Chapter 168: Who Do You Think You Are, Eyeing My Man?
An Qingyan noticed something was very off about Duan Ci today. Usually, whenever they met, Duan Ci would glare or roll his eyes at him. Now, he was smiling at him in a friendly, almost fawning, way.
Throughout the day, he was conspicuously obsequious.
“Yanyan, have you eaten? I brought breakfast for you and Yuqi, I’ll just leave it here.”
“You must be tired after filming for so long. Here, sit down and rest. Wipe your sweat and have some water.”
“If you need help with anything, just let Duan-ge know. We’re good friends, no need to be formal with me, right?”
The assistants, whose jobs had just been stolen: “…”
An Qingyan and Lu Yuqi exchanged a look, both of them speechless. Had Duan Ci taken the wrong medicine, or had his body been snatched by someone else?
Just as Duan Ci scurried over obsequiously to strike up another conversation, Lu Yuqi shoved him away, his expression cold. He cracked his knuckles. “What’s your game, Duan? Looking for a beating?”
“Not at all! I’ve just seen the light. I was wrong in the past, and now I just want to be friends with you guys. It’s better to have one more friend than one more enemy in this world, don’t you think?”
It was all because of Gu Fei. First thing in the morning, he’d gotten a notice from his agent saying all his job offers had been intercepted. The agent asked who he had offended.
Who else could it be but Gu Fei? If Gu-ye wanted to crush him, it would take mere minutes.
A wise man knows when to bow to circumstances. He still wanted to survive in this industry, so he definitely couldn’t afford to antagonize An Qingyan anymore. Otherwise, the company would have him blacklisted by tomorrow. It wasn’t worth it.
Wasn’t An Nanyi’s miserable fate a cautionary tale?
“Yanyan, I swear, if I ever target you guys again, then… then may I get hemorrhoids that can never be cured!”
An Qingyan: “…”
Lu Yuqi: “…”
That’s a bit much.
Lu Yuqi: “How did he become a completely different person overnight?”
An Qingyan: “He was probably threatened.”
Lu Yuqi: “That idiot can’t stir up much trouble.”
“Wrong, he’s already starting to make waves.” An Qingyan tipped his chin toward a spot diagonally across from them, leaning close to Lu Yuqi’s ear to whisper, “If you don’t make a move soon, the waves are going to carry my big brother away.”
What the hell? Lu Yuqi followed his gaze and saw Duan Ci standing next to An Jing, smiling and saying something, inching closer and closer.
So the little goblin had already changed targets. Last time he was trying to seduce Gu-ye, and now he was making a move on An Jing. Lu Yuqi’s gaze turned cold. Without a second thought, he stood up and strode over.
Who do you think you are, eyeing my man?
“Jing ge, there’s a part here I don’t know how to act…” Duan Ci was holding his script, stealthily sidling up to An Jing again. Then, the throat of his destiny was seized.
“Ah! What are you doing!”
Lu Yuqi grabbed him by the back of his collar and yanked him backward. He then stepped in front of An Jing, blocking the path between them. His fierce gaze was like that of a wolf cub protecting its food. “Where don’t you get it? I’ll teach you.”
Duan Ci: “I get it now, I get it…”
What did his getting close to An Jing have to do with this Lu guy? Acting all protective like that. Sheesh. Still, a wise man knew not to pick a fight he couldn’t win. Though he was cursing inwardly, he kept a smile on his face. “Well, you two can chat then. Jing ge, I’ll come ask you for advice next time.”
If he hadn’t left quickly, the hot-tempered Cocky King would have kicked him. Jing ge? Sounded awfully intimate. He hadn’t even called him that yet.
“Qi ge is so domineering and mighty.” An Jing was like an outsider enjoying the show, watching the young man with a smile in his eyes. He watched him sit down beside him and said coolly, “Not as charming as Jing ge, though.”
An Jing: “I’m flattered.”
“What? Do you have something you don’t understand that you need to ask me about too?”
Lu Yuqi: “I do have a question.”
An Jing: “Hm?”
Lu Yuqi glanced around. No one was paying attention to them. He subtly shifted closer to the man, shoulder to shoulder. He cleared his throat and said, somewhat awkwardly, “Are you free tonight? I’d like to treat you to dinner.”
Watching the young man say this with such a cocky expression, An Jing couldn’t help but chuckle. He leaned his head over, his lips almost brushing against the other’s fair, blushing ear, and whispered a soft “Okay,” before asking, “Is this how you pursue me?”
Lu Yuqi flinched as if electrocuted and scooted away.
“Ahem… then it’s a deal.” After speaking, he looked like he was about to bolt, but then remembered something. He pulled something out of his pocket and stuffed it into the man’s palm. “This is for you.”
With that, he ran off.
An Jing opened his hand. In his palm lay a blue star, presumably folded from origami paper. It was crooked and misshapen. If it weren’t for his good eyesight, he wouldn’t have been able to tell what it was.
