Chapter 22.2: Master

　　Fu Yue felt a warmth in his heart at the compliment. “Yeah, you should go back and keep him company. He might’ve been startled earlier.”

　　“It’s fine. Jiujiu’s a tough little guy. He was already feeling sleepy and had fallen asleep.”

　　Fu Yue fetched a mop from the downstairs bathroom and began tidying up the mess scattered across the floor.

　　As he watched Fu Yue move with practiced ease, Gu Panqiu couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised. “Do you do housework often, CEO Fu?”

　　“I’m not fond of strangers coming into my home, so I rarely hire help,” Fu Yue replied. “I prefer to clean on my own, on a regular schedule. You seem to… do housework often too?”

　　“Of course! I raise my son by myself, so I’ve got to have those survival skills.”

　　 Fu Yue recalled that Gu Panqiu had left the “Parents” section blank on his application. Now, seeing him on a dating show with a child, his curiosity got the better of him. “Don’t your parents have time to help take care of Jiujiu?”

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　　Qw Vydikw nyaakle shla y cypkd sq oyvla yde cltyd akdpkdt y vsolz. “Nw Zys dlhla xldvksdle kv? El csvb talo wr kd yd sarbydytl.”

　　Tkp vsdl oyp zktbv, ulv dlkvbla bl dsa vbl saktkdyz bspv bye lhla lmrlakldnle y ryaldv’p zshl.

　　Ww Zwl qasgl qsa y xsxldv, nywtbv sqq twyae. Tl bye dsv jdsod xwnb ycswv Qw Vydikw clqsal, yde vblu bye sdzu alnldvzu pvyavle vyzjkdt.

　　Qw Vydikw’p lulp nwahle kdvs y nbllaqwz nalpnldv lhlau eyu, yde usw oswze dlhla twlpp bl bye tasod wr kd yd sarbydytl.

　　“…R’x psaau. Mbyv xwpv byhl clld vswtb,” Ww Zwl yrszstkgle.

　　Fiwyvvkdt sd vbl qzssa, Qw Vydikw zssjle wr yv bkx, pxkzkdt yp yzoyup. “Mblal’p dsvbkdt vs yrszstkgl qsa. R’x eskdt fwpv qkdl sd xu sod! Vzwp, xu zkvvzl sdl kp pwnb y tsse csu, xu blyav raynvknyzzu xlzvp.”

　　Qw Vydikw oawdt swv y vsolz yde oldv shla vbl prsv oblal Ww Zwl bye fwpv xsrrle, tkhkdt kv ydsvbla vbsaswtb pnawc okvb psyru oyvla.

　　Tl bye y vbkdt qsa nzlydzkdlpp. Ohla pkdnl vaydpxktayvkdt kdvs vbkp pvsau, bl jlrv bkxplzq—yde Kkwfkw—zssjkdt kxxynwzyvlzu dlyv lhlau pkdtzl eyu.

　　Seeing Fu Yue fall silent, Gu Panqiu could not resist teasing him again. “CEO Fu, are you in a bad mood today?”

　　Gu Panqiu’s sensitivity seemed almost instinctive. Even back in Fu Yue’s car, he had had a hunch that something was off about him tonight, though he could not quite put his finger on it.

　　Fu Yue’s hand froze on the mop. “It’s nothing,” he said finally. “I’m just tired.”

　　Relief washed over Gu Panqiu. “Oh, I thought you were still mad about what I did before…”

　　“Not at all,” Fu Yue said. “The other two teachers’ feedback was already spot-on. There’s nothing I could add about your professional skills. Your technique and emotional expression are both so refined—you’ve made great progress.”

　　Fu Yue broke off mid-sentence, remembering Gu Panqiu’s so-called “heartbreak.” After a pause, he added, “Do you still see the kid’s father?”

　　A faint dimple danced at the corners of Gu Panqiu’s lip. He tilted his head, eyes glinting with mischief. “Why, CEO Fu, are you curious about Jiujiu’s dad?”

　　Fu Yue’s reply came cool and even. “That’s because you hardly ever mention him.”

　　Gu Panqiu’s smile deepened, as his tone remained playful as ever. “Didn’t I tell you last time? He’s as good as dead to me, so of course I don’t see him.”

　　He thought Fu Yue might be worried he was getting too wrapped up in his feelings like Lu Yao, so he emphasized, “Besides, I have my little one to take care of now, so my career comes first.”

　　“I thought you said it was an unforgettable love.”

　　“Love can’t compete with money,” Gu Panqiu chuckled, “and what’s done is done.”

　　Fu Yue lowered his gaze to the mop, listening as Gu Panqiu deflected his questions with practiced ease. He suspected Gu Panqiu was not being entirely honest. Moments ago, he had looked so heartbroken on camera, yet now he could laugh and say his ex was long dead to him.

　　The Gu Panqiu before him felt different—slicker, slyer, like a little fox with his guard up. It was hard to tell which of his words were true and which were not.

