Chapter 22: Another Outburst
Jin Yanliu was feeling particularly delighted today.
Because he suddenly noticed that Yan Huihua had become much warmer towards him.
This was really great. Although he had intentions of pursuing Yan Huihua, he wasn’t really good at flirting. Recently, he had been worried about how to make a move, but now Yan Huihua was coming to him willingly. He couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.
“He put some thought into it for the first time, like during the fight scene they were rehearsing. He would intentionally make mistakes. He had never eaten pork, but he had seen pigs run. He had heard that acting foolishly could satisfy many men’s ego.”
Sure enough, Yan Huihua fell for it. He replaced the fight choreographer and personally taught him swordplay.
This kid Yan Huihua was quite competitive, daring to provoke them right at their doorstep.
Zhou Beiyang looked at him coldly, one hand lightly holding Jin Yanliu’s waist, the other gripping his wrist.
Jin Yanliu, the fool, was still blissfully unaware even after being taken advantage of.
Wait, perhaps he was enjoying it himself. He had always wanted to teach Yan Huihua a lesson.
Zhou Beiyan was in a bad mood, but it was Lu Yao who suffered the hardships.
He felt that not only did Zhou Beiyan’s swordsmanship become more aggressive during his sparring with Yan Huihua, but even when training with him, his moves were fiercer than usual.
His martial arts foundation was average, and he had trouble keeping up. But training with the person he liked made him feel a sweet sensation, giving it his all, afraid of not being able to keep up.
To the point that by evening, he was completely exhausted.
He wasn’t the only one exhausted; Jin Yanliu was too.
He planned to go find the master for a massage.
“You want to find the master for a massage?” Yan Huihua wiped his neck and said, “Or, you can try my skills?”
Jin Yanliu was momentarily stunned, and Yan Huihua smiled and said, “My grandfather does this, so I know a little.”
He applied force while wiping, making the towel turn his neck red, his undershirt soaked, pressing against his chest and back. Jin Yanliu glanced at him, feeling like this was a good opportunity for some flirtation.
He nodded and said, “Alright.”
After Zhou Beiyan finished showering, he went to find Jin Yanliu. Today, he planned to go for a massage with Jin Yanliu.
He lived next door to Jin Yanliu, and Xiao Pangzi opened the door for him, saying, “Brother Yanliu is still showering.”
Zhou Beiyan responded with a grunt and went inside to start packing. Xiao Pangzi hurriedly helped tidy up the clothes on the sofa. Zhou Beiyan’s diligence made his assistant seem a bit lazy.
Jin Yanliu came out in a bathrobe, and Zhou Beiyan said, “Aren’t we going for a massage? Hurry up and change.”
Jin Yanliu replied, “Yan Huihua said he can do it, so he’s coming to give me a massage.”
Because the intention was slightly impure, Jin Yanliu’s tone was a bit awkward. “I want to see how skilled he is… and take the opportunity to go over the lines.”
“Can you massage and recite lines at the same time?” Zhou Beiyang asked.
Jin Yanliu awkwardly smiled and went to the dressing room to change clothes.
Xiao Pangzi felt Zhou Beiyang’s face instantly darken, which reminded him of the last time in his room when Zhou Beiyang suddenly looked a bit frightening. Maybe he stared at Zhou Beiyang for too long, and Zhou Beiyang suddenly looked at him with an especially stern gaze, as if he could devour someone.
Startled, Xiao Pangzi quickly lowered his head.
Oh my, how terrifying.
He knew beforehand that this person had a bit of a dual nature, but he didn’t expect it to intensify recently. He still preferred the cold and polite Zhou Beiyang from before.
“I have something to discuss with him,” Zhou Beiyang said. “You can go back to your room.”
Xiao Pangzi was already quite timid, so he simply responded with an “Oh” and quickly left the room. After closing the door, he stood in the corridor, wondering if he was being neglectful by leaving Jin Yanliu behind like this.
But there was no one better than Zhou Beiyang to take care of Jin Yanliu. His worries were unnecessary.
He just felt that Zhou Beiyang had become a bit frightening.
He shouldn’t leave, just in case.
He leaned against the wall in the corridor, carefully listening to the movements inside.
Jin Yanliu changed into a different outfit in his room, as he would be receiving a massage later. So, he only wore a tank top and loose shorts. The tank top was very loose, almost exposing half of his chest, with certain parts subtly revealed when he moved. As for the shorts, they were even shorter, only reaching his thighs. His body proportions were incredible, with long and straight legs, very sexy. Zhou Beiyang’s expression darkened even more, “You’re wearing this in front of others?”
Jin Yanliu said, “Yeah, I go around at home shirtless, don’t I?”
“Oh, so wearing this little clothing now is already considered polite, huh?”
Zhou Beiyang’s tone had always been gentle and amiable, but now it suddenly carried a sting. Jin Yanliu felt particularly uncomfortable. However, he felt guilty, as if he were a divorced and single father about to embark on a second chance at love, only to be discovered by his child with some subtle clues. Though he was not at fault in theory, he couldn’t help but feel guilty and awkward, unsure of how to deflect the situation. He didn’t respond and simply said, “You’re going for a massage, so go quickly. The earlier you go, the earlier you’ll be back. We’re starting shooting tomorrow, so it’s best to get some rest tonight.”
Zhou Beiyang stood there, his expression increasingly gloomy, not moving or saying anything.
