Demon Consort Runs into the Beijing Crown Prince - Chapter 54

“You emphasized two dishes. I recognize the Coiled Dragon Dish—the dragon represents me, right? And the three little rabbit dumplings represent you and the Crown Prince,” Lu Hanzhang explained. “Logically, the other dish, Sweet Steamed Pork Belly, must represent you.”

“H-how could it? It doesn’t even look like me!” Chu Muyun protested stubbornly. The dish was just an ordinary inverted bowl, lacking the visual clarity of the dragon and rabbits.

“It’s not about the appearance or taste, but the name that best suits you. Sweet Steamed Pork Belly—it refers to your fair skin and sweet demeanor,” Lu Hanzhang said with the detached rationality of a financial analyst, delivering such frivolous words with perfect composure. “And it’s very…”

He paused.

This wasn’t the bedroom, and the mood wasn’t right. He couldn’t bring himself to say the word.

“Hehe,” Chu Muyun chuckled, unoffended. “You got it right! Then have a few more bites!”

“Alright.”

As they ate, they chatted about their days. Chu Muyun shared some amusing anecdotes from the film set, while Lu Hanzhang described his daily routine of work and leisurely walks with the rabbits.

Suddenly, Lu Hanzhang said, “After dinner, I think I’d like to have a late-night snack.”

“Huh? You want to eat something else?” Chu Muyun asked, surprised. They had spent over an hour in the RV shower, followed by a long drive home and cooking dinner. It was almost time for a late-night snack anyway. Was Lu Hanzhang still hungry after that meal?

“You shouldn’t exercise vigorously right after eating, it’ll interfere with digestion,” Lu Hanzhang said. “Just whip up something light for me, and you can have some too. Consider it a pre-workout snack to settle your stomach.” He added, “And remember to put on the ‘naked’ apron.”

“…Oh, okay,” Chu Muyun replied, staring at the impeccably dressed, composed man. Four words flashed through his mind: a beast in gentleman’s clothing.

Ten minutes later, Chu Muyun stripped down and put on the simple apron. From the front, it seemed to cover everything that needed to be covered, leaving nothing exposed. But from the back, it was completely open. Delicate straps looped around his neck, while two ties fastened behind his waist, forming a neat bow. Two thin red ribbons dangled from the bow, tracing the curve of his snow-white spine.

“What exactly do you want for your late-night snack?” Chu Muyun asked, standing at the kitchen counter.

His body trembled slightly, his skin tingling with heat. He could feel Lu Hanzhang’s burning gaze from behind.

Lu Hanzhang leaned against the kitchen doorway, silently scrutinizing him—motionless yet radiating danger, like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

“You’re wearing so little right now,” Lu Hanzhang said gently, “you might get burned if hot oil splashes on your skin. Why don’t you just make a fruit platter? Arrange it nicely and carve a few words.”

“Okay.”

As long as he didn’t have to be a fruit basket, this seemed easy enough…

Chu Muyun took various fruits from the refrigerator and began washing them. He peeled the ones that needed peeling, chopped the others into bite-sized pieces, and arranged them into a vibrant floral display on the platter. He used mandarin orange slices to form the petals, red cherries for the flower centers, and layered strawberry slices and kiwi slices around the edges, interspersed with blueberries.

Then, following Lu Hanzhang’s instructions, he cut a few apple slices and began carving the words.

As he raised his hand, the bandage tugged slightly, reminding him that his upper body was covered by only a pitifully thin layer of fabric.

What should he carve?

After a moment’s thought, Chu Muyun decided on “For this lifetime and beyond, I pledge myself to you.”

He held the fruit knife and made the first cut.

But he quickly regretted his choice—the phrase was too long. Carving a few words would normally be simple for him, certainly no harder than carving dragon heads or tails. Yet just as he was finishing the first character, a sudden warmth pressed against his back as he was pulled into an embrace.

Despite the man’s towering frame, he had moved silently, like a shadow.

His bare back pressed tightly against Lu Hanzhang’s chest, the man’s feverish body heat seeping into him. Lu Hanzhang’s arms tightened around his waist, causing Chu Muyun’s hand to slip and ruin the character “今” (now).

“I’ll let you off this time,” Lu Hanzhang murmured from behind him, his breath warm against Chu Muyun’s neck. “But if you mess up again, you’ll have to eat it.”

“Mmm…”

Chu Muyun knew exactly what Lu Hanzhang meant by “eat it”—which part of his body he’d have to use.

He tossed aside the ruined “今” and picked up another slice of apple to start again. A stroke, a diagonal line, a dot, and then…

Chu Muyun’s breathing hitched as Lu Hanzhang leaned in, pressing a soft kiss against his neck. It was gentle, yet too gentle, like a powerful predator gently nipping and licking its mate, silently promising, I would never hurt you. A wave of numbness washed over Chu Muyun, his focus shattered. The horizontal stroke of the nearly finished “今” slipped, slicing through the apple slice and ruining it again.

