Chapter 3

Everyone present broke into a cold sweat for Su Su.

However, Gu Yuzhou did not seem angry; he simply replied, "Fine."

Su Su let out an instant sigh of relief. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he personally went to retrieve the recording of Yu An’s recent dance performance. He thought to himself that success or failure would depend entirely on whether Yu An could catch the eye of President Gu.

The assistant stepped forward. Upon seeing the youth in the video, he was startled—it was the same person who had just bumped into President Gu. He then presented the recording to the President with both hands.

Gu Yuzhou lowered his eyes, gazing at the youth in the video, his brows twitching slightly. After only a second, he withdrew his gaze and looked at his assistant. The assistant understood immediately: he was to stay behind and handle the matter.

***

Yu An boarded the bus home. It was only when he was nearly there that he remembered the dinner invitation from his teacher. He checked the time—it was already 12:30 PM. If he rushed over now, he would likely keep his teacher waiting until one or two in the afternoon before they could eat. It was far too late.

He sent a message to his teacher saying he would visit another time. After waiting a while and seeing no reply, he turned off his phone and got off the bus, walking toward his home.

Twenty minutes later, Yu An arrived home. The butler walked up to him. "Second Young Master, why are you only returning home today? Did the Madam have another episode?"

There was an unspoken rule in the Yu household: whenever Mrs. Yu had an episode, Yu An had to stay at a hotel and could only return once her condition had stabilized.

"I had things to do," Yu An replied, his tone somewhat aloof.

The butler didn't dare press further and said, "Lunch is ready. Would you like to eat?" He added, "The Master and Madam have gone to the hospital to see the Young Master, and they have a banquet to attend tonight, so they won't be back for dinner."

He expected Yu An to refuse the meal, but not only did Yu An nod, he sat at the dining table, finished a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup, and then returned to his room.

The butler was increasingly astonished. This time, upon hearing that his parents would not be home for dinner, Yu An hadn't looked sad at all. In fact, the butler sensed an unusual sense of relaxation in him. How could someone feel relaxed eating alone? He remembered that in the past, whenever Yu An ate alone, he would lose his appetite, often skipping meals entirely and waiting for his parents to return so he could join them. That was from a long time ago, when the Madam was critically ill and Yu An, even after being brought back, was not allowed to sit at the table with them.

Yet, how did it seem that his appetite now was better than it had ever been? The butler checked the dishes, but they were the usual fare. Unable to make sense of it, he suppressed his doubts. Once he saw the Second Young Master enter his room and close the door, he called the eldest son.

***

Yu An’s room was at the northernmost end of the villa. When his brother brought him home at the age of ten, he thought he would finally stop drifting, but even after returning home, he felt as though he had never stopped. At first, he lived in hotels; later, he could return to the Yu residence for a few days a month, but he had no permanent room. Eventually, he moved back permanently, but had to relocate to a hotel or the room furthest from his parents’ bedroom depending on the Madam’s condition.

Moving back and forth was too troublesome, and Yu An always felt that after staying in a hotel, the hard-won familiarity would slowly fade, requiring even more time to build again. So, he simply moved into the most remote room in the villa. Regardless of whether the Madam had an episode, as long as he didn't appear proactively, she wouldn't see him.

The room was small, but he kept it cozy. To make practicing dance easier, he had moved everything else out, leaving only a bed and a cabinet with a mirror. On the bed sat five little piggy dolls, bought for him by his mother every year on his birthday from his birth until he was five. Usually, he kept them neatly arranged, but now, Yu An stared at them for a long while before tucking them away into the cabinet.

***

The audition had drained him of much energy. Exhausted, Yu An washed up and lay down on his bed. Before drifting off, he checked his phone for a reply from his teacher, but eventually, he couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep.

***

Yu Ling only saw Yu An’s message after she finished simmering the soup. She shook her head helplessly, knowing Yu An didn't want to trouble her. How could it be trouble? She wished he would grow closer to her. But she respected his wishes; after all, Yu An changing his college entrance exam preferences was already a first step.

Gu Yuzhou, sitting at the dining table, noticed her expression. "What’s wrong?"

"A student of mine was supposed to come today," Yu Ling said.

Gu Yuzhou withdrew his gaze and returned to the laptop in his hands.

Yu Ling smiled. "I was thinking of introducing you two."

Gu Yuzhou didn't even look up.

"He’s good-looking, and he has a gift for both dance and opera. It’s just that his personality is too soft, and his family doesn't treat him well. You’re already thirty; why not consider it?" Yu Ling asked tentatively.

Gu Yuzhou moved his mouse. "I have no plans to marry."

"That’s because you haven't met someone you like," Yu Ling said firmly. Thinking of Yu An, she added, "My student is truly, truly outstanding. Once he gets to university, many people will surely like him. By then, it’ll be too late if you want to meet him."

Gu Yuzhou’s brow didn't move an inch.

"Tsk, you were much more fun when you were little. Now you’re just a cold face; I never know what you’re thinking." Yu Ling sighed and turned toward the kitchen. When she went to carry the soup, Gu Yuzhou followed. "Aunt Yu, let me."

Yu Ling stepped aside and asked casually, "Are you staying here tonight? I had Wang Ma tidy up a room for you."

Gu Yuzhou walked out of the kitchen. "No, there’s a banquet tonight."

***

Yu An was woken by a knock at the door. The butler said from outside, "Second Young Master, the Master wants you to attend a banquet tonight."

Yu An sat up. "What banquet?"

The butler replied, "It’s the eightieth birthday of Old Master Qi. The banquet starts at eight this evening."

Yu An paused. "Okay."

