Ling Qianhe turned off the television.
The CEO’s office was spacious and bright.
Without knowing which button Ling Qianhe pressed, the curtains of the floor-to-ceiling window slowly drew shut, blocking the light. The entire office gradually dimmed.
He lowered his head, inch by inch, moving closer to Lin Mucian.
Lin Mucian gripped the leather sofa, looking up at his eyes, which shone like stars. Her own eyes were filled with panic, and she feigned ignorance.
"What—what are you trying to do?"
She could hear Ling Qianhe’s light chuckle. His soft laugh echoed right beside her ear.
"Don't you know what I want to do?"
"My darling, you must know, right?"
Lin Mucian shook her head.
She refused to engage with his words, instead stating with firm conviction:
"I don't know."
Her declaration was resolute.
Ling Qianhe’s fingertips gently brushed away the stray strands of hair from her forehead. His voice seemed to carry a faint chuckle.
He leaned in, kissing her cheek, then lingering, before finally settling on her stubborn lips.
Her eyes widened abruptly.
His scent of mint, once again, enveloped her completely, rushing in.
The fragrance permeated the air.
Yet, she felt as if she had stumbled into a wild, empty forest.
He planted a universe of roses in her heart—he gripped her chin, his fingers burning hot, the warmth seeming to set her entire being aflame.
She heard him speak.
"You are, and always will be, only my Lin Mucian."
"My sister, my Xiao Ci."
"The one I love."
"Mine and mine alone."
His demeanor was so domineering, yet at the moment his eyes overflowed with emotion, it evoked a pang of heartache.
He lowered his head, his lips moving towards hers again. He studied her eyes intently and said,
"Do you feel the same?"
"If I were to ask you to never leave me, to never again venture into the myriad worlds, would you feel regret?"
Lin Mucian’s heart trembled.
She looked up at his eyes, her own heart suddenly clouded with confusion. His fingertips glided inch by inch through her hair. He gazed at her beautiful face and held her tightly.
"My greatest fear was always your disappearance."
"Just like my mother, I know she will never return."
"In this world, there will never be another gentle hand like hers."
"No one else will ever love me."
"No one will ever be good to me."
"People like me because I'm attractive, because I perform according to their expectations—but if they knew that I'm just a possessive, insane, bad guy whose mind is filled with all sorts of bloody and violent thoughts, would they still love me?"
"Would someone love me, and never give up on me?"
Lin Mucian’s heart skipped a beat. She was about to speak, to comfort Ling Qianhe.
But Ling Qianhe’s fingertips continued to slowly stroke her cheek, inch by inch. He leaned close to Lin Mucian’s ear.
"But even if I am a madman, a pervert, a yandere, a cruel bastard—for you, I would do anything."
"For you, I am willing to be a good person, forever."
Lin Mucian’s eyes widened.
He looked at her expression.
Instantly, his mood brightened.
Then, the distance between them gradually shortened.
His fingers seemed to possess an incredible, almost magical power.
He effortlessly ignited a fire within her, her breathing quickening, her voice trembling slightly.
"You... you... you..."
He chuckled, his voice growing more delighted.
"Has my Mu Ci-jie turned into a stutterer?"
"Or are you just too excited?"
"Can other men give you the happiness I bring?"
"They never will."
He was quite proud of himself!
Lin Mucian ground her teeth in frustration.
She had intended to say a few more words.
But even before she could utter them, they turned into a series of soft whimpers. She could only look up at Ling Qianhe’s eyes with a bewildered expression, as he gently kissed her eyelashes.
The one he loved.
He would never let go, for all his lifetimes.
...
The next day, Lin Mucian felt too embarrassed to look at Ling Qianhe. Being at home was one thing, but in his CEO’s office? What was he implying?
Yet, as if he could read her thoughts, he smiled and leaned closer, whispering into her ear:
"Don't worry, there are no cameras."
"And no one would dare to install any."
Is that what she was worried about! Lin Mucian glared at him. He held her, his fingers seemingly idly playing with her hair. After a moment, Ling Qianhe chuckled softly.
"How is your new movie?"
He was good at changing the subject!
However, Lin Mucian still answered him.
"It's still in preparation. It will likely take some time before I can join the crew, but I have to attend to my schedule with Times Girls—this album will definitely have one more tour, otherwise the fans won't agree."
"'Tian Di Yi Nian' is a song I wrote myself, and I hope more people will come to see us perform it live..."
Ling Qianhe hummed in acknowledgment.
"I asked your manager, Ye Tongtong, and she said that the other three all have future plans. Yang Weiyang has already secured her position as a lead, and her next role is another sweet romance drama. She’s now a recognized name in this genre; investors and platforms all acknowledge her, so she doesn’t have to worry about not getting roles."
"Aurora seems to be pursuing a career as a professional singer."
"Han Jiuzhen is going to be an idol. She's very popular overseas, second only to you."
"You've indeed helped them rise."
Since "Tomorrow's Idol," these girls have become mainstays in the entertainment industry.
Upon hearing Ling Qianhe’s words, Lin Mucian shook her head and replied without hesitation:
"No, that's because they are all incredibly talented themselves. I haven't contributed much."
However, seeing their bright futures ahead, she felt a sense of relief.
Her current worry was her new movie.
She had accepted it without hesitation, but now she felt—it was truly difficult to act.
She glanced at Ling Qianhe and then asked him,
"What do you think is the most terrifying thing in this world, a vengeful spirit?"
Ling Qianhe shook his head.
"It's the human heart."
"In this world, beneath the facade of superficial brilliance lie countless terrifying, dark, and strange occurrences. Many demons and ghosts lurk in the darkness, attempting to devour the goodness in people's hearts and drag everyone into hell."
"Once the evil thoughts of the heart arise, they consume a person until nothing remains but bones."
He understood this better than anyone.
He looked at Lin Mucian.
"What's wrong? Do you want to explore my inner thoughts?"
Lin Mucian nodded without hesitation, smiling sweetly.
"Of course. Studying the inner workings of a great villain would be very helpful for my acting. My performance would have more depth."
Her system was currently down.
Many functions were unusable.
The acting space was no longer being updated.
So, she planned to discuss acting techniques for her next film with Ling Qianhe.
Ling Qianhe, however, paused and then asked her,
"Is this movie difficult to act in?"