Chapter 44
Wei Yuan clenched his fists, straightening his back, ready to bolt at the slightest provocation.
Lu Dingyun stopped two steps away, his dark eyes meeting Wei Yuan’s for a brief moment.
Just as Wei Yuan was about to panic, Lu Dingyun looked away, offering him the paper cup. “Water?”
“Huh?” Wei Yuan was startled, then quickly took the cup with both hands, carefully avoiding Lu Dingyun’s touch.
He held the cup, glancing at Lu Dingyun. “Thank you.”
Lu Dingyun nodded. “It’s getting late, get some rest.”
“Oh,” Wei Yuan was still slightly dazed.
Lu Dingyun turned and walked back to the living room, pouring himself another glass of water.
Wei Yuan looked at his own cup, then drained it in one gulp.
He changed into his slippers and entered the living room.
It wasn’t small, with a sofa, coffee table, and various appliances.
“There’s bread and milk in the refrigerator,” Lu Dingyun said. “If you get hungry later.”
Earlier, Wei Yuan, having missed out on Lu Dingyun’s grilled fish offer, had eaten some of the seafood fried rice provided by the production crew.
Jiang Su had specifically arranged for a chef to cater to Wei Yuan’s dietary needs, ensuring he had nutritious meals, so the food was quite good.
Wei Yuan had been quite full, but Lu Dingyun’s concern still made him secretly happy.
Of course, he maintained his composure, replying casually, “Okay.”
Lu Dingyun didn’t say anything else, turning and heading towards his bedroom.
Their bedroom doors faced each other across the living room, providing some privacy despite the thin walls.
As Lu Dingyun entered his room, Wei Yuan poured himself another glass of water.
“Wei Yuan,” Lu Dingyun suddenly called out.
“Mm?” Wei Yuan turned around.
Lu Dingyun stood at his bedroom door. “Your ears are red.”
Wei Yuan’s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively reached up to touch his head, then, remembering his ears weren’t on top of his head, he touched his earlobes.
They were burning. He knew they must be bright red.
Realizing this, his face also flushed.
He lowered his gaze, his eyelashes fluttering, unable to look at Lu Dingyun, but he still tried to maintain his composure. “Maybe it’s too warm in here.”
Lu Dingyun chuckled softly. “Mm, good night.”
Wei Yuan mumbled, “Good night, good night.”
Lu Dingyun finally entered his room, closing the door gently, and Wei Yuan immediately grabbed his ears in frustration.
Why were they red?!
Didn’t he know he had no fur to hide his blush now?!
In his room, Lu Dingyun’s amusement was replaced by suspicion.
He replayed the image of Young Master Wei touching the top of his head, finding it strangely unnatural.
Would a normal person reach for the top of their head when touching their ears?
Later that night, Wei Yuan, who had thought he would be too nervous and excited to sleep, found himself drifting off peacefully, comforted by the knowledge that Lu Dingyun was just across the living room.
Lu Dingyun also slept well.
Since the kitten’s disappearance, he had been suffering from insomnia, his sleep light and easily disturbed.
But this was the best sleep he had had since losing his kitten.
Since the show had no fixed schedule or mandatory tasks, everything was up to the cast members, so except for a few early risers who wanted to watch the sunrise, most of them didn’t wake up until eight or nine.
Although Lu Dingyun had slept well, his internal clock was precise, and he woke up naturally around seven, going for an hour-long run on the beach.
Only Wei Yuan, truly on vacation, slept soundly until past eleven, when everyone else was preparing for lunch.
Wei Yuan’s cameraman, with nothing to film, had been filming the ocean, browsing his phone, and snacking, his leisurely morning making the other crew members envious.
The viewers in the livestream, initially puzzled by their idol’s absence, were reassured by the cameraman’s explanation: “Yuan Ge is still recovering and needs his sleep.”
They readily accepted this explanation.
But it was almost lunchtime. He couldn’t sleep any longer.
And his fans were starting to worry, afraid he might fall back into a coma, so they urged him to wake up.
