After Sharing Senses with the Paranoid CEO, the Infamous Starlet was Forced into Pampering Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Plaything

After Xia Mu went back to the bathroom and put his clothes back on, Li Yanzhou finally realized why he had showered for so long—he actually thought he was going to do it right now.

The way he had stumbled out in a panic, covering only half his body, along with the mix of shame, indignation, and the “facing death with equanimity” expression on his face, was a bit too adorable.

When Xia Mu finished changing and came out, Li Yanzhou was waiting for him at the door. He walked over, let out a soft chuckle, and stroked the corner of Xia Mu’s eye with his thumb:

“No wonder your eyes were red just now. Does doing it with me scare you that much?”

Xia Mu turned his face away, not daring to look at Li Yan. It was too humiliating. He definitely didn’t dare to admit that he had secretly tried to prep himself, only to find it utterly unbearable. After a hasty attempt, he had wiped his tears and run out.

“Did not. Body wash got in my eyes.”

“Alright, whatever you say is right.”

Li Yanzhou was in an excellent mood, clearly not believing a word Xia Mu said.

Xia Mu was just about to mutter a rebuttal when he saw Li Yan naturally take his hand and lead him out.

His palm was warm, his well-defined fingers slightly damp. As he gently scratched the back of Xia Mu’s hand with his thumb, Xia Mu felt an itch in the depths of his heart, followed by a flutter of agitation.

However, Li Yanzhou had long legs and took large strides. Xia Mu was dazed for a moment and almost couldn’t keep up. He quickly stepped to Li Yan’s side, lowered his head to swiftly put on his mask, and cast his eyes downward, pondering who knew what.

Li Yanzhou found it somewhat amusing. Just as he was about to ask Xia Mu, he heard him say:

“Li Yan… are you chasing me?”

Actually, the moment the words left his mouth, Xia Mu regretted it. How could he speak so bluntly?

No matter how you looked at it, Li Yan was the boss of an advertising company. What right or virtue did a nobody starlet like him have to catch his eye?

It was probably just a pastime for these rich people when they were bored.

Li Yanzhou’s footsteps paused. He couldn’t clearly explain what he was doing either. Moreover, in the middle of the night like this, if he followed his usual routine, he would have already had a glass of red wine and prepared for bed.

He definitely wouldn’t be doing what he was doing now—planning to accompany Xia Mu out for hotpot.

Although his step-by-step, orderly life had been shattered since the day of the earthquake, inexplicably, Li Yanzhou didn’t feel annoyed. It was as if just seeing Xia Mu was enough to relax his mood significantly.

It shouldn’t be like this, right? Didn’t he hate Xia Mu? Why had their relationship turned into this tangled, inexplicable mess?

Li Yanzhou’s silence only strengthened Xia Mu’s conviction.

If he was being treated as a plaything, then so be it.

When he first entered the entertainment circle, Zhu Yunhong had told him that actors like them were nothing more than the playthings of capital. If they caught someone’s eye, they’d stay famous a bit longer; if they didn’t, they deserved to rot and stink in the mud.

“Sorry, pretend I didn’t ask,” Xia Mu said softly, his head lowered.

“If I really was, wouldn’t you be a bit too easy to chase?” Li Yanzhou also spoke up. He stopped and looked at Xia Mu, who lifted his gaze toward him, his clear eyes filled with confusion.

Li Yanzhou sighed softly. “What do you consider chasing someone? Xia Mu, I merely helped you in passing a few times. It hasn’t brought you any substantial benefits, so how does that count as chasing you?”

“But you gave me your down jacket during the earthquake.”

“I just couldn’t bear the sight as I passed by. I would have done the same for anyone.”

“You introduced me to a new manager,” Xia Mu said, pursing his lips.

“Didn’t I tell you? Xu Wenyi was going to be short one artist this month. She asked if I had any recommendations, and I thought you were decent.” Li Yanzhou’s expression remained unchanged.

“Yesterday, when I had a fever, you took care of me all night.” Xia Mu gripped the hem of his shirt tightly.

