Chapter 8: Chapter 8 – Sleeping Beauty Awakens
Leo was startled awake, eyes flickering open before shutting them tight again, the sun rays filtering inside the room in between the curtains assaulted his vision.
Sh*t! Aghhhh f*ck my life!
Leo cursed himself when he felt his head pounding and it hurt, he's afraid that he broke his head or that his head is actually about to split open. Why had he allowed himself to drink that god-awful green thing?! Damn!
Leo sighed and leaned back without opening his eyes when he felt someone carding through his hair, short nails scratching softly and gently on his scalp. It helped ease the pain of the hangover he surely had.
He heard someone chuckle behind him and he opened his eyes, took the hand that was massaging his head, and looked at their fingers.
Leo frowned, he couldn't remember his manager having a hand this big. His manager also didn't have dainty-looking fingers that also seems a bit masculine-looking. Leo trailed his gaze along the arms of the person carding through his hair until he turned fully and came face to face with a smiling Zhao Sean.
Wait, what?!
Leo stood up, immediately regretting it when he felt the pain in his head again. "Aww!" Leo groaned, clutching at the side of his head.
"Here, drink this." Zhao Sean said, handing Leo a glass of water and some painkillers. Leo took it gratefully before popping one tablet of the painkillers before downing the glass of water.
He looked at Zhao Sean who had turned away and Leo just noticed that Zhao Sean was talking to someone on the phone. Leo's phone.
What the heck happened?? Where is he?? And what the heck is Zhao Sean doing here?! Can someone explain to him???
Leo tried to remember what led to him waking up in an unfamiliar bed with Zhao Sean in the room but came up empty. Wait, did he—
Did he offend this man? Did he do something to offend the Film and Entertainment Emperor? Oh no!
He was pulled out of his panicky thoughts when Zhao Sean handed him a burner phone of sorts.
"Your manager is on the line." Zhao Sean said, covering the phone's receiver when he spoke. Leo gulped but nodded nonetheless.
"WANG LEO?! WHERE WERE YOU LAST NIGHT?! HOW COME I WAS NOT INFORMED OF YOUR WHEREABOUTS?! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS?! HAVE YOU SEEN THE ARTICLES ON DOUBAN?! ANSWER ME!!!!" Jia Li screamed on the other line. Good thing he hasn't even lifted the phone to his ears because he's sure his eardrums would be damaged now.
"Jie, I–" Leo began, but he doesn't even know where he was right now, so he looked at Zhao Sean and mouthed his question soundlessly.
"Waldorf Astoría," Zhao Sean answered, making Leo nod and thank him silently.
"We're at Waldorf Astoría, Jie." Leo answered, still looking at Zhao Sean.
There was a beat of silence on the other line before his manager asked.
"We?! Who are you with, Wang Leo?!" Jia Li asked and Leo couldn't understand why his manager sounded so worried and panicky all of a sudden.
"I'm with President Zhao?" Leo answered her with another question. He wasn't sure if it's okay to tell her that because it still feels as if he was just dreaming because why would Zhao Sean be here, right? That's ridiculous.
"Shut up! Are you still drunk at this time, Wang Leo? I'm serious, you need to tell me where you are so I could fetch you because Du Hua wanted to have a meeting with us!" His manager even laughed at Wang Leo and he scratched the back of his head.
Huh, maybe he really is still drunk because it's really impossible for him to be with Zhao Sean right now. Because first of all, they aren't close, and second of all, the only time Leo had to meet with the guy is when Zhao Sean and Leo is attending the same events—
"Hello, Li–jie," Zhao Sean took the burner phone away from Leo's grasp and spoke.
"Yeah, he's not lying. Yes, I stayed with him. He was drunk," Zhao Sean said.
Leo cursed. Until now he still couldn't remember what exactly had happened yesterday. Why couldn't he recall?
After a few moments of talking with Leo's manager, Zhao Sean finally ended the call, turning to Leo.
"Your manager said that she'll come here to see you. In the meantime, you should shower and change into a fresh set of clothes before she shows up." Zhao Sean said, handing Leo the burner phone back.
"I–If you don't mind me asking...uhm, w–what happened yesterday S-Sean-ge?" Leo asked. He hopes he didn't cause the older too much trouble or did anything to embarrass himself.
He also desperately hopes no paparazzi or media were there to watch him make a fool of himself.
"Nothing much," Zhao Sean replied, avoiding his gaze before continuing even before Leo could breathe a sigh of relief. "We'll talk about this later. Over lunch." Leo felt his breath hitch.
Did he really do something to offend Zhao Sean? Why couldn't he remember?!
