"I think work is more important."
He finished typing with a suppressed smile and was about to send it when his wrist was grabbed.
"?"
Wen Tingxue looked up.
Que You grinned and said, "Little sister-in-law, you're so wicked. You're already here but you lied to Brother Yu saying you weren't! Playing mind games..."
"Keep your voice down!" Wen Tingxue quickly covered his mouth.
Fortunately, both of them were fully disguised, their faces barely visible, and their voices weren't loud.
Plus, everyone around was on their side, and the general noise meant no one else knew what was happening.
"What mind games? I just wanted to surprise him. We haven't seen each other for over a month," Wen Tingxue protested.
Que You's eyes darted around, and with a wicked grin, he removed her hand and whispered, "This isn't much of a surprise. Let's go bigger?"
Wen Tingxue: "?"
-
Backstage.
Since Yu Wenli was consistently in first place, the production team had given him a private lounge.
It was difficult for ordinary staff to enter.
"Brother Yu?" Que You knocked. "Are you done changing? There's a little fan who really likes you and wants an autograph."
After about half a minute, a faint "Mm" came from inside.
Que You shot Wen Tingxue a look. Wen Tingxue obligingly pulled her brim down.
They pushed the door open and entered.
Que You flopped down on a chair. "Whoa, that outfit looks good. Too bad, little sister-in-law couldn't be here, so she can only watch on the live stream. Wonder if that affects the viewing experience."
Yu Wenli sat with his back to them, still holding his phone, the WeChat chat interface open.
Clearly, he was waiting for someone's reply.
Upon hearing Que You, his expression darkened. "If you have nothing to do, you can go run a few laps outside."
Then he noticed the small figure beside him.
He softened his tone and turned the chair around. "An autograph, you said?"
He reached out, his voice faint and carrying a hint of aloofness that warned others to keep their distance.
"Where should I sign?"
"Here."
Wen Tingxue stepped forward with a small notebook, her head bowed, her voice hushed.
She was wearing a baseball cap, and given Yu Wenli's height and the height of the makeup chair,
Wen Tingxue was sure he couldn't see her face.
However, the moment she reached out to point to the spot, he suddenly gripped her wrist and, with a subtle move, pulled her into his embrace.
It all happened in a flash.
By the time Wen Tingxue reacted, she was already caught in his grasp.
"You..."
Her hat was removed and tossed towards Que You, her face fully exposed to his gaze.
Clear.
With a hint of shock.
"Are you sure you want to sign on the notebook?" Yu Wenli asked, his expression cool as he traced her face with his hot fingertips. "Wouldn't you prefer a more suitable spot?"
His voice was unhurried, just like his usual tone.
But his eyes were deep, as if they could swallow a person whole at any moment.
Wen Tingxue flinched slightly, shrinking back. She pushed the blame onto Que You, "It wasn't my idea. It was all Brother Que You's, he taught me!"
Que You, who had already been hit: "?"
Fearing he would deny it, Wen Tingxue craned her neck, looking at him over Yu Wenli's arm.
Her eyes were full of accusation.
This was no game!
This was too much!
Que You: "..."
"Alright," he said, rubbing his nose. Que You took the blame. "It was indeed me..."
"Get out."
Yu Wenli didn't want to hear another word and ordered him out.
Que You: "..."
Wen Tingxue: "..."
The door closed from the outside, and they could even hear it being locked.
However, Yu Wenli paid no attention to any of the sounds.
His gaze remained fixed on her face from beginning to end.
As if he wouldn't be satisfied until he had burned a hole through her with his stare.
"You, don't be like this. Say something."
Wen Tingxue was truly afraid of his silence.
It was like the calm before the storm.
He was so difficult to appease.
"Say what? You haven't answered my question yet," he reminded her softly.
If not for the movement of his hands, Wen Tingxue would have suspected he had amnesia. His expression was so indifferent.
He seemed like a complete stranger.
This realization made Wen Tingxue's heart skip a beat.
The feeling of being out of her grasp gnawed at her.
"I," she bit her lip, then tossed the notebook aside, wrapping her slender arms defiantly around his neck.
She straightened up, her knees on either side of his thighs, and lowered her head, kissing his thin lips haphazardly.
It was as if she were making a vow.
But he remained unresponsive. After a while, the young girl slumped down, dejected, her fair fingertips clutching his jacket.
"What exactly do you want?" she grumbled, "We haven't seen each other for over a month, and the first thing you do is give me the cold shoulder..."
"Did I lie first?" he asked her calmly.
"..." Wen Tingxue's face twitched guiltily. She didn't dare to look at him. "But, but I wanted to give you a surprise."
By the end, she was feeling wronged again, pouting and glaring at him.
Her round black eyes were misty, surrounded by a red glow, looking incredibly pitiable.
Yu Wenli's expression shifted slightly as he tightened his lips. "Your surprise was to throw a bucket of cold water on me first?"
His tone was still as cool and detached as ever.
"..."
Wen Tingxue could no longer stand it. She sat up straight and yelled at him, "If you want to hit or scold me, do it! Don't just torment me slowly like this, it's unbearable!"
Though she yelled, it was more like a tantrum.
Her expression was still one of grievance, and it seemed like tears would fall any second.
Yu Wenli leaned back slightly, his thin, pale eyelids lifting, and he looked at her with a faint expression. "So, what is your answer?"
"?"
Wen Tingxue blinked in confusion for a moment, not quite following his train of thought.
Yu Wenli looked at her with an unmoving expression, and she quickly understood.
She lowered her head, cupped his face with both hands, kissed his lips forcefully, and then said fiercely, "I'm not signing on the notebook, I'm signing here, using my tongue as a pen!"
Anger surged through her, and she forgot all about being shy. She pointed to her own mouth and leaned forward.
She had a look of demanding a kiss.
Only then did Yu Wenli's expression soften. He reached out, gripped her lower back, and pulled her down.
Her soft body sank into his embrace.
...
Mindful of the fact that he had to go on stage soon,
Wen Tingxue pushed him away before they got carried away, her lips red. "You, you, you, restrain yourself! Be careful you don't lose."
"How is that possible?" he chuckled, wiping the moisture from the corner of her mouth. His voice was noticeably hoarser, carrying warmth.
"With you here, I will only win."
He patted her head and coaxed, "Good girl, we haven't seen each other for over a month. Kiss me a couple more times."
"No," Wen Tingxue refused him with principle. "The competition is more important."
She paused, then suddenly realized, "You weren't angry, were you?!"
She glared at him, clearly already knowing the answer.
Yu Wenli raised an eyebrow nonchalantly. "What's there to be angry about? I'm happy you're here, more than happy."
"Yu Wenli!!" The little girl he had tricked angrily grabbed his collar. "How could you be so... so wicked!"
She couldn't even come up with a proper insult.
Yu Wenli suppressed a laugh and said, "How can it be wicked? I just wanted to coax you into kissing me."
"Is that coaxing? That's fraud!" Wen Tingxue angrily rubbed his face.
-
Half an hour before going on stage, Wen Tingxue emerged from the lounge.
Wearing a baseball cap, she walked with her head down, not attracting much attention.
However, at a corner, she bumped squarely into someone.
"Ouch!"
The sudden incident drew the attention of most people in the corridor.