With that meal finished, Chu Zhuo’s energy surged back, making him much bolder when completing tasks.
Yet Yan Chi appeared far less happy. Over the past two days, he spoke little and smiled even less, his deep, unfathomable eyes concealing an unreadable emotion.
When the recording for the second phase came to a close, Chu Zhuo’s little hand tightly tugged at Yan Chi’s pant leg, presenting him with the ceramic vase won during today’s tasks.
As for the other, more exquisite and beautiful vase, he brought it home, intending to give it to Chu Kai.
Picked up by Zhu Xinqing and kept busy playing with toys, he waited until the middle of the night before Chu Kai finally returned home.
Placing his helmet in its spot, Chu Kai pushed open the bedroom door with light steps, instantly greeted by a sudden burst of crying from beneath the blankets.
“Wuwu. Heng-en.” Chu Zhuo cried with zero regard for his image, practically wailing aloud.
Weeping as he flung off the covers, he stood miserably in the middle of the bed wearing that striking neon-colored outfit, looking exceptionally bright in the pitch-black room.
Chu Kai swiftly switched on the main bedroom light, rushed to the bedside, and scooped Chu Zhuo into his arms, patting his heaving little chest as he spoke in a soft murmur, “Daddy’s back. Did you miss Daddy?”
Sobbing, Chu Zhuo offered no reply, only reaching out to wrap his arms tightly around Chu Kai.
Chu Kai pressed a kiss to his precious son’s cheek, pacing back and forth across the room while rhythmically patting Chu Zhuo’s back to soothe him.
Ever since returning from the filming location a few days ago, Chu Kai had been living as if a catastrophe were about to strike, rushing frantically into Zhu Xinqing’s office.
Zhu Xinqing delivered news that was neither entirely good nor entirely bad.
The good news was that the show’s director had called to say Yan Chi had no idea Chu Kai was her younger brother.
This meant Yan Chi wouldn’t track down the relationship between Chu Kai and Zhu Xinqing, nor would he connect Chu Kai to Xiao Shuiqiao, the young artist belonging to Zhu Xinqing and Chu Kai’s household.
The bad news was that Yan Chi’s people had taken away Chu Kai’s employment contract.
This bad news hovered over Chu Kai’s head like a suspended sword, waiting to fall the moment he dozed off.
He hadn’t slept that night, riding his electric scooter out to deliver food.
Parked by the roadside during the small hours, the first call he received wasn’t an order, but rather from a man claiming to work for Minghuang Entertainment.
The man’s tone was softer and more ethereal than the night breeze.
He told Chu Kai to get some rest, suggesting that perhaps in two days, perhaps three days, or perhaps half a month later, Yan Chi might come looking for him, or perhaps Yan Chi would forget the matter entirely, leaving the two of them with no further entanglement.
Before Chu Kai could gather his wits, the man delivered another sentence that nearly made him drop his phone: “Chu Kai, if you want to make a complete clean break with Yan Chi, running away isn’t the right answer. Facing him is.”
“You.”
Before Chu Kai could finish, the man cut him off again.
He said, “You don’t need to waste energy figuring out who I am. Just know we’re cut from the same cloth. Chu Kai, we’ll meet when the time is right.”
That phone call caused Chu Kai to suffer two consecutive nights of insomnia.
It wasn’t until tonight, after finishing his deliveries and holding the tear-streaked Chu Zhuo, that he finally figured it out.
The man was right; he could no longer keep running away.
He and Yan Chi were destined to be parallel lines, and the sooner they widened the distance between them, the better.
“My good baby,” Chu Kai pressed a kiss to Chu Zhuo’s damp, soft cheek, “keep crying and your eyes will turn into a giant panda’s.”
“Heng-en.” Sniffling against Chu Kai’s shoulder, Chu Zhuo acted spoiled, “No want.”
Chu Kai carried Chu Zhuo back onto the bed, wiped his little face with a pure cotton wet wipe, and said in a gentle voice, “Daddy came home late. Baby missed Daddy a lot, didn’t you?”
“Mm.” Chu Zhuo nodded in agreement, his gaze refusing to leave Chu Kai for even a second. “Love Daddy the most.”
“Daddy.” He turned his head again to point toward the small desk inside the room, “The vase baby made, the prettiest one, for Daddy.”
Following the direction of his finger, Chu Kai spotted the small vase sitting in front of a toy car.
The glaze was stunning, a crisp bamboo green.
It must have been shaped with a master artisan’s help, as the hand-pinched floral details on the surface were exquisite and delicate.
“Thank you, Xiao Zhuo baby,” Chu Kai stroked Chu Zhuo’s cheek and said, “I really love this vase.”
