Being a Celebrity Isn't Fun at All

The wind on the overpass made Lin Wanwan sneeze.

Chen Zhi smoothly took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

"Let's go, I'll walk you back."

Wrapped in the jacket that still held Chen Zhi's body heat, Lin Wanwan walked down the overpass by his side.

The hotel Sister Su Man booked wasn't far from here; it was a five-star hotel. As they reached the entrance of the hotel, Lin Wanwan stopped in her tracks.

She lowered her head, scuffing her toes against the ground a couple of times.

"Umm..." Lin Wanwan looked up, her eyes darting everywhere except at Chen Zhi. "This suite Sister Su Man booked for me is too big. It's on the top floor, and when the wind blows at night, the floor-to-ceiling windows rattle."

Chen Zhi raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"I'm staying all by myself, and I'm a little afraid of the dark," Lin Wanwan finally managed to squeeze out.

Chen Zhi saw right through her but didn't call her out on it.

"Alright," Chen Zhi nodded, his tone deadpan. "Then I'll make do on the living room sofa for the night, just to give you some courage."

Lin Wanwan's eyes lit up, and she quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the lobby.

The elevator went straight to the top floor.

Beep— The key card unlocked the door.

As soon as the door closed, Lin Wanwan completely relaxed.

Without even changing into slippers, she kicked off her leather shoes and stepped barefoot onto the thick carpet.

Chen Zhi had just turned around to close the door when a dark shadow pounced on him from behind.

Lin Wanwan wrapped her legs directly around Chen Zhi's waist, threw her arms around his neck, and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"I'm exhausted!" Lin Wanwan yelled out.

Chen Zhi stumbled half a step forward from her pounce, quickly reaching back to support her thighs so she wouldn't slip.

"Superstar Lin, did you lie about your weight?" Chen Zhi hoisted her up a bit. "You must be at least a hundred and twenty pounds now, right?"

"You're a hundred and twenty!" Furious, Lin Wanwan opened her mouth and bit his neck. She didn't bite hard; it was mostly just drool.

Carrying this giant human pendant on his back, Chen Zhi walked all the way to the living room and tossed her straight onto the spacious leather sofa.

Lin Wanwan bounced twice on the sofa, smoothly rolled over, and reached out for the TV remote on the coffee table.

Chen Zhi was quicker. He snatched the remote first, turned on the TV, and switched it straight to the agriculture channel.

The screen was broadcasting a program on the postpartum care of sows.

"Change the channel! I want to watch that comedy variety show!" Lin Wanwan lunged over to grab it.

"Why watch a variety show? Learn some agricultural knowledge. When you retire from the entertainment industry, you can go raise pigs," Chen Zhi said, holding the remote high in the air.

"You go raise pigs!"

Lin Wanwan knelt on the sofa, reaching up for the remote in Chen Zhi's hand.

Chen Zhi fell back against the backrest of the sofa. Losing her balance, Lin Wanwan tumbled right on top of him.

The two of them rolled into a tangle on the wide sofa.

Lin Wanwan used both her hands and feet, trying to wrest the remote from Chen Zhi's grasp. But the difference in physical strength between a man and a woman was too great. With a single flip of his hand, Chen Zhi pinned her beneath him.

Using his left hand, Chen Zhi pressed both of Lin Wanwan's wrists against the sofa cushion above her head, using his long legs to hold down her wildly kicking knees.

"Still going to fight me for it?" Chen Zhi looked down at her, a highly punchable smirk on his face.

Lin Wanwan couldn't break free. Her hands were locked tight, and her legs couldn't move.

Panting, she glared at Chen Zhi, her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue from their roughhousing.

"Chen Zhi, let me go!"

"Call me 'brother' first."

Getting desperate, Lin Wanwan craned her neck forward and bit down hard on Chen Zhi's shoulder through his shirt.

Hiss— Chen Zhi inhaled sharply. "Were you born in the year of the dog?"

Lin Wanwan let go, looked at the faint ring of teeth marks left on his shirt, and hummed smugly.

"Now you know how tough I am! Hurry up and give me the remote!"

Helpless, Chen Zhi let go and tossed the remote into her lap.

Lin Wanwan rubbed her wrists, sat cross-legged on the sofa, and changed the channel to a hit comedy variety show.

