In a high-rise apartment in the heart of the city—where every square inch cost a fortune—the entire floor had been ruthlessly gutted into a single, sprawling open-concept space.
The interior was a minimalist blend of black, white, and gray. The apartment felt vast and airy, with almost no partitions save for the bathroom.
The “vixen” in question was now sitting obediently on Yin Beilin’s charcoal-gray matte velvet sofa, looking for all the world like a student being lectured. His slippers rested on the plush carpet as he stared blankly at Yin Beilin.
“Do I still have to go on that variety show?” Lu Ren asked dumbly. “But… aren’t Miss Luo and Miss Rao on it too?”
Yin Beilin shot him a sidelong glance. “Oh, so you *do* know?”
Lu Ren rubbed his nose, his explanation sounding a bit guilty. “I just… I overheard the assistant talking about it during the photoshoot yesterday.”
*Besides, how could I not know? The latest chapter of “Dongfang Zhuzhu” is literally about them joining this “Fantasy Couple” show!*
*Sure, I’m just playing around, but I’m still keeping up with the novel.*
…Wait, what does that “again” mean? Lu Ren froze for a second.
“You’re right,” Yin Beilin said, crossing his arms and watching him with amused anticipation. “They *are* going to be on this show. Which means you’ll have to perform even better.”
“…Ge,” Lu Ren asked, “Wh-what do you mean by ‘performing better’?”
“Aren’t you good at being intimate?” Yin Beilin raised an eyebrow, his tone nonchalant. “Do I really need to teach you how?”
“…”
…Being intimate?
Lu Ren’s face flushed. He stammered, “But, but… going on a variety show, flaunting our relationship in front of so many people… isn’t that… a bit much?”
Yin Beilin scoffed. “What’s wrong with that?”
Lu Ren hesitated, then said weakly, “Well… Ge, you know how many people like you.”
Like Luo Jiuge and Rao Mengmeng, for example.
At that thought, Lu Ren’s eyes lit up.
“Ge, look,” Lu Ren said earnestly, “everyone likes you so much. If I go on the same variety show as you, wouldn’t that break the hearts of all those people who like you?”
Yin Beilin stared at him, his eyes narrowing. “So you’re being this considerate of my feelings?”
“…” Lu Ren felt a pang of guilt for a second. “O-of course!”
“If we ever break up in the future, and then… then these people remember that Ge and I were on this kind of show together, wouldn’t that get in the way of Ge’s… Ge’s future marriage prospects?”
Lu Ren racked his brain, stammering, “I don’t want you to be alone, Brother…”
Yin Beilin suddenly interrupted him, his tone cold. “What’s so bad about being alone?”
The sudden chill in Yin Beilin’s voice made Lu Ren’s heart tremble. He almost nodded and said, *Okay, okay, fine.*
But…!
If he really had to go on a dating show with the male lead, not just Rao Mengmeng, but Luo Jiuge, Su Xi, and Xu Qingqing would be completely out of the running!
Setting aside the fact that he’d be ruining so many female characters’ chances, how was he ever going to go back to being a straight man? *Waaah…*
Lu Ren swallowed hard and tremblingly insisted, “Being alone is fine, it’s very fine, but… but, Brother, if you have someone who cares about you…”
“Then… then you can talk about it when you’re sick and uncomfortable, or when you’re unhappy. And you can share the happiness when you’re happy. Wouldn’t that… wouldn’t that make you even happier?”
Lu Ren finished speaking, trembling with fear. He lowered his head and sat on the sofa, not daring to make a sound.
“…”
*It’s over. The male lead isn’t saying anything. I must have pissed him off.*
Lu Ren broke out in a cold sweat. *If I’d known, if I’d known… since I’ve already come this far, I should have just accepted my fate… No matter how important a straight man’s ass is, it’s not more important than his life!*
Sure enough, just as the thought crossed his mind, a shadow suddenly fell over him.
Lu Ren swallowed hard as his face was pinched again, forcing him to lift his head.
*…Seriously, Male Lead, can you stop pinching people’s faces?*
The soft flesh of Lu Ren’s cheeks ached from the pinch. With his head tilted up, he had no choice but to meet Yin Beilin’s dark, brooding gaze.
Perhaps it was because he was facing the glare of the ceiling lights, but Lu Ren couldn’t help but feel that Yin Beilin’s eyes seemed exceptionally deep and dark this time.
So deep they sent a shiver down his spine.
But the next second, Yin Beilin smiled faintly, and that fleeting illusion vanished.
Lu Ren couldn’t help but stare blankly.
