him quite a bit.”

The busy tone after the call was disconnected was both piercing and beautiful. Once Chi Yuan released his grip, the tension Lin Wang had been holding snapped. The phone slipped from his palm. Gasping for air as if drained of strength, he scrambled against Chi Yuan’s legs, stumbling over himself before finally managing to stand up.

Even after standing, Lin Wang’s mind was blank. For a moment, he could not process what had just happened. He stood there with his back to Chi Yuan, lost.

Chi Yuan watched Lin Wang’s shoulders heave with every breath. A faint curve appeared on his lips. He picked up the black ink pen and, just as he had at the start, tossed it onto the manuscript paper on the side table.

The sharp click sounded like a blatant hint, calling Lin Wang’s soul back to his body.

After the overwhelming embarrassment, Lin Wang stared at the carpet, his eyes refusing to move for a long time. Lin Wang wished his soul were still missing. His body was sweaty and sticky, and his neck stung with heat; everything reminded him of the reckless thing he had just done during a phone call with a strange older woman.

A thirty-year-old man, Lin Wang felt ashamed from his face to his toes. He wanted to crawl into a hole.

After an unknown amount of time, a slight sound came from behind him. Lin Wang pressed his fist to his forehead, took three deep breaths, and finally turned around.

Chi Yuan was lying on the sofa with his eyes closed, looking as if he had fallen asleep.

Lin Wang froze for two seconds. Realizing what was happening, he hurriedly leaned over to shake Chi Yuan’s shoulder. He ignored his own burning face; Chi Yuan had not eaten all day, and Lin Wang feared he might have fainted from hunger.

“Chi Yuan, Chi Yuan.” Lin Wang touched Chi Yuan’s forehead. It was icy cold from the air conditioner, like a block of ice.

“Sleepy.” Chi Yuan cooperatively tilted his head to let Lin Wang touch him, but he did not move.

The interruption helped Lin Wang’s face cool down. The calm, mature Brother Lin had returned. He looked around and said to Chi Yuan, “Wait a moment.”

Chi Yuan held Lin Wang’s hand without moving. His serene, beautiful face looked like that of a mannequin. Lin Wang managed to pull his hand away. He looked everywhere for the air conditioner remote but could not find it. Shaking Chi Yuan was useless; the man remained silent.

Lin Wang could not let Chi Yuan lie there like that. He ran to his own bedroom to wash up quickly, changed into clean clothes, grabbed a pack of wet wipes, and ran back down.

Chi Yuan’s posture had not changed. Sunk into the sofa, his pale skin gave him an air of quiet softness, making him look like a different person from the one who had left Lin Wang speechless earlier.

Dutifully, Lin Wang cleaned the stained carpet and organized the scattered manuscript papers. When his hand brushed near Chi Yuan, his neck began to burn again. By the time he finished tidying, he felt like a human heating pad; being near the ice block that was Chi Yuan felt like he might melt the man.

In less than five minutes, the small area around the studio sofa was refreshed. Lin Wang let out a long sigh and stood by the sofa to call Chi Yuan: “Get up, let us go eat.”

Chi Yuan gave a very low “Mhm.” He curled up on his side, his T-shirt riding up to reveal a section of his waist right in the path of the cold air.

Following his old habits, Lin Wang could not stand to see that. Without thinking, he tugged Chi Yuan’s shirt down. He looked at him and suddenly wanted to laugh: “If you do not get diarrhea tonight, it will be my mistake. Get up. You have had your fun; now go eat.”

“Mhm.”

After Chi Yuan’s response, Lin Wang stood there waiting for him. After a minute, the man still had not gotten up. Lin Wang understood. He did not ask again and went straight downstairs to the kitchen.

The nanny, worried Chi Yuan might be hungry, had left some of the prepared food in a pot to keep warm. Lin Wang placed two dishes on a tray and went back upstairs.

