The Heartbeat Sensor and the Starry Trap

“Chu Ci?”

The door behind him was tapped lightly. Chu Ci snapped back to reality and swung the door open.

Ji Yanli stood outside, his gaze filled with worry as he swept his eyes up and down over Chu Ci. Then, he asked in a low voice: “Are you okay?”

The fabric of Chu Ci’s collar was damp from the cold water, making it slightly translucent against his skin. However, he didn’t have the energy to notice. He simply lowered his lashes and shook his head.

He was still stuck on one thought.

He was following the plot step by step, so where exactly did it go wrong?

“Does it still hurt?” Seeing that Chu Ci remained silent, Ji Yanli looked at the scratch on his neck again. “Come out. I’ll help you disinfect it.”

Without giving Chu Ci a chance to object, Ji Yanli took his wrist and pulled him out of the restroom.

Chu Ci was guided onto the sofa. On the other side, Bo Yu’s eyes tracked his every move, and he instinctively started to lean in. But before he could get close, Bo Yu caught an unfriendly glare from Ji Yanli. His movement froze, and he sat back down awkwardly.

Sparkling “sparks” of tension seemed to crackle in Chu Ci’s ears. He peeked at the two of them. Ji Yanli seemed completely unwilling to be near Bo Yu; even though standing on the left would have been more convenient, he pointedly took the disinfectant and walked around to the right.

Chu Ci: “…”

“Go to that side,” he said, pointing to his left.

‘A twisted melon might not be sweet, but who cares!’

‘As long as I can get Bo Yu to like this guy, it’s fine!’

Ji Yanli leaned down slightly, ignoring Chu Ci’s suggestion. Holding a sterile cotton swab, he began dabbing the scratches on Chu Ci’s skin.

Though the blood had dried, the sting of the disinfectant made Chu Ci reflexively try to pull away. Ji Yanli immediately pressed a hand down on his head to hold him still.

“Don’t move.”

The two short words vibrated against Chu Ci’s eardrums. Ji Yanli was stronger than him; once caught, there was no escaping. Moreover, his tone wasn’t as gentle as usual. Chu Ci felt his resolve waver.

He stole a glance at the youth, letting out a silent sigh of relief when he saw no excess emotion on Ji Yanli’s face.

Ji Yanli… isn’t angry, right?

Besides, if anyone should be angry, it’s me! I’m just a plain, ordinary Mob A—if it weren’t for the mission, who would want to be stuck with these two!

Chu Ci wrinkled his nose, his chest feeling tight with frustration.

He pouted, glancing at Ji Yanli and looking away, then glancing again. He repeated this until Ji Yanli finished the disinfection. After packing away the swabs, Ji Yanli suddenly cupped Chu Ci’s cheeks with both hands and said softly: “If you want to look, look openly.”

The warm palms enveloped the skin of his face. Chu Ci’s gaze fell directly into Ji Yanli’s eyes. His own eyes widened, his brain started buzzing, and his ears began to glow a deep, unmistakable red.

‘AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!’

‘What is he doing!! Why is he touching me!’

‘Wait! Why is my heart beating so fast? Do I have heart disease?!’

‘Dying dying dying dying…’

The loud internal monologue amplified in the surrounding air. Ji Yanli stared at Chu Ci’s dazed expression. While the boy’s brain was offline, Ji Yanli reached out and quietly pressed a hand against Chu Ci’s chest, feeling the rhythm of the organ hidden beneath the ribs.

the violent heartbeat made Ji Yanli’s palm feel tingly. He arched an eyebrow and whispered with satisfaction: “It really is beating very fast.”

‘Holy f*ck—I knew their relationship wasn’t simple!’

‘Ji Yanli is a total dark horse. I thought he was a good student, but he’s actually a predator who strikes the moment he finds his prey!’

‘Taking notes, taking notes.’

Suddenly, an unexpected voice interrupted Ji Yanli’s plan to tease Chu Ci further. The curve of his lips slowly flattened. He turned his gaze to the side, landing on Bo Yu, who was wearing a full “gossip-monger” face.

Ah… he had momentarily forgotten this person was in the room.

Ji Yanli felt a wave of annoyance at the other’s burning gaze.

So irritating.

He wanted to find a place to be alone with Chu Ci.

He moved subtly, blocking Bo Yu’s view of Chu Ci. Releasing the boy’s face, he lowered his voice and asked gently: “Why are you dazed?”

“Do you want to keep playing?”

The gentle voice pulled Chu Ci back from his chaotic thoughts. He took a deep breath, his eyes still wide.

‘Too terrifying!’

‘He’s a monster!’

Beside him, Chu Ci looked horrified. Ji Yanli gave a shallow smile, picked up the teaser wand, and shook it. The small bell at the tip jingled, immediately attracting Mochi from the corner.

The kitten jumped over and landed squarely in Ji Yanli’s lap. Ji Yanli smiled, stroked the kitten’s head, then picked it up and tucked it into Chu Ci’s arms.

Feeling the soft weight, Chu Ci looked down, meeting the kitten’s round eyes.

So cute…

Chu Ci instantly threw his mental mess out the window. He buried his face in the kitten’s fur and took a deep, comforting sniff.

“Xiaobai really likes having his belly rubbed. Try it; he’ll roll over and act spoiled,” Bo Yu said, leaning over with his hands on his knees, watching the cat in Chu Ci’s arms with an affectionate expression.

