The two lingered in each other's embrace for a while.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Gu Chengyu's mind.
The female lead? Had he even read the script?
What if she had intimate scenes with another actor?
Clearing his throat with feigned nonchalance, his voice carried a hint of tension:
"Can I see the script for the female lead's role?"
Su Qianqian shifted in his arms, tilting her delicate face upward. Her clear almond-shaped eyes gazed at him with a trace of confusion:
"Hmm?"
Under her gaze, Gu Chengyu inexplicably felt his ears grow warm, but then his usual arrogance resurfaced.
Why should he feel embarrassed?
He simply wouldn’t allow her to film any inappropriate scenes.
Pinching her small earlobe, he declared matter-of-factly:
"I want to check if there are any hugging, kissing, or... heated scenes."
Su Qianqian blinked her large eyes, studied him for two seconds, then suddenly pursed her lips into a smile.
Wrapping her slender arms around his neck, she sat up slightly, no longer leaning against his chest but instead bringing her lips close to his ear.
Her breath was sweet as she whispered in a soft, playful tone: "There aren’t any."
"No hugging, no kissing, and definitely no... bed scenes."
She deliberately drew out the last words.
The tension in Gu Chengyu's jaw visibly eased, and the sour, stifling jealousy in his heart dissipated by half.
He let out a low hum, his large hand giving her waist a light, teasing pinch as he replied smugly: "That’s more like it."
"You can only kiss and hug me."
"If any other man dares to touch you, just wait and see." His possessiveness was unmistakable.
Amused by his domineering yet childish behavior, Su Qianqian felt a mischievous urge to tease him further.
Tilting her head, she deliberately dragged out her words, her glistening eyes sparkling with mischief: "But then again..."
"But what?"
Gu Chengyu's heart leaped into his throat. His arm tightened around her waist, his voice laced with urgency.
Watching his instant tension, Su Qianqian suppressed a laugh and continued leisurely:
"But in the script, the female lead Lin Wan secretly harbors feelings for the emperor."
She emphasized the word "feelings."
Gu Chengyu's brows immediately furrowed into a deep frown. The smugness on his handsome face vanished, replaced by a dark, brooding aura.
"That’s unacceptable!"
The words burst out of him, his voice rising slightly.
"You can’t like anyone! No one!"
The mere thought of her liking someone else—even if it was just acting—plunged him into a vat of vinegar, leaving him thoroughly irritated.
Countless thoughts raced through his mind: What kind of terrible role was this? Maybe he should just stop her from taking it?
But when he saw the bright anticipation in her eyes as she spoke about the role, he swallowed back his objections.
He didn’t want to stand in the way of her dreams.
Su Qianqian watched as his brows remained tightly knit, his lips pressed into a thin line, lost in thought and visibly sulking.
Hmm... like a majestic big dog suddenly drooping its tail.
The stark contrast was too much for her, and she couldn’t hold back a soft giggle.
"Alright, alright."
Cupping his chiseled face in her small hands, she softened her voice into a sweet, coaxing tone:
"There’s just a tiny bit of unrequited love in the script, but it’s all acting."
"In my heart, I only like you, A-Yu."
Leaning in, she kissed his forehead, the tip of his nose, then both cheeks, before finally pressing a light peck to his tightly pressed lips.
Gu Chengyu’s expression softened slightly, but the lingering displeasure in his eyes hadn’t fully faded. Still sulking, he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in the fragrant crook of her neck, his voice muffled:
"I’m still unhappy."
He didn’t want to hinder her career, but he also couldn’t stand the idea of her "liking" someone else.
Young Master Gu felt utterly aggrieved.
Su Qianqian’s eyes sparkled with sudden inspiration.
In a sweet, pleading voice, she suggested: "Then... how about this?"
"In a couple of days, I’ll ask the director for the emperor’s scenes in the script and bring them home for you to read."
"And then, you can rehearse with me beforehand?"
When Gu Chengyu remained unmoved, his face still buried, she continued coaxing:
"This way, in a roundabout sense, the person Lin Wan likes... is you, right?"
"And when I’m filming with others during the day, I’ll just think about rehearsing with you at night, about you, and channel those feelings into the performance. How does that sound?"
Finally, Gu Chengyu lifted his head, his dark eyes locking onto her glistening ones. The tight line of his mouth curved upward slightly.
This proposal... was somewhat acceptable.
Slightly mollified, he pulled her tightly back into his arms, resting his chin atop her head as he began muttering possessively:
"You can only like me."
"Even when acting, looking at someone else, your mind can only be on me."
"And besides..."
His tone dripped with innate arrogance, "I’m smarter—I’ll definitely act better than those male leads."
"None of them are as handsome as me."
Pausing, a deeper thought occurred to him. His large hand slid along the curve of her waist, his touch teasing as his voice took on a dangerous edge:
"Also, men these days are all weak. I can lift you up and pamper you properly."
"And in that department, I’m definitely stronger than any of them. I can make you—"
"A-Yu!"
Su Qianqian’s face burned crimson as his words grew increasingly scandalous.
She quickly covered his mouth with her palm, silencing him as his lips brushed against her warm skin.
Though his words were cut off, his eyes gleamed with triumphant amusement.
His wandering hands grew bolder, and his lips began trailing featherlight kisses along her palm before moving to her shoulder, nipping and teasing.
Su Qianqian was both exasperated and flustered. Gazing down at the tall, imposing man before her—now bowing his head like a smug, tail-wagging big dog—she sighed.
He was utterly lost in her tenderness, greedily drinking in her sweetness while murmuring against her skin: "You can’t even glance at anyone else. You’re mine alone."
Wait—who was the one being spoiled here? And who was coaxing whom?
Before Su Qianqian could ponder the answer—
"Ah!" she gasped softly.
The blue cotton dress slipped to the floor.
Next, the delicate white undergarment met the same fate, tossed carelessly onto the expensive sofa armrest.
"Gu Chengyu!" the young woman scolded, equal parts shy and indignant.
Not only did she have to promise him with words and think of him in her heart, but now she also had to... comfort him physically?
Didn’t she have the short end of the stick here?
The thought had barely formed when—!
A sharp gasp.
A furrowed brow.
Then—!!!
He was too overpowering. So much so that she never did figure out the answer to that earlier question.
