Chapter 25.2: An Erotic Dream That Left No Trace

　　Gu Panqiu woke early that morning, his mind still tangled in the remnants of a hazy, chaotic erotic dream. Everything had felt so real, so much so that the warmth pressed against him in the dream left him momentarily dazed.

　　And the person in his dream… seemed to be Fu Yue.

　　Rubbing his still-woozy head, Gu Panqiu looked down at his pajamas—only three buttons were done up—and tried to piece together the night before.

　　He had been drunk, and he remembered seeing Fu Yue lurking outside the courtyard, so he had gone out to chat. After a few words exchanged, he might have even let himself be held.

　　And then… Fu Yue had actually carried him back to his room.

　　Gu Panqiu tapped his forehead in frustration. This body was seriously failing him after a night of drinking; he was left with no memory of what happened afterward.

　　Aside from the lingering dizziness, he felt perfectly fine. Nothing else seemed to have happened.

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　　Even now, he felt a flicker of something for Fu Yue.

　　It was not quite love, but he had begun to notice and care about the small things Fu Yue did.

　　Gu Panqiu neatly folded the scarf and placed it in the wardrobe. After a quick shower, he saw that Jiujiu was still asleep, so he headed upstairs to the gym for a run.

　　After all, singing well required a strong pair of lungs.

　　Gu Panqiu was just as disciplined in his career as he was in life. Ever since he transmigrated into this book, he had been diligently training. The flabby belly the original host once had was now sculpted into faint V-line abs, and with a little more time, he would have abs worth showing off.

　　As he ran, he casually scrolled through the mini-program for the 5041 show.

　　Next to his avatar were now three little hearts. He paused to recall… Hadn’t there been just two before?

　　One more had appeared. Who could it be from?

　　It was well past nine when the house finally woke from its drunken slumber. Gu Panqiu stepped out, hand in hand with Jiujiu, who toddled beside him in a fuzzy kiwi-print sweater, and his violet teddy bear squished against his chest. Blinking his big eyes, Jiujiu whispered, “Daddy, I dreamed Uncle Sharky carried you into our room last night.”

　　Gu Panqiu chuckled, “Jiujiu, are you sure it was only a dream?”

　　Jiujiu mumbled sleepily, “Mm-hmm.”

　　Yang Chen was walking funny that morning, so oddly that it turned heads. For the first time ever, he had skipped Gu Panqiu’s exquisite breakfast and was grinning over coffee and cake from Zhang Yiming instead.

　　“Ah, looks like Chenchen should’ve had some red bean soup,” Cui Hang remarked with a teasing glint in his eyes. “Oh, my poor boy.”

　　“Finally taken by a jerk?” Luo Siqi slumped into his chair, ruffling his hair. “Tsk, what was he thinking?”

　　Cui Hang stepped off the scale with a long sigh. “Qiuqiu, your cooking is just too good. I’ve put on weight.”

　　Gu Panqiu blinked in surprise. “You call this fat? Modeling is so strict.”

　　“I should weigh more than you,” Cui Hang insisted, a hint of seriousness in his tone. “Really.”

　　Shaking his head, Gu Panqiu stepped onto the scale.

　　Cui Hang peeked at the numbers and gawked. “You… are actually a bit heavier than I expected.”

　　Grinning mischievously, Gu Panqiu invited Cui Hang to feel his toned abdomen. “Hanghang, feel that? I—”

　　Before he could finish, he noticed Fu Yue looking their way and got a wicked idea. With feigned innocence, he said, “It’s our child.”

　　Cui Hang thumped his shoulder hard. “Don’t say things like that! I’m going to get killed!”

　　The director walked over from across the room, holding the program proposal for this Saturday. After the second episode aired, the show’s ratings skyrocketed, and the TV station’s executives personally praised her. It went without saying that her spirits lifted, as if bathed in the warmth of spring.

　　“Are we still competing to pick our dates?” Yang Chen rubbed his hands together eagerly. “Or can we choose freely this time?”

　　“Hehe, today’s a little different,” the director shared. “Those who haven’t gone on a date in the past two weeks can draw lots to decide the order and invite whoever they want to go on a date with.”

　　Shen Yao had never been on a date in the show, so when he heard that, he immediately perked up.

　　“But this time, it’s a trio date,” the director announced. “After you pick your date, your partner can also choose someone else to join you both.”

　　Shen Yao gaped at her. “Director… you’re just stirring the pot and creating love triangle drama.”

　　Even so, when Shen Yao drew the first pick, excitement still bubbled up inside him as he chose Gu Panqiu without a second thought.

　　Today, Gu Panqiu wore a sky blue sweater. With little Jiujiu nestled in his arm, he stepped up beside Shen Yao and flashed him a smile; the dimple that appeared at the corner of his lips was sweet enough to make Shen Yao’s heart melt.

　　“Then I’ll choose,” Gu Panqiu said. “Teacher Shen, is there anyone else you’d like to date besides me?”

　　In that instant, Shen Yao’s heart surrendered. He had never imagined he could like a man with a child, yet there was something so unguarded, so pure about Gu Panqiu that he felt utterly defenseless. 

　　“No one,” Shen Yao replied. “I just want to take you to a concert…”

　　Gu Panqiu looked up and saw Zhang Yiming and Li Zhu watching him. On the other hand, Fu Yue stood in the corner, staring at a potted plant as if lost in thought.

　　“I choose Fu Yue,” Gu Panqiu declared. “Last week, CEO Fu treated me to a fancy dinner, so why don’t we listen to some music together this week?”

　　Suddenly hearing his name, Fu Yue stepped out from the crowd.

　　For once, he was not clad in his usual shirt; instead, he wore a plain black crewneck.

　　Gone was the composed CEO in crisp shirts and gold-rimmed glasses; in his place stood someone sharper, bolder—a man with a brooding, almost reckless charm, like a melancholic campus bad boy who left a lasting impression.

　　“He looks every bit a playboy,” Cui Hang commented, “but he’s actually the purest Top ever. What a handsome contradiction.”

　　Beside him, Luo Siqi blinked back tears. “I really want to be CEO Fu’s puppy!”

　　Cui Hang gasped, “Xiao Luo, snap out of it. CEO Fu already has a giant poodle at home.”

　　Fu Yue strode over to Gu Panqiu’s side. His expression remained indifferent, yet he accepted Gu Panqiu’s invitation without hesitation.

　　He glanced at the little fox, wondering what mischief he might be up to today.

　　“Alright, the three of us will go together.” Shen Yao curled his lips at Fu Yue. “You don’t mind, do you?”

　　Fu Yue shook his head and pointed at the kiwi-patterned Jiujiu beside him. “It’s actually the four of us. Don’t forget Gu Ziye.”

　　Jiujiu froze for a moment, then broke into an adorably shy smile.

　　Fu Yue was not naturally good with kids, yet his care showed in every little gesture. Whether it was a cat, a child, or an adult he favored, everyone felt happier simply being around him.

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Lyrics are quoted from the song “My Most Loved” by Vivian Chow. 

PS: Qiuqiu lost his memories due to certain reasons, so he actually transmigrated here 4 years ago. The original host ran into an accident the last time he went to see Fu Yue, so by the time of that one-night stand, it was already Qiuqiu. As for why he’s been slacking in the boy group… well, that’s a story for later, so stay tuned!

A fun fact I found on Baidu: a paternity test takes at least 3 days to get results!