Demon Consort Runs into the Beijing Crown Prince - Chapter 42

Chu Muyun finally made it through the end of the performance, naturally securing his spot in the semifinals.

The moment he returned to the villa, he rushed to the bathroom and initiated a video call.

Ding-ding-ding…

The two seconds of waiting for the call to connect stretched into an eternity, his tension mounting with each ring.

The call connected.

Lu Hanzhang’s face appeared on the screen. Chu Muyun took a deep breath and asked, “Have you remembered?”

“Remembered… what?” Lu Hanzhang’s eyes were deep and unfathomable.

“Nothing, then,” Chu Muyun said, disappointment coloring his voice. He had hoped the Great King would remember everything…

“I’m sorry. Have I forgotten something important?” Lu Hanzhang’s voice was low and grave from the other end of the line. “Don’t be sad. I’ll remember.”

Lu Hanzhang knew he had mental health issues, but he had never considered his memory to be poor. He had never experienced amnesia before. Yet, he seemed to have genuinely forgotten many things, leaving him no choice but to believe it.

“Ah, okay,” Chu Muyun mumbled, his eyes reddening. He lowered his head and wiped his tears with the hand not holding the phone.

Across from him, Lu Hanzhang visibly panicked, “Don’t cry. I’ll try to remember properly.”

“It’s alright, I’m not blaming you,” Chu Muyun said, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, his voice still choked with emotion. “I’m just happy. If you’re acting like this, it means you’ve already remembered something, right?”

He had prepared himself for the possibility that Lu Hanzhang might never regain his memories of their past life.

As long as he could be by the Great King’s side, as long as he was still here… But the Great King having no memory of their past would always leave a lingering regret.

Some things only he remembered now. In their previous life, he had been too slow to understand his own feelings. He had recklessly stormed into Weiyang Palace and impulsively claimed the Great King as his own, when his impression of the Great King was still “not very familiar.”

Later, he had naturally begun to curry favor and act affectionately toward the Great King, because the man was both his sovereign and his husband. How could he not try to please him? Day after day, it became a habit, and he forgot to question his own heart. It wasn’t until the Great King’s death that he realized he had long since given his whole heart away.

That’s why, after meeting Lu Hanzhang in this lifetime, Chu Muyun was so eager to express his love, declaring at every encounter, “I love you, I love you so much. I want to be with you forever.”

“Don’t cry, Beloved Consort,” Lu Hanzhang said.

In truth, Lu Hanzhang didn’t remember everything so clearly. Only fragmented memories remained in his mind. Yet he instinctively knew what Chu Muyun longed to hear him call him.

“Mm, Great King,” Chu Muyun replied, his tears flowing even more freely. It took a while for them to subside, leaving his eyes glistening with fresh tears.

He smiled at Lu Hanzhang through the phone screen, his eyes sparkling, “I miss you so much, Great King. I can’t wait to see you.”

“I miss you, too. I’ll wait for you to return.”

“Okay, Great King.”

Chu Muyun washed his face and emerged from the bathroom, intending to hurry back to his room. But he bumped into Jiang Wenhao, who was on his way to the restroom.

“Have you been crying?” Jiang Wenhao asked.

“Just… advanced to the next round. Happy tears,” Chu Muyun replied.

Ugh, why does someone always catch me crying?

“Oh, emotional, huh?” Jiang Wenhao nodded and passed by.

The live stream chat exploded with comments:

[Chu Chu, your tear ducts are amazing!]

[He’s such a crybaby!]

[He’s so cute!]

[Did he just have a fight with his boyfriend in the bathroom?]

[Is this your fault, Roommate Bro? @RoommateBro]

After ending the video call, Lu Hanzhang glanced at the live stream and saw the barrage of comments. He casually typed a response:

Lv49 Lu Hu: [My bad.]

Since his generous donation, he hadn’t commented, and no one had noticed his distinguished Lv49 status. Now, his message stood out like a beacon in the night, adorned with dazzling special effects that immediately drew the attention of the fans.

[Ah, it’s the tycoon who threw a hundred carnivals!]

[Are you a rich bro or a rich sis, Tiger?]

[Lu Hu-ge, do you really own a Land Rover?]

A Land Rover…

Lu Hanzhang pondered. There was one gathering dust in his garage, untouched for ages. He hadn’t driven it in ages.

He didn’t reply further. Seeing that Chu Muyun had already entered his room, presumably to sleep, Lu Hanzhang closed the live stream.

Dance Storm was in full swing, with filming in full swing.