The director, also slightly concerned, but not wanting to disturb him, approached Lu Dingyun.
Asking Fan Tian to wake him up would have been more appropriate, considering their close friendship, but Fan Tian, the adventurous one, had gone deep-sea fishing with a few female cast members and wouldn’t be back anytime soon.
Lu Dingyun, having prepared breakfast for everyone and prepped the ingredients for lunch, earning a considerable amount of island currency, had been relaxing in a lounge chair, enjoying the sea breeze.
He wasn’t surprised when the director approached him and readily agreed to wake Wei Yuan up.
The two cameramen followed him back to the hotel.
At the bedroom door, Lu Dingyun said, “I’ll go in alone.”
To avoid capturing any private moments, the cameramen agreed, waiting in the living room.
The livestreams became lively.
Who would have thought that these two rivals, usually avoiding each other, were now close enough to wake each other up?
The curtains were drawn in the bedroom, and closing the door plunged the room into darkness.
Lu Dingyun paused for a moment to adjust his vision, then walked towards the bed.
He could vaguely see a small figure curled up on the bed, fast asleep.
Lu Dingyun smirked, reaching the bed.
The blanket was slightly raised, presumably covering Wei Yuan’s head.
He gently pulled back the covers and froze.
It was a pair of feet.
His eyebrows twitched, and he pulled back the covers at the foot of the bed, finally revealing Wei Yuan’s head.
The room was dimly lit, and Lu Dingyun couldn’t see his face clearly, but he instinctively reached out, gently poking his cheek.
The poke turned into a caress.
Lu Dingyun, bent over, gently caressed Wei Yuan’s face, savoring the smooth, soft texture beneath his fingertips, his eyes darkening.
He forgot his initial purpose, lost in this strange sense of satisfaction, like a pervert.
Perhaps having slept enough, or perhaps awakened by Lu Dingyun’s increasingly bold caresses, Wei Yuan stirred, instinctively stretching his limbs.
Lu Dingyun quickly retracted his hand, putting it in his pocket and standing up straight.
He pursed his lips, suppressing the urge to grab Wei Yuan and hold him tightly.
Wei Yuan opened his eyes blearily, seeing a figure standing by the bed.
His mind still foggy from sleep, he couldn’t quite grasp his surroundings, but he knew it was Lu Dingyun.
Countless times, he had woken up to find Lu Dingyun waiting beside him, ready to catch him when he jumped into his arms.
Wei Yuan blinked, crawling towards Lu Dingyun.
Literally crawling, on all fours, his back arched, his hips swaying slightly.
Lu Dingyun’s breath hitched, his eyes widening.
The next second, the young man had launched himself into his arms.
Lu Dingyun instinctively caught him, and Wei Yuan, without hesitation, clung to him.
Before Lu Dingyun could react, Wei Yuan was practically hanging off him, his arms instinctively supporting Wei Yuan’s waist and hips.
Due to the warm island climate, Wei Yuan had only been wearing a loose tank top and shorts while sleeping.
His movements had pulled his clothes up, exposing a large expanse of skin.
Lu Dingyun, also wearing short sleeves, his arm muscles tensing, felt the smooth, warm skin beneath his hands.
His throat tightened, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, and he unconsciously held Wei Yuan even tighter.
Seemingly uncomfortable, Wei Yuan squirmed, nuzzling Lu Dingyun’s face with his head.
The blatant display of affection, to the current Lu Dingyun, felt like seduction, a silent invitation.
Wei Yuan was his only object of desire, and in this situation, doing nothing would be a betrayal of his already tenuous morality.
The world spun, and Wei Yuan landed on the soft bed, the tall man on top of him.
As his most private parts, never touched by another person before, were suddenly held in Lu Dingyun’s hand, Wei Yuan’s mind snapped.
He finally realized what was happening and pushed Lu Dingyun away in panic.
His resistance was futile against Lu Dingyun’s superior strength, and Wei Yuan felt his face burning, his mind on the verge of collapse.