Qi Qi, of the Qi family, was the only friend he had made over the years, and the only one who stood up for him when others called him a foster son.

After washing up, Yu An put on a shirt and vest suitable for the banquet and got into the car the butler had prepared for him. An hour later, the car arrived at the Willis Hotel. Inside, the hotel was brightly lit, filled with the clinking of glasses.

In order to win his parents' favor, Yu An had once stood his ground among the wealthy elite, forcing himself to drink unpleasant alcohol and trying his best to help them save face. But in truth, he didn't like any of it. He disliked these occasions, disliked the alcohol, and disliked the gazes of the playboys lingering on him.

The Yu family had arrived earlier and were already surrounded by people. Watching Yu You toast others with a blank expression, Yu An turned away when he saw them looking his way, walking through the lobby to the rear hall of the hotel.

The rear hall was quiet and sparsely populated. In the distance, a meticulously decorated garden with densely packed, colorful flowers illuminated by warm yellow lights created a lovely atmosphere. He leaned against the railing and inadvertently saw a person standing outside the garden.

The person's facial features were hidden in the shadows, revealing only a well-tailored, high-quality gray suit. Standing there alone, his presence was intense and authoritative, impossible to ignore. In an instant, the man looked up and gazed in his direction.

Their eyes met, and Yu An’s eyes widened slightly. It was him. The man he had accidentally bumped into at the theater that morning. It made sense; being able to appear in the back building of the theater without being a contestant, and having people treat him with such respect—his status must be high. The man was likely discussing business and didn't want to be overheard.

Yu An withdrew his gaze and left quietly.

Just as he stepped out of the hall, someone grabbed his arm. Yu An frowned, and just as he was about to pull away, a familiar voice sounded in his ear: "An'an, you're here too?"

He froze and turned around. Qi Qi was looking at him, his eyes full of surprise. "Why didn't you tell me? And what is wrong with you? Why did you suddenly stop talking to me?"

Seeing him like this, Yu An let out a sigh of relief and apologized sincerely. "I'm sorry. The situation is complicated. I didn't mean to cut off contact. I only came today hoping to see you and apologize in person."

It was the first time Qi Qi had heard Yu An speak with such a clear need for him. Feeling deeply satisfied, he patted his shoulder. "Alright, do you think I'm that petty? You're forgiven!"

Yu An finally smiled, and the dim hall seemed to brighten instantly. His appearance was classical: peach-blossom eyes, a small upturned nose, cherry lips, and skin so fair it seemed to glow. When he wasn't smiling, he looked cold and elegant, but when he smiled, it was like the sudden breaking of dawn. He looked sweet, like a taste of honey, making people want to smile along with him.

Qi Qi covered his face while laughing. Yu An was confused. "What's wrong?"

Qi Qi took his hand away and said helplessly, "It's a good thing I'm straight, or I would have been turned by you a long time ago." Then, he suddenly became curious. "Hey, An'an, do you like men or women?"

Yu An was startled by the question, suddenly remembering the silhouette he had seen earlier. The man was likely in his thirties, in the prime of his charm, and even his back looked quite refined.

"An'an? Yu An?" Qi Qi waved a hand in front of him. "Where did your mind go?"

Yu An snapped out of it and shook his head. "I don't know. Let fate decide."

Watching someone approach them from behind Qi Qi, his smile faded. "There are more important things to do right now."

As he spoke, Yu You had already reached them. "I called you. Why didn't you pick up?"

Yu An said coldly, "I didn't notice."

Yu You frowned, that strange feeling bubbling up in his heart again. He tried his best to suppress it and only said, "We’ll go back together later."

Watching Yu You leave, Qi Qi noticed that Yu An’s attitude toward his brother seemed to have changed. Qi Qi looked curious but was afraid of hurting his friend, so Yu An simply told him briefly about what had happened over the past few days, leaving out the dream he had.

Qi Qi was instantly furious. "Damn, I knew that kid Yu Qing was no good. I thought he was hypocritical from the first moment I saw him. And your brother, his heart is always biased..." He stopped midway, feeling relieved when he saw that Yu An didn't look angry.

The Yu family claimed to the public that Yu An was a foster son, but anyone with a bit of social standing knew that Yu An was the Yu family’s biological child. No one knew what kind of spell Yu Qing had cast on them, but they were all biased toward him.

He remained silent for a while before saying with great loyalty, "If you need anything, come to me anytime. My phone is on 24/7."

Yu An did not refuse his kindness, smiled, and said, "Thank you."

When the banquet ended, Yu You called to urge him to leave.

"Don't stand on ceremony with me!" Qi Qi pushed him toward the exit. "I'll see you to the car."

Yu An looked at his family’s car at the entrance and at Yu You standing there, seemingly waiting for him. He steeled himself. He had to face this eventually; he couldn't keep running away.

In the distance, a black Bentley slowly pulled out of the hotel parking lot. The man in the backseat suddenly spoke. "Stop."

The driver stopped immediately. The assistant in the front seat followed the man’s gaze out the window. The banquet had just ended, and the hotel entrance was bustling with people, but the tall, slender youth in the crowd remained eye-catching.

The assistant, quick-witted, turned around. "President Gu, the matter from this morning has been handled. Mr. Yu will receive the notification tonight."

Gu Yuzhou didn't respond. He remembered the warmth of the youth bumping into his chest, and the single second when the boy looked up at him—the corners of his eyes flushed with a faint red, like red ink dropped into water; it was light, but vivid enough to be unforgettable.

The youth was not meant for a decadent, superficial banquet; he belonged on a vast and magnificent stage.

Gu Yuzhou withdrew his gaze. "Let’s go."