Morbid Attachment

At that moment, Ji Wang’s breath stopped. Then, endless anger surged to the top. If it hadn't been for years of self-cultivation and enduring hardship, Ji Wang might have thrown down his sword and quit on the spot.

Qi Boyan had recognized him. He’d recognized him from the beginning, so he’d deliberately pressed the spear against his waist and smeared blood on his mask.

Why? Did he want to see him lose control?

Probably because his surprise was too obvious, Qi Boyan's hand slid along the dangerously sharp sword up to his upper body, finally stopping at his lower back and holding it as he pleased.

Qi Boyan was magnanimous, as if he didn’t realize how ambiguous this action was.

“Did you think if you wrapped yourself up like this I wouldn’t be able to recognize you?” Qi Boyan’s voice contained a smile.

After speaking, his eyes swept down and stopped at Ji Wang’s waist: “You’re skinnier.”

Ji Wang was at the end of his rope. He slapped Qi Boyan’s hand away and retreated a few steps back. He quickly scanned the eyes of people around them. As expected, many were already looking towards them with inquiring gazes. Xiao Xu’s face was even more surprised.

“Enough.” Ji Wang repressed himself, “Don’t provoke me again!”

Qi Boyan pulled his hand back and looked blankly at Ji Wang.

When Qi Boyan wasn’t smiling, his gaze was full of pressure. When it’s heavy presence fell on the body, it almost made people hold their breath.

But soon, Qi Boyan seemed to have lost interest and took his gaze away from Ji Wang. He stepped out of the scene and went to the director's position.

Ji Wang was left there, his body’s temperature slowly dropping and the surroundings cooling bit by bit. His right hand trembled and tightened. He should know, Qi Boyan didn’t care about him, this was merely teasing an old lover he happened to encounter by chance.

It was just that Qi Boyan didn’t adhere to reason, making him incapable of performing at ease.

In the next few scenes, Ji Wang diligently acted as a contradiction-filled assassin with a heart burdened by deep emotion. By the end of the scenes, it was already two o'clock in the evening.

Ji Wang felt exhausted, not just physically and mentally, but a kind of weakness that spilled out from his bones. After he finished the scene, the director's assistant came over to stop him and send him to the crew’s hotel to stay for one night.

If at first Ji Wang thought it was his acting skills that had impressed the director and convinced him to add more scenes, he now understood that 90% of the reason for the add-ons must have been because Qi Boyan mentioned it.

What extra scenes, what hotel, he was afraid the room he slept in would be next to Qi Boyan’s suite.

Ji Wang expressed thanks before politely refusing. He said his own home wasn’t far from set, and that tomorrow morning he’d come back. He wouldn’t be late and affect the crew’s work.

The director’s assistant was a man in his thirties and respectfully called Ji Wang “laoshi”¹. “Laoshi, this back and forth is too tiring for you. The hotel is right next to the set, it’s better if you go there and rest. We’ve already reserved a room for you. Early tomorrow morning we’ll arrange for a car to send you over.”

Xiao Xu had been with Ji Wang for this long and the last time he’d encountered such politeness was on the set of the campus drama. The main reason was that, from the director to the producer to the leading role, none of them had made a name for themselves. Instead, they were more polite than these big crews.

The assistant continued to persuade, “If I let you go back like this and suffer hardship, the director will also blame me for making improper arrangements. Look at this..."

Ji Wang was soft hearted after being coaxed² and saw that the assistant’s face was exhausted. He couldn’t bear to make the assistant continue to stand there squabbling with him and ended up agreeing.

Seeing that he finally agreed, the assistant couldn't help but let out a breath

Ji Wang and Xiao Xu were sent to the hotel, a five-star upscale hotel suite with floor-to-ceiling windows and a jacuzzi in the bathroom.

Xiao Xu was stunned and put down his small bag, preparing to take a taxi to Ji Wang's house to get him a change of clothes.

Ji Wang waved his hand, “I’ll just use disposable underwear, this elder³ isn’t so particular. You must be tired, go wash up first.”

Xiao Xu smiled, put down the bag, and went into the bathroom. The partition in the bathroom was frosted glass, and you could faintly see the shadow of a person.

