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Psst! We're moving!
The moon was bright, the wind gentle, and the roadside barbecue shop was bustling with life and smoke.
The production crew of over a hundred people had taken up every inch of space inside and outside the barbecue shop. The owner was practically setting tables out on the street. Fortunately, Director Liu had sent someone to give advance notice; otherwise, with so many customers arriving at once, there wouldn’t have been enough ingredients.
The main creators and lead actors sat inside enjoying the air conditioning. Sheng Li sat next to Cheng Siqi, who played the second female lead. The two had previously worked together on a drama and were somewhat familiar. Cheng Siqi had just arrived at the film city that night. Seeing Yu Chi sitting outside with a few male actors, her eyes lit up, and she turned to ask Sheng Li, “Is that the newcomer replacing Feng Xu to play Yang Lingfeng?”
Sheng Li glanced outside. The outdoor tables and chairs were lower, and Yu Chi sat on a short plastic stool, his long legs awkwardly bent with no place to rest, yet his back remained straight. His hands rested on his knees, hanging between his legs. He turned his head to talk to someone beside him, his expression somewhat absent-minded.
Sheng Li smiled, “How do you know it’s him?”
“It’s obvious,” Cheng Siqi replied. “He’s the most handsome one.” Three years older than Sheng Li, Cheng Siqi hadn’t enjoyed the same level of resources. She had acted in numerous teen idol dramas. Glancing at Yu Chi, she leaned closer to Sheng Li and whispered, “That kind of aura—a perfect blend of a top student and a school bully. With that face, he’s bound to explode in popularity. If I were a few years younger, I’d definitely chase after him.”
Sheng Li: “...”
Thank goodness you’re older. Otherwise, you’d be done for. You couldn’t compete with me even if you tried.
They had to shoot early the next morning, so Sheng Li didn’t dare eat too much or drink alcohol, fearing water retention the next day. After eating only a few crayfish, she put down her chopsticks, picked up her mouthwash, and asked for the restroom direction. Before she reached the door, Yuan Yuan caught up with her.
Yuan Yuan pointed to the restroom, her face troubled. “Tonight might be crowded, and the restroom is quite dirty. Wait until we get back to the hotel to rinse your mouth.”
Hearing this, Sheng Li immediately lost interest in going in. She leaned close to Yuan Yuan’s ear and whispered instructions. “I’ll leave first. Once everyone has eaten and dispersed, send me a message.”
“You… where are you going?” Yuan Yuan looked at her suspiciously, sensing something ominous.
Sure enough, Sheng Li gave her a sly smile. “What do you think? My dear Yuan Yuan.”
Yuan Yuan: “...”
Stop calling me “my dear Yuan Yuan.” Every time you say “my dear Yuan Yuan,” I know you’re about to exchange secret codes!
Two minutes later, Sheng Li said goodbye to the director and the lead actors, picked up her bag, and left first.
There were too many people in the crew. The barbecue and crayfish were served first to the main creators and lead actors, then from right to left. At the three tables farthest to the left, only a pot of tea had been served. Holding his teacup, Yu Chi looked up just as Sheng Li bowed her head and walked towards the nanny van.
His hand paused slightly, and his phone rang in his pocket.
Sheng Li: [Sister will wait for you at your place first.]
Yu Chi quickly locked his phone and drank the water in his cup. Earlier in the car, after he made that statement, Sheng Li had asked him for the key to his rental apartment. He set the cup down and smirked self-deprecatingly. What are you nervous about? What are you expecting? What are you afraid of?
Someone at the table shouted, “Why hasn’t our barbecue arrived yet? Why is it taking so long?”
The waiter called back loudly, “Coming right away!”
Yu Chi picked up a can of beer, pulled the tab, and opened it. By the time he finished two cans of beer, the barbecue and crayfish finally arrived at their table. Without touching his chopsticks, Yu Chi placed the empty cans on the table, picked up his phone, stood up, and told his tablemates, “You all eat slowly. I have something to do, so I’ll leave first.”
________________________________________
The two left within twenty minutes of each other.
From downstairs, Yu Chi could see that the lights were on in his rental apartment, and the curtains were drawn. He stood at the bottom of the stairs for a while, hearing stray cats meowing several times before taking a deep breath and heading toward the stairwell.