“Lu Dingyun!” he shouted, his voice trembling.
Lu Dingyun finally reacted, supporting himself with one arm, looking down at Wei Yuan, his other hand still holding him.
Wei Yuan, his most vulnerable part held captive, was on the verge of tears.
He trembled, clutching Lu Dingyun’s forearm. “L-let go of me.”
Even in the darkness, he could sense Lu Dingyun’s confusion.
As expected, Lu Dingyun asked, his voice slightly hoarse, “You don’t want this?”
Wei Yuan, now fully aware of the situation, knew that if he said no, Lu Dingyun would say something even more embarrassing.
But he couldn’t just…
So, he shook his head, biting his lip.
Wei Yuan’s refusal, and his helpless demeanor, only intensified Lu Dingyun’s desire.
Lu Dingyun leaned closer, his hot breath on Wei Yuan’s lips. “Weren’t you deliberately seducing me?”
He emphasized the word “deliberately,” and Wei Yuan’s heart trembled.
He sniffled, on the verge of tears.
That wasn’t seduction! It was normal interaction between a master and his pet!
How had their pure and innocent “master-pet relationship” become seduction in Lu’s mind?!
Seeing him bite his lip and remain silent, Lu Dingyun tightened his grip, and Wei Yuan flinched, his nails digging into Lu Dingyun’s forearm.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Wei Yuan pleaded, his eyes teary. “I was just half-asleep, Teacher Lu, please let me go.”
Knowing Lu Dingyun’s weakness, he leaned closer, nuzzling his face against Lu Dingyun’s.
Like a kitten.
The thought flashed through Lu Dingyun’s mind.
His anger and desire instantly dissipated, his racing heart calming down.
He released his grip, supporting himself with his arms on either side of Wei Yuan, looking down at him.
In the darkness, he could vaguely see the tears in Wei Yuan’s eyes, and he felt a pang in his chest.
He paused, then slowly got off the bed and stood up.
Wei Yuan also sat up, wrapping the blanket around himself, his bright eyes glaring at Lu Dingyun accusingly.
You poked the kitten’s butt, and now you’ve grabbed my… Lu, you’re shameless!
Lu Dingyun, under his intense gaze, hesitated.
Finally, he said, “It’s almost lunchtime. Everyone asked me to wake you up.”
Wei Yuan paused. “Everyone?”
“Mm,” Lu Dingyun said, as if just remembering, “The cameramen are waiting in the living room.”
Wei Yuan: “???”
Wait, there were other people just outside the door?
And Lu Dingyun had still…
If he hadn’t stopped him, he was certain Lu Dingyun would have taken him right there!
Had Lu Dingyun even locked the door?!
Oh god.
Wei Yuan wanted to disappear.
He remembered crying out earlier. Had they heard him?
Ahhh!
“Get up and wash up, lunch will be ready soon,” Lu Dingyun said, then quickly left the room.
Before closing the door, he grabbed Wei Yuan’s jacket from the hook, holding it in front of him to cover himself.
Wei Yuan was stunned, his anger flaring.
So, he was just going to leave after doing that?!
And he hadn’t even washed his hands!
Wei Yuan grabbed a pillow, then, finding it too big, switched to a smaller one and threw it at Lu Dingyun’s retreating figure.
Lu Dingyun, having just stepped out of the room, was hit by the pillow.
He didn’t stop, closing the door behind him.
Wei Yuan, peeking through the gap, saw the camera and almost fainted.
The two cameramen, filming Lu Dingyun, exchanged a look, their expressions strange.
Although they hadn’t heard everything, they had heard Wei Yuan’s cries and him calling out “Lu Dingyun.”
And Lu Dingyun’s amused expression, the pillow, and the jacket he was holding…
He had clearly upset Wei Yuan.
The viewers in the livestream were going wild.
The solo stans felt a sense of finality, as if their idol had truly fallen for his rival.
The shippers and most of the passersby were ecstatic.
