Dark Fire chapter 33
Restlessness
Two days later, Ling Zhuo mentioned the moving situation to Zhang Jing. She originally said she had found two places for him but wanted to consider them further. Ling Zhuo straightforwardly told her his plan.
“The neighborhood where Teacher Lu lives is quite exclusive, offering good privacy. His place is spacious, and since he lives alone, it won’t be crowded if I move in. Plus, he said I don’t need to pay rent…”
Zhang Jing was silent for a moment and then said, “Do you really think that reason holds up? Do I really care about the tens of thousands in rent each month?”
Ling Zhuo: “Well, it’s indeed better than the two places you found, and saving money is always good.”
Zhang Jing: “Fine, I won’t argue. If you’ve already decided, there’s no point in me opposing it. If you want to live with him, go ahead. Just be mindful of your boundaries.”
Ling Zhuo wanted to say it wasn’t “living together,” but then realized that living under the same roof essentially meant that. …Forget it.
Zhang Jing reminded him, “You should take proper precautions.”
Ling Zhuo awkwardly replied, “Jing jie, what are you thinking? I’m not a girl.”
Besides, he and Lu Chixie hadn’t reached that stage yet, although Zhang Jing wouldn’t believe him if he said it.
Zhang Jing earnestly said, “I know you can’t get pregnant, but you should still take precautions, for your sake.”
Ling Zhuo hung up the phone, blushing.
Lu Chixie’s mischievous laughter sounded nearby. Ling Zhuo looked up, “What’s so funny?”
“Taking precautions,” Lu Chixie said with a laugh, nodding. “Makes sense.”
Ling Zhuo: “Why are you eavesdropping on my call again?”
Lu Chixie: “I was openly listening.”
Ling Zhuo: “Anyway, she’s agreed now. Are you satisfied?”
Lu Chixie: “After filming, I’ll help you move.”
Ling Zhuo couldn’t be bothered with him and got up to leave the rest area. He had to shoot an outdoor scene in the afternoon.
On his way out, he saw a tall, stylish young woman being led in. Ling Zhuo paid her no attention, but the woman glanced at him twice and smiled.
Ling Zhuo didn’t know this woman, but he recognized the person leading her as Zhang Tianqi’s assistant. Due to some awkwardness between him and Zhang Tianqi over script changes, they were polite on the surface, but he had no interest in prying into Zhang Tianqi’s private matters.
Ling Zhuo ignored her and walked out.
As they left the set, Yang Ming realized he had forgotten something and hurried back to get it.
Ling Zhuo waited under a temporary filming tent in a secluded area, with no staff around. The young woman he had just seen followed him out, smiling and asking if she could add him on WeChat.
Ling Zhuo refused.
The woman was quite pretty, a social media influencer. Whether she was Zhang Tianqi’s girlfriend or a fling, it didn’t matter. Today, she was brought to the set by Zhang Tianqi’s assistant, and upon seeing a top star like Ling Zhuo, she naturally had thoughts. She had followed him out on the pretext of using the restroom, hoping to hook up with Ling Zhuo.
Most men, especially male celebrities, were predictable. She had been involved with several, but Ling Zhuo was the first who wouldn’t even share his contact information. His firm attitude didn’t seem to be an act. The woman smiled and didn’t press further, turning back.
Ling Zhuo had no thoughts about it. From his first day in the industry, he had encountered such situations often.
Later, when Yang Ming returned, they left the set together and drove to the outdoor shooting location.
They spent the afternoon shooting on location, then moved back in the evening to continue shooting night scenes, finishing after nine.
The final night scene was a group shot. After it wrapped, Lu Chixie stopped Ling Zhuo, who was heading to remove his makeup and change clothes, and reminded him, “Let’s leave together later.”
In public, Ling Zhuo felt embarrassed to tussle with him, so he quickly nodded.
When they returned to the hotel and took the elevator upstairs, they encountered the girl they had seen earlier in the day.
The girl, holding her room card, walked into the elevator with them and greeted Ling Zhuo. Her gaze circled Lu Chixie’s face, but lacking the courage, she didn’t strike up a conversation with him.
The girl got off the elevator two floors below them, where Zhang Tianqi lived.
As the elevator doors closed again, Lu Chixie, staring at the rising floor numbers, asked Ling Zhuo casually, “Do you know her?”
Ling Zhuo replied, “No, I just saw her on set this afternoon. She’s Zhang Tianqi’s girlfriend, right? I saw his assistant bring her in.”
Lu Chixie gave him a meaningful look.
Ling Zhuo asked, “What’s with that look, Teacher Lu?”
The elevator reached the fifteenth floor, and as the doors opened, Lu Chixie tossed out, “Nothing, I just think you have quite the charm,” and walked out first.
Ling Zhuo found it odd and followed him out.
