Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
When they arrived back at the alley entrance, Shi Min also stepped out of the car.
In a daze, Luo Mingjing blurted out, “Would you like to come in and sit?”
Shi Min nodded, “Do you have anything to eat? I’m hungry.”
“Yes, but it’ll take some time,” Luo Mingjing replied. He entered the shop and brought out a bean bag chair, pulling an old-fashioned tin can from a drawer inside.
“There are snacks inside; help yourself while you wait.”
Shi Min sank completely into the bean bag chair, opening the retro-style tin can. She glanced inside, spotting cookies, marshmallows, and chocolates, and secretly smiled. She picked out a cookie that didn’t look too sweet, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth.
Leaning her head back against the top of the chair, she slowly chewed on the cookie, her gaze following Luo Mingjing’s movements.
Luo Mingjing changed into a white shirt and black pants, wiping off his makeup with a cotton pad soaked in makeup remover as he moved around.
The kitchen was in the outer room, separated from the art studio display area by a sliding door.
Shi Min got up, adjusted the position of the bean bag chair so it faced the kitchen area directly.
Unaware of her actions, Luo Mingjing washed his hands, cleaned the pot, and turned on the stove. He asked, “Any dietary restrictions?”
“Whatever works,” Shi Min said casually.
“How about egg drop vegetable soup… and scallion noodles?”
“Mm.” Shi Min tilted her head slowly, intently watching him. Her gaze traveled from his head to his feet, only then realizing he wasn’t wearing shoes.
“Where are your shoes?”
“No time to find them.” Luo Mingjing finished washing the vegetables and pulled out a knife. “I was trying on clothes earlier, and there’s stuff everywhere in the inner room. It might take a while to locate them.”
Shi Min’s gaze shifted upward, lingering on his lower body. This time, Luo Mingjing noticed. He looked over, catching her gaze just in time, and asked, puzzled, “What are you looking at?”
Shi Min showed no sign of panic at being caught. Leisurely withdrawing her gaze, she let it settle on his face and smiled, “At you. Both times I’ve seen you, you were in drag. Now that I finally get to see your original self, I can’t miss this opportunity to take a good look.”
Without makeup, dressed plainly, Luo Mingjing’s features hadn’t changed much, but his demeanor was entirely different from when he was in drag. Especially now, without a smile, his presence felt cold, his eyes sharper than usual.
The more Shi Min observed, the more captivated she became. Her gaze roamed hungrily, not missing a single detail, from the strands of hair falling over his shoulders to his fingertips.
Luo Mingjing continued cutting vegetables with fluid motions. As he wiped away bits of vegetable from the blade, Shi Min’s eyes narrowed slightly.
It really was lust at first sight. Shi Min thought, He was right. What she called love at first sight was merely a polite veneer for raw desire. Strip away the pretense, and what remained was pure possessiveness.
Terrifying.
I think I might be losing my mind, Shi Min thought.
Reason was a disguise for emotion, and emotion a disguise for desire. Right now, she feared she was about to shed the first layer of pretense.
Blame it on this man—every inch of him, from the tips of his hair to his fingers to his toes, was exactly her type.
When Luo Mingjing looked up again, Shi Min had already closed her eyes, her hands resting lazily on either side of the bean bag chair, tapping idly.
Waiting impatiently, perhaps?
Luo Mingjing said, “Are you sleepy? I have a blanket; I’ll get it for you.”
Shi Min didn’t respond. Luo Mingjing wiped his hands, turned down the heat, and went into the inner room to fetch a blanket.
The inner room was pitch-dark, including the computer screen.
Due to the limited space, the inner room was packed with storage cabinets. Clean, folded bedding was stashed in collapsible bins under the bed.
Kneeling down, Luo Mingjing pulled out one of the bins and rummaged through it until he found a freshly washed and dried blanket.
Meanwhile, the live stream room buzzed with lively chatter.
“Does Fairy not realize the stream is still on?”
“Nope, doesn’t seem like it!”
“He probably thinks the computer is black-screened… Hmm, seems intentional, doesn’t it?”
“Wait, I came back after dinner, and the stream’s still going? Is he not back yet?”
“He’s back, he’s back! Listen carefully, 233333.”
“I’m dying to tell him the stream’s still on!!”
“I’m making a bet right here: if we catch Fairy stripping naked in front of the camera tonight, everyone has to Venmo me a thousand bucks tomorrow!”
“Hugging the rich girl above!”
“Hugging tightly!!!”
“Me too! I wanna see!!”
“Smart me quickly copied the ID of the girl above.”
“Ohhh [suddenly excited] quietly preparing to screenshot…”
“Positioning myself for typing with both feet—I’m ready for the nude scene.”
“Girls! Let’s wait and see if Poor Boy can seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strike it rich overnight!”
Standing in front of the sofa with the blanket in his arms, Luo Mingjing saw that Shi Min made no move to do it herself, so he took the initiative, draping the blanket over her.
As he covered her shoulders, Shi Min opened her eyes and caught a strand of his hair hanging in front of her chest. Softly, she said, “I have a request. Please, promise me you’ll agree.”
Luo Mingjing nearly collapsed onto her. Bracing himself, he lowered his eyes and asked, “What is it?”
“Relax.” Shi Min smiled leisurely, her fingers sliding down the strand of hair, her voice dripping with affection. “Come closer. I want to touch your hair.”
Luo Mingjing whispered, “You… like long hair?”
“Very much.” Shi Min twirled his hair around her finger, then suddenly smiled. With both hands, she pulled him down by the neck.
Her eyes were now inches away, their gazes locking. This time, neither backed down.
