"No." Wen Yuhan paused, then gave a bitter smile. "I can only say that there isn't one yet."
"What do you mean 'temporarily'?!" Xiao Yang panicked even more, stammering, "So you mean he could hurt you at any time, right?! Damn it, this guy's a mad dog! Teacher, how come you always manage to provoke these mad dogs?!"
While cursing, Xiao Yang secretly glanced at Pei Shaocheng inside the car, thinking to himself, "Look, isn't there a car sitting right here too!"
"Let's not talk about this now, let's go to your place." Wen Yuhan picked up another cigarette, her eyes showing some fatigue. "I'm sleepy."
Xiao Yang quickly nodded: "Okay, I'll call a car."
"Get in, I'll give you a ride," came Pei Shaocheng's deep voice from inside the car.
Xiao Yang looked at Pei Shaocheng, then at Wen Yuhan, unsure whether she should go up to him or not.
It wasn't until Wen Yuhan casually said "thank you" to Pei Shaocheng that he hesitantly reached for the car door.
As soon as the door was opened a crack, Pei Shaocheng inside said coldly:
"Go sit in the front."
...
A note from the author:
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 79
Xiao Yang rented a small apartment in Dongcheng, because most of Yancheng's film and television media companies are concentrated there, making it convenient for him to go there for meetings or other occasions.
Personally, Pei Shaocheng disliked the east side completely, finding it chaotic and noisy. Then he realized Wen Yuhan seemed to dislike it too. After all, without a car, he preferred to take the subway and transfer several times a day rather than stay in the south.
"How big is the house you rent?" Pei Shaocheng asked, breaking the silence in the car.
Xiao Yang, in the passenger seat, took a moment to realize that the other person was talking to him, and said in a somewhat hesitant voice, "One bedroom and one living room."
Faced with this movie star who was far superior to him in every way, the fact that Wen Yuhan was coming home with him was the only thing he could be proud of at this moment. So he straightened his back and added, "Don't worry, I'll let Teacher Wen sleep in the bed."
Pei Shaocheng didn't speak again, but the tense lines on his face still reflected his bad mood. He turned his head from time to time to look at Wen Yuhan beside him, and saw that the other party was leaning back in the back seat with his eyes gently closed, as if he had fallen asleep.
The streetlights and city neon lights flashed across his face, constantly changing colors. A few strands of his hair, which had been swept up, fell down and bounced gently as the car moved.
Pei Shaocheng hadn't seen Wen Yuhan in a suit in a long time. He remembered the last time was when Wen Yuhan went to accept an award at a drama festival after his script was shortlisted. Wen Yuhan stood in front of the full-length mirror, frowning as he fiddled with the new tie he'd bought for him. His slender, long hands rarely showed any clumsiness. He seemed to be solving an extremely complex math problem, struggling with the tie for almost half an hour before finally giving up and sprawling on the sofa, his shirt collar wide open, lazily lighting a cigarette.
Pei Shaocheng was dressed neatly when he came out of the restroom and saw Wen Yuhan looking at him with a frustrated and pleading expression. He felt both helpless and amused, yet also incredibly fond of her.
He walked over, picked up the tie from the sofa, pulled Wen Yuhan up, bent down to tie it for him, and straightened his collar. When he looked up, he met the other's smiling, almond-shaped eyes.
Wen Yuhan held a cigarette between his fingers, his tall and slender figure accentuated by the suit. If one didn't know he was writing at his desk, seeing him like this, one would truly think he was a star who had just stepped out of an idol drama. His professional demeanor also gave Wen Yuhan a unique aura, different from other artists—calm, casual, and carefree.
"That's why I hate these kinds of troublesome clothes the most," Wen Yuhan said helplessly, a cigarette between her fingers. "Why do these film festivals and theater festivals always require formal attire?"
Pei Shaocheng wrapped his arms around Wen Yuhan's waist from behind, rested his chin on Wen Yuhan's shoulder, and breathed in the warm neck, the scent of which captivated him. His voice became husky: "I like seeing you dressed like this."
Wen Yuhan smiled faintly upon hearing this, her eyes teasing Pei Shaocheng, and she couldn't help but lower her voice: "Do you like watching, or do you like taking your clothes off?"
Pei Shaocheng's eyes darkened instantly, and the hand around that narrow waist tightened involuntarily. He said with a hint of threat in his tone, "Are you trying to seduce me?"
