What's Wrong With Rear-Ending Your Arranged Marriage Partner? He Totally Loves It - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: The Secret That Can’t Be Told

Song Cun was lost in Qi Yan’s gentle kisses and caresses until Qi Yan’s hand moved inch by inch down his smooth back. Just as it was about to touch his spine, Song Cun suddenly grabbed Qi Yan’s hand and opened his eyes.

Qi Yan didn’t move on to the next step. He took his hand off Song Cun’s back and asked, “Cun Cun, what’s wrong?”

Song Cun looked away and pulled his open pajamas back together. “I… I’m a little tired tonight…”

The excuse was full of holes—he was the one who couldn’t sleep a moment ago—but Qi Yan said, “I’m sorry. I lost control. You should get some rest.”

Song Cun’s emotions were on a roller coaster tonight, and he needed to rest. Qi Yan rubbed Song Cun’s earlobe and buttoned up his pajamas one by one. He kissed his lips again. “I’ll hold you while you sleep, okay?” Song Cun nodded and buried his head in Qi Yan’s embrace, snuggling closer. Qi Yan’s hand gently stroked Song Cun’s back, repeatedly passing over the area where Song Cun felt the shameful cigarette scars.

Don’t let Qi Yan see it. That way, he won’t see that I’m not flawless, Song Cun thought as he closed his eyes.

…

The next day, when Song Cun woke up, he found that Qi Yan was still in bed, holding him. He opened his eyes groggily and saw Qi Yan looking at him.

“You’re not going to exercise today?” Song Cun rubbed his eyes again, thinking he was still half-asleep. Normally, Qi Yan had a very regular routine. Even if it was thundering and raining outside, he would still work out in the villa’s gym.

Qi Yan’s thumb brushed the stray hair out of his eyes. “You didn’t sleep well last night. I wanted to stay with you a little longer.”

Song Cun hesitated. “Did I… say anything in my sleep?”

Qi Yan’s eyes shifted slightly. He gently ruffled his hair and said, “No. You just sweated a little.” Song Cun sighed in relief.

He didn’t know that last night, he not only talked in his sleep, but he also cried.

“Don’t… don’t burn me… it hurts so much…”

“It’s so dark in here… let me out…”

The person in his arms was covered in sweat on his forehead, and tears seeped from the corners of his eyes. His pleas in his sleep sounded so broken, as if he was reliving it, causing Qi Yan’s heart to clench again and again. Qi Yan tried to wake him up, but it was as if he was trapped by a nightmare. Qi Yan could only patiently pat his back and put his fingers in his mouth for him to bite, soothing him. Later, he tried releasing his soothing pheromones, and only then did Song Cun gradually fall back into a peaceful sleep.

Waking up, Song Cun had no memory of the commotion from last night, but Qi Yan hadn’t slept at all.

“What do you want for breakfast?” Qi Yan looked at Song Cun’s groggy but clear eyes. He gently stroked his cheek.

Song Cun leaned into his hand, his voice lazy. “I want to nap a little longer.”

“Okay.”

“Wait.” Song Cun suddenly opened his eyes and reached out from under the blanket.

“What’s wrong?”

“My phone.”

Qi Yan sat up and handed Song Cun the phone from the nightstand. Song Cun unlocked it and glanced at Weibo. He was only able to relax after confirming that last night’s incident hadn’t been posted online. He turned off his phone and snuggled back into Qi Yan’s arms for a second round of sleep.

…

That afternoon, Song Cun was in the garden, basking in the sun and drinking coffee while scrolling on his phone. In the morning, he saw that Lin Wan had sent him a bunch of strange emojis, but since Lin Wan was often crazy, Song Cun didn’t bother to reply and checked Weibo’s trending topics first. He only just now clicked to see the messages, and they were all strange emojis: a shocked jaw drop, a magnifying glass eye, a thoughtful hand on chin, a mischievous smirk… Song Cun was bewildered.

Just as he was about to ask if something had happened to him, Chen Jie’s call came in. Chen Jie’s voice sounded a little troubled.

“Cun Ge, there’s a script matter I need to talk to you about.”

“Mhm, go ahead.”

“The crew suddenly added a scene. Your character, the protagonist, needs to play a piece on the piano, but you…” Chen Jie had accidentally found out that Song Cun had once been a Grade 8 pianist but had given up on performing after his left hand was injured. Although it didn’t affect his daily life, the frequent, high-precision finger movements needed for playing the piano would be too much for him.

“The crew’s attitude is very firm. They said they must add this scene and that they can’t use a stand-in. They said it’s a piano duel, and the protagonist has to play it himself for it to have that compelling power…” At this, Chen Jie couldn’t help but curse. “F*ck the compelling power! Why didn’t they want that before? Why now, after we’ve already rejected other scripts to accept theirs? Cun Ge, if we really have to…”

“I can do it.” Before Chen Jie could finish his angry suggestion, Song Cun calmly responded. “It’s okay. No matter what they add, it’s just a few seconds of footage anyway.”

Chen Jie was surprised. “But on set, it’s not just a few seconds. It might require repeated takes. Can your hand… handle it?”

Song Cun’s gaze fell on his left hand. His fingers unconsciously curled. “I’ll be careful.”

…

In the evening, Qi Yan, who was in his study, suddenly heard a piano piece. It was Jay Chou’s “Secret.” He got up and followed the sound of the piano out of the study. On the spiral staircase, he saw Song Cun sitting at the black piano in the small living room, his fingers playing on the black and white keys. The last rays of the setting sun passed through the clean floor-to-ceiling windows and fell on the omega’s fair, beautiful face.

This scene seemed to overlap with a certain fragment of memory…