Rules

When Shen Lian opened his eyes again, it was the next morning.

Rain pattered against the window, stirring a bone-deep laziness.

Shen Lian struggled to sit up and grabbed his phone from the bedside table. Sure enough, the production team had sent a notice suspending filming.

That was the good thing about livestreaming: secure a spot on a platform, throw some money at good placement, and you could go live anytime.

The rain was heavy. Even professionals would think twice about entering the jungle in weather like this.

Then Shen Lian raised his eyebrows slightly.

Fifty thousand yuan had suddenly landed in his payroll account.

He scrolled a little further and found a message from Qian Gao: [These are your appearance fees from the last few gigs. The variety show payment will be settled once filming wraps.]

There was no trace of arrogance left in his words.

Had he turned over a new leaf?

Shen Lian had forgotten all about Feng Yueshan.

Creak-

The door opened.

Chu Yilan paused, not expecting Shen Lian to be awake so early.

Aunt Fen squeezed past him, carrying an insulated food container and fussing, "Oh dear, what a nasty fall. I made some bone broth. Have it while it's hot."

The bruising at the corner of Shen Lian's mouth had darkened. Against his fair, clean face, it made Aunt Fen's heart ache.

"Be more careful when you're walking next time."

Chu Yilan hadn't told her that Shen Lian had gotten hurt in a fight.

Shen Lian understood immediately and answered obediently, "I'll remember, Aunt Fen."

The bone broth was fragrant and delicious. Shen Lian finished it in a few gulps, soothing his restless stomach and instantly feeling better all over.

With nothing else to do there, Aunt Fen chatted with Shen Lian a little longer before leaving.

Chu Yilan hadn't said a word the entire time.

Once Aunt Fen closed the door, Shen Lian leaned back against his pillow and smiled at Chu Yilan. "Thank you, Master Chu."

Chu Yilan gave a cold scoff. "You're quite something yourself, beating Liu Kaisheng and his crowd that badly."

They got off lightly, Shen Lian thought. The original owner of this body hadn't been particularly fit. With his background and physique from his previous life, he could have beaten Liu Kaisheng all the way from the hotel to the hospital.

Remembering what had happened the night before, Shen Lian pressed a hand to his lower back and muttered, "Better not have damaged anything here."

Chu Yilan pulled out a chair and sat down. "You expect to pick where you get hit?"

"Of course. My face and this spot are off-limits." Shen Lian rattled it off without hesitation. "The first determines how easy Master Chu finds me on the eyes. The second determines how satisfying our sex life will be."

Chu Yilan's neck stiffened, and he raised his head inch by inch.

"Shen Lian, have you no shame?"

Shen Lian was unbothered. "Love needs to be expressed boldly."

At that, his expression brightened even more. "Master Chu, I can buy you roses again. Qian Gao paid part of the wages he owed me."

"How much?"

"Fifty thousand."

Chu Yilan spread his long legs and tipped his head back slightly, a faint smile on his face. "That wouldn't even buy me a tie."

"One step at a time," Shen Lian replied.

What Shen Lian didn't know was that Tianhe Advertising had already fired Liu Kaisheng. Who would dare keep him after he'd caused such a huge mess?

As for Qian Gao, apart from a trip to the hospital to have his stomach pumped and a tremendous fright, he was fine. But even with ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare bully Shen Lian again.

At first, Chu Yilan had thought handling things this way was a hassle. He could simply bring Shen Lian over and keep him by his side. Xingkai Media had room for him.

But at the moment of decision, Chu Yilan had hesitated.

Shen Lian's sly gaze and determined ambition had suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Keeping a little songbird was easy enough for Chu Yilan, but Shen Lian wasn't the docile type. He was good at making grand promises, offering him an entire field of flowers and vowing to support him. Chu Yilan was curious to see how far Shen Lian could actually go.

If it was all just empty talk, that would be boring, and Chu Yilan couldn't be bothered to pave the way for him.

Shen Lian kept his word. That very day, the flowers delivered to Chu Yilan's office were changed to red roses.

The card also bore words a shop assistant had written for Shen Lian: Eternal Love.

Heaven knew how terrified and distraught Yang Bin had been when he happened to glimpse those words.

Who was it? Who on earth was it?!

Chu Yilan went to the office that evening to pick up some documents. The red roses on the small counter by the entrance were lush and vibrant, and he stared at them for a while.

That night, Shen Lian received an invitation to appear in an advertisement for a third-tier brand.

Since he was still in the hospital, the shoot was scheduled for five days later.

Shen Lian was discharged on his third day in the hospital. Outside, the heavy rain continued unabated.

The variety show couldn't resume filming and had to keep pushing back its schedule.

