Did the Movie Emperor Blow His Cover Today? - Chapter 47

Chapter 47

“Either you tell me the truth, or I’ll stay and sleep with you.”

If it were any other matter, Tao Hui would have confessed immediately. She was never one to keep secrets. But this was something she couldn’t bring herself to say.

How could I tell him, ‘Han Buji, your fans photoshopped my obituary photo and wished me dead, scaring me so badly I’m having nightmares?’

This wasn’t something Han Buji could control. As a public figure, all he could do was maintain his integrity and avoid acting out of line. The kind of people who admired him—whether they were obsessive, twisted, or foul-mouthed—were beyond his influence.

Tao Hui, being in the same industry as Han Buji, had witnessed firsthand how her own fans, sporting usernames like “I Love Rabbit Forever,” would hurl insults at other celebrities’ Weibo accounts, cursing their entire families and even threatening to dig up their ancestors’ graves.

Despite the first rule pinned in her fan group’s announcements: “No cursing, no aggression. Be civilized Rabbit Fur.”

It was utterly useless.

She couldn’t even manage her own small fanbase, let alone Han Buji’s massive following of tens of millions, which was rapidly approaching a hundred million.

Tao Hui gazed at Han Buji standing by her window. He must have rushed over after hearing her scream, his usually meticulous hair slightly disheveled. His eyes were lowered, and his mood was clearly dark, especially evident in the tight tension of his jawline and the corners of his mouth.

Heh, he’s actually quite sexy, Tao Hui thought lecherously. It would be a waste not to keep a man this sexy around.

“Then stay and sleep here,” Tao Hui said, pulling back the covers. Her slender legs, bathed in the orange lamplight, looked like delicate jelly, smooth and flawless. She patted the empty space beside her, her expression mimicking an emoji. “Come on.”

Tao Hui usually slept in nightgowns at home, finding loungewear uncomfortable. She had specifically returned to her own apartment before bed to retrieve her favorite silk nightgown.

The creamy-white silk slip dress revealed her elegant collarbones, the hem stopping just above her knees. The outfit was undeniably alluring. Han Buji narrowed his eyes, glancing at the girl who was being provocative without realizing it, and chuckled in exasperation.

In the next moment, Han Buji placed his hand on Tao Hui’s shoulder and gently pushed her down onto the bed.

Tao Hui sank into the soft mattress, the deep gray sheets and duvet enveloping her like a dollop of cream squeezed onto a gray plate. Han Buji knelt beside the bed, leaning in until their noses were less than two fingers apart.

The position was intensely intimate, made even more so by the late hour and dim lighting.

The proximity was so close that their breaths mingled. Tao Hui swallowed nervously, suddenly losing her nerve.

Her fleeting boldness vanished instantly, replaced by a timid demeanor. The girl desperately tried to change the subject, racking her brain for a story. “Han Buji, do you know why I’m called Rabbit?”

They were so close that she had to cross her eyes to see his face clearly. Tao Hui wondered if she’d end up cross-eyed as she forced herself to keep talking. “My English is terrible—so bad that I once misspelled ‘Good Morning’ when I was nervous. I just prefer using Chinese transliterations for English words…”

Han Buji suddenly interrupted, “I know.”

Ugh… You knew all along? Why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ve been babbling for ages, and you only answer my first question now? Are you a sloth?!

When that topic failed, Tao Hui continued to rack her brain. “Um, Han Buji, this mattress is too soft. It’s… it’s bad for your spine…”

Han Buji looked down at her from his superior height. “Is that so? Perfect. I’ll try it out myself.”

Tao Hui’s eyelashes fluttered.

Are you talking about trying out the mattress, or trying me out? Given your current mood, I suspect the latter is more likely.

Tao Hui actually wanted Han Buji to stay. After all, she’d just had a nightmare, and having a handsome man sleeping beside her would be reassuring. What better comfort than waking up from a nightmare and seeing her boyfriend’s handsome face?

Feeling Han Buji’s warm breath brush against her nose and cheek, Tao Hui’s face tensed so much it almost twitched. Her eyelashes fluttered like bare tree branches dancing wildly in the night wind, and her cheeks flushed with heat.

