After Failing to Reverse the Plot, I Made My Escape - Chapter 2

“Brother Yu, the next schedule is the interview for Amazing magazine. They have been reaching out to us for half a year, and it has finally been finalized. It is at,”

The young assistant, Tan Ling, droned on in Yu Fuqiu’s ear about his upcoming appointments. Taking a breath, she adjusted her glasses and checked off an item with a black pen. Looking at the long list of tasks remaining, she could not help but sigh.

Yu Fuqiu was like a workaholic machine. She had been by his side for five years and had never seen him take a break.

He had already accumulated enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of his life. Most stars who debuted around the same time as him had either moved behind the scenes or retired to focus on their families. From what Tan Ling could see, Yu Fuqiu was the only one still this active.

She once could not resist asking him, “Brother Yu, why are you pushing yourself so hard? You are not lacking anything now.”

Yu Fuqiu, who had been reading a script, froze at her words. The wind caught his sleeve, revealing a wrist so thin the light blue veins were visible. His profile looked a cold, pale white in the interplay of light and shadow, wearing an expression Tan Ling could not quite decipher.

His eyes flickered before he finally gave her a faint, gentle smile. “No one ever complains about having too much money.”

Tan Ling remembered those words to this day.

She knew that every Sunday, Yu Fuqiu had an unshakable habit: he would go to the bank, withdraw a specific amount of cash, and save it.

That behavior reminded her of a squirrel hoarding food for the winter.

Rather than saying no one complains about having too much money, it felt more like he was securing a guarantee for his own way out.

Tan Ling was startled by her own thought and turned to look at Yu Fuqiu.

His eyes were cast down, long lashes casting butterfly like shadows beneath them. His fingertips lightly brushed the edge of the script; even the act of turning the page was so gentle it seemed he feared disturbing the story between the lines. Due to a role requirement, his hair was shoulder length, strands sliding against his neck as he bowed his head to reveal a slender collarbone. His entire being seemed wrapped in a soft, quiet glow.

No matter how many times she saw this face, Tan Ling was still stunned by its beauty.

“Ah, right. Brother Yu, are you listening?”

Seeing that Yu Fuqiu’s fingers had not moved from the page for a long time, Tan Ling knew he had spaced out.

“I, I am listening!”

To the outside world, Yu Fuqiu appeared to be a reliable adult, but those truly close to him knew he was actually a scatterbrained muddlehead.

Combined with that face and those innocent, dazed eyes, looking at Tan Ling like a literal damp fawn, her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.

Tan Ling sighed. “This is exactly why Sister Chuchu kept me by your side. I know today is your fifth anniversary with Brother Tingzhi, but you still need to pay more attention to your work.”

“After, after this interview ends, I want to go find him.”

Yu Fuqiu pursed his lips slightly, his dimples faintly appearing as his eyes filled with a smile.

Since Yu Fuqiu’s debut, he had consistently topped the rankings for “The person you most want to marry.”

Whether it was a cooking show, a travel show with children, or even traveling abroad to unfamiliar places, he could arrange everything perfectly. In one particular variety show scene, Yu Fuqiu wore a white shirt and a light colored apron. He looked up through the rising steam, the corners of his eyes slightly flushed and moist. He tilted his head and smiled softly at the camera. “Good morning, breakfast is ready.”

This scene was hailed as the epitome of the ideal spouse and became an unsurpassable classic.

As long as Yu Fuqiu sat there with that face, even the most frantic thoughts would soften and feel purified.

“To marry is to marry Yu Fuqiu.” “Can plastic surgery make me look like Yu Fuqiu?”

Then, one day, Yu Fuqiu posted a photo on Weibo of two red marriage certificates and a pair of overlapping hands wearing wedding rings. The caption read: “Thank you all for your love along the way. I would like to formally introduce my lover, Chang Tingzhi. We will continue walking this path together from now on!”

The internet wailed in grief, though most offered blessings.

The person everyone most wanted to marry had become someone else’s spouse.

There was even a Weibo ID named: ‘Have Yu Fuqiu and Chang Tingzhi Divorced Yet?’

[Have Yu Fuqiu and Chang Tingzhi Divorced Yet: Did they divorce today? No.]

“Xiao Ling, please push back the rest of the schedule for me.” Yu Fuqiu blinked pleadingly, clasping his hands together. “Please, please.”

Tan Ling looked at the dense list of tasks. Facing a face like that, even the most heartless person would soften. “Alright, I will talk to Sister Chuchu and get you a break. Go spend a good fifth anniversary with Brother Tingzhi.”

“Oh, right. Xiao Chun’s flight arrives tonight; I will go pick him up.”

Thinking of his child, Yu Fuqiu’s uneasy heart settled.

For some reason, things had been exceptionally unlucky since this morning.

First, Chang Tingzhi was called to the office by work in the middle of the night. When Yu Fuqiu woke up, he missed a step on the stairs and tumbled all the way to the bottom. Even drinking water caused him to choke.

He got stuck in traffic, and when he finally reached the set to do wirework, the wire snapped. He fell three meters onto the mats below. Fortunately, he only sustained minor injuries.

But his eyelid had been twitching incessantly since a moment ago.

Just then, his phone went “ding-dong.”

