Chapter 41: The Kiss in Front of the Camera
Lu Ciheng knelt on the bed to maintain his balance. One hand supported himself behind Xie Shibai, while the other held that resilient, slender waist. The soft sheets dipped under the weight; from a distance, it looked as if he was holding the man tightly in his arms.
But the reality was that Lu Cihengās collar was being gripped, forcing him to bend down. Though it looked like coercion from afar, the smile hooking the corner of his lips revealed his willingness to be controlled.
Xie Shibaiās cool face didn’t show much emotional fluctuation. His fair skin revealed a hint of rosiness, carrying a relaxation from the inside out after drinking.
He let go of his hand and looked at Lu Ciheng for a few seconds. Under the influence of alcohol, his thinking was a bit slow, but he hadn’t forgotten Lu Cihengās perverted habit of getting a kick out of being hit.
“Punish?” His tone was unhurried, gently repeating Lu Cihengās words.
Lu Ciheng stared tightly at Xie Shibai, his eyes dyed with anticipation.
Xie Shibai: “What punishment do you want?”
Lu Ciheng held Xie Shibaiās hand and guided it to land on his own cheek. The skin pressed against the slightly cool palm. Like a puppy meeting someone it liked, he enthusiastically and clingily nuzzled against the palm. “I can accept whatever Teacher Xie gives me.”
Xie Shibai wasn’t in a state of severe drunkenness, only slightly tipsy. His thoughts and reactions were just a beat slower in this relaxed state. Lu Cihengās little scheme about ‘punishment’ was transparent at a glance. Furthermore, Lu Ciheng wasn’t even acting; he practically had “Reward Me” written all over his face.
The slightly cool palm was soon dyed with Lu Cihengās body heat. As the other party rubbed against his palm, his lips occasionally brushed against the skin, leaving a strange sensation.
Xie Shibai lowered his gaze slightly. Strangely, the anxious emotion from earlier dissipated significantly, creating a stark contrast to his usual condition.
Lu Ciheng looked up at Xie Shibai. His expectant black eyes shone brightly, looking extremely like the Potato puppy. He seemed simple, as if he could be easily controlled, but the deception was strong.
Xie Shibai rubbed his thumb against the skin a few times. Knowing what Lu Ciheng wanted, he deliberately delayed and pulled his hand back. “Punishment is too troublesome. I’ll just wait to replace you with someone else.”
Lu Ciheng froze for a second. He hadn’t even rubbed against Xie Shibaiās hand enough before it was withdrawn, and the next second he heard about being replaced. His black eyes were instantly dyed with intense possessiveness. Even though the ‘person’ was purely fictional and nameless, he felt a sense of crisis.
He tightened his grip on Xie Shibaiās hand. “What a pity. I won’t give Teacher Xie the chance to replace me.”
Xie Shibai was stunned for a few seconds, then said with a faint smile, “So confident?”
Lu Cihengās large palm wrapped around Xie Shibaiās wrist. His calloused fingertips brushed over the place where scars once were. “Because I am Teacher Xie’s puppy.”
The touch of the fingertips was a bit rough, causing a slight tickle on the skin of Xie Shibaiās arm. Xie Shibai turned his head away and bit his lower lip.
Under the blankets nearby, the Potato puppy thought someone was calling it and let out a confused “Woof” in its sleep.
Xie Shibai turned to look at the puppy, then lowered his eyes to look at Lu Ciheng. “The puppy can bark. Can you?”
Lu Ciheng chuckled. He leaned close to Xie Shibaiās ear and let out a “Woof.”
Xie Shibai: “…”
completely unsurprising. It was exactly the kind of thing Lu Ciheng would do.
The next day, after the background set for the short drama was completed, Xie Shibai and Lu Ciheng changed into the costumes provided by the production team following the director’s notification.
The netizens in the livestream craned their necks, waiting for them to come out after changing.
Xie Shibai played Qin Shang, who had been gloriously promoted to an ‘Ah Sir’ (Police Officer) in the short drama. The costume was a new police uniformāshirt and tie. An H-shaped tactical harness was buckled tightly across his chest; the black straps against the white shirt accentuated his resilient, slender waist. His long legs were hidden under black uniform trousers. He attracted everyone’s attention the moment he appeared.
