Isn't This a Contract Marriage? Why Are You Sneaking Kisses! - Chapter 26

The few remaining lights gradually flickered out.

The two walked along the riverbank, one after the other.

Shang Jichen looked down at the youth’s still-trembling steps. Though he felt it was none of his business, driven by some inexplicable impulse, he spoke up: “Some people aren’t worth liking.”

Shen Silie, walking ahead, caught the words but missed the context of “people.” He only heard “not worth liking” and instinctively turned his head to ask: “You didn’t like the food tonight?”

Shang Jichen’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his eyes swirling with complexity.

Thinking the youth was trying to change the subject, he spoke more pointedly: “You should cherish your own body. Don’t let yourself suffer for someone who isn’t worth…”

Shang Jichen didn’t finish.

Shen Silie’s expression turned even more confused; he was completely lost now. My health isn’t so bad that a single hot pot meal would make me sick, is it?

Recalling the man’s inexperienced manner—the way he looked overwhelmed by the spice during their first dinner—Silie figured Shang Jichen just rarely ate spicy food and found it unhealthy. Seeing Silie’s own weak constitution, the man was likely just offering a casual reminder.

So, Shen Silie smiled and explained: “Personal likes and dislikes aren’t really a matter of ‘worth.’ At most, you might get an upset stomach when you first try it.”

“Besides, my body got used to it long ago.”

As Shen Silie finished his sentence, he noticed the man’s expression seemed to darken a shade. He didn’t know what had gone wrong; he assumed he had just misread the man’s face.

Shen Silie turned away, opening a social app to reply to his daily messages.

“Is he really that good?” Shang Jichen’s voice paused for a long time. It felt as if he had hesitated for ages before finally saying in a very soft voice: “Worthy of you liking him this much.”

His voice was too low, and Shen Silie’s attention had been snatched away by a client’s message. He didn’t hear these two sentences at all.

The driver soon arrived to pick them up.

Shen Silie got into the car and kept his head down, replying to messages from several people who had commissioned art from him.

After the recent exchange, Shang Jichen fell silent. Seeing Shen Silie busy replying to someone’s messages, he didn’t know what to say. He knew that pushing a subject too much would only lead to annoyance—especially regarding private matters.

Yet, a sense of frustration lingered in his heart. Consequently, as he held his phone, his fingers merely slid back and forth on the display screen without clicking into any apps.

They arrived outside the familiar residential area.

Shen Silie stepped out of the car and waved to him through the window. Through the half-open glass, Shang Jichen’s eyes remained dark. He stared intensely at the youth’s neck until the other had completely disappeared into the night. Only then did he take out his cigarette case.

Click—

Amidst the flickering firelight, Shang Jichen rubbed his temples irritably.

Thud—

Shen Silie kicked the door shut behind him. The warm yellow light illuminated the entire small apartment. He stepped across the carpet toward the bathroom, planning to do a quick wash and head straight to bed.

He had just turned on the faucet.

When he looked up and caught his reflection in the mirror, he was thoroughly startled.

Tracing from his jaw down to his collarbone, a cluster of mottled red spots had crawled across his skin—vivid and startling against his pale complexion.

At first glance, it looked exactly like the ambiguous marks left behind after a night of passion with someone.

Shocked, Shen Silie hurriedly pulled off his clothes and looked back. Sure enough, his back hadn’t been spared either.

He complained to himself about how his skin was becoming increasingly sensitive. After a quick rinse with plain water, he hurried to the living room to find the ointment he had bought previously.

One week later.

The crew of Prejudice officially announced the full cast list on Weibo: He Ye as the male lead Wan Sinian, Xu Tang as the female lead Cheng Muxia, Lin Chu as the third male lead Su Xi, Xia Wan as the lead’s mother Yu Qiuchi, Li Mingfeng as the lead’s father Wan Yunheng, and Shen Silie as the second male lead Song Wuyu.

As soon as the cast list was posted, the comments section exploded.

【Wait, is the crew insane? Putting Xiao Chu and this Shen Silie together?】

【Dammit, my Xiao Yu!! No!! Shen Silie, I’m warning you, stay away from my Xiao Yu.】

【Uh… am I the only one who thinks Shen and Song Wuyu are actually a good match? Song Wuyu wasn’t exactly a good person in the novel anyway—always having those dark, gloomy thoughts. It’s a perfect fit.】

【That being said, Shen Silie’s acting is actually pretty good. No need for such a huge reaction, right?】

【Novel fans feel like they’re dying. Xu Tang is fine, but the others… help, I want to hang myself at the author’s front door.】

【What kind of background does Shen Silie actually have? Can someone dig into this? How does he always land such good roles?】

The original novel Prejudice already carried a lot of heat, and now that one of the major roles had been taken by a controversial figure, the public outcry was reaching a fever pitch.

However, a single Weibo post caused the noisy comments section to fall into a dead silence.