Standing at the doorstep, he raised his hand to knock.
Inside, Sheng Li was sitting cross-legged on the sofa with a new laptop on her lap. Not very tech-savvy, it had taken her nearly twenty minutes to set it up following online instructions. Just as she finished setting the startup password, she heard the knock on the door.
Had he returned so soon?
She didn’t move but instead sent Yu Chi a voice message: [Are you back?]
Little Yu Chi: [Yeah.]
Sheng Li put the computer aside, stood up with a radiant smile, and sent another voice message: [Oh, then let’s check the secret code.]
She kicked away the cardboard boxes on the floor, slipped into slippers that belonged to Yu Chi—they were big on her—and headed to the door. Yu Chi stood quietly in the hallway, faintly hearing the sound of her footsteps dragging on the floor, “tap tap tap.”
Yu Chi was exasperated by her peculiar habits. He reluctantly pressed the voice button and said softly, [Do you really have to use that insane secret code?]
Sheng Li stood behind the door, leisurely saying, [Don’t like it? We can change it. What would you prefer?]
Yu Chi didn’t want to think about such trivial secret codes.
And he certainly didn’t want to “squeak.”
Ding dong—
A notification sounded on her phone inside.
Sheng Li glanced down.
Little Yu Chi: [Sister wants to see abs? I’m leaving if you don’t open the door.]
In an instant, Sheng Li’s heartbeat quickened. She thought, forget the secret code—sister is here to see abs! She twisted the door handle open. Outside, Yu Chi had one hand in his pocket and the other holding his phone. He glanced down at her for two seconds and walked in.
The living room was small, easily visible at a glance. As soon as Yu Chi entered, he noticed the laptop on the sofa and the cardboard boxes scattered on the floor.
Sheng Li closed the door and, following his gaze, explained, “I’ve already set up the computer for you. The startup password is my birthday.”
The laptop was something Sheng Li had forced upon Yu Chi—he hadn’t intended to use it. Sheng Li did it deliberately. She hugged his waist and looked up at him. “It’s already registered—you can’t return it. This is a token of our love; no returns allowed. Use it for your new computer, okay?”
Yu Chi felt completely under her control. No matter how he resisted or feigned calmness and attempted to tease her back, he always ended up surrendering.
He lowered his head in defeat. “Alright.”
Sheng Li suddenly asked, “What’s my birthday?”
“November 21st.”
Sheng Li nodded satisfactorily, intending to kiss him in praise when the phone on the table rang.
She let go of Yu Chi, walking over while grumbling, “If it’s Empress Zhou again, she’s going on my blacklist tonight.”
The words “Sister Rong” flashed on the screen. It was already 11:30 PM, and Rong Hua rarely called her this late unless something was wrong. Sheng Li glanced at Yu Chi, feeling a bit guilty as she said, “It’s my agent. Don’t speak.”
Yu Chi nodded and walked into the bedroom before she answered the call.
Sheng Li leaned against the bedroom doorframe, her eyes following him. “Sister Rong, what’s up?”
“Tomorrow’s Lu Xingyu’s birthday. Remember to post a birthday wish on Weibo,” Rong Hua said directly. “It’s already 11:30 PM. In half an hour, it’ll be midnight. If you’re not sleepy, post it on time.”
When they first signed with Rong Hua, they were both young and had pure personalities. Back then, their relationship was indeed good, and they treated each other like siblings. They used to celebrate birthdays together if they didn’t have work. But two years ago, after Lu Xingyu hit on her and got rejected, he started hooking up recklessly, causing more trouble. Rong Hua cleaned up his messes, while Sheng Li helped whitewash his image. Over the past two years, they grew tired of it. Now, every year on his birthday, Rong Hua reminded her to post a birthday wish.
This had gone on for five consecutive years. If she skipped it this year, marketing accounts would surely stir things up.
Yu Chi took a set of clothes and casually passed by Sheng Li.
He only had one pair of slippers, now worn by Sheng Li, so he went barefoot to the bathroom.
Sheng Li glanced back, her thoughts drifting far.
