Chapter 13: The Fallen Child Star (13) Part 1

Xu Weiheng didn’t notice Yao Rong taking pictures of him.

He played with the balloon for a while before turning to watch the clown who was hopping away. The clown hadn’t gone far; he was chasing a little girl with pigtails in circles, his bulky body swaying awkwardly. The girl laughed heartily as she was pursued, and when she had enough, she obediently raised her hand, asking the clown to tie the balloon to her child-sized wristwatch.

Nearby, a mischievous child was playing with a bubble machine, sending a stream of transparent bubbles into the air. Sunlight pierced through them, tinting the bubbles with iridescent hues.

The largest bubble drifted laboriously in front of Xu Weiheng.

He stared at it intently, unable to resist the urge, and gently poked it with his fingertip.

With a soft ‘pop’, the bubble burst.

The little girl with pigtails, still chasing bubbles, stopped in her tracks and gaped in surprise at Xu Weiheng’s action.

Xu Weiheng coughed awkwardly, tucked his hand behind his back, and hurried back to the shade, carrying the water bottles.

He unscrewed a cap and offered a bottle to Zhang Qingyi.

“Aunt Zhang, have some water.”

Zhang Qingyi’s throat was parched; half her body slumped on the outdoor bench, one hand holding a small fan while the other gratefully accepted the water.

Xu Weiheng then passed a bottle to Yao Rong.

Yao Rong pulled him down to sit beside her. “Are you feeling hot?”

“It’s not too bad. What are you looking at?”

Yao Rong waved her camera. “I just took a few photos. Do you want to see?”

As he drank, Xu Weiheng leaned over to look.

When he saw the content of the photos, he froze, his drinking motion halting. It wasn’t until cold water spilled from the bottle, dampening his shirt collar, that he hurriedly set it down and tugged at his collar to shake it dry.

Yao Rong asked knowingly, “What’s wrong?”

Only a corner of his collar was wet; given the weather, there was no worry about catching cold. Xu Weiheng dabbed at his collarbone with a tissue before refocusing on the photos. “Why… why did you suddenly take pictures of me?”

Yao Rong replied straightforwardly, “Because that scene just now looked beautiful.”

Zhang Qingyi, feeling much better after a few sips of water, chimed in from a professional standpoint: “I saw it too. Sister Yao, this photo is indeed fantastic—both the composition and lighting are just right.”

As a professional photographer, Zhang Qingyi’s words carried significant weight.

But Xu Weiheng’s concern wasn’t about these technical aspects at all.

What really bothered him was the fact that he had been caught off guard.

“Are you upset?”

A coolness spread from Xu Weiheng’s cheek as Yao Rong gently pressed a chilled water bottle against his face.

“I’m not upset.” Worried that Yao Rong might misunderstand, Xu Weiheng hesitated for a moment before choosing to be honest. “It’s just… I’m a bit scared of facing the camera.”

Zhang Qingyi nearly dropped her jaw in shock.

Having lived with Xu Weiheng for some time, she knew his mental state wasn’t great, but she hadn’t expected it to be severe enough to leave such a significant psychological scar.

For a celebrity who lived in front of cameras, even if they didn’t enjoy the lens, they shouldn’t fear it. That was something else entirely.

Zhang Qingyi sincerely said, “You’re incredibly photogenic. You look good no matter how you’re photographed. As a photographer, you’re exactly the kind of model I love to work with—effortless to shoot and guaranteed to produce great pictures.”

Even when Xu Weiheng was being criticized across the internet, very few people ever attacked his appearance.

Aesthetic preferences have always been diverse, but Xu Weiheng’s looks are the kind that transcend even the widest gaps in taste.

He’s still young now, but in a few years, when his features fully mature and his youthful air fades, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say his looks alone could command power.

Yao Rong smiled beside him, “Taking tourist photos while traveling is perfectly normal. It’s not like we’re asking you to film a variety show or TV series right now.”

Xu Weiheng finally showed a faint smile. “You’re right.”

He had promised Ms. Yao he would make an effort to move forward. The first step forward would be to overcome his fear of cameras.

“Let’s take a group photo,” Xu Weiheng suggested, taking the camera himself.

The three of them sat under the shade of a tree, taking several group photos before heading to a restaurant for dinner, feeling satisfied.

When they emerged from the restaurant, the sky had completely darkened, but the entire amusement park was brightly lit. At the restaurant entrance, staff were handing out glow sticks. Yao Rong went to get three and gave them all to Xu Weiheng.

Xu Weiheng broke the glow sticks and put them on his wrists, one by one.

The amusement park still had many activities at night. As the three wandered aimlessly, they soon found themselves at the base of the Ferris wheel.

What was once an empty space now had a temporary stage set up.

Glowing stars hung all around the stage, and a familiar melody could be faintly heard.

Xu Weiheng suggested, “Let’s go take a look.”

As they got closer, they saw promotional posters—it was a small game organized by the amusement park. Any visitor who went on stage and sang the entire “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” song would receive a star-shaped pillow as a souvenir.

The event seemed to have just started, with few participants. Most people were watching from below the stage, except for a pair of parents accompanying their seven or eight-year-old son singing together on stage.

Xu Weiheng didn’t intend to go on stage, content to watch from the crowd.

But Yao Rong nudged him, “Go up and give it a try.”

Xu Weiheng was shocked. “Me?”