[Help, ahhh, what did they do in the room?! Is there anything my VIP membership can’t see?!]
[Young Master’s cries stole my soul, wuwu, how could he be so cute?! I thought he was a tough guy!]
[Teacher Lu is so sly, he definitely did something to Young Master, and he even made him angry! And don’t think we can’t tell you’re hiding something just because you’re holding a jacket!]
[And the pillow! Young Master threw it at him, and he wasn’t even surprised, he even smiled! So sly, so sly, I never imagined Movie Emperor Lu would be like this!]
The shippers’ ranks swelled, many solo stans switching sides.
And they were becoming even more adept at finding “evidence” of their relationship, not even needing Leaky Cotton Jacket’s guidance.
Leaky Cotton Jacket, pleased with the success of her ship, was browsing the fan art and videos created by other fans, tears of joy streaming down her face.
But she wasn’t about to retire, continuing her efforts on the front lines of shipping.
As Lu Dingyun went to the kitchen to prepare lunch, she noticed the scratches on his arm and immediately took a screenshot, zooming in and highlighting them.
[@YoungMaster’sLeakyCottonJacket:
Ahhh, I won’t allow anyone to miss this!
Fresh, obvious, and ambiguous scratches!
Teacher Lu didn’t have them before entering Young Master’s room, but he had them after coming out!
What does this mean? Young Master scratched him!
And judging by the location of the scratches, Young Master must have been holding Teacher Lu’s arm, then suddenly scratched him, probably due to some kind of “stimulation”!
Think about it, everyone, combined with Young Master’s moans and cries, and Movie Emperor Lu’s strategically placed jacket, ahhhh, I’m going to write some 18+ content, I’ll be back!]
The fans:
Holy shit!
My mind is in the gutter!
Soon, #TheGreatScratches was trending.
The fans, who had been enjoying the “pure and innocent” atmosphere of hand-holding and longing gazes the night before, were now bombarded with NSFW content.
[That’s right! I’ve always said, with that height difference and skin tone contrast, forget pure love, just give us some smut!]
[They definitely did it! Who agrees, who disagrees?!]
[I agree! Teacher Lu looks very capable, and Young Master is easily seduced!]
Wei Yuan wanted to die. Although he hadn’t checked the internet yet, knowing his fans, he could imagine the countless ways they had already depicted him being taken by Lu Dingyun.
Help!
Previously, he had been able to convince himself that nothing had happened between him and Lu Dingyun, ignoring the fans’ NSFW content.
But now, they weren’t so innocent anymore!
And what was Lu Dingyun thinking? Even if he had unintentionally seduced him, Lu Dingyun had taken the bait a little too readily.
Where was his morality? His self-control? His contact information… wait, no!
Wei Yuan shook his head, trying to clear his mind, and continued blow-drying his hair.
He hadn’t realized Lu Dingyun was so… impulsive. Even when they were together as a cat and human, he hadn’t seen Lu Dingyun lose control like that.
Why now?
Was it because he was too charming, and even Lu Dingyun couldn’t resist?
Wei Yuan turned off the hairdryer, looking at himself in the mirror.
Well… he was indeed quite handsome.
He chuckled, then quickly regained his composure.
Excessive narcissism was unattractive. He wasn’t narcissistic, he was simply confident.
An hour later, having calmed down and convinced himself he could face the cameras and Lu Dingyun, Wei Yuan left the room.
He casually greeted the cameras, then left the hotel.
Everyone was preparing for lunch.
They were eating on the beach again, under a large canopy.
Wei Yuan greeted the crew and extras politely.
Lao Qian, also freshly changed, emerged from the hotel and walked with Wei Yuan towards the dining area.
Lao Qian was a smooth talker, and since Wei Yuan had been on his show before, they were quite familiar.
Lao Qian inquired about his health, and Wei Yuan reassured him and his fans that he was fully recovered.
Since Fan Tian and a few female cast members were out at sea, only the male cast members were present.