Seeing her silence, Rong Hua urged again, “You still have two or three months before wrapping up this drama. You haven’t released anything this year. Cheng Siqi’s TV drama is currently popular, with good reviews and ratings. She’s supporting you now, but you need to maintain your topics and heat. Otherwise, sooner or later, you’ll be overshadowed.”
Sheng Li knew the soundproofing wasn’t great and feared Rong Hua might hear the shower sounds. She walked into the bedroom, half-closed the door, sat on the bed, and said calmly, “I’ll post on Weibo, but I definitely won’t do it on time. It’s not like he’s my boyfriend—why should I post on time? Who does he think he is!” She snorted. “Did that guy Lu Xingyu get into some trouble?”
Rong Hua chuckled, “No, nothing like that. He’s been quite well-behaved recently, reading scripts at home.”
Behaving? Could he really be abstaining?
Faint sounds of running water came from the bathroom. Sheng Li quickly covered the receiver, fearing Rong Hua might overhear. She hastily said she was about to sleep and hung up.
Sheng Li sat on the bed, swinging her legs. The oversized slippers slipped off her feet and fell to the floor.
She glanced down. The sound of trickling water seeped into her ears. She slipped her feet back into the slippers and walked toward the bathroom door. The house was indeed small, and she reached the door in just a few steps.
The water sounds had stopped, and there wasn’t even a trace of steam on the frosted glass door.
She crossed her arms and suddenly spoke, “Yu Chi, are you taking a cold shower?”
Yu Chi: “...”
His hand drying his hair froze momentarily, and he turned to face the door.
Not hearing a response, Sheng Li cheerfully said, “Don’t be nervous, sister brought you slippers.” She took off the slippers she was wearing and kicked them over. The tips hit the glass door with two loud “bangs.” Inside the narrow bathroom, Yu Chi stood fully naked, finding it quite stimulating.
He hung the towel up, his voice slightly hoarse, “No need, you wear them.”
Sheng Li wore white ankle socks. Hearing his tension, she instantly felt she had the upper hand. She grabbed the doorknob and tested, “Little Yu Chi, did you lock it?”
“...”
“No, right?”
“...”
“I’ll give you ten seconds to get dressed. When I count to ten, I’ll open the door.”
“...”
“10, 9, 8, 7...”
Yu Chi’s expression was indescribable. Hastily pulling on sweatpants and holding an unworn T-shirt, he quickly locked the door just as she counted to “1.”
Click—
Outside, Sheng Li pressed down on the doorknob, but it didn’t budge. She raised an eyebrow, “Little Yu Chi, are you chickening out?”
Yu Chi’s Adam’s apple moved slightly. He pressed his hand against the door, took a deep breath, and turned the lock back. “Try opening it again.”
Sheng Li: “...”
She gathered herself and pressed the doorknob.
Click, the door opened.
Even though Sheng Li had mentally prepared herself, her face still flushed. Yu Chi stood shirtless, broad-shouldered and slim-waisted. His muscles weren’t artificially gym-built; the lines were smooth and defined, his abs taut and visible. His black sweatpants loosely hung on his hips, and he held a white T-shirt in his right hand, looking at her with a cold yet alluring expression. Staring at her, he asked softly, “Have you seen enough?”
Of course not! How could one ever get enough of such a young, vibrant body?
Sheng Li stepped forward and hugged him. Perhaps due to the cold shower, his skin was still cool. Sheng Li’s hand trembled involuntarily, her heart pounding rapidly. She felt like she was playing with fire, terrified of losing control.
The more nervous she felt, the more thrilling it became.
She tilted her head up, her eyes captivating. “Yu Chi, kiss me.”
Yu Chi looked down at her, conflict evident in his eyes. But no matter how much he struggled, it couldn’t withstand her allure. He tossed the T-shirt onto the sink, pressed his hand against her waist, and pulled her into the bathroom. The floor was wet, and Sheng Li’s socks were instantly soaked. She retaliated by grabbing his lower back, dissatisfied, “My socks are wet. What will I wear later? You...”
Her words were cut off as Yu Chi cupped her face and silenced her complaints with a kiss.
The kiss was fierce and wild, filled with deep possessiveness and subtle revenge. He didn’t intend to leave her any room to breathe.
After a while, Yu Chi buried his head in the crook of her neck, panting, his voice low and muffled, “Sister, stop playing with me.”
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