　　Perhaps Gu Panqiu had his reasons for not letting me know I’m the child’s father. Could it be… he’s afraid I might take the child away?

　　Fu Yue furrowed his brow, deciding it was not worth dwelling on trivial matters. Yet his gaze slipped—almost against his will—toward the sliver of pale, delicate waist revealed as Gu Panqiu bent to wipe the floor.

　　Qiuqiu was slim, with a narrow waist and slender legs. The only place with any hint of flesh was his pert rear. And as he moved, the curve of his waist and hips became even more pronounced.

　　Fu Yue cast a quick glance, then forced his eyes away.

　　Gu Panqiu looked up just then, mischief glinting in his eyes. “CEO Fu, I’ve discovered your secret.”

　　Fu Yue stiffened, a flicker of unease crossing his face. “What is it?”

　　Gu Panqiu’s gaze dropped obediently to Fu Yue’s long, toned legs before he tilted his head up again. “Your shirts never wrinkle… because you use shirt clips.”

　　The way Fu Yue’s face stiffened was priceless. Upon seeing that, Gu Panqiu broke into a small, sweetly triumphant smile. “You look so sexy.”

　　The floor gleamed as if newly made, with not a trace of water left behind.

　　Gu Panqiu still wore that crescent-eyed smile. There was something irresistible about a man with beauty and wit, and tonight, Fu Yue thought he looked even more captivating.

　　Unaware of the shift in Fu Yue’s gaze, Gu Panqiu had no idea he had just cast a pebble into still waters, sending gentle ripples through Fu Yue’s heart.

　　Gu Panqiu gave the towel a final rinse and hung it up in the bathroom.

　　Waving at Fu Yue, he said, “All done! I’m off to change and practice singing upstairs. Don’t stay up too late if you’re tired!”

　　Fu Yue nodded, his gaze drifting to the strawberry plant sitting in the living room. Just as Gu Panqiu was about to head back to his room, Fu Yue called out, “Wait, Qiuqiu! Don’t forget to take the little strawberries your son planted.”

　　Gu Panqiu paused, eyes widening in realization as he took the pot from Fu Yue. “I almost forgot! He loves this so much. Lately, Jiujiu has been bringing over everything he likes to show you, so he must really like you.”

　　Cradling the plant, he thanked Fu Yue. The curve of his smiling eyes made him look utterly adorable, and his joy was contagious. Even Fu Yue could not help but feel a warmth in his chest at Qiuqiu’s bright, sunny expression.

　　“You’re really working hard, huh?”

　　“Yep, all for three million¹ CNY 3,000,000 is approximately US $420,933. .” Gu Panqiu flashed a smile over his shoulder, his soft lips as red as a strawberry. “CEO Fu, sign me! I promise I can make you rich.”

　　Fu Yue sneered. “Dreaming again?”

　　Though he spoke otherwise, he could not ignore Gu Panqiu’s talent after seeing the performance; it was not just mere competence; Gu Panqiu had the kind of explosive potential that could take the world by storm.

　　Unlike other talent shows, Solo’s rules were brutally strict.

　　Of ten thousand applications, only a hundred even made it past the initial screening, and the preliminary round eliminated four-fifths of the contestants.

　　In the end, only twenty contestants would make it through. From the next round onward, each would have their own stage, and every week, half of them would be eliminated based on online votes and judges’ scores.

　　In the final round, the company would pick the top three from the remaining five. They would not only have the chance to train as a trainee at Nova Entertainment but would also be recommended to the other three major entertainment companies.

　　And the first-place winner? They would immediately sign with Nova Entertainment, become the lucky star, and walk away with a prize of three million.

　　Just one month could change a person’s life forever.

　　On the third floor of the villa where 5041 was being recorded, the production crew had set up a practice room specially for the guest artistes before the show aired.

　　The room was superbly soundproofed, and a large mirror covered one wall.

　　Lu Yao had never used it, but Gu Panqiu loved it. He often slipped away to sing while his little one was asleep, making the most of the quiet.

　　Even the finest voice needed honing, and Gu Panqiu was working hard to get in sync with his new body.

　　To everyone else, he probably looked like he’d improved by leaps and bounds. But he knew himself—what he showed was not yet his best. 

　　After all, he was not aiming for a spot in the top three. Instead, he was aiming for first place.

　　By the time he finished practicing, it was well past eleven at night. His phone lay silent, but fifteen missed calls from his manager, Fiona, blinked insistently on the screen.

　　Gu Panqiu took a sip of water before calmly answering Fiona’s sixteenth call when it came through. “Hello? Why are you looking for me this late?”

　　Fiona wasted no time, launching into a furious tirade. “You’re so spiteful! Are you trying to ruin SkyNight?! Do you even know how much damage your police report has done to Huang Xu’s reputation?”

　　At that moment, Gu Panqiu finally saw the truth about his opportunistic manager. When it came to choosing between a discarded pawn and the honor of the entire group, she was utterly unreasonable.