Gu Panqiu was used to holding the microphone in his hands; even with a stand, he instinctively gripped it with both hands.
As the song intro began to play, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, there was a serene calm in their depths.
The voice that emerged from this body was ethereal, exquisitely pleasing when sung with the right technique—like a rare violin finally finding its perfect musician, unexpectedly and heartbreakingly moving.
“Undercurrent” was a song of unrequited love. Every note, every lyric carried the weight of countless unspoken emotions.
Gu Panqiu excelled at controlling his breath and navigating falsetto; no matter how high the key, he reached it effortlessly, and his shifts between chest and head voice were smooth as silk.
Yet all his technical mastery paled in comparison to the depth of emotions he poured into each line. What truly captivated listeners was the storytelling in his singing; every phrase carried a story that could ensnare the listener’s heart.
After only a few lines, the atmosphere in the television studio hall shifted, thickening with the bittersweet ache of unrequited love.
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With just a few sentences, Gu Panqiu painted himself as a heartbroken single dad working hard to raise his child, instantly earning the teachers’ sympathy and warmth.
Yan Ran’s voice softened with empathy. “Yeah, I can feel that. It sounds like you must have shared a deep bond with your partner, so you must’ve been together for a long time, right?”
Gu Panqiu’s acting skills shone through as his eyes looked fragile, veiled with sorrow. “Yes,” he answered.
Fu Yue stiffened, turning Gu Panqiu’s words over in his mind. The way Gu Panqiu spoke… sounded almost as if he had once been in a relationship with Jiujiu’s father.
But apart from that one night they shared, Fu Yue and Gu Panqiu had barely interacted, let alone been on dates. Before the show, they had hardly even known each other.
Then it hit him. Had he been wrong all along?
Could it be that he was not Jiujiu’s father? That the man Gu Panqiu loved—and had a child with—was someone else entirely?
Standing on the stage, Gu Panqiu caught sight of the dark look on Fu Yue’s face. No way, he’s not gonna fail me, is he?
The next second, Fu Yue shot him a look so icy it screamed “red.” Then, with a sharp flick of his wrist, he pressed the green button. “Pass.”
Gu Panqiu stood there, momentarily dumbfounded.
Yan Ran hit the green button too. “This song isn’t easy to pull off,” she remarked with a warm, appraising smile. “But you executed it beautifully—the control, the emotion, every detail was spot on. Calling you a genius wouldn’t be an exaggeration. You’ve passed. Keep up the good work.”
Qi Tianle was still reeling, trying to reconcile the slow-witted kid from years ago with the confident young man now standing on stage at twenty-three. When Fu Yue made no move to speak, he jumped in before his boss could. “Gu Panqiu, do you remember me?”
Of course, Gu Panqiu did not, since he had none of the original host’s memories. Still, since the man had asked like that, they must have met before.
“Yes, I remember.” A gentle smile spread across his face. “Hello, Teacher Qi.”
“You were here last time as a trainee, and you couldn’t play the piano then. I noticed it’s on your application now. Did you pick it up recently? Could you play something for us?”
Gu Panqiu nodded, quietly taking a seat at the piano and adjusting the microphone.
Today, he had gone for something simple—a white shirt, a pair of fitted black leather pants, and a lace choker at his throat.
His skin was as pale as freshly fallen snow, creating a stunning contrast against the dark lace that rested just above his Adam’s apple. The choker enhanced his delicate and fragile appearance, making him look both exquisite and vulnerable.
Gu Panqiu lowered his head, his softly curled hair cascading down from behind his ears. His fingers danced swiftly across the black and white keys of the piano, playing the very song he had just sung: “Undercurrent.”
Watching him play with such effortless grace, Qi Tianle felt a swell of admiration.
“That was amazing. You’ve improved so much,” he commented. “It’s truly moving to see an artiste with such a relentless drive to learn. I’ve decided to pass you.”
Gu Panqiu exhaled in relief and bowed deeply to the judges. At last, he had cleared the first trial of the novice village.
Even after Gu Panqiu received his advancement badge, Fu Yue did not utter a single word. Expressionless, he filled out the score sheet without so much as a glance in Gu Panqiu’s direction.
Today, Fu Yue radiated icy indifference, sharper than a dozen frozen blades.
Completely baffled, Gu Panqiu stepped outside and spotted Huang Zhi in the corner, bawling after just failing.
When Huang Zhi saw him holding his advancement badge, he wailed, “You actually passed?! If even you can pass, why couldn’t I?!”
Still dazed from Fu Yue’s earlier reaction, Gu Panqiu ignored Huang Zhi and knitted his brows. “Move aside.”
For a brief moment, his gaze was sharp and intimidating, so much so that Huang Zhi cowered and obediently stepped aside to let him pass.
Glancing at his watch, Gu Panqiu realized it was already past nine. Jiujiu would be asleep soon, so if he did not hurry home, the little one would start to worry.
At this hour, it was peak hour for ride-hailing services at Nova Entertainment. In the underground parking garage, Gu Panqiu joined the line for a car, and a quick swipe of the app revealed a staggering 144 people ahead of him.
Forget it, I should walk a bit farther before trying again.
The air was still bitingly cold. Beneath his coat, Gu Panqiu wore only a thin shirt, and the chill wind cut straight through him, making him shiver.
He had barely made it to the pedestrian street behind the building when the ever-persistent Huang brothers—Huang Xu and Huang Zhi—came striding toward him, hostility written all over their faces.
“Gu Panqiu! You looking for another beating?” Huang Xu barked from a distance. “Don’t you dare run!”
He yanked down his mask, flicked away the cigarette in his mouth as he and his brother positioned themselves at the alley’s entrance to block his path.
