Possessive Madman Coaxes Him With a Hand on His Waist! The Cold-Hearted Host Starts to Feel Something - Chapter 24

Li Cheng was roused from her sleep by a faint noise inside the sea of consciousness.

Something tickled her cheek.

It was Yan Jin’s hand.

Li Cheng stayed perfectly still, pretending to be asleep.

After about half a minute, her fingers twitched slightly.

【Aaaah! He’s stealing another kiss from you, Fox Host! Yan Jin really, truly likes you! Just kiss him back already, wuwuwu…】

Li Cheng’s eyelashes fluttered open.

Yan Jin’s face was inches away.

His long black lashes cast faint shadows over flawless skin—no blemish, no imperfection. No wonder people said Yan Jin belonged in the entertainment industry.

He really was unfairly good-looking.

And he’d awakened nine tails for her.

What harm would one kiss do?

He was, after all, her fated love.

Still… he was such a block of wood—how could he do something as sneaky as this?

The moment Yan Jin felt her hand slide up around his neck, his heart skipped a beat.

He instinctively drew back slightly, just enough space to feel her heartbeat against his own.

“Thump… thump… thump…” His pulse roared like a drum.

Li Cheng looked at him with a teasing, half-lidded gaze.

“Yan Jin…”

Yan Jin seemed at a loss, though he didn’t move away.

If anything, part of him wanted to lean back in and kiss her again.

Meeting her eyes, he murmured, so close their lips almost brushed, “I don’t want to apologize.”

Li Cheng’s voice came airy and soft.

“I didn’t ask you to.”

Her beautiful foxlike eyes lifted slightly. “Next time… if you want to kiss me…”

“Do it when I’m awake.”

As soon as she said that, she reached out and removed his glasses.

“I’m giving you permission.”

Permission to be bold.

Suddenly, a pair of strong hands looped around her neck.

Yan Jin’s voice was low and hoarse, tinged with something lazy and dangerous. “Right now… I really want to.”

It wasn’t a question—it was a declaration.

“I want… to kiss you.”

The next moment, his lips were on hers.

“Mm…”

Li Cheng didn’t push him away.

Because she didn’t want to.

Yan Jin’s feelings for her ran deep—life-and-death deep.

She didn’t want to let him down.

Wouldn’t let him down.

A faint joy stirred inside her chest.

She could feel his love clearly, unmistakably.

And she found that she… quite liked that feeling.

The feeling of being loved.

After a while, Li Cheng pushed him back gently.

Her cheeks were flushed with a soft pink hue.

That faint blush made her look impossibly beautiful—almost indecently so, like a painting brought to life.

She pressed a hand to his chest.

“People should… learn… when to stop.”

Then she bolted upright and hurried for the door like the sofa was on fire.

The moment she stood, dizziness hit her—she nearly stumbled.

Yan Jin reached out to steady her, but she dodged quickly.

If this kept going, they really might go all the way.

【Fox Host, I think you’re starting to feel something for Yan Jin.】

Li Cheng: …A little.

【Aaaah, Host, I knew it! Yan Jin’s so amazing, of course you’d like him!】

【And definitely more than a little!】

Li Cheng: Only a little.

【Don’t lie to yourself. I can see it—don’t pretend.】

Li Cheng coughed lightly, embarrassed. “It’s perfectly normal. He is, after all, my destined husband.”

【Host, I was curious and secretly ran a compatibility scan for the two of you. You might want to know the results.】

Li Cheng perked up. “So I won, right?”

【Yan Jin: 3,800,000,000】
【Fox Host: -1】
【Negative one means a zero percent chance, by the way.】

Li Cheng: “????? Did your system break?”

【I tested it eight times. Results confirmed.】
【But don’t be sad, Fox Host—this only applies to you and Yan Jin. When it comes to anyone else, you always win. Completely.】

Li Cheng: “So what exactly are you trying to say?”

【That the Host should face reality early.】

Li Cheng: “Freeze yourself!”

【Okay, shutting down now…】

Hopeless.

Might as well go home and play with crickets.

Damn it.

Yan Jin frowned as he watched Li Cheng storm out the door in a huff.

Why was she suddenly mad…?

Was his kiss that bad?

Why had she let him kiss her… only to turn around and deny it afterward?

She was so adorable…

…

After that inexplicable kiss, the atmosphere between them turned strange.

Not quite lovers.

But definitely not friends.

Li Cheng wrestled with the fact that she was supposed to be the “wife.”

Yan Jin, meanwhile, kept wondering what he’d done wrong to upset her.

Li Cheng decided to take it slow.

Yan Jin decided to figure out why she was acting so oddly.

That morning—

Li Cheng received a call about an audition.

She needed to secure the role in Monster Hunter.

It had already been delayed long enough.

So she got up early and headed to the audition site at the Huading Hotel.

Directors in the capital loved holding auditions in hotels.

When Li Cheng reached the assigned floor, a sign hung outside the door.

The space looked more like a banquet hall.

Inside, the setup was minimal—just a few chairs and benches, the atmosphere rigid and serious.

This role was something the original host had wanted.

But her agent, Wang Qi, hadn’t been optimistic—so she hadn’t even shown up.

She probably thought Li Cheng was just there to fill space.

When Li Cheng arrived, a few actors were already present.

They said the director, producer, and a few casting directors would be attending later, but it was still early—only a dozen actors or so were there.

Including assistants and agents, maybe twenty people total.

The audition was for the male lead, a monster hunter, and the supporting male role—a tree spirit—in the fantasy IP Monster Hunter.

Everyone present had been pre-selected by the production team, so while the number was small, the competition was fierce.

Most faces were familiar. Even if they weren’t acquaintances, their names were known in the industry.

For the most part, everyone exchanged polite nods and kept conversation to a minimum.

“Li Cheng! You’re here too!” a lively voice called out from the side.

Li Cheng turned toward the sound. A cheerful, well-mannered young man approached—someone she vaguely remembered working with before.

His name was Yang Wei.

“Yang Wei, you’re auditioning too?”

Yang Wei nodded, holding a script in his hands. “Yeah, I’m going for the tree spirit role. Feels like it suits me.”

Li Cheng nodded. A chatty, lively tree spirit really did suit him.

Yang Wei glanced around at the other actors before asking seriously, “Li Cheng, you’ve mostly played male leads in web dramas before, right? Why’d you suddenly decide to audition for a supporting role?”

“Supporting role?”

Li Cheng frowned.

【Fox Host, you’re auditioning for the male lead. You must get this role.】

Li Cheng turned to Yang Wei. “I’m here for the monster hunter.”

Yang Wei’s eyes widened. He quickly tugged Li Cheng aside and whispered,

“Li Cheng, you didn’t hear? The monster hunter role’s already been decided by the investors!”

(t/n: In the entertainment industry, major roles are often pre-assigned to investor-backed actors even before auditions are held; the rest are largely formality. )