“I called the doctors, but they were on duty and couldn’t leave, so I had to step in.”

“What about Qin-ge? Qin-ge could have easily taken over, so why did you…?”

“There were company matters he needed to handle.” Li Yanzhou’s expression remained flat, countering Xia Mu’s moves one by one.

Following behind them, Qin Yu was scratching his ears and cheeks in anxiety. Dr. Ren Zhilin was absolutely right; President Li truly had a mouth as stubborn as a dead duck.

If he kept being this stubborn, Qin Yu felt that the future “lady of the company” was going to run away.

“So when I was swept deep into the sea, you would have given artificial respiration to just anyone?” Xia Mu still didn’t give up.

“That’s a no. I’m a germaphobe.” Li Yanzhou cast a glance at him and continued, “For anyone else, I would have had the lifeguards go down.”

“Then if you knew there were lifeguards, why did you jump in to save me?”

“I was just…” Li Yanzhou paused, almost blurting out his words of worry.

“I understand.”

Xia Mu tugged at the corners of his mouth, forcing a smile.

Actually, this was fine too. Being Li Yan’s plaything was far better than being handed over to the people Zhu Yunhong had lined up.

At the very least, he hadn’t forced him to do anything overly excessive. On the surface, they were friends. If the man ever demanded that he sleep with him once, they could just interact like friends with benefits.

However, it would be nice if they really were just friends…

“Understand what?”

Li Yanzhou was a bit curious.

“Just… what you were thinking.” Xia Mu didn’t want to say more. Qin Yu was standing right there, and saying the word “plaything” out loud was too embarrassing for him.

Once he figured it out, Xia Mu no longer wanted to dwell on it. Plus, they had arrived at the hotpot restaurant. Li Yan knew he was hungry and had ordered the dishes well in advance. Xia Mu happily went to mix the dipping sauces.

“Li Yan, do you want me to mix a bowl for you?”

Li Yanzhou originally wanted to decline, but seeing the sparkling anticipation in Xia Mu’s eyes, he smiled and nodded.

When Xia Mu returned to the private room, he realized that most of the dishes Li Yan had ordered were his favorites. He couldn’t help but marvel:

“Are you a mind-reading bug in my stomach, or do the two of us just have the exact same tastes?”

“There are only so many hotpot ingredients. It’s normal to have similar tastes.”

Li Yanzhou began dropping the food into the pot. Qin Yu couldn’t hold it in anymore and rolled his eyes as he walked out of the private room.

Who exactly was the one who told him to order entirely according to Xia Mu’s tastes?

Li Yanzhou tasted the dipping sauce Xia Mu had mixed for him. He assumed it would be average, but unexpectedly, the flavor was stunning. He couldn’t help but say:

“The dipping sauce is quite good.”

Xia Mu looked up and blinked, a bright, uninhibited smile blooming on his face:

“Really? I told you, my mix is definitely delicious. Let me tell you—first, use peanut butter as the base, then add soy sauce, oyster sauce, beef paste, a little sesame, half a spoonful of sesame oil, and two spoonfuls of sesame paste. A sauce mixed like this is super tasty…”

Xia Mu counted on his fingers, extremely excited as he imparted his wisdom to Li Yanzhou. “Oh right, since I don’t like cilantro or scallions, I didn’t add any. If you like them, you can add a bit for flavor.”

Li Yanzhou kept his eyes on him the entire time. Xia Mu’s smile was too infectious, causing his own lips to curve up in a smile.

“Speak slower, let me memorize it.”

“No need, I’ll send it to you later. That way, whenever you want hotpot in the future, you can mix this exact sauce.” Xia Mu waved his hand casually.

Translator’s Note In this chapter, Xia Mu runs out with a “facing death with equanimity” (視死如歸) look on his face—a dramatic idiom basically meaning he was ready for the absolute worst! Also, Dr. Ren earlier accused Li Yanzhou of having a mouth as stubborn as a “dead duck” (死鴨子嘴硬). This is a hilarious Chinese saying meant to describe someone who refuses to admit the truth or apologize, even when all the facts point against them.