His mind couldn’t help but picture the young man’s clumsy attempts at folding the star—that arrogant face, secretly doing something a young girl would do.
It was actually…
The man closed his hand around the star.
…quite cute.
His phone screen lit up. He had received a WeChat message:
[I can’t pick the stars from the sky, so I folded one for you.]
Two seconds later, it was retracted. Perhaps he felt it was too cheesy. He sent another one:
[Don’t you dare say it’s ugly.]
What was the point of retracting it? He had already seen it. An Jing turned to look in Lu Yuqi’s direction. The other immediately averted his gaze. He couldn’t help but smile.
Mm… this kid’s got some moves.
Even if it was folded really badly.
“Yuqi, your face is really red.” An Qingyan looked at his friend with a teasing glint in his eyes, as if he had seen through everything. Only in front of his big brother would the fearless Cocky King blush.
Lu Yuqi: “I’m hot.”
An Qingyan: “I sent you a file. Take a look.”
What file? Lu Yuqi muttered to himself and casually opened the file his friend had sent. When he saw the contents, the corner of his mouth couldn’t help but twitch.
What the hell? The Ultimate Dating Guide, The Secret to Getting a Partner, 108 Ways to Seduce a Man, The Psychology of Love… and so on.
An Qingyan: “You can read them when you have time. They might be useful.” He had promised to help Lu Yuqi get a partner. If he actually succeeded…
Wouldn’t Lu Yuqi become his sister-in-law?!
That relationship was too messy.
Lu Yuqi rested his forehead in his hand in exasperation. “You might as well have sent me a few… videos.”
“Wha-what? I don’t have anything like that.”
“But, if you want them, I can look for you. Do you need them so soon?”
Lu Yuqi: “…”
An Qingyan, you’ve changed.
In the end, Young Master Lu secretly opened the dating guide.
He had no scenes that afternoon, so he went back early.
At seven in the evening, the sky had already darkened. After returning from the set, An Jing went straight to Lu Yuqi’s room, his gaze meaningful. “You said you were treating me to dinner. Here, in your room?”
Was the meal a euphemism for something else?
Ahem… he wasn’t mentally prepared for that.
It was quite embarrassing.
He didn’t expect young people these days to be so forward.
Lu Yuqi had no idea what kind of X-rated thoughts were running through the man’s mind. He coughed awkwardly and presented a beautiful red rose he had been hiding behind his back. “For you.”
An Jing raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Just one?”
Lu Yuqi: “Do you want it or not?”
“I do, of course I do.”
An Jing took the flower. Acting as if he were in his own home, he casually changed his shoes and walked in. He discovered that there were indeed a few dishes on the dining table, along with red wine. The dishes were covered, so he couldn’t see what they were.
So, he really was just treating him to dinner.
When he lifted the lids and saw the dishes, he frowned in confusion. He lifted the other lids, and it was the same惨不忍睹 (cǎn bù rěn dǔ – too horrible to look at).
If a hotel kitchen made food like this, it wouldn’t be long before it went out of business. Other people’s food had color, aroma, and taste. What was before him had none of the three.
“Where did you order this from? Are you sure it’s not poisonous?”
“…” Lu Yuqi was silent for a moment. “I borrowed the hotel kitchen and made it myself.”
He felt embarrassed too. It was all because of that damn dating guide. He had never cooked before, at most making instant noodles for himself.
And it said something about winning someone’s heart.
The stomach was the one suffering.
But since he had made it, he couldn’t waste it.
An Jing: “Ah, I was wondering why these dishes looked so delicious. So you made them. There’s even an eggshell in the scrambled eggs with tomato. Are you trying to give me a calcium supplement? Our Little Lu is so thoughtful.”
His acting chops, at this moment, were on full display.
Lu Yuqi: “…”
An Jing actually ate with gusto. Even though it was cloyingly salty, his expression didn’t change. He just downed a glass of red wine in one gulp.
The young man sitting opposite him lowered his eyes in frustration. “If it’s bad, you don’t have to force yourself.”
The man’s eyes were gentle, his gaze soft as he looked at the person across from him. He comforted him in a very understanding way, “It’s fine, these dishes are great with rice. Thank you for cooking for me.”
Lu Yuqi was feeling a little touched when the other patted his shoulder and said sincerely, “Listen to your brother’s advice. Next time, let’s not do this again.”
Lu Yuqi: “…Okay.”
They finished the extremely difficult meal.
An Jing tilted his head back and drank half a glass of water. He looked at the slightly unnatural-looking young man with a relaxed posture and a smile in his eyes. “So, Little Lu, what are the plans for the rest of the evening?”
It seemed this kid had really never pursued anyone before, nor had he ever been in a relationship. His methods were centuries out of date, but he still found them… mm, quite cute.
“Next…” Lu Yuqi was a little puzzled. He was silent for a moment before saying, “There are no more plans. You can go back now.”
An Jing: “…”
This method of courting was truly one of a kind!
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