When My Arch-Enemy Became Possessive - Chapter 4

Qi Fan intervened with such natural poise that before Sheng Zhiyu could react, he had already entered the dinner party like a host. He even gallantly pulled out a chair for him: “The dishes are all served. Xiao Yu, aren’t you coming in?”

[What’s with this guy sticking around and refusing to leave?]

Lin Weiyu flipped through the plot data at the terminal at lightning speed. Just as he was stumped, his eyes caught the date in the bottom right corner.

He slapped his forehead: 【This quarter’s performance summary ends after one last count!】

Before this mission, Sheng Zhiyu’s performance was slightly ahead of Qi Fan’s. If the Scumbag Department wanted to win this round back, they could only rely on this current world.

…No wonder he was both trying to persuade Sheng Zhiyu to quit and meddling in the plot. To think the TOP of the Scumbag Department would use such underhanded tactics.

Sheng Zhiyu’s cold, thin eyelids swept over the vase in the center of the table. He forced a very faint smile: “Thank you.”

Only his “System,” Lin Weiyu, could see the materialized rage in his mind, and he pleaded tremblingly: 【Good brother, I’m about to faint at the sight of blood. Can you please not show me such violent imagery.】

Stashing a vase over someone’s head and all that…

Sheng Zhiyu leaned down and sat. It wasn’t until his body fully settled that he realized the Male Lead (Gong) next to him had been staring at him the whole time.

The “Gong” in these melodramatic tropes always had the same persona: a “Scumbag Playboy” on the surface, but actually pure-hearted deep down. It was just that his aim for that pure heart was a bit off; he had spent the first half of the story being pure for the wrong person.

Sheng Zhiyu was well-versed in this trope and often used it to farm favorability points.

When the protagonist pushed, he would play hard to get; when the protagonist was shy, he would take the initiative.

“Have you eaten yet?” Sheng Zhiyu lowered his voice. His deep pupils caught the Male Lead’s gaze. “You used to never eat on time.”

Those eyes were too pure, like a stone dropping straight into the deepest part of one’s thoughts. Gu Wangzhou lowered his gaze, his lips moving slightly: “Not yet.”

“You can’t let your stomach suffer like this,” Sheng Zhiyu sighed softly, bringing up a past detail as if by accident. “Or else it’ll hurt again when you get home.”

With the system’s help, he knew the Male Lead’s tastes and preferences like the back of his hand.

Looking at the crab roe noodles in front of him, he picked up his chopsticks: “Your stomach can’t take this. I remember you—”

Before his chopsticks could even lift, the fragrant plate of crab roe noodles spun away smoothly from in front of him.

“Right, didn’t the doctor tell you that you must eat on time?” Qi Fan placed the crab roe noodles right in front of Gu Wangzhou, looking like a friend offering casual concern. “Eat some to pad your stomach.”

Sheng Zhiyu: “…”

With Qi Fan taking the lead, the other “fair-weather friends” at the table also began to show their goodwill, offering toast after toast.

Sheng Zhiyu’s eyes swept over Gu Wangzhou’s darkening gaze. When a toast was offered, he lightly raised the wine glass in front of him.

Gu Wangzhou’s thoughts paused; he looked at him in surprise.

The other person quickly caught on: “This toast is for Mr. Sheng, consider it a welcome-home drink for you.”

“Thank you.” Sheng Zhiyu took a sip, then tilted his head and asked with a smile, “Ah Zhou, what’s wrong?”

Gu Wangzhou’s throat moved slightly. It took a moment before he spoke: “That glass of wine…”

“Can’t you not drink?” Sheng Zhiyu’s voice was gentle, as if stating something obvious. “I was afraid you’d feel unwell, so I blocked it for you.”

Gu Wangzhou looked at him and said nothing more.

Before the Gu family fell, he was a pampered young master who never touched a drop of alcohol. Later, when the family ran into trouble, he entered the world of fame and fortune at a young age, forced into a corner and compelled to exchange toasts with others.

Back then, the one who changed his clothes and wiped his face every night was Sheng Zhiyu.

