I can practice some more

Chu Yilan had a wonderful voice, deep and seductive, but now it carried a dangerous edge. "What if I'm satisfied? What if I'm not?"

The implication was clear: either way, you're dead.

Shen Lian narrowed his eyes as waves of tingling pleasure rose from the base of his spine.

God, I'd call you unreasonable, but you've actually done me a solid. Chu Yilan's voice alone was enough to make his knees weak.

Sure enough, after going without for so long, one taste could be lethal.

Chu Yilan's gaze shifted downward, landing involuntarily on Shen Lian's pale collarbones. They were beautiful, though he was a little too thin.

Shen Lian smiled. "If you're satisfied, Master Chu, please show some mercy and let me off. If you're not, you can pour another glass."

Unexpectedly, those words enraged the man. Chu Yilan bent down, seized his chin, and leaned closer. "Show mercy? Look at the scar on my face. Do you think I can still show mercy?"

"What's wrong with the scar?" Shen Lian asked, unable to resist reaching out as though he wanted to touch it.

Chu Yilan's eyes darkened abruptly. He caught Shen Lian's wrist instead. "Got a death wish?"

"With or without the scar, you're gorgeous." Shen Lian meant every word.

He leaned closer too, until they were practically face-to-face, their noses barely half a finger's width apart. They could even feel each other's breath.

The strong scent of alcohol mingled with a hint of deep, woody fragrance.

Definitely my type, Shen Lian confirmed.

That raw masculinity hitting him head-on was mesmerizing. Zheng Ge had no taste whatsoever.

A chill flashed through Chu Yilan's eyes, and he flung Shen Lian aside.

Shen Lian understood. After all, no one knew he was a different person inside. To Chu Yilan, he was the culprit responsible for disfiguring him.

"After tomorrow, your name will be completely erased from the entertainment industry. Are you ready to pay a fortune in breach-of-contract penalties?" Chu Yilan had no objection to revealing his intentions. He meant to leave him no way out.

Yet Shen Lian's expression didn't change. "I wasn't ready, so I sincerely hope you'll take pity on me, Master Chu."

"Why should I?"

"What happened at the cabin that night really wasn't my doing."

Shen Lian couldn't find a single trace of anything relevant in the original owner's memories. That wasn't right. The original owner had also woken up in a hospital, which suggested he might well have been unconscious during the incident.

"What are you playing at?" The man who had answered Shen Lian's question earlier couldn't hold back anymore.

He was Chu Yilan's friend, Feng Yueshan.

"Everyone knows you're Zhou Tangsi's hopeless lapdog. You've even gone after Zheng Ge plenty of times because of him. Who else could have started the fire that night?"

"I won't admit to setting the fire, but I won't deny targeting Zheng Ge."

Feng Yueshan snorted, convinced Shen Lian was talking bullshit.

Shen Lian, however, looked as though he had decided he had nothing left to lose. His gaze wandered, then he suddenly gave a mocking laugh, as if some emotion had reached its limit and he no longer wanted to suppress it.

Then Shen Lian looked at Chu Yilan and said, word by word, "If I didn't drive Zheng Ge away, how would you ever notice me?"

Chu Yilan's pupils abruptly contracted!

Shen Lian's expression was self-mocking, with a trace of madness. "Master Chu, I don't like you looking at anyone else. From now on, anyone you spare a second glance won't get away with it."

Come on, let me show you what a top-tier award-winning actor can do!

It was no exaggeration to say that Shen Lian's two brief remarks threw the entire private room into chaos.

Even Chu Yilan thought he must have misheard.

Seeing Shen Lian's impassioned performance, Chu Yilan suddenly laughed. "This is your plan to save your skin? Come on, Shen Lian. Prove it to me."

Shen Lian's heart instantly fluttered. You asked for it!

Before anyone could react, Shen Lian stood up.

The man was half a head taller than Shen Lian, and the more he looked at that face, the more he liked it.