Raw possessiveness met quiet resistance.
Instinctively, Luo Mingjing’s defenses faltered when confronted with the sharp edge of her unrelenting desire. He chose to yield, allowing her to take the lead.
Luo Mingjing whispered softly, “So… what do you plan to do, President Shi?”
Shi Min flipped positions, pinning his shoulders down and switching places.
Luo Mingjing stopped resisting. When Shi Min teased him about how easy he was to push, he responded, “I’ve been thinking… what’s the difference between lust at first sight and love at first sight, or between being kept and being in a relationship?”
Shi Min lightly brushed his lips and asked, “What conclusion did you reach?”
Luo Mingjing didn’t flinch, pausing briefly before answering with a bitter smile, “For you, there’s no difference.”
What kind of feelings could she possibly harbor? The way she looked at him told him everything he needed to know.
Still savoring the taste she’d stolen moments ago, Shi Min’s gaze lingered on the corner of his lips, searching for the perfect spot to strike. “And for you?”
“There’s still a difference,” Luo Mingjing said. “If it were being kept, I’d probably have a bit more money.”
Seizing the moment, Shi Min effortlessly parted his lips. Startled, Luo Mingjing responded instinctively, almost entranced, before gently pushing her away after a long moment. “So… what do you usually charge?”
Shi Min’s gaze darkened as she murmured, “Sorry, I’m not familiar with the market. Are you seriously negotiating a price with me, or just asking?”
“Just asking,” Luo Mingjing said. “So I know how much money I’m giving up.”
After a long silence, Shi Min chuckled. “I’m not familiar with the rates, nor do I want to set one. That doesn’t feel right to me. I just want to ask—would you consider dating?”
“Ordinarily, maybe,” Luo Mingjing said, his brows relaxing into a smile. “But with a CEO… absolutely not.”
Shi Min said, “Neither would I. But it doesn’t matter.”
She leaned down, narrowing her eyes at her prey. “Though I’m certain now that dating you wouldn’t be a loss. I had a great feeling just now. And you?”
She believed she valued mutual interaction and chemistry, since such things couldn’t be one-sided.
Luo Mingjing sat up, staring at her lips, now tinged with moisture, and gradually leaned closer.
Closer and closer—the warmth of their breaths mingling, the faint sound of panting growing louder…
Then the phone rang.
The intimacy shattered.
Shi Min pointed to the phone on the counter and said, “Intermission. Go ahead.”
Luo Mingjing whispered, “I’m feeling a little dizzy…”
Taking advantage of the pause, it was probably better this way. He’d been momentarily bewitched earlier and needed time to think carefully.
Luo Mingjing picked up the phone. Xu Qianqian said, “Big Brother, your stream is still on.”
That sentence hit him like a bucket of ice water. Luo Mingjing felt as though he’d been dragged out of the desert and thrown into a freezing abyss.
He rushed into the inner room. As soon as he touched the mouse, the computer screen lit up.
It was true—the stream hadn’t been turned off. Currently, over three hundred people were online.
Luo Mingjing froze.
“What… did they hear?”
Xu Qianqian on the other end said, “I don’t know. I came late, but judging by the chat, it seems I’ve stumbled upon something explosive.”
Luo Mingjing quickly scrolled through the chat history, seeing the high-frequency words from three minutes ago—”kept,” “exhaustion.” He buried his face in his hands.
Xu Qianqian said, “Stop posing in front of the camera. Should I come over now? Who’s with you?”
Luo Mingjing immediately shut off the stream, turned off the computer, and unplugged it.
Xu Qianqian shouted, “Couldn’t you at least say a few words before turning it off?”
Luo Mingjing said, “I’m hungry, too tired to explain. Let’s talk tomorrow.”
“What about crisis management? Who’s with you?”
“Friends… I’m a bit confused right now. Let me hang up first.”
Shi Min stood at the doorway, holding the curtain aside. After a moment of silence, she asked, “What’s your real job?”
“…Selling clothes,” Luo Mingjing said. “I guess you could call me a small-time influencer.”
“Live streaming?”
“…Yes.”
“Which platform?”
“Catfish Live.”
Shi Min laughed, “Do you want to be famous? Be honest.”
“I just want to make money,” Luo Mingjing said. “Even dressing up as a woman—it’s not a hobby. You might think it’s my passion, but… honestly, it’s all for money.”
This is who I am. Not the person you imagine.
“No dreams,” Luo Mingjing said. “Not artsy, either. I’m ordinary. I just want to make money.”
These words, once spoken, unexpectedly carried a tinge of委屈 (grievance) and stirred a stubbornness deep within him.
Shi Min’s gaze grew even more intense.
Luo Mingjing walked to the kitchen and turned off the stove. Leaning against the countertop, he whispered, “Give me time to think.”
He said, “Shi Min, I’m used to living alone… There are some things I need to figure out before I can make a decision.”
He had to think clearly. Was the strange urge to fall in love just loneliness playing tricks on him, or did he truly want to trade a piece of his heart for companionship?
“Alright,” Shi Min said. “Take your time. I’ll continue doing what I need to do.”
Shi Min put on her coat, a confident smile lighting up her eyes. “We have plenty of time. Think it through, and when you’re ready, give me an answer. But if you take too long and I don’t get an answer…”
Luo Mingjing frowned and turned to look at her.
Shi Min twirled her car keys and said, “Then, every second of my wasted time—you owe it all back to me, down to the last moment.”
Luo Mingjing chuckled wryly, “…Bossy.”
“Aren’t I a CEO?” Shi Min said. “That’s the difference.”
Google Sites
Report abuse