After stepping onto the set, Lu Yao and Fu Yue were each called in for a one-on-one interview with the director.
“What’s your type, Lu Yao?” the director questioned. “I don’t think you’ve ever shared your sexual orientation publicly before.”
“I just go with whatever feels right.” Lu Yao leaned back lazily in his chair. “I like men who are tough but tender at heart.”
“Would you confess first if you liked someone?”
“Of course,” Lu Yao answered, “I don’t beat around the bush.”
The director glanced at Lu Yao, swagger written all over his face. “If you don’t mind me asking, are you a top or bottom?”
“What do you think?” Lu Yao responded with a playful glint in his eyes. “Since Fu Yue came with me, who do you think looks more like a top? Him or me?”
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Fu Yue nodded calmly. “Yes, someone sweet.”
The director found it almost unbelievable that someone as reserved and aloof as CEO Fu would be attracted to the “cute” type. Curious, she pressed, “Do you prefer someone more sexy or more adorable?”
Fu Yue pondered for a moment before replying, “Sexy at night and cute by day.”
“Our guest in the observation room, He Bei, gave us a little scoop. He said that as your childhood friend, he has watched you grow up. And apparently, you’ve always had plenty of admirers since you were little.” The director added, “So I take it your standards for a partner must be pretty high?”
“He’s talking nonsense.” Fu Yue shook his head. “He Bei once told me I have the face of a scumbag, so I’m doomed to be single for life. Oh, and He Bei, I’ve got some huge news for you: your mom wants you home next weekend for a blind date. You’ll hear about it soon.”
He Bei had been laughing just a moment ago, but at Fu Yue’s words, he sprang to his feet, and disbelief etched across his face. “Wait… seriously?!”
Next thing he knew, he really did get a text from his mum: He Bei, get your butt home and go on that blind date!
The director asked, “Can you tell us about your views on love?”
Fu Yue pressed his lips together before responding, “To love just one person for a lifetime, then marry them. What could be better?”
It was Saturday, and downstairs the youths were at it as usual—some glued to their games, some lost in chatter, some doing both.
Fu Yue had been at his work all morning, the hours slipping by unnoticed. It was not until hunger gnawed at him at noon that he finally stepped out of his bedroom.
Now that he suspected Jiujiu might be his own son, he could not stop thinking about him. Even at work, his mind wandered more often than he cared to admit. Yet he feared that showing too much concern might arouse Gu Panqiu’s suspicion.
Jiujiu’s about to turn four, and for all those years, he’s never known the love of another father.
That thought alone made Fu Yue ache for Jiujiu even more.
In the kitchen, Gu Panqiu stir-fried the sizzling tomatoes and eggs in the pan for Jiujiu, while the little boy sat at the table, completely absorbed in his drawing.
When Jiujiu spotted Fu Yue, his eyes sparkled with delight. He squealed softly, “Uncle Sharky, you came!”
“What are you drawing?” Fu Yue sat down next to Jiujiu. “Come on, tell Uncle what it is.”
“A flying fish!” Jiujiu exclaimed. “The big one from the aquarium! This is its wing… its tail… its mouth!”
Fu Yue studied the drawing carefully for a moment. “The tail could be bigger, like this.”
He gently held Jiujiu’s tiny hand, guiding the crayon to leave a streak of color across the page.
Glancing over his shoulder, Gu Panqiu watched Fu Yue handle the little one with effortless ease. Older brothers really are something else.
“Done!”
Fu Yue gave Jiujiu a warm smile. “You did great.”
With a wide grin, Jiujiu proudly held up his drawing for Gu Panqiu to see. “You’re amazing, Baby,” Gu Panqiu praised as he looked at the large flying fish. “Now, let’s put your drawing back in the bedroom and wash your hands for dinner, okay?”
Jiujiu ran back to the bedroom with infectious excitement, while Fu Yue opened the fridge, looking over the ingredients the production crew had provided. Quietly standing by Gu Panqiu’s side, he got to work making creamy pasta.
Just as Gu Panqiu’s braised pork ribs came off the stove, Fu Yue’s egg drop soup1 蛋花汤 (dàn huā tāng): It looks something like this – 
with shredded bamboo shoots was ready.
And as Gu Panqiu’s soup dumplings2 小笼包 (xiǎo lóng bāo): They are basically broth-filled Shanghainese steamed pork dumplings. It looks something like this – 
, alongside braised yellow eels4 油焖黄鳝 (yóu mèn huángshàn): It looks something like this – .
They exchanged a glance, both seemingly awestruck by the lavish spread for lunch.
Gu Panqiu broke the silence, his voice trembling with desperation as he pleaded, “CEO Fu, please, I’m begging you.”
Fu Yue stared at him, completely bewildered. “What?”
Even so, Gu Panqiu refused to give up. “Please, let me join Solo.”