After the semi-finals, 24 contestants remained. The competition format shifted to individual performances, and the schedule became exceptionally tight. Each contestant had to perform for one minute, with only 24 hours for practice and rehearsals before the live show. The two contestants with the lowest audience votes would be eliminated on the spot. Of course, there was also a revival mechanism.

All the contestants were under immense pressure.

Chu Muyun felt relatively calm. He had practiced dancing for two lifetimes, a last-minute cram session wouldn’t make much difference. His only concern was choosing his next dance.

He had his own practice room, and his livestream viewers were numerous.

Ever since Huating became the sugar daddy who bought the naming rights, he had demanded that the production crew refrain from using Chu Muyun for manufactured romantic pairings or creating ambiguous scenes with other contestants. As a result, Chu Muyun always practiced alone.

When Chu Muyun grew tired and sat down for a drink, he would still engage with his audience, smiling at the camera and waving, eliciting a chorus of screams in the comment section.

[You’re so sweet!]

[You’re so beautiful it makes my heart tremble!]

[Today, the Cyber Emperor has come to visit Beauty Chu again!]

[Beloved Consort!! Beloved Consort!!!

[Rewards!! Rewards!!!]

[If Chu Muyun were in my harem, I’d be a terrible ruler too. I’d never attend morning court again! #Heart]

[To the commenter above: As if you could even wake up early!]

Someone with sharp eyes noticed something odd about the phone Chu Muyun was playing with.

Its shell was a beautiful Rouge Red, with a matte ceramic back that exuded quality.

[Wait a minute… isn’t that Huating’s Spring New Product?]

[Ah, it does seem to be!]

[The color and camera design are quite different from Huating’s previous models.]

[Does this confirm he’s Huating’s new brand ambassador?]

In the entertainment industry, using an unreleased product in public a month before its official launch is practically an official announcement of an endorsement deal. The only exception is if the celebrity suddenly faces a scandal before the official announcement, which could lead to the endorsement being revoked.

[Ahhh, congratulations, Chu Chu!]

[I never imagined you’d land a Huating endorsement! Congratulations!]

[Ahhh, if you’re endorsing it, I’m definitely buying it!]

[Chu Chu’s really made it big!]

Chu Muyun smiled, set down his new phone, and resumed practicing his dance.

The phone had been sent from Huating Headquarters to Strawberry TV & Film Park, arriving that morning. Yet it felt as if Lu Hanzhang had personally packed and shipped it, for tucked inside the box was a note written in Lu Hanzhang’s elegant penmanship: [There is a fair maiden in the north, peerless and standing alone. One glance could topple a city, a second could overthrow a kingdom.]

Though unsigned, Chu Muyun recognized the handwriting from when he had accompanied Lu Hanzhang to work. It was unmistakably his.

Is this the Great King writing me a love poem?

Chu Muyun carefully treasured the note before inserting his SIM card into the new phone. His first act was to send Lu Hanzhang a WeChat message: [Boss, did you get a new phone, too?]

Moments later, Lu Hanzhang replied with a selfie taken in a bathroom mirror. He held up his phone, its back a deep Midnight Black—the same model as Chu Muyun’s.

[Great! We have matching phones now!]

Chu Muyun beamed, “Rouge Red, captivating kingdoms with its beauty,” and “Midnight Black, the prince of the night.” He vowed to keep this phone until their next simultaneous upgrade.

The haters who were waiting to see him make a fool of himself were slapped in the face at lightning speed. The joke, it turned out, was on them. He didn’t need to lift a finger, another large group of fans had their faith shattered.

Chu Muyun’s meteoric rise was bound to attract envy.

Sure enough, a wave of black PR articles surfaced online. A Douyin video of him dancing in a nightclub was dug up by malicious parties, who paid for articles claiming he had started as a male model. Given the timing, it was hard not to suspect this was an attempt to sabotage his Huating endorsement, aiming to derail the official announcement and ruin the deal.

StarJoy Media’s public relations team reacted swiftly, taking down all the black PR articles as soon as they appeared and rapidly cooling down the online buzz.

The hater who spread rumors about him sleeping his way to the top also received a lawyer’s letter, and their account went silent.

Meanwhile, Luo Yi quietly lost another snack brand endorsement. His fan community was in complete disarray, and even with major fan accounts trying to maintain order, panic was inevitable.

No matter how quickly the black PR was taken down, some people still saw it and recognized Zhou Wei in the video. A few nosy fans even went to his Weibo to ask for confirmation.

