Far away on the stage in City A, Qiu Qiu had no idea he had just ruined his sugar daddy's business deal worth hundreds of millions.
As the song ended, Qiu Qiu gently pressed the guitar strings, stopping their vibration. Holding his guitar under the spotlight, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead, he stood confidently, looking at the judges before him and awaiting their comments.
Frankly, he didn't need the judges to speak; the reaction from the audience in the stands already proved his success.
"Super New Voice," a rather obscure little talent show, still couldn't be considered a major event even after receiving investment from the Enrui Group. Among the few hundred audience members in the semi-final hall, apart from the scattered friends and family brought by the contestants themselves, the vast majority were plants hired by the show.
The production team opted for the cheapest kind of plant. They weren't provided meals, just eighty yuan for the day. Their job wasn't to cry, only to clap.
The planner originally wanted to hire a few dozen who could cry on cue, but the budget was too high and wasn't approved.
You get what you pay for. The eighty-yuan audience sat below the stage like wooden posts planted in each seat. Except for a few minutes of curiosity towards Qi Qiqi due to his young age, they all played on their phones while other contestants performed. The director tried several times to cut to audience reaction shots, but each time it was a quick, empty pan before hastily switching back to the self-absorbed contestants.
They endured like this, slogging through until the end of the competition, when Qiu Qiu finally took the stage. Little Li, along with the classmates she had rallied, immediately stood up, waving light boards and cheering for him.
Their commotion caused the surrounding phone-users to instinctively look up. Seeing the clean, refreshing boy on stage with an especially endearing smile, they decided to listen to him sing.
And once they listened, no one could spare a thought for their phones again.
Many couldn't understand the meaning of the lyrics Qiu Qiu sang, but they could understand the story within the song. That kind of youthful, innocent, bittersweet love that leaves a sweet aftertaste in your heart was something everyone had once pursued.
Not only was the audience surprised, but the judges also hadn't expected him to be the dark horse.
During the auditions, his performance of "Don't Look at Me, I'm Just a Sheep" seemed like he was there to cause trouble. If it weren't for the investor daddy insisting on selecting contestants with potential for hype, Qiu Qiu's chances of advancing would have been slim.
Who would have thought they'd be proven wrong by Qiu Qiu's performance today.
Although there was a gap in breath control compared to professional singers, his pitch and emotional delivery were excellent. The judges exchanged glances privately and quickly reached a consensus.
They each commented on his performance. Apart from one male judge playing the "bad cop" role by picking out some flaws, the other four praised him highly.
This was actually Qiu Qiu's first formal competition, but since he had stumbled onto this path by accident anyway, winning this round didn't make him particularly happy.
His only joy lay in the fact that advancing meant he could get the prize money!
The little money-grubber's eyes curved into happy crescents at the thought of fifty thousand yuan. Even after the judges finished their comments, he was still standing there, lips pressed together in a smile.
As he left the stage, the final contestant, Hua Xiang, was waiting in the wings.
Hua Xiang's family was wealthy. He didn't even use the microphone provided by the show. The one in his hand was custom-made for him, paid for by his dad, adorned with gold leaf that shone so brightly mere mortals dared not look directly at it.
He was showing off again: "See this microphone? Two hundred and sixty thousand for one. It was consecrated at the most famous temple in our hometown. Eight senior monks chanted sutras for it in the main hall, blessing me to charge ahead triumphantly!"
...Rich people's money is so easy to earn.
Seeing Qiu Qiu come off stage, Hua Xiang quickly grabbed him: "Bro, not bad! You sang with real skill! Looks like you'll be my rival from now on."
Qiu Qiu grinned, a dimple appearing on his right cheek: "Not at all, not at all, I still need to learn humbly."
Seeing Qiu Qiu's dimple, Hua Xiang wanted to poke it. How could someone's smile be so adorable? Before he could poke it, Qiu Qiu tilted his head to dodge—his dimple wasn't for just anyone to poke!
Seeing his lack of cooperation, Hua Xiang's young master temper flared: "I was just being polite with my praise earlier, don't take it seriously."
Qiu Qiu sheepishly admitted his fault: "Actually, I was just being falsely modest."
"..." Hua Xiang decided he would never speak to this schoolmate Qiu Qiu again.
The host on stage had already begun introducing the background of the final performer, Hua Xiang. While doing a last-minute check of his appearance, Hua Xiang instructed Qiu Qiu: "Don't go remove your makeup yet. Stand there and properly watch my performance, listen carefully to what I'm singing."
Before Qiu Qiu could agree, Hua Xiang rushed out of the backstage area like a whirlwind.
But the moment he left, Qiu Qiu's phone rang. The words "Sugar Daddy" flashed on the screen, asserting their presence. Qiu Qiu's finger was already on the answer button when Hua Xiang's musical accompaniment started from the stage.
Qiu Qiu wanted to talk to his sugar daddy, but he also didn't want to ignore his friend's feelings. He frowned, agonizing for twenty seconds—and then the call disconnected.
Qiu Qiu's heart skipped a beat. How could he care about Hua Xiang now? Clutching his phone, he dashed straight for the men's restroom. The dressing room was crowded and full of chatter; only the bathroom was a place for a quiet conversation now.
