Chapter 26 - My Costar Still Hasn't Left

Xin Hulei hums thoughtfully, his long lashes drawing crisscross shadows on his smooth cheeks.

Yao Shen's leg kicks back and forth across the pavement, if Xin Hulei says anything he's just going to get up and leave. He'll excuse himself with Ye Fang and Gao Wu later.

"I don't want to make young miss Ye uncomfortable," Xin Hulei says, after a moment. "I hear she's already in a relationship."

He doesn't elaborate, and leaves his answer at that.

The implication is clear though, he basically admitted that Ye Fang would be the person he would want to have sex with, if it weren't for her relationship.

Yao Shen should feel glad he hasn't been implicated in Xin Hulei's stupid little game, but he can only focus on Ye Fang's flustered laugh.

Of course, the bastard still manages to be charming even when playing this kind of stupid game.

"Oh, that's old news, Xin laoshi," Ye Fang says, touching the back of her hand to her hot cheek. "I'm single now."

Yao Shen wishes there was a way to warn her that the most she'll get is a one-night stand and a cold bed the next day, without revealing how he came upon that information.

Or maybe not.

Maybe that's something Yao Shen reserves for the people he has a low opinion of.

Maybe he would be considerate and kind with Ye Fang, maybe it's only Yao Shen he sees as disposable.

That train of thought only makes him more furious at Xin Hulei.

He only realizes he's openly scowling at him when Gao Wu waves a hand in front of his face. "It's gege's turn now," he says, once Yao Shen's eyes finally snap up towards him. He has probably been trying to get his attention for a while.

Xin Hulei is just looking at him, his gaze inscrutable as ever, and yet, in his opaque eyes Yao Shen reads a challenge: "Your move next."

Yao Shen's move is to jump down the low wall he's sitting down on and stretch his arms above his head dramatically. "It's getting late, and I have to shoot early tomorrow, I think I'll be going now. We can finish the game some other day."

Ye Fang and Gao Wu grumble a little but it's Xin Hulei who speaks up. "Is Yao laoshi afraid of having to answer potentially intimate questions?"

His tone isn't leading or suggestive, if anything, he sounds genuinely curious, which just pisses off Yao Shen more.

Squaring his shoulders, he says, "Like I said, I shoot early tomorrow, and feel tired."

"So do I, but I think we should at least finish the game. Yao laoshi is the only one who hasn't answered yet."

Yao Shen narrows his eyes at him. How does Xin Hulei know that if he wasn't there when they started playing?

As if anticipating that, Xin Hulei turns to Gao Wu and Ye Fang, and asks, "Isn't that right?"

They both nod, and Xin Hulei falls silent, his shrouded gaze falling on Yao Shen once more.

Yao Shen hears him say, "Your move next," as surely as if he had spoken the words.

He sits back down, and takes the phone from Xin Hulei's hand with a violent tug.

He knows in which category the spinning wheel is going to stop at even before it does.

The words 'Love Connection' flash brightly on the screen, and Yao Shen restrains himself from openly scowling at Xin Hulei. Somehow, Yao Shen knew he would use his demon king powers to make the wheel stop on that category.

Resigned, he waits for the app to show him the first question.

Gao Wu reads it over his shoulder before Yao Shen even has the time to take it in. "Tell us what caused the end of the relationship before your current one."

Some of the tension leaves Yao Shen's coiled shoulders. That's not a bad question at all.

"Uhm, I'm not in a relationship right now, but my previous one ended because we wanted different things," he says, smiling at how easy that was.

Ye Fang agrees and lets out a groan of dismay. "That's too vague, gege. You need to tell us more."

He shoots her a smirk and taps the button to get another question. "It's not vague if it's the truth."

She wanted Yao Shen to have more time for her. Yao Shen wanted to have more acting jobs.

Irreconcilable differences.

The next question is just as easy. "What qualities do you look for in a romantic partner?"

Yao Shen almost wants to smirk at Xin Hulei. These probably weren't the kind of questions he had in mind when he insisted for Yao Shen to continue playing.

"I like honesty, above everything else. I want the person I'm with to be fully honest with me about every aspect of their lives, even the unsavory parts," he can't help making eye contact with Xin Hulei as he says those words, hoping to needle him.

"I like people who are fun, and whose face shows their every emotion. I dislike people who keep all their thoughts and feelings to themselves. I absolutely hate people who are callous, cruel and insensitive. I want to be with someone kind and passionate"

At this point, Yao Shen isn't even really listing qualities he values, only the ones Xin Hulei doesn't have to get back at him.

Xin Hulei might have walked out on him after their ill-advised night together, but it's not like Yao Shen would want a relationship with him, even if he asked.

He's making it clear that Xin Hulei is the opposite of what he could ever want.

For his part, Xin Hulei's reaction is complete and utter apathy, as if Yao Shen is describing paint dry.

Whatever. Once he's done with the game Yao Shen can just leave and go back to the hotel.

He taps the button to get the last question.

When he colors stop flashing Yao Shen's eyes widen in horror.

Being lulled into a false sense of security due to the previous questions was a grave mistake on his part.

Noticing his prolonged silence, Gao Wu once again reads the question above Yao Shen's shoulder, before he has the chance to shut off the screen.

"If you're single kiss the person to your right, if you're in a relationship kiss your significant other."

Everyone knows Yao Shen is single by his own admission, and there's only one person sitting to his right: Xin Hulei.