Lately, Ye Yun had found a new pastime—tuning into 5041, a same-sex dating reality show that aired every Friday at eight-thirty.
On the massive screen in the center of the Fu family’s living room, Shen Yao sat with his hands clasped, legs spread apart. Lowering his head, he spoke in a low, steady voice, “Why did I throw him a paper airplane? I just think he’s genuine. He cooks well, sings beautifully, and”—a faint smile tugged at his lips—“he’s easy on the eyes. What? His son? The little thing’s adorable. This morning, he even greeted me with a ‘Hello, Uncle.’ Do I mind? Not at all. What matters is that we get along well.”
In the observation room, He Bei rolled his eyes and muttered dryly, “This guy said he didn’t like kids just a few days ago… Seriously? Has his desire addled his judgment or what?”
He Bei and Shen Yao’s mothers were both well-known figures in the industry. Watching the children grow up before her eyes, Ye Yun found herself awash with emotion.
“Hahahaha! Shen Yao is such a goofball. His sitting posture looks just like the Godfather!” Ye Yun laughed, shaking her head. “Hahahahaha! And He Bei’s new hairstyle is surprisingly stylish! He’s certainly not giving his friend any break.”
Fu Yan whispered firmly, “Jiujiu’s not a little thing!”
“Jiujiu’s dad really seems to know his way around the kitchen,” Ye Yun remarked. “And he’s got such a gentle way about him. That’s really nice.”
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“Hmm… I suppose there’s still some love,” Gu Panqiu murmured, his eyes curving in a sorrowful smile as a single tear slid down his cheek. “I haven’t moved on yet. Also, I’ve grown so used to loving him… and since then, I haven’t felt that flutter in my heart for a long time.”
“Panqiu’s such a good kid; pity he’s had the misfortune of meeting the wrong sort,” Ye Yun tutted, shaking her head. “And poor Jiujiu too.”
Fu Hong glanced up. “Or maybe Xiao Gu’s tao hua1 桃花 (táo huā): Tao hua (literally “peach blossom”) in Feng Shui refers to a person’s romantic luck or attraction energy. A strong tao hua indicates charm, popularity, and the likelihood of attracting romantic attention. is just too strong, and this is how he politely turns people down.”
Ye Yun patted Fu Hong’s arm. “Qiuqiu is such a sweet and honest kid! There’s no way he’d do that!”
Next came the dating segment, but just two pairs of guests were willing to go on a date.
Chris and Fei Yang went on a date to the amusement park. Amid the laughter and the whirl of colorful rides, Fei Yang not only confessed his feelings to Chris but also surprised him by pulling out a diamond ring and proposing.
Compared to their more cheerful counterparts, Cui Hang and Zhang Yiming left the museum feeling less than thrilled.
They headed to a hot pot restaurant, where Zhang Yiming jabbered on endlessly about his job and academic achievements.
He winced from the spiciness and waited for Cui Hang to pour him some water, but he did not even move. Growing somewhat annoyed, Zhang Yiming half-joked, “Hanghang, you don’t seem very good at taking care of people. Don’t you have a sister?”
Cui Hang nodded and replied, “But you’re not my sister.”
“Oh wow, Chris is moving this fast already?” Ye Yun’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “This is way too fun to watch! I bet you anything that this lawyer guy is a total player and is just fooling around with everyone. Look! He’s out with the model, but his eyes keep drifting to his butt. Tsk, tsk.”
Ye Yun tossed Fu Yan’s buff-striped keelback toy onto the sofa. “You can watch for a bit, Fu Yan, but then it’s straight back to your room for homework. No slacking off!”
His little head bobbed in a reluctant nod. “Okay, Mummy.”
Just then, the dating show cut to a teaser for Solo. In it, Fu Yue, with his gold-rimmed spectacles perched on his nose, fired off five resounding NOs in a row. Across the screen, two bold words appeared: “Strict Mentor.”
“Look at your son! What’s the point of being handsome if he never smiles?” Ye Yun clicked her tongue. “And now, the whole country knows he’s strict and never smiles. I have no idea what kind of boys he likes, but wouldn’t they be scared stiff just seeing him?”
Fu Hong silently fed Lily, their Standard Poodle, a piece of jerky. “But you still married me, didn’t you?”
At that moment, 5041 cut back to the screen, which now read: “Someone has left the recording.”
Facing the camera, Luo Siqi sighed, “I’m really at a loss here. I’ve been sending signals to Shen Yao, but he just keeps ignoring me. I have plenty of good qualities too, yet no one seems to see them.”
“Wait, Xiao Luo isn’t going to continue anymore?” Ye Yun gasped, her surprise palpable.
