Not far off, Luo Siqi sat alone by the coffee table, listening to the music. No paper airplane had come his way, so a shadow of seriousness crept across his face.
Shen Yao came downstairs and stood next to Gu Panqiu. “Are there any noodles left?”
“Yep,” Gu Panqiu replied. “I made a big pot, so help yourself.”
At that, Luo Siqi quietly picked up his notebook and headed back to his bedroom. When he passed by Gu Panqiu, he deadpanned, “You’re really something, huh?”
Despite this, Gu Panqiu acted as if he had not heard a word.
Not bothering with any ceremony, Shen Yao ladled himself a heaping bowl of noodles.
Sitting opposite Gu Panqiu, he slurped his noodles and commented, “Your voice and singing style are perfect for love songs.”
As a professional producer and former mentor on music talent shows, Shen Yao had a keen eye for talent.
“Teacher Shen, are you going to help me chase my music dreams?” Gu Panqiu inquired, eyes bright with hope. “I just happen to be out of work right now.”
“Nope, you didn’t toss me any paper airplanes, so I’m holding a grudge,” Shen Yao joked. “Or are you playing hard to get, Qiuqiu?”
Gu Panqiu wiped the sauce at the corner of Jiujiu’s mouth with a tissue, then quipped, “Come on, Teacher Shen, cut me some slack.”
“I never noticed before,” Shen Yao admitted, “but you really do seem to like singing.”
Gu Panqiu shot back, “Did you ever bother to get to know me?”
“I still remember when your group went on Phoenix TV to promote your song, and I was the host,” Shen Yao recalled. “Back then, I could tell you were so distracted. But now… it’s as if you’re a whole different person… Someone who’s calmer and more grounded.”
More than anything in the world, Gu Panqiu truly loved singing.
When he was first diagnosed with cancer, all he wanted was to try conservative treatment, desperate to protect the one thing he treasured most: his voice.
But the doctors delivered a grim prognosis: without surgery, he would not last for more than a month. His manager and company urged him to try, pleading with him not to abandon any hope of survival. They told him that even if he lost his voice and could no longer perform on stage, he could still compose songs, write lyrics, or take on the role of a producer behind the scenes.
Yet, Gu Panqiu refused to accept a life away from the stage.
His brief yet brilliant life touched countless souls through his music. Many found solace in his songs, while others shed tears because of the emotions he stirred. Even in death, his voice still echoed throughout the world, providing a refuge for those in need—a safe harbor found simply by putting on a pair of headphones.
“What’s wrong?” Shen Yao caught Gu Panqiu spacing out. “Am I really so boring that you’d actually zoned out on me?”
“What are you two chatting about?” Li Zhu strolled over, carrying a plate of fruit. With a confident swagger, he plopped down beside Shen Yao. “Brother Qiuqiu, I’m starving! What yummy food did you make? Share some with me!”
Gu Panqiu snapped out of his reverie and pointed at the pot. “Udon noodles. Just help yourself.”
With a mischievous grin, Li Zhu snatched a piece of tofu from Gu Panqiu’s chopsticks and exclaimed, “Yum! It’s always tastiest when it’s from your chopsticks!” The source of this chapter is NovelPing.
Gu Panqiu shot him a sharp glare. “I’m about to lose my temper.”
Undeterred, Li Zhu just chuckled. “You know, you’re still adorable even when you’re angry.”
“Cut it out, Li Zhu. Stop teasing him,” Shen Yao interjected. “Anyway, how many couples are there in the dining room?”
“Two,” Li Zhu responded. “Chris and Fei Yang—you probably saw that one coming. Yesterday, I spotted them getting rather affectionate. They were in the restaurant, sipping wine and talking about the future. From the bits I overheard, they’d already gotten pretty deep into it.”
“They’re a pretty good match. I guessed as much,” Gu Panqiu said with a knowing smile. “Who’s the other pair?”
“Zhang Yiming and Cui Hang.”
Shen Yao raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Have those two ever actually talked to each other?”
“I heard from Yang Chen that Brother Yiming threw his paper airplane to Qiuqiu, and Cui Hang’s went to Brother Yiming. But then the director asked if Yiming was willing to give Hanghang a chance, and next thing you know, they went on a date.”
“Oh? He threw one at Qiuqiu too?” Shen Yao chuckled, eyes flickering toward Gu Panqiu. “So I’ve got a whole army of rivals, huh?”
Li Zhou sighed. “Yeah, tell me about it. I have to fight everyone for Qiuqiu.”
