Chapter 1: Transmigrated into a Novel

　　In the quiet of an early morning, Gu Panqiu stepped out into the snow to send his son off to kindergarten. Back home, he changed into fresh clothes, brewed a steaming cup of black coffee, and got ready for his interview with the variety show 5041.

　　Light snow had been falling steadily in City B these past few days. The flakes fluttered lazily through the air, and when seen from the window, they looked just like snow swirling inside a crystal globe.

　　The moment the director saw the refreshingly elegant Gu Panqiu, she was momentarily stunned by the beauty that had not graced the screen in over a year.

　　Along with his porcelain skin and slightly wavy hair, Gu Panqiu possessed a pair of beautiful, peach-blossom eyes and a faint dimple. Whether he smiled or not, his visage was as alluring and exquisite as a finely painted portrait.

　　The director inquired, “Your manager told me about you. You have a son who’s almost four years old, right?”

　　Gu Panqiu nodded, his eyes arching in a smile. “That’s right.”

　　“So, you’re planning to bring him on the show with you?” The director paused, then added, “Does that mean you’re no longer trying to keep this under wraps?”

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　　“Zlyb… R esd’v kdvlde vs bkel kv yduxsal,” Qw Vydikw xwaxwale. “Sktbv dso, R’x aykpkdt xu cycu sd xu sod. Rq R xshl sdvs vbl plv, vblal’zz cl ds sdl vs zssj yqvla bkx. Fs, R’zz byhl vs cakdt bkx okvb xl…”&dcpr;

　　Tl tzydnle wr yde tyhl y pxyzz pxkzl. “Gp zsdt yp usw’al sjyu okvb xl pbsokdt wr sd y eyvkdt pbso okvb y nbkze, vbyv kp.”

　　Ohld yp y plypsdle ekalnvsa kd bla vbkavklp, pbl bye yzoyup jdsod pbsockg oyp xlppu, cwv vbkp oyp clusde yduvbkdt pbl bye kxytkdle.

　　Qw Vydikw kp sdzu voldvu-vball vbkp ulya, yde bkp jke kp vball yde y byzq. Mbyv xlydp… bl bye vbl cycu yv dkdlvlld?!

　　“Mbyv’p rlaqlnvzu qkdl… Fkdtzl qyvblap byhl lhlau aktbv vs rwapwl zshl vss. El’al y ralvvu srld-xkdele rasewnvksd nalo vss,” vbl ekalnvsa ldnswaytle, vbld tyhl vbl nyxlayxyd y ekpnallv pktdyz. “Nlv’p pvyav okvb y qlo lypu iwlpvksdp. Kwpv ydpola obyvlhla nsxlp vs xkde.”

　　Qw Vydikw tyhl y pzktbv dse, ldvkalzu yv lypl clqsal vbl nyxlay. Tkp kdvlazynle qkdtlap olal ryzl yde pzldela, lmwekdt y iwklv lzltydnl.

　　“Gal usw zssjkdt yqvla uswa zkvvzl sdl sd uswa sod qsa dso?”

　　“Zlp, R yx.”

　　“How long has it been since you were last in a relationship?”

　　“A while now, I guess.” Gu Panqiu began making things up. “I haven’t dated anyone since I broke things off with my kid’s father.”

　　“What qualities do you look for in a partner?” the director questioned. “Do you have an ideal type?”

　　Gu Panqiu mulled it over for quite a while before answering, “Now that I’ve got a kid, I want someone who’s more family-oriented.”

　　…You don’t strike me as the family type, and yet you’re after someone who is?

　　“Anything else you’re looking for?”

　　Gu Panqiu smiled, his eyes twinkling like the autumn moon. “If he enjoys my singing, that’d be even better.”

　　However, everyone in showbiz knew Gu Panqiu could not carry a tune to save his life.

　　The director shook her head. This one really lives in his own world and is beyond saving.

　　“Okay, once your son gets home, we’ll just film a short video of him, and that should wrap things up.” The director’s eyes drifted to a photo of Jiujiu on the coffee table. “What a cutie.”

