Chapter 110: Drooling and Playing the Rascal

Mo Qi followed Shen Yijue as he left. She had assumed they were heading back to the apartment, but she soon realized the car was traveling in the opposite direction.

"King Shen, we aren't going home? Where are we going?" Mo Qi leaned toward the window to look outside, then turned back to see that the usually expressionless face of Shen Yijue had softened significantly.

Mo Qi felt strange. She had only made a passing remark; had she said something that pleased the "King of Cinema"?

Before Shen Yijue could answer, Xiao Zhang, who was driving, spoke up: "Brother Shen still has two scenes to finish, so we have to rush back now."

"He hasn't finished filming yet?" Mo Qi frowned slightly. Hearing this, she felt more anxious than touched.

After the incident at the party, it was clear that Shen Yijue was placing restrictions on her evening outings. Situations like today—being picked up halfway through a social event—would likely only become more frequent.

For women who enjoyed being clingy or dependent, having a man who valued and protected them so much might feel wonderful. But Mo Qi was different. Having lived through a second life, she did not want to be under anyone's control. She only wanted to use her own strength to reclaim everything that was hers; she did not want to be kept on a leash by Shen Yijue like a pet.

While driving, Xiao Zhang continued, "He already filmed the scenes before this, but there are two more that need to be shot in the rain later. Since someone else had to film their scene first, Brother Shen had a two-hour break, so he came to pick you up."

Neither of them in the back seat replied, so Xiao Zhang kept talking. "Mo Qi, you might not know this, but you really shouldn't attend these kinds of private parties alone if you don't have a male companion. It gets very chaotic."

He was referring to how He Shuai and Sun Feifei had dared to do such things in the woods near the small garden. Moreover, the party was full of men and women who would start by chatting and end up getting intimate. Later on, many people who had originally been in the main hall had disappeared, and everyone knew exactly where they had gone and what they were doing.

An atmosphere like this at a private party didn't form overnight; everyone was used to it. Mo Qi wasn't stupid—of course she could see it. But since she had been invited as one of the eight contestants through the show's production team, and given that Sister Shang was already suspicious of her, Mo Qi had to attend even though she loathed such gatherings.

"Thank you for the reminder, Xiao Zhang. I'll be more careful in the future," Mo Qi said. Xiao Zhang chuckled, focused on his driving, and said no more.

Shen Yijue glanced at Mo Qi, leaned back into his seat, and closed his eyes to rest. Noticing the faint shadows under his eyes, Mo Qi knew he had been filming night scenes lately and was likely exhausted.

"King Shen, why don't you get some sleep? I'll wake you when we arrive."

"Mm." Shen Yijue gave a low hum, reached out to pull her shoulder, and guided her to lean into his chest.

Mo Qi struggled for a moment, but Shen Yijue’s deep, magnetic voice sounded above her head: "Don't move."

Mo Qi realized that Shen Yijue seemed to particularly enjoy holding her while he slept. She sighed, shifted her arm slightly to get more comfortable, and stopped moving. Shen Yijue tightened his arm slightly around her and drifted off to sleep.

***

Mo Qi was lost in thought while resting in Shen Yijue’s arms, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep as well.

When she woke up, the van had stopped. Xiao Zhang was gone, and she had shifted from being held in Shen Yijue’s arms to resting her head on his lap. Mo Qi opened her eyes, feeling groggy, and subconsciously wiped her mouth. It was wet!

*Oh no, you’ve got to be kidding me. Did I drool in my sleep?* Mo Qi carefully shifted her face away.

*Oh, dear!* There was indeed a suspicious damp spot on the fabric of Shen Yijue’s suit trousers. Mo Qi couldn't bear to lift her head; she stayed glued to his lap, playing dead.

"Awake?" Shen Yijue’s cool voice sounded above her.

Mo Qi pretended not to hear and continued to play dead.

Shen Yijue found it amusing. "Don't play dead. Get up."

"I won't." Mo Qi simply reached out and gripped his thigh tightly, determined not to move until the wet spot had dried.

Shen Yijue sighed and tapped her head. "You’ve been sleeping on my lap for two hours. My leg is numb."

"Ah?" Mo Qi hesitated. Her conscience hadn't completely vanished, and she felt a small twinge of guilt. She lifted her head slightly off his lap but still hovered it there, shielding his view so he wouldn't see the spot. "Is that better now?"

Shen Yijue couldn't stand seeing her hunched over like that—it looked both difficult and foolish. He offered a gentle reminder: "Summer trousers are very thin."

"Ah?" Mo Qi blinked blankly.

"So, the drool you left on them—I noticed it a long time ago."

"Heh, heh." Mo Qi pulled a forced smile. Since Shen Yijue had already exposed her, there was no need to hide it anymore. She sat up straight and cast a sidelong glance at him with a sheepish grin.

"Mo Qi, do you always do such embarrassing things?" There was a hint of teasing in Shen Yijue’s eyes as he looked at her. "You have no 'drinking etiquette' when you're drunk, you choke when you eat, and now..."

"Stop, that's enough! You shouldn't expose someone's shortcomings!" Mo Qi glared at him. Being teased like this actually made her feel less embarrassed. Anyway, she was already so deep in debt that a little more didn't matter; she was getting used to losing face in front of Shen Yijue.

A faint smile flickered across Shen Yijue’s eyes. Seeing that she was no longer embarrassed, he dropped the subject.

"Wait for me in the car. If you're sleepy, you can recline the seat and nap."

"I just slept for two hours, I'm not sleepy anymore. Since you're filming, can I come in and watch to learn a thing or two under the guise of 'visiting the set'?"

Shen Yijue glanced at the dress she was wearing and picked up the suit jacket hanging nearby, draping it over her shoulders. "It's chilly in the night air."

With that, he opened the car door and stepped out without bothering to change his trousers. Mo Qi figured he would have to change into his costume anyway, so she didn't say anything, wrapped the suit jacket around herself, and followed him out.

The night breeze was blowing; although it wasn't as cold as it had been on the mountain, it was still a bit chilly in a short-sleeved dress. Mo Qi pulled the jacket tighter and walked toward the filming site with Shen Yijue.

Mo Qi had read the script for this production once at the apartment. It was a story about the romance between a young university professor and a senior student. Because of their status, they couldn't make their feelings public, and the professor had to suppress his emotions even though he was in love with her.

It was utterly complicated, but it was exactly the kind of drama the current audience loved. Shen Yijue was the one playing the professor.