“Yang Chen’s gotta be feeling pretty down, right?” Shen Yao questioned. “Didn’t he and Zhang Yiming really hit it off yesterday?”
“Exactly, and Xiao Cui barely said a word the whole time.” Li Zhu rested his chin in his hands, glancing at Gu Panqiu. “I was half-expecting him to be like Qiuqiu and not throw his paper airplane.”
He paused, then added, “Speaking of which, where’s Xiao Luo?”
Gu Panqiu pointed toward the stairs. “He’s upstairs, on a hunger strike.”
Li Zhu raised his glass to Shen Yao. “Teacher Shen, looks like this city just gained one more person whose heart is broken over you.”
“Aren’t we all, in some way? Isn’t that right, Qiuqiu?” Shen Yao replied with a lighthearted smile.
Gu Panqiu smiled warmly, shaking his head. “Don’t fall for me. It won’t lead anywhere.”
Cradling his face, Li Zhu’s eyes never left his. “If it won’t lead anywhere, then so be it. You’re just too beautiful to resist.”
Gu Panqiu was already itching to slip away when Yang Chen trudged over, his shoulders slumped. “Qiuqiu, is there any food left?” he asked, his voice heavy with disappointment. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“There’s still udon noodles in the pot. You guys are really something else. Luckily, I made plenty, or there wouldn’t be enough for everyone.” Gu Panqiu stood up with a warm smile, scooping his son into his arms as he headed toward the bedroom. “You know the old Chinese saying: whoever cooks doesn’t have to wash the dishes. So, you all better figure out who’s going to do those dishes.”
“Sure thing, Brother, I’ll wash this bowl,” Li Zhu said, cradling his cheek with a playful grin. “I’m a good kid, you know. Promise you’ll come find me to chat when you have time!”
Without turning his head, Gu Panqiu said, “I’m too old to keep up with this chatter. Anyway, I’m off to play with my son now.”
He took the slightly puzzled Jiujiu’s hand and led him toward the bedroom. Jiujiu’s tiny feet scampered to keep up. “Daddy, can you watch a Harry Potter movie with me?”
Gu Panqiu was always eager to oblige Jiujiu’s requests. “Sure thing, no problem at all,” he answered, his eyes sparkling with affection.
Jiujiu was utterly captivated by the dark figure on the screen—Lord Voldemort’s every move held him spellbound. Meanwhile, Gu Panqiu casually scrolled through Weibo until a post from Nova Entertainment caught his eye.
“Nova Entertainment: Searching for the next heavenly voice! The champion will walk away with a grand prize of three million yuan[1] and the chance to sign a solo contract with Nova Entertainment! Hurry and join Solo now!”
Three million! Just what I need to pay off my debts!
With that in mind, Gu Panqiu immediately submitted his resume.
Solo was a singing talent show jointly produced by Nova Entertainment and Phoenix TV, and also marked Fu Yue’s first appearance in the public eye.
As the most formidable of the four leading entertainment companies, Nova Entertainment had the clout to attract the brightest talents in the industry.
Alongside Fu Yue, Nova Entertainment had also dispatched a distinguished vocal coach and Yan Ran, a top-tier singer with a massive fanbase, to serve as the mentors. The competition unfolded in two intense stages: the open auditions followed by the knockout rounds.
“Wow, I’m blown away! Are all entertainment company CEOs this handsome? This is unreal!”
“Please, his mom is Ye Yun, the most famous celeb two decades ago! How could he not be handsome?”
“I’m definitely watching this show! Mainly to check out the singers’ talents, but honestly, it’s really just to see CEO Fu. He’s ridiculously handsome.”
“CEO Fu’s a total genius, seriously! Ugh, I just wanna tear that suit off him!”
“Hey, you up there, put some pants on! CEO Fu’s mine!”
“Look, it’s Uncle Sharky!” Jiujiu pointed excitedly at the picture of Fu Yue on Gu Panqiu’s phone. “Daddy, is Uncle Sharky a star?”
“Something like that,” Gu Panqiu responded. “But Uncle Sharky looks really fierce. Aren’t you scared, Jiujiu?”
Jiujiu shook his head and whispered, “Uncle Sharky is really nice. Today, he even secretly gave me some candy.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out two lollipops, waving them at Gu Panqiu. “They’re strawberry flavor! Daddy, one for you and one for me!”
[1] CNY 3,000,000 is approximately US $417,740.03.