They're constantly trash-talking the movie star - Chapter 2

The green light flickered on, and the car sped down the road, arriving at Chunse in just a few moments.

Almost as soon as the door opened, Wu Yan marched straight into the establishment. Xu Yike, clutching his bag, could only scramble to keep up.

Inside, the lights were dazzling and the atmosphere opulent. The scent of perfume mixed with alcohol filled the air. Despite the crowd, Wu Yan spotted Pei Jin instantly; his aloof aura made him impossible to miss, even while sitting in a dark corner.

Xu Yike, catching up and seeing Wu Yan’s expression shift, was about to intervene when he watched Wu Yan walk directly up to Pei Jin.

Wu Yan’s eyes grew slightly red, making him look rather pitiful. He shifted to the space in front of Pei Jin and called out, “Pei Jin.”

The eyes of everyone at the table turned toward him. Pei Jin looked up to see Wu Yan with his eyelashes lowered. Before he could speak, Wu Yan added: “Brother, are you still busy? Did I come at a bad time?”

It was rare for Pei Jin to see Wu Yan so obedient. He asked flatly, “Why are you here?”

Prior to this, he had rarely met Wu Yan. The young master of the Wu family didn’t have a great reputation, and the messages he sent were usually venting negative emotions.

Hearing Pei Jin’s cold voice, Wu Yan sat directly next to him and muttered, “You didn’t reply to my messages, so I came to find you.”

“Brother Pei, why don’t you introduce us?” someone teased with a laugh.

Others immediately chimed in: “Yeah, Movie Star Pei, when did you hide away such a beauty? You never bring him out to play.”

Luo Xia, sitting diagonally opposite them, turned pale. Others might not recognize Wu Yan, but as Pei Jin’s assistant, he certainly did. He coughed twice, preparing to speak.

“Wu Yan. My name is Wu Yan,” Wu Yan announced first.

He made a small move to take Pei Jin’s hand, but the man subtly avoided him. Wu Yan lowered his head in disappointment. “Why didn’t you bring me when you came out for drinks?”

As he spoke, he reached for a wine glass on the table. The amber liquid was half-full. He tilted his head back to drink, but Pei Jin caught his wrist.

“I’ve drunk from that,” Pei Jin said concisely.

Wu Yan pouted indifferently. “It doesn’t matter if it’s yours.”

The people nearby who heard this exchanged surprised glances. Everyone knew the relationship between the Wu family’s young master and the Movie Star was poor, joined only by the pressure of a marriage alliance. If it weren’t for that, Pei Jin would never have kept him a secret from his friends.

“Your health is poor; don’t drink,” Pei Jin said. Noticing the way Wu Yan had addressed him, a faint flush touched the tips of his ears, though his tone remained cold.

Wu Yan’s long, curled lashes fluttered. He allowed Pei Jin to take the glass away and compromised: “Alright then, I’ll listen to you.”

Pei Jin shifted his gaze to Xu Yike, signaling him with his eyes to take Wu Yan home.

Noticing the look, Wu Yan grabbed Pei Jin’s hand first. His tone was wounded, and even his stray hairs seemed to droop. “Is it because I’m not good-looking? Why do you keep looking at my assistant?”

Pei Jin had only ever heard of Wu Yan’s terrible temper, but the Wu Yan before him was acting incredibly clingy. He knit his brow slightly and turned to meet Wu Yan’s eyes. It truly was a beautiful face—skin like cream and features like a painting, especially those glass-like eyes.

“This place isn’t safe. Go back early,” Pei Jin said, his expression obscure as he withdrew his hand.

Wu Yan bit his lip, acting even more pitiful. “It’s my fault. I should have known Brother doesn’t like me. We’re only an alliance, anyway. Everyone says I won’t live long. Maybe you’ll be free before we even get married.”

“That’s not what I meant…” Pei Jin froze. Before he could react, his friends began to hoot and cheer. He had no choice but to take Wu Yan’s hand and lead him out.

Wu Yan kept his head down, a flash of secret triumph in his eyes. He knew it in interviews, Pei Jin had said his ideal type was someone obedient, clingy, and sensible. He checked every box; how could the man not be moved?

“Pei Jin, walk slower…” Wu Yan panted. His constitution was poor; he couldn’t handle heat or cold, and even walking a bit too much left him exhausted.

Pei Jin felt he was already walking quite slowly, but turning back, he saw Wu Yan’s face was flushed. He looked truly tired. He forced himself to look away and said calmly, “I understand.”

“Where are you taking me?” Wu Yan asked as he was led along. “Sending you home,” Pei Jin replied.

“Are you going back to meet my parents? So soon?” Wu Yan blinked, asking with feigned innocence.

Pei Jin didn’t know what went on in Wu Yan’s head. He opened a black umbrella, pulled the youth under it, and walked to a black car parked at the curb. Before he could open the door, Wu Yan scrambled into the passenger seat. Pei Jin said nothing and got into the driver’s seat.

He sent a quick text to Xu Yike, then started the engine and drove off.