Midway through her rising temperature, Tao Hui suddenly noticed Han Buji’s gaze. It wasn’t tender or affectionate, but rather deeply serious. Startled, she whispered, “…Are you not happy?”

Han Buji looked into Tao Hui’s eyes and asked earnestly, “Are you happy?”

What did you dream about in that nightmare? What happened this afternoon? I can’t stand seeing you pretend to be cheerful when you’re clearly not.

Tao Hui misunderstood Han Buji’s meaning, convinced she had hidden her true feelings well. She assumed her own nervousness had dampened his mood.

Well, who would want to get intimate with a girlfriend as stiff as a wooden statue?

Tao Hui had a weakness: she couldn’t bear to see her loved ones suffer.

Smack.

Tao Hui leaned in and kissed Han Buji, her eyelashes trembling as she declared firmly, “I’m happy. Come on!”

Han Buji: ?

Wasn’t he trying to interrogate her?

Han Buji turned his head and chuckled, ruffling Tao Hui’s hair with a hint of resignation. “Alright, if you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. Let’s sleep.”

“What? Just going to sleep?”

Tao Hui stared at Han Buji, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Just going to sleep?”

Han Buji glanced at Tao Hui and chuckled. “Forgot something.”

He leaned in again and kissed her lips—a midnight kiss charged with hormones.

It felt like he was igniting every flutter in her heart, and like a preview of what was to come…

The next morning, light snow drifted outside the window. Tao Hui sat up in bed, her messy hair resembling a bird’s nest. She kicked off the covers in frustration. “Hormones my ass! He just kissed me and fell asleep!”

That night, Han Buji slept in the guest room again, and nothing happened beyond a kiss. (t/n: the guest room is where Tao Hui stays if I’m not mistaken.)

The same thing happened the next day, the third day, the fourth day… and damn it, the fifth, sixth, and seventh days too!

Oh, there was a slight improvement on the seventh day—he finally touched her breast.

For an entire week, Tao Hui and Han Buji lay in the same bed, and absolutely nothing happened.

On the morning of the eighth day, Tao Hui, toothbrush in her mouth and foam bubbling around her lips, glanced at Weibo. Since yesterday, the girl who had been relentlessly sending her funeral photos and vulgar insults under different aliases every day had vanished.

Look, sticking to something is really tough; giving up halfway is so much easier.

The only things that lasted were the recurring nightmares and Han Buji, who stubbornly slept beside her without making a move.

But having Han Buji beside her had its advantages. When she had nightmares, she didn’t even need to call out—she could just burrow into her boyfriend’s warm embrace, feeling utterly safe.

For the first few days, Tao Hui was genuinely happy, completely unafraid of her nightmares. Even when she dreamed of Han Meimei wielding a sickle and slicing off half her head, she’d wake up, snuggle into Han Buji’s arms, and think, Oh, that’s all? Not so scary.

But today, on the eighth day of purely sleeping under the covers with Han Buji, Tao Hui’s fleeting happiness had vanished, replaced by deep anxiety.

Spitting out the minty toothpaste foam, she stared into the mirror and voiced her soul-searching question: “Han Buji… he… can’t do it?”

Doesn’t sleeping with your girlfriend make you burn with desire?

Wouldn’t he be sweating from holding back?

Why can Han Buji sleep so calmly and peacefully?

Tao Hui felt that as Han Buji’s girlfriend, it was her duty to help him regain… no, establish his manly vigor!

With her decision made, Tao Hui took her keys and returned to her own apartment, spending her first day back from Snow Village there.

The day exhausted her. She was busy almost non-stop, only managing to rummage through her wardrobe near nightfall to retrieve a backless, ultra-short lace nightgown from the bottom drawer. She threw on a long down coat and knocked on Han Buji’s door.

Han Buji opened the door and stared in surprise at Tao Hui, bundled up in her down coat with the hood pulled up. “Did you go out?”

“No,” Tao Hui replied, looking like a giant bear with only her eyes visible. She slipped off her shoes and immediately dragged Han Buji toward the bedroom.

At the entrance to Han Buji’s walk-in closet, Tao Hui stopped abruptly, tossed over her shoulder, “Lend me a tie,” and disappeared inside.

