"You lied to me and put yourself in danger. Xiao Cheng, tell me, should I punish you under the house rules?" Jiang Chiyan backed Xiao Cheng into a corner and asked with a charming smile.
They were so close they could hear their heartbeats mingling.
Xiao Cheng wasn't used to being this close. The tips of his ears burned red as he said softly, "Domestic violence is illegal."
Jiang Chiyan: "..." How did this man's brain even work?????
He tilted his head and said to Xiao Cheng with a troubled look, "My house rules don't involve domestic violence. They involve..."
"A forced."
"Hug."
Xiao Cheng swallowed, so nervous that even his fingertips trembled.
Beneath his nerves, there was also a faint flicker of anticipation.
Just then, a shrill ringtone suddenly sounded, nearly scaring the soul out of Xiao Cheng.
He shoved Jiang Chiyan away and answered the phone. "Hello, Ting."
Lu Ting asked, "Are you okay? Why are you breathing so fast?"
"I'm fine. Did they find the culprit?"
Lu Ting didn't think much of it and got down to business. "Yu Ci sawed through the steel cable."
Xiao Cheng frowned. "Who's Yu Ci?"
Lu Ting didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Another male artist I manage. He has over ten million followers."
Xiao Cheng gave an indifferent "Oh," then added, "Never heard of him. Don't know him."
Beside him, Jiang Chiyan couldn't hold back a quiet snort of laughter.
Lu Ting's sharp ears caught it. "Are you with Lawyer Jiang?"
"Yes," Xiao Cheng replied.
"Xiao Cheng! Do you have a death wish?!" Lu Ting couldn't scold Jiang Chiyan, so she unleashed her fury on Xiao Cheng. "Do you know that ship fics and smut about you two are all over the internet??"
Beside him, Jiang Chiyan said coolly, "Then sorry for the trouble, Manager Lu, but please send me a few of those smut fics about Xiao Cheng and me. I have a friend who'd like to learn a thing or two."
"Cough, cough!" Xiao Cheng choked on a mouthful of water and coughed until tears streamed down his face.
Lu Ting grew serious. "Lawyer Jiang, Xiao Cheng is a celebrity. He doesn't just have fans. He also has toxic solo stans and stalker fans. Making such a public spectacle of shipping you two isn't necessarily good for either of you. The police have opened a case against Yu Ci and should arrest him in a couple of days, but he's a complete lunatic. Be careful."
With that, Lu Ting hung up.
Jiang Chiyan asked Xiao Cheng, "What are you doing tomorrow?"
Xiao Cheng picked up his phone and checked the schedule his assistant Xiao Wu had sent him. "An audition."
"There's a new drama called Lawyer Storm. The director invited me to audition. Do you want to... come watch?"
"A legal drama?" Jiang Chiyan raised an eyebrow. "Do you like lawyers?"
Xiao Cheng's face turned scarlet, burning so hot it felt ready to catch fire. "No."
"Then you like lawyers... because you like me?"
Xiao Cheng covered his face with both hands and gave an almost imperceptible nod, a little annoyed. "Are you coming or not? If not, forget it!"
"Yes. Of course I am." Jiang Chiyan agreed, then asked casually, "It's not a lawyer romance drama, is it? The kind with a love story?"
Xiao Cheng shook his head. "It's a legal workplace drama. There's no female lead."
Jiang Chiyan nodded in satisfaction. "Good."
If he had to watch Xiao Cheng get intimate with a woman...
Even if it was only acting.
His possessiveness wouldn't allow it.
So Jiang Chiyan messaged Su Jing and dumped a pile of work on her.
As he sent the messages on WeChat, he asked Xiao Cheng, "You've worked with quite a few actresses in films and dramas over the past few years?"
Xiao Cheng paused, then nodded obediently.
Jiang Chiyan narrowed his eyes. "Which one do you think was the prettiest?"
Xiao Cheng gave it some serious thought.
Jiang Chiyan put down his phone, reached up, and caught his chin. "Taking this long to think? What, were there so many pretty girls that it's hard to answer?" he asked coolly.
Xiao Cheng shook his head and gave a solemn little cough. "Actually... I don't remember what they looked like."
Thinking Jiang Chiyan wanted to watch his dramas to look at other pretty girls, Xiao Cheng hurriedly said, "They use really heavy filters and skin smoothing on actors when they film. Isn't Su Jing pretty enough? Don't go watching those dramas!!"
Jiang Chiyan's expression instantly darkened, and he slowly repeated, "You think Su Jing is pretty?"
Xiao Cheng: "..."
Jiang Chiyan stood and closed in on Xiao Cheng, his powerful arms trapping him between the desk and his embrace.
"Pretty, is she?" Jiang Chiyan gritted out.