He went back to his room to shower. At ten thirty, Lu Chixie came knocking on his door.
“It’s so late already. Do we still have lessons today?” Ling Zhuo opened the door to let him in, feeling sleepy and yawning continuously.
Lu Chixie said, “You don’t start shooting your first scene until after ten tomorrow, so there’s no need to get up early. What’s the rush?”
“What about you?” Ling Zhuo asked.
“I’ll be leaving the crew tomorrow. I’ve taken leave to shoot a commercial out of town and attend an event. I’ll be back on the weekend,” Lu Chixie explained casually, walking into the living room and sitting on the sofa.
Ling Zhuo suddenly became alert, “So you’ll be gone for four or five days?”
“Mm,” Lu Chixie glanced at him, “Missing me already?”
Ling Zhuo thought to himself there wasn’t much to miss. He sat down next to Lu Chixie, “What time do you leave tomorrow?”
Lu Chixie replied, “The flight’s a bit after eight in the morning. I’ll go straight from here, it’s closer.”
Ling Zhuo made a sound of acknowledgment and didn’t ask further, figuring he should just let him go.
“Do you have any other work this week?” Lu Chixie asked him.
Ling Zhuo said, “I need to shoot the cover and promotional photos for my new album tomorrow afternoon.”
Lu Chixie grabbed one of his hands, absentmindedly pinching his ring finger’s knuckle, and lowered his voice, “Ling, with your boyfriend not around, you better behave.”
Ling Zhuo chuckled, “How could I misbehave? What would you do if I didn’t behave?”
“You can try,” Lu Chixie’s tone was slightly dangerous, “see what happens.”
Ling Zhuo didn’t bother arguing, “You’re so boring.”
After a moment of silence, he turned his head and asked in Lu Chixie’s ear, “It takes more than forty minutes to get to the airport from here, right? Don’t you have to get up at five tomorrow?”
Lu Chixie responded, “Mm.”
Ling Zhuo asked, “Then why don’t you go to sleep? It’s so late already.”
Lu Chixie replied, “I don’t want to sleep,” as he raised his hand, changed his posture, and pulled Ling Zhuo into his arms.
Ling Zhuo, with his eyes closed, smiled, rubbing his forehead against Lu Chixie’s chin, and whispered, “I think I might actually miss you a little.”
He didn’t know if it counted as missing, but just thinking about not seeing him for four or five days made him feel a bit uneasy. This was the first time he had such feelings for someone other than Zhong Yiran and the first time he could easily express it.
Lu Chixie’s hand on his shoulder tightened slightly, “Really?”
Ling Zhuo thought for a moment and said, “I don’t know, maybe.”
Lu Chixie looked at him.
Ling Zhuo, feeling embarrassed under his gaze, turned away, “Forget it, just pretend I didn’t say anything.”
He got up to wash up in the bathroom. Lu Chixie followed, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, watching him. Ling Zhuo, brushing his teeth, caught his gaze in the mirror and gave him an uneasy smile.
When he washed his face, Lu Chixie stepped forward, got close behind him, and gently scratched Ling Zhuo’s cheek with his finger, saying to the mirror, “Why is your skin so thin?”
Ling Zhuo turned around to say something but was lifted onto the sink by Lu Chixie, who leaned forward. Ling Zhuo, now with his back against the tiled wall, couldn’t move.
Lu Chixie’s gaze roamed over his face, a finger still slowly teasing his cheek. Ling Zhuo, although sitting higher, felt like he was being toyed with by Lu Chixie, which made him uncomfortable. To distract him, he grabbed the razor from the sink and said, “Your stubble is coming out. Let me shave it for you.”
Lu Chixie let him do it, so Ling Zhuo got to work, first moistening his facial skin, then applying shaving foam. Ling Zhuo carefully held Lu Chixie’s face, treating it as a finely crafted piece of art.
And why not, Ling Zhuo thought. Lu Chixie’s face was his greatest asset. His mother An Xin’s beauty was more glamorous, and Lu Chixie inherited seventy percent of her looks, but his features were more chiseled and heroic, making a stronger visual impact. No wonder he had so many fans.
“What are you thinking?” Lu Chixie asked.
Ling Zhuo came back to his senses, “Nothing, just wondering how you got this face.”
“Maybe you should ask yourself that too,” Lu Chixie suggested.
Ling Zhuo smiled, “Fair enough.”
Lowering his voice, he added, “Teacher Lu, why is your stubble so tough? It’s taking forever to soften.”
Lu Chixie asked, “Is it?”
Ling Zhuo said, “Yes, it is.”
His voice softened even more, “If your stubble is hard, I bet the hair elsewhere on your body is hard too. I heard that people with tough hair have stronger desires. Is that true?”