Watching Pei Jin drive, Wu Yan’s thoughts drifted. He had never been in a relationship before; he hadn’t expected to gain a fiancé—and a handsome movie star at that immediately after transmigrating.

“Stop looking at me,” Pei Jin said. Feeling the gaze on him, his grip on the steering wheel tightened until his veins were visible.

Wu Yan tilted his head. “Are you shy?” “No,” Pei Jin denied.

Wu Yan wasn’t angry. While stopped at a red light, he reached out and touched Pei Jin’s ear. Feeling the warmth, he asked, “Then why is your ear so red? Do you feel unwell?”

“No.” Pei Jin brushed Wu Yan’s hand away. Remembering the youth was like a piece of delicate jade, he kept his movements gentle for fear of hurting him.

Wu Yan withdrew his hand and resumed his “pitiful” act. “Pei Jin, do you really not like me? You didn’t even deliver the gifts in person today.”

“I…” Pei Jin began to explain.

Wu Yan cut him off: “It’s fine. I know Brother is busy. Next time, I’ll take the initiative to find you.”

The atmosphere in the car became somewhat ambiguous. Outside, the snow continued to fall, but the temperature inside seemed to rise. Noticing Wu Yan looked cold, Pei Jin subtly turned up the heater just as the light turned green.

After so much talking, Wu Yan felt thirsty. He licked his dry lips and, seeing Pei Jin focused on driving, closed his eyes to nap.

Just then, he heard Pei Jin’s voice: “There is water on your right.”

Wu Yan blinked, taking a second to process. He looked to his right; there were indeed several bottles of water in the door pocket. He took one, unscrewed the cap, and took a few sips. Noticing Pei Jin glancing at him, he pretended nothing happened and closed his eyes again.

About ten minutes later, the car stopped at Jianglan Road. Pei Jin looked sideways at the sleeping youth. Wu Yan’s pale face had a rosy tint, and his lips were slightly parted. He looked like he was having a sweet dream.

His phone lit up. It was a message from Xu Yike. Pei Jin replied, then received a call from his manager. The sudden ringtone was loud in the quiet car.

Wu Yan woke up dazed. He saw Pei Jin on the phone and then looked out at the familiar house. He was about to open the door when Pei Jin hung up.

“When did we arrive?” he asked. “Just now,” Pei Jin replied. He got out first and walked around to open the door for Wu Yan. A servant nearby hurried over with an umbrella.

Pei Jin saw that the servant’s umbrella was shielding Wu Yan from the snow and turned to leave. But before he could take two steps, he was pulled back.

Meeting Pei Jin’s confused gaze, Wu Yan unwrapped his own scarf and stood on his tiptoes to wrap it around Pei Jin’s neck. He said softly, “It’s so cold this winter, and you’re wearing too little. Use this for now. Goodbye, Brother.”

With that, he turned and followed the servant inside.

Watching the retreating figure, Pei Jin stood in place. The scarf still carried the youth’s warmth, and a faint scent of citrus seemed to linger in the air. It was very pleasant.

Inside the house, Wu Yan didn’t know what Pei Jin was thinking. He changed into slippers, the chill of the outdoors still clinging to him.

Seeing his bare neck, Wu’s mother asked in surprise, “Xiao Yan, where is the scarf I gave you before you left?”

Wu Yan was handed a hot water bag, and a cup of warm water appeared before him on the sofa. His gaze lingered on the closed front door as if he could still see Pei Jin.

He smiled and said softly, “I gave it to Pei Jin.”

“Hm?” His mother took a moment to process. “Xiao Yan, the first time you give someone a gift, it’s a scarf?”

“I was in a rush and hadn’t prepared anything. Besides, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.” Wu Yan took a few sips of water, set the bag aside, and headed upstairs. “Mama, I’m going to rest now.”

Seeing his mother wanted to ask more, he ducked into his room. He took a hot shower and changed. Just as he finished, Aunt Wang called from outside: “Young Master, it’s time for your medicine.”

When will these days of constant medicine end? Wu Yan sighed and told her to come in.

Looking at the medicine on the table, a sudden whim struck him. He took a photo and sent it to Pei Jin.

Wu Yan: Brother, this medicine tastes so bad. It’s so bitter…

A normal person might have called him pretentious after all, he had been taking this medicine for years and should be used to it. But the “new” Wu Yan wasn’t used to it. He pinched his nose, swallowed the pills, and then checked his phone. Three minutes passed without a reply.

“Still so cold…” Wu Yan felt a bit defeated. He toyed with the small penguin ornaments on his desk. Because of his health, the original owner rarely went out, and when he did, he was always surrounded by people. That was why his personality was so strange.

To Wu Yan, however, it didn’t matter much. He was supposed to be dead, anyway.

Ding-dong. A crisp notification sounded.

Wu Yan grabbed his phone, but his heart sank when he saw it was just a news alert. Just as he was about to turn the screen off, a reply from Pei Jin came through.

Pei Jin: Good medicine tastes bitter but is good for the illness.

Wu Yan was speechless. He silently turned off his phone and grumbled, “What kind of ‘old cadre’ response is that…?”