A tie?

Han Buji raised an eyebrow, leaning against the wall, utterly baffled by what this girl was up to.

For a week, Han Buji hadn’t slept well. The carefree girl insisted on pre-sleep kisses and cuddles, then burrowed into his arms like a restless animal all night. Her small hands roamed restlessly across his chest, and she even let out contented little hums in her sleep.

This was more than any normal man could endure. Han Buji felt his self-restraint was at its breaking point, and yesterday had nearly crossed the line.

As a result, the Best Actor, who had always lived a meticulously refined life, now had faint dark circles under his eyes. During work meetings, he would discreetly turn his head to stifle a yawn. Manager Wu Yue added this to his list of “Ten Wonders of the 21st Century Witnessed by Wu Yue.”

Han Buji lowered his eyelids and curled his lips into a wry smile.

Suddenly, a hand appeared in his line of sight. He looked up to see a slender, delicate forearm wrapped with a deep blue tie, followed by Tao Hui in a nightgown.

This nightgown was different from the one she’d worn a few days ago. Large swaths of black lace partially concealed her snow-white skin, creating an alluring, ambiguous effect.

The skirt was too short, almost glaringly so. Standing barefoot on the reddish-brown hardwood floor, she looked like a fairy.

Han Buji’s eyelid twitched. He heard Tao Hui say, “I tied one hand myself, but I can’t reach the other. Could you… help me?”

“…What are you doing?” Han Buji’s voice was slightly hoarse.

Tao Hui was pleased with Han Buji’s reaction. At least from his expression, this man was finally showing some response, right?

You should be so proud of yourself, Tao Hui! You’re about to cure your boyfriend’s erectile dysfunction!

Tao Hui mentally patted herself on the back, deciding to unleash the most potent “boyfriend-teasing technique” she’d learned online. She grabbed Han Buji’s collar, stood on tiptoe, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, “Let’s do it.”

Han Buji’s breath hitched. He immediately scooped Tao Hui into his arms and strode toward the bedroom, gritting his teeth as he growled, “Tao Hui, you’re playing with fire.”

“Huh?” Tao Hui was tossed onto the bed, feeling a certain part of the man pressing against her thigh. She nearly wept with joy. “Y-you’re cured? Han Buji! Ken ge rui qiu le shen si (congratulations)! You’re healed!”

The man, who was kissing her earlobe, frowned at her words, his tone turning icy. “What do you mean?”

Tao Hui blurted out, “You couldn’t get it up before, I… Mmph!”

Her words were cut off by Han Buji’s kiss. As she grew dazed from the kiss, Tao Hui vaguely sensed she might have misunderstood something.

At dawn, roused by the chirping of sparrows on the windowsill, Tao Hui opened her bleary eyes. She flexed her aching wrist and glanced at Han Buji, still fast asleep beside her. With a mix of despair and resignation, she picked up her crumpled nightgown and tie from the floor.

Then, tiptoeing around the scattered wads of paper, she crept into the walk-in closet, changed into her loungewear, and quietly slipped out the door, clutching the wrinkled nightgown and tie, back to her own apartment.

Tao Hui hid the nightgown and tie deep in her closet and sat on the rug, rubbing her wrist.

Never, ever, ever tell a man “You can’t do it.” Last night, Han Buji had physically demonstrated to Tao Hui that he could do it—very well, extremely well, and unbelievably well.

Was her brain full of shit? How could she ever have thought Han Buji was impotent?!

He was clearly a man with a terrifyingly intense libido!

The memory of Han Buji’s hoarse voice whispering “Help me” in her ear last night made Tao Hui’s face flush crimson.

She hadn’t just helped him; she’d helped him multiple times. Even though she’d used her hands, she’d nearly exhausted herself!

Her hand had never been this tired, not even after all-night gaming sessions! Waaah!

Tao Hui’s apartment had been unoccupied for weeks, the curtains drawn shut the entire time. Rubbing her wrist, she stood up, pulled open the curtains, and winced at the winter sunlight streaming in.

In that brief moment of closing her eyes, she didn’t notice the glint of a camera lens reflecting from a building across the street.