Everything before had happened far too fast. Yu Tan hadn't really had a moment to study the jade.
He was certain of one thing—in all his twenty-six years, he'd never seen a piece quite like this. No gemstone in existence could compare.
It wasn't just about the quality or texture. There was something else—something that couldn't be explained, only felt.
Hu Xiaoyu wouldn't say where it came from, but Yu Tan wasn't the kind of man to be brushed off. He wouldn't rest until he found out the truth.
He called his senior brother, Fan Yingqi.
"Old man, I'm sending you something. Take a look and tell me if there's anything strange about it."
Then, after a pause, he added, "Don't lose it. Send it back exactly as it is."
Though Yu Tan had once been accepted into the Daoist path, his master had forbidden him from touching the sect's occult practices. Later, he'd thrown himself into the chaos of the mortal world, leaving such matters to others.
Of course, if he'd ever truly wanted to learn, no one could've stopped him.
Fan Yingqi was amused—his quiet little junior rarely asked for help.
"Little brother," he teased, "how are things going with that fated person of yours?"
Yu Tan twirled the piece of jade between his fingers. His expression softened.
"Nothing special," he replied casually.
When Hu Xiaoyu finally woke up, it was already the next afternoon.
Yu Tan was gone. There were three pillows on the bed, and one extra was nestled in his arms. He leaned in to sniff—it smelled like Yu Tan.
He tried getting up, but his knees gave out instantly.
The feeling was… indescribable. His whole body felt boneless, like he could collapse into a split without warning.
Luckily, another pillow had fallen onto the floor. He shuffled over and sat down, trying to recover.
As restless as always, he fiddled with the pillow beneath him.
Wait… why were there so many pillows again?
Oh, —right. This one was the one Yu Tan had used to prop up his waist last night.
And with that thought, the memories came flooding back.
Yu Tan walked in from the study, a folder in hand, only to find Hu Xiaoyu sitting at the edge of the bed, lost in thought.
He looked so small, so forlorn—like an abandoned kitten.
"Why aren't you wearing any clothes?" Yu Tan asked, effortlessly lifting him back onto the bed.
"Do I have to?" Hu Xiaoyu blinked at him. "Can I not? It's… uncomfortable."
Yu Tan froze mid-step, about to fetch pajamas. "… Are you sure?"
Now that he'd tasted meat, Hu Xiaoyu had developed certain instincts. Under Yu Tan's meaningful gaze, he quickly pulled the blanket up to his chin. "Maybe… I should wear one after all."
Whether he wore anything or not didn't really matter to Yu Tan—after all, he could undo it with a single thought.
Still, he wasn't one to drain the pond to catch the fish. Better to keep things balanced.
Soon after, Yu Tan carried Hu Xiaoyu downstairs for lunch.
Technically speaking, Hu Xiaoyu's physique was different from a human's—he didn't actually need the help.
But when Yu Tan asked, "Can you walk, or should I carry you?" he'd mischievously chosen the latter.
Being in Yu Tan's arms was something he'd always secretly dreamed of.
Uncle Hong had already guessed what had gone on upstairs when Hu Xiaoyu hadn't come down for an entire day and night.
Now, seeing Yu Tan carrying the boy downstairs, he hurried to meet them, worried that Master Yu might've pushed the poor thing too far.
Fortunately, though Hu Xiaoyu looked pale, he was clearly in good spirits.
What Uncle Hong didn't know was that the paleness came not from exhaustion, but from the loss of his heart's blood.
Hu Xiaoyu greeted him cheerfully before Yu Tan sat him down at the dining table.
He was so comfortable in Yu Tan's arms that he refused to get up, insisting that Yu Tan hold him while he ate.
His excuse? "It still hurts a little. I can't sit."
Yu Tan didn't argue. He even fed him a bowl of porridge himself.
Meanwhile, he thought to himself: And this silly little thing wants to be a movie star? Without acting like that, only I'd buy it.
As if summoned by the thought, a phone rang.
The phone wasn't Yu Tan's—it was Hu Xiaoyu's. Since his pajamas didn't have pockets, he'd stuff them into Yu Tan's instead.
