Regarding the matter of “going through the back door”, Yu Wenning had not yet discussed it. The timing wasn’t right, but there will be opportunities in the future.

Yu Wenning forwarded an electronic file to Lian Qing and asked him to show it to his agent if they decided to collaborate, they could discuss it in detail.

Lian Qing agreed and decided to talk to Sister Cheng about it when he got home.

The three of them arrived at the station near their home in the late afternoon. Lian Qing skillfully put on his mask and cap, holding onto Lian Sang and pulling Yu Wenning along, saying confidently, “Let’s go, I’ll treat you guys to hot pot!”

He hadn’t eaten meat for a few days and was dying to have some.

Xiao Lian Sang had slept in the car for a long time and was now full of energy. Seeing his shixiong fully armed, he curiously reached out to touch his hat and mask, and said in a childish voice, “Is hot pot delicious?”

“It’s delicious. There’s a big pot with a spicy and non-spicy soup base. We put the meat and vegetables we order into it to cook, then take it out and dip it in the sauce…” Lian Qing couldn’t help but swallow his saliva as he spoke. Hmm, the more he talked, the hungrier he got!

Yu Wenning found it amusing and said, “Let me lead the way, I know a hot pot restaurant nearby that’s quite famous.”

Lian Qing’s eyes shone as he looked at him, nodding vigorously, “What are you waiting for? Let’s go!”

He had originally planned to just pick a hot pot restaurant that looked decent and go straight in, but since there was a choice, he naturally had to choose the best one.

Yu Wenning naturally took Xiao Lian Sang from his arms, walking ahead and leading the way. Xiao Sang was already familiar with him, having spent several days eating and living together, so he didn’t resist him. Lian Qing saw this and even took the shoulder bag from Yu Wenning, carrying two bags by himself. As for the luggage, he had left it at the temple on the mountain long ago.

Neither of them realized how eye-catching their group of two tall and handsome mature men with a small child dressed in a monk’s robe, and a slender and elegant young man following behind could be. Such a combination would make people unable to resist taking a few more glances no matter where they were. By the way, they kept guessing if the man blocking his face could be a celebrity, and what their relationship might be?

It didn’t seem like they had walked for very long when Lian Qing suddenly sniffed and grabbed Yu Wenning. Excitedly, he said, “Is that restaurant nearby? I think I smell the fragrance of hot pot…”

“This nose of yours…” Yu Wenning couldn’t help but lightly scratch Lian Qing’s nose with a free hand. “We’re not there yet. Your nose is really sensitive.”

“Hehe, you don’t understand. I really miss hot pot.” Of course, he also missed barbecue. Lian Qing started to think, should he find a chance to ask Zhao Chengyi out? His grilled meat was really delicious…

Yu Wenning smiled helplessly and was about to respond when his nose was suddenly rubbed by a small hand. The owner of the hand had a serious expression and said to his senior brother, “Shixiong, I helped you rub it back.”

Yu Wenning: “…”

Lian Qing: “Pfft…”

He chuckled, “Thank you, Xiaosan, you’re great!”

The baby monk proudly puffed out his chest and looked up to educate his older brother, “You can’t touch other people’s noses, it’ll flatten them.”

Yu Wenning looked at Lian Qing and saw him looking like he was enjoying the show, so he turned back to the baby monk and said, “Okay, I’ll remember that.”

Seeing his older brother humbly accepting the lesson, the baby monk nodded contentedly, and in a milky voice said, “The child…the child…”

He couldn’t remember what to say next for a while and rubbed his own little bald head, seeking help from his shixiong.

Lian Qing held back his laughter and said to him, “The child can be taught.”

The baby monk looked at his shixiong with admiration and nodded in agreement, “Yes, that’s the phrase!”

Child- Yu Wenning accepted the sympathetic look from Little Monk Lian Qing and the caring gaze from Baby Monk Lian Sang with helplessness and indulgence.

After some laughter and noise, Yu Wenning took Lian Qing and walked about a hundred meters to a shop that had retro decor.

Lian Qing sniffed and said happily, “This is the smell!” So fragrant!