The Gu family had returned to the top, and he had long since built up a tolerance for alcohol… yet his Xiao Yu would still instinctively block a drink for him.

Watching the Male Lead’s affection level suddenly jump up by a large margin, Lin Weiyu breathed a sigh of relief at the control terminal.

Because they had unexpectedly run into Qi Fan in this world, he was worried it would affect Sheng Zhiyu’s performance.

Looking at it now, their Ace was indeed an Ace. Even with a rival present, it didn’t affect his performance at all. He could wrap the Male Lead around his finger with a flick of his hand.

Excellent! There’s hope for breaking the record for “first meeting affection level”!

Sheng Zhiyu intended the same. Just as he was about to make a move on the Male Lead, a strange, tingling sensation suddenly came from his ankle.

…That was his sensitive spot. To be touched so unexpectedly made his entire body shudder, causing half of the wine in the glass he hadn’t yet put down to spill out.

Gu Wangzhou’s brow furrowed. He immediately took out a handkerchief and took hold of his hand: “Xiao Yu?”

“…It’s nothing.” Sheng Zhiyu put the glass down. “I didn’t have a firm grip.”

He maintained the smile on his face, sweeping an apologetic glance over the concerned faces, finally landing on Qi Fan, who sat half a seat away from him.

The man was propping his chin with one hand, halfway through a sentence: “The bidding for that plot of land in the east of the city…”

Halfway through the bid, he seemed to notice the anomaly at the table and feigned surprise: “Hmm? Xiao Yu, why are you looking at me like that?”

The acting was so good that even Lin Weiyu couldn’t help but clap: 【What a move! When the opponent picks up food, you spin the table; when the opponent drinks water, you stroke his leg.】

Half a glass of wine soaked into his sleeve, trickling down Sheng Zhiyu’s arm.

Gu Wangzhou frowned slightly, looking at him: “Most of your coat is wet. Why don’t you go change?”

Sheng Zhiyu was about to agree when he suddenly remembered he was in his “real body” right now.

If he took off his coat, the collar inside wouldn’t be able to hide the marks. The evidence would be exposed, and his persona would crumble.

All the attention at the table was focused on Sheng Zhiyu. Qi Fan’s gaze followed the crowd, landing on the wrist Gu Wangzhou was holding.

“Why is your hand so hot? Are you unwell?” Gu Wangzhou sensed something, his fingertips moving up two inches along Sheng Zhiyu’s arm.

Qi Fan glanced indifferently at his movement and retracted his gaze, his fingertip tapping rhythmically under the table.

The next second, the door to the private room was pushed open.

The waiter who entered was like a newborn fawn—timid and oblivious, he replaced Sheng Zhiyu as the center of attention: “Hello, I’m here to deliver…”

Mid-sentence, he saw Gu Wangzhou and Sheng Zhiyu’s hands clasped together and froze in place.

The newcomer was the Main Character (Shou).

Sheng Zhiyu calmly withdrew his gaze. He looked up and, sure enough, saw a flash of dissatisfaction and a cold expression on Gu Wangzhou’s face.

But there was no guilt.

It was as if even being caught by the “Shou” in a scene of reigniting old flames with his “White Moonlight,” he didn’t feel he was in the wrong.

Realizing he had ruined the atmosphere, the Shou lowered his eyes and walked submissively to Qi Fan’s side: “…I’m here to bring towels.”

Only after those words were spoken did Gu Wangzhou let go of Sheng Zhiyu’s hand and back away.

The movement was subtle, but as the guest of honor for this welcome dinner, the implication of being neglected was amplified infinitely in the eyes of the others.

According to the normal plot, the White Moonlight should feel somewhat embarrassed.

Qi Fan nonchalantly took a towel and handed it to the person beside him: “Xiao Yu, do you want to handle your sleeve first?”

His movements were too calm and casual, as if the dramatic accidents had nothing to do with him.

In the eyes of outsiders, he was the one stepping in to save the White Moonlight from an awkward situation.

Sheng Zhiyu smiled and took the pristine white towel, saying, “I’ll go to the restroom first.”

