Chapter 5: A Gentle Rub

When Meng Yuqi finished his shower and returned, he found Tong Yue already lying under the blanket. He immediately thought the air conditioning was set too cold and adjusted it to a warmer temperature. 

Tong Yue noticed his actions but didn’t stop him, thinking to herself : I’m a god, I don’t fear the heat.

Meng Yuqi: …A god?

He had heard Tong Yue mention such thoughts several times recently. Was his beloved going through a “middle school syndrome” phase? Still, he found her inner musings adorable—Fine, a god it is.

Meng Yuqi thought that soon enough, she wouldn’t need the blanket anyway.

“Ready to sleep?” Tong Yue asked, “Shall I turn off the lights?”

It’s easier to sleep with the lights off—less brightness, nothing to see, perfect. 

Meng Yuqi was still hoping that once the blanket was off, he might be able to… well, with the lights off, he wouldn’t see anything anyway. Instead of waiting to see something, it might be better to hope that her sleep posture would cause her to roll into his arms during the night.

Tong Yue’s sleeping posture was indeed not great. Used to sprawling across a big bed alone, she often tossed and turned, sometimes even propping her legs on Meng Yuqi.

Since they rarely shared the same bed, Tong Yue often ended up resting her legs on him when they did. 

This wasn’t the first time they had stayed at the Meng household, and to maintain the pretense of a real marriage, they had shared a bed. Tong Yue’s sleeping posture had never been good—several times, she had woken up to find her legs entangled with his. 

Seeing that Meng Yuqi never reacted, she figured she simply didn’t have that kind of allure, or maybe there was something wrong with him physically. 

After a couple of times, Tong Yue stopped worrying. After all, it was just sleeping in the same bed—nothing was going to happen.

Meng Yuqi has great self-control! Tong Yue thought to herself.

Meng Yuqi, on the other hand, didn’t want to admit his self-control was that strong. Every time she unintentionally teased him, he had to struggle to contain his feelings, fearing she would notice. 

Maybe he shouldn’t be so afraid of her noticing. After all, he was pursuing her—she needed to understand his desires.

“Want to hear a story?” Meng Yuqi coughed lightly.

“Cinderella?” Tong Yue asked, leaning back on her pillow, hands resting on the blanket.

In the dim light of the bedside lamp, Meng Yuqi’s gaze lingered on her slender arms. Sleeveless silk nightgowns like this really suit her. The pajamas prepared by the family were just right; next time, they could be even thinner—it was summer, after all. No need to wear anything too thick.

“No.” Meng Yuqi shook his head gently. “The Overbearing CEO’s Gentle Love.”

“What?” Tong Yue thought she misheard. Isn’t that the most cliché title ever? Why not go for something like Seductive and Ambiguous or CEO on Top, Me Below?

Oh no, “gentle love” sounds like he’s steering us into dangerous territory.

Tong Yue glanced at Meng Yuqi. He wouldn’t seriously be unaware of the innuendo, right? Why tell such a story?

“That night…” Meng Yuqi began seriously, “she climbed into his bed.”

Tong Yue listened attentively, waiting for more, but nothing came. “And then?”

“That’s when the lights go off,” Meng Yuqi said.

“Huh?” Tong Yue blinked at him in surprise.

“To maintain decency, the lights go out,” Meng Yuqi explained with a straight face. “Even that phrase, repeated a few times, isn’t allowed.”

Tong Yue : Is he hinting at something?

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” Meng Yuqi asked.

“Yes!” Tong Yue quickly turned off her side of the light, but something still felt off. Wait a minute, we’re just innocently sharing a blanket to sleep, right?

A few moments later, another thought crossed her mind : Forget calling him “boss,” I’m a god! A god doesn’t need to worry about anything—I’ll definitely be famous.

Meng Yuqi: Her inner thoughts are so lively.

Lost in thought, Tong Yue quickly fell asleep, dreaming of fame and fortune.

In the middle of the night, Tong Yue’s social media following continued to grow. She had recently won an international film festival’s Best Actress award, so naturally, her fanbase was expanding. Moreover, the movie production team from Moonlight was also getting her involved in more media coverage, increasing public interest.

Her studio had posted on social media, humorously saying that Director Qin preferred casting newcomers. Since Tong Yue had been in the entertainment industry for years, she jokingly said she was “too old” to compete with the younger generation and that fresh talent was needed in the industry.

Lin Qian, meanwhile, was checking her social media late into the night. Her follower count had also grown, and she felt assured by Director Qin’s praise of her acting skills.

With the director’s support, she was confident that her role wouldn’t be replaced. She knew Director Qin wouldn’t change the cast at this point and believed he was only using this situation to bring down Tong Yue.

“Just wait, this is only the beginning,” Lin Qian laughed. Director Qin was famous and had connections with many other directors. Tong Yue wouldn’t dare speak ill of him. Even if she was married into a wealthy family, she was just a paper tiger without real power. 

