It was supposed to be a perfectly good weekend for Fu Ruien to rest at home. But the longer he stayed in his study, the more restless he became. His mind kept drifting back to the glimpse of collarbone and waist Qiu Qiu had inadvertently shown during their video call, and the faint dimples that appeared near his cheeks when he spoke.
Fu Ruien took two cold showers, yet he still couldn't quell the boundless, restless fire burning within him.
On a sudden impulse, he drove across the entire city, speeding from the villa district to pick up this boy who didn't belong to him. He thought seeing Qiu Qiu would make his itch even harder to bear, but surprisingly, when he caught sight of Qiu Qiu's dimples, that fiery agitation gradually dissipated.
Qiu Qiu was like a piece of candy—all-natural, no additives, no artificial coloring, unrefined. Yet, just hearing his voice, seeing his figure, or thinking of his existence was enough to make a sweet taste spread in Fu Ruien's mouth.
...
Five minutes ago, as Qiu Qiu walked into the parking lot, he turned his head as if guided by some telepathic connection, just in time to see a gleaming sports car speeding towards him.
The car's windows were all tinted with privacy film, but even though Qiu Qiu couldn't clearly see the driver's face, the tall, straight figure he caught in that fleeting glance was enough for him to be certain it was Fu Ruien behind the wheel.
They hadn't arranged to meet, and the car had already driven past him, yet it never once crossed Qiu Qiu's mind to doubt whether his godfather would come back for him.
Forgetting all about his friend Hua Xiang in his eagerness to see his godfather, Qiu Qiu happily clambered into Fu Ruien's pumpkin-colored sports car.
Every time Qiu Qiu saw his godfather, he felt genuinely happy from the bottom of his heart, though he couldn't quite explain why.
Fairy tales say the fairy godmother arrives before Cinderella bearing light, illuminating her dull and ordinary life. But the carriage and beautiful dress the fairy godmother gave Cinderella had a time limit, whereas the heartbeat Fu Ruien brought to Qiu Qiu had no expiration date.
This was Qiu Qiu's first time in his godfather's car. Previously, whenever he went to the Xiangjiang Villa, a chauffeur had handled the pick-up and drop-off. And a big boss like Fu Ruien didn't usually need to drive himself.
The most expensive vehicle Qiu Qiu had ever ridden was the subway. Inside the sports car, he looked left and right, utterly fascinated. He thought the buttons were so cool, the dashboard was so cool, but the person driving was the coolest of all.
Qiu Qiu asked softly, "Godfather, why did you suddenly decide to come pick me up?"
Fu Ruien said, "Didn't I say on the phone? I'm coming to ravage you."
"...But, but I didn't show any skin in the photos I sent."
Fu Ruien teased him on purpose: "Do I need a special reason to ravage you?"
Qiu Qiu trembled in shock. How could he forget? His godfather was perfect in every way, except for his unfortunate sexual proclivity—every time they met, he seemed to want to devour him.
Qiu Qiu, like a slime that had been hacked eight hundred times by a brave warrior, slumped softly into a ball and looked pleadingly at the great demon king: "Then... can you finish ravaging me within half an hour? I have to go back to school for a lecture this afternoon."
...He was always so pure and unaffected when facing the domineering CEO.
Fu Ruien was both annoyed and amused: "Half an hour? You really underestimate me."
...
The seatbelts in a top-tier sports car are different from those in ordinary cars.
Most cars on the market have "three-point seatbelts," where the belt comes down from the shoulder, crosses the body diagonally, and fastens beside the opposite leg. But sports cars mostly have "four-point harnesses," with attachment points at both shoulders and both sides of the waist, and the buckle fastening at the front of the abdomen.
However, Fu Ruien's sports car was even more advanced; it had a race car-like six-point harness. Qiu Qiu had never seen so many straps before and was utterly confused after fiddling with them for a while.
He pulled at this strap and tugged at that one. Seeing him fumble so clumsily, Fu Ruien couldn't bear to watch any longer and reached over to help him fasten the upper four straps.
"Spread your legs," Fu Ruien instructed.
"...Huh? Wha-?" Qiu Qiu's mouth fell open. He wasn't a completely clueless innocent; he had heard of "car sex," but he'd never heard of needing to buckle the seatbelt while being ravaged in a car. Was this some new kind of play?
Seeing Qiu Qiu frozen stupidly in place, Fu Ruien leaned over, placed his hands on Qiu Qiu's knees, and gently but firmly pried apart his tightly clamped legs.
Qiu Qiu's face flushed red and then paled. Just as his heart trembled, wondering if he should close his eyes to brace for the coming storm, Fu Ruien pulled out two more safety straps from between Qiu Qiu's legs, underneath the seat.
