Chapter 19: Head on His Shoulder

　　It was late at night when Fu Yue stepped out of the shower and lay down on the bed. Yet echoing in his ears was still Gu Panqiu’s soft murmur, “Big Brother, I’ll be good.”

　　Good?

　　That man was anything but good. Even when he was just applying medicine, he managed to flirt without trying. Yet when he softened his voice and smiled at him with that innocent face… he really was unbearably adorable.

　　Was Gu Panqiu just putting on an act, or… did he actually feel something for him?

　　Fu Yue found himself increasingly baffled by Gu Panqiu, who seemed to be an enigma wrapped in mystery. The internet had once painted him in all the worst colors, and Fu Yue still did not even know whether Jiujiu was his own flesh and blood.

　　But he knew one thing: Gu Panqiu was a poppy in full bloom, a beauty that could drive a man to ruin. And even knowing that, Fu Yue still wanted to reach out—just a little closer.

　　Once the production crew switched off the cameras, the room fell into an unsettling silence. Fu Yue tossed and turned, unable to find rest. Frustrated, he made his way to the living room, where he poured himself a glass of iced water and downed it in one go. Then he stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the island’s nightscape.

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　　That night, heavy rain pounded the little island. Gu Panqiu slept deeply, only to be dragged into a nightmare that felt painfully real.

　　In the dream, he found himself lying in a hospital bed, boredom seeping into his bones as he stared at the pages of a book. Outside, rain poured in sheets, drowning the world in a relentless downpour. Unable to speak, frustration gnawed at him. He grabbed a pen and paper and scribbled to the doctor: “Can I still sing?”

　　The doctor shook his head, eyes full of pity and regret.

　　Panicked, Gu Panqiu pressed the pen too hard, tearing the paper as he wrote: “You promised me that I’d recover after the surgery!”

　　The doctor sighed helplessly. “I’m sorry, Mr. Gu… your illness… has spread.”

　　In that instant, his heart sank as if it had plunged to the bottom of the sea. He woke with a start, and a bolt of lightning split the sky, immediately followed by a deafening crash of thunder that shook the island.

　　Gu Panqiu opened his eyes, his chest still heavy and tight.

　　The rumble of thunder had startled Jiujiu awake. A little frightened, he shuffled closer, pressing himself against his daddy.

　　“Daddy, hug me.”

　　The words snapped Gu Panqiu out of his daze. He gathered Jiujiu into his arms, pressing his hands gently over the little one’s ears.

　　Jiujiu whimpered softly, then relaxed, drifting back to sleep.

　　Looking down at his son’s peaceful face, Gu Panqiu felt a swell of warmth. In Jiujiu’s eyes, his daddy’s embrace was a safe harbor, and the depth of his son’s attachment made Gu Panqiu keenly aware of how deeply he was loved.

　　He pulled the little one a little closer, curling up around him as sleep claimed them both again.

　　After the heavy rain, the island glowed under golden sunlight, with gentle sea breezes rustling through.

　　That morning, the guests completed their itinerary and climbed aboard the helicopter to return to City B.

　　Fu Yue strode ahead, one hand gripping the handle of his sleek 13-inch silver suitcase, while the other pulled along Gu Panqiu’s 16-inch blue bag. Then he handed the luggage over to the staff before stepping onto the helicopter.

　　Not far behind him, Gu Panqiu followed closely with Jiujiu nestled against him, wrapped snugly in a dinosaur jacket. Still half-asleep, Jiujiu let out a tiny yawn, eyes squeezed shut.

　　The moment Fu Yue stepped onto the plane, Shen Yao shot him an envious look from the seat beside him. “Sleep well last night?”

　　Fu Yue remained indifferent. “Yes.”

　　Shen Yao snorted. “Did you two share a bed?”

　　With a sidelong glance, Fu Yue shot back, “You want to share a bed with Qiuqiu?”

　　Shen Yao went silent because yes, he did.

　　As a man, Fu Yue could read him like an open book, but he had no interest in engaging in such a conversation. Hence, he warned coldly, “Stay away from him.”

　　Just then, Jiujiu came running over with his picture book, proudly showing it off. Meanwhile, Shen Yao watched Fu Yue with amusement. “Clever move. Start with the kid first. This little one’s shy, so how’d you win him over?”

　　Fu Yue fixed Jiujiu’s messy hair, still wearing that indifferent look. “Me? Charm, of course.”

　　Shen Yao could only blink, momentarily speechless.

　　Gu Panqiu was the last to board. He wore a plain T-shirt with a gray knit sweater draped over his shoulders as he slipped into the seat to Fu Yue’s right.

　　Having barely slept last night, he leaned his head against the wall and shut his eyes. The faint scent of ebony wood wafted from Fu Yue, and as Gu Panqiu inhaled it, he found himself lulled to sleep before he realized it.

　　Holding Jiujiu in his arms, Fu Yue glanced sideways. There was something delicate and serene about him, like a rose blooming quietly in a hidden corner.

　　For once, he looked perfectly well-behaved.

　　Fu Yue’s shoulder was just within reach, yet Gu Panqiu leaned the other way, pressing himself against the cold wall instead.

　　All Fu Yue had done last night was step out to buy him some allergy pills, but Gu Panqiu still came to thank him in the dead of night.

　　It was such a trivial thing… yet he still would not let himself owe Fu Yue a favor.

　　Fu Yue could not figure out where all that charm Gu Panqiu usually flaunted had gone. When it truly came down to needing someone, he always chose to face it alone.

　　He sat there watching Gu Panqiu sleep, the faint rise and fall of his breath soft against the hush of the night. Suddenly, he recalled asking the other last night why he smoked. Gu Panqiu had joked half-seriously that it was because he felt lonely inside.