And Shen Lian was the sort of person who would give his all to get whatever he wanted.

So, bolstered by alcohol and led by lust, he acted.

Shen Lian rose gently onto his toes and, in full view of everyone, kissed the scar on Chu Yilan's face.

It was light, like the brush of a feather.

After the kiss, Shen Lian quickly turned his head away, terribly embarrassed. Now it wasn't just the corners of his eyes that were red, but his whole face. "Um, that was my first time... Please bear with me. If you're not satisfied, I can practice some more."

What kind of shameless proposition was that?!

Chu Yilan remained motionless for a long time, with only the surging darkness in his eyes betraying anything.

When the man said nothing, Shen Lian ventured, "Was that not okay?"

"It was, it was, it was!" Feng Yueshan was losing his mind. He slapped both hands over his face, making a show of not looking at anything indecent, but his eyes were wide open, and the gaps between his fingers were big enough for two fat koi to swim back and forth.

Shen Lian looked at Feng Yueshan in surprise. "I'm not kissing you. Don't think you can take advantage of me."

Feng Yueshan: "..."

In the dead silence, Chu Yilan raised a hand and patted Shen Lian's cheek.

Neither lightly nor hard, as though he intended to settle the score.

But before he could say anything, Shen Lian suddenly frowned and pressed a hand to his temple. "I feel..."

It was as if someone had clubbed him over the head. Within a second, he lost all awareness.

Chu Yilan instinctively caught him.

Then he frowned and touched Shen Lian's forehead. It was hot enough to fry an egg on.

Shen Lian had a lovely dream.

In it, Chu Yilan pinned him down. The definition of the man's muscles was clearer than the trajectory of his career.

My absolute dream man!

Divine perfection!!!

No one could understand just how satisfied Shen Lian was, or how thoroughly he had fallen for him.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a bright, clean white ceiling.

Shen Lian flexed his fingertips. His entire body felt as though someone had beaten him with a hammer.

He felt as if this body were only just recovering from a serious illness. Shen Lian looked up at the clock on the wall and was startled. His little assault on Chu Yilan had happened the night before last.

For now, Shen Lian couldn't worry about all that. His body felt sticky, and he was desperate to wash up and shower.

Just as he came out of the bathroom, someone knocked on the door.

"Mr. Shen, are you awake?"

Shen Lian said, "Come in."

The visitor was a slightly plump middle-aged woman, her hair tied back immaculately and her face honest and kind.

"My name is Wang Xiufen. If you don't mind, Mr. Shen, just call me Aunt Fen."

Shen Lian raised his eyebrows slightly. According to the book, Aunt Fen was the longtime caregiver who had looked after Chu Yilan since childhood. They were close, and even after Chu Yilan grew into a withdrawn, cold adult and later became the villain, he had always kept Aunt Fen by his side.

In other words, he was now in Chu Yilan's home.

Shen Lian was a little surprised, and a little pleased.

Aunt Fen was an excellent cook. Shen Lian polished off three bowls of vegetable congee and a bowl of chicken soup in one sitting. With his pretty face and exceptionally sweet tongue, he had Aunt Fen beaming after just a few words.

After eating, Shen Lian got his phone back. The moment he switched it on, messages flooded in like snowflakes, making the screen freeze for two seconds.

The original owner was still using an old phone, which showed that he wasn't exactly well-off.

That made sense. His career was practically burned to the bottom of the pan. Even if he had survived the night before last, his overall circumstances wouldn't have changed.

A second later, a call came in.

Qian Gao, the original owner's agent.

Shen Lian tapped to answer.

"Shen Lian? Do you have a death wish?!" The furious voice was loud enough that he didn't need speakerphone. "Why didn't you show up for the XZ commercial shoot yesterday?! Acting like a diva? Are you in any position to act like a diva? Get your ass over there right now! I'll deal with you after the shoot!"

A man had to swallow some humiliation to earn a living.

In my current situation, what right do I have to be picky?

Shen Lian answered lazily, "Got it."