Fu Yue chuckled dryly, “Not a chance.”
Gu Panqiu’s face lit up with a radiant smile. Hands clasped behind his back, he strode over to Fu Yue and bowed deeply. “What happened four years ago was entirely my fault. I was wrong—I shouldn’t have made such a fool of myself. CEO Fu, please… give me another chance.”
Fu Yue sneered, “You really know how to bend without breaking, huh?”
“All the terms are yours to decide. As long as you’re willing to let me try, the contract won’t be a problem.” As Gu Panqiu spoke, a few loose strands of his hair grazed Fu Yue’s arm while he was serving rice, leaving a faint tickle in their wake.
Caught off guard, Fu Yue found himself studying Gu Panqiu’s smile more intently than he meant to.
His beauty bore a frosty aloofness, but the moment he smiled, the impact was devastating.
Fu Yue shook his head. “Give me one good reason to let you compete.”
Gu Panqiu’s voice rang with certainty. “The industry is full of pretty faces, but my voice can’t be replaced. I’ll make it big.”
Fu Yue looked at him, unimpressed. “Gu Panqiu, get your head out of the clouds.”
Drawn by the delicious aroma, Yang Chen stepped into the kitchen and spotted Fu Yue and Gu Panqiu. With an apron snug around his waist, Gu Panqiu tilted his head up as he chatted with Fu Yue, like inseparable lovers lost in their own world.
Upon seeing that, Yang Chen grinned slyly. “So, CEO Fu, you can cook too? Mind if we join in?”
“I made some extra on purpose,” Fu Yue answered, sitting down. “But doesn’t the production crew provide meals?”
“They only provide the ingredients, and you can only eat out during the dates,” Yang Chen explained. “So poor souls like us, with no one to go on dates with, can only mooch off Brother Qiuqiu and your cooking.”
Lu Yao was working out in the gym on the ground floor with headphones clamped over his ears when the tantalizing aroma of food wafted to him. Hence, he could not resist running over.
He grabbed one of Gu Panqiu’s soup dumplings and stuffed it into his mouth. “Brother Yue’s cooking is the best!”
“Just so you know,” Gu Panqiu jabbed, shooting him a merciless glance, “I actually made these soup dumplings.”
Before Lu Yao could even swallow, his face scrunched up like he was about to throw up.
Gu Panqiu could not help but notice how childish Lu Yao was, his every emotion written plain as day on his face.
The book mentioned that Lu Yao and Gu Panqiu both grew up in an orphanage, where they often played together as children. In a way, they were childhood companions.
Later, their striking looks caught the eyes of scouts from different companies, and though discovered separately, both of them ended up in City B together as trainees.
With that, Gu Panqiu and Lu Yao were the poorest of all the trainees. But while talent came naturally to Lu Yao, Gu Panqiu had none—always slower, always falling behind. In time, other trainees began to shun him.
Also, he might seem quick to anger, but it was really a coat of thorns, concealing the insecurity gnawing inside him.
Back then, Gu Panqiu was only sixteen, and having grown up starved for affection, he clung to every moment with Lu Yao. Over time, what began as a simple fondness gradually deepened until he realized it had grown into love.
Two shadows adrift in darkness, both seeking light. Yet neither was a flame, nor could they ever become the other’s salvation.
At first, Lu Yao politely turned him down. But when Gu Panqiu’s persistence became too much to handle, he simply stopped responding. Around the same time, Fu Yue, who was home for summer break, was summoned by his father to observe Lu Yao’s class at Nova Entertainment.
All summer, they attended vocal and dance lessons together, though in truth, Fu Yue only ever watched while Lu Yao sang and danced.
It was then that Lu Yao fell in love with Fu Yue at first sight.
The young master was handsome and composed, with a brilliance that left Lu Yao in awe.
No one had ever taught Gu Panqiu or Lu Yao how to love another—or even themselves—so they wandered into a dead end with no way out.
Jiujiu had no clue what the adults were talking about, but seeing all the delicious food made his eyes sparkle. He clambered into his chair and squealed, “Wow! Look at all this yummy food!”
Fu Yue studied Jiujiu closely and noticed how much his eyes resembled those of Gu Panqiu. The little boy was still young, so the corners of his eyes were rounder, giving him an innocent look rather than a seductive one.
In an instant, Fu Yue’s heart melted a little. He twirled some noodles onto his fork and held it out to Jiujiu. “Here, try some of the creamy pasta I made.”
With his cheeks full and round, Jiujiu took a while to chew before finally swallowing. His eyes sparkled with delight as he looked at Fu Yue and exclaimed, “Uncle, this is really yummy!”
Noticing the cream smeared on Jiujiu’s cheek, Fu Yue took a napkin and gently wiped the corner of his mouth.