“Lao Ma and Xiao Lu prepared lunch today. Lao Ma’s cooking skills are legendary, I’ve been enjoying them for years. But Xiao Lu’s cooking is also excellent. He must have practiced a lot,” Lao Qian expertly steered the conversation towards a specific topic.
Wei Yuan, straightforward as always, fell right into his trap, smiling. “Yes, he cooks at home all the time.”
“Really? No wonder,” Lao Qian said, not surprised. “I had his sweet and sour pork ribs before, they were delicious.”
Wei Yuan tried to remember, but as a kitten, he had only eaten cat food, so he had no idea what Lu Dingyun’s pork ribs tasted like.
Wait!
Wei Yuan suddenly realized his mistake.
He had almost said Lu Dingyun’s cat food was delicious.
No, wait, the previous sentence was also wrong!
Had he just said Lu Dingyun cooked at home all the time? He shouldn’t know such a thing!
Wei Yuan glared at Lao Qian. “You set me up!”
Lao Qian looked innocent. “What do you mean?”
Wei Yuan: “…”
He huffed. “I’m not talking to you anymore, you sly old fox.”
Lao Qian chuckled, watching him walk away, then turned to the camera. “See? This kid is asking for a beating.”
Wei Yuan’s sharp tongue had offended many people, but veteran actors like Lao Qian could see through his act, knowing he was just joking, so they didn’t take it personally.
The comments were filled with laughter, the shippers delighted.
Wei Yuan knew Lu Dingyun cooked at home all the time! Perhaps they were even living together! And if they were living together, they must be…
Wei Yuan knew his words had probably caused another online frenzy, but he didn’t care, as long as he didn’t see it.
He went to the dining area, where the table was already set.
Soon, the other cast members arrived, each carrying two dishes from the kitchen.
Wei Yuan also helped.
After all the dishes were served, Wei Yuan looked towards the kitchen.
Weren’t they done cooking? Teacher Ma had already come out. Why wasn’t Lu Dingyun out yet?
Teacher Ma and Lao Qian were opening a bottle of champagne, everyone chatting excitedly, but Wei Yuan was distracted, constantly glancing towards the kitchen.
Finally, the tall, imposing figure emerged.
Wei Yuan discreetly observed him from the corner of his eye.
Lu Dingyun seemed to be carrying something.
With his long legs and quick strides, he quickly reached the table.
Since not everyone had arrived yet, there was still plenty of space.
Wei Yuan was sitting next to Qi Lesheng, an empty seat on his other side, then the empty table.
Whether it was intentional or not, the empty seat beside Wei Yuan was clearly reserved for Lu Dingyun.
Wei Yuan wanted to move, but he didn’t want Lu Dingyun to think he was deliberately avoiding him, which would make him seem guilty, so he stayed put.
Lu Dingyun was the one who had initiated the… incident, so he should be the one feeling embarrassed. Wei Yuan just had to maintain his composure and he would have the upper hand!
But when Lu Dingyun sat down beside him, Wei Yuan couldn’t help but tense up.
He deliberately turned to talk to Teacher Ma and the others, trying to ignore Lu Dingyun.
But Lu Dingyun was busy with something, and Wei Yuan was dying of curiosity.
After a while, the sizzling sound of hot oil and the fragrant aroma of grilled meat filled the air, making Wei Yuan’s mouth water.
He couldn’t resist glancing over.
Wow, grilled fish!
Wei Yuan’s eyes lit up, and he instinctively sniffed the air, turning his head and even leaning slightly towards Lu Dingyun.
A large hand stopped him, pushing him back gently.
“Careful, it’s hot,” Lu Dingyun said.
Wei Yuan pushed his hand away. “I want it crispy.”
“Okay.”
Wei Yuan glanced at him, then awkwardly leaned closer.
Lu Dingyun, sensing his approach, turned his head slightly, assuming he wanted to say something.
Wei Yuan leaned in, whispering, “D-did you wash your hands?”
Lu Dingyun froze, then burst out laughing.
Wei Yuan instantly bristled.
