Song Yunxing was almost enveloped in Shen Yanci's arms, the man's broad chest barely brushing against his back.
A strong hand gripped the back of his hand tightly. An unfamiliar, searing warmth traveled from that palm to his heart, sending a tingling current straight through him.
A rich alcoholic fragrance spread out, and the tall men around them instinctively moved away from Shen Yanci.
Strangely, though, he didn't find the scent unpleasant. It carried an indescribable sense of security that soothed his unease.
More and more people crowded in behind them, leaving them no choice but to run.
The voices around them seemed to blur.
"Thump, thump, thump-"
Whose heart was beating so fiercely?
The young man pressed a hand to his left chest and realized the sound was coming from his own heart.
His heartbeat galloped like a wild horse that had broken its reins, pounding out of control.
This felt different from what he experienced when he danced. The unfamiliar emotion left him flustered.
What... what was happening to him?
They sprinted all the way to a corner, jumped into the van the production team had prepared, and sped away.
The young man's face was flushed pink, his eyes unfocused as he lay back in the cushioned seat, panting.
Veins stood out faintly along his pale, delicate neck.
The man's gaze settled darkly on his face. His intensely possessive eyes swept over every inch of exposed skin, as though he wished he could brand it with his own mark.
His sharp teeth itched, and a fierce urge to bite surged up his throat.
The young man glanced sideways. The man's lashes flickered, and he bit the tip of his tongue, hiding the darkness in his eyes.
"...Thanks." The young man fiddled with the stretched-out hem of his hoodie, not daring to look him in the eye.
The man exhaled, lowering his lashes. "You're welcome."
For a moment, neither had anything to say, and the atmosphere inside the van grew awkward.
The man's gaze fell on his hand. "How's your hand?" he asked evenly.
Several finger marks had appeared on the back of the young man's hand, the red imprints particularly conspicuous against his smooth, pale skin.
"It's fine. My skin's just like that. They'll probably fade in a bit." The young man didn't seem particularly concerned and freely held out his hand.
Shen Yanci's gaze remained on it, his thoughts unreadable.
"Oh, right. Let's call the fruit farmer first. We've finished our task!" Song Yunxing picked up his phone and dialed the farmer's number.
After quickly explaining their situation over the phone, Song Yunxing arranged to meet him at a supermarket's side entrance.
It was a little too quiet inside the van. Shen Yanci was looking at his phone, his fingers moving swiftly across the screen as he chatted with someone.
Song Yunxing awkwardly lowered his head too, aimlessly swiping through his phone.
Less than a minute later, his phone chimed.
In the True or False Lovers cast group chat, Director Guo posted a meme of someone sliding onto their knees, followed by a lengthy apology.
The gist was that the production team hadn't provided enough security staff, the guards hadn't reacted in time, and security preparations would be stepped up for future outings.
The wording was so sincere that it was hard to believe Director Guo had written it.
The director hadn't tagged anyone, either, but the two of them were the only ones who had just experienced a so-called "dangerous incident."
Song Yunxing cast a puzzled glance at Shen Yanci. Had he been chatting with the chief director just now?
The man's face was expressionless, giving away nothing.
Probably not. Maybe the director had suddenly grown a conscience?
The livestream had disconnected. After reassuring the fans on Weibo that everyone was safe, the director announced that streaming would resume once they returned to the villa.
The cameraman, however, was still diligently recording and turned his lens toward Shen Yanci beside him.
Sunlight from the window fell across the man's profile, his sharply defined features shifting between light and shadow. With his dark eyes lowered, his straight nose and thin lips, he was absurdly handsome.
The scenery raced past outside. Among the crisscrossing elevated roads stood an enormous billboard advertising sneakers endorsed by Song Yunxing himself.
The man turned his head and happened to spot the young man on the billboard.
Dressed in casual sportswear, the young man held a tennis racket, his gaze resolute as he prepared to smash the ball.
Shen Yanci's eyes followed the young man on the billboard, his lips curving. "Song Yunxing, I didn't realize you could play tennis."
At the sudden sound of his voice, Song Yunxing instinctively looked up and caught sight of himself on the billboard.
"Ahem. There's plenty you don't know about me. Tennis is nothing." Song Yunxing's ears turned faintly red, but he spoke without a trace of guilt.
Heaven knew that had been the most grueling commercial he'd ever shot. Apart from dancing, he was hopeless at anything involving a ball!
Thank goodness the photographer had chosen that pose. One more frame would have exposed just how terrible he was at sports!
He usually hated moving around. If he didn't need to stay in shape for concerts, he wouldn't even go to the gym!
