Chapter 2: Love Rival

　　Just when Gu Panqiu thought Fu Yue would keep walking forward without ever once looking back, he came to a halt. Then came his voice, calm and steady. “Get in the car.”

　　The moment Fu Yue opened the door, the two little ones clambered into the backseat, sitting side by side with their hands tightly clasped.

　　Never in his wildest dreams had Gu Panqiu imagined himself sitting in the passenger seat beside his love rival. He waited in vain for the engine to start, but the car remained still, and silence wrapped around them like a thick fog.

　　Fu Yue shot him a sidelong glance. “…Your seatbelt.”

　　“Oh, okay.”

　　Gu Panqiu buckled his seatbelt, his eyes drifting to Fu Yue’s neatly trimmed nails and spotless cuffs.

　　Though understated, Fu Yue’s outfit—from the crisp shirt to the perfectly matched tie—was meticulously coordinated, with the top button fastened all the way to the collar.

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　　“Fu Yan is my younger brother.” Fu Yue’s patience snapped. “Gu Panqiu, watch your words. If you scar his innocent heart, you’ll have to answer to me.”

　　Just then, Fu Yan spoke up. “Big Bro, where’d you put your chocolate?”

　　Fu Yue answered, “They’re in that small brown box behind you.”

　　Fu Yan found the box as though he had done it a hundred times. Inside was a stash of goodies: chocolate bars, milk candies, and a rainbow of sugary delights.

　　Fu Yan grabbed a big handful and placed it gently into Jiujiu’s tiny palm. “Here you go.”

　　Thanks to his clever move, the awkward tension between him and Jiujiu began to melt away. Cradling the candies in his small hands, Jiujiu looked a little lost, not quite sure of what to do. Then, he turned to Gu Panqiu and asked sweetly, “Daddy, can I eat one?”

　　Gu Panqiu gave a slight nod. “Go ahead, but don’t forget to thank Uncle Fu, okay?”

　　Jiujiu broke into a sweet, silly grin. “Tank you, Uncle Fu!”

　　By the time Jiujiu finished the check-up, evening had already settled in. The doctor studied the CT scans carefully, then offered a patient smile. “Your child’s perfectly fine. It’s totally normal for siblings to squabble like this. You two husbands just need to be a bit more careful from now on.”

　　Fu Yue and Gu Panqiu exchanged bewildered glances. The doctor had actually mistaken them for a married couple.

　　Fu Yue tried to explain but could not find the words. In the end, he just could not be bothered.

　　Gu Panqiu kept a straight face as he clarified, “We’re not a couple. That’s his brother, and this is my son. The kids just happen to go to the same kindergarten.”

　　The doctor blinked, then laughed as the pieces clicked into place. “Ah, I see! The kids look somewhat alike, so I thought they were siblings. My bad!”

　　At that, Fu Yue turned to study his brother and Jiujiu. In what world do they look alike?

　　Gu Panqiu chuckled and quipped, “Then I’m afraid your eyes really were playing tricks on you.”

　　Fu Yue dropped Jiujiu and Gu Panqiu off at the neighborhood entrance. After an afternoon spent together, Fu Yan had grown quite fond of Jiujiu. When it came time to say goodbye, his reluctant expression said it all—he clearly did not want the day to end.

　　As a parting gift, he cheekily handed Jiujiu a generous handful of his big brother’s candy and chocolates, presenting them with the pomp of a gracious host.

　　Fu Yue had never seen his brother warm up to any child like this before and could not help but find it a little curious.

　　“I’m sorry about what happened today.” Fu Yue’s voice remained icy as he helped Gu Panqiu out of the car. “If anything comes up again, feel free to contact me.”

　　He extended a business card to Gu Panqiu, who accepted it with a nod of acknowledgment.

　　“You’re too kind, CEO Fu,” Gu Panqiu replied with a slight smile. “But I wouldn’t dare keep you upstairs.”

　　Fu Yue lifted his gaze to Fu Yan. “Fu Yan, get in the car. Time to go home.”

　　Reluctantly, Fu Yan let go of Jiujiu’s tiny hand. The little boy stood by the roadside, first giving Fu Yan a wave. Then, with a shy glance at the tall, handsome Fu Yue, he gave another timid wave and whispered, “Bye-bye, Big Brother… Bye-bye, Uncle Fu…”

　　“Mhm, goodbye.”

　　Wrapped in a milk-yellow down jacket, Jiujio looked like a tiny cloud tinted by morning light.

　　He was both beautiful and well-behaved, speaking in a slow, deliberate way. His eyes and hair were a soft light brown like a curly-haired doll come to life.