In the next instant, Lu Hanzhang snatched the ruined slice and forcefully fed it to him. The man’s fingers were burning hot, while the apple slice was cool and moist, sending a shiver through Chu Muyun.

“Mmm…”

Chu Muyun continued carving, but repeated mistakes forced him to eat slice after slice. He could only bury himself in the task, carving with meticulous focus.

“Stop feeding me, mmm…”

“Be good. You have to accept the consequences for your mistakes. It’s just apple slices, after all. What if I made you carve with ginger instead?” Lu Hanzhang soothed him gently.

“G-ginger…” Chu Muyun’s eyes reddened. What is Lu Hanzhang thinking? This is too terrifying!

Suppressing his anxiety, he gripped the paring knife and continued carving, stumbling through the task and unknowingly swallowing countless apple slices. Finally, he carved the last character, “从” (cong).

For once, Lu Hanzhang didn’t interrupt. He didn’t suddenly kiss him, bite his earlobe, or lick the back of his neck—none of his usual antics. Instead, he stood quietly behind Chu Muyun, embracing him as he watched him finish carving the character. The complete phrase, a heartfelt declaration of love, now lay arranged along the edge of the fruit platter:

In this life and the next, I pledge my devotion.

The apple, a fruit neither extravagant nor overly sweet, symbolized simple sincerity.

Lu Hanzhang read the eight characters aloud. “Good,” he said.

“Mm, this is my wish,” Chu Muyun murmured, leaning against him for a moment, savoring the tender warmth that flowed between them.

But then, a familiar sensation reminded him that he was still “full.”

“C-can I… go take a bath now?”

Is he going to juice me again? Turn me into an apple-filled cream puff again…?

Without a word, Lu Hanzhang scooped him up from behind, “To the bathroom.”

In the bathroom, the man’s fingers untied the delicate red ribbon bow at the base of Chu Muyun’s spine, as if unwrapping a carefully packaged gift.

The fruit platter he had prepared sat on the bathtub’s ledge. Lu Hanzhang would occasionally eat a few slices, then kiss Chu Muyun, feeding him with forceful kisses that mingled with the sweet, fruity juices. It was like being tossed in a surging tide of mandarin orange, strawberry, kiwi, and blueberry flavors.

Chu Muyun’s consciousness gradually blurred.

He loved it, loved it so much… As long as it was this man before him, he loved him so fiercely he couldn’t bear to stop, willing to drown in such intense desire.

After a day off from filming, Chu Muyun woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and ready to work.

He exchanged a good morning kiss with Lu Hanzhang, who was still in bed, and got up to get dressed.

Lu Hanzhang accompanied him to the set as usual. The CEO had taken the weekend off, putting aside all company affairs.

Hmm, today I have scenes with Han Jin. As the male leads, we have scenes together every day—it’s unavoidable. Should I try to coax Lu Hanzhang like last week? Is he even jealous this time?

Chu Muyun stole a glance at Lu Hanzhang, who was sitting on the sidelines with a slight frown, and made his decision.

No need.

And so, today became a repeat of the previous weekend. The Little Demon Consort pulled out all the stops to coax his Great King, who was radiating sour jealousy. The entire production crew silently watched the lovey-dovey couple, choking on the dog food.

By evening, filming finally wrapped up.

They first went to a restaurant Lu Hanzhang had reserved for dinner before returning to their hotel.

“Wait, let’s start… our nightlife! My drama is airing tonight, I want to watch it for a bit,” Chu Muyun said as soon as they entered the room.

“Alright.”

The two settled onto the sofa.

Misaligned was scheduled to premiere at 8 PM tonight, and it was already available to watch. Propelled by behind-the-scenes forces, the drama had gone from filming wrap-up to broadcast with lightning speed. It was as if someone was either desperate to promote Chu Muyun’s character or eager to wait for the series to finish airing before striking at one of the leads.

Chu Muyun turned on the hotel TV and casually scrolled through Weibo.

The supertopic’s activity was exploding, with new discussions flooding in every second. Chu Muyun glanced through them, noticing that many posts were about him, his popularity far overshadowing the other cast members.

After just one episode, his portrayal of the scheming male supporting character had already become a standout performance.

Luo Yi’s fans were secretly seething with jealousy. Afraid to openly criticize Chu Muyun too harshly in the Misaligned supertopic, they resorted to passive-aggressive comments about his “royal treatment,” implying the director was deliberately giving him extra screen time. A massive online feud was brewing, but nothing could stop Chu Muyun’s meteoric rise.

“The plot might not be to your taste,” Chu Muyun warned Lu Hanzhang as the opening credits rolled. “Just watch casually.”

“Mm, I’m only watching for you.”

Lu Hanzhang spoke casually, but as the episode began, he quickly found himself annoyed by the other characters. He wanted to erase them all, leaving only Chu Muyun on screen.

For the next season’s new phone, I’ll have the R&D department develop a feature that allows users to block out irrelevant background characters in videos and photos. President Lu, who couldn’t resist checking his work emails even on vacation, suddenly had this inspiration.

All because that person on TV was far too distracting.