The atmosphere grew more and more awkward, and Jin Yanliu coughed, saying, “Then… then I’ll change my clothes.”
“I don’t like Yan Huihua,” Zhou Beiyang suddenly said. “Don’t have private contact with him.”
Jin Yanliu tilted his neck and felt like this conversation was akin to a child asking their father to break up with their new stepmother because they didn’t like her.
Did he already see through Yan Huihua’s intentions of pursuing him?
How awkward.
“…What’s wrong? Why don’t you like him? He’s actually a nice person,” Jin Yanliu said, realizing that he was unintentionally defending Yan Huihua.
“I don’t like him. I don’t want you to associate with him,” Zhou Beiyang said. “You have a choice between him and me.”
“He’s the male lead in this drama. We have so many scenes together, how can we not communicate?” Jin Yanliu said. “Why don’t you like him?”
Zhou Beiyang fell silent, his expression turning gloomy and despondent.
Jin Yanliu licked his lips, not knowing what to do with his hands. He tried to put them in his pockets, but all he found was his loose shorts.
When a father wants a second chance at love, but his child doesn’t approve of the new partner, what would the father usually do?
Naturally, the child takes priority. After all, it’s rare for a man to disregard his child for the sake of a new romance. Moreover, this child has always been obedient and sensible, not the kind to cause trouble.
He picked up his phone and called Xiao Pangzi.
“Um, can you tell Yan Huihua that I have something unexpected come up and he doesn’t need to come over?” he said.
After hanging up, he looked at Zhou Beiyang.
Indeed, Zhou Beiyang’s expression had improved significantly.
He felt guilty for what he had done to Jin Yanliu. Using their brotherly bond to threaten him, to confine him, was cunning and selfish.
But there was no other choice. If Yan Huihua came in, his hands would roam all over Jin Yanliu’s body, and Zhou Beiyang couldn’t tolerate such jealousy.
“I can give you a massage too. I know how,” Zhou Beiyang suddenly said.
“Huh?” Jin Yanliu laughed. “Either your hands are too strong or too weak. I won’t let you massage me.”
They had tried it before, after all.
Zhou Beiyang smiled, returning to his gentle and handsome demeanor. “You won’t know if you don’t try. How do you know I haven’t improved?”
“Your hands don’t hurt anymore?”
Zhou Beiyang said, “No, they don’t hurt anymore.”
Jin Yanliu: “…”
Feeling a bit awkward, Jin Yanliu decided to break the strange atmosphere by lying down on the sofa. “Let me see if you’ve made any progress.”
Suddenly, Zhou Beiyang became inexplicably angry.
Seeing Jin Yanliu lying there, exposing half of his body, he appeared so attractive and tempting, it made Zhou Beiyang think that if he hadn’t intervened, Yan Huihua would have seen Jin Yanliu in this state.
Had their relationship reached this point?
Zhou Beiyang had been feeling uneasy and restless these past couple of days. He desperately needed some intimate contact to warm his cold and lonely heart. He immediately climbed on top of Jin Yanliu, restraining his legs and placing his hands impatiently on Jin Yanliu’s shoulders.
Jin Yanliu’s loose tank top revealed his prominent shoulder blades, which made Zhou Beiyang despise his own twisted desires. His greedy hands were betraying his conscience. This was just the way he was, unable to change. He was sorry for involving Jin Yanliu in all this. All he could do was love and cherish him tenfold, and if one day he could compensate Jin Yanliu for the happiness he had lost because of him, maybe then he could truly find redemption.
Xiao Pangzi felt that his intelligence had been lacking lately.
He always had a sense of confusion and uncertainty, especially regarding Jin Yanliu’s unusual behavior and Zhou Beiyang’s abnormality.
But he was a diligent and responsible assistant. He put his phone in his pocket and knocked on Yan Huihua’s door.
Yan Huihua opened the door and saw him. “I’ll come right over.”
“Um…” Xiao Pangzi felt a bit awkward and said, “Jin-ge said he has something unexpected come up, so he doesn’t need your help anymore.”
Yan Huihua paused for a moment, then nodded and said, “I understand.” After a brief pause, he added, “Tell him that if he ever feels uncomfortable, he can let me know anytime.”
Xiao Pangzi smiled and nodded. “Okay, I’ll pass on the message.”
Yan Huihua closed the door, and the smile on his face disappeared.
When Zhou Beiyang went to Jin Yanliu’s room, he actually saw it all. He was about to go to Jin Yanliu, but as soon as he stepped out, he saw Zhou Beiyang knocking on the door.
Jin Yanliu really didn’t expect that Zhou Beiyang would dislike Yan Huihua.
He thought about it for a while, but couldn’t figure out what kind of grudge could exist between them. They had never met before, and even on set, they hadn’t exchanged any words privately. They only had that one rehearsal together, where they fought like enemies, but that shouldn’t be enough to hold a grudge.
Zhou Beiyang was never one to hold grudges.
He lazily hummed, his eyebrows slightly furrowing, his shoulders tightening, and his back sinking even deeper into the groove.
Jin Yanliu didn’t know how long it had been, but suddenly he felt a drop of sweat fall onto his back, warm and scorching. Just as he was about to turn around and look, Zhou Beiyang forcefully rubbed his hand, causing Jin Yanliu to hiss in pain, his elegant and slender neck arching back, appearing both agonized and extremely satisfied.