As he rushed into the restroom, the phone rang again. But this time it wasn't a voice call; it was a video invitation from "Daddy is Sugar Daddy's Daddy." Qiu Qiu immediately pressed the answer key, and Fu Ruien's half-naked figure appeared on the screen.
The background of the image was Fu Ruien's hotel suite. He was leaning against the headboard, bare-chested, his tight abs and sexy V-line extending to the edge of the frame. A thin blanket covered his waist, concealing only the crucial area.
Qiu Qiu blushed at the sight, wanting to look away but unable to resist stealing more glances.
"Sugar Daddy..."
"Why didn't you answer the phone earlier?" Fu Ruien's tone was unpleasant, his brow furrowed.
After seeing Little Li at the venue, he had felt extremely agitated. Why was she there? Did Qiu Qiu invite her? Could old feelings rekindle? He never imagined he'd one day feel such intense urgency over a little girl.
He forced himself to wait patiently until Qiu Qiu left the stage before calling.
But his sweet son hadn't answered.
In those twenty seconds of dial tone, Fu Ruien had already imagined what Qiu Qiu and Little Li's twins would look like.
So, Fu Ruien couldn't help but make a video call. He originally intended to speak gently and slowly, but the moment he opened his mouth, he couldn't suppress his anger.
If it were someone with a fiercer temper, they would have started arguing upon hearing such an accusation. But Qiu Qiu was well-behaved and mild-mannered, explaining patiently that he had just been talking to a friend.
Only then did Fu Ruien feel relieved. He praised Qiu Qiu's performance, told him to keep it up, and discussed the progress of his work there, saying he could return home as early as the day after tomorrow.
The business collaborations he mentioned were far removed from Qiu Qiu's ordinary life. But Qiu Qiu listened with great effort. When Fu Ruien occasionally sprinkled in a few specialized English words, Qiu Qiu would silently memorize them to look up later—he hoped that by standing on his tiptoes and stretching out his hand, he could reach the world that belonged to his godfather.
Fu Ruien talked in circles for a long time, finally arriving at his intended destination.
"By the way, Qiu Qiu, I think I saw your ex-girlfriend at the venue earlier? Have you gotten back in touch?"
Qiu Qiu was a clever person, always scoring full marks on reading comprehension tests, especially skilled at discerning the question-setter's intent.
"So godfather, you were in such a hurry to call me because you were afraid I'd get back together with Little Li?"
"..."
"We haven't been in contact," Qiu Qiu said. "I won't get back together with her. We weren't a good match."
...Then who would be a good match?
Those four words lingered on the tip of Fu Ruien's tongue for a moment before he swallowed them back down along with a flutter of emotion.
Qiu Qiu didn't notice his brief distraction, chattering away cheerfully like a little lark: "Oh, right, after you get back the day after tomorrow, do you have time to meet up?"
"What, did you miss me?"
"I need to pay you back."
Fu Ruien was baffled: "Pay me back for what?"
Qiu Qiu blushed: "You forgot? Back then... you sent me 50,000 yuan as a 'scholarship.' I bought this guitar with that money. I won this competition, and the prize money is just enough to pay you back."
Fu Ruien's mood instantly soured.
What did his sweet son mean by this? Smiling like a crisp, fresh apple when they met, yet saying things that tasted like an unripe kiwi?
Once Qiu Qiu paid off this "kept" fee, would he next want to sever ties completely, becoming strangers if they met again?
Fu Ruien reminded him darkly: "After paying back the 50,000, you still have 30 million left."
"I know," Qiu Qiu said breezily, much to his surprise. "Even though we're close, money matters should still be settled clearly. It's so hard to earn money nowadays, and you work so hard every day. I can't just spend your money for nothing."
Only then did Fu Ruien understand Qiu Qiu's meaning.
This kid... why is he so "sweet"?
Fu Ruien had been to many places and heard many dialects. In a small southern city, the locals referred to foolishness as "sweet," and "adorably foolish" was called "sweet juice splashing out."
Qiu Qiu had unknowingly splashed this sweet juice in front of Fu Ruien several times already. Fu Ruien couldn't bear to drink it all at once; he wished he could save it in a bowl, place it by his bedside, and take a small sip every night before sleep.
It would invigorate him, prolong his life, cure all ailments, and especially heal a certain part that got twisted in anger.
Fu Ruien teased him: "How are you going to pay back 30 million? Look, after finishing university you still have graduate school, then a Ph.D. Even when you start working, will you be able to make 30,000 a month? What if you can't pay it back and run away?"
Afraid he wouldn't be believed, Qiu Qiu hastily vowed: "Godfather, don't worry, I would absolutely never run away!"
Fu Ruien deliberately looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze.
Qiu Qiu smiled: "Even if I did run, you wouldn't need to chase me. Because the Earth is round, I would definitely end up running right back to you."
Hmm, so Fu Ruien just needed to stand still, and the silly rabbit would get dizzy and run right into him. But he couldn't bear to let the rabbit crash into a tree stump. If it was going to crash, it should crash right into his arms.
