Chapter 16: Move a Little, Don't Play Dead

In her panic, Zhu Yuan accidentally bumped into the car door, and the window slowly rolled down.

The evening breeze blew through the stray hairs at her temples.

Sheng Yu stared at her face, and the hand he had braced against the car door pressed a button; the window slowly rose, blocking out the cold wind and the inquisitive gazes of passersby.

At the same time, the car's partition also rose.

The back seat of the car completely formed a sealed space.

Still shaken, Zhu Yuan held her breath, not daring to look up at Sheng Yu.

It was too close.

So close that their breathing was intertwined.

This distance was even more ambiguous than last night.

Zhu Yuan tucked her chin and turned her head to the other side, not daring to breathe deeply, her chest rising and falling slightly, terrified of touching him.

Yet the man's scent was pervasive; she was completely besieged in his embrace, and she could clearly feel his body temperature, a scorching torment.

A thin layer of sweat appeared on her smooth forehead, and her small face was flushed, delicate and dripping with charm.

"Yu Ge..."

She tried to push him away, but as soon as her left hand reached out, the hand Sheng Yu had braced against the door moved up to clasp her wrist and pin it against the seat back.

He gave her no chance to break free.

"Can you still fulfill what you promised me last night?" the man's low, deep voice came from beside her ear.

His warm breath sprayed against her face, leaving half of it numb, and her ability to think became sluggish at the same time. "Wh-what?"

He chuckled softly, lowering his eyes to look at her nervous, flustered appearance. "It seems you want to welsh on the debt."

Zhu Yuan felt the man's breath landing entirely on her neck; she became so tense that her whole body stiffened, her mind went blank, and let alone remembering what she had promised him last night, even speaking became difficult.

"Hmm?" Sheng Yu stared at her ears, which were red enough to drip blood.

Zhu Yuan only felt a fire burning her; crucially, as she turned her head, her gaze landed right on Sheng Yu's chest. Two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing his collarbone and vaguely defined, firm pectoral muscles.

Her mind couldn't help but recall the scene from that night in the bathroom when they were both soaked to the bone.

She quietly took a breath, forcing herself to calm down quickly; she couldn't let herself be led by the nose.

"Are you talking about the matter of acting as your cover?" she asked in a small voice, only just remembering now.

"Yes."

Reminded by him like this, Zhu Yuan felt enlightened, and she wasn't as repulsed by his proximity anymore. She asked tentatively, "Is there someone nearby monitoring you?"

That would explain the reason for his sudden approach.

Fortunately, she hadn't overthought it this time.

Otherwise, he would have used that cold tone again to say he wasn't interested in his brother's fiancée, and it would have been her who was embarrassed.

Sheng Yu turned his head to scan outside the car window at a black sedan hidden in a corner not far away. "So, can you help?"

"But today is different from yesterday; if someone is monitoring you, just leaving a lipstick mark for you won't be enough." Zhu Yuan realized the situation was a bit beyond her capabilities.

If she showed her face, the Sheng Family would know that the "woman behind" Sheng Yu was her. She was engaged to Lu Huaizhan, and Lu Huaizhan was Sheng Yu's good brother; the Sheng Family wouldn't let such a scandal happen and would eliminate her as a nuisance.

"I'll end up looking terrible." Zhu Yuan wrinkled her face.

That outcome was something she couldn't bear.

Sheng Yu's tone was indifferent. "They won't see your face; you just need to cooperate with me."

Since things had reached this point, Zhu Yuan had to do it whether she wanted to or not.

Who told her to promise Sheng Yu last night, and she still owed him money.

The moment she nodded, Sheng Yu moved a few inches closer to her, his forceful presence closing in; it would be a lie to say Zhu Yuan wasn't nervous.

The hand that had been pinned to the seat back by Sheng Yu reached back to grab him.

The force pinning her wrist suddenly increased. "Relax, I'm not actually going to touch you."

Sheng Yu completely enveloped her in his embrace, and while Zhu Yuan was nervously at a loss, he feigned an accidental touch of the window button; as the window rolled down, he raised his hand to cup her face.

His broad palm easily cupped her small face in his hand.

It happened to block her face.

Inside the vehicle not far away, two men who looked like Bodyguards stared intently at this side, seeing only Sheng Yu's broad chest holding a petite woman in his arms, "bullying" her.

In today's play, several actresses were dressed as female students from the Republic of China era; even if they saw the clothes, as long as they didn't see her face, no one would be able to recognize her.

What's more, from this angle, they couldn't even see Zhu Yuan's clothes clearly.

But Zhu Yuan was already so nervous she couldn't move, holding her breath, her small face turning red and purple.

Feeling the delicate, soft skin under his palm, Sheng Yu only felt a wave of heat coursing through his body.

He stared at her, lowered his head, and leaned in, saying hoarsely, "Can you breathe? Your face is almost turning into a purple sweet potato."

Zhu Yuan glared at him, daring to be angry but not to speak, protesting silently—did she want to turn into a purple sweet potato?

She gradually found the rhythm of her breathing again, but her body was stiff and aching.

The man urged her, "Move a little, don't play dead."

Was it that Zhu Yuan didn't want to move?

Where did she dare to move now!

If she moved, their bodies would inevitably be pressed tightly together.

But staying completely still was too unrealistic; others would spot the problem at a glance, and then this charade would be completely meaningless.

"Aren't you a theater actor? Bring out your real level." Sheng Yu's voice carried a hint of inducement.

Ever since she was admitted to the drama academy, Zhu Yuan had rehearsed many plays and played many roles; it wasn't as if she hadn't done intimate scenes before.

She closed her eyes heavily; fine, who wasn't she acting with anyway?

Once she successfully coaxed herself, Zhu Yuan gradually let go.

When it comes to acting, she is a professional.

She lifted her right hand with some effort to grip Sheng Yu's collar, tilting her small face upward, and under the cover of his broad palm, it looked as if she were leaning in to kiss him.

"Yu Ge, is this okay?" she asked in a low voice.

Sheng Yu stared at her face; even if she had truly convinced herself she was just acting, she still dared not open her eyes to look at him, keeping them closed with her chin lifted, his gaze naturally falling upon her red lips.

She was too nervous and bit her lower lip unconsciously.

She happened to bite down exactly where she had wiped away a patch of lipstick.

The faint scent of roses intertwined with the air, constantly expanding and heating up in the cramped space where the temperature was rising.

Zhu Yuan gripped his collar, her fingertips accidentally brushing against his collarbone; feeling the scorching heat, she curled her fingers in a panic.

The moment she moved, her waist was dominated by a powerful hand, pulling her with such fierce force that it felt as if her slender waist might snap.