Entertainment Industry Limited Time Open - Chapter 8:
The lounge still carried the faint scent of Tong Liyue’s perfume light,
lingering, and maddening. It clung to Ren Yuheng’s senses like an invisible chain,
tightening until he could barely breathe.
He had never lost control like this, especially not at work.
He escaped to the restroom, tense and frustrated,
trying to calm the chaos in his mind.
The memory of Liyue’s teasing grin and the brief touch of his lips on
Yuheng’s cheek replayed endlessly. It had been nothing more than a fleeting kiss,
but it was enough to completely unravel him.
By the time Yuheng returned backstage, his expression was dark,
his composure barely stitched together.
The other members of X-One noticed but wisely said nothing.
Only Tong Liyue, standing quietly in the corner, kept stealing glances at him
half curious, half guilty.
He hadn’t expected his playful test to actually rattle Yuheng.
Watching the normally calm and unflappable team captain
so visibly thrown off made him feel both amused and uneasy.
Still, when Yuheng caught his eye, Liyue couldn’t help but smile
bright, innocent, and deliberately provoking.
That smile was the last straw.
Yuheng said nothing, but in his mind, the decision was already made.
He would deal with this after the performance.
When the event ended, the team returned to their shared apartment.
Everyone relaxed everyone except Yuheng,
whose gaze never once left Tong Liyue.
Liyue had been avoiding him all evening, clinging to Jiang Linzhao,
changing seats, staying where others could see.
He thought safety lay in numbers, but Yuheng’s eyes followed him relentlessly.
The tension was thick enough to touch.
When Yuheng finally spoke, his voice cut through the chatter like a blade.
Tong Liyue, come here.
The others barely noticed, but Liyue froze. He tried to brush it off,
pretending nonchalance, but Yuheng’s steady advance left no room for argument.
A hand closed around his wrist, firm and certain.
Don’t make me carry you, Yuheng murmured, low and calm.
Liyue’s heart skipped a beat. He knew that tone there was no escaping it.
He followed him into the room. The door closed with a solid click, and the lock turned.
Inside, the silence felt electric. Yuheng’s eyes burned into him cold, steady, and far too close.
Now you’re scared? Yuheng’s voice was soft, dangerous.
Liyue tried to laugh it off, to apologize,
but every step he took back only pressed him closer to the wall.
Yuheng moved forward, pinning him there with an arm beside his head.
The space between them vanished.
Liyue stammered out an apology, saying it was just a joke,
that he hadn’t meant anything by it. But Yuheng only stared deeper,
his tone rough but quiet.
Was it really just a joke? Or have I been letting you get away with too much?
Liyue faltered, unsure of how to answer. For once,
his usual playful words failed him. His eyes dropped,
and something in his chest tightened regret, confusion, maybe something else.
Yuheng’s expression softened, almost imperceptibly. Tell me why you did it.
The question hit harder than any anger. Liyue couldn’t answer or maybe he didn’t dare.
The silence stretched until Yuheng gave a faint, humorless smile.
If it’s a joke, he said, then it’s only fair I get to make one too.
He leaned in, voice low, close enough for Liyue to feel his breath.
Words became heat, tension, and something unspoken that neither could ignore.
Liyue’s heart raced. The teasing had turned into something far more dangerous
something that left him breathless, caught between fear and anticipation.
When Yuheng finally pulled back, both were left trembling in the quiet.
Yuheng’s voice dropped to a whisper. This isn’t over, Xiaoyue.
Next time, you won’t get to run.