Chapter 17: “Are You Jealous?”

“Is this how you chase someone?”

Yu Chi lowered his gaze and coldly watched Sheng Li as he deleted the offensive images right in front of her.

Sheng Li sighed innocently. “What else could I do? It’s not like you’re easy to persuade.”

“You made me look at that?” Yu Chi wished, for a moment, that he could forget what he’d seen. His photographic memory had become a curse, filling his mind with those lewd fanfictions about “Star & Clarity.” He couldn’t shake them off, and it ignited a fire of anger within him.

Sheng Li stared at him for a few seconds before suddenly smiling. “Are you jealous?”

Yu Chi took a deep breath. At the peak of his fury, he somehow managed to appear calm.

He sneered. “You’re overthinking. I just think it’s disgusting.”

Sheng Li smiled knowingly, twisting his words. “If the main characters weren’t me, you wouldn’t feel this way. I don’t believe you haven’t read such things before. This is your possessiveness talking. You won’t admit it, but deep down, you know that if you just nod, I’d be yours, right?”

Yu Chi didn’t see Sheng Li as genuinely pursuing him. To him, she was more like teasing him, with no real intention behind it.

He locked his phone screen and looked at her expressionlessly. “Why don’t you become a screenwriter? You’re so good at making things up.”

Seeing Yu Chi’s indifferent expression, Sheng Li continued on her own. “I’ve never really liked Lu Xingyu, but we’ve been bundled together for marketing purposes for five or six years. It’s not easy to untangle that now. If Rong Hua hadn’t made a mistake back then and signed you instead of Lu Xingyu, then the person growing up with me, being marketed alongside me, would have been you. The CP fans would have shipped us instead. What does Lu Xingyu have to do with anything? How am I not yours?”

Yu Chi remained unmoved by her hypothetical scenario. “That ‘if’ doesn’t exist.”

Reality hit hard, and Sheng Li was momentarily speechless.

How could this guy be so difficult to fool? She fell silent for a few seconds before her phone rang.

The name “Lu Scum” flashed across the screen.

Sheng Li picked up her phone. Yu Chi glanced at her and stood up, heading toward the door.

She answered the call. Lu Xingyu’s lazy voice came through. “Sister, I’m already at your hotel. I’ll stay for the night. Where are you?”

Sheng Li truly didn’t want to see this jerk, but they were still under the same company and shared the same agent. They hadn’t reached the point of tearing each other apart yet, so she maintained appearances. As her break was about to end, she stood up and walked out, saying indifferently, “Of course, I’m filming at the set. Where else would I be?”

“Then I’ll come pick you up after you finish work. Let’s grab some late-night snacks. The plane food wasn’t good—I only ate a few bites.” Lu Xingyu chuckled. “It’s been a while since we last saw each other, sister.”

Sheng Li responded sarcastically. “I dare not eat late-night snacks with you. Aren’t there always paparazzi following you? I don’t want to be on tomorrow’s headlines.”

Lu Xingyu: “...”

He sighed, feigning hurt. “There really aren’t any. I originally had a morning flight, but I asked my assistant to change it last minute. No one should know.”

Sheng Li snorted inwardly. Who knows with you?

She said, “I’m hanging up. Director Liu is calling.”

________________________________________

Half an hour later, Lu Xingyu arrived at the set with two assistants. Though he was a scoundrel, he was undeniably handsome and knew how to play his persona well, charming countless older sister fans and motherly fans. From the moment he entered the set, he greeted the female staff flamboyantly. “Good evening, sisters! You’ve worked hard.”

He was the kind of person who made you want to beat him senseless, but at the same time, you felt compelled to give him another chance.

This was why Rong Hua hadn’t given up on him.

Yu Chi had been called over by one of the female staff to help move some equipment. Hearing Lu Xingyu’s greeting, he turned to look, his gaze cold.

When Lu Xingyu saw Yu Chi, he paused, unsure if it was his imagination, but he immediately felt an inexplicable clash of personalities—a strange sense that it was either him or Yu Chi, but not both. Finding it amusing, he casually asked, “Is this handsome guy new? Which agency is he from? I’ve never seen him before.”

“He’s handsome, right? But he’s not an artist,” the staff member eagerly replied. “He’s Cici’s temporary assistant.”

“Temporary assistant? I’ve never heard of that.” Lu Xingyu frowned, sizing Yu Chi up and down. “Did Rong Hua hire you? No way.”

Yu Chi remembered the images Sheng Li had shown him earlier and instantly disliked Lu Xingyu. He coldly replied, “No.”

Lu Xingyu clicked his tongue. “Then you...”

“Little Brother Lu, why are you here?”

Yuan Yuan hurried over, interrupting Lu Xingyu’s questioning. With so many people around, she feared he might blurt out something inappropriate like, “Could it be that you’re Sister’s kept boy toy?” Knowing him, he was fully capable of asking such a thing.

In reality, Yuan Yuan was 25, older than both Sheng Li and Lu Xingyu, but she addressed him as “Little Brother Lu” out of respect.

Lu Xingyu turned to Yuan Yuan, raising an eyebrow. “Yuan Yuan, why have you lost weight?”

Yuan Yuan: “...Appendicitis surgery.”

Lu Xingyu laughed, amused. “What time will Sister finish filming tonight?”

“If all goes well, around eleven,” Yuan Yuan replied, glancing at Yu Chi.

Yu Chi’s gaze hardened. Hands in his pockets, his long legs carried him past them and ahead.

Lu Xingyu lazily draped his arm around Yuan Yuan’s shoulder as they walked behind Yu Chi. He was still curious about Yu Chi and noticed he was wearing earphones. Lowering his voice, he asked Yuan Yuan, “Could it be that this guy is Sister’s kept boy toy? Since when did she develop this hobby?”