　　Gu Panqiu glanced at the photo of the beaming Jiujiu, his eyes curving into cheerful crescents. A soft “Mhm” escaped his lips.

　　Today marked the third day since Gu Panqiu had transmigrated into a novel, and 5041 was the first assignment he had received in this new world.

　　He could not care less about dating shows, but with his wallet running on fumes, beggars could not be choosers.

　　Three days ago, he was a terminal cancer patient. But when he woke up, he realized he had transmigrated into the body of Gu Panqiu—the same-named cannon fodder from The King of Showbiz, a novel he had once read.

　　In The King of Showbiz, Gu Panqiu was the lead dancer of SkyNight, a second-tier boy group. Though blessed with striking good looks, his love-struck folly doomed him to a bitter downfall.

　　The book told of Gu Panqiu’s love for his childhood friend, Lu Yao, the rapper of a wildly popular boy group. But Lu Yao? His heart belonged to just a single person: Fu Yue, the young heir of the agency that managed him.

　　Because of that, Gu Panqiu loved someone he could never have, and the pain ate away at him. Day by day, he descended further into ruin: blabbering mindlessly on TV shows, singing off-key more often than not, and forgetting his moves onstage. His reputation crumbled, and after being kicked out of his group for skipping a concert due to heavy drinking, he sank into deep depression. At just twenty-three, overwhelmed by despair, he swallowed a fatal dose in his apartment.

　　In stark contrast to the original host’s path to stardom, Gu Panqiu debuted at seventeen in the real world and became an overnight sensation. He captured the hearts of millions, and calling his rise legendary would be no exaggeration.

　　After all, he was the youngest King of Love Songs, his voice a melody that once moved millions. But when he was diagnosed with advanced throat cancer, he was only twenty-three.

　　Of all the things he could have imagined, transmigrating into a novel as a washed-up D-lister was not one of them. But even that could not top the shock of discovering that some men in this world could actually get pregnant.

　　In the novel, Gu Panqiu was a male mother to a sweet little boy named Jiujiu, who was three and a half.

　　The problem was that Gu Panqiu had none of the original host’s memories, so he had absolutely no clue where this three-and-a-half-year-old child came from. Even if men could get pregnant in this world, it was not like babies just popped out of thin air. There had to be another father involved!

　　Going by the book, Lu Yao had been saving himself for Fu Yue. That meant he could not be the other father.

　　Which begs the real question: who is?

　　No sooner had the director stepped out than Gu Panqiu’s phone rang.

　　“Hello? Is this Gu Ziye’s father?” The teacher’s voice crackled through the phone, laced with urgency. “Ziye was playing in the courtyard just now when one of the students in the middle kindergarten class accidentally hit him on the head with a soccer ball. He says he feels a little dizzy, and I’ve also contacted the other child’s parents. If you’re free, could you come by and check on him?”

　　Startled out of his wits, Gu Panqiu grabbed his coat and dashed outside without a second thought.

　　He had never raised a child before, but in just a few short days, Gu Panqiu had grown attached to the sweet and well-behaved Jiujiu and was already prepared to take on the responsibilities of a father.

　　“I’ll be there in a sec,” Gu Panqiu called out. “Do you mind watching Jiujiu for a bit?”

　　On the other hand, the little troublemaker at kindergarten went by the name Fu Yan.

　　At that very moment, Fu Yue, Fu Yan’s older brother, received a call from the kindergarten. He had been on his way to the company, but that plan went awry. Without a second thought, he turned the car around and sped toward Sunshine Kindergarten.

　　“That little rascal…” Fu Yue sighed, pinching his brow. “Can’t go a day without causing trouble.”

　　Fu Yue’s parents had always shared a deep and unshakeable bond. When Fu Yue turned nineteen, his mother found herself pregnant once more—a precious late blessing that brought joy to the aging couple’s hearts. From the moment their baby was born, they loved him dearly and named him Fu Yan.

　　Fu Yue had just started college at the time. Though a little surprised, he was secretly pleased; finally, someone else would share their parents’ constant attention. And besides, he had always wanted a younger brother.