Lu Chixie said, “Ling Zhuo.”
Ling Zhuo asked, “What?”
Lu Chixie replied, “If you don’t want to do it, don’t keep teasing me.”
Ling Zhuo said, “I’m not…”
Lu Chixie said, “You can find out how strong my desires are for yourself if you want.”
Ling Zhuo didn’t want to continue. He was just a bit curious, but after asking, he felt it was inappropriate, as if he did it on purpose.
The stubble on Lu Chixie’s face softened completely, so Ling Zhuo quickly picked up a razor to shave him clean, then wiped away the foam from his face.
Once everything was cleaned up, Lu Chixie’s lips came down on his, accompanied by the lingering scent of shaving cream residue.
Ling Zhuo responded to this affectionate kiss, hands resting on Lu Chixie’s shoulders, gradually tightening.
This intimate intertwining of lips and tongues was something Ling Zhuo had grown familiar with and even accustomed to lately, from awkward beginnings to now feeling confident, all taught by Lu Chixie.
From the bathroom to the bedroom, pressed into the bed, all Ling Zhuo could sense was Lu Chixie—his kisses, his breath, his soft groans, and even Lu Chixie himself.
Ling Zhuo’s mind was too clouded to think, responding instinctively with passionate kisses.
When the phone on the bedside table rang, reason barely returned. Ling Zhuo lightly pushed the person on top of him, “I’ll take the call.”
Lu Chixie helped him reach for the phone. Surprisingly, it was Zhong Yiran calling.
Ling Zhuo took the phone, sat up, and answered. Zhong Yiran called to inform him that tomorrow’s work was postponed until the day after tomorrow. Ling Zhuo acknowledged and exchanged a few casual words with him. Zhong Yiran asked him, “Are you still awake?”
Before Ling Zhuo could reply, Lu Chixie’s hand had slipped under his robe, lightly pinching his waist.
Ling Zhuo gasped, glaring at the person in front of him, no longer interested in talking to Zhong Yiran, and simply bid him goodnight before hanging up.
“What are you doing?” Ling Zhuo asked.
Lu Chixie replied, “I’ve reminded you so many times not to be ambiguous with other men in front of your boyfriend.”
“He was talking to me about work. What are you thinking?” Ling Zhuo retorted.
“Couldn’t it wait until tomorrow morning instead of calling in the middle of the night? Why not tell your assistant?” Lu Chixie persisted.
Ling Zhuo explained helplessly, “The team notifies me directly about activities. If everything goes through the assistant, it creates unnecessary distance and formality. I guess he called because he was afraid I hadn’t seen the message.”
Lu Chixie pressed further, “Is your contract with Haitian nearing its end?”
Ling Zhuo struggled to follow Lu Chixie’s rapid thoughts. “Not yet. It’s until the end of next year. But my contract with the group ends in April next year.”
Lu Chixie asserted, “Once the contract ends, just quit the group.”
Ling Zhuo felt uncomfortable with Lu Chixie’s uncompromising tone and fell silent.
Lu Chixie pinched him again. “Did you hear me?”
Ling Zhuo pushed his hand away. “Mind your own business.”
Glancing at the time, Ling Zhuo said, “It’s late, Teacher Lu. You should go back. We have to get up early tomorrow.”
Lu Chixie replied, “I forgot my room card. Xiao Qian must be asleep now, so I’ll just stay here for the night.”
Ling Zhuo thought, You’re doing this on purpose.
Too tired to argue, he crawled under the covers.
Before sleeping, he checked his phone and saw a goodnight message from Zhong Yiran on WeChat, but he didn’t reply.
Opening Weibo, he scrolled through fan comments for a few minutes, seeing the trending hashtag #WhatDoesItFeelLikeToLikeSomeone#. His thoughts stirred, and he clicked on it.
The hashtag said that liking someone wasn’t just about superficial things; at least there should be a sexual impulse towards that person, wanting to be intimate with them.
Lu Chixie climbed over him, pulling him close.
“What are you looking at?” he whispered in his ear.
Ling Zhuo turned off his phone screen. “Just browsing.”
Lu Chixie chuckled softly by his ear. “Hmm, just browsing.”
“Don’t ask,” Ling Zhuo’s voice was muffled.
“Ling, do you have it?” Lu Chixie asked.
“Have what?” Ling Zhuo replied.
“Sexual impulse towards me,” Lu Chixie said.
Ling Zhuo didn’t answer and changed the subject, “When exactly are you coming back this weekend?”
“I don’t know, depends. Maybe Saturday afternoon, maybe Sunday,” Lu Chixie said.
Ling Zhuo sighed softly, “Okay.”
Lu Chixie patted his butt, “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Go to sleep.”
Suppressing the stirring in his heart, Ling Zhuo closed his eyes quietly.