Chapter 20: An Octave Higher

The phone call had long been decisively cut off.

The bathroom faucet hadn’t been fully turned off, and the sound of dripping water echoed dully in the air. Between two tightly interlocked hands, the layers of tissue had been soaked with sweat, softening bit by bit until they clung to the palms. The more she struggled to break free, the tighter his grip became.

Their gazes locked onto each other, unyielding. When it came to sheer strength, Chen Shuyin was willing to admit defeat—there was no need to make things difficult for herself. She was the first to look away.

“I have nothing to say to you.”

The rims of her ears were tinged with a faint pink, a stark contrast to the smooth fairness of her face, which had long lost its baby fat.

“Of course. You’ve always been the type to silently get things done,” Pei Yu’s gaze trailed downward, stopping at her lips. “What I’m more curious about is whether you’ll retaliate against me like last time.”

There was something unreadable in his prolonged stare. Chen Shuyin clenched her back teeth and forced a smile.

“That’s not something you can take advantage of just because you want to.”

“Is that so?” Pei Yu’s lips curled as his eyes darkened with amusement. “Since I’m the only one who remembers that intoxicating, dreamlike feeling, why were you in such a rush to defend me in front of your good friend?”

His thought process jumped too fast for her to keep up. She was briefly flustered before blurting out, “I was just saving face for myself. While our legal relationship still stands, I don’t want people saying my husband is useless.”

Her pupils darted uneasily. “So, you… that thing… hurry up and get better. It’s pathetic like this.”

Pei Yu let out a long “Ah…” before drawing out his words. “Are you sure you don’t want to know, even a little?”

“I’m not sleeping with you anymore. Does it even matter?” Chen Shuyin felt his grip loosen. She pulled away, crossed her arms, and looked down at him from above.

“Alright, got it. I misunderstood.” Pei Yu wiped at the corner of his mouth with the tissue still in his hand. “I thought journalists were supposed to have a spirit of exploration and an eagerness to uncover the truth, but I guess not.”

Hah.

Was he implying she was a coward?

Just as she was about to retort, something clicked in her mind. Her thoughts spun back. “Don’t twist my words. Is that what journalists do? I don’t make a living exposing your private affairs.”

“Only your die-hard fans would be curious about your—” She paused, then scoffed. “I’m not your target audience, superstar.”

Pei Yu’s smirk faded, replaced by a more complex, brooding look. “So if I’m unwell, you’ll stay and take care of me. But once I recover, you’ll go live with Liu Yiran and never come back?”

“For now, that’s the plan.”

“Abandoning me is easy for you, huh?” Pei Yu leaned back against the headboard. The angle lifted his chin slightly, making his open collar drape loosely. His face, with its sharp angles and deep shadows, looked captivating from every angle.

“Why do you always blow things out of proportion?” Chen Shuyin pointed out his choice of words. “I already agreed to stay in this hospital room and take care of you.”

“There are tons of fans and reporters outside. You, me, and them—it’s like lambs to the slaughter, surrounded by a horde of zombies.” She rolled up her sleeves, showing off toned muscles, and declared, “I promise, if they break in, I can hold them off for a while.”

She cast him a doubtful glance. “But can you run?”

Pei Yu didn’t answer. Instead, he made a call, gave a few instructions, then hung up.

“Zhou Qi arranged for my discharge. We’ll leave through a private exit soon.”

Chen Shuyin’s face was full of skepticism as she tilted her head at him.

Pei Yu mimicked her signature smirk. “With those thin arms and legs of yours, if they rush in like hungry wolves, I don’t want to watch you get torn apart.”

At midnight, two hours after his studio released a clarification statement, they finally found an opportunity to escape the hospital.

After a doctor changed Pei Yu’s bandages, he was still unable to walk, but compared to the horrific injuries shown in the viral video, his recovery was almost miraculous.

Without waiting for him to make any requests, Chen Shuyin took a seat in the corner, hugging her laptop as she worked.

Pei Yu leaned against the bed, doing nothing, his gaze brazenly and directly fixed on her.

Feeling inexplicably itchy under his stare, she gave up and spoke. “So, your filming is on hold now?”

“I’ll do my best to complete it within the estimated timeframe. No need to worry.” His tone was calm.

Her eyes drifted to his arm outside the covers, thinking of the burns he suffered in that fire. She hesitated before asking, “Have you ever thought about quitting acting?”

“Never.” His reply was firm, catching her off guard.

She kept her tone polite, ready to end the conversation. “Well, just be careful and don’t—”

Pei Yu cut in, his voice low. “Help me wipe down.”

Chen Shuyin shut her laptop, brought over a basin of warm water, and dampened a towel. With no emotion, she clamped his chin and wiped his face.

Her movements were rough. The hot towel landed on his face with a smack, and after a few careless swipes, she pulled it away.

Pei Yu caught her wrist. “Gently.”

Then, guiding her hand, he slowly wiped his own face. The towel slipped from her fingers, and every time her fingertips brushed his skin, a subtle current tingled through her wrist.

Back in university, some guys had acne-covered faces or rough skin. Not him. His complexion was clear, his lips naturally flushed with color.

During PE class, they had been paired for sit-ups. She had kneeled on his feet, pressing down on his ankles while he used his core strength to sit up. Each time, his face had come close to hers.

Despite the sweat, he had smelled of light orange blossoms, mixed with the subdued freshness of green tea—intoxicating.

She had hated that closeness, the way his body tensed under her grip, the firm shock of his abs brushing her thighs. It had made her grip his legs harder, just to keep steady.

Now, the positions were the same. She was above, he was below. He refused to let her go.

“Thinking about something?” Pei Yu shook her wrist lightly.

“N-No.” Chen Shuyin snapped out of it, stepping back. “Your hands aren’t broken. Do it yourself.”

Pei Yu didn’t push. “Alright.”

He unbuttoned his shirt halfway, leaving his collar wide open. His defined chest and abs peeked through as he ran the towel over his torso with a detached expression.

Chen Shuyin averted her eyes, awkwardly standing aside.

“Chen Shuyin.”

“Hm?”

He handed her the towel.

“What about the lower half?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

For a few seconds, silence hung thick.

Pei Yu lifted the blanket and looked at her, his hand casually gripping the waistband of his pants, ready to pull—

She panicked, grabbed the water basin, and bolted. “I just remembered—I have an early shoot tomorrow! Going to bed now!”