Possessive Madman Coaxes Him With a Hand on His Waist! The Cold-Hearted Host Starts to Feel Something - Chapter 45

“I never said I didn’t like him.”

Yang Ming immediately looked pained for Li Cheng. “Li Cheng, everyone says the best way to forget an old relationship is to start a new one. Let me introduce you to a couple of people—guaranteed better than Yan Jin!”

He got more animated as he spoke. “Sure, they might not be as rich as he is, but they’ve got good character and good looks! We’ll do a clean break—no gaps between relationships! We’ll replace the old one faster than he can blink!”

Then he jabbed a finger at himself. “Honestly, if we weren’t both tops, I’d say we could even try dating each other.”

Li Cheng choked on his coffee. “I’m a top!”

“Tch.” Yang Ming clicked his tongue. “So am I.”

“Exactly. That’s why we’d clash.”

Li Cheng stared at him. This guy’s ridiculous.

Yang Ming, with his cute, soft features and puppy-like face, claiming to be a top—it was absurd. “Wake up, would you?”

Yang Ming bumped his arm against Li Cheng’s shoulder. “But honestly, Li Cheng, when Yan Jin’s not around, you do look pretty dominant.”

Dominant? Sure. But why tack on ‘when Yan Jin’s not around’?

If they weren’t in a hurry, Li Cheng would’ve argued that one to death. Instead, he just ruffled Yang Ming’s hair hard enough to mess it up.

“Come on, let’s go.”

“Ow—watch the hair!”

They headed together to the filming location, a seaside resort far from the city.

The production team had rented out a huge villa complex. Equipment was set up everywhere—no corner of the resort escaped the cameras.

The show was being broadcast live again.

When they arrived, Wang Qi was waiting in the reception area, waving wildly the moment he saw Li Cheng.

Li Cheng stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

The second Wang Qi got a good look at Li Cheng’s outfit—a high-neck casual top—his expression fell.

“For god’s sake, look at what the others are wearing! Do you think this is a vacation or a funeral?”

He rummaged through a suitcase he’d brought for Li Cheng. “You need to think about what the fans want to see! Why are you dressed like you’re trying to hide from the sun?”

This show didn’t allow stylists. To show the “authentic” side of celebrities, they had to bring their own clothes and do their own styling.

Wang Qi pulled out a satin top—V-neck, sleek, androgynous—and handed it to him. “Wear this.”

Then he took out a necklace with a distinctive ring pendant. “And this—make sure it’s visible on camera. It’s from an independent domestic designer. The sponsor’s already paid.”

A necklace… that meant his neck would be visible.

That was… problematic.

“Uh…” Li Cheng hesitated.

“What?” Wang Qi frowned.

There were only the two of them in the room, so Li Cheng tugged his collar down just enough to show him.

“Holy—!” Wang Qi stumbled back a step. “Did a vampire attack you?!”

His neck was mottled with faint red and purple marks—visible even from thirty feet away.

“You… you got a girlfriend?” Wang Qi demanded.

Then he paused, processing the depth of those marks. That didn’t look like a woman’s work.

“Wait—boyfriend?”

When Li Cheng didn’t deny it—and even looked a little sheepish—Wang Qi’s voice dropped to a harsh whisper that still somehow managed to sound like a shout.

“What the hell were you thinking, you lunatic?! You’re not some award-winning actor—you’re an idol! Your career depends on your fans! Do you have a death wish?!”

Li Cheng cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. “We broke up.”

“You… broke up?” Wang Qi’s voice cracked midway.

Outside the door, Yang Ming called out, urging Li Cheng to hurry. Wang Qi slammed his palm against the table. “You better not be lying to me!”

Then he dug out a bottle of concealer from the luggage. “Your makeup artist packed this. Use it. Whatever you do, cover those up. You can’t go out there looking like that.”

Li Cheng took the concealer and went into the bathroom.

When he touched the marks, they still hurt.

He muttered under his breath as he worked, “Damn mutt… really is a dog.”

By the time he finished covering the marks, the redness was gone. He put on the satin shirt and the necklace.

The slight V-neck exposed a hint of his collarbone, the pale skin of his neck gleaming faintly under the light—the look was unexpectedly sensual.

Wang Qi relaxed once the marks were hidden. “Good. Just play your part and keep it professional.”

Then he added, “And keep your distance from Yang Ming.”

Li Cheng frowned. “Why?”

Wang Qi sighed. “Just trust me on this one.”

Li Cheng didn’t answer but didn’t argue either.

Once he was dressed, the crew outside was already setting up the cameras—they were filming some pre-show footage.

Li Cheng and Yang Ming entered the resort together, trailed by the camera crew as they made their way toward the main set.

Rose Garden, Green City – Luxury Villa District

Yan Xun returned home at exactly 9 p.m.

The moment he opened the door, the lights flicked on all at once, flooding the dim villa with a sterile, cold brightness.

He hated it.

Everything felt empty and lifeless.

He walked to the sofa and sat down. The TV was showing commercials.

Then he saw it—the note on the table.

He reached for it.

A low, humorless chuckle slipped from his lips. “Heh.”

After reading it, his mood lifted—just slightly.

But only slightly.

Because he’d had to handle company affairs today, he was still using Yan Jin’s phone.

Just as he was about to check his messages, a notification popped up on the screen:

“Your special follow: @LiCheng_Fox has posted a new Weibo update… [Click to view more.]”

Without thinking—almost against his will—Yan Xun tapped it open.

(t/n: “Weibo” is a major Chinese social media platform, similar to Twitter. “Special follow” indicates that Yan Xun receives direct notifications whenever Li Cheng posts.)