Luo Siqi continued, “But I believe someone out there will like me. Even if no one wants to go on a date with me, I’ll keep going.”
On the terrace, Chris and Fei Yang sat close, their hands entwined. With emotion in their voices, they announced, “We’re so grateful to the production crew for bringing us together. We’ve decided on a whirlwind marriage! Next week, we’re tying the knot, so thank you to the sponsors for making it possible! We’ll let our friends take it from here, so everyone’s welcome to join us at 5041!”
With that, the two locked in a fiery kiss. Chris pulled back just long enough to flash a wink and added, “Thanks for every encounter that led us here.”
At the end of the episode, a message from the production crew popped up on the screen: “Sign up now to join the show. We’d love to have you!”
“Wow, they really got together just like that?” Ye Yun’s eyes lit up. “Fu Hong! Fu Hong! I want to sign our son up!”
Both Fu Yan and Fu Hong froze for a moment, but Ye Yun was already on the phone with her former agent.
“Hey, Cancan, can you sign Fu Yue up for a variety show? It’s called 5041. Yes, that dating show everyone’s talking about! Don’t worry, it won’t get in the way of work. He’s going to need to find someone sooner or later anyway. Honestly, my son’s a really good guy, so I just hope people don’t only see him as cold and unapproachable at work.”
With his toy snake in hand, Fu Yan slipped quietly into the study and settled down to tackle his homework.
Meanwhile, Fu Hong sent Fu Yue a text: Guess what? Your mum just signed you up for a variety show.
Fu Yue had just knocked off work and replied with a voice message: “Aren’t I already doing Solo? What show did Mum sign me up for?”
Secretly, Fu Hong transcribed the voice message. After reading it, he sent a reply: It’s that popular show, 5041. Shen Yao and He Bei are both in it, so your mom wants you to join in the fun too.
With one hand steady on the wheel, Fu Yue dialed his mother’s number the instant he caught those words.
“Mum, what have you arranged for me this time?” Fu Yue’s voice was calm but unyielding. “My schedule is packed, so I don’t have time for a dating show.”
“Sigh… Your father told you, didn’t he? That old man’s driving me crazy.” Fu Yue’s tone remained firm, so Ye Yun could only relent with a sigh. “It could’ve been fun for you, you know.”
“We’ll see,” Fu Yue replied. “Just don’t go signing me up.”
No sooner had he ended the call than his assistant, Dora, rang him.
“CEO Fu, I checked on what you asked me to look into,” Dora stated. “The private doctor said that three-year-olds are too young for this. If you want to do a paternity test, he recommends using blood samples or oral swabs; using hair alone might not be accurate enough.”
“Okay,” Fu Yue responded. “Let’s hold off for now.”
Back at his apartment, Fu Yue showered and quietly pressed play on the first episode of 5041.
He paid no mind to the feuds and dramas playing out among the guests; his attention was fixed entirely on Jiujiu’s every move.
It was strange, really. Fu Yue was not one to trust his instincts, yet the moment he first laid eyes on Jiujiu, he felt an uncanny sense of familiarity.
At the aquarium, that feeling had only grown stronger until it finally nudged him toward the idea of conducting a paternity test.
On the screen, Jiujiu clung adorably to Gu Panqiu’s arm. “Daddy,” he chirped, wriggling into his lap, “I want milkies.”
“How old are you now, and you still need your milkies to fall asleep?” Gu Panqiu grinned as he went to prepare Jiujiu’s bottle. “Be a good boy and wait for me, okay?”
Jiujiu stretched lazily on the sofa, a sliver of his small waist peeking out from under his sweater. Sharp-eyed, Fu Yue spotted a faint birthmark on his side.
Immediately, Fu Yue pressed the Pause button and took a screenshot.
He stepped into the bathroom and peeled off his shirt, gazing at his own well-built torso in the mirror. Near the dimples at his lower back, a tiny birthmark shaped like a pair of wings adorned his skin.
Could this really be a coincidence?
All of a sudden, the little white cat Fu Yue had adopted a few days ago came nudging against him. These cats were really fortunate, especially with all the snow City B had been getting. When Fu Yue found them, they were almost frozen into little statues of ice.
Hence, Fu Yue took the stray cats wandering near Gu Panqiu’s home to the cat rescue shelter. He kept a tiny white kitten for himself, while the rest were adopted by other owners.
Fu Yue stroked the little kitten’s head, lost in thought for a long moment. Then, he called his mother back. “Mum, about that show you mentioned… I’ve decided to join.”
