Chapter 25.1: An Erotic Dream That Left No Trace

　　The night was cool, and the stars were few. In the bedroom, little Jiujiu yawned and pulled his tiny floral quilt over himself. Outside, the young were still wide awake, their laughter spilling into the night.

　　“Ugh… I’m never drinking this much again.”

　　Luo Siqi slumped bonelessly on the couch, his head spinning and stomach still rolling from the night’s overindulgence. Lamenting his inability to find a partner, he had downed far too many drinks that night.

　　Half-lidded eyes wandered toward the window… only to freeze. Outside, Fu Yue brazenly swept Gu Panqiu into his arms, as if daring the world to object.

　　Just then, thunder rumbled. Within seconds, rain came pelting down in silver sheets.

　　Startled, Fu Yue broke into a run. Still holding Gu Panqiu tight, he dashed beneath the archway woven from nine hundred and ninety-nine roses the production crew had set up for tonight’s shoot.

　　Under the streetlight, Luo Siqi could see it all: the rain cutting through the wind and the protective way Fu Yue held Gu Panqiu close.

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　　Cui Hang sighed and patted the drunk mess that was Luo Siqi on the head. “Xiao Luo… honestly, I thought you were a total player at first.”

　　Luo Siqi almost burst into tears. “Bullshit! Can someone come and teach me how to date already?”

　　Luo Siqi glanced out the window again and, by chance, spotted Lu Yao standing in the rain, clad head to toe in leather.

　　He was drenched, and nobody could tell how long he had been standing there. He looked like a stray dog caught in a storm—soaked, shivering, utterly stripped of the star aura that usually surrounded him. In that moment, not a trace remained of the carefully curated image he had once maintained.

　　“Holy crap,” Luo Siqi yelled, pointing out the window. “Hey! A water ghost!”

　　Cui Hang followed Luo Siqi’s gaze and saw an utterly defeated Lu Yao standing there, as if life itself had been drained from him.

　　Ever since being reprimanded by Fu Yue, Lu Yao had thrown himself into work all week.

　　He had once tossed Gu Panqiu, his childhood friend, aside like trash. After Gu Panqiu confessed, Lu Yao deleted him on WeChat and blocked his number. Yet now, he never expected to see the white moonlight he had always longed for, embracing the one he had once treated like trash.

　　Pain tore through Lu Yao’s heart, as if it were being ripped apart. Yet he was powerless before it all, unable even to shed a single tear.

　　Cui Hang shook his head as he watched Lu Yao standing alone in the rain. “Xiao Luo… see that? Being ruled by your emotions is terrifying.”

　　“Doesn’t anyone want a cute, obedient little puppy to play with?!” Luo Siqi staggered back to his room. “Bye! I’m gonna dream everything I want in my dreams!”

　　Fu Yue pushed open the door to Gu Panqiu’s room. Jiujiu lay fast asleep, a pool of amber light spilling from a lone lamp onto the stillness.

　　Cold rain splashed across Gu Panqiu’s face, sobering him somewhat. He unwrapped Fu Yue’s scarf and held it close to his chest. “So this is mine now?”

　　Fu Yue shrugged lightly. “If you want it, it’s yours.”

　　As Fu Yue tossed him onto the soft bed, Gu Panqiu continued to sing softly, “The tide retreats, then swells again; The moon turns cold, the wind brings frost; Night rain dreams its wild reverie; wildflowers whisper their faint scent…”

　　His voice was so gentle it seemed steeped in honey, much like a kitten’s paw scratching playfully at the softest part of Fu Yue’s heart.

　　Fu Yue tugged the damp scarf from around his neck and draped it over the back of a chair to dry. It was his first time stepping into Gu Panqiu’s room. His eyes swept over three full pages of singing notes for “Undercurrent” spread across the desk, and he could not help but click his tongue.

　　He had not expected Gu Panqiu to work so hard. No wonder he’s improved so much.

　　Then, he grabbed a dry towel and gently wiped Gu Panqiu’s face. “Your Cantonese is pretty good, huh?”