Zhou Wei, the young master of the wealthy Zhou Clan, was quite active online, with over a million followers on Weibo. He cultivated a persona as an approachable and fun-loving second-generation rich kid and CEO (though the “CEO” title was increasingly questionable).

“Young Master Zhou, did you hire Chu Muyun to be your companion that night?”

Zhou Wei dared not answer carelessly. His terrifying cousin was watching him closely, and it was clear his cousin was deeply invested in this Crown Princess! He only knew Chu Muyun as a friend who danced well, which was why everyone had urged him to perform.

The fans pressed further: [So, is he a nightclub male model?]

Zhou Wei: [No, he’s a friend.]

[Is he also someone from your social circle?]

[Yes.]

Zhou Wei’s answers were deliberately ambiguous. They could be interpreted as Chu Muyun being a member of his social circle, a fellow scion of a wealthy family, or as a kept man. When fans pressed for more details, Zhou Wei stopped responding.

Netizens debated whether Chu Muyun was a kept man. His lavish villa seemed unlikely to belong to a Sugar Daddy who would allow it to be filmed for a variety show, especially with the considerate water-passing gesture. The reverse seemed more plausible—Roommate Bro was likely the male model Chu Muyun was keeping at home.

Further digging yielded no new dirt, eventually circling back to the nearly deleted videos. Chu Muyun’s dances were mostly proper, avoiding explicit content, except for the final boy group dance where he poured alcohol over himself.

Even that wasn’t too outrageous. The cameraman was distant, and the nightclub lighting was dim, making it impossible to confirm if he was actually wet. Even if he were, televised water stage performances were common. Chu Muyun’s dance was a cover of a South Korean boy group routine. When the debate heated up, someone warned, “If you keep calling it borderline, their fans might come after you! Sexy doesn’t equal borderline! This isn’t even as provocative as his variety show performances!”

The endless arguments led nowhere, and the controversy gradually fizzled out. As for the lost endorsement deals, those were inevitable.

Meanwhile, Chu Muyun was immersed in a fast-paced competition.

With contestants being eliminated one by one and the grueling dance practice schedule, the pressure was immense. Every night before bed, he would sneak into the bathroom to video chat with Lu Hanzhang for a few minutes. Just hearing his voice was the best way to unwind, the day’s accumulated fatigue would melt away at the sight of the Great King’s face.

“Mmm, I’m a little tired, but it’s almost over~” Chu Muyun said with a sweet smile. “I’ll see you soon!”

“I’ve lost weight… It’s inevitable with this much exercise, but I’m perfectly healthy! I’m even eating one and a half bento boxes now!”

“I miss you… terribly. I’m dying of longing. You’ll feed me well when I get back, right? Hmph, if you don’t, it’s your fault.”

Chu Muyun missed him desperately, but even the brief bathroom chats felt too short. Recently, he had secretly read a steamy fanfic on the Forum in his room before bed and become intrigued by remote-controlled vibrators. They seemed like fun toys to try with the Great King.

However, he would only use them at home or during private moments at formal events like galas or banquets. He wouldn’t dare use them during variety shows or filming—that would be social suicide. This was work, and he needed to be professional. He didn’t want to cause a scandal that would let down the production crew and staff.

Even though the Demon Consort’s mind was filled with lewd fantasies, he still knew where to draw the line.

“I miss you, too,” Lu Hanzhang replied. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely feed you well.”

“Hehe, good~”

In the grand finale, Chu Muyun was the first to secure seven victories in the PK battle royale, claiming the champion’s seat. As the reigning champion, he accepted challenges from all comers.

By the time he won the championship, the T-shirt beneath his shirt was practically drenched, as if he’d been pulled from the water.

The host announced the final results and asked, “Do you have any words for the audience?” He handed Chu Muyun the microphone.

“Thank you all for your support,” Chu Muyun said graciously. “I’ll continue to work hard and bring you even better performances.” Suddenly, a Rouge Red smartphone materialized in his hand. He winked at the camera, his smile sweet. “Oh, and don’t forget to check out Huating’s new phone! It’s launching this spring—the Imperial Consort’s choice, for a kingly experience!”

His slender, pale fingers cradled the phone, the contrast between the red device and his fair skin creating a visually pleasing effect.

[Caught off guard!]

[Completely unexpected!]

[Hahaha, is this the Sugar Daddy’s assignment?]

[I’ll buy it! I’ll buy it, okay?!]

In truth, Chu Muyun was more than happy to promote the phone. After all, he was helping the Great King sell his products! He genuinely wanted to do something for his beloved monarch.

The day after the successful finale of Dance Storm, Chu Muyun spent the entire day exploring Strawberry TV & Film Park before catching a flight back. He couldn’t wait another moment!