Xiao Xu washed while chatting with Ji Wang, “Ge, do you think Director Zhou thinks your acting skills are good, took a fancy to you, and wants you to act in his dramas? Otherwise, how could they arrange such a good place for us? The conditions are too excellent!”

Ji Wang took out a cigarette. Hearing Xiao Xu’s words, the corners of his mouth smiled. Zhou Lie rarely shot dramas, mostly only commercials and MVs. Ji Wang didn’t believe that Qi Boyan had nothing to do with the arrangements tonight.

Xiao Xu didn't hear a response, so he stopped chattering. After taking a quick shower, he handed the bathroom to Ji Wang.

Ji Wang had just smoked a cigarette on the balcony. Xiao Xu smelled the smoke and said in surprise, "Ge, didn't you say you quit last time?”

“Youngster, a smoking addiction is like a troublesome ex, not easy to give up.” Ji Wang acted like a veteran when it came to relationships. After imparting these words of wisdom, he patted Xiao Xu on the shoulder and walked into the bathroom.

Ji Wang washed for a long time, until his skin was flushed red, before coming out of the bathroom wrapped in a bath towel. Without the pheromone suppressing sticker, Ji Wang's own scent floated into the air. He wiped his wet hair: "Xiao Xu, my pheromones are a bit strong today, I hope you don't mind."

He received no response, the room was quiet.

Compared with hearing and vision, the first to sense something was his sense of smell. Besides, the person in the room never had any intention of concealing their pheromones.

Ji Wang gripped the towel in his hand and looked through his wet hair at the uninvited guest sitting on the sofa.

Qi Boyan had stripped off the general’s costume, revealing extremely pale dyed hair. His originally deep and delicate facial features were now contrasted by this hair color to create a sense of mixed blood⁴.

With a phone in his hand, the man propped his chin up and raised his eyes to look at Ji Wang.

Qi Boyan was taken aback for a moment, and then looked at Ji Wang intently. His gaze was substantial, going from Ji Wang's wet chest to his waist and abdomen. It finally settled on his waist and hips, tightly wrapped in a bath towel.

He cast aside his phone and changed positions. Boldly ⁵ sitting on the sofa, his eyes darkened. "Do you usually wander in front of your assistant like this?"

Ji Wang threw the towel in his hand aside and pulled off his towel in front of Qi Boyan. He opened the hotel room’s closet, took out a bathrobe, and unhurriedly put it on and tied it.

There was no distress or embarrassment. He even ignored the burning gaze firmly glued to his body.

Ji Wang waited until he finished changing into his bathrobe before asking, “Where is my assistant?”

Qi Boyan pinched the box of cigarettes Ji Wang left on the sofa, took one out, and placed it at the tip of his nose to take a light sniff: "He’s in my room, with my assistant."

Ji Wang walked in front of Qi Boyan. "Have him come back, and you get out."

He was standing, Qi Boyan was seated. Even so, in terms of aura, he couldn’t overpower Qi Boyan at all.

Instead, their position made it more convenient for Qi Boyan’s actions. The man's palm rested on Ji Wang's calf, slightly warm after just getting out of the shower. Tracing his exquisite skin, it slowly climbed upward.

Qi Boyan said, “Long time no see, don’t you miss me?”

Ji Wang almost laughed. "Why should I miss you?"

Qi Boyan looked up at Ji Wang. He pulled his hand out from the bathrobe, grabbed Ji Wang's right hand, and raised it to his eyes to carefully inspect it before putting his lips on the scar where the tattoo was removed: "Liar, you obviously missed me."

When speaking, his warm lips flicked between Ji Wang's fingers, causing bursts of numbness and easily turning that place into a sensitive spot.

Qi Boyan smiled and hatefully added, "Missed me day and night.”

1. Teacher ↑
2. This actually says “吃软不吃硬”, which translates literally to “eats soft food but refuses hard food”. It’s a Chinese idiom which means someone is amenable to coaxing but not to coercion. ↑
3. Ji Wang is sarcastically referring to himself as a lord / respected elder ↑
4. I think the author is saying the pale hair makes Qi Boyan look like he’s mixed race ↑
5. This says “大马金刀” which is a Chinese idiom describing something as bold and grandiose. ↑