LOI Chapter 28 — Rumored Boyfriend

On New Year’s Eve, Yan Zhi gave Rong Ke a shoulder massage, completely lacking in technique.

Although Rong Ke knew Yan Zhi meant well and sympathized with his hard work, he still declined, “Let’s skip your amateur skills.”

“Isn’t poor technique all the more reason to practice?” Yan Zhi kneaded Rong Ke’s lower back with his palms. “Once I perfect my technique, you’ll be the one to benefit.”

After all, the muscles of the waist weren’t as tense as the shoulders, making the massage more effective.

Thinking Yan Zhi had a point, Rong Ke relaxed and began directing his movements, “A bit to the right… Apply more pressure…”

The friction between their skin ignited a warmth, comforting like a heat pad.

Rong Ke rested his cheek on his hand, eyes closed in contentment. “Mmm… right there…”

“Here?” Yan Zhi’s hands kept moving lower.

Back pain often radiates widely, so the area near the tailbone needed attention too.

The day’s fatigue completely melted away as Rong Ke emptied his mind, savoring the prince’s service. However, he suddenly sensed something was wrong.

——Yan Zhi’s hands seemed to be venturing too low.

If he wasn’t mistaken, a few fingers had crossed the waistband line.

Comfort had dulled his senses. For about three seconds, Rong Ke wondered if his pants had ridden up, hindering Yan Zhi’s movements, and Yan Zhi was simply adjusting them.

But when a finger scaled the peak, nearing the secret valley, Rong Ke snapped awake, springing up from Yan Zhi’s lap like a carp leaping from water.

“What are you doing?” Rong Ke knelt on the sofa, clutching his pants, staring at Yan Zhi in disbelief.

“Helping you relax,” Yan Zhi blinked innocently.

Astonished by Yan Zhi’s brazen explanation, Rong Ke demanded, “Since when does poking someone’s ass relax them??”

“Isn’t ‘release’ the same as ‘relax’?” Yan Zhi asked earnestly.

Well, release could indeed lead to relaxation. Yan Zhi had a point.

Wait, damn it, he’d been led astray.

“Stop playing word games with me, you fake foreigner.” Rong Ke angrily got off the sofa and put on his slippers. “Keep this up and I’ll beat the crap out of you!”

“…Fake foreigner?” What a novel insult.

Watching Rong Ke’s retreating figure disappear into the guest room, Yan Zhi stroked his chin, more determined than ever in his thoughts.

Based on that trial, honesty clearly equals suicide.

So it’s best to enjoy each day as it comes.

Though he threatened violence, Rong Ke was merely bluffing Yan Zhi.

Rather than anger, he felt confused. Was Yan Zhi hinting that he wanted to be penetrated?

After all, it felt like he was saying: If you won’t do me, I’ll do you first…

Damn, what nonsense.

Rong Ke tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Just as he was finally drifting off, someone crept into his bedroom and slipped under his covers.

“Yan Zhi?” Rong Ke frowned, half-asleep, instinctively clenching his fist. “What are you doing here?”

“Apologizing,” Yan Zhi said. “I was wrong earlier. Don’t be mad at me.”

Huh, how novel – a prince who apologizes.

Rong Ke unconsciously relaxed his fist. “Don’t do that again.”

“Mm.” Yan Zhi settled into a comfortable position, showing no intention of leaving.

“You’re not going?” Rong Ke asked.

“Aren’t you not mad at me anymore?” Yan Zhi’s tone was rather dejected. “Why are you still kicking me out?”

The room was dimly lit, everything visible only in vague outlines, except for Yan Zhi’s face so close by.

His long lashes trembled slightly, as if terribly wronged, making Rong Ke feel quite guilty.

Rong Ke suddenly realized something – facing this face, perhaps only a god could harden their heart.

Besides, His Royal Highness had already apologized. What more could he ask for?

“Suit yourself,” Rong Ke turned his back to Yan Zhi. “No more touching me. If you’re really that ¹horny[/tn], I’ll take you to find a man.”

“…” Yan Zhi paused, then said, “Okay.”

The next day’s scene was between Rong Ke and Liu Qing, the one he had rehearsed with Yan Zhi.

As the main team’s firepower, Lao San had to hold off Sha Ya to let others escape, but his powers hadn’t fully awakened yet, so he was basically getting beaten one-sidedly.

In this scene, Rong Ke needed to be shirtless because Lao San’s fireball had already burned off his clothes.

His beautiful muscles were exposed to the air, his tanned skin coated with fake blood and charcoal, looking violent yet wild.

Even Xin Ran couldn’t help teasing, “Why didn’t Lao San burn your pants off too?”

Rong Ke replied, “You’d have to ask the director about that.”

As soon as Luo Bi called action, Rong Ke instantly got into character, moving effortlessly through the alleyways as if playing hide-and-seek.

“Are you hidden well? Time to start catching.”

Passing a trash can, Rong Ke kicked it. The props team immediately pulled the wires, creating the visual effect of Sha Ya kicking the can twenty meters away.

Approaching a pile of debris, Rong Ke chuckled, talking to himself, “Now where are you hiding? I can’t seem to find you.”

He continued forward. Liu Qing, hidden behind the debris, sighed in relief. However, in the next instant, Rong Ke suddenly swept away the debris, exclaiming excitedly, “Ta-da! Found you!”

Liu Qing startled, trying to escape, but Rong Ke grabbed him by the throat, pinning him against the debris.

“Why aren’t you running anymore?” Rong Ke delivered the familiar line. “Have your brothers and sisters abandoned you?”

