Chapter 16: Don't let the Male Lead Actor hand-feed you

Xi Zirui looks down hopelessly at the black braces covering most of his forearms and hands, leaving just his fingers peeking out.

Han Yu notices his forlorn expression and his grin slips. "Is didi in a lot of pain?"

He actually sounds concerned, that gives Xi Zirui an idea.

He's feeling out of sorts from the painkillers, he's all alone in a different world - parallel reality - whatever, and no one cares that he's in pain and alone in a huge hotel room, slowly going mad with boredom.

He would appreciate being taken care of, maybe just a little. It's not something he experienced much throughout his life, what with the grandparents who raised him being busy trying to support him and his aunt, even in their old age. Most of the time it was Xi Zirui taking care of everyone else.

Just once, he would like to be indulged and pampered.

He turns his best puppy-eye look on Han Yu, opening his eyes wide and letting his lower lip tremble slightly. "It really hurts."

Han Yu sucks on a breath and clucks his tongue. He runs his fingers over Xi Zirui's hair, flattened and damp after so many hours of wearing the wig. "Poor didi, what can gege do to help?"

Xi Zirui thinks this over, he could have a lot of fun making Han Yu do all sorts of things for him.

"I'm hungry," he says, whining a little. "I want chocolates."

Usually, Xi Zirui doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, but he thinks chocolate might improve his mood somewhat.

"Oh, I have a few boxes in my room, I'll get them," Han Yu says smiling widely, and jumps off the bed.

He returns in a few minutes carrying an armload of chocolate boxes that he dumps over the smooth duvet covering Xi Zirui's legs.

"Didi can have his pick," Han Yu says, siting down next to Xi Zirui and opening one of the boxes to show the assortment of different chocolates inside.

Han Yu lifts his arms uselessly, hissing when the movement strains his wrists, and turns to Han Yu with a pout. "Feed me?"

Han Yu nods, his gaze growing unfocused, and picks one of the chocolates from the box. Xi Zirui can see his throat move as he swallows dryly.

Xi Zirui opens his mouth expectantly, and waits for Han Yu to bring the chocolate to his lips.

When Han Yu places the chocolate between his lips, instead of moving his head back, Xi Zirui allows his bottom lip to catch on Han Yu's fingertip and his tongue to lick over it.

Han Yu takes his hand away as if scalded.

Xi Zirui chews the chocolate slowly, savoring the rich taste, and keeping his eyes trained on Han Yu's unwavering gaze, arrested by the movements of Xi Zirui's mouth.

That slightly glazed off look in his eyes is sweeter than the chocolate.

Xi Zirui wouldn't know how to explain it, but the thrill he gets from this game he plays with Han Yu makes his blood sing.

He likes it when Han Yu looks at him like this, with his pupils spilling over into his irises, his cheeks flushed, and his breath coming up in sharp pants.

Han Yu always looks so sleek, so composed, almost glossy like a high resolution photograph in a magazine. Xi Zirui likes knowing he can fluster him, that it only takes a little teasing for Han Yu to start breathing heavier, his mind probably running through a list of all the things he wants to do to Xi Zirui.

Maybe it's the power trip that makes Xi Zirui so willing to play this game, despite how unbearable he finds Han Yu.

Maybe it's the irresistible thrill of knowing that this is the one game he can't stand to lose.

He licks the last traces of the chocolate from his bottom lip, watching Han Yu, and thinking to himself, 'Would you still want me if you knew it could kill me to reciprocate?'

What is he thinking? If anything, the threat of his impeding death would only make Han Yu hornier.

Xi Zirui falls back against the pillows with a pleased sigh. Having a rival can be very refreshing sometimes. He feels better already.

But he isn't done being spoiled yet.

He looks up at Han Yu from under the fan of his long lashes, blinking once, twice, until Han Yu's eyes are drawn to the dark sweep of them and the cinnabar beauty mark under Xi Zirui's left eye.

"Gege,"Xi Zirui says, making the word as syrupy as he can, weighting it down with so much innuendo it practically drips off his lips, "didi wants another."

It comes so easy to him, acting like this when it's just him and Han Yu. Xi Zirui wishes his skills in tormenting Han Yu would translate when the cameras are rolling too.

Han Yu chooses another bonbon at random and brings it to Xi Zirui's lips, but before he can bite into it, Han Yu pulls it away.

He looks down at Xi Zirui, holding the chocolate at a distance. "Xi Zirui, if you keep pushing my limits, don't be surprised when I snap."

Han Yu has been promising that for sometime now, but Xi Zirui has yet to see him make good on his threats.

Xi Zirui lifts his chin and opens his mouth wider, running his tongue over his upper teeth.

This time Han Yu feeds him the whole chocolate, but he doesn't take out his hand when Xi Zirui's teeth dig into it.

Instead, he shoves his middle and index finger inside Xi Zirui's mouth, pressing down on his tongue.