Lu Yao gawked, utterly dumbfounded. Why was Fu Yue being so nice to Gu Panqiu’s child? He wanted to question him, but with so many people watching, all he could do was puff out his cheeks in frustration, like an irate pufferfish.
However, that did not stop Gu Panqiu from teasing him. “Teacher Lu, better eat it while it’s still hot!”
Lu Yao grumbled in response, “I am eating, geez! These noodles are amazing!”
Lunch had just wrapped up when the director walked in, a bright pink mission card tucked under her arm.
“This Saturday afternoon, we’ve got a role-playing skit lined up for everyone,” the director announced. “Everyone will draw lots first. Whatever role you get, that’s the one you’ll play.”
“Is that like acting?” Cui Hang questioned, eyes lighting up. “I’ve always wanted to try being an actor!”
“Is it going to be a romance series?” Zhang Yiming asked, his eyes bright with anticipation. “That means we’ll get to interact with everyone a lot more.”
Without much thought, Gu Panqiu drew a slip of paper. Scrawled across it were the words: Empire General’s little Omega prisoner, Liangliang.
Wow, an ABO5 ABO, or Omegaverse, is a popular setting in fiction where people are born with or will manifest secondary genders that can consist of alphas, betas, and omegas. setting? The production crew sure knows how to have fun!
Noticing the smile tugging at Gu Panqiu’s lips, Fu Yue inquired curiously, “What are you smiling at?”
Gu Panqiu turned to him, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. “What did you get?”
In response, Fu Yue unfolded the crumpled note in his palm and showed it to Gu Panqiu. It read: Alpha General of the Empire, Xiang Yu.
Gu Panqiu could no longer hold it in. Seeing Fu Yue so confused, he burst out laughing.
Fu Yue was genuinely baffled. “What exactly is an Alpha? And an Omega?”
“Just look up the omegaverse,” Gu Panqiu answered.
For once, Fu Yue actually lowered his head and started searching.
“What the heck…? I’m a domineering CEO?!” Lu Yao furrowed his brow in disbelief. “Wait… do we all have different scripts? And I have a cute little wife?”
The director nodded cheerfully. “Exactly!”
Shen Yao fell silent for a moment, then quietly looked at Lu Yao. “I’m Mumu, secretary to the domineering CEO.”
Lu Yao stared at Shen Yao in disbelief. “You’re my cute little wife?”
Shen Yao nodded. “I’m your feisty wife. Looks like our scripts got swapped.”
Right then, Fu Yue had just looked up the omegaverse in Baidu Baike6 百度百科 (bǎidù bǎikē): It is a Chinese equivalent of Wikipedia that’s owned by Baidu, a Chinese search engine. You can read more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baidu_Baike and began reading aloud, “An Omega in heat requires an Alpha to feed them…”
“Feed them what?” Li Zhu interjected, puzzled. “Water?”
Fu Yue lowered his gaze, a cold smile curling at the corners of his lips. He looked slightly incredulous, then cast a thoughtful glance at Gu Panqiu. “Feed them until fully… satisfied.”
Li Zhu froze for a moment, then his eyes widened. “Is it what I think it is?”
Instead of answering him, Fu Yue flipped open the script the director had handed him.
The script portrayed Ye Liang as a major from an enemy nation, captured by you during a battle. During his heat, you took advantage of him and knotted with him. Soon after, he became pregnant with your child. Though he eagerly awaited the baby’s arrival, he still could not bring himself to trust you, even as your love for him ran deep.
When your son turned five this year, Ye Liang became pregnant once more. You stepped down from your post as a general to share the simple pleasures of country life with him, wanting nothing more than to care for him. Yet he still shunned your touch and refused your kisses.
It was then that your doctor friend told you Ye Liang did not believe you loved him.
Today, you have to act out the scene where you care for your pregnant Omega and tell him that you love him. When he resists, you pin him against the wall and dominantly say, “It’s been five years, and yet you still don’t believe I love you?”
Fu Yue remained silent for a moment before asking the director, “Can this really be aired?”
“It can! It definitely can!” The director was beside herself, brimming with excitement.
“Is someone playing the doctor?” Gu Panqiu’s eyes sparkled with intrigue at the R-rated script. “Who’s the doctor?”
There were nine guests on the show, and they were all split into three groups for the skit.
Luo Siqi, who had been silent all this time, raised his hand. “I got the doctor role.”
With a smile, Gu Panqiu suggested, “My son can play the eldest son in this script. He’s a little younger, but he’d fit the role perfectly.”
Jiujiao tugged at Gu Panqiu’s sleeve, his little face scrunched in worry. “Daddy, what if I mess up?”
“It’s okay,” Gu Panqiu reassured. “Jiujiu, it’s just a game. All that matters is that you have fun.”
The author has something to say:
To be honest, CEO Fu is a romantic idealist through and through, and it’s the cozy warmth he exudes that draws in Qiuqiu, who longs for nothing more than that warmth.
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