Chapter 9

The moonlight flowed like water, and the evening breeze gently blew through the window, dispelling some of the ambiguous atmosphere.

Yan Qiuzhi swiftly pulled Chen Lunan inside the moment he pressed the doorbell, fearing that someone might see.

Chen Lunan felt her actions and lifted his eyes, falling upon her tense face, and lightly chuckled.

Yan Qiuzhi heard the sarcasm in his tone but chose not to argue, asking, "What did Mom ask you to bring to me?"

Chen Lunan handed over the bag he was carrying.

Yan Qiuzhi glanced down and saw a beautifully wrapped box, quite large.

She paused, blinked, and asked, "Did Mom make a cake?"

"Yes."

Yan Qiuzhi loved sweets, but due to her profession, her intake was controlled. Cakes bought outside were often too sweet and high in calories. Mother Chen had learned baking when she had free time and, knowing Yan Qiuzhi's preferences, had made her cakes several times. She considered Yan Qiuzhi's dietary restrictions, using low-calorie and low-fat ingredients.

One reason for Yan Qiuzhi's good relationship with Mother Chen was the delicious cakes she made—sweet but not overwhelming.

Having been away for some time, what she missed the most was the cakes Mother Chen made.

Hearing Chen Lunan's affirmative answer, Yan Qiuzhi's eyes lit up.

She held the box with both hands, eyes sparkling with a smile that was distinctly different from the disdainful look she had given Chen Lunan earlier.

"Thank you."

Chen Lunan felt the obvious change in her and loosened the top button of his shirt.

His gaze shifted, landing on the floor-to-ceiling window, "Aren't you cold?"

Yan Qiuzhi followed his gaze, "Not really. Are you cold?"

The window was open; she had used it to vent her anger earlier.

Chen Lunan remained silent, surveying her room.

Since she wasn't the female lead and there was a problem with the hotel arrangement by the crew, Yan Qiuzhi temporarily stayed in a relatively simple room. One could see everything upon entering, except for the large floor-to-ceiling window with a scenic view; there wasn't much else inside—just a large bed, a sofa, and a table.

He withdrew his gaze and turned to the person who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, ready to start eating the cake.

He stood still for a few seconds before walking towards her.

Before he could sit down, the doorbell rang.

The two locked eyes; Chen Lunan clearly saw the fear in Yan Qiuzhi's eyes.

The next moment, Yan Qiuzhi jumped up from her chair, hurriedly ran to the door, and peeked through the peephole. She uttered a curse, "Why did he come?"

Then she turned to look at Chen Lunan, visibly anxious.

Chen Lunan remained unmoved, just watching her.

The doorbell continued to ring persistently. After pacing anxiously around the room for two rounds, Yan Qiuzhi's phone rang.

The phone happened to be placed next to Chen Lunan. He glanced down, and the screen displayed two words—Lin Jing.

Chen Lunan paused for a moment, then turned to look at Yan Qiuzhi.

Yan Qiuzhi hurried over to pick up the phone, sweetly greeting, "Hello, Director Lin?"

Lin Jing stood at the room's doorway, furrowing his brows, "Are you not in your hotel room?"

Yan Qiuzhi replied, "No, I was in the restroom just now. What's up?"

Lin Jing responded, "I'm outside your room. There are some issues with the previous script; let me in so we can discuss."

Hearing this, Yan Qiuzhi's gaze fell on the person who was leisurely eating her cake. She quickly said, "It's quite late; isn't it inappropriate?"

Lin Jing, seemingly oblivious to her refusal, spoke crisply, "I'll only take about ten minutes. You have an early shoot tomorrow; there's no time in the morning."

Yan Qiuzhi choked, still wanting to refuse, but Lin Jing directly hung up the phone.

She stared at the phone for two seconds and turned to the door, which rang again; her eyes flickered as her mind raced.

Chen Lunan, who was still planning to taste the cake while sitting on the sofa, was caught off guard as he was pulled up and dragged into the bathroom by Yan Qiuzhi.

Chen Lunan looked down at her, his face darkening.

Yan Qiuzhi, glancing at the anger suppressing his eyes, involuntarily shivered and pitifully said, "You hide for a while, just a while."

After saying that, without waiting for Chen Lunan's agreement, she directly closed the bathroom door.

Yan Qiuzhi quickly opened the door and Lin Jing's gaze fell on her flushed face. He furrowed his brows and asked, "Why is your face so red?"

Yan Qiuzhi made a sound and fanned herself with her hand, "Maybe it's too hot."

Lin Jing silently stared at her for a while, then turned his doubtful gaze outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

Too hot in the dead of winter?

Just as he felt something was off, Yan Qiuzhi, with a smiling face, leaned against the doorway, extending her hands, "Director Lin, can I see the revised script?"

Lin Jing, seeing her like this, half-squinted his eyes, "Not going to invite me in for a seat?"

Yan Qiuzhi nodded, "Not very appropriate."

Before Lin Jing could retort, Yan Qiuzhi continued indifferently, "Director Lin, please consider my identity as an actress. If a lonely man and a woman like us were seen entering the room together at this late hour, I'd see myself trending on Weibo tomorrow."