That very evening, Pei Shaocheng proved with his actions that he actually preferred to strip Wen Yuhan naked rather than see her in a suit.
He used his own tie and the tie that was used against Wen Yuhan as props. One was used to tie the other's hands to the headboard, and the other was used to blindfold Wen Yuhan.
Afterwards, Wen Yuhan looked at her suit, which Pei Shaocheng had stained and crumpled, and felt heartbroken for a long time. However, not long after, she went back to writing, leaving all the cleanup work to Pei Shaocheng.
Pei Shaocheng was thoroughly enjoying this, secretly looking forward to the next time Wen Yuhan would wear a suit.
Years later, Wen Yuhan finally learned how to tie a tie. It was because Pei Shaocheng had locked him in that villa in the Western Hills, canceling all his schedules for the day, just to force Wen Yuhan, whose wrist was inflamed, to tie his tie himself.
Watching the other person's pale face and trembling body repeatedly untie and re-tie the crooked tie, Pei Shaocheng felt a strange sense of pain mixed with a feeling of vengeful satisfaction.
The two of them had been flirting and being silly together for years, but in the end, Pei Shaocheng ripped off his tie, threw Wen Yuhan onto the bed, ignored his panic and struggles, and tied his swollen wrists behind his back...
Memories pierced Pei Shaocheng like a raging flood, as all the tenderness and hurt of the past relentlessly intertwined and surfaced before his eyes.
When he realized that what had sustained him for so many years—the other person's depravity and betrayal—was all just his own wishful thinking, he heard a voice explode in his heart, shattering into pieces. His face was reflected on those countless fragments, appearing both ferocious and ridiculous.
Pei Shaocheng's pupils were filled with endless, surging emotions. He reached out and stroked Wen Yuhan's tie, then slowly moved his hand up to caress the other's face.
Wen Yuhan's eyelashes trembled, but she didn't open her eyes. Pei Shaocheng leaned forward and, in the brief moment the light of a streetlamp flickered on and off, kissed her lips. He lingered on her lips for a moment before parting them and exploring her mouth.
Wen Yuhan opened her eyes at that moment, staring silently at Pei Shaocheng without moving, neither resisting nor taking the initiative.
Pei Shaocheng was lost in the kiss when he looked up and realized that Wen Yuhan had woken up and was looking at him thoughtfully. His eyes instantly became flustered, as if his soul, which had left his body, had suddenly returned to it, but he was unwilling to end it all, so he stubbornly remained in that position.
Xiao Yang could see all of this clearly through the rearview mirror.
When Pei Shaocheng leaned in to kiss Wen Yuhan, he almost blurted out, "Don't touch him!" But at the crucial moment, he stopped himself.
What right did he have to stop it now? Besides, after spending so much time together in Wancheng, Xiao Yang was certain that Pei Shaocheng would never harm Wen Yuhan. To be precise, he had known all along, but had simply refused to admit it. Ultimately, wasn't his bias towards Lu Yanheng between Pei Shaocheng and Lu Yanheng also stemming from deep-seated jealousy towards Pei Shaocheng?
The car stopped downstairs in the apartment complex, and Wen Yuhan opened the door and got out. He hadn't reacted at all to the kiss just now.
Pei Shaocheng followed closely behind and got out of the car. He stood a few meters behind Wen Yuhan, his gaze fixed on Wen Yuhan's back, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
Even though he knew Wen Yuhan probably wouldn't tell him anything, he was still hoping that the other person would turn around for him.
However, even as Wen Yuhan and Xiao Yang gradually disappeared from his sight, he still didn't turn around. The warmth of the other's touch seemed to linger on his lips; Pei Shaocheng licked them, trying to savor more of their flavor, then lit a cigarette and returned to his car.
The driver, Xiao Wu, respectfully asked Pei Shaocheng where he was going next. Pei Shaocheng was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Leave the car here and go back first."
Xiao Wu nervously glanced at Pei Shaocheng a few times, then checked again to make sure he was sure. After receiving confirmation, hesitantly got out of the car and took a taxi home.
It was past midnight, the streetlights in the neighborhood were not bright enough, and there were hardly any people around.
Pei Shaocheng moved to the driver's seat, adjusted the backrest a bit, and leaned back silently smoking. Every now and then, he would look up at the only room upstairs that still had a light on, until it went out.
In early spring, the temperature difference between day and night is still quite large. Even though the sun shines brightly during the day, it can still get a bit chilly at night.
