The bowl of porridge felt scalding yet comforting against his palm; as he lifted the lid, the aroma of dried scallop and shrimp porridge wafted up. The rice grains had absorbed liquid, cooked until soft and glutinous. Plump red shrimp and snow-white scallops were studded throughout, garnished with vibrant green scallions.
A-Ci had woken up at some point; she leapt from the floor straight into his arms. The Silver Shaded cat shed heavily; in that brief moment, silvery-white fur filled the air.
Gu Qichi gave the scruff of her neck a gentle squeeze. His tone was casual, yet indulgent: “A-Ci, be good, hmm?”
A-Ci obediently sat down, though her nose twitched and her large round eyes remained fixed on the porridge — clearly famished.
Gu Qichi took a spoonful; the temperature was just right. The soft rice was infused with savory sweetness of shrimp and scallops. It effortlessly soothed his exhausted stomach.
He didn’t just think of himself; he fetched a small bowl from the kitchen, waited for the porridge to cool a little, and set it down for A-Ci.
A-Ci was content; she lazily swished her long fluffy tail and began to eat, her eyes narrowing in satisfaction. Before long, she was squinting with bliss, her meows growing sweet and affectionate.
As Gu Qichi ate, he glanced casually out the window. The man hadn’t left yet.
The black Maybach seemed poised to merge with darkness; had it not been for the faint glow of a mobile screen filtering through the window, he might have assumed Bo Yu had already left.
Gu Qichi disliked owing anyone. Yet this time, he owed Bo Yu three favors — debts he wasn’t sure how to repay.
Outside, beneath the streetlamp, inside the Maybach. Bo Yu’s expression was terrifyingly dark.
Back at the hospital, overhearing the conversation between Gu Qichi and Gu Yuan’an, he had caught a glimpse of reality. Gu Qichi was likely unwelcome in his own home. He just hadn’t expected it to be this bad.
Gu Qichi had been swapped at birth with the child of a servant, only to be found and brought back at sixteen. Yet he was met not with love, but with disdain and cold indifference.
Six years ago, when Gu Qichi first returned, Bo Yu had heard about the incident but hadn’t paid it much mind. Now, recalling it felt like having a heavy stone pressed against his chest.
“Hey, Bo Yu, did you hear? The Gu family mixed up their kids; the real young master was only found half a month ago…”
“What real young master? He’s just a country bumpkin. Gu Yuan’an doesn’t even bother keeping him in line.”
“Why would Gu Yuan’an care? I heard no one in the Gu household likes him; they’re all too busy comforting Gu Yuning.”
From sixteen until now, Gu Qichi had always been alone. He was like an abandoned stray cat; just when he thought he had found a warm nest, an interloper muscled in and usurped his entire living space. Left isolated, he had no choice but to lick his wounds in solitude.
Fortunately, those days lasted only two years. Upon coming of age, Gu Qichi achieved the top entrance exam score in the city and escaped that hellish household. Moreover, with Wen Xi signing him, he had spent years fulfilling engagements as an entertainer. He had earned enough to support himself.
Everything he had said to Gu Yuan’an at the hospital was true. Since returning to the Gu family, he hadn’t spent a single cent of their money, nor leveraged their influence.
He was simply himself — just Gu Qichi.
When Bo Yu saw Gu Qichi, the young man’s gaze was lowered, yet he couldn’t hide an air of refined, aloof elegance. He had initially imagined Gu Qichi as an uncut gem held tenderly in someone’s palm. He hadn’t expected to find a heart utterly shattered. Like a stray kitten, deeply guarded, daring only to hide in his own nook.
… The lights on the sixth floor went out silently, signaling the person inside had settled to sleep. Bo Yu withdrew his gaze, eyes unreadable.
Those unfamiliar with Bo Yu might not grasp what he was thinking, but Bai Heng — the secretary who had been by his side for years — knew. Bo Yu was angry. The air pressure inside the car seemed to drop.
Bai Heng swallowed hard and stole a cautious glance at Bo Yu in the back seat. After a long silence, the crisp click of a lighter rang out, and a smile of ambiguous meaning played upon Bo Yu’s lips.
“Bai Heng, investigate everything Gu Yuning has done over the years — leave nothing out. And don’t overlook the Gu family either.”
Bai Heng hurriedly looked away, heart pounding, and nodded. “Understood, President Bo.”
Dark clouds loomed heavy, rain poured ceaselessly. Bai Heng thought to himself that the landscape of Dongcheng was about to change.
Production on Lucky Sky was moving rapidly — perhaps due to investment from the Bo Group and thorough pre-production; costumes were ready, and sets largely constructed. Before long, Gu Qichi received a text from Lin Shuangyi to join the production team.
Lucky Sky was a major production — a period drama that relied heavily on on-location shooting. Although Lin Shuangyi was up-and-coming, he was incredibly exacting; he would meticulously refine every frame and line, refusing to be satisfied until perfect. To that end, he had rented a site within a scenic nature reserve and required the entire cast and crew to arrive in City A within five days.
