Chapter 5.2: Logical Speculations

　　“Daddy, it went into my eyes.”

　　“I’m sorry, Baby.” Gu Panqiu quickly reached for a towel and gently dabbed at Jiujiu’s eyes. “Daddy’s a bit clumsy.”

　　Nestled in Gu Panqiu’s arms, Jiujiu was a sweet-smelling, soft bundle. He gave a little shake of his head and chirped, “It’s okay, Daddy.”

　　Then, as if recalling something that had unsettled him a few days ago, Jiujiu’s little face tensed with lingering fear. “I just want Daddy to be okay.”

　　Gu Panqiu sat by the bedside, slowly blowing dry Jiujiu’s soft curls. As he looked upon this cherubic, fair-skinned angel, he could not help but press a tender kiss to Jiujiu’s cheek.

　　Jiujiu blinked up at him with puppy-dog eyes. “Daddy, I wanna hear a story!”

　　Gu Panqiu held Jiujiu’s picture book and flipped through the pages. In a gentle voice, he announced, “Alright, today I’ll tell you the story of Little Red Riding Hood.”

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　　Brsd blyakdt vbyv, Kkwfkw oayrrle bkxplzq pdwtzu kd vbl czydjlv zkjl y zkvvzl ewxrzkdt. Tl bye blyae vbkp pvsau qasx bkp jkdelatyavld vlynbla y bwdeale vkxlp, cwv bl pvkzz oydvle vs zkpvld vs bkp eyeeu vlzz kv ytykd.

　　“Xdnl wrsd y vkxl, vblal olal vos pkpvlap. Mblka xsvbla bye tsdl vs hkpkv vblka taydexsvbla, zlyhkdt vblx yzz yzsdl yv bsxl,” Qw Vydikw cltyd, bkp hsknl psqv yde kdhkvkdt. “Kwpv vbld, y ckt tayu oszq nyxl vs vbl essa yde nyzzle swv, ‘Rv’p Qaydexy! Twaau yde srld vbl essa!’”

　　“Mbl szela pkpvla ypjle, ‘Fvknj uswa byde kd yde zlv xl pll kq usw’al alyzzu xu taydexy.’”

　　Qw Vydikw blze swv y byde, yde Kkwfkw iwklvzu rzynle bkp vkdu byde kdvs bkp eyeeu’p ryzx. Rd y psqv hsknl, bl oldv sd, “Mbld Qaydexy Eszq pbyhle sqq yzz vbl qwa sd bkp nzyop. Ebld bl alynble bkp ryo kdpkel, Nkvvzl Sle Skekdt Tsse vbswtbv kv oyp Qaydexy, ps pbl zlv bkx kd.”

　　“R jdso vbkp pvsau!”

　　“Mbld yv dktbv, Jkt Fkp pweeldzu blyae Qaydexy Eszq nblokdt,” bl alnswdvle. “Fbl pyke, ‘Qaydexy, nyd usw pbyal y zkvvzl okvb xl?’”

　　Mbswtb bl prsjl pzsozu, bkp zstkn oyp nzlya.&dcpr;

　　Ebld bl tsv vs vbkp ryav, bkp qynl qlzz. “Mbyv’p obld Jkt Fkp qswde swv Nkvvzl Fkp tsv lyvld. Vssa Nkvvzl Fkp… Pyeeu, R esd’v zkjl vbkp pvsau yduxsal. Uyd usw vlynb xl y psdt kdpvlye?”

　　Gu Panqiu’s heart melted at how adorable his little one was. “Alright, what do you want to learn?”

　　“‘Edelweiss.’” Jiujiu murmured, snuggling deeper into his blanket. “Teacher’s gonna teach us this song next week.”

　　A child’s clear, bell-like voice intertwined with Gu Panqiu’s gentle voice, creating a melody with its own magic. 

　　“Edelweiss, Edelweiss…”

　　Shen Yao stood quietly at Gu Panqiu’s doorstep, letting the soft notes of the song wash over him. Even when the last note fell away, he still could not bring himself to knock.

　　Luo Siqi had been preoccupied with thoughts of Shen Yao. When he descended the stairs and spotted him standing quietly at Gu Panqiu’s door, he inquired, “Qiuqiu’s not joining us for a drink?”

　　“I was just on my way to find him.” Shen Yao rapped his knuckles on the door. “Gu Panqiu, want to grab a drink?”

　　Seeing that Jiujiu was already drifting off to sleep, Gu Panqiu lovingly covered him with the blanket and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. “Sleep well, my little one.”

　　Jiujiu shut his eyes like a good boy and whispered sleepily, “Daddy, go to bed early and don’t stay up too late, okay?”

　　After fastening the topmost button of his pajamas, Gu Panqiu opened the door. His freshly washed hair was still damp, hanging in lazy, tousled strands by his ears.

　　The bedroom was draped in shadow, its dim light barely reaching Gu Panqiu, who leaned against the doorframe in deep navy silk pajamas.

　　His skin was almost unnaturally pale and smoother than silk, while his lashes were thick like a tiny fan.

　　“What’s wrong?” Gu Panqiu questioned, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

　　“Just came to see if you were up for a drink,” Shen Yao answered. “Jiujiu’s asleep?”

　　“Yeah, he’s fast asleep,” Gu Panqiu replied. “Let me just get changed before we go.”