Chu Ci did as he suggested, gently rubbing the kitten’s warm belly. Sure enough, the cat purred, went limp, and rolled onto its back on Chu Ci’s lap.

“He really did!” Chu Ci’s eyes lit up. Staring at the kitten acting cute, the frustration in his chest vanished.

Bo Yu’s eyes crinkled. His gaze drifted upward. The youth who had been keeping his distance was now completely absorbed by the cat, his lips curled in an irrepressible smile.

Chu Ci’s profile wasn’t sharp; instead, it had a soft, approachable quality. Even the slight roundness of his cheeks felt inviting. His long black bangs were brushed aside, revealing beautiful eyes that looked like they were holding a handful of stars when they turned toward Bo Yu.

‘How strange.’

‘Why do I feel… he’s a bit cute.’

The youth’s internal voice seemed to contain a hint of heart-pumping excitement.

The light in Ji Yanli’s eyes darkened several shades. Without a word, he stood up. Whether intentional or not, the sudden movement was so loud it scared away Mochi.

“It’s getting late. We still have to go to the hospital,” Ji Yanli’s voice was low and husky. “You’ve seen the cat. He’s doing well here. I pay the boarding fees regularly.”

He tilted his head, catching Bo Yu in his peripheral vision: “You can come see him anytime before he’s adopted. If he is adopted later, I’ll give you the adopter’s information.”

He spoke decisively and quickly, leaving Bo Yu no room to respond. Once finished, Ji Yanli pulled Chu Ci up and walked out of the pet shop in a few strides.

Chu Ci looked at Ji Yanli’s back in bewilderment. He opened his mouth to say something, but Ji Yanli’s aura was so intimidating that Chu Ci couldn’t squeeze out a single word.

He was pushed into the car. With a loud slam, the door shut. Chu Ci jumped and blinked repeatedly at Ji Yanli.

‘What’s wrong with this kid now?’

‘Why is he so mad!’

‘Good grief, if Bo Yu isn’t into you it’s because you lack charm, it has nothing to do with me!!’

Chu Ci silently scooted away, once again putting distance between himself and Ji Yanli.

But the car was only so big. Chu Ci had nowhere to hide. He pressed half his body against the door, his face nearly touching the glass. Ji Yanli, sitting next to him, finally couldn’t help but laugh: “What are you doing?”

‘Don’t worry about it.’

‘I’m dodging the bad luck.’

Chu Ci moved his gaze away, intentionally ignoring him.

Ji Yanli narrowed his eyes, leaning a few centimeters closer: “Sit over here.”

The three simple words were incredibly commanding. Chu Ci almost sat over by reflex.

He pinched his own thigh hard.

Damn this “Simp Instinct”!

“No need, I’m sitting here…” Chu Ci made up an excuse. “It’s cooler.”

Ji Yanli gave an “Oh.”

“Really?” He continued leaning closer to Chu Ci, stopping just half a meter away. “Let me try too.”

Chu Ci turned his head just as Ji Yanli was closing in. He was instantly horrified.

‘Wait, you have a window on your side!’

‘Why do you have to steal mine!’

“Since you want it…” Chu Ci lowered his lashes and spoke piteously, “I’ll give it to you then.”

With that, he suddenly lifted his leg and climbed right over Ji Yanli to the other side.

Ji Yanli: “…”

He was so angry he laughed.

Chu Ci successfully claimed the other seat, stretching out his arms to keep Ji Yanli from leaning over again.

‘Stupid Ji Yanli, letting him enjoy such a wide space alone wasn’t enough.’

‘Men really shouldn’t be spoiled.’

Beside him, Ji Yanli finally settled down. The cool air of the car blew over Chu Ci, and eventually, exhaustion took over. Just as he was lazily closing his eyes, Ji Yanli forcibly pried his eyelid open.

“We’re almost there. Don’t sleep,” Ji Yanli said softly. Then, catching sight of Chu Ci’s pried-open eye, he couldn’t help but lower his head and chuckle.

The mockery was so obvious that Chu Ci felt his blood boil. He ground his molars and clenched his fists at his side.

‘I can’t take it… I really want to hit him.’

‘Does hitting the protagonist violate any “Protagonist Protection Laws”?!’

‘If not, I’m throwing a punch!’

“Host, stay calm!!” Just as Chu Ci was about to strike, Xiaoba’s voice appeared in his head. “Causing physical harm to the protagonist will drop his favorability to negative levels. It will be impossible to complete the mission then!”

Hearing this, Chu Ci closed his eyes.

He endured.

He took a deep breath, trying to stabilize his racing heart, and forced a change of topic: “What do you think of Bo Yu?”

Hearing Bo Yu’s name, Ji Yanli didn’t have much of a reaction: “We haven’t spent much time together. I can’t really tell.”

“No way.” Chu Ci turned to look into Ji Yanli’s eyes. “I think he’s quite nice. He’s handsome and he loves animals.”

“Hmm—” Ji Yanli didn’t argue. He nodded compliantly. “You haven’t known him for long, yet you have such a high opinion of him.”

“Then…”

He suddenly leaned in, his nose nearly touching Chu Ci’s.

“You’ve known me for so long.”

“What do you think of me?”