Receiving affirmation, Chu Zhuo’s tear-filled, expectant eyes lit up so brightly they nearly crinkled into crescents.
He reached out to loop his arms around Chu Kai’s neck again, clinging to him like a koala.
With no other choice, Chu Kai held him close in his arms, continuing to coax him, “Whose baby is so clingy? Oh, it’s our Xiao Zhuo baby.”
“Daddy.” Burying his head in the crook of Chu Kai’s neck, Chu Zhuo repeated in a soft, sweet voice, “I love you most, most, most of all.”
“Daddy knows. Daddy loves Xiao Zhuo the most, most of all too.” Chu Kai patted Chu Zhuo’s back with a smooth, steady rhythm, slowly coaxing him to sleep.
Only after laying the deeply sleeping Chu Zhuo down on the bed did Chu Kai finally get to stretch his aching arms and numb legs.
Checking the time on his phone, it was eleven-thirty.
Just as he prepared to head to the bathroom for a quick rinse, his phone buzzed.
Another unfamiliar number.
Carrying the phone into the living room, he sat on the sofa, pinching the device tightly while hesitating over whether to answer.
The call automatically disconnected, then rang out once more.
Slowly walking out to the balcony, Chu Kai stared at the few sparse, blinking lights in the distance, steadied himself against the railing, and answered.
“Hello, is this Mr. Chu Kai?”
Hearing the unfamiliar male voice through the receiver, the taut tension in Chu Kai’s mind loosened slightly.
He offered a soft affirmation, “Yes, I am.”
“Hello, I am Lian Wuchang, an agent at Minghuang Entertainment. Because you are suspected of leaking unreleased recording content from the variety show.”
Before the sentence could finish, a sudden muffled thud echoed through the line, sounding like a heavy object colliding with something.
Lian Wuchang massaged his arm where Yan Chi had shoved him, instantly shifting to a much warmer tone as he said, “Hello, Mr. Chu. There are some issues regarding the contract you signed with the variety show production team, and we need to discuss them with you. Would you be available to meet?”
Lowering his gaze, Chu Kai replied, “I didn’t violate the contract, nor did I leak any content from the show. I’ve already resigned.”
Lian Wuchang shrugged helplessly and glanced at Yan Chi standing nearby.
Yan Chi’s expression was unreadable, impossible to tell whether it held joy or sorrow, though it was certainly laced with anger.
Ending the phone’s speakerphone mode, Yan Chi uttered the four words “Brux Haven” and walked away.
Lian Wuchang offered a bitter smile as he picked up the phone from the table.
Judging by this, if Chu Kai didn’t show up at Brux Haven tonight, he wouldn’t need to show up at the company tomorrow.
Clearing his throat, he spoke with solemn gravity into the receiver, “Mr. Chu, what evidence do you have to prove you haven’t leaked any secrets?”
Chu Kai fell visibly silent.
Pressing his advantage, Lian Wuchang continued, “If you’re unwilling to meet and discuss this in person, we’ll have to send the lawsuit directly to the court. Mr. Chu, it’s always better to resolve things privately if possible. Wouldn’t you agree?”
The night wind chilled the palms of Chu Kai’s hands. He asked timidly, “Where are we meeting?”
“The detailed address has already been sent to your phone.” Checking his wristwatch after completing his task, Lian Wuchang added, “You can come right now, the sooner the better.”
Giving Chu Kai no room for negotiation, the person on the other end hung up directly.
Slowly turning around, Chu Kai found Zhu Xinqing sitting in the living room without him noticing.
Standing up, she asked Chu Kai, “Was that Yan Chi?”
Zhu Xinqing had also known about the call received in the dead of night and agreed with that man’s perspective.
“No.” Shaking his head in a daze, Chu Kai walked stiffly back into the living room.
The person on the phone wasn’t Yan Chi, but whoever he was about to meet probably was.
Glancing at the address in the newly received text message, Chu Kai murmured, “Sister Qing, it might be Yan Chi. An agent from his company wants to see me, saying there’s an issue with my contract and we need to talk in private.”
“What kind of issue?” Zhu Xinqing patted Chu Kai’s shoulder, lowering her voice. “If you’re going, I’ll go with you.”
“No need,” Chu Kai raised his head toward the bedroom. “Sister Qing, just help me keep an eye on Xiao Zhuo. He’s been fussy today, and I’m afraid he’ll wake up in the middle of the night and panic if there’s nobody around.”
“Alright then,” Zhu Xinqing said, walking over to the entryway to grab her car keys and handing them to Chu Kai. “Take the car.”