After saying that, he walked into the shop with big strides. Thanks to the experience of eating hot pot a few times before, Lian Qing didn’t need Yu Wenning to speak up and directly asked the waiter for a corner with some privacy. He then quickly ordered a bunch of food and a split pot, and handed the menu to Yu Wenning, saying, “Take a look and see if there’s anything else you want to order.”

Yu Wenning shook his head and said, “Whatever you decide is fine, I’m not picky.”

“If you’re not picky… then let’s order two more servings of fatty beef.” Lian Qing quickly checked the boxes on the menu and handed them to the waiter.

There weren’t many people in the restaurant at this time, and the service efficiency was quite high. In no time, all the food was served. Lian Qing took off his mask and hat and skillfully started to cook the hot pot.

He and Yu Wenning could handle the spiciness, but Xiao Lian Sang was still too young and this was his first time eating meat. So Lian Qing couldn’t help but pay more attention to him. He even had to make sure that the dipping sauce wasn’t too spicy before letting the child try it.

But by doing so, he inevitably neglected his own food. Fortunately, Yu Wenning was considerate and helped him cook the meat and even prepared the dipping sauce for him.

After finishing the meal and feeling full, Yu Wenning wanted to pay the bill, but Lian Qing stopped him. Although he was heartbroken that this meal cost a few hundred yuan, he didn’t have the heart to let Yu Wenning, who had always taken care of him, pay for it.

In the end, Lian Qing paid for the meal as he wished. This was probably the first time in his life that he paid for something so willingly, and he was even so happy about it.

After the meal, the two of them took Xiao Lian Sang to the mall and bought him several sets of seasonal clothes and a hat. It was getting colder, and they couldn’t let the child’s little bald head catch a cold.

Lian Qing highly respected his shidi’s opinions, even letting the little one pick his own clothes. He only provides some reference suggestions and rarely interrupted them. Many shop assistants found it amusing to see such a young child, dressed in monk’s robes, with a serious expression picking out clothes, which made for a comical sight. After obtaining the consent of the two adults, they patted the back of the child as he picked out clothes.

In the end, two shop assistants even gave him a discount because the child was too cute. Although the discount wasn’t much, it was enough to make Lian Qing happy like a big fool. Xiao Lian Sang also followed suit and smiled like a little fool, seeing how happy his shixiong was.

Yu Wenning looked at the silly and happy appearance of the two brothers and couldn’t help but smile helplessly. He suddenly thought that maybe having Lian Qing bring the baby monk to his company’s variety show would be a profitable venture…

After buying clothes, Xiao Lian Sang started to doze off again. Lian Qing had to hold him and go home with Yu Wenning.

When they parted ways at their respective doorsteps, Lian Qing put his little one in bed and covered him with a blanket before finally having a chance to rest.

Looking at his rather empty house, he felt a little lost. They had just separated, but he suddenly missed Yu Wenning. He thought to himself that maybe it was because they had been inseparable for the past few days, and now he wasn’t used to being apart from him.

What he didn’t know was that Yu Wenning, who was just a wall away, also missed him… and his shidi.

Lian Qing sighed silently and, while it was still early, called Sister Cheng.

As soon as the phone was answered, he nervously got straight to the point, “Sister Cheng, I brought my shidi down from the mountain. I want to keep him with me and take care of him until he can go to kindergarten next year.”

“Ah? Why did you bring him over so soon! And what about your work?” Sister Cheng’s voice was full of displeasure.

“This is what I’m thinking, Sister. I want to ask you to take some money out of my salary and other income to find an assistant to take care of my shidi. This way, I can bring him with me when I go to the set to act or record programs.”

“No, you’ll get distracted!” Sister Cheng said without hesitation. “I also have a family. Do you think I don’t understand children? They won’t let you work peacefully. As long as there’s a child around, you won’t be able to do anything.”