To be honest, in the original novel *Dongfang Zhizhu*, Yin Beilin was portrayed as a detached and aloof character—the type who, like a Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, had to be cold-hearted and rarely smile to maintain his untouchable aura.
But from what he’d seen in the short time since he’d transmigrated, Yin Beilin’s expressions were actually quite vivid…
*Maybe a Rafflesia is a better fit for the Male Lead than a high-and-mighty flower…*
His mind raced with these wild thoughts, but in reality, he’d only been staring blankly for two seconds.
The faint smile on Yin Beilin’s lips deepened.
The handsome face, now magnified in his vision, seemed less cold-hearted, his eyes crinkling with a smile as he looked at him.
A faint, melancholic fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose. Lu Ren swallowed hard, his face flushing for no apparent reason.
The next moment, his cheek was squished firmly.
His flesh was comically bunched up on both sides, and Lu Ren let out a pained grunt. Then he heard Yin Beilin’s leisurely voice.
“My little toy is being so enthusiastic. Since that’s the case, I’ll have to trouble you to keep me well-accompanied.”
Lu Ren: “…Huh?”
????
*I didn’t mean that, Male Lead??*
*Did a PE teacher teach you your language arts??*
Lu Ren’s stunned expression seemed to amuse Yin Beilin.
Yin Beilin smiled faintly, releasing his grip on Lu Ren’s hand to pat his cheek instead.
“How about this: if you perform well on the show, my little toy will be rewarded.”
“For every unconditional agreement with my words,” Yin Beilin pinched the soft flesh of Lu Ren’s cheek again, pondering for two seconds, “I’ll count it as ten thousand yuan off your debt.”
“…!!!!” Lu Ren’s eyes widened in shock. “Really?!”
“Of course.”
“!!!”
Ten thousand yuan! That meant every time he nodded and said “Okay,” as long as he did it five thousand times, his entire debt would be paid off!
Could there be such a good deal in the world? Lu Ren’s smile stretched from ear to ear.
Perhaps his joy was too obvious, because the next second, the male lead gave a lazy, “Hmm?”
Lu Ren’s joy immediately turned to dread.
“Did you understand?” Yin Beilin glanced at him with his phoenix eyes. “If you understood, go take a shower.”
…A-A shower?
…It couldn’t be what he was thinking—
Lu Ren swallowed hard, his voice stammering.
“H-Hurry up.”
Lu Ren shivered, saying tremulously, “…I-I need to prepare myself mentally.”
Yin Beilin: “…”
Lu Ren stood up and started doing arm circles, high-knees, and leg stretches…
Yin Beilin glanced at his watch and said flatly, “I want to see you here in fifteen minutes.”
“!”
Lu Ren’s face immediately fell as he snapped to attention and ran to the bathroom.
Right on time, Lu Ren finished showering in ten minutes. He took a deep breath, mustered all his courage, and opened the door.
However, the moment he stepped out, the entire room was dark.
*S-So soon?*
*Does the male lead… like to keep the lights off…?*
Just as he was thinking this, a low, magnetic voice drifted through the air.
“Come here.”
Lu Ren shivered, his face crumpled in despair in the absolute darkness. “…H-here I come.”
A *Rafflesia*—a massive, imposing flower—already lay upon the enormous, soft bed.
Lu Ren cautiously lifted a corner of the duvet and tremblingly slid inside.
The moment he lay down by the edge of the bed, an arm swept across his waist, dragging him away from the side!
Lu Ren nearly let out a curse.
With a hand across his stomach and his back pressed tight against the source of heat, Lu Ren’s throat went dry. His entire body felt as rigid as stone…
*Yin Beilin… is he going to… now?! Aagh!*
*…!*
Lu Ren screamed silently in his mind, his hand by his head clenching tight, his eyes wide with terror.
Yin Beilin—he was actually *biting* him!
Beneath the black hair, the flesh of his slender, pale neck and shoulder was bitten again.
Lu Ren flinched, letting out a muffled *whimper*.
The sound made his face flush with heat, and his body trembled even more.
The man behind him gave the soft flesh a final, lingering gnaw before letting go. Lu Ren jolted, and then Yin Beilin released him.
Yin Beilin shifted his arm to wrap it around Lu Ren’s waist, burying his head in the crook of his neck.
His breath brushed against Lu Ren’s ear, and stray hairs tickled his cheek. But Lu Ren was frozen stiff, too terrified to move a muscle.
*…What the hell is the male lead trying to do?!!??*
His face flushed red, then paled, then turned green.
The colors shifted and swirled in the darkness of the night. After what felt like an eternity, the sound of long, steady breathing came from behind him…
Lu Ren: “…”
*…Yin Beilin, you’re just going to fall asleep like this?*