“Damn it! Those two are about to fight.”
Fat Uncle slapped his thigh, startling Director Chen with a jolt beside him. The gaze behind his brown glasses sharpened as he took a closer look, then he let out a sigh of relief.
“It’s fine. I think they’re just a couple having a lovers’ spat. Just pay more attention to PR…”
But Fat Uncle didn’t buy it at all. He held positions at both Chichuang and the Su Corporation Group. If Su Yicen really had a girlfriend, there was no way someone of his director-level status wouldn’t know about it.
Seeing that the two had already turned the corner and left the Estate Campground’s grounds, Fat Uncle panicked. He grabbed Director Chen and headed that way.
“No matter what, it won’t hurt to go check it out.”
He instructed the assistant director nearby to keep things under control, then the two of them followed behind Feng Zheng and chased after them together.
After being dragged away publicly by Su Yicen, Song Chan heard endless gasps of surprise from behind her. She tried to shake off his hand but couldn’t budge it no matter what.
Her wrist was gripped tightly in his palm, and she couldn’t break free at all. Panic didn’t even begin to describe her mood at that moment.
“Su Yicen, what are you doing!”
Song Chan lowered her voice and pried forcefully at his hand.
“It’s not time to go public yet. They’ll figure it out…”
Su Yicen was a bit frantic. He had really waited too long.
“When will be the right time?”
“I think today is just fine.”
Right now, he just wanted the whole world to know that Song Chan was his, his wife.
Everything else, he couldn’t care less about.
Song Chan didn’t know how to respond. She could only mumble vaguely.
“Anyway, not now…”
She heard the voices of Fat Uncle and the others chasing after them.
Song Chan’s resistance eased. She tugged at the corner of his clothes and softened her tone cooperatively.
“Su Yicen, don’t be jealous anymore. I’ll go back and coax you…”
She felt the strength in his hand loosen noticeably, at least restoring some color to her pale wrist.
Seizing the moment, she quickened her steps to catch up, leaning in by his ear with a soft, limp plea.
“Be good…”
“Hubby~”
Song Chan’s soft tone was like an enchanting bug, completely captivating Su Yicen.
The corner of his mouth, frozen stiff, melted and curved upward uncontrollably, like ice meeting warm spring.
It was the first time Su Yicen had heard Song Chan call him like that on her own initiative.
He couldn’t resist her coaxing and could only surrender.
He had already pulled her far away, stopping on a small road outside the Paris Estate. Sparse passersby couldn’t help but linger, drawn to the attractive couple.
After a pause, Su Yicen looked at her and slowly released her wrist.
In his warm, deep tone, measured and serious, he said.
“Remember what you just said…”
“You’ll go back and coax me…”
“Wifey~”
His light “wifey” slid straight to the heart, but Song Chan calmed down instead.
This was their unspoken understanding. At least for now, she was certain he would cooperate with her.
The three chasing behind them had already caught up.
As soon as they arrived, Feng Zheng pulled Su Yicen aside. His meaningful winks were completely ignored by the man.
Su Yicen even shot back, “Is something wrong with your eyes?”
Those words made Feng Zheng’s heart clench hard. He thought it was over this time. Never mind how long the PR for Top Idol’s romance would drag on—the fan backlash, dropouts, potential boycotts, and impacts on commercial value would be enough to make his hair fall out in clumps.
His heart had cooled halfway when Su Yicen’s next words pulled him back from despair.
The man sounded extremely impatient, laced with arrogant disdain—no trace of acting at all.
“Why’d you all follow? We just exchanged a few words. Song Chan and I can handle it ourselves…”
“Exchanged… words?…”
Not only was Feng Zheng stunned by that, but Fat Uncle, rubbing his smooth bald head, felt completely baffled too.
“With the way you two looked ready to throw down, it was just coming out here to bicker?”
Neither of the two involved expected their spat to be mistaken for a fight.
Seeing the two onlookers take it at face value, the insiders breathed a sigh of relief—while Fat Uncle and Director Chen were scared half to death.
This was an overseas crew, far from home. Bringing these two out like this—if anything really happened, forget whether their fans would let them off when they got back. Just the old man at the Su Corporation Group alone could make them regret it.
“Otherwise, should I actually fight her?” Su Yicen retorted.
Hearing that, Fat Uncle quickly stepped between them. Luckily, he was good with words and had a basket full of persuasions.
“Fight what?!” He cut him off in a hurry. “This is a society governed by law. Solve problems with talk, not fists—what’s so appropriate about that!”
Fat Uncle tried to play peacemaker, with Director Chen chiming in from the side.
Though he’d heard rumors of their grudge before, Director Chen had seen plenty of real and fake drama in the Entertainment Circle. He’d thought their feud was fake too, but seeing their stance now, it seemed pretty real.
“But you dragged her all the way out here just to argue?”
“What else?” Su Yicen replied naturally. “Argue in public and end up trending right after?”
His answer was airtight. Without avoiding people, that’s exactly how it would go.
Seeing Song Chan silently rubbing her reddened wrist only lent more credibility to his words.