Lian Qing frowned slightly and said, “My shidi is very well-behaved and understanding. He knows not to disturb me when I’m busy with work, and there’s also an assistant to take care of him…”

“A three-year-old child can only be so well-behaved!” Sister Cheng took a deep breath and said, “How about this? Let me find a nanny for you or a reliable daycare centre…”

“Sister, I don’t feel at ease leaving him with someone else,” Lian Qing said frankly. “How about this, would you consider it? I’ll take my shidi to a parenting show. If he behaves well on the show, would you agree to let him stay with me?”

“What kind of parenting show? I don’t have those kinds of resources…”

“I do,” Lian Qing said directly. “My neighbour said his company has invested in a parenting show. If I want, he can help me get on the show.”

“Your neighbour…” Sister Cheng thought for a moment before vaguely remembering that the little monk had mentioned in a variety show conversation that his neighbour was Yu Wenning, the president of the Yu Group…

As far as she knew, the Yu Group only had one entertainment company, and they invested in a parenting show…

Her heart skipped a beat and she blurted out, “The second season of ‘Living Together’?”

“Sounds like that,” Lian Qing said. “He sent me a copy of the file, I’ll send it to you to take a look at.”

“Okay, send it over quickly.” Sister Cheng hung up the phone and waited for Lian Qing to send the file.

Lian Qing sent the file over, and he guessed that it would take Sister Cheng at least ten minutes to read through it. He messaged her on WeChat to let her know that he was going to take a shower. He had spent half of his day in the car and had eaten hot pot, so he had a strong odour.

When he came out of the shower, he saw that he had missed several calls from Sister Cheng.

After picking up the phone, Sister Cheng slightly excited voice entered Lian Qing’s ears, “We got the show! I just talked to them and you’ll leave tomorrow to start recording! Let’s do a trial of three days first, and if you’re comfortable, we’ll consider doing the rest of the episodes.”

Upon hearing this response, Lian Qing was very happy and said, “Great!”

Sister Cheng hesitated for a moment and asked, “Are you and Mr Yu just neighbours?”

Lian Qing replied, “Not just that.”

Sister Cheng’s heart was suddenly lifted up, but Lian Qing quickly clarified, “We’re also good brothers, good buddies.”

She let out a sigh of relief. She thought that it made sense since Lian Qing had helped Mr. Yu before. If it weren’t for Lian Qing’s help in rescuing a girl who almost got hit in a car accident, Mr.Yu would have been involved in a lawsuit with many troubles.

In addition, Lian Qing’s likeable nature and affinity with Mr.Yu made it possible for them to become as close as brothers.

As for the other possibility – that Mr.Yu had taken an interest in Lian Qing – it disappeared from Sister Cheng’s mind with just a fleeting thought. From what Lian Qing had said, Mr. Yu had suddenly allowed him to host this show, which was a temporary decision to ease his burden. A rich and powerful man like Mr. Yu wouldn’t need to go through such trouble to please anyone. Besides, she hadn’t heard anything about Mr.Yu being gay.

After thinking for a moment, Sister Cheng said, “Remember to thank him properly later, okay? This show is just like ‘Infinite Challenge,’ it has a special status…”

At this point, Sister Cheng paused. She suddenly remembered that the title sponsor of ‘Infinite Challenge’ was also under the Yu Group…

“I know, Sister. I treated him to hot pot today, and I’ll thank him properly later. Sister, if there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now. My shidi is waking up, and I need to prepare to give him a bath.”

Interrupted by Lian Qing, Sister Cheng had no choice but to put aside her wild guesses and reminded him a few more times before hanging up the phone.

After hanging up, Lian Qing walked into the room, picked up his drowsy shidi who was sitting on the bed, and said, “Be good, have some water later, watch TV for a while, and then take a bath.”

“Shixiong, I want to watch ‘Tom and Jerry’…”

“Okay, but only one episode.”

…….

Early the next morning, Lian Qing was awakened by his assistant Chen Qi. He looked outside at the dimly lit sky, sighed with a bitter face, and got up to wash up. When he emerged from the washroom, Chen Qi had efficiently packed their things into a suitcase.

Lian Qing had to wear a hat and mask, pick up his still-sleeping shidi, and follow Chen Qi out. When they passed by Yu Wenning’s house, Lian Qing couldn’t help but stop and look at the door a few more times with some reluctance. He only caught up with Chen Qi when he was called with some confusion.