Please let my abs still be there. Amen!
"I happen to be pretty good at tennis. How about a match?" Shen Yanci raised his eyebrows.
Song Yunxing stiffened slightly. "My upcoming schedule is packed. I don't have time."
"Really? I heard your album's track list has already been finalized. Isn't the rest up to your company's marketing team?" The man chuckled, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
Song Yunxing's eyes widened. "How do you know that?"
He even knew that much detail. Had he planted a corporate spy at the company?
The young man eyed him suspiciously, his brows drawn tight.
"No need to be so wary of me. I happen to know someone in senior management. Besides, our company doesn't sign singers, so knowing that is no use to us." The man lounged lazily against the seat.
Song Yunxing pursed his lips and looked away.
Everyone in the WeChat group had been drawn out and started chatting.
[Lu Ran: Thank you, Song! All our remaining mandarins sold out within five minutes!]
Gu Nianzhi followed by copying and pasting her message.
[Gu Nianzhi: Thank you, Song! All our remaining mandarins sold out within five minutes!]
[Yu Wan: We heard Xingxing singing. Thanks to you two, our mandarins sold out too.]
[Shi Jinyan: What are we doing next? I'm so hungry.]
[Yu Wan: Shi Jinyan ate half our fruit!]
Song Yunxing hurriedly sent a few polite replies, and the conversation finally moved away from him.
[Luo An: We actually sold out too. I could cry!]
[Luo An: Song, I love you! If we hadn't happened to run into a pregnant woman who loved sour food, we'd probably have been stuck there until dark!]
[Shen Yanci: Throwing around "love" so casually is far too frivolous.]
[Luo An: I! My idol! I was just expressing my gratitude!]
[Luo An: Crying cat meme.]
[Director Guo: Cast members, please use your remaining money to buy fresh produce at the nearest supermarket. Each couple must prepare at least one dish. The production team will photograph the dishes and upload them to the official website for a public vote.]
[Director Guo: Finish cooking, take your photos, and upload them by 7:30 p.m. You have five hours left.]
[Lu Ran: Seriously, Director? We worked all morning, and not getting lunch was bad enough! Now we don't even get a break? Even workhorses don't get treated like this!]
[Yu Wan: We worked ourselves to death all morning for that tiny bit of money! Guo Hongyi, do you even have a conscience? Shi Jinyan, hit him!]
[Shi Jinyan: Beating a punching bag.JPG]
[Director Guo: I'm already being very considerate. Who on earth needs five hours to make one dish?]
[Director Guo: Oh, and the production team won't reimburse your fare back. You'll have to pay for that yourselves!]
[Lu Yiyi: Understood, Director.]
[Lu Ran: ...Guo Hongyi, I'll kill you!]
[Gu Nianzhi: ...Guo Hongyi, I'll kill you!]
[Yu Wan: ...Guo Hongyi, I'll kill you!]
[Shi Jinyan: +1]
Just then, the van stopped at the supermarket's side entrance.
Song Yunxing dawdled for a moment before getting out and walking over to the fruit farmer.
The two of them handed him their earnings, the payment QR code, and the vehicle keys.
The farmer happily accepted the money. Then, with great reluctance, he picked a few scattered one- and five-yuan notes out of the stack and placed them in Song Yunxing's palm.
Song Yunxing stared at the farmer in disbelief. He didn't even have fifty yuan in his hand!
Perhaps feeling Song Yunxing's burning stare, the farmer scratched his head guiltily and pulled out a green fifty-yuan note.
"This is all I can give you. Your director told me to do it this way," the farmer admitted honestly.
They had sold an entire truckload of mandarins! And this was all they got!
Feeling their unnerving stares, the farmer immediately played dumb, grabbed the money, and ran!
Watching the farmer flee, Song Yunxing slowly relaxed his knitted brows. Beaming, he pulled three bright red banknotes from his pocket.
"Ha! Nice try! I knew you'd pull something! Good thing I came prepared!"
The young man lovingly tucked away his remaining money, humming with delight. He looked just like a little kitten clutching a dried fish, purring in satisfaction.
Shen Yanci's lips curved, his gaze following him the whole time.
[Ahhh, my Xingxing is too cute!]
[Wifey, I have money. Come be with me!]
[Keep dreaming, commenter above! Xingxing belongs to our Shen family!]
[How does every single frame look like an idol romance drama? I hereby declare the Mutual-Dislike CP the sweetest CP of 2024!]
[Ahhh, that look is absolutely killing me! @Shen Yanci, didn't you say you were only acting like you liked him? This is love!]
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