Hu Xiaoyu reached into his pocket to grab it.
The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number. He answered anyway.
It wasn't until after he'd picked up that he realized how quickly he'd moved—so he quickly leaned his head against Yu Tan's shoulder again, feigning weakness.
The result was that Yu Tan heard every word.
Hu Xiaoyu didn't mind. He didn't even think about it.
The voice on the other end was young, smooth, and polite. After confirming Hu Xiaoyu's identity, he introduced himself as Fei Sizhen from the Fei family in Shencheng.
Fei Sizhen wasn't short of money. His passion was filmmaking, and he'd already earned a name for himself among the new generation of directors.
He was currently preparing a new film. The lead role had been decided, but the second male lead—the character of breathtaking beauty and ethereal charm—had yet to be found.
In an industry full of handsome faces, finding someone who looked both enchanting and pure was nearly impossible.
Fei Sizhen had all but given up hope—until last night, when fate handed him Hu Xiaoyu at Liu Luanzhou's birthday banquet.
He hadn't wanted to go at all, but his father had forced him to attend. And there, across the room, he'd spotted a young man who fit his vision perfectly.
A blessing from the heavens.
He knew inviting someone of Hu Xiaoyu's background—a pampered young master with connections—might seem inappropriate, but for the sake of his beloved film, he was willing to take the risk.
Unfortunately, Hu Xiaoyu had been surrounded all night. And when Fei Sizhen had finally worked up the courage to approach him, he'd found the young man standing beside the infamous Yu Tan—and immediately lost his nerve.
Still, after some effort, he'd managed to get Hu Xiaoyu's contact information and decided to take his shot today.
Hu Xiaoyu blinked, stunned. Someone wants me to be in a movie?
Being in a film meant fame—people noticing him, adoring him. That meant more spiritual energy, enough to recover from his loss and better protect Yu Tan.
How could this not be good news?
Trying to sound composed, he said, "I'll need to talk to my family first."
"Family," of course, meant Yu Tan.
He was still under contract as his bodyguard, and Yu Tan clearly didn't like the idea of him entering showbiz. He'd need to get his approval first.
When he hung up, Hu Xiaoyu turned to Yu Tan, shaking his arm excitedly.
Yu Tan had heard everything but didn't interrupt—he let the boy repeat it all just to hear that one word again: family.
Finally, Yu Tan asked, his tone calm as ever, "What if I say no?"
Hu Xiaoyu tilted his head. "Then I'll just keep asking until you say yes."
Yu Tan chuckled. The little fool truly believed he'd never stop him from doing anything—just as he'd said he wouldn't attend Brother Liu's birthday banquet but ended up going anyway.
Still, Hu Xiaoyu couldn't help feeling a bit guilty. He didn't want to make Yu Tan unhappy.
But if things continued like this, he'd barely have enough energy for daily survival, let alone for bigger things—reading Yu Tan's fate, averting disasters, or freeing the fox tail bound to him.
Their eyes met. Yu Tan spoke first.
He pinched Hu Xiaoyu's soft cheek, his voice steady. "Filmmaking's complicated. There's no guarantee it'll ever be finished or released. But you can try. Just one condition—if it fails, no tears."
The word tears made Hu Xiaoyu's chest ache—it always reminded him of things he didn't want to remember.
He lifted his face and brushed a gentle kiss against Yu Tan's chin. Yu Tan really is too good for me, he thought.
Yu Tan caught his chin and deepened the kiss.
He'd learned by now that with this little fox, gentle coaxing worked far better than force. Taming softly was always the wiser path.
And if a movie that hadn't even started shooting somehow happened to fall apart later—well, that would be easy enough to arrange. Hardly worth upsetting his little toy over.
Soon after, Hu Xiaoyu set up a meeting with Fei Sizhen.
Yu Tan told A-Jiu to drive him there and bring him safely back afterward.
Meanwhile, Yu Tan had his assistant schedule a meeting with the Fei family patriarch—Fei Sizhen's father.
The two families already had business dealings, so a casual chat over tea or a game of golf would be the perfect distraction while his little fox went off on his new adventure.