Chapter 58 [VIP] “You guys really know how to play... I’m satisfied.”

Sheng Li was quite disappointed that she didn’t get to hear Yu Chi squeak, and internally cursed Yuan Yuan several times. Yu Chi noticed her pale complexion but saw that her spirits were still good. He leaned forward slightly, pressing the back of his hand against her forehead—her fever had subsided.

“The fever went down after the IV,” Sheng Li said with a smile as she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the sofa. Yu Chi naturally sat down beside her.

Without hesitation, Sheng Li flipped over and straddled his lap, cupping his face in her hands. She sighed deeply, “Alright, it seems my little brother has more charm. Yuan Yuan has become your fan now.”

“Isn’t she a CP fan?” Yu Chi leaned back on the sofa, tilting his head up to look at her.

Sheng Li was surprised: “How did you know?”

Yu Chi was very perceptive about cameras and had long noticed that Yuan Yuan often secretly took photos of him, especially when he was with Sheng Li. He raised an eyebrow slightly: “Even though she was terrified last night at the cemetery, she didn’t forget to take pictures and videos with her phone. If that’s not being a CP fan, what is? Besides, she’s always calling me ‘brother-in-law.’“

The mention of last night reminded Sheng Li of the trending topic online and the comments beneath it. She snorted: “Your fans don’t seem to like me. They think we’re not a good match and don’t look like a couple.”

“Do you think this is my fault?” Yu Chi stared at her expressionlessly, sneering. “Why don’t you talk about how the ‘Xing Sheng’ CP fans have been busy defending you and claiming you’re still together with Lu Xingyu?”

Sheng Li: “...”

Crap, she accidentally stepped on the醋王’s (Vinegar King’s) sore spot.

She smiled sweetly and wrapped her arms around his neck. Considering her cold, she leaned in and lightly kissed the corner of his mouth, softening her voice to soothe him: “I’ve known him since childhood. Back then, Rong Hua hyped up our CP a bit too much, which led to an overwhelming number of CP fans. But over the past two years, we’ve gradually distanced ourselves. After Lu Xingyu’s popularity declined, the number of CP fans also decreased. My own fans never liked him, and besides, there was nothing between us to begin with. He’s such a player, and I’m not blind—how could I possibly fall for him?”

Yu Chi still vividly remembered the smutty story Sheng Li had sent him years ago. Every time he saw news about her and Lu Xingyu during their breakup, he wanted nothing more than to blow up their CP super-topic page.

He sneered: “If he weren’t such a jerk, something might have happened between you two.”

Sheng Li hadn’t expected him to still care so much about those CP fans. She’d been sick all day and had no energy to revisit old grievances. She playfully pressed herself against him, breathing softly into his ear: “Hey, Yu Xiao Chi, can we not dig up old stuff right now? Sister’s sick. My head hurts. Carry me to bed.”

“Did you take your medicine?”

Yu Chi glanced at the medicine bag on the coffee table.

Buried in the crook of his shoulder, Sheng Li nuzzled closer and mumbled vaguely: “I took it before you arrived.”

Yu Chi didn’t say anything further. With one hand on her waist and the other supporting her hips, he effortlessly lifted her up. It had been a while since they’d been alone together in a room. Sheng Li clung to him, her heart beating a little faster. She touched his earlobe and muttered: “I forgot to ask you to put on the earring earlier so I could see it.”

“Next time.”

“When did you get your ear pierced?”

As they approached the bed, Yu Chi paused mid-step and looked up at her: “Three days after we broke up.”

Under his gaze, Sheng Li felt inexplicably guilty, tinged with a sense of pity. But she was also curious about his life after the breakup. She wanted to ask how he’d coped, whether actresses on set had flirted with him, and if he’d thrown away the things she’d given him…

Yu Chi placed her on the bed, but Sheng Li still clung to his neck. He leaned back against the headboard, pulling the blanket over her. Lowering his head, he chuckled self-deprecatingly: “Sister, I got sick and had a fever the night we broke up.”

Sheng Li rolled over, half her body pressing onto his. She buried her head in his chest: “Well, I got sick and had a fever too. That’s karma. We’re even.” Her head felt heavy and groggy, probably due to the sleep-inducing effects of the medicine. Suddenly remembering something, she lifted her head to look at him: “So, have you ever worn that earring before?”