　　By the time Fu Yue graduated from college, it made perfect sense for him to take over the family business. With his younger brother already in kindergarten, their parents often trusted him to look after the little one as they went on overseas vacations.

　　However, that little devil Fu Yan was only getting more mischievous with each passing day.

　　With his parents off on vacation in Finland for the past few days, it came as no surprise that his five-year-old brother found a new way to keep him on his toes.

　　From a distance, Fu Yue caught sight of Fu Yan, who was already looking his way.

　　Fu Yan stood before Jiujiu, cast a brief glance at his brother, then turned back to apologize.

　　He had not meant to hurt him, but the sight of Jiujiu’s eyes brimming with tears struck Fu Yan like a blow. Overcome with guilt, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

　　Jiujiu’s big, round eyes shimmered like those of an adorable baby animal as he held back his tears. “I’m okay now. It doesn’t hurt.”

　　Fifteen minutes later, Gu Panqiu reached the kindergarten and immediately caught sight of a handsome man in a houndstooth coat in the hallway, giving his younger brother a serious talking-to.

　　Fu Yue’s expression turned stony as he looked down at his brother. “Fu Yan, did you even watch where you were kicking the ball?”

　　After transmigrating into the book, Gu Panqiu had looked up photos of several characters online. Now, as he stared at the tall man in front of him, something about his face tugged at his memory. But there was no time to dwell on it, as he rushed toward his son without a second thought.

　　Gu Panqiu knelt down before Jiujiu, gently taking his small hand. “Does it hurt?” he asked, worry threading through his voice.

　　When Jiujiu saw him approaching, the tears he had been holding back for so long finally spilled over. Sniffling, he stretched out his little arms toward Gu Panqiu, asking for a hug without saying a word.

　　Gu Panqiu scooped the boy into his arms, his chest tightening with worry. “Does your head still hurt?”

　　“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Jiujiu wiped away his tears with his little fists. “I felt a little dizzy just now… but I’m okay now.” Sniffle sniffle.

　　The moment Fu Yue saw Gu Panqiu, his eyes awash with a shock he did not bother to hide.

　　He never had a good impression of Gu Panqiu. About four years ago, Gu Panqiu hated him so fiercely that he ground his teeth every time their paths crossed. The moment he returned to the country, Gu Panqiu sought him out. Tears streamed down his face as he demanded to know why he did not love Lu Yao.

　　Without uttering a word, Fu Yue mentally stamped a giant “moron” label on Gu Panqiu’s forehead.

　　Later, another painfully awkward incident unfolded between the two of them.

　　Fu Yue got wasted on the night of his twentieth birthday. Someone had slipped something into his last drink, though he never found out who. Gu Panqiu was also drunk that night and, for reasons even he could not explain, chased Fu Yue all the way to the hotel just to yell at him. One thing led to another, and by morning, the two of them had somehow ended up in bed together.

　　His memories of that night were hazy at best. By the time he woke the next morning, Gu Panqiu was already gone and never again to cross his path.

　　He nudged Fu Yan forward, then fixed the younger boy with a sharp look. “Fu Yan, you owe both of them an apology.”

　　With a sincere bow, Fu Yan admitted his fault. “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

　　And then it hit him. 

　　The one standing before Gu Panqiu was none other than Fu Yue—the white moonlight¹ 白月光 (bái yuè guāng): The term literally means “white moonlight” and refers to someone who holds a special place in one’s heart—often a first love or an idealized person from the past. The term usually carries a sense of longing, regret, or emotional distance. of Lu Yao, just as Lu Yao had been Gu Panqiu’s in the book.

　　Even so, Fu Yue barely appeared in the story, mentioned only in a handful of fleeting lines.

　　As the heir apparent of Nova Entertainment, Fu Yue had always been the brightest star in his class—cold, sharp, and a prodigy in his own right. Life had been smooth sailing for him, and with every step seemingly effortless, he grew into a self-disciplined, accomplished young aristocrat, exuding an air of unapproachable nobility.

　　 With a rival like that, Gu Panqiu’s love seemed all the more humble, all the more hopeless.

