The following afternoon.
Lin Shu was in an uncharacteristically bright mood.
Gu Chengyu had actually come to visit her on set!
Though the man still carried himself with that signature lazy arrogance—lounging on the sofa in her dressing room, long legs crossed, fingers idly tapping the armrest—his responses to her attempts at conversation remained indifferent.
But he was here.
That alone was a signal.
It meant her calculated mix of playing hard-to-get and heartfelt accusations in the backstage corridor last time had left a mark on him after all.
Lin Shu sat at the vanity, touching up her makeup, her lips curling into an irrepressible smile as she watched the handsome, aristocratic man through the mirror.
She knew she couldn’t push too hard—it was time to extend an olive branch.
Softening her voice, she adopted a coaxing tone. "Chengyu, you know Director Li—he’s notoriously strict. That emotional breakdown scene took me so many takes, but I finally nailed it."
She was trying to share her work struggles, hoping to elicit sympathy.
Gu Chengyu didn’t even lift his eyelids, offering only a noncommittal "Hmm" in response.
His attention clearly wasn’t on her. His gaze drifted, seemingly casual, toward the dressing room door.
Why hadn’t the little one come in yet?
Had she been waiting outside all this time? It was sweltering out there—her delicate constitution couldn’t possibly endure it.
Lin Shu refused to be discouraged and pressed on. "There’s a small cast dinner tonight, just outside the studio. Director Li will be there. You should join us if you’re free."
Just then, the door creaked open softly.
Su Qianqian stepped in, head bowed, carrying two cups of coffee.
She was dressed as plainly as ever—a simple T-shirt and jeans, her black-framed glasses perched on her nose, doing her best to blend into the background as the invisible assistant.
She set one cup quietly on the vanity beside Lin Shu. "Your coffee, Sister Shu."
Then, holding the other cup, she kept her eyes down as she approached Gu Chengyu on the sofa.
Just as she leaned over to place the coffee on the side table, his gaze—previously downcast—snapped up, locking onto her with an intensity that was anything but subtle.
Su Qianqian froze, caught off guard by the depth in those dark eyes.
The indifference he’d shown Lin Shu was gone, replaced by amusement and something far more tender.
Her heart lurched, her hands trembling enough that the coffee nearly sloshed over. She steadied herself hastily, setting the cup down before ducking her head even lower.
Gu Chengyu’s lips quirked at the sight of her—flustered as a startled rabbit.
He picked up the coffee with slender fingers, but his gaze remained fixed on the top of her lowered head, a silent provocation in his stare.
Lin Shu, adjusting her earrings in the mirror, missed the exchange entirely.
Noticing Su Qianqian lingering after delivering the coffee, she frowned, about to dismiss her—
"Miss Lin, we need a close-up retake. Director Li said the emotional beat was good, but he wants an additional shot." A crew member’s voice called from outside.
Lin Shu’s irritation at the interruption was fleeting, eclipsed by the director’s request. She rose immediately.
After a final glance in the mirror, she turned to Gu Chengyu, voice honeyed. "Chengyu, wait for me. I’ll be quick."
With that, she swept out of the room, the door clicking shut behind her.
The moment it closed, the air in the dressing room thickened.
In the next heartbeat, the man on the sofa moved.
Gu Chengyu’s arm shot out, his fingers closing around Su Qianqian’s slender wrist.
"Ah—!" Her startled gasp was cut short as she was yanked forward, the world tilting before her back hit the plush sofa with a soft thud.
Before she could process it, his tall frame loomed over her, caging her between his body and the sofa back.
One arm braced beside her head, the other swiftly plucking those bothersome glasses off her face and tossing them aside.
Without the lenses shielding her, her wide, doe-like eyes—bright with panic and shyness—were laid bare under his scorching gaze.
"Missed me?" His voice was a low, dangerous rasp, breath hot against her lips. "So afraid of getting caught, hmm?"