People who like to cook often have this common trait: they cannot stand to see someone go hungry. This was especially true for someone like Lin Wang, who naturally liked to act as a big brother. If an acquaintance was tired or feeling unwell, they sought him out, and he would take care of them as a matter of course.

Compared to his rough peers, Lin Wang’s habit of being alone made him more attentive. He did not need to focus much to notice if someone was uncomfortable. Because of this, people often misunderstood him, asking, “Brother Lin, do you have feelings for me?” Lin Wang would always laugh at the question, waving his hand and saying, “I only have room for myself in my heart. Do not talk nonsense.”

It sounded a bit like a playboy attitude, but that was just how it was.

If one looked at it seriously, Lin Wang treated others as younger siblings at most. If one looked at it casually, it was no different from throwing money to a beggar on the street; it was just concern for others. He was not an exceptionally kind or great person; he simply felt a sense of satisfaction after taking care of someone.

To put it sentimentally, he had been without a home since he was seventeen. Lin Wang lacked roots in his heart, and taking care of others allowed him to draw a little warmth for himself.

Lin Wang felt too embarrassed to put the food on the side table; he did not want to look at that thing for the rest of the year. He simply sat on the other end of the sofa and ruffled Chi Yuan’s hair.

Chi Yuan did not open his eyes: “Mhm.”

“What are you mhm-ing about?” Lin Wang laughed. “I have not even said anything yet.”

Chi Yuan fell silent.

In the end, Lin Wang had to use one hand to haul Chi Yuan up by force. While he was lazy and still while lying down, he was quite obedient once he was up. He ate and drank when told, and his manners were elegant, clearly reflecting a good upbringing. After eating, he wiped his mouth and lay down on Lin Wang’s lap. Feeling the cold air, he stopped moving again.

Lin Wang racked his brain but could not remember if the original book mentioned Chi Yuan having this habit. It did not matter either way. Chi Yuan could sleep all day in a room with the air conditioner set to the teens, but Lin Wang could not; the cold gave him a headache.

“Get up and go back to your bedroom to sleep. Are you not cold?”

“Where is the air conditioner remote?”

“It is too cold. No, I have to go.”

“Stay.”

Just as Lin Wang lifted his weight, Chi Yuan’s arm pressed him back down. His stomach hurt from the pressure. “I thought you were asleep.”

Chi Yuan opened his eyes and looked at him for a few seconds. His gaze was clear and calm, not at all like someone about to sleep. It made Lin Wang’s throat tighten, but then Chi Yuan closed his eyes again.

This time, he wrapped his arms around Lin Wang’s waist to ensure he could not escape.

Finally, Lin Wang found the remote under the sofa himself. He adjusted the temperature to twenty-six degrees and reached for a small blanket to cover them both.

After all the nonsense, Lin Wang was also a bit tired. However, he could not sleep with someone on his lap, fearing he might kick Chi Yuan off if he fell asleep. He could only use his phone to search for materials on acting.

After an unknown amount of time, Chi Yuan moved. From under the blanket, he muttered a blurred, raspy “Hot.”

Lin Wang did not feel hot. He touched Chi Yuan’s arm; it was also cool.

Lin Wang paused the video. He did not argue with Chi Yuan about the temperature. He pretended to cooperate, saying, “Mhm, I will turn it down,” while pressing the down button three times followed by the up button three times.

He wanted to laugh at himself after the trick; it was like a kindergarten teacher coaxing a child. Lin Wang suppressed his laughter and went back to concentrating on the lesson.

The fuzzy thin blanket shifted. Lin Wang’s hand holding the phone trembled as a wave of heat climbed up his spine.

Chi Yuan, lying on Lin Wang’s lap, lifted a corner of the blanket, his chin resting there lightly. His black hair was a bit messy, giving him a lazy look. The curve at the corners of his eyes held a hint of a smile amidst the lingering atmosphere. When he spoke, he was practically brushing against Lin Wang.

“Brother, did you not vomit it all out? You still have the strength to lie.”