Much to everyone’s surprise, the netizens adored Gu Panqiu after the episode aired!
“Did you guys see 5041? Gu Panqiu got possessed?!”
“Hmm, looks like he’s been possessed. Well played.”
“Yeah, I’ve watched it! For a variety show with such a half-baked name, it’s unexpectedly good. These past few days, I’ve been glued to the screen like I’m under some spell, watching Qiuqiu and Jiujiu over and over again. His little boy is just too adorable.”
“Qiuqiu’s doing really well now! He even said on the show that he wants to be a singer. [Gratified mother.jpg]”
“He’s really stepped up his singing game! Not only is he hitting all the right notes, but he’s also writing his own songs. This can’t just be scripted by the production crew, right? Could it be pre-recorded?”
“The reason he’s on pitch must be because the production crew auto-tuned it, or maybe it was pre-recorded. And can you all get a grip? A 19-year-old trainee had a baby out of wedlock! Tsk, that Sultry Minx image of his is still intact, and who knows who the father is! Maybe some random thug?”
“Just who on earth is the child’s dad? In his solo interview, Qiuqiu admitted he can’t forget him and still loves him… Poor guy.”
“New showbiz mystery: who fathered Gu Panqiu’s child? Not gonna lie, I call dibs on being Jiujiu’s dad!”
Once the episode was released, Fiona—Gu Panqiu’s manager, who had gone missing for ages—popped up out of nowhere. She reminded him to do well on the show and promised to hook him up with more work gigs.
Though he knew it was probably just empty promises, Gu Panqiu still replied with a “thank you” sticker.
“Qiuqiu, what yummy food are you making today?”
Lately, Yang Chen could not get enough of his cooking, dropping by every morning to steal a bite of breakfast.”
The nineteen-year-old athletic young man devoured his meal with astonishing gusto. Alongside Gu Panqiu, they were the undisputed eating champions of the building. Feeling way too skinny for his own liking, Gu Panqiu stacked up on protein-packed food and pushed himself through daily workouts to bulk up.
This morning, Gu Panqiu had whipped up a pot of oatmeal with milk, baked a few golden apple pies, and sizzled up a stack of Italian sausages.
Clad in a soft, sky-blue cable-knit sweater, Jiujiu sat on a little stool in the dining room, his eyes fixed on the sausages. He licked his lips, desire shining in his round, luminous eyes that glistened like ripe grapes in the sun.
“Anyway, you’ll eat whatever I make.” Gu Panqiu set the plate in front of Yang Chen. “The new guests haven’t arrived yet, right?”
“Oh!” Yang Chen’s eyes went wide. “I had no idea someone was coming! Who is it?”
Having just finished washing up, Cui Hang, who lived on the first floor, stepped out of his bedroom, grabbed a box of corn salad from the fridge, and made himself a cup of black coffee. With the cat curled in his arms, he sat at the dining table, lost in thought.
Yang Chen had once liked Zhang Yiming, but in the end, he chose Cui Hang. Despite that, Yang Chen genuinely wished them well, his sincerity shining through even in the face of his own disappointment.
“I heard a well-known celebrity is coming,” Cui Hang noted. “Qiuqiu, can I have an apple pie?”
Gu Panqiu’s smile was warm and teasing. “So you’ve given up on controlling your sugar intake?”
“Yeah, my date with Zhang Yiming really ruined my mood,” Cui Hang confessed. “I could really use something sweet.”
Yang Chen blurted out in shock, “Huh? I thought Brother Yiming was really nice.”
Cui Hang shook his head, fingers absentmindedly stroking his cat. “You can go out with him once to see for yourself, but I’ll say just two words: run fast.”
Quiet and composed, Cui Hang rarely spoke. So when he suddenly came out with a line like that, Yang Chen just stared blankly. “Oh, I see…”
With a light touch, Cui Hang reached out and stroked Jiujiu’s little chin. “Jiujiu’s still the cutest after all.”
Jiujiu lowered his head shyly, covering his face with both tiny hands and wiggling a little in his seat.
Meanwhile, Gu Panqiu cut up some sausages for him. Sitting obediently on the stool, Jiujiu picked up a piece with his fork, popped it into his mouth, and then glanced toward the gate. “Daddy, a car-car’s coming!”
The moment the words left Jiujiu’s mouth, Zhang Yiming, Shen Yao, and Li Zhu came down from their bedrooms upstairs, leaving Gu Panqiu with no chance to respond.
Word must have gotten around that new guests were joining, so Zhang Yiming and Li Zhu made sure to look their best.