Fans and netizens these days were sharp. Many celebrity romances had been exposed by spotting matching items or subtle details.

Yu Chi thought for a moment, then lowered his head to give her a cold glare: “I’ve worn it privately a few times. Why? Are you afraid of being exposed?”

Back then, they’d broken up because they were photographed together, and Sheng Li had chosen her career over him.

“I’m not afraid of being exposed. Things are different now. Everyone knows who you are, and I’ve always been Sheng Li. You don’t need to worry about being labeled as ‘Sheng Li’s boyfriend’ or ‘Sheng Li’s ex-boyfriend.’ You won’t lose your identity.” Sheng Li sensed something was off and wondered if he was suffering from post-breakup PTSD. She quickly climbed up closer, almost completely pressing herself against him. She was wearing a loose T-shirt-style loungewear with a large neckline. As she leaned on him, the soft curves of her bare skin were fully exposed to his view.

Yu Chi’s previously cool expression softened, suddenly deep with meaning.

He raised his hand and gently pressed her head down.

In truth, he’d never minded being associated with her label. Being “Sheng Li’s boyfriend” had always been something he desired.

Sheng Li struggled to breathe under his grip, pushing against his chest to break free. Sitting up, she looked at him earnestly and repeated: “I’m really not afraid. I was just casually asking. And I wouldn’t break up over something like this again. But I think, like me, you probably don’t want to be exposed so soon either.”

Yu Chi lazily glanced up at her face, his voice low and husky: “Mm.”

“I never imagined you’d give me an earring.” Sheng Li smiled brightly at him but was suddenly startled by the intensity of his gaze. Realizing belatedly what she’d said, she lowered her head and blushed deeply.

Yu Chi watched her, his hand resting on the back of her head. Suddenly, he flipped her onto her back, pinning her beneath him. He captured her lips in a kiss, giving her no chance to catch her breath as his tongue delved deeply, kissing her fiercely. Sheng Li whimpered softly and pushed him lightly, “I’m sick… you’ll catch it…”

“You won’t infect me,” Yu Chi’s voice was hoarse. One hand cradled her cheek while the other pinned her hands to the pillow, repeatedly biting and teasing her lips and tongue. Sheng Li’s heart raced; she was overwhelmed by his kisses and, in a daze of passion, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. To hell with it—if she caught his cold, so be it.

Their breaths mingled, their bodies entwined. Sheng Li’s mind swirled as she ran her hands across his back. Yu Chi buried his head in the crook of her neck, slowly stopping. He kissed her hair and shifted to the side, gazing down at her flushed, disoriented face.

Sheng Li’s eyes were moist, her face red. She blinked: “Not continuing?”

Yu Chi picked up his phone from the bedside table. It was already past midnight.

He placed the phone on the nightstand, turned off the lights, leaving only a warm bedside lamp on. He smoothed her tousled hair and, in the dim glow, gazed into her eyes. His expression had returned to its usual calm: “If Sister wants to continue, let’s wait until you’re better. I don’t want to take advantage of a sick person.”

Sheng Li held onto his lean waist, looking up at him: “Weren’t you always so eager before? Did you change your ways? Or are you really turning cold?”

“Back then, I was young and easily tempted.” Yu Chi scoffed. After enduring for more than three years, it wasn’t for nothing. He turned to embrace her, irritably covering her eyes. “Close your eyes. Sleep.”

Sheng Li deliberately fluttered her eyelashes, brushing them against his palm, and teased with a grin: “Is that so? Good thing I made my move early.”

Yu Chi chuckled but didn’t respond.

After brushing her lashes against his palm for a while, Sheng Li obediently closed her eyes. The sedative effect of the cold medicine was kicking in, making her feel drowsy. Struggling to stay awake, she mumbled vaguely: “You haven’t told me yet… why did you give me the earring?”

Yu Chi lowered his eyes, silent for a moment before speaking softly: “Actually, I didn’t know what to give you at the time. All the money I had was four thousand yuan. I originally planned to spend it all on a gift for you, but what could I buy for a famous actress like you? You already have everything. There aren’t many luxury brands in Songshan city. I wandered around for over three hours before settling on that pair of earrings.”

