All heart and eyes full of me…
This thought surfaced in Li Xia’s mind.
He averted his gaze. “This… this is a bit too intimate, isn’t it?”
[See?]
Yu Sui still didn’t believe it, but he withdrew his gaze as well. “You’re right. Minmin should tweak it.”
Li Xia’s body stiffened, his heartbeat quickening even more.
He suspected the senior was doing this on purpose, deliberately toying with his emotions.
Biting his lip, Li Xia said nothing.
“Yu Sui.”
At that moment, Minmin pushed open the door and walked in. “What do you think? If it doesn’t work, I have others.”
“Let me see the alternatives.” Yu Sui didn’t give this little cat a second thought.
Li Xia clenched his fingers, his nails digging painfully into his palms, but he didn’t furrow his brow at all. He sat obediently off to the side.
Minmin pulled out her phone and showed him the materials.
Yu Sui flipped through them one by one, nearly scared out of his wits.
“What do you think?” Minmin asked. “If it’s not explosive enough, we can put more effort into the costumes.”
“No need. The original one is fine.” At least the clothes were intact.
“Got it.” Minmin nodded. “What about Little Xia?”
She turned to Li Xia.
“I’m good with anything,” Li Xia said, ever polite.
“Perfect. Let’s discuss the details.” Minmin brimmed with enthusiasm. “First, the pajamas, then…”
Yu Sui sat there on pins and needles, his forced smile starting to crack.
A twinge of regret stirred in Li Xia’s heart. It wouldn’t be him holding Yu Sui.
Minmin was intimately familiar with this concept. She’d once wanted Yu Sui to film it, but he belonged to Long Aotian’s channel—the domain of the big male lead. His videos were always solo showcases of cool poses, no CP pairing.
Now that her wish had come true, she threw herself into it with full energy.
Yu Sui felt like he was dying inside.
They settled on it quickly.
First, Yu Sui in pajamas, cradling the company’s Prosperity Cat for the opening segment.
Then they changed for the second part.
With a white cat in play, Li Xia dressed in white too: a hoodie, faded loose jeans, complete with cat ears and tail.
Yu Sui embodied the perfect domineering CEO look—wristwatch, black shirt, tie impeccably straight.
“Li Xia jumps up. Yu Sui catches him and grips his legs,” Minmin directed.
Yu Sui felt mortified. With so many people watching, his ears turned red.
But the usually shy Li Xia stared straight at him. “Senior, catch me good, okay?”
He leaped, but Yu Sui dodged on instinct.
Instead of advancing, he even took a step back.
Li Xia pitched forward and tackled Yu Sui to the ground.
“Senior.” The young man’s cheeks flushed pink as he slowly rose, straddling Yu Sui loosely, gazing down at him.
“Perfect. Hold that pose.”
Yu Sui was about to shove him off when he heard those words.
“The tension is off the charts,” Minmin praised.
Yu Sui wanted to die.
His body went rigid, veins bulging on the back of his hands. They were too close; the young man enveloped him completely. He could feel his breath, his body heat.
Sweat beaded on Yu Sui’s forehead.
Minmin captured close-ups and had them redo it.
Li Xia’s throat bobbed. Ignoring everyone else, he sensed Yu Sui’s tension and restraint.
His own heart pounded faster.
Could it be… could he actually feel something?
Once Minmin called it good, Li Xia rolled off, perfectly blocking the others’ line of sight. Then, with utmost nonchalance, he brushed against Yu Sui.
The man’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Yet Li Xia made it look entirely accidental as he stood up naturally.
Yu Sui screamed internally. He groped me on purpose.
[It was probably an accident.]
Deliberate! Absolutely deliberate! Yu Sui bellowed inside as he got to his feet. “I need the bathroom.”
A chill ran through him, the hairs on his neck standing on end.
Li Xia overheard and felt his ears burn.
He’d tested the waters with no reaction before, but now…
Was it… the accidental touch that…
Li Xia swallowed hard.
Minmin glanced at the camera and waved them off casually.
Yu Sui headed to his private lounge, shut the door, and made for the bathroom.
“Fuck,” he muttered angrily before cranking on the faucet to wash up.
The System, blurred in mosaic, stared. [………]
Li Xia announced he needed the bathroom too and slipped away.
The nearest one was in Yu Sui’s lounge.
He strode right in without pause.
Holding his breath, Li Xia peeked around. The sofa was empty.
He eased the door open further and crept toward the bathroom.
Sure enough, sounds came from inside.
Li Xia’s cheeks burned hotter. Was the senior thinking indecent thoughts about him?
The door stood slightly ajar. He pressed close and peered through the gap.
He could only see the man’s back, but with both hands positioned in front, it looked exactly like…
Li Xia bit his lip hard, his throat working.
Did he like him that much?
Shyness flooded Li Xia, but so did thoughts of his true nature.
The person the senior liked wasn’t the real him. What if he found out?
“Damn it… Li Xia…”
Lost in these thoughts, he heard the man call his name.
Li Xia swallowed convulsively, his mind going blank.
The senior really was thinking about him.
Yu Sui grumbled curses under his breath. It even hurt a little by the time he finally stopped and straightened himself up.
Li Xia bolted to the outer bathroom instead. He locked himself in a stall, biting his lip as his gaze burned with intensity.
The senior liked him so much.
Li Xia had known his strengths since childhood. He was adept at exploiting them—not for gain, but because toying with others was fun.
Look at that. Fooled again by his obedient facade. How stupid.
