Chapter 26.1: Holding You Close

　　Trending Forum Thread: Live scoop from a certain hit dating reality show! A certain top-tier producer finally scored a date with a certain seductive male mother! But 2 third wheels tagged along: one big, one small. And guess what? The little third wheel is ridiculously close to the big one, who’s basically everyone’s new husband now! Ugh, my heart literally aches for the producer for a whole minute!

　　“Wait, what?! The production crew’s cooking up some serious love triangle drama now? Reporting live from the scene!”

　　“I’m at the World Concert Hall right now! OMG, I see them! Qiuqiu’s so beautiful! Wifey, gimme a hug!”

　　“[Photo.jpg] CEO Fu’s sitting right next to Qiuqiu with Jiujiu in his arms again! OMG, Jiujiu is so cute! Gosh, those curls! I wanna lick them!”

　　“Fu Yue treats Jiujiu so well, even real dads might not treat their own kids this well! If he’s this good to Qiuqiu’s baby, then he must really like Qiuqiu!”

　　“I didn’t expect Shen Yao to be so loyal! They’ve not gone on a date for 2 episodes, but he’s still into Qiuqiu! Speaking of which… Qiuqiu is so lucky to be loved by two amazing men at the same time!”

　　“My friend said that Shen Yao is really well-known in the gay circle for being rich, handsome, talented, and driving a Rolls-Royce! Literally every bottom’s dream man! But now Fu Yue’s totally stealing his thunder! Props to the production team; they know exactly how to mess with my heart. I can’t wait for the drama to unfold!”

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　　Snapping back to reality, Gu Panqiu turned to Fu Yue and stifled a small yawn. “Teacher Fu, I didn’t sleep well last night.”

　　Thanks to you, Fu Yue thought dryly, I didn’t sleep well either.

　　“Did you have a nightmare?”

　　Gu Panqiu bit his lip, looking almost pitiful as his peach blossom eyes met Fu Yue’s. “No,” he murmured, “it was an erotic dream. When I woke up, I saw that my pajama buttons were undone. But the dream felt so real.”

　　The reason the buttons were undone… was because Fu Yue had not had time to fasten them.

　　Caught off guard by the revelation, Fu Yue’s heart skipped a beat, but he quickly regained his composure and covered Jiujiu’s ears.

　　The little boy blinked up at him, puzzled. “Uncle, what’s wrong?”

　　Gu Panqiu’s eyes curved in a teasing smile. “Yeah, Big Brother, what’s wrong?”

　　Fu Yue’s abs tensed slightly as heat crept up his ears. He cleared his throat and declared righteously, “I’m protecting Jiujiu’s innocent mind. You shouldn’t be saying such things in front of him!”

　　His prim, old-fashioned tone made Panqiu laugh outright.

　　Half-teasing, he added, “You’re so good to him, I almost thought you wanted to be his Daddy Sharky.”

　　Fu Yue’s expression froze, his eyes darting away in an awkward, telltale flick.

　　Gu Panqiu’s brows lifted slightly. Oho, hit the mark, did I?

　　Gu Panqiu took Jiujiu’s small hand and examined it; for such a little thing, his fingers were surprisingly long.

　　“Do you want to learn piano, Baby?”

　　Jiujiu nodded eagerly. “I do!”

　　Fu Yue shot Gu Panqiu a sideways glance. “And where exactly are you getting the money for piano lessons?”

　　With an innocent expression, Gu Panqiu replied, “Creditor, you know all about my substantial finances, so don’t ask. Just know that I’m Rich Qiuqiu.”

　　Fu Yue’s lips twitched. If Jiujiu wants to learn piano, I’ll make sure the kid learns it. Just as he was wondering what excuse to use, Gu Panqiu gently brushed a hand over Jiujiu’s forehead. “Actually,” he noted, “I can teach him myself.”

　　Nodding his head, Jiujiu’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! Daddy taught me before!”

　　Gu Panqiu froze. When did I ever teach him piano?