Sheng Li softly asked: “Then… why did you only give me one?”

“In high school, Xu Yang and I played in a band for a while and got to know the lead singer of a street band. He and his girlfriend would each wear one earring. I heard they’d been together since they were teenagers and had a great relationship. By the time I was in my third year of high school, they got married.” Yu Chi lowered his head, looking at her as she lay there with her eyes closed. “Not many people have been kind to me since I was a child. I admit I crave affection. I’m very sensitive to who treats me well and who doesn’t. You’re the only person I’ve ever liked. Sometimes I feel you truly love me, and other times I feel like you’re playing with me. Back then, Rong Hua was always on set, and it was hard for us to meet privately. I started feeling insecure. Giving you just one earring was intentional. You can call it superstition if you want.”

Sheng Li wanted to turn over and hug him, but she was afraid that if she moved, he might stop talking.

So, she kept her eyes closed and asked: “Was that the song you sang on the show, the one from the band?”

Yu Chi hummed in agreement, lowering his head to nip her earlobe, his tone icy: “Sister, did you never actually open it to look inside?”

“Uh, no.” Sheng Li quickly denied, guiltily blinking her lashes.

Yu Chi didn’t believe her for a second and let out a cold laugh: “Sleep.”

“What time will you leave tomorrow?” Sheng Li was extremely drowsy, her voice slurred.

“Six in the morning.”

Sheng Li turned around and hugged him tightly, nuzzling her face against his warm chest. In a soft voice, she said: “Then record a wake-up message for me. I set my alarm for seven. These past few days, I’ve been struggling to get out of bed. Even when Yuan Yuan calls me, I barely manage to wake up. If I hear your voice tomorrow morning, I’ll definitely jump out of bed in three seconds.” She gave him her phone password. “Oh, and tell Yuan Yuan you’re leaving at six, so she doesn’t feel awkward coming in tomorrow morning.”

“What should I record?” Yu Chi asked softly.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak.”

“...”

Fine. She was still regretful that she hadn’t heard him squeak tonight.

—

At 6:50 the next morning, Yuan Yuan stood at the elevator on the tenth floor, hesitating whether to go wake Sheng Li up. She was afraid of seeing something unsuitable for minors. But… he should be gone by now, right? Last night, shortly after midnight, she received a WeChat message from Lili.

Lili: [Come as usual in the morning.]

The tone didn’t sound like Lili’s—it was probably from Brother-in-law.

Yuan Yuan hesitated for a moment but eventually took out her room card and opened the door.

Only a small desk lamp was on in the living room, casting a dim light. As usual, Sheng Li hadn’t woken up yet. Yuan Yuan stood outside the suite, carefully checking the bathroom and living room for anything unusual. Everything seemed normal, just like any other day.

So, Yuan Yuan walked in confidently.

The bedroom curtains were drawn tightly, making the room even darker. She had just reached the doorway when a deep, cold voice suddenly rang out from the direction of the large bed—

“Sister, wake up and open the door for me.”

“Sister, wake up and open the door for me.”

...

Yuan Yuan’s brain exploded in shock. Covering her eyes, she ran out screaming: “Waaah, I didn’t see anything! I didn’t see anything!”

Meanwhile, Sheng Li, still half-asleep on the bed, groped around blindly beside her. But all she found was the cold sheet—no trace of Yu Chi. She froze for a few seconds before her mind cleared. Suddenly sitting up, she followed the sound and looked toward the nightstand. Her phone was face down, and the alarm was still repeating: “Sister, wake up and open the door for me.”

She burst into laughter and picked up the phone to turn off the alarm.

Well, she was fully awake now.

That little devil Yu Chi hadn’t recorded “squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak”…

Holding her phone, she walked out of the bedroom.

Yuan Yuan had already figured it out and turned to stare blankly at her.

Sheng Li glanced down at her phone and asked: “Is this… a recording?”

“A wake-up message.”

“...”

After a long pause, Yuan Yuan covered her chest and muttered: “You guys really know how to play... I’m satisfied.”