Fat Uncle looked troubled and lowered his voice to ask.
“President Su, what’s this all about?”
Su Yicen didn’t lower his voice at all, looking straight at Song Chan on the other side. Since she still wanted to draw a line, he’d play along.
“Just can’t stand the sight of her.”
His blunt tone almost convinced Song Chan herself.
Song Chan shot back, “Speak for yourself. I can’t stand you either.”
Their at-daggers-drawn performance left Fat Uncle stuck in the middle. His usually smooth-talking skills failed him completely.
Like a teacher mediating student conflicts, Fat Uncle frantically pulled them aside and earnestly persuaded them for ages not to fight anymore.
Just as Su Yicen had promised earlier, he fully cooperated in front of the producer and director who caught up, putting on a show of their discord.
With Feng Zheng’s assist and Su Yicen’s stellar acting, Song Chan barely needed to say a word with her head down—the crisis was resolved by those two.
Hotel
Song Chan returned to her room, didn’t even change clothes, and sat on the sofa, quietly waiting for a certain someone to show up.
Sure enough, not long after, just as expected, her door opened. A familiar figure slipped in quietly.
“Su Yicen!”
Her voice fell as the door clicked shut.
Song Chan’s tone was unyielding as she questioned him.
“Do you know how dangerous that situation was today?”
“They all saw it. Luckily they believed you. What if we hadn’t fooled them?”
Guessing how Su Yicen would respond, Song Chan cut him off first.
“Don’t even start with going public or not. It’s not time yet.”
“Mm.” He didn’t argue, agreeing right away.
Seeing Su Yicen so agreeable caught Song Chan off guard.
After confirming the man in front of her was real, she continued.
“I’m laying down three rules!”
“Okay, let’s hear them.”
Su Yicen’s expression didn’t change as he sat beside her, waiting quietly for her to go on.
Song Chan tested the waters. “We must strictly follow the Secret Marriage Agreement…”
“No intimate behavior in public, no letting the crew find out, and no getting photographed.”
“Just these three. Can you agree?”
Song Chan knew full well that even the first one would be hard for Su Yicen to accept.
The moment she finished, she braced herself for rejection.
But his response exceeded her expectations. He nodded agreeably, like he had no temper at all.
“Okay, whatever you say.”
“So, Teacher Song, anything else?”
Su Yicen’s unusual compliance today left Song Chan a bit uneasy. His over-the-top cooperation felt out of character.
A doubt bubbled up in her mind—had making him publicly draw a line today hurt his feelings?
“Do you have anything to say?” Song Chan asked him. “If you have opinions, speak up. We can discuss.”
Su Yicen: “No need. I think Teacher Song is right. I’ll do whatever you say.”
Song Chan: “……”
Afterward, no matter what she demanded, he agreed unconditionally.
Song Chan: “During our time in Paris, you can’t just barge into my room anymore.”
Su Yicen hesitated slightly. “Okay.”
Song Chan: “And on set, you have to keep a social distance from me. No more letting them notice.”
Su Yicen arched a brow lightly. “Okay.”
Song Chan racked her brain for more but came up empty. The man waiting for her finally lost patience.
He said, “I have no objections. Whatever you say.”
“So, are we done?”
“We’re done.”
Song Chan answered without guard, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she sensed something off.
Beside her, Su Yicen’s body suddenly closed in like a beast pouncing, pinning her unprepared form beneath him on the sofa.
After holding back so long, his reprisal began, his words carrying clear warning.
“Song Chan, to be honest, you went too far today.”
“You questioned me for so long, laid out all those demands…”
“And I didn’t refuse a single one. I agreed to everything.”
His dark eyes reflected her panicked expression. His gaze locked on her, Adam’s apple bobbing, hot breath spraying her face as his hand slipped restlessly into her clothes.
Su Yicen’s cool hand lightly kneaded her tender skin, then suddenly pinched, drawing a soft moan from her.
He wrapped his arm around her waist, shifting positions so she sat astride him.
Su Yicen looked up at her, deliberately slowing his voice to something utterly roguish.
“Right now, I just want to know how you’re going to coax me…”
“To make it up to me…”
At his words, Song Chan’s face flushed scorching hot. Her body atop his froze stiff.
Su Yicen’s gaze left her nowhere to hide.
His body slowly rose, drawing closer until their eyes met level.
Song Chan admitted she’d gone too far and knew there was no escaping tonight, no matter what.
Her eyes fell to his lips. As she leaned in to kiss him proactively, shyness won out at the last second—she turned her head and pecked his cheek instead.
“That’s it?”
His dissatisfaction was obvious.
But she really was in the wrong this time.
With no choice, Song Chan leaned in again, pressing her lips to his.
The light kiss ended in an instant. Blushing, she couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes.
“That good enough…?”
Su Yicen huffed softly, lifting his hand to pinch her chin.
“Not enough. I want more.”
He seized her wrist, trapping her between him and the sofa.
His threatening words whispered in Song Chan’s ear, a reminder.
“Tonight, Teacher Song, you’ll have to work hard.”
“I see you won’t learn without a little punishment.”