“You’ll never catch them!” Liu Qing cupped his right hand, trying to conjure a fireball, but he was already too weak.

Earlier, when rehearsing with Yan Zhi, Rong Ke had been somewhat playful, even going along with Yan Zhi’s impromptu character changes.

But now it was different. Sha Ya would only get more excited by Lao San’s resistance.

Rong Ke had fully immersed himself in the role, viciously gripping Liu Qing’s throat while improvising by prying open his lips with his thumb. “Speak! Where did they go?”

His frenzied expression and powerful delivery captivated everyone on set. No, it wasn’t Rong Ke anymore—it was Sha Ya. Even Luo Bi held his breath, anticipating Rong Ke’s next move.

However, at that moment, Liu Qing suddenly twisted his face away, spitting in disgust, “What are you doing? Your fingers are filthy! Putting them in my mouth?”

Liu Qing wasn’t formally trained, his line delivery indistinguishable from casual speech. His outburst immediately broke the immersion for everyone, forcing Luo Bi to call “Cut!”

“What’s wrong?” Luo Bi asked, looking up from behind the camera.

“His hands are covered in dirt. It’s disgusting.” Liu Qing gagged, covering his chest, and protested to Luo Bi, “This wasn’t even in the script, was it?”

An assistant quickly handed him a bottle of mineral water. As Liu Qing rinsed his mouth right there, Luo Bi patiently explained, “This is consistent with Sha Ya’s character. Prying open your mouth isn’t out of place.”

Seeing the director approve of Rong Ke’s acting, Liu Qing glared at him, lowering his voice, “You’re adding your own stuff, aren’t you?”

Rong Ke looked away, exhaling in exasperation before turning back to Liu Qing, “Did you ever consider that putting my hand in your mouth is disgusting for me too?”

He had gotten caught up in the performance, not thinking it through. Now, recalling it, he felt a bit nauseated himself.

“You—!” Liu Qing was about to throw the water bottle but, noticing people watching, he handed it back to the assistant and stormed off. “I feel sick. I need a break.”

Liu Qing retreated to his trailer outside the studio. With no other scenes to shoot, the entire crew was forced to halt production.

Luo Bi announced a fifteen-minute break. Rong Ke went for a touch-up, preparing to resume filming. However, after fifteen minutes, Liu Qing hadn’t returned to the set.

The assistant director went to the trailer to call him, but was told that Liu Qing wasn’t feeling well and needed more time to recover.

Luo Bi was now visibly irritated, starting to list Liu Qing’s faults on set.

Rong Ke sat idly in his chair, wondering how long the crew would wait for someone of Liu Qing’s status.

An hour? Two hours?

Before he could find an answer, the arrival of a luxurious food truck diverted everyone’s attention.

“Yan Zhi’s here to visit the set!”

“Damn, it’s five-star buffet!”

The set suddenly became bustling. Rong Ke followed others outside the studio to see long tables set up by the roadside, laden with various delicacies.

Rong Ke: “…” Why wasn’t he surprised at all?

Spotting that tall figure in the crowd, Rong Ke approached Yan Zhi and asked, “Why are you here?”

Yan Zhi was handing out plates. He gave one to Rong Ke, saying, “To make sure you eat well.”

“You didn’t have to treat the entire crew to a buffet,” Rong Ke muttered, feeling oddly concerned about the expense.

With the break extended, no one remembered Liu Qing’s walkout. Everyone gathered around the table, helping themselves to their favorite dishes.

In his trailer, Liu Qing sensed something was off. He texted his assistant: [How did the director react?]

His assistant, busy grabbing lobster, sent a photo and replied: [Yan Zhi’s visiting the set. What do you want to eat?]

Liu Qing angrily threw his water bottle.

The extravagant buffet was a rare sight at the film base. Many people started sharing photos on social media.

Soon, Rong Ke saw Yan Zhi’s set visit trending on the entertainment charts. Many were speculating about his relationship with Yan Zhi.

[Weren’t they just a fan-imagined couple? Turns out it’s real?]
[JS visited yesterday, and YZ today. Based on my years of gossip experience, there’s definitely something going on.]
[Old news from Guatian – the two princes are already living together, using the same perfume.]
[Two princes? Who?]
[YZ and RK, of course. With official backing, isn’t RK a prince too?]
[So in what capacity did YZ visit the set? Is this an official announcement?]

Rong Ke skimmed through briefly before closing his phone to focus on his steak. Noticing Yan Zhi typing away, he curiously peeked over.

What he saw nearly made him choke.

[@Yan Zhi: In the capacity of rumored boyfriend // @XX: In what capacity did YZ visit the set?]

It was too late to snatch the phone. Rong Ke, pounding his chest to swallow his steak, said to Yan Zhi, “Can you stop being so provocative? When did I become your rumored boyfriend?”

No matter how fans might speculate, who would use an official, public account to confirm a rumored relationship?

Both a rumor and personally confirmed – so was it even a rumor anymore?

“Well then,” Yan Zhi tilted his head, pondering for a moment, “Rumored husband?”

He lowered his head to continue typing.

Seeing Yan Zhi start to edit his Weibo post, Rong Ke swiftly grabbed his phone.

He had no doubt that Yan Zhi would actually change ‘boyfriend’ to ‘husband’.

“Forget it, don’t change it. Just boyfriend, I’m your rumored boyfriend,” Rong Ke said, still shaken. “Next time, warn me before you pull a stunt like this.”

— So he could snatch the phone in time.

Yan Zhi nodded obediently, saying, “Okay.”