"You didn't do anything to offend me, Leo-di." Zhao Sean said as if sensing Leo's thoughts making him look up at Zhao Sean.
Yibo nodded. Thank f*ck!
Leo went out of the bathroom after wearing the clothes laid out for him that he saw when he entered it to take a bath.
It was just simple jeans and a shirt but it was a little larger to be his.
"Done?" Zhao Sean looked up from where he was sitting on the sofa and fiddled with the burner phone.
Leo nodded. Zhao Sean stood up and Leo followed him to the door, he was about to open the door when suddenly, Zhao Sean was interrupted by a shrill ring of the burner phone.
"Hello?" He answered, before turning back a few paces. That must be his manager, Leo thought. He turned the knob of the door to open it when—
"Wait!" Zhao Sean exclaimed, he tried to stop Leo from opening the door but he was too late. Leo already opened the door and there were some flashes of cameras in front of their door.
F*ck!
Zhao Sean pulled a shocked Leo behind the door before closing it and locking it again. Zhao Sean cursed and ran his hands through his hair in frustration.
Leo still looked like a deer caught in the headlights, before the shock wore off and he sat down on the sofa with his head hanging low and face in his hands.
I'm done. My career is fucking done. This is surely going to be a big scandal. Fuck. What do I do? Leo thought. He looked at the floor-to-ceiling window. Should he just jump out of it? Which floor are they on? Surely it was better than having to deal with this. Leo wanted to jump out the window.
"Okay, sh*t, okay." Zhao Sean muttered, before picking up the burner phone again.
"Send some people up to escort us out, tell the driver to park at the back because there's no way we can go out the front." Zhao Sean orders.
There was a knock at the door and seeing as Leo still couldn't really move as he was still trying to process that yes, they just got caught and there were even some photos of them and that this is going to be a huge scandal, Zhao Sean went and peeked at the peephole.
"LEO!" A woman screamed, abusing the doorbell outside the room.
"T–That's my manager, ge," Leo whispered. Zhao Sean nodded and let her in.
She bowed respectfully to Zhao Sean before turning to Leo to lecture him and Leo just sat there and took it all in, not even bothering to speak or cut her off.
Zhao Sean dialed another number and handed the burner phone to Leo's manager. She looked at him curiously before taking the phone.
"Wipe it clean before disposing of it, Jie. Thanks." Zhao Sean smiled and Leo's manager felt as if she had suddenly been shoved under the sun at how brightly Zhao Sean had smiled at her. She could only nod before turning away before she says something dirty and embarrass herself in his presence.
"Let's go," Zhao Sean said, dragging Leo by the wrist and they both exited the room. Once outside the hallway where a multitude of cameras started flashing at them again, Leo followed Zhao Sean.
Some men surrounded them, shielding them from the paparazzi trying to push through the others to ask some questions.
"Hey, I really liked your project proposal. Thank you so much for discussing this with me," Zhao Sean suddenly announced, voice loud enough for everyone in the hallway to hear.
He looked at Leo while they were still walking, signaling him to act as if he really went to all the trouble of finding where Zhao Sean's hotel room is to speak about a project. Leo schooled his face.
"Uh, yeah. Thank you for taking the time to listen to it, Zhao Laoshi, I'm sorry for bothering you when you're supposed to be taking a b–break." Leo mumbled, bowing for a few seconds as he berated himself for being caught off guard and for being awkward when XZhao Sean clearly wanted him to play pretend in front of this many paparazzi.
"It's no bother at all, let's discuss that project some more. Shall we?" Zhao Sean said, gesturing for Leo to enter the elevator, before entering the lift himself and when the doors closed, Leo released a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"You know, for someone who wanted to act again you're not good at impromptus." Zhao Sean said, turning to look at Leo. He looked so serious but Leo could see a faint upturn of Zhao Sean's lips.
Was he teasing Leo?
"Shut up, I was caught off guard ge! Why did you suddenly do that?" Leo said, a pout forming on his lips.
Suddenly, the two of them burst out laughing. The men who had escorted them out with them in the elevator didn't have any idea as to why the two were laughing, or what these two were laughing at for that matter.
"I had to," Zhao Sean said, trying to control his laugh but a few chuckles still escaped. "So we could have our alibis?"
"What project could I have possibly to offer to you though, Zhao laoshi? What if they find that it was a bluff?" Leo asked.
"Whatever, that's just the first thing I thought so yeah." Zhao Sean shook his head. It was true, he really thought of that first and so he blurted them out.
When Leo and Zhao Sean's eyes met, they burst out laughing again. Their escorts all looked at each other before watching the two celebrities with them confused.
Crazy.
Note: laoshi = teacher / equivalent to senior / sunbae / senpai in other languages.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone