Chapter 56 - 2#
Jing Shun didn’t move for a moment, trying to bluff his way out. “I’m fine.”
Chi Gui deliberately teased him into cooperating. “Jing Shun, if you want to chase me, shouldn’t you go along with what I want? Or are you not planning to put on a good show?”
“…”
That’s nonsense.
What kind of performance was this supposed to be?
Jing Shun felt like Chi Gui was tricking him, but he resignedly rolled up his loose pant legs anyway.
The legs hidden beneath the fabric were no longer as frail and weak as before. The scrapes from filming had already scabbed over, but now they were covered in bruises of all sizes.
Chi Gui’s heart ached at the sight, his brows furrowing.
But Jing Shun just said, “Rehab, you know. A few bumps and bruises are normal. They’ll fade in a bit.”
Chi Gui didn’t respond. Instead, he reached out, wrapped his hand around Jing Shun’s slender ankle, and pulled it toward him without a hint of negotiation.
“Hey—”
Jing Shun’s breath hitched, and he nearly lost his balance.
Chi Gui tightened his grip on the ankle, his gaze meaningful. “What are you dodging for?”
Jing Shun’s throat bobbed. “I’m not dodging.”
Chi Gui said nothing more. He squeezed out a blob of ointment, smeared it over the bruise, and gently spread it with his fingertips, massaging it in. The old bruise throbbed with a light ache.
But as the massage went on, the pain was joined by an unfamiliar numbness.
“…”
Jing Shun stared at Chi Gui’s movements, feeling as if all his sensations were concentrated on those fingertips.
It was hard to tell whether it was the ointment’s effect or the rising heat from the friction—
At some point, the pale skin around the bruise began to redden, the flush spreading deeper, carrying an indescribable sense of suggestion.
“Jing Shun.” Chi Gui’s hand slid upward past the knee, stopping at a dangerous edge. “You’re burning up.”
Jing Shun unconsciously gripped the blanket on either side of him, a reflexive shiver running through him.
“I…”
He couldn’t form words, but he didn’t pull away either.
Chi Gui applied ointment to the last bruise, then released his hold on Jing Shun. He picked up a wet wipe from the side and leisurely cleaned the residual ointment from his fingers.
Throughout it all, his expression barely flickered.
“…”
That unfamiliar heat dissipated as Chi Gui’s fingers withdrew.
Jing Shun slowly unclenched his palm, letting go of the now-wrinkled blanket. For a moment, he felt a vague sense of confusion, instinctively watching Chi Gui as he wiped his hands.
The light embedded in the wall cast a cool white glow, but it was completely absorbed by the man’s black shirt.
The air conditioning in the lounge was on high, enough to seep into every pore. Jing Shun had a strange intuition—
Chi Gui’s embrace would surely have the warmth he craved, and his clothes would carry that familiar, warm scent of tea.
Jing Shun couldn’t help calling out, “Chi Gui.”
“…”
Chi Gui used the motion of wiping his hands to cool his nearly burning rationality. Hearing Jing Shun’s voice, he couldn’t help turning his head.
Jing Shun’s eyes reflected only him. “Did I do well just now? Do I get a reward?”
It was innocent, it was tempting, it was deliberate, it was impulsive.
Chi Gui almost instantly tore apart his calm facade. He grabbed the other’s chin and kissed him fiercely.
“Mm.”
The imagined scent of tea surged up, as intense as on that birthday night. Jing Shun’s eyelashes fluttered, and he wrapped his arms tightly around this longed-for warmth.
He voluntarily gave up resisting at the teeth, letting Chi Gui almost savagely and wildly entangle and plunder.
The gasps grew louder, colliding, overlapping, drowning everything else.
The heat that had faded surged back, as if locked in a battle with the lounge’s air conditioning. Just as the struggle reached its peak—
Suddenly, a phone vibrated.
“…”
Chi Gui was forced to stop, gritting his teeth and restraining himself for a long moment before answering the annoying call. He controlled his breathing, not wanting to reveal anything to the person on the other end.
“Hello.”
“Got it.”
“Hold on.”
“…”
Jing Shun’s gaze was somewhat unfocused. It took him a few seconds to register Chi Gui standing up. “Mm?”
Chi Gui reached out and wiped the moisture from his lips, his voice hoarse as he explained, “The takeout I ordered has arrived. The building has a security gate, so they can’t come up. I’ll go down to get it.”
At this hour, everyone at Chi Corporation headquarters had already clocked out—except Chi Gui himself.
Jing Shun nodded obediently, a hint of naive dependence in his voice. “Hurry back, then.”
“Mm.”
Chi Gui turned and walked out.
Jing Shun felt the tingle on his lips and unconsciously savored the reward from earlier. A belated smile crept onto his face:
Chi Gui probably liked him, right?
Otherwise, why would he do something so intimate while fully conscious?
…
A few minutes later, Chi Gui returned with the food and asked Jing Shun, “The lounge is a bit cramped. Let’s eat at the coffee table outside?”
“Okay.”
Jing Shun glanced at the rumpled sheets, quickly pulled the blanket over them, then got up and walked toward the door, using the wall for support.
Seeing this, Chi Gui didn’t offer to carry him but instead extended a hand in encouragement. “Come on, I’ll walk with you slowly.”
Jing Shun didn’t refuse the simple help. He placed one hand on Chi Gui’s arm.
Even if he moved slowly, he managed to reach the sofa on his own and sit down.
Chi Gui noticed his rapid progress in rehab and chuckled. “Tired? You must be hungry by now, right?”
“Not tired. I slept well earlier.”
Jing Shun smiled too. “But I am hungry.”
Chi Gui opened the takeout containers, revealing an assortment of exquisitely prepared Japanese dishes. Jing Shun picked out what he liked.
As he ate, he casually brought up a topic. “Oh, by the way, I might need to go out for a couple of days starting the day after tomorrow. I’m filming a variety show.”
“What show?” Chi Gui asked.
“The group variety show for Traces. I’m going as a guest star.”
Jing Shun, as usual, kept Chi Gui informed, repeating what he’d learned from the afternoon phone call. “We’re filming at Hengdian World Studios. It’s just three days, round trip. I’ll head over next Wednesday.”
Hengdian was in Zhejiang Province, not too far from Shanghai.
Chi Gui wouldn’t stop him from working, but he was concerned. “Do you know what the filming involves? You still need to use a wheelchair when you go out, and you can’t do strenuous exercise.”
Jing Shun was well aware of his own physical condition.
He said, “I don’t know the exact details yet, but the production team knows about my leg situation. They won’t make things too hard for me. Besides…”
Jing Shun hesitated, as if holding something back.
Chi Gui pressed, “Besides what?”
A faint smile curled at the corner of Jing Shun’s mouth, deliberately teasing. “Besides, Brother Ting is one of the main leads. He’ll definitely be there filming too. With him around, he can look out for me.”
“…”
Chi Gui fell silent, and stopped eating.
Seeing this obvious shift, Jing Shun tested the waters a little. “Chi Gui, are you jealous? Last time, you asked if I liked Brother Ting.”
Before, Jing Shun hadn’t been sure, but now, looking back, the answer was clear.
Chi Gui didn’t deny it. He changed the subject a little too conspicuously. “I have to fly to Macau next Tuesday. There’s a new round of agreements to sign for the previous dock project. I won’t have time to go with you to Hengdian. Want Chen Yiming to go with you?”
“Probably not necessary?”
Jing Shun didn’t want to come off as too high-maintenance in front of the other main cast members.
“Even though Yu Zhen isn’t with me anymore, the company should assign a new assistant. It’s only a couple of days.”
Chi Gui didn’t insist. “Alright. Hurry up and eat before it gets cold.”
“Mm.”
…
Soon it was Wednesday.
Jing Shun sat in the van heading to Hengdian, glancing at the new assistant, Xiao Mo, by his side. His thoughts wandered—
Originally, his manager Yu Xiuzhu was supposed to accompany him for this variety show filming.
But as luck would have it, a rising young actor in the company had suddenly been hit with a flood of defamatory rumors online the night before.
As the company’s boss, Yu Xiuzhu had to stay behind to handle it.
“Brother Jing.”
Xiao Mo handed over a tablet with a serious expression. “This is the show schedule and script sent by the variety show team. This time, it’s a character-driven murder mystery role-play. Your character has already been assigned in advance.”
Jing Shun scrolled through the role profile on the tablet, intrigued.
For a crime drama’s group variety show to have everyone play a situational murder mystery made sense. No wonder the filming location was set in Hengdian.
Xiao Mo continued, “Once we enter Hengdian territory, we’ll need to put on your mic. The cameras arranged in the car by the production team will start recording simultaneously.”
This afternoon was for regular reality show filming, and tomorrow would be the role-play murder mystery.
“Got it.”
“Brother Jing, if you need anything during filming, please tell me right away.”
Xiao Mo had only recently joined Bamboo Grove Entertainment, but he was diligent. “President Yu repeatedly emphasized that I have to take good care of you. It affects whether I can become a regular employee!”
Jing Shun smiled and nodded. “Okay, understood.”
After a four-hour drive, Jing Shun finally arrived at the initial filming location.
With Xiao Mo’s help, he smoothly transferred from the van to his wheelchair.
A production assistant came over with a camera, and the recording had already begun.
Jing Shun perked up and waved at the lens. “Hello, good afternoon. I’m actor Jing Shun.”
A crew member standing behind the camera pointed in a direction.
“Should I go in?”
Jing Shun pretended not to know and maneuvered his wheelchair forward.
After passing through a long pathway, he arrived at the meeting point for all the guests. The production team behind the scenes had obviously arrived earlier than the cast.
Right now, in front of Jing Shun, a large crowd of staff stood in a mass.
Jing Shun looked at the six empty chairs. “Am I the first one here?”
As he spoke, he swept his gaze across the crew across from him, smiling.
But in less than three seconds, his smile froze.
A familiar face appeared in his field of vision—one he had always found somewhat repulsive.
“…”
Meng Zhide?
What was he doing here?