　　But even as he laughed, there was an unmistakable sadness lurking beneath, like shards of glass scattered across the floor.

　　With that in mind, Fu Yue reached out and eased Gu Panqiu’s head from the wall onto his shoulder. As it settled there, a weight pressed down, and his heart pounded violently against his chest.

　　From where he sat, Fu Yue could make out every one of Gu Panqiu’s long eyelashes.

　　And if Qiuqiu woke up at this very moment… what would he do?

　　Comfortably resting on Fu Yue’s shoulder, Gu Panqiu gently nuzzled him, yet remained sound asleep.

　　It was not until they reached City B that Gu Panqiu slowly opened his eyes and realized he had slept on Fu Yue’s shoulder the entire way. Blinking a few times, he looked up at Fu Yue, who was still resting with his eyes closed.

　　Quietly, Gu Panqiu shifted his head, thinking in disbelief that he had slept on Fu Yue’s shoulder for three whole hours. Surely, that poor shoulder must be numb by now.

　　As he pursed his lips, Fu Yue opened his eyes and glanced at him without saying a word, while maintaining that noble and distant air.

　　“Sorry.” Gu Panqiu’s voice wavered. “Why didn’t you push me away?”

　　Fu Yue was silent for a few seconds. “It’s fine.”

　　Bursting with energy, Jiujiu had been playing on his own for quite a while. Now he held Fu Yue’s phone, scrolling through the photos Fu Yue had taken of him yesterday, tapping little hearts on the ones he liked.

　　“I like this one!” Jiujiu held up the phone to show Fu Yue. “Look! Uncle’s shadow is sooo long! And we’re all in it!”

　　Children’s thoughts were always full of wonder. Upon hearing that, Fu Yue glanced at the picture he had taken of Jiujiu and Qiuqiu together and gently stroked the little one’s hair. “Hmm… Do you like Uncle, Jiujiu?”

　　Jiujiu nodded enthusiastically, reaching into his pocket to pull out the M&M’s he had saved from yesterday, eager to share them with his daddy and Uncle Sharky. But when he opened his hand, he found that all the candies had melted.

　　His little nose twitched as tears welled up, and though he did not cry, he stared at the gooey mess in disbelief, as if he could not believe his treasured treats had been ruined overnight.

　　Fu Yue chuckled and pulled a strawberry-milk lollipop from his suit pocket like a magician. “Don’t cry.”

　　At that moment, Jiujiu’s admiration for him grew even more.

　　By the time they got off the plane, he clung to Fu Yue like glue and sat atop the suitcase, letting Fu Yue push him along with gleeful giggles.

　　As Shen Yao took in the scene before him, he gave Fu Yue an approving thumbs-up while quietly lighting a cigarette.

　　Li Zhu clicked his tongue and commented, “I never would have guessed that someone as aloof as CEO Fu would have such a way with kids.”

　　Lu Yao rolled his eyes. “You guys just don’t get my boss’ gentle side.”

　　“He’s not gentle with you,” Shen Yao jabbed. “Alright, time to get back to the studio. Your manager’s on your tail, Lu Yao. Your good days are numbered.”

　　Lu Yao rolled his eyes so hard it hurt.

　　Monday rolled around, and the guests all went about their own business—Fu Yue was whisked straight from the airport to the company by his assistant, while Gu Panqiu sent Jiujiu off to kindergarten. On his way back in a taxi, his phone buzzed with a message from Fu Yue.

　　Fu Yue: Don’t be late for the audition tonight.

　　A smile tugged at Gu Panqiu’s lips. For someone as sparing with words as Fu Yue, Fu Yue’s willingness to text at all could only mean one thing: he was curious to see what Gu Panqiu would perform on stage.

　　Gu Panqiu glanced at Fu Yue’s profile picture—a gorgeous starry sky with a giant poodle gazing up at it—and sent a message: Is that your doggo in your profile picture?

　　Fu Yue: Yes, I took it when I brought Lily on a trip.

　　Gu Panqiu: Your doggo is really cute.

　　The chat went silent for a while. Just as Gu Panqiu thought Fu Yue was not going to reply, a new message arrived.

　　Fu Yue: My kitty is cute too.

　　As dusk settled over the city, Gu Panqiu entrusted Jiujiu to the care of the reality show’s director and headed alone to Nova Entertainment’s towering bullet-shaped skyscraper. 

　　He exchanged his ID for an admission pass and rode the elevator to the twenty-third floor, where the night’s audition would take place.

　　Amongst the four major entertainment agencies, Nova Entertainment reigned supreme, even its headquarters gleamed with an ostentious grandeur that the others could only envy. The open auditions were held that night in the television studio on the 23rd floor.

　　Gu Panqiu arrived at a time that could be considered just on the cusp of early. As he surveyed the expansive space, he found the air was thick with nerves and ambition; every corner crowded with hopefuls chasing their dream.

　　He waited quietly, a black mask over his face and headphones snug against his ears. Suddenly, the contestants erupted in excited chatter.

　　“CEO Fu is here!”

　　“Wow, it’s Fu Yue!”

　　Following the contestants’ gazes, Gu Panqiu looked up to see Fu Yue striding into the television studio hall. Wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a deep blue, sharply tailored suit, he held a roster of names, with a female assistant trailing close behind.

　　He moved through the crowd with an imposing presence, every step radiating authority—completely unaware of Gu Panqiu tucked away in the corner.

　　“Did you hear? Nova Entertainment hasn’t had a top male vocalist in almost five years. This time, they’re seriously going all out to train someone new!” Behind Gu Panqiu, a baby-faced boy sighed, “Today’s the final round… I really hope I’ll be the one in ten thousand to get picked.”

　　He locked eyes with Gu Panqiu and froze. ‘You’re… Gu Panqiu? You’re here for the audition, too?”