　　Gu Panqiu closed his eyes, savoring Fu Yue’s ministrations. He mumbled, “Well, of course!”

　　His sweater was already soaked, and his hair was tousled from Fu Yue’s hands.

　　With one arm, he scooped Gu Panqiu up, and with the other, he grabbed the neatly folded pajamas from the bedside. “Change into dry clothes before you sleep,” he whispered.

　　But at this moment, Gu Panqiu’s brief burst of energy from the rain had faded. He obediently closed his eyes, his delicate lashes brushed against Fu Yue’s hand, and let himself drift into sleep in Fu Yue’s arms, completely unguarded.

　　It was only when he was so close that Fu Yue noticed that the fragrance he wore was sprayed on the nape of his neck.

　　He gazed at the young man’s smooth, pale skin and the clingy white sweater that clung to him. All of a sudden, a thought flashed through his mind—the little white stray cat he had taken in not long ago.

　　Fu Yue pressed his lips together and stood up, deciding to ignore him. But just as he reached the doorway, he could not help glancing back. Gu Panqiu was curled up, fast asleep, looking small and defenseless.

　　For the sake of this fool who clearly needed looking after, Fu Yue returned to the bedside and muttered in a low voice, “Don’t drink that much again. You hear me?”

　　But there was no reply.

　　He crouched down and helped Gu Panqiu out of his damp sweater. Under the amber glow of the lamp, his skin gleamed like fine silk, smooth and pale.

　　Fu Yue’s gaze swept over the firm lines of his abdomen before he tugged off Gu Panqiu’s jeans.

　　His underwear was… white.

　　Fu Yue froze for a moment, then roughly shoved the pajama over Gu Panqiu’s head, leaving the buttons undone. He yanked the blanket up and wrapped it around him.

　　He switched off the light and dashed from the room, as if fleeing something unseen.

　　The moment he stepped out, he bumped into Cui Hang, who had just snuck into the kitchen for a midnight snack.

　　Cui Hang froze, eyes wide. “No way… already?”

　　Fu Yue shot him a cold, sharp glance. Damp hair clinging to his face, every inch of him taut with restrained desire, he looked more dangerous—and more seductive—than usual.

　　Cui Hang’s gaze flicked to Fu Yue’s still-damp shirt, and his shock deepened. “No way… this pure-hearted?”

　　Fu Yue said nothing. Instead, he stepped back into his bedroom and took a cold shower.

　　The icy water doused the heat in his body. He picked up the clothes he had just changed out of, inhaling deeply. The shirt carried the faint scent of Gu Panqiu’s perfume, and he breathed it in as if studying it, memorizing it.

　　He stared at his reflection—wild, unruly—and then stepped back under the cold spray once more, until his expression finally returned to its usual cool, detached composure.

　　Lying on the bed, he idly clicked on a video of Gu Panqiu’s debut stage. On screen, Gu Panqiu’s movements were stiff, almost hesitant, and while everyone else wore headsets, he alone clutched a handheld mic.

　　Back then, he was the textbook beautiful-but-clueless idol—his eyes blank, his dance showing not a shred of effort to charm, his singing nowhere near the effortless ease he carried now.

　　He looked… completely unlike himself.

　　Fu Yue scrolled through four or five more videos, yet no matter how many he watched, he still could not make sense of how much Gu Panqiu had changed. His memory of him was frozen in their trainee days. In the years since, neither had ever reached out to the other.

　　Outside, the wind howled, tangling with the storm in his own chest.

　　He had once been certain he could never feel even the faintest affection for Gu Panqiu. Even if they had accidentally had a child, he thought he would only play his part as Gu Ziye’s father.

　　But now… everything was in disarray. He cared not only for Jiujiu but also for Qiuqiu.

　　Children were hard to raise. Yet, Gu Panqiu had carried a baby for ten months, then raised the little one alone until three and a half. How had he managed all these years?

　　Just then, Dora sent him a message: Boss, I’ve sent the sample over. Dr. Shen says even for a personal test, it’ll take at least 3-4 days.

　　Fu Yue’s reply came almost instantly: Add some extra money and hurry him along. I want the results ASAP.