After Being Aroused By Beauty, I Got Entangled With The Gloomy and Sinister Enigma - Chapter 6

After returning from the bathroom, Chen Yao sat back down across from Dong He in the lounge.

He took out the materials he had brought and placed them on the table. Looking up, he noticed Dong He giving him a somewhat strange look.

“Is there something on my face?” He had checked in the mirror before leaving the bathroom—nothing was out of place.

“No, Mr. Chen, you’re very handsome,” Dong He said with a kindly smile.

Chen Yao didn’t understand. His mind flashed back to what Li Ying had left unsaid downstairs. Maybe while he’d been gone, Li Ying had said something to Director Dong that caused a misunderstanding.

He turned his gaze on Li Ying, giving him a questioning look: What did you just say to her?

Li Ying spread his hands innocently, as if to say: Nothing at all.

Chen Yao exhaled sharply. Bringing Li Ying in here had been a mistake.

At the time, overhearing Li Ying spinning nonsense about their “relationship,” Chen Yao had panicked and chosen the simplest, most brutal solution.

Grinding his teeth, he admitted to himself that the main reason he’d compromised this time was because Li Ying was too good-looking.

That face was flawless—he could only imagine how breathtaking it would look through a camera lens.

Especially after reviewing the company’s proposed magazine theme for autumn the day before.

He had shortlisted a few suitable models based on the brief, and Li Ying was among them—though not his top choice.

Choosing Li Ying wasn’t favoritism. His face was extremely versatile, his proportions striking—he was born to be loved by the camera.

But in Dong He’s eyes, the little looks and gestures between them seemed like secret flirtation. Still, she hadn’t forgotten the purpose of this meeting. Smiling, she asked:
“Mr. Chen, do you have someone in mind?”

“There are a few. Please take a look, Director Dong.”

Chen Yao handed her the pictures of the models he had selected.

She studied them for quite a while. Each had their own strengths, but their styles were very strong—perhaps too strong for the theme.

Autumn was a gentle yet faintly tragic season, like a sunset tinged with grandeur. Models with overpowering personal styles might not suit that mood.

“Which one would you choose, Mr. Chen?” she asked, curious about his reasoning.

Chen Yao patiently analyzed the qualities of each candidate, detailing their strengths and weaknesses with professional precision.

Dong He listened and didn’t reject his choices outright. “No better options?” she asked.

“There is,” Chen Yao admitted, “but he won’t agree.”

In his heart, the best candidate was Li Ying. But Li Ying was far too sensitive to the camera—he likely wouldn’t agree to Chen Yao’s request.

They weren’t friends or lovers; just one night had happened between them. Chen Yao would never use that to coerce him—blackmail wasn’t his style.

Dong He chuckled. “How do you know if you don’t try persuading him?”

Chen Yao replied flatly that he didn’t intend to.

“Then maybe I’ll have a chat with him when I get the chance.”

Chen Yao didn’t reject the idea outright. No decision should ever be too hasty. After all, when he had asked Li Ying out, he had expected rejection—yet Li Ying had not only agreed but seemed to enjoy it.

When Chen Yao and Li Ying left the company building, the sun blazed fiercely overhead, scorching against bare skin.

Chen Yao glanced at the man beside him, immaculate in his suit, and asked in surprise:
“Aren’t you hot?”

If you’re hot, then hurry up and leave.

Li Ying’s fair skin was faintly flushed, a sheen of sweat forming on his forehead. “Barely manageable,” he said.

Chen Yao clicked his tongue. So he’s a closeted peacock, huh.

Just then, his driver pulled into view. Chen Yao flagged him down, climbed into the car, and was about to shut the door when Li Ying shamelessly slid in after him.

They couldn’t linger here, so the driver started the engine and drove off.

Chen Yao had never seen someone cling like a plaster. He reminded coldly:
“I’m going home now.”

“Go ahead,” Li Ying replied casually, undoing two buttons of his shirt to reveal a perfect set of collarbones.

Chen Yao didn’t throw him out. Li Ying was the type who might stage a scene right in the street, and Chen Yao refused to lose face like that.

In the underground parking garage, Chen Yao got out. Li Ying followed close behind.

Chen Yao lived on the twenty-third floor—the very top.

He disliked noisy environments. The top floor was freezing in winter and sweltering in summer, but electricity was an easy enough fix.

He stepped into the elevator; Li Ying stood beside him.

“What exactly do you want?” Chen Yao finally asked, curious about why Li Ying clung so tightly to him.

Could he really be addicted after just one night?

Li Ying chuckled. “Baby, why don’t you guess?”

Chen Yao shot him a sidelong glance. “Li Ying, have you been with other people before?”

It wasn’t about jealousy—he was simply curious how many people would have fallen for that face.

Li Ying’s eyes darkened, some unpleasant memory flashing across them.
“Baby, do you want me to have had others?”

That evasive answer told Chen Yao all he needed—Li Ying had been with others before.

Of course. A normal person wouldn’t casually agree to a one-night stand.

Chen Yao didn’t press further. The elevator reached the twenty-third floor. He stepped out and walked to his apartment door.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Li Ying still at his side. Coldly, he said:
“My home doesn’t welcome you. Please leave.”

Li Ying blinked, then pointed next door.
“But Baby, my home is right here.”

Before Chen Yao could say anything, Li Ying placed his finger on the scanner. The door unlocked instantly.

Standing in the doorway, Li Ying smiled.
“Baby, don’t you want to invite me to model for you?”

He already knew exactly what Chen Yao had implied back in the lounge—that Chen Yao truly adored his face.

Chen Yao didn’t deny it. “Of course.”

Li Ying’s lips curved. “Then how about sleeping with me again?”

Chen Yao held his gaze for a long moment, then said flatly:
“Your skills are lacking. I refuse.”

Li Ying’s lack of skill was only part of it. The real reason was that his pheromones could trigger Chen Yao’s glands—another round might actually push him into differentiation. That risk was far too great.

Li Ying’s expression instantly darkened. Chen Yao could sense the flare of emotion before it faded, and then Li Ying was gone.

Chen Yao walked into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and downed half in one go.

He hadn’t planned on investigating Li Ying. A one-night stand wasn’t worth dwelling on. But since Li Ying had taken the initiative to stick close, Chen Yao was curious about his motives.

Heading into the study, he turned on his computer and contacted someone to look into Li Ying’s background. Every detail mattered—the more thorough, the better. To know yourself and your opponent was to win a hundred battles.

After that, hunger set in. He ate something simple to fill his stomach and continued working.

No reply came. Clearly, Li Ying’s background wasn’t easy to uncover.

Shutting down the computer, Chen Yao returned to his bedroom for a nap. He woke around six-thirty in the evening.

The sun hung low over the skyline, its fiery glow blurring into the horizon. The air conditioner hummed softly. He had slept well.

Still undecided about dinner, he heard a knock at the door.

Half groggy, he opened it—and found Li Ying standing outside.

Instinctively, Chen Yao blurted, “Why are you here?”

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he realized it was a stupid question—of course Li Ying was next door. He moved to close the door.

But Li Ying stretched out a long arm, blocking it. His eyes glimmered wickedly as he drawled:
“I made dinner. Want to eat?”

It sounded very much like: Come and eat me.