Gu Panqiu blinked in confusion. What the hell? Don’t tell me my ex-groupmate has turned into some thug?
“What a joke. Someone like you made it through the selection, but my brother didn’t? Whose bed did you crawl into, huh?”
Seeing Huang Xu treat him like dirt, a soft sigh escaped Gu Panqiu. “You and your brother should go home and learn some manners and professional ethics before you show your faces again.”
“Bullshit!” Huang Xu barked. “Wasn’t it all over the forums that I beat you? I’ll make your face a bloody mess so you won’t be able to show up on that shitty dating show!”
In his past life, Gu Panqiu had dealt with obsessive fans who called and camped outside his home every day. He not only hired bodyguards but also learned some self-defense moves from a private trainer.
So when Huang Xu threw a punch at him, Gu Panqiu caught it effortlessly and drove his knee sharply into his gut.
Huang Xu doubled over, clutching his stomach and cursing, “F*ck… you…”
Seeing his brother go down, Huang Zhi suddenly seemed fearless. He fished a small knife out of his pocket and lunged at Gu Panqiu.
Before Gu Panqiu could react, he caught a whiff of a familiar ocean-scented cologne.
He turned just in time to see a frowning Fu Yue twist Huang Zhi’s wrist in one swift motion, flip him onto the ground, and wrench the knife from his hand.
Kneeling on the boy’s back, Fu Yue calmly held him down and called security. “Call the police,” he instructed in a calm, icy voice. “There’s an armed assailant here at the entrance, and he’s an eliminated contestant.”
It was not long before the Huang brothers were taken away by the police.
Fu Yue looked over at Gu Panqiu. “You weren’t hurt, were you?”
Gu Panqiu shook his head, still a little shaken.
He looked at Fu Yue, sincerity shining in his eyes. “Thank you, Future Boss.”
Fu Yue’s expression did not seem any different than usual, but Gu Panqiu could not shake the feeling that something was off—he seemed harsher than usual, and… a little down?
Gu Panqiu had no idea what was going on. Just then, the wind bit through him, and he shivered, feeling like he might turn into a block of ice.
He whispered, “Well then… I’ll just take a cab, CEO Fu.”
Fu Yue bit down on his cigarette, brows knitting tighter.
Just as Gu Panqiu turned to leave, Fu Yue called out, “You heading back to the set?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Ride with me,” Fu Yue proposed. “Get in.”
Once inside, Fu Yue turned up the heat, and the car soon filled with comforting warmth. Gu Panqiu exhaled a long, relieved sigh, his breath blooming into a faint cloud of white.
He had lived his whole life in the south, so nothing warned him of how bitterly cold winter could be in the north.
Fu Yue’s gaze flicked to the choker around Qiuqiu’s neck. The thought that another man might have touched that same pale skin he had caressed not long ago—perhaps even claimed more of it than he ever had—sent a fresh surge of heat roaring through his chest.
Qiuqiu looked up at him, eyes glistening like a startled fawn’s. “It’s so cold today,” he murmured.
Fu Yue remained silent, but he could sense Gu Panqiu’s cautious gaze on him. The hesitant way he observed him tugged at Fu Yue’s heart, making it hard to maintain his distance.
“It’s freezing out,” Fu Yue muttered at last. “Why didn’t you wear more layers, you fool?”
Gu Panqiu responded with a grieved “Mm,” as if the remark weighed heavily on him.
Fu Yue cursed himself inwardly. Damn it, I’ve fallen for Gu Panqiu’s tricks again.
Even when jealousy burned in his chest, all he could think of was how to keep him warm.
In less than three minutes, the car passed a bubble tea shop. Fu Yue pulled over to the side of the road, stepped out, and left Gu Panqiu with a single instruction: “Wait for me.”
Gu Panqiu barely had time to wonder where he had gone before Fu Yue returned with a steaming cup of milk tea in hand.
Surprised, Gu Panqiu took a sip, and warmth started spreading through him.
His eyes sparkled with joy. “Thank you, Big Brother!”
Fu Yue’s expression softened noticeably. Though he did not speak, the tension in the air eased slightly.
With that, he drove swiftly, and before long, they arrived back at the opulent villa.
The night sky was dotted with countless stars, and as Gu Panqiu glanced up, he felt a sense of wonder wash over him while they walked in tandem.
Yawning adorably, Jiujiu waddled over to wrap his little arms around Gu Panqiu’s leg. “Daddy’s back! Waaah! Uncle Sharky’s back too!”
Fu Yue scooped up Jiujiu, still so fond of the little guy. His eyes softened with affection as he asked, “Have you eaten?”
“Yeah!” Jiujiu replied, his innocence bright in his eyes. “I missed you, Uncle!”
Fu Yue froze for a moment. No matter what, the paternity test could not be delayed any longer.
Not long after, while Gu Panqiu was in the shower, a bored Jiujiu picked up the little pot of strawberries he had grown at kindergarten and toddled into the living room to play with Fu Yue.
His eyes wide with excitement, he called out, “Look, Uncle! My strawberries grew little berries!”
“That’s great!” Fu Yue lifted him into his arms. “Where’s your daddy?”
“Daddy just went to take a bath!” Jiujiu snuggled against Fu Yue’s shoulder, twirling his hair. “Come play with me for a bit, Uncle!”
Fu Yue glanced at Gu Panqiu’s tightly shut door, then down at Jiujiu’s innocent little face. Somehow… he really did feel this was his son.
“Want to play dentist with Uncle?” he asked.
The author has something to say:
This chapter is all about a fuming CEO Fu, who still takes care of his wife!
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