Yuan Yuan’s face went numb. Sure enough, this man’s mouth was as filthy as ever. Thankfully, she had interrupted him in time. She had no choice but to repeat the story about Yu Chi’s “part-time job” and emphasized, “Little Brother Lu, there are many people on set, and no one is thinking along those lines. Please don’t stir trouble and cause problems for Cici.”

“So, do you think I’m more handsome or he’s more handsome?”

Yuan Yuan struggled. One was a real star, and the other was Cici’s boy toy. Carefully, she said, “Both... both are handsome...”

In reality, Yu Chi hadn’t turned on his earphones. Every word they said reached his ears clearly.

At that moment, Sheng Li finished filming a scene and came down for a break. She looked up and saw Yu Chi’s cold demeanor and Lu Xingyu’s carefree attitude. Yu Chi wore a plain black T-shirt and black sweatpants—his clothes likely weren’t expensive, probably from Uniqlo—but his superior looks and aura made him stand toe-to-toe with Lu Xingyu, who was decked out in international luxury brands.

In truth, their auras had some similarities—they both exuded a certain arrogance. However, Yu Chi’s aura was more subdued, and precisely because it wasn’t overt, it was even more captivating. If Yu Chi were dressed in a shirt and suit, he would undoubtedly overshadow Lu Xingyu.

Moreover, he was still young, and his aura hadn’t fully matured yet. In a few years, he would likely become the epitome of perfection. No wonder netizens often lamented that it was hard to find good men in society because all the good ones were already snatched up by the time they were teenagers.

Sheng Li thought to herself, If I had met him a few years later, I probably wouldn’t stand a chance.

As usual, Lu Xingyu was unreliable. Coming over, he draped his arm around her shoulder and smiled sweetly. “Sister, you seem unwelcoming. Are you?”

“Then go back,” Sheng Li brushed his hand away.

Lu Xingyu slumped into a chair and whined, “No way, Mother Rong will auction me off.”

Rong Hua was exactly 42 this year. Lu Xingyu had never called her “Sister Rong” but always “Mother Rong,” playing the obedient card perfectly. Over the years, Rong Hua had indeed acted like a nanny, cleaning up his messes.

Sheng Li snorted. “Good riddance if she does.”

“Sister, don’t be so cruel,” Lu Xingyu teased. Turning his head, he pointed at Yu Chi standing behind them with his hands in his pockets. “Are you dumping me because you’ve found another younger brother?”

Have we ever been close?

This guy truly had no self-awareness.

Sheng Li glanced at Yu Chi and suddenly turned back with a smile. “You’re overthinking. He’s my assistant.”

Lu Xingyu didn’t quite believe her. What kind of assistant was this arrogant? He’d been cold to him the entire time.

Sheng Li looked down at him. “Didn’t you want to eat late-night snacks? Wait until I finish work.” She turned to Yu Chi and raised an eyebrow. “Assistant Yu, since you’re a local, you choose a place.”

Yu Chi lifted his gaze to her, a self-deprecating smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Alright.”

After lounging for two minutes, Lu Xingyu stood up. “I’ll go say hello to Director Liu and Brother Cheng.”

At eleven, Sheng Li wrapped up her work.

Lu Xingyu invited Director Liu to join them for late-night snacks, but Director Liu politely declined with a smile. “I still need to discuss script revisions with the screenwriter tonight. I can’t make it.”

So Sheng Li and Lu Xingyu each took two assistants and left. Yu Chi sat in the front passenger seat, while Sheng Li and Lu Xingyu sat in the back. After a few minutes of Lu Xingyu annoying her, Sheng Li leaned against a pillow and closed her eyes to rest. Yu Chi reclined in his seat, glancing at the two in the backseat through the rearview mirror. The more he looked, the colder his gaze became.

The late-night snack spot was a Chinese restaurant. Since it was summer, the peak season for crayfish, the place stayed open until two or three in the morning.

It was a bit far, known only to locals.

Yu Chi walked ahead, and the restaurant owner, who clearly recognized him, greeted him warmly. Looking past Yu Chi, the owner smiled and said, “You’re here! The private room is ready for you, inside.”

“Mm, thanks.”

Yu Chi glanced at the two or three tables of locals drinking and chatting in the dining hall. Few heads turned to look at them. He glanced back and saw Sheng Li walking beside him, wearing a mask and hat.

The group quickly entered the private room.

Once seated, Sheng Li turned to ask, “Do you know the owner?”

Yu Chi stretched his long legs and leaned back in his chair, casting a brief glance at her. “Mm, he’s my landlord.”

Before coming, he had called ahead.

They had barely sat down when several plates of crayfish and barbecue were brought in, personally served by the owner. Drinks and alcohol were also provided.

Sheng Li raised an eyebrow. “Such thoughtful service. Did you order this in advance?”

Yu Chi’s tone remained indifferent. “Yes. I wanted to finish early and go home to sleep.”

Sheng Li smiled meaningfully and kicked his shoe lightly under the table.

Yu Chi: “...”

He took a deep breath and subtly moved his foot away.

Lu Xingyu had been observing them. With his experience as a playboy, he sensed something unusual between the two. Resting his chin on his hand, he turned to Sheng Li and smiled sweetly. “Sister, I won’t fool around anymore. Promise to be my girlfriend. I’ll remain chaste, uphold male virtues, and listen to whatever you say.”

Sheng Li’s gaze shifted slowly. “Oh? Then try it. If you can last three months, I’ll consider it.”

The next second—

BANG.

Yu Chi placed a can of beer on the table, expressionless.