Li Zhu winked at Gu Panqiu and made a heart sign with his fingers. “Mornin’, Brother!”
In response, Gu Panqiu waved off the heart sign and returned to his coffee in silence.
Li Zhu continued, “Have you forgotten your ex today, Brother?”
In an instant, a wave of sadness washed over Gu Panqiu’s face. “Please… just don’t bring it up…” he whimpered.
Shen Yao was as he always was, lost in his own world. He settled beside Gu Panqiu, content to watch the scene unfold like any curious onlooker.
With a melodramatic flair, Shen Yao replied, “I’m quite the loyal type, so I have no thoughts of straying just yet. If you can’t forget your previous lover, I can help you forget him.”
Gu Panqiu lifted his coffee cup, a wry smile tugging at his lips. “…Teacher Shen, I think you’d be better off with some porridge.”
“Is that Lu Yao sitting on the suitcase?” Zhang Yiming nearly leapt to his feet, his voice trembling with excitement. “It really is Lu Yao! Wow, he’s so handsome!”
“Lu Yao actually joined a dating show?” Shen Yao remarked offhandedly. “His boss is gonna chew him out.”
Drawn by curiosity, Gu Panqiu looked out the window. Overnight, snow had fallen again in City B, covering the vast courtyard in a thick white blanket. Out there, Lu Yao perched on a silver suitcase with a sleeveless leather jacket over his shirt, fingers flying across his phone.
That night, the bar was far too dim for Gu Panqiu to get a good look at Lu Yao’s face.
Today, he sat in the best spot to observe him closely. His features were surprisingly youthful, evoking a soft, almost boyish charm. Even in a leather jacket, he looked like a model student trying to act cool, just like the male lead from a campus romance novel.
Thanks to his looks, Lu Yao had a legion of devoted mum fans[1]. At every concert, around ten thousand of them would fill the audience, cheering passionately for their beloved son.
At that moment, Lu Yao’s boss stepped out of a sleek Bentley.
Without hesitation, Lu Yao leaped down from the suitcase. His Doc Martens left a trail of footprints in the snow as he strode straight to Fu Yue. “Brother Yue,” he greeted.
“Move.” Fu Yue’s voice was curt.
The words gutted Lu Yao. “You won’t even look at me?”
Fu Yue flicked his eyes toward the trunk. “I need to grab my suitcase.”
The onlookers inside had no idea just how convoluted the history between Fu Yue, Lu Yao, and Gu Panqiu really was.
Jiujiu blinked and whispered, “Uncle Sharky’s here.”
“Mm-hmm, it’s Uncle Sharky.” Gu Panqiu nodded.
Jiujiu tilted his head up, all wide-eyed innocence. “Is Uncle Sharky here to be Daddy’s boyfriend?”
A sudden cough nearly stole his breath as coffee went down the wrong pipe. After a few splutters, he suggested, “C’mon, Baby, stick to eating your sausages.”
Outside, Lu Yao chattered endlessly in front of Fu Yue, while Zhang Yiming, inside the room, peered out with curiosity. “Who’s the other guy? Do they know each other?”
Shen Yao’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s Lu Yao’s boss. Haven’t you watched Solo? He’s one of the mentors!”
Yang Chen’s jaw practically dropped. “I’ve watched it! That’s Lu Yao’s boss? The CEO of Nova Entertainment? Holy shit! He’s actually here for our show?!”
With a cheerful grin, Gu Panqiu gazed out the window. “Why’s the CEO here?”
Today, Gu Panqiu wore a white sweater, the tip of his pointed chin tucked into the collar like a prized Persian cat. Somehow, he looked unexpectedly innocent.
Not only that, but he had also spritzed a touch of cedar perfume, its faint scent lingering in the air.
“Wow, Brother Qiuqiu is so good-looking,” Yang Chen murmured to Cui Hang. “If I were a top, I’d definitely want a bottom just like him—someone who can cook, has a great temper, looks amazing, and even gave birth to a well-behaved baby. Who could be cruel enough to abandon Brother Qiuqiu?!”
Cui Hang responded calmly, “You’re both bottoms, so you’re out of luck. Try being a top in your next life, Chenchen.”
Back in the courtyard, Lu Yao continued to pester Fu Yue. “Brother Yue, have you got your eye on someone on this show?”
Fu Yue sighed as Lu Yao was simply far too sensitive. But to him, Lu Yao was like a younger brother who never quite grew up.
“Lu Yao, I’m going to say this one last time: we’re not right for each other,” Fu Yao stated evenly. “You’re not foolish, so stop being so obstinate. The world is vast, and whatever it is you’re looking for, you won’t find it with me.”