Su Shan had been the first to see through him, probably because of the initial hostility.
But now, he craved the massive payoff this false mask could bring.
The senior’s attention. The senior’s affection.
For the first time, entertaining such thoughts about someone else felt strange… and inexplicably thrilling to Li Xia.
Back on set, Yu Sui noticed Li Xia was gone and asked a nearby assistant.
“He went to the bathroom too.”
Yu Sui froze. “Isn’t he off fantasizing about me…?”
[Getting a bit narcissistic, aren’t you?] the System remarked.
“How else do you explain the timing?” Yu Sui was convinced.
When Li Xia returned, Yu Sui scrutinized him intensely. “What took so long?”
“I… um…” Li Xia looked sheepish.
See that? Yu Sui thought triumphantly. Guilty as charged.
[……] What to do with a host this paranoid?
Minmin saw them return and gestured for them to resume the pose.
But Yu Sui couldn’t shake the memory of that deliberate grope, the bathroom break, and the shy return. He recoiled inwardly.
Their coordination fell apart.
Li Xia picked up on the resistance, his breath catching. Was he afraid their contact would spark real awkwardness?
Had his physical attraction reached that point?
“What’s going on with you two?” Minmin eyed them suspiciously. “Don’t tell me…?”
Her smile turned suggestive.
“Nonsense,” Yu Sui cut her off. “I’m just not used to physical contact with others.”
“Oh.” Minmin nodded. “I’ll grab the camera. Talk it out. If it doesn’t work when I get back, we’ll do it my way.”
Yu Sui had no intention of following her lead. He pressed his lips together.
The assistants and others cleared out first, leaving just the two of them.
Yu Sui grew uneasy. After all, this guy had him on the brain.
“Does the senior dislike me that much?” Li Xia’s eyes dimmed.
Yu Sui blinked. Had he noticed?
“No,” he said quickly. He couldn’t admit it.
“Then why didn’t you catch me?” Li Xia pressed, staring. He wanted to ask if the fall had been deliberate.
“I’m not used to it.”
“Oh.” Li Xia nodded. “Then let’s get a feel for it.”
He took a step closer.
Yu Sui gritted his teeth to keep from backing away.
“Senior, what are you so nervous about?” Sensing the tension, Li Xia closed the distance further.
Yu Sui’s whole body screamed rejection. “I… I’ll play along later. Skip it for now. It’s hot in here.”
He turned his head away.
Li Xia’s eyes curved into a smile.
He was just too adorable.
Minmin returned. “How’d it go?”
“Fine,” Yu Sui muttered with a nod.
They started shooting.
Yu Sui did hold the young man, but his tension ruined the casual vibe.
They did take after take, and Minmin wasn’t satisfied. “Switch positions.”
Yu Sui paused. “Huh?”
“Just try it,” she decided.
Li Xia’s heart raced with excitement at the thought of holding Yu Sui. His eyes lit up.
Yu Sui caught it and felt a chill down his spine.
But Minmin was urging them on, and everyone else was watching.
Maintaining his smile, Yu Sui went along.
They swapped.
He jumped, and Li Xia caught his legs steadily, looking up to meet his eyes.
Yu Sui felt utterly unnatural, his gaze darting away.
“Again.”
“Again…”
It was torture for a straight guy. Yu Sui felt like coughing up blood. The issue was always him, leaving him to slog through take after miserable take.
Li Xia pinched his fingers, a sweetness blooming in his chest.
He was convinced Yu Sui was messing up on purpose, just to let him hold on longer.
But…
It was agony for him too. Each time, the fabric rubbed…
His back went rigid as he fought for control, grateful for the loose pants.
In the end, Minmin relented.
“Fine. A restrained CEO works too.”
Yu Sui felt a wave of relief in his heart, but since he was the one who had delayed the shoot, he felt he’d lost face—especially since he’d lost to Li Xia. That made him even more displeased.
He tugged at his tie, irritation bubbling up inside him. Sweat clung to his skin, carrying Li Xia’s scent with it. The more Yu Sui thought about it, the worse he felt.
“Senior,” Li Xia called out as he moved to leave. “I… I sweated a lot. There’s still more work ahead. Could I borrow your resting room bathroom?”
Yu Sui paused at his words. “Of course.”
He’d originally planned to shower at home, but he immediately changed his mind.
Li Xia grabbed his clothes and headed to Yu Sui’s resting room.
He didn’t lock the door, secretly hoping the senior might sneak a peek.
So under the shower, he faced the door, eager to show off his assets.
Meanwhile, Yu Sui had already called a cab and left.
Su Shan watched his retreating figure, hugging the cardboard box. He raised an eyebrow slightly. What was going on?
He returned the props to the storage room and checked everything over once before heading upstairs.
Minmin was chatting with a coworker. “That restraint gear for the shyness scene was just perfect.”
“Yeah, it really felt like a real romance,” the girl beside her agreed.
Su Shan paused at the sound of their words and perked up his ears.
“This is the first time I’ve seen Brother Sui mess up so many takes,” the girl said, growing more excited. “You don’t think the two of them fell for each other on set, do you?”
Su Shan’s eyes narrowed, his hands clenching into fists.
He was suffering like this—why should Li Xia get to be happy?
![How Miserable is a Straight Man Playing a Tool Character in Restricted Novels [Quick Transmigration]](https://i1.wp.com/dobynovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/lar.jpg?resize=151,215 "How Miserable is a Straight Man Playing a Tool Character in Restricted Novels [Quick Transmigration]")
