Chapter 8: Arrogant Big Star

Lin Wu’s gaze followed Ji Xingci until he vanished from sight.

He lowered his eyes and gently touched his lips, lost in thought.

It seemed about ripe.

Just missing one “seed”.

Maybe…

“05!”

Xu Qing had already reached his side. “Let’s go home.”

“Bro, you don’t have to come wait for me here every day.”

Lin Wu stood up as he explained.

“That assistant said you need to come every day—clearly just lying to you. I can check with the director on when they need you for your scenes. You can come then.”

But Xu Qing shook his head.

“No… 05, you don’t get it.”

He eyed the direction Ji Xingci had gone with deep wariness, his expression complicated for a moment. Then he suddenly puffed out his chest, his gaze resolute.

“I can only relax once I’ve brought you home every day!”

Lin Wu: “?”

Hadn’t things gotten flipped somehow?

Once they got home, the two ate dinner and retired to rest separately.

Night fell, and Lin Wu emerged in a black outfit. He was changing shoes at the door when a voice stopped him.

“05, it’s so late. Where are you off to?”

Lin Wu’s hand paused. “I’m not sleepy. Thought I’d go for a night run.”

“Oh.” Xu Qing checked the time.

“Wait up. I’ll go with you.”

Lin Wu withdrew his hand from the doorknob and turned back, his expression calm as ever.

“Sure.”

Fine. He’d wait a little longer.

They would meet again tomorrow anyway.

But the next day, to Lin Wu’s surprise, he learned Ji Xingci was sick and couldn’t film.

The director looked utterly distressed, fretting that they might even be thinking of terminating the contract.

For Ji Xingci, the penalty fee was pocket change, of course.

But the director couldn’t bear to scrap all the footage they’d already shot. Switching actors now would be a massive loss.

Lin Wu blinked in surprise.

“Sick?”

He mulled it over. “Hmm… maybe he really is feeling under the weather?”

The director looked up. “Eh? What’d you say?” He hadn’t caught it.

Lin Wu shook his head. “Nothing, Director. I’m just worried it’s my fault he’s lost interest in filming.”

“Could you invite him to meet up? I’d like to talk it over with him.”

…

“Young Master, how are you feeling?”

Meanwhile, Ji Xingci lounged on the sofa in casual loungewear.

The soft fabric of his sleepwear draped comfortably over him. His hair hung unstyled, bangs falling across his forehead, softening his usual sharp edge for once.

Even so, the family doctor standing before him was visibly on edge. Everyone could tell the Young Master’s mood was foul.

Ji Xingci’s health had always been impeccable before. Any past “illnesses” had seemed more psychological than physical.

He had recommended a psychologist once, but the Young Master had refused.

This time, though, the readings were oddly off.

Certain hormones, in particular.

For a fleeting moment while scanning the metrics, he’d wondered if he was looking at a female in the throes of ovulation, desperate to conceive.

Naturally, he wouldn’t dare voice that.

The mere thought made him feel like a total quack. Men didn’t ovulate, after all.

“Ahem. Any recent changes in your routine?”

“No changes. Picked up a role. There’s this one person.”

Ji Xingci’s expression soured instantly. “I hate him.”

“Then perhaps skip the filming. Staying in good spirits is crucial.”

Ji Xingci made no reply, merely scrutinizing him with suspicion.

The pressure on the doctor was crushing, but he truly had no clue what had triggered the hormone surge.

“Ahem, also… have you been sleeping poorly lately?”

Ji Xingci’s scowl deepened.

He had spent the previous night tossing through a mess of dreams.

Either reliving their on-set kiss with Lin Wu, or flashing back to that rest room—pinned down…

Both left him seething with disgust, ruining any chance of real sleep.

Assuming it was just some steamy dreams, the doctor tried to reassure him. “No worries. Perfectly normal.”

“When you’re under that much repression, the brain conjures up fantasies of things you like to ease the tension.”

“What did you say?”

Ji Xingci arched a brow.

The doctor tensed up—and when tense, he rambled.

“You… you mentioned before there’s someone you find tolerable, but you haven’t quite connected yet.”

Ji Xingci: ?

He had meant Xu Qing.

Not making out with Lin Wu!

“Maybe you crave contact with that person but haven’t managed it, so your brain…”

“Enough. Shut your mouth!”

Ji Xingci’s temper flared. “Out.”

The doctor bolted.

Ji Xingci turned to the butler.

“This doctor’s useless.”

Pure nonsense.

It was all Lin Wu’s fault. He’d been so rattled lately he couldn’t even muster interest in Xu Qing anymore.

The butler hesitated. “With Doctor Liu’s credentials…” If even he fell short.

But seeing the Young Master gearing up to glare, the butler fell silent.

He started to leave so the Young Master could rest, but a message came in shortly after.

“Director Li wants to meet about the film.”

“Your call.”

Ji Xingci pondered briefly, irritation mounting.

“Fine. I’ll see him.”

…

Worried a one-on-one between Lin Wu and Ji Xingci might backfire, the director splashed out for once and booked a private room. He rounded up the whole crew for dinner.

More people would lighten the mood. Plus, it let him subtly remind Ji Xingci that everyone was waiting on him to resume filming.

Hoping he’d show some consideration.

Ji Xingci arrived on schedule, just after Lin Wu.

He walked in to find Lin Wu the center of attention.