On the other end of the line, Ye Yun chuckled, “So you’ve come around!”
“Yeah,” Fu Yue responded, “I just want to go and have some fun.”
Ye Yun teased, “Oh? You men sure do change your minds fast.”
Fu Yue shared, “I adopted a kitten a few days ago. It hasn’t had all its vaccines yet, so I won’t bring it to the set. Can you help me look after it?”
With a chuckle, Ye Yun inquired, “What kind of cat?”
“Just a stray I found on the roadside. It’s a white Chinese domestic cat. The rest of the litter’s already been adopted.”
He had not slept a wink all night, and the next morning, he received the devastating news.
One Gu Panqiu alone was already more than he could handle in this reality show, but somehow, Lu Yao caught wind that Fu Yue was joining 5041. Ignoring his manager’s protests, he went ahead and signed himself up too.
As the most popular core member of a first-tier boy group, participating in a dating show was akin to publicly revealing his sexual orientation. And the thought of him actually dating? Completely unthinkable.
Fu Yue stood by the window, dialing Lu Yao’s manager. “Katherine, can’t you just cancel his appearance? Do you really need to ask me about this?”
“CEO Fu, Lu Yao said his contract’s almost up, and he won’t renew if he can’t be on that dating show,” Katherine explained, her voice tinged with exasperation. “You know Lu Yao—he’s stubborn as a mule, and no one can even rein him in.”
“Let him leave the group if he wants to,” Fu Yue replied coldly. “Does he really think the world revolves around him just because everyone caters to his whims?”
“But that’s not fair to the fans and other members,” Katherine pointed out gently. “Please don’t be angry, CEO Fu. Maybe I could talk to Lu Yao again and try to persuade him?”
Fu Yue’s jaw tightened as he held back his anger. “Is Lu Yao there?”
Katherine’s side was a jumble of noise, then Lu Yao’s voice came through the line, “Brother Yue.”
“Lu Yao,” Fu Yue began, “I thought I’d made myself very clear.”
“I miss you,” Lu Yao confessed. “You haven’t talked to me at all lately. I miss you so much.”
Fu Yue rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. “Can you come to your senses? This is your career, not mine.”
Lu Yao’s voice was laden with sorrow. “Without you as my audience, it wouldn’t matter if I never sang again.”
Fu Yue lapsed into silence for a few seconds, and when he could not bear it anymore, he muttered, “Fine, do as you wish.”
Already flattered beyond belief, the director for 5041 felt as if she had just awakened from a dream upon hearing that CEO Fu would be coming.
Yawning widely, Gu Panqiu walked to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of lemon water.
Ever since he confessed that he still could not forget about Jiujiu’s father, the guests who had thrown their paper airplanes at him had quieted down for a couple of days. His days now revolved around taking Jiujiu to school and practicing singing at home, all while waiting for replies from various TV shows and agencies.
Seeing the director’s bright smile, he remarked, “You look like you’re in a really great mood today, Sister Huahua.”
“I’m gonna make a fortune!” the director exclaimed, eyes sparkling. “We’ve got two big-name guests joining our show!”
Gu Panqiu nodded. “Ah, I see. Chris and his partner are off to… have a more in-depth discussion that can’t be aired. So, who’s joining us?”
“Lu Yao and Fu Yue! Can you believe it? A real superstar and a CEO!” The director practically vibrated with excitement. “I’m going to make a fortune!”
Gu Panqiu froze, as if dreaming.
He could not stop the words from slipping out, “My God…”
The director caught his dazed look and added quickly, “Don’t get me wrong, Qiuqiu. You’re a celeb too.”
But the thought of the problems looming ahead already weighed heavily on Gu Panqiu. His expression twisted into one of agony as he muttered under his breath, “Why is Lu Yao so bent on this…?”
“Sorry, what?” the director asked, not quite catching his words.
“Who would’ve thought CEO Fu has the time to join a dating reality show?” Gu Panqiu chuckled. “I figured he’d be swamped with work by now, hehe.”
He was just murmuring Fu Yue’s name when, to his surprise, a message from him popped up.
Fu Yue: You submitted this resume?
Gu Panqiu: Yup, I did.
Fu Yue: You’ve submitted ten applications already. Let me be clear: our show only accepts unsigned talent. With a contract like yours, you’re not eligible.
Gu Panqiu: But artistes can switch companies, can’t they?
Fu Yue: No.
Gu Panqiu: Then please, I’m begging you!
Fu Yue: ?
Gu Panqiu: I promise I won’t let you down!
Fu Yue stopped replying, leaving him hanging in silence.
The author has something to say:
CEO Fu: I told my wife no.
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