It was the specific ringtone he had set for Xiao Chun.

Sure enough, the moment Yu Fuqiu opened his phone, a video call from the child popped up.

“Mommy!”

The child’s name was Chang Qichun, representing a wish for a smooth and healthy life, a warm, heartfelt hope that his future would be as gentle as spring.

Chang Tingzhi had tried to correct Chang Qichun to call him “Daddy” or “Papa,” explaining that “Mommy” was for girls and “Daddy” was for boys.

Chang Qichun had tilted his head in confusion, saying all the kids around him called their parents “Mommy” and “Daddy,” so why could he not?

Yu Fuqiu’s heart softened, and he gave in to the child’s wish.

Ever since Chang Qichun learned to speak, it had never been changed.

“Chun Chun.”

Yu Fuqiu looked at the child on the screen, whose features closely resembled Chang Tingzhi’s. His gaze was tender, like a pool of clear water one could easily drown in.

“How was the study tour with Auntie?”

Chang Qichun pulled at the sleeve of the person next to him, and a refined face appeared. She clearly felt a bit awkward facing Yu Fuqiu and cleared her throat. “Fuqiu, the food was okay. Tingzhi has not been bullying you, has he?”

“I am fine, Auntie.” A faint smile flickered in Yu Fuqiu’s eyes. This aunt was used to being a powerful career woman and did not quite know how to be gentle with him, but everything was moving in a positive direction.

“I will have Xiao Ling pick you up tonight, and then,”

“Waaah! I want to see Mommy! I have not seen Mommy in so long!” Chang Qichun snatched the camera back and complained to Yu Fuqiu. “Daddy is a bad man! I only had one day off, and as soon as I got home, he packed my bags. I did not even get to see Mommy once before he kicked me out of the house, saying he wanted Auntie and me to bond!”

The child’s fair face turned red with frustration. “The time I spend with Mommy is not even as long as the time Grandpa Qi spends with me!”

“Daddy is a bad man; he just does not want me to be with Mommy.”

“I am not bringing him a gift this time!”

Yu Fuqiu laughed. This child was a variable, but also his source of reassurance.

As long as Chang Qichun was there, perhaps Chang Tingzhi would always stay by his side and love him.

Chu Baoli pulled Chang Qichun onto her lap, pinched his chubby cheeks, and said to the camera, “Fuqiu, today is your fifth anniversary. I do not have much to give, but I have prepared a few documents for you as a small token of my appreciation. You and Tingzhi enjoy yourselves; Xiao Chun and I will not disturb you.”

“Wha, Auntie!”

Chang Qichun shouted in protest, wanting to say more, but the call was disconnected.

Tan Ling covered her mouth to hide a laugh. “Xiao Chun’s lively personality is just like yours, Brother Yu.”

Yu Fuqiu tapped on his pinned messages.

It was a text from Chang Tingzhi sent an hour ago: [I do not want to be in this meeting.]

[I want to go back and snuggle with my darling wife under the blankets. I do not want to work.]

[Wife wife wife.]

[Another meeting. I have to earn money for my wife to spend!]

[Hehe, the meeting is over. Can’t wait to go home and kiss you.]

[I am driving now, wait for me in half an hour.]

[Love you wife, love you love you love you.]

Yu Fuqiu’s fingertips lingered on the screen while Tan Ling mocked him playfully. “Love you, wife wife!”

“Ugh, look at him showing off just because he has a wife.”

Tan Ling’s teeth itched with envy. Why was Chang Tingzhi so lucky? He had a tycoon mother, was the only son of a massive corporation, and had such a beautiful, famous wife.

He had everything. What door did God actually close on him?

“It has been five years, and your relationship is still so good,” Tan Ling said suddenly with a hint of envy.

Yu Fuqiu brushed his fingers over the words on the screen. He looked up at the flowing traffic. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, and even the birdsong outside seemed coated in sugar.

“If only this could last forever,” he murmured to himself.

“Brother Yu, is the house all set up?” Tan Ling packed up the schedules and blinked curiously.

Yu Fuqiu had been busy for the past few days, squeezing time out of his packed schedule to go home and decorate.

Today was their fifth wedding anniversary. The dining table was covered with a linen tablecloth he had chosen himself. In the center sat a chocolate lava cake he had practiced countless times to perfect, and beside it was wine he had brewed by hand.

The anniversary gift he prepared for Chang Tingzhi was a commemorative album detailing their journey from meeting to falling in love.

Yu Fuqiu could already imagine Chang Tingzhi turning into a little crybaby again upon receiving the album.

He could picture the moment Chang Tingzhi pushed open the door, the cold lines of his handsome face softening, surely moved to tears.

Five years did not seem to have dimmed their passion; instead, it had settled their love into something more mellow and profound. They had gone from having nothing to being leaders in their respective fields, possessing everything others envied, including a child who looked exactly like Chang Tingzhi.

If only it had not been broken by a phone call.

A strange number flashed on the screen.

Yu Fuqiu answered instinctively. “Hello, Tingzhi,”

“Hello, is this Mr. Yu Fuqiu?”

“Speaking.”

“This is the Central Hospital Emergency Room. Mr. Chang Tingzhi has been in a serious car accident and is currently undergoing emergency surgery. We need you to come and sign, some documents.”