This time, Lu Hanzhang had messaged him on WeChat to say he would pick him up at the airport.

As soon as Chu Muyun emerged from the airport and entered the parking lot, he began scanning the area. His manager, Jin Ming, had warned him that he was no longer an obscure 18th-tier celebrity. Now that he had some fame, he couldn’t afford to appear in public without proper disguise. So Chu Muyun wore a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a wool scarf that covered the lower half of his face.

It didn’t take long for him to spot Lu Hanzhang.

Lu Hanzhang stood beside a sleek, extended black Land Rover, radiating an intimidating aura in his black overcoat. His tall stature and cold, sharp features made him impossible to ignore. Passersby stole glances, and several young women considered approaching him, but his impatient glare sent them scurrying away.

“Boss~ I’m here!” Chu Muyun called out from a distance, sprinting toward him with open arms.

This time, Lu Hanzhang didn’t evade Chu Muyun’s embrace. Instead, he caught him firmly in his arms and returned the hug tightly.

Chu Muyun buried himself in Lu Hanzhang’s embrace, clinging to him like a sticky caramel candy that refuses to let go. He stayed there until Lu Hanzhang carried him into the Land Rover parked behind them and settled him in the back seat. The driver stowed Chu Muyun’s large suitcase in the trunk, then returned to the driver’s seat. With tactful understanding, he raised the partition between the front and rear compartments and started the engine.

Lu Hanzhang had impulsively asked the driver to bring this Land Rover today, partly because its spacious interior would easily accommodate Chu Muyun’s massive suitcase, and partly for… other reasons.

The back seat was indeed spacious.

Chu Muyun was nearly breathless, his body limp against the seat. His lips parted slightly, his breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps.

The cumbersome hat, sunglasses, and scarf had long been discarded. His lips glistened with moisture, and his eyes held a similar sheen. A flush of crimson bloomed across his pale cheeks, leaving them dewy and luminous—like a damp sponge that would drip with a gentle squeeze, and the harder you wrung it, the more water it would yield.

“Hah… Great King…” Chu Muyun murmured sweetly, his voice soft and cloying.

Lu Hanzhang was breathing heavily as well, pulling back slightly to catch his breath. He growled, “Wait until we get home. When we get home, I’m going to have you.”

Even with the partition, there was still a third person in the car, making him feel self-conscious.

“Mmm…” Chu Muyun purred like a kitten, then pulled Lu Hanzhang into another fierce kiss. He ground his lips against Lu Hanzhang’s, nibbling and sucking, his tongue involuntarily tangling with Lu Hanzhang’s hot, demanding tongue as their saliva mingled.

His arms hung limply around Lu Hanzhang’s back, his body trembling with anticipation for the coming frenzy.

“I… I want…” he gasped, “I want you to f*ck me… again and again… until you’ve filled me completely…”

His misty eyes shone with pure desire, his entire world reduced to his sovereign.

Lu Hanzhang kissed him again, pressing him back against the seat, kissing him with the ferocity of a predator intent on devouring him whole. With brutal intensity, he kissed from Chu Muyun’s lips to his throat, then to his delicate collarbone.

“I’m going to f*ck you to death tonight.”

The usually elegant, composed, and refined man had uttered words so crude they would have left anyone who knew him utterly speechless.

“Alright,” Chu Muyun giggled, his eyes glazed with infatuation. “I’ll be waiting for you to f*ck me to death.”

He was wet.

He grabbed Lu Hanzhang’s hand and guided it to his slick, swollen flesh, watching as a vortex of desire swirled deeper in Lu Hanzhang’s eyes—a whirlpool threatening to devour him whole.

So hot, the man thought inwardly, a beast in human skin before his delicate lover. My Beloved Consort is still so hot. Tonight, I’ll f*ck you until you can’t breathe.

The extended Range Rover glided into the villa district.

Lu Hanzhang carried Chu Muyun inside, his legs too weak to support him.

He took him straight to the bathroom, lowered him into the steaming tub, and began to wash him.

Inevitably, things escalated.

Chu Muyun’s body floated in the warm water, his consciousness drifting in and out of focus.

“I’m going to die…” he whimpered.

“Not yet,” Lu Hanzhang growled, his breath heavy and ragged, his words cold and cruel. “The night has barely begun.”

When they emerged from the bathroom, Chu Muyun’s swollen, flushed lips were sealed by Lu Hanzhang’s kiss. All that escaped were muffled moans. He had long since lost the ability to form coherent words.