A meal

Fu Xiuyuan rubbed the thumb ring on his hand and said casually, "I have a project here. I saw online that you were sick, so I stopped by to see you."

Gu Nian'an gazed at the man for a moment, then his eyes curved into a smile. "Thank you, sir."

"Mm." The man languidly lifted his eyelids, looked at the softly smiling youth, and turned his gaze away.

After a moment of thought, he looked back and asked in a low voice, "What would you like to eat? I'll take you out for a meal in a bit."

Gu Nian'an shook his head slightly and looked at the man. "You decide, sir."

Yu Songqing lay in bed, countless complicated emotions flashing through his eyes as he thought of Gu Nian'an.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it was his agent.

Knowing he had gone too far, he answered. A woman's voice immediately came through. "Yu Songqing! What's gotten into you? Did going on a variety show make you lose your mind? How did you get mixed up with Gu Nian'an?"

Yu Songqing rubbed his ear and said indifferently, "My contract with the company is about to expire."

The woman on the other end froze at his words. The next second, her furious voice echoed through the bedroom. "Yu Songqing! Have you really fallen for that pretty face like people online are saying? Are you going to ruin your future for him?"

Yu Songqing's lips curled with a hint of mockery as he said sarcastically, "My future?"

Something seemed to occur to the woman on the other end. She fell silent, then abruptly hung up.

Yu Songqing rolled over and closed his eyes wearily.

After his father died and his mother had a younger brother with his stepfather, she had made him study the arts.

She had dressed it up as a way to develop his abilities, saying she did not want him to wear himself out, and kept him out of company affairs. Once he came of age, she had even signed a contract on his behalf, forcing him to enter a talent competition.

But... after his younger brother was left reliant on a wheelchair following a car accident, his mother had no choice but to turn her attention back to him, wanting him to leave the entertainment industry and help his younger brother at the company.

Now she said that she had wanted him to gain more experience out in the world back then, yet she was the one who had forced him to study dance and music from childhood, even making him attend an arts academy abroad.

Now that his younger brother had lost the use of both legs, drank all day, and suffered lingering effects from the accident, he could not command respect at the company. She was also the one using threats and inducements to make Yu Songqing return.

From beginning to end, he had been nothing more than a tool for them to summon and dismiss at will.

At the thought of his stepfather, Yu Songqing opened his eyes, his gaze darkening. When his father died, that man had taken advantage of the opening and sweet-talked his mother into believing everything he said.

Over the years, he had also constantly spoken ill of Yu Songqing to his mother and secretly worked to suppress him.

But now that his younger brother had lost the use of both legs and spent his days miserable and despondent, his stepfather's carefully laid plans would probably come to nothing.

With half a year left before his contract ended, he thought of how countless times he had brainwashed himself into believing that his dream was to become a singer or an idol.

Yet now, because the plans of those who had fabricated that "dream" had been overturned, they wanted him to return.

The things he had once envied, the things his mother had forbidden him to touch, were now within reach. He could not help smiling self-mockingly.

For some reason, he suddenly thought of Gu Nian'an.

His every expression, his every movement, his clear eyes-a faint flutter stirred in Yu Songqing's heart.

I really want to get a little closer...

Then he thought of Gu Nian'an's interactions with Mu Chen. A trace of loneliness flashed through his eyes, and the corners of his mouth drooped slightly.

He was a coward...

The restaurant stood beside a quiet garden. Its interior had an antique elegance, and the warm light spilling down from overhead blended harmoniously with its surroundings.

A white jade vase holding several lilies stood beside the table, complementing the ink-black screen behind it.

The dishes were all light and slightly sweet, the kind favored in the south. Fu Xiuyuan had reserved a table at this restaurant the day before he came, so a server led them straight to a window seat as soon as they entered.

Gu Nian'an surveyed the porcelain and decorations around him, all of which practically screamed how expensive they were, and could not help marveling. The world of the rich is beyond me.

Glancing at the youth, who kept studying the porcelain beside the table, Fu Xiuyuan asked in a low voice, "Do you like porcelain? I have some in my collection at home. You can pick something out when we get back if you want."

Gu Nian'an choked at his words. Can you just give antique vases away like that? As expected of the male lead. Still, he shook his head repeatedly. "No, no, no. I just thought they were interesting and was taking a look."

With that, he picked up his teacup and gulped down some water, only to accidentally burn his tongue. He hurriedly set the cup down, hissing over and over.

Watching the youth burn his tongue, Fu Xiuyuan could not help chuckling, his expression gradually softening.

Just then, the server brought out all the dishes, one plate after another, faster than they could take them in.

Looking at the table full of food.

Gu Nian'an looked bewildered. "Sir, there's no way the two of us can finish all this." Was the male lead trying to feed him to death?

Fu Xiuyuan seemed to read his thoughts. A trace of amusement crossed his eyes as he said, "The food here is fairly light, which is just what you should be eating right now. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I ordered a little of everything."

Hearing this, Gu Nian'an stopped hesitating. He picked up a piece of crispy pork and popped it into his mouth. With just one bite, his eyes widened. The meat was crisp without falling apart, and utterly delicious.

Seeing how happily Gu Nian'an was eating, Fu Xiuyuan picked up a ladle and served a small bowl of fish soup. He set it before him and said in a low voice, "This is the restaurant's specialty, sour fish soup. Give it a try."

Gu Nian'an picked up his spoon and took a small sip, immediately astonished by the soup's savory flavor. The fish was tangy, tender, and exceptionally delicious.

Gu Nian'an said no more and bent his head to dig in.

Watching his eyes light up, Fu Xiuyuan could not help the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.

After the meal, Gu Nian'an slumped in his chair beside the table and sighed in admiration. "The food here is so good! You have such good taste, sir! Even picking at random, you found somewhere this delicious!"

Fu Xiuyuan looked away and rubbed his thumb ring with a hint of guilt. When he had been preparing to come yesterday, he had asked his assistant to choose this restaurant.

After settling the bill, the two rose and headed outside.

Looking at the darkening sky, Fu Xiuyuan said, "It's almost dark. The production team said to wait until you're better and resume filming tomorrow. I've booked two rooms at a hotel. Come get some rest with me."

Gu Nian'an looked at the man in confusion. "Sir, do you know our director?"

Fu Xiuyuan abruptly paused at the question, then said evenly, "I'm an investor in this variety show, so I know the director. He knows we're friends, so he mentioned it to me and asked me to pass it on to you."

Without waiting for Gu Nian'an to ask anything else, he took him by the arm and led him toward the car.

He clearly remembered that in the original novel, the male lead had never been involved in the entertainment business. The book had even specifically described that point. But seeing that the man had no intention of explaining, Gu Nian'an could only swallow all his questions.