Chapter 103: A Kiss Stolen Amid the Rush

Lin Xi leaned in Lu Yuxiu’s arms and looked up at him. Her voice softened before she even realized it, turning coquettish as she asked, “Why do you have time to come to the event today?”

“Who was it just now, during the interview, sounding so wronged and saying we’ve both been too busy lately and haven’t seen each other in ages?” Lu Yuxiu pinched the soft flesh of her arm in mock punishment, his fingers sliding through her long hair.

“I did not...” Lin Xi said shyly, under her breath.

They had not seen each other in a long while, and the way they looked at one another only deepened little by little, as though however much they gazed, it would never be enough. In his eyes, tenderness gathered slowly, dense and impossible to dissolve.

“Come on, there isn’t much time.” Lu Yuxiu suddenly rose and locked the lounge door.

Lin Xi stood up as well and frowned at his actions, confused. “What do you mean, there isn’t much time...”

Before she could finish, Lu Yuxiu strode over, circled her waist with his arm, and did not give her a single moment to react. He lowered his head and kissed her directly, sealing off the rest of her words.

Lin Xi held her breath. All she could hear was her own heart pounding wildly. Her face flushed hot at once, like a tomato overripe and nearly split by the heat, and even her neck was soon tinged pink, the color spreading to the side of her face, burning hot all the way through.

He kissed her with such force, as if determined to make up for every day of longing in this time apart. Even then he would not stop, driving her back step by step until her spine met the wall of the lounge.

With no strength to resist him, Lin Xi could only mutter muffled protests.

He persisted, pressing her head as he kissed her for a long while before slowly letting go. As their faces separated little by little, a deeply satisfied curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, and his rich, low voice murmured, “Sweetheart, you’re so sweet.”

At that, Lin Xi was so embarrassed she could barely lift her head. This man was far too shameless! She had no energy left to complain.

“You...” she began.

Knock, knock, knock.

Before she could even scold him, a sudden knocking interrupted her.

“Xixi! Are you in there? Why is the door locked? Hurry up—we’ve got to go be on air!” Mia’s voice rose from outside.

“Quick, quick, quick! Mia’s here to hurry us along!” Lin Xi, hearing the commotion, hastily shoved Lu Yuxiu away and got up from the wall to straighten her slightly disheveled clothes.

Lu Yuxiu indulged her, drifting away as softly as if pushed by a breeze. He looked at her with a trace of grievance, and what he said next was utterly out of keeping with his usual image: “Darling, you’re choosing work over me!”

Lin Xi could not help laughing. She could naturally feel that scorching gaze on her. She soothed him with a laugh, “Oh, Xiu, be good. I’m going to work now. And you too—you can’t just neglect your proper business!”

Honestly, if fans saw this side of Xiu, who knew whether they would turn on him in a flash of disillusionment?

“Humph.” Lu Yuxiu even made a little girl’s coy sound of complaint, which practically shocked Lin Xi to the core.

“Hiss—” Lin Xi could not take it anymore. Rubbing at the goose bumps all over her arms, she “hurled” Lu Yuxiu out and slammed the door shut with a bang.

Lu Yuxiu stood frozen outside the door, rubbing his nose and questioning life itself. That did not make sense. Gu Yao had clearly said that Xiaoxi liked clingy little cuties. Could it be that he was not cute enough? But there was truly nothing he could do about that...

Gu Yao had unknowingly tricked Lu Yuxiu again. What he had failed to explain was that the clingy little cuties Lin Xi liked were animals like Happy.

Mia had witnessed the godlike star Xiu being driven out by Lin Xi with her own eyes. She almost exploded on the spot, trembling all over. He was not going to silence her to keep this secret, was he... help...

Fortunately, Lu Yuxiu did not notice her. He simply turned and left. Mia watched from the side, and his face still carried a faint trace of confusion.

“Mia, come in,” came Lin Xi’s voice from the lounge, and only then did Mia recover herself.

“Coming!”

Mia then accompanied Lin Xi through the rest of her schedule to the set of The Ethereal Chronicle, where Director Fan was taking the cast’s costume photos.

The moment Lin Xi got out of the car, she was welcomed warmly by Director Fan. “Our Xiaoxi is here! I’m really so happy you could make it!”

“Director Fan.” Lin Xi hurried forward as well, smiling politely and nodding. Mia chimed in with a smile too, “Director, we weren’t late, were we?”

“No, no. Come on, go change your clothes.” Fan Xie signaled to the staff to take Lin Xi to the dressing room.

Lin Xi was still thinking about the other actors and wanted to greet them first, or else it would seem rude.

“Director Fan, where are the other actors, the senior cast members? I’d like to say hello first,” she asked.

“There’s no need to rush this minute.” Fan Xie waved it off carelessly, so Lin Xi did not insist and headed backstage to change.

Just as she went in, Song Anhe, who was playing the villain, stepped out through the door in full battle armor.

As expected of Song Anhe, long celebrated as the male deity of historical dramas, even in a villain’s role the black armor only emphasized his mature charisma. A slight frown from him still carried an air of overpowering arrogance and domineering force.

“Senior Song is incredible!”
“So handsome! He’s got so much charisma!”

The staff whispered among themselves.

“How is it, Old Fan?” Song Anhe strode up to Fan Xie and raised a brow at him.

Fan Xie laughed heartily and showered him with praise. “Not bad, not bad at all. You still have all your old style!”

“You old thing!” Song Anhe said with a laugh, pointing at him in jest. “You call me over to help and then take jabs at me!”

“Hahaha.” The staff around them all burst into laughter.

By then, Lin Xi had also changed into her costume. As soon as she came out, she saw Song Anhe joking with Director Fan.

She was quite surprised. She had not expected that Senior Song, who was rumored in the industry to be cold and exacting, would also have such an easy, teasing side. Indeed, rumors could not be trusted.

Lin Xi was wearing a pale white, ornate gown. Its quiet elegance gave her an otherworldly grace, refined and noble. Her dark hair was loosely draped over both shoulders, softening her look and lending her a different kind of charm—beautiful, gentle, and lovely.

Though both were ancient-style costumes, this one was entirely different from the earlier Ruan Wushuang. Ruan Wushuang had been carefree, radiant, and dazzling beyond compare, while Princess Worry-Free was delicate and endearing, like a flower raised in a greenhouse.

“Look who this is!” Fan Xie exclaimed as if he had found a treasure, lighting up as he came forward at once. He laughed without restraint. “Hahaha, I knew I hadn’t misjudged you. You really are Worry-Free!”

Being praised so directly, Lin Xi smiled playfully.

“Come, come, let me introduce you.” Fan Xie led Lin Xi to Song Anhe and said, “This is your ‘father’ in the drama. He’s brutally sharp-tongued, so you’d better watch yourself around him.”

Lin Xi hurried to bow and greet him politely. “Hello, Senior Song. I’m Lin Xi.”

Song Anhe looked her over and nodded again and again. “So you’re the heroine of The Glorious Age that’s been all over the internet lately. Your old man here has good taste, to think he even managed to steal you away from Old Lu.”

With that, he gave Fan Xie a thumbs-up.

“That’s right, I did!” Fan Xie said with obvious pride. “I reserved Xiaoxi’s time ages ago. She’s so busy, and that child Xiu keeps a close watch on her. How would she have time to spare for this old man?”

Lin Xi did not know whether to laugh or cry. She quickly waved her hands. “Director Fan, you’re exaggerating!”

That guy Xiu—his so-called great achievements had long since become common knowledge in the industry.