With a soft click, the six-point harness was finally secured. Qiu Qiu was now firmly strapped into the passenger seat like a toy.
Fu Ruien asked solicitously, "Is the harness too tight? Look, your face is all red."
...It wasn't the harness on the sweet son that was too tight; it was the godfather who smelled too good.
Only after confirming Qiu Qiu's harness was properly fastened did Fu Ruien start the car and drive onto the road. This pumpkin-colored sports car was worth a fortune; it drove without the slightest vibration, gliding as smoothly as if it were hovering above the ground.
It was only then that Qiu Qiu noticed Fu Ruien's seatbelt wasn't a six-point harness like his own, but had been retrofitted into the most ordinary three-point type. Fu Ruien never raced; a three-point belt was sufficient for everyday driving safety.
Qiu Qiu moved his hands and feet; the six-point harness dug uncomfortably into his flesh. He complained indignantly: "Godfather, who only modifies the driver's seat like you did? The passenger seat should have been modified too."
Fu Ruien answered offhandedly, "I cut corners and didn't bother modifying it at the time. Besides, no one has ever sat in the passenger seat before."
Qiu Qiu cautiously extended his metaphorical antennae to test the waters: "...So I'm the first person to sit in the passenger seat?"
Fu Ruien glanced at him sideways and asked meaningfully, "So, do you want to be the last?"
The little snail didn't dare reply, swiftly retreating back into his shell.
While waiting at a red light at the intersection, Qiu Qiu was delighted to spot his new friend Qi Qiqi in the car next to them. Qi Qiqi was sitting in a child safety seat, engrossed in playing a mobile game.
...So child safety seats also have six-point harnesses.
Excited, Qiu Qiu rolled down his window and waved: "Qi Qiqi!"
Qi Qiqi looked up, thrilled, and called out to him without any formality: "Qiu Qiu!"
Unfortunately, the light turned green. One car went straight, the other turned, and they could only say a quick "goodbye" before parting ways.
Fu Ruien asked, somewhat surprised, "When did you get to know such a young child? Who is he?"
"He's your god-grandson."
"..." Fu Ruien was in the prime of his life at forty. First, a grown godson pops up, and now where did this god-grandson come from?
"Qiqi is also one of the ten finalists who advanced this time. I thought you'd know, Godfather," Qiu Qiu replied. "Isn't that how it always is in TV shows? The CEO invests in something, and his secretary needs to regularly report on the progress to him."
Fu Ruien laughed. "I'm so busy every day, when would I have time to manage a small investment of just thirty million? People lower down are specifically following up on this project, responsible for its profitability."
Fu Ruien's secretary was very clever. Considering Qiu Qiu's reputation, when injecting funds, he didn't explicitly state "Qiu Qiu must advance." Instead, he casually told the show's production team—"find more contestants with potential to create a buzz."
Thus, a five-year-old prodigy, a Black man with dreadlocks, and a top student campus heartthrob all smoothly advanced to the semi-finals.
Fu Ruien made arrangements while driving: "You sing well. When you make it to the national competition, I'll hire you a famous vocal coach. You have talent—you can sing, compose, and play the piano. With me backing you, you definitely won't be overlooked."
"... Godfather, but I plan to withdraw after the semi-finals..."
Fu Ruien slammed on the brakes.
Qiu Qiu realized he had let down Fu Ruien's good intentions. Filled with guilt, he hung his head, facing his godfather's intense gaze as if under interrogation: "Although I really like singing and don't mind being in the spotlight, I'm still a student. My studies are the most important thing."
"... Are you afraid being a celebrity will interfere with your studies?"
"Um, becoming a celebrity is too far off, I haven't even thought about that... It's just that on the day of the regional finals, I have two exams, for my major courses. I can't miss them."
If any other sugar daddy heard that their kept lover wanted to skip a talent show for such a ridiculous reason, they would absolutely think them ungrateful. But when Fu Ruien heard it, he just found the troubled Qiu Qiu utterly adorable.
So adorable that... it made Fu Ruien want to pull him into bed countless times, yet when he reached out, his hand would end up patting Qiu Qiu's head instead.
Although there was no such "keeping" relationship between them anymore, "the sugar is gone, but the sweetness remains." As a sugar daddy, it was his duty to clear all obstacles from his sugar baby's path.
Fu Ruien took out his phone and called his secretary, who was on call 24/7 and quickly answered.
"... Boss, have a heart, it's the weekend..."
"Contact the production team of 'Super New Voice' right now. Tell them to postpone the regional finals by two days."
Secretary: "... ???"
Qiu Qiu: "... !!!"
Goodness, what a bewitching concubine leading the kingdom astray.