Xi Zirui's eyes widen at the intrusion, Han Yu meets his gaze with a smirk. He moves his fingers out a fraction, only to force them back in again, running the pads of his fingers over the slick edge of Xi Zirui's tongue.

If he thinks Xi Zirui is going to be flustered by his highschool antics, Han Yu has another thing coming.

He closes his eyes and tightens his lips around Han Yu's intruding fingers, sucking them deeper into his mouth, lavishing each digit with kittenish flicks of his tongue.

Xi Zirui sweeps his eyes open, peering at Han Yu, catlike, from under his thick lashes.

Han Yu doesn't notice the provocative look, his gaze is focused on Xi Zirui's lips, his own mouth slightly open.

Xi Zirui put that stupid, mindless, look on his face, just from sucking on his fingers.

The thought sends a thrill down his spine.

But he can still make this much worse for Han Yu. Smirking around the fingers in his mouth, Xi Zirui bobs his head downward, pulling Han Yu's fingers deeper into his mouth, swallowing them down almost to the second knuckle. The chocolate has long melted on his hot tongue.

"Fuck, didi," Han Yu gasps, heavy on the fricative.

He bobs his head up and down on Han Yu's fingers a few times before finally letting go with a loud, wet, pop.

Han Yu looks at his saliva-coated fingers as if he's just had a revelation.

Xi Zirui clears his throat. "Gege, I really want to take a bath why don't you go run me one."

---

He doesn't expect Han Yu to comply so easily, his mind must still be addled on account of all his blood having shifted course south.

Xi Zirui is a little embarrassed at having to ask Han Yu's help to take off his tshirt, but with his wrists in braces any complex upwards movement is pretty much out of the question.

Too his credit Han Yu doesn't leer too much.

Xi Zirui laments not being able to slap a hand over Han Yu's mouth when he asks him if he wants help taking off his shorts and underwear too.

Now that he's luxuriating in a steaming bubble bath, he thinks maybe spraining his wrists wasn't such a bad thing.

He sighs and lets his head sink against the bathtub's headrest, that's when his eyes catch on the silver bracelet that houses Ni Ni and that is now fastened over his brace.

Right, there was that warning earlier, maybe he should check it.

"Ni Ni, system update please," he says, bracing for possible unpleasantness.

He gets it.

"Host Danger! Public perception and reputation approaching dangerous low levels. Please find a way to improve your scores or your free trial will be terminated."

His 'free trial will be terminated'? What a nice euphemism for dying!

Xi Zirui curses his own carelessness, and opens up the holo screen.

There on the upper right corner the two bars representing his reputation and public perception have been worryingly depleted, and instead of green they are now an alarming shade of orange.

It doesn't take a genius to understand what will happen when they hit red.

Fuck, he needs a way to increase his stats fast, something that will make people sympathize with him like they have with Bai Mi.

But what? It's not like he can post a tearful video complaining about how Han Yu impregnated him too!

He wants to focus and come up with a brilliant idea that will make the tide of public opinion turn in his favour again, but the bright glare of the holo screen above his wrist is distracting him.

Wait, his wrists!

---

He calls for Han Yu to bring him some underwear and pajamas. He must be able to tell from Xi Zirui's expression that he isn't in the mood for their games anymore, because he doesn't even try to tease him, just hands him a towel from the hanger and leaves the bathroom.

"I need your help," Xi Zirui says, and climbs into bed.

Han Yu gives him a puzzled look. "Should I get in bed with you too?"

Xi Zirui glares at him. "No, get my phone," he says, nodding with his chin towards the nightstand.

Han Yu gives the phone to Xi Zirui who unlocks it with some struggle using the fingerprint reader. "I need you to take a photo of me."

"Why?" Despite the question, Han Yu still opens up the camera and aims the phone at Xi Zirui.

"Just do it," Xi Zirui sighs, and makes himself comfortable against the pillows, closing his eyes halfway in what he hopes is a look of charming exhaustion. "Make sure to catch my wrists."

Han Yu nods, and snaps the photo.

"Good, now post it on my weibo, write something along the lines of, 'Thankful for all the support, hoping for a full recovery soon, so I can get back on set. Hai Yaomei wait for me!'"

Han Yu smirks as he types. "That's really good didi, will surely rake in the sympathy points."

Xi Zirui rolls his eyes. Yes well, thanks to Ni Ni he has been brought down to Han Yu's level. Doesn't mean he has to like it. At least for him this pathetic farce is a matter of life or death.

"There done," Han Yu says, and reaches out to hand the phone over to Xi Zirui.

His eyes catch on something on the screen as he does, and he takes back his hand in a panic. "Shit, didi what the hell?"

Oh no, that tone doesn't sound good. He doesn't even want to ask.

He doesn't need to ask. "Didi why was your weibo open on some account called 'Han Yu's #1 fan'?"