[Holy crap, holy crap! So absolutely stunning!] [Ahhh that waist! LCH is so lucky! I want to be a dog for Teacher Xie too!] [LCH, do you even know how to lick properly? Let me do it!] [Dying of laughter, why is everyone trying to steal his man?]
Xie Shibai spotted a few familiar faces among the crew. The screenwriter from Back Mountain was whispering with another girl. When she saw Xie Shibai come out, her eyes lit up, and she frantically took out her phone to take pictures, looking excitedly like she was saying her trip wasn’t in vain.
Making sure not to delay Xie Shibai, they came up to say hello. She introduced the girl next to her as the screenwriter for Broken Trace. The two of them leaned in together and asked for a group photo.
Xie Shibai was listening to the two chat when he heard a commotion. He turned his head and saw Lu Ciheng, who came out a bit later than him.
Lu Ciheng was wearing his own clothes. At 1.93 meters tall, he wore the black trench coat as if he were on a runway. Inside the trench coat was a matching white shirt, a tie clip glinting slightly with silver light. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, reversing his usual image. His handsome face, when expressionless, was filled with a dangerous “Dom” vibe and oppressive aura.
[Dog Lu is actually quite suitable for playing a refined scum.] [Brother Lu is a Film Emperor after all. When he’s not being a simp, he acts whatever role he’s given perfectly. It’ll be awkward if XSB can’t keep up with the acting later.] [But he barks ‘woof woof woof’ at Teacher Xie.] [Damn!] [He also really likes barking at Teacher Xie.] [Ahhh I’m going to kill you CP fans!] [Hehe.]
Xie Shibaiās gaze lingered on Lu Cihengās face for a few seconds.
Upon seeing Xie Shibai, Lu Cihengās eyes instantly lit up. His gaze seemed glued to him. The cold, cool-guy appearance from just a moment ago vanished, instantly transforming him into a silly, sweet puppy.
He opened his mouth and it was just “Teacher Xie, Teacher Xie, Teacher Xie.”
Xie Shibai: … I miss when he didn’t speak.
The official filming of the short drama was livestreamed entirely.
This scene required a gun.
Qin Shang, investigating alone, encounters Rong Zhou.
The villa at night was pitch black, with only a few rays of moonlight projecting in, increasing visibility indoors.
Xie Shibaiās investigation mission was simple: take away some items that could verify DNA. The suspect, being either rich or noble, forced him to take risky measures.
But the villa was a bit too quiet. It was intricate, dark, and silent enough to hear the birds chirping outside the window.
Xie Shibai couldn’t help but touch the gun holstered in his leg bag. After touching the cold, hard firearm, his heartbeat calmed down.
Following the original plan, Xie Shibai climbed through the window into the target’s bedroom. With a push of his arms, he jumped in effortlessly.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he sensed something was wrong. The familiar scent of blood hit his nose immediately. Danger radars in his heart blared warnings. He slowly approached the center of the bedroom and discovered a corpse lying on the floor.
In the darkness, a pair of eyes stared straight at the intruder, Xie Shibai.
Even though it was a dummy, Xie Shibai still checked for a pulse.
The next second, footsteps came from behind, approaching rapidly, disturbing the airflow. Xie Shibai was instantly alert. He stood up, his hand instinctively going for his gun. Just as he was about to draw it, the mysterious person rapidly closed in, forcefully grabbing his hand. The other hand pressed against Xie Shibaiās waist, pinning him against the wall.
Xie Shibaiās vision seemed to spin for a few seconds. Before he could see the person opposite him clearly, his back was pressed against the wall.
Lu Cihengās knee pushed between Xie Shibaiās legs, his solid arm pinning the resilient waist. Their bodies were pressed very close, fabrics rubbing against each other creating a soft sound. The hand trying to hold the gun was pinned above his head.
Xie Shibai looked up and met Lu Cihengās eyes. He tried to struggle free from the pinned hand. “It’s you.”
Lu Ciheng interlaced his fingers through Xie Shibaiās, interlocking their hands tightly. leaning down slightly, his black eyes overflowing with a smile. He whispered as if they were lovers in an intimate moment, “Detective Qin… no, I should call you Officer Qin now. Congratulations on your promotion.”