　　If not for the fact that he was Gu Panqiu’s son, Fu Yue might have been tempted to scoop the boy into his arms. 

　　He stole a glance at Gu Panqiu, silently wondering how a man like him managed to raise such an adorable, well-behaved kid.

　　Even now, the image of Gu Panqiu’s hysterical outburst five years ago remains vivid in his mind. Yet today, as he took a child to the hospital, there was an unexpected gentleness in his every move.

　　It was only then that Fu Yue gave Gu Panqiu a proper look. He had that cold, aloof kind of beauty, with slightly wavy hair that brushed his shoulders. When he kept his mouth shut, he was truly a sight to behold.

　　Noticing the faint, almost imperceptible look Fu Yue cast his way, Gu Panqiu’s lips curled into a smirk as his eyes curved into crescent moons. “Oh? What’s this? You’ve come to settle an old score with me, CEO Fu?”

　　“You’re the one who’s been chasing revenge all this time.” Fu Yue remained expressionless. “I don’t have time to deal with you.”

　　The moment Gu Panqiu recalled how the original host had once gone mad hounding Fu Yue, a flush of shame crept across his face. How much distress must the innocent Fu Yue have suffered because of it?

　　There was no denying that the original host had made a mistake here.

　　“Oh? Looks like you still remember all our past disputes…”

　　“Of course,” Fu Yue responded, “I still remember you calling me a dumbass.”

　　Gu Panqiu cleared his throat awkwardly. “I didn’t know any better back then… Sorry about that.”

　　Upon hearing that, Fu Yue fell silent for a moment. Well, would you look at that? Pigs would really be flying today. 

　　He turned to Gu Panqiu, disbelief written all over his face. “…What did you just say?”

　　Judging by his reaction, Gu Panqiu was pretty sure he had caught every word.

　　Without another word, he took Jiujiu’s hand and announced, “Jiujiu, let’s go home.”

　　Fu Yan gave his brother’s sleeve a little tug. “Can I add Jiujiu on WeChat, Big Bro?”

　　Fu Yue gave him a helpless smile. “Do you really think every kid starts chatting on WeChat at four or five like you?”

　　“Okay, then.” Fu Yan beamed at Jiujiu, his smile bright as sunshine. “Jiujiu, come over to my house to eat sometime! My brother makes the yummiest food! Bye-bye!”

　　Watching the Bentley drive off, Gu Panqiu could not help but marvel at today’s events. Of all people, I ran into my love rival. What are the odds?

　　Much to his astonishment, the Bentley had not gone far before it came to a halt once more.

　　Snow fell thick and fast, shrouding the street in a curtain of white. Fu Yue set a black umbrella down by the roadside, then turned and strode away.

　　Curious, Gu Panqiu made his way toward that spot, with Jiujiu in tow.

　　Beneath the umbrella lay a scruffy, large white cat sprawled across a Burberry scarf, its fur mottled with dirt. Around it, three fluffy white kittens tumbled and darted about, full of restless energy.

　　Amidst the vast expanse of snow and ice, the cats had found a refuge, just big enough to shelter them from the biting wind.

　　“Daddy, can we take the kitty home?” Jiujiu asked, his eyes shining. “It’s so, so cute!”

　　Gu Panqiu chuckled, tapping the tip of the child’s nose. “Not right now. Daddy’s job isn’t stable yet. But one day, when we can, we’ll adopt a kitty together, okay?”

　　Jiujiu nodded slowly, as though he was really thinking it over. “Okay.”

***

　　That evening, Fu Yue’s parents finally returned from abroad, their vacation at last drawing to an end.

　　Fu Yue sat in the living room, engrossed in a stock prospectus. Nearby, his younger brother watched a movie while deftly assembling Lego models. Every now and then, he would flop onto the broad back of their massive brown Standard Poodle, who lay patiently by his side. Life could not be better than this.

　　With a gentle smile, Ye Yun tousled Fu Yan’s hair and glanced over at Fu Yue. “So, has your brother been on his best behavior lately?”

　　Countless words swirled in Fu Yue’s mind, yet all he managed to utter was a simple, reluctant “Mm.”

　　Ye Yun caressed Fu Yan’s soft, tender cheek and cooed, “Baby Yanyan, look what Mummy got you.”

　　Fu Yue cast a quick glance. Bloody hell, it’s a freakishly realistic rubber golden python.

　　“Whoa!” Fu Yan wrapped the snake around his neck like a scarf. “Thanks, Mummy!”