Shen Lian had no idea how good the medication he'd been given was. He only knew he was recovering quickly. Aunt Fen doted on him, making meals that were both nutritious and delicious.

Now that Qian Gao could no longer exploit him, Shen Lian had more free time. Listening to the rain outside, he lay on the living room sofa wrapped in a blanket, reading.

That was the scene Chu Yilan came home to after work.

The young man was curled up inside the blanket, with only his fluffy crown of hair visible. His calves weren't fully covered, and he seemed to be in a good mood, kicking his feet up now and then, his ankles pale as jade.

"Master Chu?" Shen Lian greeted him.

"Sit properly," Chu Yilan said flatly.

After spending so much time together, Shen Lian could tell when Chu Yilan was genuinely angry and when he was merely putting on a stern front.

He ate a little with Chu Yilan, then settled beside him to read while the man worked in the living room. He was reasonably quiet.

Until Chu Yilan's phone buzzed with an incoming text.

Chu Yilan opened it casually, not expecting it to be from Zheng Ge.

[Yilan, are you doing okay?]

Chu Yilan froze slightly.

A flicker of scorn crossed Shen Lian's eyes, and he made little effort to be polite. "How many times has he shown up since your accident? You got those scars on your face saving him, didn't you?"

"Crocodile tears," Shen Lian remarked languidly.

Chu Yilan frowned. "Go back to your room."

"Delete him," Shen Lian said.

If Zheng Ge had even a shred of decency, Shen Lian wouldn't have despised him so much.

Chu Yilan pushed his phone forward, his voice dangerous. "Go on. Try deleting him."

Usually, no one dared answer Master Chu when he spoke like that. But Shen Lian wasn't just anyone.

He snatched up Chu Yilan's phone, his fingers moving deftly across the screen, then held it in front of Chu Yilan's eyes. "There. Deleted."

Not only that, Shen Lian had also sent a message in "Chu Yilan's" name: [Don't contact me again unless there's something important.]

Chu Yilan's pupils contracted, then fury boiled up inside him. He knocked the phone away, seized Shen Lian by the collar, and threw him onto the sofa, looming over him like a wild beast. "How dare you!"

Aunt Fen happened to come out just then and blanched. "What's going on...?"

"Aunt Fen," Chu Yilan cut her off.

Aunt Fen wanted to say something, but she knew Chu Yilan's temper all too well. The more she tried to stop him, the worse it would get. Her face full of worry, she finally returned to her room.

Shen Lian had strained the injury at his waist, but he only frowned slightly before looking at Chu Yilan with a derisive laugh. "You're going to throw away your whole life for someone like that?"

Remembering how Chu Yilan would ultimately burn himself to death by the sea, Shen Lian felt his own anger surge.

Because he liked someone from the bottom of his heart, he couldn't bear to watch that person be so blind.

"And what the hell are you?" Chu Yilan asked coldly.

"However worthless I might be, I'm still better than Zheng Ge, dating one man while stringing another along." Shen Lian seized Chu Yilan's wrist and wrenched hard, breaking free.

But he didn't run. Instead, he shoved Chu Yilan in the chest. In the ensuing struggle, he pinned him against the table and leaned over him, his eyes dark and silent, yet lit by a fire deep within, as though he was about to blow the whole world apart.

"Chu Yilan." Shen Lian moved closer, their lips barely half a finger's width from touching. "I'd dare call Zhou Tangsi over and slap him twice across the face. Would you dare do that to Zheng Ge?"

"A man who lied to you and kept you dangling-would you dare?" The aggression in Shen Lian's eyes was no less fierce than Chu Yilan's.

They were like wild beasts testing each other, poised to pounce and tear into one another.

Even the air seemed to carry the scent of blood.

There was another emotion, too, one that seemed ready to ignite at a touch.

Chu Yilan stared at Shen Lian with dark eyes, saying nothing.

When Shen Lian didn't get the answer he wanted, his heart abruptly went cold.

Shen Lian rose onto his knees, then climbed off the sofa. Finally, standing before Chu Yilan, he parted his thin lips and spat out two words: "Fucking coward."

Crash!

Chu Yilan surged to his feet so violently that he overturned the table, his presence instantly overwhelming. Shen Lian had no doubt that he could tear him to pieces.

But so what?

When Shen Lian liked someone, cherishing and spoiling him was one thing. But that didn't mean he could tolerate even the slightest intrusion.

Even if Zheng Ge was a tree growing in Chu Yilan's heart, Shen Lian would tear him out by the roots!

Whether it brought pain or pleasure, he would carve his own name into Chu Yilan's flesh and blood.

This was love, and these were the rules!