After rushing and travelling, they arrived at another city, where the recording site was already eight o’clock in the morning. Lian Qing had a rough understanding of the show they were participating in, “Living Together”, thanks to Yu Wenning. It was a parenting program that had gained a lot of popularity when it was launched a few years ago and was now in its second season with veteran celebrities and their children as guests. Despite being a newcomer, Lian Qing was given a chance to participate without the show’s production team lowering his salary or anything. He couldn’t help but feel grateful to Yu Wenning for having connections and a backstage pass.

As he got to know the guests and the program, he was pleasantly surprised to find an old acquaintance among the guests – Brother Li Chengsi. They had met during the recording of “Infinite Challenge” a few weeks ago. He was a renowned actor who came with his four-year-old daughter to participate in the program.

The show had already recorded four episodes, with three of them airing. Lian Qing and his team were flying in to record the fifth episode, which would likely take about half a month to record before it could be broadcast. Although being an outsider was not always desirable, he felt confident with an old friend and was determined to use this opportunity to change the impression that Sister Cheng had of his shidi.

During their journey, his shidi woke up, and Lian Qing briefly explained the program to him, assuring him to just be himself and not to worry about the tasks given to him. The child didn’t fully understand everything, but he wasn’t nervous either, feeling safe with his shixiong or shifu around. He trusted that they would handle any situation they faced.

Quickly, they arrived at their destination – a remote village. The production team was there early to meet them, and both parties walked together to an old courtyard where all the guests had gathered.

The middle-aged man, Fang Yang, who acted as the spokesperson for the show, greeted them first. Then came Li Chengsi and a few others. After some small talk, Fang Yang took out the official statement: “As Cheng Xiao cannot come to our show at the moment, the production team has specially invited Lian Qing and his shidi Lian Sang to replace Cheng Xiao and Cheng Xiaomei. Let’s give them a warm welcome!”

Applause broke out sporadically, although everyone knew that Lian Qing was not here to replace Cheng Xiao and his daughter, who could not make it due to some family matters. If the production team had really planned for a replacement, they would have arranged it during the last recording session. Moreover, if they had intended to replace them, the production team would not have informed them at the last minute. This young man must have come in through the backdoor.

Although everyone was thinking this way, they still welcomed them with a smile. In this circle, everyone has to wear a smiling mask in front of the camera. Perhaps only Li Chengsi was genuinely applauding and welcoming the two young monks.

Fang Yang, wanting to take care of the newcomers, and seeing that Lian Qing and Lian Sang both had innocent and harmless faces, couldn’t help but chat with them a little more.

“Lian Qing, I heard that everyone usually calls you little monk, but your shidi is even younger. Should we still call you little monk?”

Lian Qing looked at his shidi and thought for a moment before saying, “Does it matter?”

Lian Sang nodded in agreement, “It doesn’t matter.”

Fang Yang was taken aback and asked, “Then what should we call your shidi?”

Lian Qing lowered his head to look at Lian Sang and asked, “How do you want everyone to call you?”

Lian Sang looked at his shixiong, twisted his clothes awkwardly with his fingers, and said, “I want everyone to call me Shixiong.” He also wanted to be a senior brother!

Lian Qing…

Everyone laughed.

Unfortunately, Lian Sang was the youngest and shortest among them, so instead of being called “shixiong,” he was given the nickname “xiao shidi.”

Clearly unhappy with the name, the baby monk turned around and hugged his shixiong’s thigh, banging his bald head against his brother’s leg with a helpless expression. This pitiful little face made everyone laugh, and Li Chengsi’s daughter even exclaimed, “Xiao Shidi is so cute!”

After chatting with them for a while, Fang Yang left. Almost as soon as he left, Li Chengsi came to Lian Qing’s side and asked in a low voice, “How did you come to participate in this show? Can Shaman really give you such a good opportunity?”

Lian Qing shook his head, grinned, and was a bit proud, “Brother Li, let me tell you, I also have a backdoor!”

TN:

I also got my job through a backdoor hehe. I think I’ll just stick to Tiny Monk.