　　Fu Yue eyed the golden python and heaved a soft sigh. “…Mum, toys like this would have the other kids crying their eyes out.”

　　With a twinkle in her eyes, Ye Yun protested, “What? But golden pythons are so cute!”

　　All of a sudden, Fu Yan turned deadly serious. “Big Bro’s right. My cobra scared Jiujiu so bad he burst into tears.”

　　“And who’s Jiujiu?” Fu Hong slipped off his coat and sank into the sofa. “Has Yanyan made a new little friend?”

　　“Uh-huh!” Fu Yan nodded eagerly. “Jiujiu’s super cute, and he’s one year younger than me. I accidentally hit his head with my soccer ball… Then Big Bro took him to the hospital to make sure he was okay.”

　　Ye Yun’s smile gradually faded. “Did you not even look before you kicked that ball? Is the little one okay?!” She shot Fu Yue a sharp look. “Fu Yue, stop what you’re doing and tell me what kind of mischief your brother has been up to lately!”

　　“He’s fine.” Fu Yue closed his notebook with a quiet snap. If you won’t come clean on your own, little brother, there’s nothing more I can do. “The little one’s been examined and is perfectly fine. And Fu Yan has already apologized.”

　　Ye Yun had been lecturing Fu Yan for quite a while. Thick-browed and doe-eyed, Fu Yan stood there meekly with a golden python draped around his neck, looking every bit the picture of obedience.

　　After Ye Yun finished schooling Fu Yan, her gaze shifted to Fu Yue, the stoic, breathtakingly handsome man standing quietly to the side.

　　“Fu Yue, you must be exhausted from taking care of your little brother these past few days.”

　　“Mhm,” Fu Yue replied, reopening his notebook. “I need to reply to an email.”

　　Ye Yun watched her dashing, model-handsome elite of a son once again glued to his laptop. He had the looks, the brains, the whole package, yet all he did was bury himself in work. Honestly, how did I end up raising such a workaholic? What a waste of good genes!

　　She coaxed gently, “Fu Yue, hurry up and find someone to marry. Once you have your own family, we won’t ask you to babysit anymore. In fact, we’ll help you with your kids.”

　　Fu Yue laughed, “Every time I go out with Fu Yan, people think he’s my son. You’re totally ruining my chances at romance, you know that?”

　　Ye Yun sighed in exasperation, “What, are you telling me you’ve been taking your brother out every day for a whole year? Don’t even try to change the subject! I’m telling you to go get yourself a date!”

　　Fu Yue answered half-heartedly, “Alright, alright. I’ll get right on it.”

　　“You’re brushing me off again, aren’t you?” Ye Yun swatted him on the arm. “I’m serious. Whether it’s a boyfriend or a girlfriend, you’d better bring someone home this year. If not, I’ll have blind dates lined up for you before you can blink.”

　　Fu Yue nodded, checked his watch, then turned to her. “Mum, I’ll be heading back now.”

　　His own spacious apartment was closer to the office, so whenever his parents were away, he would stay over to look after his younger brother. Now that they were back, he had no reason to stay.

　　“Wait!” Ye Yun shouted, stopping him in his tracks.

　　She rummaged through her luggage and retrieved two beautifully crafted bags—birthday presents she had picked out for her son. She and her husband had missed his birthday, but even while away, Fu Yue had never left her thoughts.

　　She shoved the bags into Fu Yue’s arms and shooed him away. “Off you go now.”

　　With a soft chuckle, Fu Yue’s deep-set eyes locked onto Ye Yun. “What’s this?”

　　“It’s a shirt,” Ye Yun answered. “Your dad picked it out. Now that you’re living on your own, remember to eat properly, and don’t forget to come home for dinner on the weekends!”

　　“Got it,” Fu Yue responded. “Both of you should get some rest soon.”

　　No sooner had Fu Yue gotten into the car than He Bei’s voice message pinged through.

　　“He Bei: Bro, I’ve seen a lot in my life, but this… this takes the cake.”

　　“Fu Yue: Hmm?”

　　“He Bei: I heard Gu Panqiu is bringing his son on a dating reality show. One of my buddies will be going on that show too. I’m seriously shook.”

　　“Fu Yue: Oh.”

　　“He Bei: …Hello? Did you not hear me? Gu Panqiu. Has. A. Son!”

　　“Fu Yue: Yeah, I know. I’ve met him. He’s pretty cute, actually.”

　　“He Bei: Wait, what? What did I miss?”

　　“Fu Yue: Nothing big. His kid goes to the same kindergarten as my little brother.”