Lu Yao was struck speechless. At his side, the female personal assistant coaxed gently, “Yaoyao, let’s go in. You’re not dressed warmly, and it’s chilly out here. You might catch a cold.”
Utterly despondent, Lu Yao lugged his suitcase into 5041’s shared villa.
His assistant hauled the luggage upstairs as Lu Yao’s eyes flicked to Gu Panqiu, who was calmly eating in the dining room. His lips twisted into a cold sneer. Without another word, he strode up the stairs.
“…He’s not going to say hello to us?” Yang Chen blinked. “Was that… a sneer just now?”
As he finished speaking, Fu Yue wheeled his suitcase into the living room. From there, he could see the dining room was teeming with people, so he made his way over and greeted everyone. “Morning.”
Shen Yao smirked. “CEO Fu, what brings you here today?”
“A tornado,” came the dry reply.
Jiujiu waved his tiny hand and chirped, “Hi, Uncle Sharky!”
A faint smile finally flickered across Fu Yue’s usually icy face, like the first sun after a March frost. “Good morning, Jiujiu.”
With that, he dragged his suitcase into the last guest room on the first floor.
Fu Yue was clad in a black wool coat and a beige scarf neatly wrapped around his neck. The snow that had landed on his shoulders had already melted, leaving damp streaks.
It did not escape Gu Panqiu’s sharp eyes—Fu Yue’s black coat today was a Celine runway piece.
He knew it so well because, in his past life, he had been Celine’s brand ambassador in China, and he had always loved their style.
Fu Yue always wore what he liked, and somehow, Gu Panqiu could not help but admire him.
“Ahhhhhh!” Yang Chen let out a piercing scream. “The domineering CEO has come to life, and damn, he’s freaking hot!”
Cui Hang chided lightly, “Come on, Chenchen, get a grip.”
As he said so, he rubbed his own burning cheeks, feeling the heat creeping up.
Still groggy, Luo Siqi trudged downstairs with a frown. “What’s all this noise so early in the morning? Was there an earthquake?”
“New guests!” Yang Chen was practically dancing with excitement. “Fu Yue!”
Amid the lively chatter, only Shen Yao picked up on the highlight of what had just transpired.
With a glint of intrigue, he studied Gu Panqiu. “You know CEO Fu?”
“Well, you could say that,” Gu Panqiu answered. “Why do you ask?”
“Nothing much,” Shen Yao responded. “I just heard Jiujiu call him Uncle Sharky. So… Jiujiu knows him too?”
“Uh-huh!” Jiujiu clapped his little hands with glee. “We went to the aquarium last weekend!”
“You three… went to the aquarium together?” The boisterous Yang Chen fell silent all of a sudden. “You, Jiujiu, and Fu Yue?”
“No, no, no! And Fu Yue’s little brother too,” Gu Panqiu rushed to explain. “It was just a kindergarten outing, and he came along as well. He’s friends with my son, so we ended up going to the aquarium together.”
A few guests shot Gu Panqiu suspicious glances, all wearing expressions that seemed to say, “Since when did you, you sly minx, start cozying up to the CEO?”
Gu Panqiu tilted his head. “Why are you all staring at me like that? Hey, Lu Yao, are you a cat or something? You didn’t even make a sound when you walked.”
Lu Yao had slipped downstairs unnoticed and now loomed behind Gu Panqiu, brow furrowed and his face blazing with fury. The director suspected that if the cameras were not rolling, Lu Yao might have torn him apart right then and there.
In the observation room, He Bei swore under his breath. “F*ck.”
He was utterly baffled as to why all three of them had appeared on the same show.
Gu Panqiu used to be head over heels for Lu Yao, didn’t he? And now he claims he can’t forget the father of his child? Yet when Lu Yao arrived on set today, Gu Panqiu seemed utterly indifferent, as if all interest in him had vanished.
So love really can fade away!
The host asked, “He Xiaobei, what’s your first impression of our new guests?”
He Bei pressed his lips together, hesitating for a moment before replying, “I… just know that our show’s ratings are about to go through the roof.”
The author has something to say:
Qiuqiu’s contract is one he can never pay off and just keeps renewing itself endlessly. The company doesn’t give him any good work opportunities, and they certainly won’t let him quit. It’s a typical shady contract you’d see from a mid-sized company.
But don’t worry! I’ve got some fun things lined up for the two of them soon!
Smooches for my Jiujiu, and for everyone! Mwah!
[1] 妈妈粉 (māmā fěn): They refer to older female fans who treat their idols like their son.