　　At the talent audition not long ago, Teacher Qi Tianle had mentioned that the original host—the one who had joined Nova Entertainment’s trainee program as a teen—could not even play the piano. The novel also noted that he had no particular musical talent, so of course, he could not teach Jiujiu.

　　“When did Daddy teach you?” Gu Panqiu asked. “Do you still remember?”

　　“When we stayed at Grandma Wang’s in the countryside!”

　　Gu Panqiu blinked in surprise. Jiujiu has actually lived in the countryside before?

　　“Grandma Wang in the countryside?”

　　Jiujiu nodded and whispered, “Daddy… don’t you remember? Grandma Wang… she’s chubby with gray hair! She has a big house with lots of children! And… there’s a piano in the living room!”

　　As Jiujiu spoke, hazy fragments of memory flickered through Gu Panqiu’s mind—he held Jiujiu’s hand in a white villa as they pressed down on the black and white keys. Through the window, green fields stretched just beyond the yard.

　　Cicadas buzzed in the sultry summer air, and little Jiujiu, clad in a sleeveless shirt, was drenched in sweat. An elderly woman appeared, carrying a huge bowl of watermelon. Children’s laughter rang out as they scurried into the villa.

　　Is that the original host’s memory? Or… my own?

　　Gu Panqiu hit his forehead, wondering if this white house was the orphanage the original host had once lived in. His thoughts were a jumble, and the more he tried to remember, the sharper the ache in his head grew.

　　Fu Yue arched a brow, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Losing your memory this young? Stop hitting your head; you’ll only make yourself dumber.”

　　Gu Panqiu glared at him, pouting. “So what if I’m dumb? You’re still here on a date with me.”

　　Fu Yue was momentarily at a loss for words, but a small smile tugged at his lips. It’s okay; I can take care of silly Qiuqiu.

　　“Looks like you two are having a good time, huh?”

　　As Shen Yao passed by Fu Yue, he noticed the two of them engrossed in conversation, a pang of jealousy stirring within him.

　　He handed the tube of toffee he had just bought to Jiujiu. The little boy looked quietly at the candy in Shen Yao’s palm, then slowly tilted his head up toward Fu Yue. Those glistening eyes seemed to silently ask if it was okay to take one.

　　Fu Yue was so delighted by this tiny gesture. At that moment, he truly felt like Jiujiu’s strong, dependable father, who could shield him from all storms.

　　“Kids shouldn’t have too much candy,” Fu Yue stated. “But since Teacher Shen went out of his way to buy it, Jiujiu, you can have one if you want.”

　　Taking the tube from Shen Yao, Fu Yue handed a piece to Jiujiu and popped one into his own mouth.

　　Meanwhile, Gu Panqiu watched the mini war between the two tops with interest and extended his own pale hand to Fu Yue. “I want one too.”

　　If looks could kill, Shen Yao’s would have killed Fu Yue on the spot. Tilting his head back, he snapped, “Didn’t you hear that, CEO Fu? Qiuqiu wants some candy.”

　　All of a sudden, Fu Yu “accidentally” dropped the tube of toffee. Lifting his head, he wore the same calm expression, as if the mishap had nothing to do with him.

　　Looking Shen Yao straight in the eye, he said coldly, “Oh, it broke. Sorry about that. I’ll buy you a new one on the way out.”

　　Shen Yao was left speechless.

　　To stop the two from squabbling, Gu Panqiu patted the space to his left and urged, “Teacher Shen, the concert is about to start. Come sit quickly.”

　　Only then did Shen Yao gracefully take a seat next to Gu Panqiu. After all, he had to maintain his image in front of Qiuqiu. “Alright, I’m coming.”

　　The pianist in a black tailcoat walked onto the stage, and soon the haunting notes of Chopin’s Nocturnes, Op. 9: No. 1 in B-Flat Minor filled the air. The mysterious yet soothing melody enveloped the audience, creating an atmosphere of comfort.