Nearly everyone greeting him, chatting him up, vying for him to sit nearby.

Ji Xingci’s mood soured on the spot.

What the hell made this guy so damn popular?

Ugly as sin, personality like a block of wood. Sleeping around with anyone.

One kiss, and he’d been nauseated for nights.

“Ji Xingci.” Spotting him, the director jumped up and waved him over to the seat beside his own.

During the meal, Lin Wu glanced back to see the director deep in conversation with him—clearly pulling out all the stops to convince him to stay.

Ji Xingci’s responses were lukewarm at best. Instead of talking, he just drank from the bottle on the table.

Lin Wu considered it, then midway through the gathering, stood and made his way over.

He sat down right next to Ji Xingci.

Ji Xingci’s eyes snapped to him at once.

“This project is very important to the director…” Lin Wu lowered his voice.

From a distance, the two of them looked like they were whispering secrets to each other.

“If it’s because of me and you don’t want to film it, I can withdraw.”

Ji Xingci usually had a high tolerance for alcohol, but for some reason, he was already feeling dizzy tonight. Even Lin Wu seemed surrounded by a hazy glow.

The words carried a manipulative undertone. He snapped irritably, “Then withdraw!”

Lin Wu bowed his head.

“But I still hope we can finish filming it properly together.”

Ji Xingci sneered. “But I don’t want to.”

“Why exactly can’t you film with me?”

Lin Wu suddenly leaned in too close. Their knees even brushed against each other.

Ji Xingci abruptly recalled the restless dream that had kept him tossing and turning the night before. He shot to his feet.

“Because you’re ugly and dirty. There’s something on your face that looks disgusting. Don’t you know that?”

The entire room fell silent.

Ji Xingci saw Lin Wu gazing up at him, his face paling noticeably.

The others all stared at him in shock and disapproval, as if he were some heartless villain.

The director on the side darkened his expression, seeming on the verge of speaking but holding back.

Ji Xingci knew he had probably gone too far.

His lips parted slightly, a flicker of regret stirring within him.

But he wasn’t one to admit fault easily. And besides, he hadn’t said anything wrong.

So he kept his face cold and bid farewell to the group before leaving.

The door to the private room slammed shut once more. Only after he was gone did everyone dare to crowd around and comfort Lin Wu.

They chattered all at once, insisting that Ji Xingci hadn’t meant it. His birthmark didn’t detract from his looks at all—in fact, it gave him a unique charm.

“05 is clearly so handsome!”

Lin Wu managed a bitter smile and nodded, his gaze distant as if he hadn’t really heard them.

Then he stood up quickly as well, saying he was full and wanted to go for a drive, so he left first.

Everyone wore heartbroken expressions and continued venting privately about how Ji Xingci could act that way!

Lin Wu wasn’t ugly at all! Was he even going to let regular people live?

Once outside, Lin Wu’s face showed no expression whatsoever.

He walked briskly, not leaving the hotel but heading straight upstairs to the nearest public bathroom.

The moment he stepped inside, he spotted Ji Xingci, his face flushed beet red.

Ji Xingci was slumped over the sink, splashing water on his face. His shirt was already half-soaked, but it did nothing to cool the feverish heat radiating from his body.

Halfway through, he slid downward in exhaustion.

Lin Wu moved behind him just in time to catch him in an embrace.

Ji Xingci slumped against his shoulder, brows furrowed tightly. His forehead and temples were damp with sweat, his entire face flushed—he had clearly passed out.

Lin Wu lowered his eyes and inhaled the scent clinging to him, then reached out to rub his belly.

Indeed, fully ripe.

It had been clamoring for the seed the whole time. Poor thing.

“Here you go.”

Ji Xingci was a big guy, yet Lin Wu held him effortlessly with one arm.

With his other hand, Lin Wu pressed firmly against Ji Xingci’s forehead, his thumb and index finger hovering near the temples.

A glint of blue light flashed in Lin Wu’s eyes. Ji Xingci jerked as if shocked by electricity, his breathing turning ragged.

“Mmph… Who…”

He clenched his teeth, chest heaving as though trapped in a nightmare. Fury twisted his features, and his body tensed to throw a punch.

Lin Wu swiftly pinned his arms down, securing him even more tightly in his embrace.

“Don’t… I don’t care who you are, I’ll kill you…”

Ji Xingci thrashed in his arms but couldn’t budge an inch. He began hurling curses.

“I %@*#!”

05 had carried out countless missions and never grew overly intimate with his targets.

The impregnation process relied mostly on mental manipulation.

Implant enough details into the target’s memory to make pregnancy seem plausible, then guide him toward believing it.

He would “get pregnant.”

At this point, Lin Wu’s mission was mostly complete.

Once the seed took root inside Ji Xingci’s body, the punishment would truly begin.

Especially when he committed misdeeds—the agony of impregnation would grow all the more intense.

Lin Wu could have left right then, but this location…

Hmm. Lin Wu tilted his head.

Dumping Ji Xingci here outright didn’t seem very sporting.

Better to hold on to him.

Lin Wu even steeled himself for the possibility of restraining him for an hour or two. Ji Xingci would likely keep struggling the whole time.

But with Ji Xingci pinned tight in his arms, every breath filled with his scent…

Soon his neck flushed red, sweat beading across his skin.

Gradually, his furious expression softened far quicker than expected, his voice shifting too.

Lin Wu blinked in surprise and looked down.

Hm?