The exaggerated laughter of the guests and wacky sound effects emanated from the TV.

After messing around for a while, Lin Wanwan's energy was completely drained.

She scooted closer to Chen Zhi, tilted her head, and naturally leaned into his embrace.

Chen Zhi adjusted his sitting posture to let her lean more comfortably, resting one hand on her shoulder.

Only a single warm yellow floor lamp was turned on in the suite.

The flickering light from the TV danced continuously across their faces.

Lin Wanwan leaned there quietly. Although her eyes were fixed on the TV screen, her mind was clearly not on the show.

She pulled Chen Zhi's left hand, which had been resting on his leg, and placed it in her own palm.

Her fingers traced back and forth over the lines of his palm, playing with his fingers by bending them one by one.

"Chen Zhi," Lin Wanwan suddenly spoke, her voice very soft.

"Yeah."

"Actually, being a celebrity isn't fun at all."

Lin Wanwan closed Chen Zhi's fingers together and then spread them apart again, a trace of exhaustion in her tone.

"I have to rush to all sorts of schedules every day, smile in front of the cameras until my face goes stiff, and even eating hot pot feels like I'm a thief, terrified of being recognized."

She paused for a moment and nuzzled her head against Chen Zhi's chest.

"It would be great if things could always be like this."

"Like what?"

"Not being some celebrity, not winning any championships," Lin Wanwan's voice was muffled. "Just bickering with you every day, going to the supermarket to buy groceries, and coming back at night to snuggle on the sofa, watch TV, and eat hot pot."

Chen Zhi listened to her rambling.

In the eyes of the outside world, Lin Wanwan was a rising star in the Chinese music scene, the powerhouse who won the championship on "Singer," ambitious and radiant.

But only Chen Zhi understood that deep down, this girl was still the little childhood sweetheart who used to follow him around all day.

Chen Zhi flipped his hand over and grasped Lin Wanwan's hand.

He lowered his head, smelling the faint scent of shampoo in her hair.

"Lin Wanwan." Chen Zhi's tone turned uncharacteristically serious.

"Hmm?"

"If you want to sing, then sing until you reach the very top," Chen Zhi's voice sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet living room. "Go win every award there is, and let everyone hear your songs."

Lin Wanwan looked up at him.

"And what if I get tired of singing?"

"If one day you get tired of singing and don't want to be a celebrity anymore, you can retire anytime."

Chen Zhi looked into her eyes and said, word by word.

"Right here with me will always be an airport where you can land at any time."

She sniffled, a layer of moisture welling up in her eyes.

"Chen Zhi, why are you so good with words today..."

Lin Wanwan turned around, hugged Chen Zhi's waist tightly with both arms, and buried her face in his chest.

Chen Zhi gently patted her back, letting her hold him.

After a while, Lin Wanwan's emotions gradually settled down.

She lifted her head from Chen Zhi's embrace. There were still tear tracks at the corners of her eyes, but the temperature of her cheeks was rising rapidly.

She looked at Chen Zhi's lips, her breathing becoming a little ragged.

At this moment, the atmosphere underwent a subtle shift.

Lin Wanwan bit her lower lip and suddenly sat up straight.

She swung one leg over Chen Zhi's waist and straddled his lap.

This position was extremely intimate. Chen Zhi froze for a second, his hands instinctively coming up to hold her waist.

"What are you doing?" Chen Zhi's throat felt a little dry.

Lin Wanwan wrapped her arms around Chen Zhi's neck, her gaze magnetic, carrying a clumsy yet straightforward seduction.

"Chen Zhi."

"Yeah."

"Back in the hotel in Changsha... that unfinished reward," Lin Wanwan whispered. "I'm making it up to you now."

With that, she closed her eyes, leaned in, and captured Chen Zhi's lips.

Within the absolute privacy of the suite, Lin Wanwan poured every ounce of her affection and possessiveness into the kiss.

At that moment, the last thread of Chen Zhi's rationality completely snapped.

Tightening his grip around her waist, he took control and deepened the kiss.

The temperature in the room rapidly soared.

Lin Wanwan's breathing grew ragged. One of her hands slid down Chen Zhi's neck, her fingers fumbling clumsily as she tried to unfasten the top button of his shirt.