Since the Male Lead and the Shou had met, he should make some space for them anyway.

【Qi… Qi Fan is actually a pretty good guy, huh? He even arranged for the Shou to show up early…】

The hallway lights were too dim for Lin Weiyu to discern Sheng Zhiyu’s expression, so he could only speak tentatively.

“Think he’s a good guy?” Sheng Zhiyu slowly looked up, his deep pupils filled with darkness. “Then how about I apply for a transfer for you once the mission is over?”

【Daddy, I was wrong. Please don’t abandon me.】

Sheng Zhiyu sneered. After entering the restroom, he blocked the system again.

He washed his hands with a cold face. As he rolled up his sleeves, he discovered a very faint ring of bite marks just below his wrist. However, they were positioned low enough that Gu Wangzhou hadn’t seen them.

Worst of all, he couldn’t even ask Lin Weiyu to help hide this mark. With that gossip-mongering personality of his, he’d definitely interrogate him if he saw it.

Sheng Zhiyu’s breathing grew heavy. Just as he was about to check if there were any other marks, a figure leisurely reflected in the mirror before him.

“You almost slipped up just now.” Qi Fan smiled, helping him fold up his soaked sleeve without a hint of hesitation. “So, you still don’t plan to quit?”

“Qi Fan,” Sheng Zhiyu gave a half-smile. “Don’t ‘Scumbags’ usually just pat their asses and leave after sleeping with someone? Isn’t your after-sales service a bit too long?”

“Perhaps?” Qi Fan suddenly leaned down, pressing his forehead against Sheng Zhiyu’s in close proximity. “Because you’re running a fever. Didn’t you notice?”

“Even if I noticed, I—” Sheng Zhiyu froze for a moment, reacting slowly. “A fever?”

Qi Fan raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know there were people so addicted to work that they don’t even know what’s going on with their own bodies.”

Sheng Zhiyu froze for a few seconds and touched his own forehead. Unfortunately, his palm was about the same temperature as his face; he couldn’t tell.

Qi Fan watched him study himself with interest, then lowered his head and brought his face closer: “Can you tell the difference yourself?”

Sheng Zhiyu was silent for a moment. As if making a major decision, he quickly shoved Qi Fan’s head away.

He asked suspiciously: “Do you have hypothermia?”

Qi Fan sighed softly. “You’re so feverish you’ve lost your common sense.”

“…”

With the comparison, Sheng Zhiyu realized his state was indeed off.

It turned out the faint headache he felt after entering the world wasn’t because he had seen someone he hated, and the heavy feeling of heat wasn’t because he was frustrated by the mission.

“It should be… because of last night.”

Qi Fan turned his face, his voice growing imperceptibly softer: “At the beginning last night, I didn’t plan to sleep with you, but you were too clingy so I let you soak in the bathtub a bit too long.”

Qi Fan was merely stating facts without any extra intent, but it was precisely this serious explanation that conjured a wet, hazy frame from Sheng Zhiyu’s memory.

In the cold bathtub, Qi Fan lay in the water with one leg half-propped up, glistening beads of water rolling across his chest.

The corners of his eyes were wet and red, his breathing erratic. His low, raspy voice held a hint of negotiation: “…Though you’re quite cute when you’re drunk, isn’t it a bit much to use your cuteness to commit a crime?”

In the moment his heart skipped a beat, Qi Fan’s voice—the one that always messed with his heart rate—asked again: “Why are you looking at me like that? Did you remember something?”

“No.” His face went cold instantly. “I didn’t remember a thing.”

“…The mirror is right in front of you. Why don’t you take a look?” Qi Fan whispered into his ear. “Your face is currently written all over with: ‘I am lying.'”

Sheng Zhiyu was about to retort when Qi Fan suddenly wrapped an arm around his waist.

Then, his feet left the ground.

Sheng Zhiyu was easily carried by Qi Fan into the innermost stall.

Watching him lock the door, Sheng Zhiyu’s eyes widened slightly: “You—”

“Shh.” Qi Fan raised a hand to lightly cover his lips, his voice dropping low. “Gu Wangzhou is here.”