Pei Shaocheng turned on the heater and rolled down the car window halfway. In the blink of an eye, most of the cigarettes he had just opened were gone. Pei Shaocheng rested his elbows on the steering wheel, rubbing his aching temples as he tried to stay awake.
He was genuinely worried about Wen Yuhan, constantly fearing that Han Shu might do something to him. Today's situation, caused by Yi Li, had thrust Wen Yuhan into the eye of the storm. He believed Wen Yuhan himself understood that simply hiding from the world wouldn't solve anything. Rather than hiding and constantly worrying about Han Shu, it was better to seize this opportunity to confront him directly and eliminate them completely.
But when she thought of Wen Yuhan telling her indifferently that he was "tired," and when she thought of what he had gone through over the years, she couldn't bear to let him face all of that again.
Pei Shaocheng lit his last cigarette, opened the door, and got out of the car. The cool, damp air gradually calmed his agitated mind.
Ultimately, he made a decision: no matter what Wen Yuhan wanted to do in the future, he would unconditionally and always stand by his side. He would do everything in his power to protect him.
As for those things that originally belonged to Wen Yuhan, he would take them back for him one by one. If Wen Yuhan still wanted them, he would gladly offer them up with both hands. If he didn't want them, he would let him crush and tear them to pieces without feeling the slightest regret.
In short, only Wen Yuhan himself can decide whether or not he wants his things.
Anyone who dares to steal it will be killed.
...
A note from the author:
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 80
The late nights of early spring have a unique scent that belongs to this season. If you want to savor it, it's the fresh aroma of new branches covering decaying wood.
After taking a shower, Wen Yuhan lit a cigarette and walked to the window. Through the glass, she saw the Rolls-Royce parked downstairs, its engine off. It seemed the owner wasn't planning to leave anytime soon.
As if sensing the gaze from upstairs, the car lights flashed quietly twice in the night, greeting Wen Yuhan.
Wen Yuhan lowered his head and flicked the ash from his cigarette, his expression remaining calm and composed, though a slight smile unconsciously curved his lips.
The phone screen next to me suddenly lit up; Pei Shaocheng had sent a message.
— Don't sleep with wet hair.
Wen Yuhan was somewhat dazed when a drop of water from her hair fell onto the phone screen and "plop," wetting two words.
Two more messages came in from the other end.
—【Go and get some rest.】
—【Don't worry, I'm here.】
Wen Yuhan stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.
"You should go back soon too." He paused for a moment, then pressed send.
Pei Shaocheng quickly responded.
—【I'll stay by your side.】
Wen Yuhan sighed inwardly and was about to close the curtains when she noticed Pei Shaocheng open the car door and get out. The white light from the streetlamp illuminated his tall and imposing figure. He looked up and gazed at the window where Wen Yuhan was.
Wen Yuhan's body stiffened slightly, and they stared at each other silently from a great distance.
Pei Shaocheng reached out and waved gently at him, indicating that Wen Yuhan should not stand by the window with wet hair to avoid catching a cold.
Wen Yuhan's eyes darkened, and he gripped his phone tighter. Immediately, his palm vibrated.
He looked at Pei Shaocheng's caller ID, hesitated for a moment, and then pressed the answer button.
When you put it to your ear, the other person's deep, gentle voice flows in through the receiver.
"Why aren't you going to dry your hair yet?"
Wen Yuhan paused, then asked softly, "Are you planning to sleep in the car tonight?"
The other person responded with silence.
Wen Yuhan reached for the cigarette case on the windowsill again and put the cigarette holder between her lips.
The burning tobacco produced white smoke that drifted out through the gauze window.
“I’ve already arranged for people to protect your safety at all times starting tomorrow,” Pei Shaocheng said slowly. “Don’t worry, I’ve instructed them not to interfere with your daily life.”
"Pei Shaocheng." Wen Yuhan frowned and raised his voice, "Are you going to spy on me again?"
“I didn’t mean that, Xiaohan.” Pei Shaocheng’s tone faltered, and he quickly explained, “I’m just really worried about Han Shu. If possible, of course I would like you to stay by my side so that I can take care of you at all times.”
Wen Yuhan remained silent. He fully understood that Pei Shaocheng's actions stemmed from concern for him. He also knew that no matter what he did or where he went, Han Shu and Liu Zhengju would never let him off easily.
He just really didn't want to live under the gaze of anyone anymore.