However, such reserves came with a glaring downside to match beautiful scenery — They were typically remote, with poor transportation and subpar food. They were the kind of godforsaken places where “neither people nor birds would deign to relieve themselves.”
Gu Qichi would be away for over half a month. Worried about leaving A-Ci home alone, he deliberated before finally calling Wen Xi.
“Sister Wen, there’s something I’d like to ask of you…”
Gu Qichi was someone who went out of his way to avoid inconveniencing others, so Wen Xi was surprised to receive a call. Hearing his hesitant tone, she panicked: “Qi-chi, are you in some kind of trouble? Or are you planning to terminate our contract?!”
Although he hadn’t exactly made much money for Wen Xi — and had actually caused her endless headaches with his infamous reputation — Wen Xi had always treated him well. Gu Qichi viewed Wen Xi more as family than Gu Chengtian or Gu Yuan’an.
The young man smiled faintly, pressing his lips together. His stomach ailment had largely cleared up, and he was brimming with vitality again. Having just tidied up, he had worked up a light sweat; a rosy flush colored his face, making him look stunningly radiant.
“I have no intention of terminating our contract, Sister Wen; please don’t let your imagination run wild. I just wanted to ask you to look after A-Ci. If I leave her home alone, I’ll be worried.”
Wen Xi breathed a sigh of relief. “Is that all? That’s no trouble at all. By the way, ever since the news broke that you’d be filming Lucky Sky, I’ve received a few more scripts. They weren’t very good, so I turned them down. However, there is a variety show that looks promising. A previous guest got into legal trouble and ended up in custody, so the production team is rushing to find a replacement. Filming starts the day after tomorrow — would you like to consider it?”
Gu Qichi had never appeared on a variety show before, and Wen Xi was somewhat hesitant. It was a live-streamed parenting variety show on the Fruit Channel; producers had invited Gu Qichi precisely because they saw value in his notoriety.
On one hand, live broadcast meant avoiding malicious editing; on the other, lack of script put one’s true personality to the ultimate test. Every move would be magnified by camera and scrutinized — one wrong step could invite disaster. Many top-tier stars are reluctant to participate; if their carefully cultivated persona collapses, there’s no salvaging.
Gu Qichi, however, agreed readily — almost without hesitation.
Early the day after next, while A-Ci was still fast asleep, a large heavy lump pressed down on Gu Qichi, nearly making it impossible to breathe. As the alarm vibrated, the young man slowly opened his eyes, gazing hazily at the still-dim room. Blackout curtains blocked sunlight completely. Gu Qichi loved this kind of environment; quiet, solitary darkness always gave him peace.
He grasped A-Ci by the scruff and peeled her off his body; only after a quick wash-up did his mind fully clear. A-Ci ate her fill until her belly was round as a ball, then lingered stubbornly by his trouser leg, refusing to budge. She wanted to be picked up.
Gu Qichi ignored her plea, simply scooping her up and tucking her into her cat carrier. His demeanor was cool, yet movements gentle.
When Wen Xi arrived downstairs, she saw man and cat sitting quietly on the ground — a picture of perfect harmony. As she took the carrier, Wen Xi raised an eyebrow, “It seems A-Ci found the right owner; the young lady in distress has truly transformed into a pampered heiress.”
Wen Xi had been there when he adopted A-Ci. It had been raining heavily that day; the newborn kitten had been drenched and caught a cold. By the time they rushed her to the vet, she was listless and feverish. The vet warned A-Ci was too small and might not survive, advising Gu Qichi to prepare for worst. After all, no need to expend so much effort on a stray.
Yet the young man stubbornly shook his head, pleading only for doctor to save the kitten. That was one of rare moments Wen Xi saw Gu Qichi vulnerable.
Fortunately, A-Ci was tough; not only did she pull through, but she was now so chubby Wen Xi couldn’t lift her with one hand.
“This parent-child variety show is generating quite a buzz, but looking after children is mentally draining. Can you handle it?” At this point, she rubbed bridge of nose, pained. “Even if you can’t, that’s fine — just control your expressions in front of camera. You absolutely mustn’t yell at kids or get into power struggles…”
The van swayed gently, and combined with Wen Xi’s droning, made Gu Qichi drowsy. He closed eyes, trying to listen, but eventually drifted off again. In truth, he actually liked children very much.
An hour later, the group arrived at filming location, and Gu Qichi opened his eyes. The shoot was in neighboring Haicheng. As soon as he stepped out, salty sea breeze hit his face, carrying wave of heat that left him dazed. Gu Qichi, sensitive to heat, frowned slightly and looked around.
His gaze locked onto something.
In the distance, there was a familiar figure — Broad shoulders, narrow waist, incredibly long legs, and stern cool expression.
It was…
Gu Qichi gave a wry smile; he really should have asked for man’s name before leaving that day. After all, the man’s umbrella was still sitting in his home.
Looking more closely, he saw Bo Yu was holding hand of a small child.
Gu Qichi’s mouth fell open slightly. Did Bo Yu already have a child?