Xie Shibai stared at him, calming down quickly. “You killed him.”
The scent of blood drifted faintly in the air. Next to them lay a corpse.
Lu Ciheng glanced at the body and said casually, “How could that be? When I arrived, he was already lying here resting.”
Xie Shibai looked at him with a faint, mocking smile. “Dr. Rong, are you so scared you’re talking nonsense? There is only you and a corpse in the room. You say you didn’t kill him? Who would believe that?”
Lu Ciheng chuckled low, his deep eyes dyed with a hint of recklessness. “We haven’t seen each other for so long, yet the moment we meet, you suspect I’m the murderer. Officer Qin, be reasonable, hmm?”
Xie Shibai leaned against the wall. His black hair was slightly messy from the struggle. On his fair face, his lips were red, slightly parted and panting. His cold appearance seemed to have gained a touch of liveliness.
Qin Shang suffered from severe split personality disorder, but also possessed keen intuition. And the scent of blood on Rong Zhou was heavy. He wouldn’t trust a psychologist with a severe criminal record of instigating murder.
“If you don’t want people to suspect you, at least do a thorough job.” Xie Shibai said indifferently. “Let go.”
Lu Ciheng tilted his head, his gaze glued to Xie Shibai. He leaned down slightly, his breath covered by a light fragrance that masked the nauseating smell of blood. As if addicted, he nuzzled his nose close to the side of Xie Shibaiās slender, fair neck.
“If becoming a murderer allows me to treat Officer Qin like this forever, then I suppose I could be one.”
Xie Shibai turned his head away, an expression of impatience appearing. He pressed his hand against Lu Ciheng and pushed hard. “Get lost.”
Lu Ciheng narrowed his eyes. He released the hand pinning Xie Shibai, and instead placed his palm against Xie Shibaiās jawline. His calloused thumb rubbed against the skin, slightly forcing Xie Shibai to look up. He buried his nose in his neck, inhaling like he was sniffing a cat, his low tone seductive. “Officer Qin, what is this scent on you?”
Xie Shibaiās hand suddenly tightened. The hot breath brushing against his neck triggered a shiver. If they weren’t filming, he might have truly told Lu Ciheng to get lost.
His chest heaved. His free hand went to grab his gun but grasped only air. He turned his head to meet Lu Cihengās smiling gaze; clearly, Lu Ciheng had already taken the gun.
Xie Shibai thought for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.
Lu Cihengās breath hitched for a few seconds.
Xie Shibaiās finger hooked lightly, pulling Lu Cihengās tie to bring him closer. He tilted his head back slightly, closing the distance between them until their lips were so close a mere touch would connect them.
Their lips were inches apart, noses touching, breaths mingling. His ambiguous chuckle carried a seductive aftertaste. “Since you’re so curious, why don’t you taste it yourself?”
Lu Cihengās breathing became chaotic. His black eyes stared straight ahead as he pinched Xie Shibaiās chin. “You said it yourself.”
His palm covered Xie Shibaiās lips. His large hand made Xie Shibaiās face look very small. Those cold eyes looking up at himāa single glance was enough to drive someone mad.
Lu Ciheng hid a burning heat in the depths of his eyes. He lowered his gaze and kissed the back of his own hand. Yet, his gaze stared straight ahead, wrapped in an intense and scorching heat, as if they weren’t kiss-blocking with his hand at all. That direct gaze made Xie Shibaiās heart beat wildly fast for no reason.
In the livestream camera, the two appeared to be kissing with their backs to the lens. The bullet screen instantly erupted into a frenzy.
[AHHHHHHH!!!] [They kissed! They kissed!] [This life is worth it, seeing the famous rivals kiss.] [Kill me to entertain the leopard and cat!] [Don’t! Are you two not only dating for real but kissing for real too?!] [It’s okay upstairs, they not only date for real but ‘do it’ for real too. Who knows, maybe when you can’t see them, they ‘do’ until the bed collapses.] [With their intensity, honestly, don’t say it, the bed might actually collapse.] [Solo fans stood in the rain for days only to find out their brother is holding an umbrella for the CP fans.]
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