She joked, "Although I'd love to trend, it absolutely shouldn't be through this method."

Hearing her words, Lin Jing's gaze lingered on her fair and beautiful face for a while before slowly shifting away.

Even if squeezed in the doorway, her attractiveness was undeniable.

The conversation outside intermittently reached Chen Lunan, who stood in the bathroom for a while, massaging his temples with a headache.

Yan Qiuzhi had just taken a shower not long ago, and the bathroom still carried the scent of shampoo and shower gel, orange-flavored, unexpectedly sweet-smelling.

Chen Lunan paused, glanced at the toilet nearby, and, surprisingly, his cleanliness obsession didn't act up, so he casually sat down.

He still had his phone in his pocket, which was currently vibrating.

Chen Lunan looked at it; Cheng Zhan and Jiang Chen were fervently chatting inside.

Jiang Chen: 【Saw our Yan Yan on the hot search again.】

Cheng Zhan: 【Our Yan Yan?】

Jiang Chen: 【Oh! Our Chen Lunan's Yan Yan.】

Cheng Zhan: 【What's on the hot search?】

Jiang Chen: 【She lost an endorsement. The other side mocked our Chen Lunan's Yan Yan for being incapable, and so on... Checking now, it seems Yan Yan is getting bullied pretty badly.】

Cheng Zhan: 【@Chen Lunan, come out and support your wife.】

Jiang Chen: 【Don't count on him. How about I get Yan Yan another endorsement?】

Cheng Zhan: 【She definitely won't accept.】

The two continued chatting in the group, oblivious to Chen Lunan's presence.

Chen Lunan had indeed had his presence felt extremely bleak in the group chat. He watched the increasingly intense conversation between the two, then sent a message: 【Got nothing to do?】

Jiang Chen: 【A lone old man like me can't be busy, unlike you with a wife.】

Cheng Zhan: 【Even if he has a wife, he can't hold her.】

Ten seconds later, Chen Lunan posted a photo in the group, provoking the wrath of the old single men.

He glanced at it with an indifferent expression, then calmly put away his phone.

After Lin Jing left, Yan Qiuzhi looked at the person sitting on the toilet for a while.

"You can come out now."

Chen Lunan glanced at her and looked at the script in her hand, "When will you finish shooting?"

"Huh?"

Yan Qiuzhi was stunned for a moment and said, "My scenes will take about another month to film."

Chen Lunan nodded in understanding.

He got up and went to the sink, turning on the tap to wash his hands. His movements were calm and unhurried. His fingers were attractive, long, with distinct joints, a type that many people currently favored.

Yan Qiuzhi was momentarily distracted. When she came back to her senses, Chen Lunan had already pulled a side of tissue and wiped his hands.

The two silently locked eyes, and after a while, Yan Qiuzhi opened her mouth and asked, "Where are you staying tonight?"

Chen Lunan calmly looked at her for a while, then his gaze shifted to the bed behind her.

Yan Qiuzhi's brain froze for a moment before she grasped his meaning.

She widened her eyes, not quite believing, and asked, "You want to stay here?"

Chen Lunan nodded.

Yan Qiuzhi thought for a moment and decided to go along with it. They had lived together before, so there was no need to be overly concerned. They just needed to avoid being noticed; no need for unnecessary drama.

But soon, she thought of a crucial point, "You didn't bring any clothes, did you?"

Chen Lunan lifted his chin slightly, unbuttoned his shirt, and, looking into Yan Qiuzhi's eyes, he spoke in a deep voice, "In the car downstairs."

"......."

After the driver brought his luggage up, Chen Lunan headed straight to the bathroom.

Yan Qiuzhi stared at the bathroom door for a while and came to a conclusion—Chen Lunan might have fallen in love with the bathroom here.

Weird.

Clearly, at first glance, it didn't seem like he intended to spend the night.

Yan Qiuzhi lay on the bed, listening to the sound of water from the bathroom, and unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

When Chen Lunan came out, she was already sound asleep.

He watched for a moment and lifted the blanket to get in.

Just as he lay down, Yan Qiuzhi turned and hugged him. In the past, Chen Lunan would go along with her.

But tonight, he didn't seem to be in the mood.

As Yan Qiuzhi's hand moved over, Chen Lunan pushed her away without any mercy.

His action woke Yan Qiuzhi up; she opened her eyes drowsily, "What are you doing?"

Her lips were against Chen Lunan's neck, her breath falling on it, slightly ticklish, causing a restless feeling.

Chen Lunan's Adam's apple rolled; just as he was about to make the next move, Yan Qiuzhi buried her head in his arms, crossing her legs over. She didn't care whether Chen Lunan would push her away again.

This was a source of warmth, and she didn't want to let go.

She held onto him tightly, making it hard for Chen Lunan to catch his breath.

He furrowed his brows and was about to try to move Yan Qiuzhi away a bit when she shifted her body, her lips brushing against his Adam's apple. Finding a comfortable position, she fell asleep.

Chen Lunan's Adam's apple rolled again. He gazed at the person sleeping comfortably in his arms, his eyes deep. His hand lingered in the air for a while, but in the end, he let it drop.