"N-no… you should go—" Her whisper was barely audible, her heart hammering wildly.
This position, this proximity—it was all too dangerous.
And anyone could walk in at any moment.
Before she could finish, his mouth crashed onto hers.
"Mmph—!"
The kiss was fierce from the start—his teeth catching her plush lower lip, sucking just hard enough to send a jolt of thrill through them both.
Su Qianqian whimpered at the slight sting, her small hands pressing uselessly against his unyielding chest.
Sensing her discomfort, his assault gentled.
He traced the curve of her upper lip with slow, teasing kisses before deepening it, drinking in her sweetness with a hunger that left her dizzy.
Her resistance melted, fingers curling into his shirt as her mind blanked.
The only sound in the quiet room was the slick, heated slide of their mouths.
Gu Chengyu’s hands weren’t idle either.
His palm skimmed the dip of her waist, then higher—brushing the soft swell of her breast, drawing a breathy whimper from her.
Then—
Click, click, click.
The sharp tap of heels approached.
Lin Shu was returning.
Su Qianqian jerked back to reality, squirming in alarm, her hands shoving at Gu Chengyu’s chest in a frantic bid for freedom.
A flicker of annoyance crossed his face at the interruption, but instead of releasing her, he bit down once more on her swollen lips before finally pulling back.
The footsteps were at the door now.
Yet Gu Chengyu didn’t rush.
Cool as ever, he snatched up the discarded glasses and shoved them into Su Qianqian’s hands.
Then—just because he could—his palm landed a stinging smack on the curve of her backside, the playful sting a silent command.
"Up."
His voice was rough with amusement, but he was already straightening, putting space between them as if he hadn’t just had her pinned beneath him.
Su Qianqian jolted at the contact, her face flaming as she scrambled inelegantly to her feet, heart pounding like a drum.
Gu Chengyu casually took her vacated spot on the sofa just as—
The door swung open.
Lin Shu strode in, radiant smile in place, her eyes immediately landing on Su Qianqian, still standing awkwardly by the sofa, head bowed.
And Gu Chengyu, lounging as if he hadn’t moved an inch.
"Qianqian, what are you still doing here?" Lin Shu's brows furrowed slightly, her tone gentle yet laced with unspoken displeasure.
Su Qianqian kept her head lowered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I dropped my glasses earlier. Just found them. I'll leave now, Sister Shu."
She didn’t dare look up, terrified that Lin Shu might notice her kiss-swollen lips, still glistening from the man’s touch.
Gu Chengyu picked up his coffee cup, taking a slow, deliberate sip. His gaze flickered toward the shrinking figure of the girl, amused. Where was that boldness she’d shown when negotiating with him?
A little thing who only dared to be fierce behind closed doors.
His eyes finally settled on Lin Shu’s face, the corner of his mouth curling into a meaningful smirk.
"How did the close-up shots go for Teacher Lin?" he asked casually, his tone giving nothing away.
Lin Shu, oblivious to any undercurrents, brightened instantly, a hint of pride in her smile. "Of course! The director said the emotions were perfect—got it in one take."
Seizing the moment while they spoke, Su Qianqian slipped out of the lounge, head still bowed.
Only when the door clicked shut behind her did she lean against the cold wall, finally allowing herself to breathe.
The memory of his scorching lips lingered on hers, and the places he’d touched—especially the curve of her hip—still tingled faintly, a relentless reminder of what had just happened.
What even was this? Why did it feel like they were sneaking around? Ugh.
Back in the lounge, Gu Chengyu stared at the closed door, his thumb absently tracing the rim of his cup as he savored the sweetness of her and the thrill of their near-discovery.
The darkness in his eyes deepened, his Adam’s apple bobbing once as that restless heat coiled tighter inside him.
He glanced at his wristwatch.
Only three in the afternoon.
Hours still until nightfall.
Too long.
He’d have to make sure the crew wrapped early today.