There were rumors that Tong Yue and Meng Yuqi’s marriage had started as a contract and wasn’t real at first. It was only after they truly fell in love that their relationship was exposed. 

Though Meng Yuqi claimed he loved her, Lin Qian didn’t believe it. She thought it was just a clever tactic Tong Yue used to win him over, leveraging the contract marriage, flattering Madam Meng, and then tricking Meng Yuqi into making the relationship real by getting pregnant. The entire story was probably spun to appear romantic and attract fans.

A fox showing its claws. Could it lose its fur along the way?

In her dream, Tong Yue saw herself trampling on all the monsters and demons, shouting: Dare to mess with me? I’ll destroy you!

When she woke up, she found one of her legs draped over Meng Yuqi’s, and her hand resting on his chest.

“You…you’re awake?” Tong Yue asked, thinking she must have just rolled over upon waking up. Surely, she hadn’t been like this all night.

“I’ve been awake for a while,” Meng Yuqi responded, not making any effort to remind her to move her hands and legs away.

Tong Yue realized Meng Yuqi had been watching her for a while and quickly pulled her limbs back. “Sorry, I didn’t notice.”

Tong Yue : So embarrassing, why does this keep happening? Is it because the boss feels so harmless?

With a sigh, Tong Yue thought that ever since their contract marriage, Meng Yuqi’s gentle attitude had made her too comfortable around him. His calmness and lack of resistance only made her feel more at ease.

People are strange like that, she thought. Even knowing someone could be dangerous, there’s a temptation to test the limits.

That was exactly what Tong Yue was doing. She had become too relaxed, especially since Meng Yuqi seemed so harmless. His presence even gave her a sense of security, which caused her to unconsciously be less mindful of her behavior at night.

“Brother Yuqi gives me such a sense of safety,” Tong Yue said sweetly.

“Want to hear the rest of the story from last night?” Meng Yuqi asked, looking at her intently.

Tong Yue blushed under his gaze. “Sure, go ahead.”

“The overbearing CEO doesn’t like to turn off the lights,” Meng Yuqi said seriously.

“Oh, really?” Tong Yue asked awkwardly, thinking to herself : The CEO probably wants to admire the beauty’s soft, fair skin, right?

“Yes, it’s too dark to see anything,” Meng Yuqi nodded, “But at least he can still move.”

“As long as he can move, that’s good,” Tong Yue agreed.

“In the dark, the CEO won’t even need to say, ‘Woman, move yourself,’” Meng Yuqi continued.

Tong Yue felt like she couldn’t continue this conversation. Wait… are we seriously talking about some kind of erotic novel here? She couldn’t shake the feeling that this sounded more and more like a steamy romance novel. What exactly is the boss trying to imply?

“You moved,” Meng Yuqi said, deliberately pausing. “Your hands and feet moved.”

Tong Yue felt her face heat up, her lips twitching in response. What are you trying to do, boss?!

“My arm’s a bit stiff,” Meng Yuqi glanced at his left arm. “Won’t you massage it?”

Tong Yue let out a sigh of relief. Oh, just a stiff arm. Sure, massaging is fine, but can we stop talking about *The Overbearing CEO’s Gentle Love* already?

She was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. Why hadn’t she noticed how weird this was when she used to read such novels? And Meng Yuqi, always so busy, how on earth did he know about this kind of book?

Even the boss reads these kinds of novels… it must be incredibly popular, Tong Yue thought. Has the website banned such novels yet?

“Gentle,” Meng Yuqi said with exaggerated caution, even letting out a dramatic hiss of pain.

Tong Yue was startled, immediately thinking of The Overbearing CEO’s Gentle Love. Gentle, right? She quickly checked his arm, worried that he might be hurt.

Upon closer inspection, she saw the firm muscles in his arm and immediately recalled the sensation of touching them just moments ago.

Damn it, Tong Yue thought, her face flushing. No more ‘The Overbearing CEO’s Gentle Love’, this is too embarrassing!

“You’re not hurt,” Tong Yue said, annoyed. If you’re not hurt, why are you gasping like that? It made her feel like she’d done something wrong.

She wanted to give his arm a firm pinch in retaliation, but there was nothing but solid muscle—impossible to pinch. Glaring at him, she ordered, “Go wash your face and brush your teeth, it’s time for breakfast.”

“What if my parents see us like this…”

“Fine, I’ll massage it,” Tong Yue muttered, standing up only to sit back down.

I’m definitely not feeding you though, she thought.

Meng Yuqi wasn’t surprised. He knew this was how she felt—that she saw him as someone using her as a shield. She wasn’t willing to engage in anything more intimate because, in her mind, their relationship was purely practical.

As for what happened during the night, well, she couldn’t help that. But still… he was pretty great, providing her with a sense of safety and comfort. He found that quite satisfying.