　　He harbored deep hostility against his love rival. Four years ago, caught up in a fit of lovesick madness, he even staked out Nova Entertainment just to stir up trouble for Fu Yue. He made a scene more than once, but Fu Yue never so much as spared him a glance.

　　Gu Panqiu’s gaze shifted to Fu Yan, whose hand was in Fu Yue’s. The resemblance was uncanny, as though they had been carved from the same mold.

　　He blinked, baffled. Had he somehow missed it? He could have sworn the book never mentioned anything about Fu Yue getting married, much less having a child.

　　Gu Panqiu stared at Fu Yue, dumbfounded. “This… is your son?”

　　Fu Yue’s brows knitted together. “He’s my younger brother.”

　　Gu Panqiu fell silent for a few seconds, but his mind spun out a full-blown melodrama of high-society family scandals and secret heirs. 

　　“Fu Yue,” he reassured sincerely, “I won’t tell a soul, but don’t call the kid that when he’s around. He’d feel hurt if he heard it.”

　　For a moment, Fu Yue was at a loss for words before managing to say, “He really is my brother.”

　　Just then, Jiujiu whispered, “Daddy, don’t be mad at Big Brother. He already said sorry… and I’m okay now.”

　　Fu Yue gave the child in Gu Panqiu’s arms a once-over, wondering whether his ears had just played a trick on him.

　　Turning to Gu Panqiu, he questioned, “Is this your brother?”

　　Gu Panqiu’s eyes flashed with contempt. “You probably just heard my son call me ‘Daddy.’”

　　“Son?”

　　Fu Yue blinked, unable to believe what he had just heard.

　　Gu Panqiu raised a brow. “That’s right, he’s my son. What, are you saying the kid you’re holding hands with isn’t yours?”

　　He shot Fu Yue a sidelong glance, his peach-blossom eyes glinting sharply. “CEO Fu, a real man always owns up to what he’s done.”

　　Fu Yue closed his eyes for a moment, conflicted emotions stirring beneath his calm façade. “He really is my brother. Anyway, I’ll take you both to the hospital and get the little one checked, just to be safe. I’ll cover the medical bills.”

　　To everyone’s surprise, Fu Yan—the ever-cool guy—actually took a liking to Jiujiu. Without hesitation, he even reached out of his own accord and gently took the boy’s small hand, then asked in a deep voice, “What’s your name?”

　　Meanwhile, Jiujiu’s voice was syrupy sweet, like a spoonful of honey. “My name’s Gu Ziye.”

　　“I heard your dad calls you Jiujiu,” Fu Yan noted with a cheeky grin. “Can I call you that too?”

　　Jiujiu’s big, sparkling eyes fluttered rapidly like a little bird’s wings, and he nodded eagerly.

　　Fu Yan found Jiujiu so irresistibly adorable that he could not help but share his favorite toy with him.

　　“Jiujiu, wanna play with my toys?”

　　Jiujiu’s breath caught in his throat when he saw that Fu Yan pulled a lifelike cobra toy out of the pocket of his down jacket. He was so startled that the tears he had barely held back now threatened to spill again.

　　“Uwaaah…” Jiujiu cried, lip trembling. “Snakey…”

　　Fu Yue’s face darkened as he overheard the exchange between his brother and Jiujiu. Whipping around, he yanked the rubber snake from his brother’s hand and snapped, “Fu Yan, knock it off. Keep it up, and I’m tossing this thing.”

　　With a pout, Fu Yan begged, “Big Bro, I really like that snake. Don’t throw it away, okay?”

　　And so, a frosty expression etched across Fu Yue’s face as he strode ahead with a rubber snake in his hand.

　　His towering frame and long legs propelled him forward, each step light and quick as if he were flying.

　　The two little ones walked hand in hand in the middle, chatting away as if lost in their own happy world.

　　Trailing behind, Gu Panqiu’s gaze lingered on CEO Fu’s tall, slender figure clutching the snake just ahead. He mused that this reserved, aloof man was, in fact, far gentler than he had imagined.