　　Gu Panqiu slipped into a cozy gray turtleneck sweater and followed the two upstairs to the bar on the second floor.

　　“It’s been ages since I last had a drink.” Gu Panqiu stretched his arms with a weary sigh. Taking care of the kid was tougher than he expected. “But tonight, I’m treating myself to one.”

　　Come nightfall, the bar became a paradise for men.

　　On the second floor of the villa, the production crew had built a soundproof bar, complete with its own bartender. Fine liquor lined the shelves, instruments lay in wait, speakers hummed softly, and colorful lights illuminated the room. Add in a lineup of handsome young male guests, and everything a man could desire was right here.

　　At this very moment, young Yang Chen was barely holding his eyes open, giggling foolishly as he clinked glasses with the lawyer. Meanwhile, the fitness coach and Chris had drunk enough to paint their cheeks red. Bathed in the hazy, suggestive lights, they leaned in, sealing the night with a kiss.

　　Everyone howled in excitement, “So fast! So fast!”

　　Without much thought, Gu Panqiu slid into a quiet corner and ordered a Long Island iced tea.

　　“Go easy on that drink. It hits you faster than you think,” Shen Yao warned.

　　Gu Panqiu chuckled, “I can hold my liquor just fine.”

　　He thought for a moment. Now that he had switched bodies, there was no telling whether his alcohol tolerance would be the same as before.

　　While the original host’s heavy drinking had taken a toll on his health, he preferred to enjoy a light drink now and then, simply for pleasure.

　　Halfway through his glass, Gu Panqiu could feel a warm flush creeping into his cheeks.

　　“Since the mood’s just right,” Li Zhu suggested, “let’s shake things up with a game of dice. Whoever gets the lowest number has to sing a song on stage. Honestly, I mainly just want to hear Brother Shen sing.”

　　Shen Yao nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

　　On the first roll, Gu Panqiu threw a perfect six, but Shen Yao could only manage a one.

　　Shen Yao was quickly pushed onto the stage by the excited crowd. From below, Luo Siqi cheered him on, clapping with wild excitement.

　　As a top-tier producer in the industry, Shen Yao’s skills were rock solid.

　　With a deep, resonant voice, he strummed his guitar and sang “No Men or Dogs Allowed.” Onstage, he was fully immersed in the performance, and below, Luo Siqi hung on every word, absorbing the music with rapt attention.

　　Gu Panqiu picked up on the subtle signs, thinking that Luo Siqi probably had a thing for Shen Yao.

　　Honestly, who could blame him? Shen Yao was the richest and best-looking among them all.

　　With his chin propped on one hand and a glass held delicately in the other, Gu Panqiu listened to the music, a smile dancing in his eyes as he watched the others play around.

　　Compared to the original host’s previously dull and stiff self, this beautiful shell seemed to have suddenly found its perfectly matched soul. Even tucked away in the corner, he still radiated with undeniable brightness.

　　After stepping down from the stage, Shen Yao ignored Luo Siqi’s attempts to catch his attention and instead returned to his seat beside Gu Panqiu.

　　Shen Yao tossed the die to Gu Panqiu with a playful grin. “You rolled the highest last time, so you go first this round.”

　　Gu Panqiu caught it with one hand, set down his wine, and smirked. “Bring it on.”

　　The room fell silent, all eyes glued to him shaking the die as if they were staring at a stunning croupier in some grand casino.

　　“Six,” Gu Panqiu called out with a lazy grin. “Looks like I’m lucky today. I might get to see every one of your acts.”

　　He tossed the die into the air with a slow flick of his wrist. “Next!”

　　For this round, Chris rolled a one.

　　He stepped onto the stage and gave a quick bow, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips. “I’m tone-deaf, so I’ll just play the drums for you all, hehe.”

　　Chris might be the most feminine bottom amongst the guests, but the second he picked up those drumsticks, the entire room exploded with energy.

　　Gu Panqiu shot to his feet, clapping with gusto. “Chris, you nailed it! So damn cool!”

　　At this point, Shen Yao had lost all interest in drinking. With a quick motion, he tossed the die to Gu Panqiu. “Your turn.”

　　Gu Panqiu settled into his seat, his eyes flicking to Shen Yao. “Looks like Teacher Shen can’t wait to see my performance.”

　　Raising an eyebrow, Shen Yao watched Gu Panqiu roll a one this time.

　　Upon seeing this, Yang Chen turned to Gu Panqiu. “Brother Panqiu, looks like you’re up next.”

　　“Panqiu, you’re going to be drumming too?” Luo Siqi asked, surprise lacing his voice.

　　Gu Panqiu caught the bite in Luo Siqi’s tone and looked up with a smile. “Seems my infamy precedes me.”

　　All eyes in the room turned to Gu Panqiu.

　　Drunk or not, no one dared blink as he walked up to the stage and sat at the piano like he belonged there.

　　At that moment, Gu Panqiu could feel it—his chance to make it had finally arrived! In front of the camera, he was ready to unleash his talent and ambition like never before!

　　“How about I sing a song for everyone?” Gu Panqiu tilted back his slender neck, lips curling into a smile that was both beautiful and seductive. “I wrote this one myself. It’s called ‘Notorious.’”

　　His fingers pressed the keys, and the notes surged forth like a midnight tide—clear, unrelenting, and steeped in a quiet loneliness. In that moment, the entire room stilled, struck by the sheer brilliance of it.