A faint, mocking laugh mixed with Lu Tuan’s soft baby voice. Lu Tuan called into the phone, “Little Daddy~” His voice was sticky and sweet, completely different from the slightly worshipful tone he used when calling Lu Chen. This “Little Daddy” was filled with affection.

This interruption from Lu Tuan made Lu Chen dismiss the unwarranted mocking laugh, assuming it was just his imagination.

Saying directly to Ji Miandeng, “I don’t agree with you taking Lu Heng on the show,” didn’t feel abrupt. Although Ji Miandeng had only just learned about the variety show today, other characters in the novel had casually mentioned that the movie star had recently started actively engaging in family-themed variety programs. The reason wasn’t explained, and in the novel, it merely served as a point of ridicule for the movie star.

With the CEO’s capabilities, it wasn’t difficult for Lu Chen to keep track of Ji Miandeng’s actions.

The “Lu Heng” he was referring to, of course, was the little boy in front of him, holding a strawberry in each hand and constantly calling “Little Daddy.”

“I hear you, Lu Tuanzi,” the person on the other end of the phone replied with a hint of amusement, sharing a moment of affection with the child through the call. Then, turning politely to Lu Chen, Ji Miandeng said, “Mr. Lu, why did you bring Lu Tuan to the office?”

Hearing this, Lu Chen keenly sensed something unusual. Although the other party’s tone was gentle and even somewhat submissive, the core of the question remained unchanged.

It was as if there was an issue with him, the “big daddy,” taking Lu Tuan out of the house alone.

Lu Chen pondered silently and replied calmly, “I wanted to, so I did. Do I need another reason?”

This response momentarily left the other party speechless.

Oblivious to the tension, Lu Tuan tried to get closer to the phone, causing some noise. Lu Chen quickly grabbed his little, sticky hands to prevent any spills that might force him to change his shirt. He put the phone on speaker and set it on the table while wiping the little hands with a wet wipe.

On the phone, Ji Miandeng cleared his throat and returned to the original topic. “I’ve indeed been considering taking Lu Tuan on the show. I want to preserve more memories of him at this age. Participating in a show means there will always be people around him, which at least ensures his safety. Is there any particular concern behind your disagreement?”

Lu Chen gave a simple “hmm” and, after wiping the little hands, didn’t let go. Instead, he poked at Lu Tuan’s chubby little arm with interest. Perhaps realizing how amusing the squishy dimples on his arm were, Lu Tuan started giggling uncontrollably.

“With our family background, it’s better to avoid appearing in public too often,” Lu Chen said briefly. There was no need to spell everything out.

The higher you climb, the more you need to learn to hide.

This timeless truth made Lu Chen somewhat unsure if it applied to the novel’s CEO character.

However, on the other end of the line, Ji Miandeng fell silent, seemingly in thought, and ultimately seemed convinced.

Satisfied, Lu Chen hung up the phone. He lightly flicked Lu Tuan’s smooth, round head and sighed. “If one day I leave, you and your dad should still be fine.”

Such a bizarre thing as transmigrating into a book—there was no guarantee it wouldn’t reverse.

If he could wake up and end up here, perhaps one day he’d wake up and be gone.

“Don’t go!” What was originally a casual remark shocked Lu Tuan, who scrambled to climb up his “big daddy” using both his arms and legs. Clinging to his neck like a little koala, he curled into a tiny ball, firmly occupying his place as if this would stop him from leaving. The child’s sweet, innocent voice flowed out freely: “I love Big Daddy! Don’t go! Big Daddy is the best! Big Daddy, hug Lu Tuan~”

With his neck wrapped in small arms, Lu Chen’s every breath was filled with the babyish scent of this little human. Lowering his gaze, he saw Lu Tuan’s round back and small, chubby butt. Earlier, when the child was climbing up, Lu Chen had instinctively supported his little feet with one hand to prevent him from falling.

Surrounded in every sense by the little one.

Lu Chen’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as a sudden warmth softened his heart. In this moment of being embraced by a tender little life, he clearly felt the stirrings of fatherly love rising within him, unrelated to the original character.

He opened his arms, hugging the tiny child, and gently reassured him, “I won’t go.”

The tantrum had been soothed, but because of that small incident, Lu Chen found himself carrying around a 30-pound “accessory” all day—a clingy little kid who went wherever he did, contributing to the office chat group’s “CEO slacking off” jokes.

Lu Chen scrolled through the photos he’d seen, selecting some to save, and couldn’t help but marvel at how the employees of the CEO’s company, instead of criticizing a capitalist boss, seemed to fangirl over him like they were idol fans.

After saving the photos and finishing work for the day, Lu Tuan finally sat alone in his child seat.

Lu Chen handed him a water bottle and told him to drink, while smoothing out his own wrinkled shirt. He couldn’t help but exclaim sincerely, “Your little daddy is amazing.”

The CEO’s household had a nanny specifically to look after Lu Tuan, but most of the time, Ji Miandeng took care of the child personally. It was incredible how he managed to teach Lu Tuan so well.

From what Lu Chen had learned, just the fact that a two-year-old could maintain such emotional stability was remarkable. He was nothing like the little tyrants often portrayed in novels.

Lu Tuan understood that Big Daddy was praising Little Daddy. He held up his little water bottle with both hands and chimed in enthusiastically, “Little Daddy is the best!”

When the two arrived home, Ji Miandeng had not yet returned.

“Madam called to say she’ll be back late,” the nanny explained.

Lu Chen nodded, set Lu Tuan in a seat, and suddenly remembered something. “Did any guests come over today?”

“No.”

That director friend hadn’t shown up. Good—things were looking stable.

Lu Chen fed Lu Tuan, played with blocks and puzzles for a while, and soon felt that his fatherly patience had run out for the day. “Lu Tuan, are you tired?”

“Not tired,” Lu Tuan shook his head, propping himself up and trying to run toward the slide, ready to demonstrate just how not tired he was.

Lu Chen extended a large hand to block him. “You’re tired. Time for a bath.”

Lu Tuan’s shiny black eyes turned wisely, and with a soft, obedient voice, he repeated, “Time for a bath.”

To go play with water.

Bathing a human toddler was too challenging, so Lu Chen freed up his hands and went to the study to do some research—like the backgrounds of the protagonist gong and shou.

The protagonist gong, Zhao Yu, was an actor from the same cohort as Ji Miandeng. Before Ji Miandeng retired, Zhao Yu had been overshadowed by him in every way. After Ji Miandeng left the industry, Zhao Yu’s career flourished in both movies and television, and his current standing was higher than Ji Miandeng’s. The protagonist shou, Jing Fan, was a rookie actor with a similar gentle and refined style to Ji Miandeng. After Ji Miandeng’s retirement, many of the resources originally meant for him were redirected to Jing Fan. Their names were frequently mentioned together due to their similar types.

After Zhao Yu and Jing Fan got married and had kids, there were even absurd rumors suggesting Zhao Yu liked Ji Miandeng and that Jing Fan was just a substitute.

Jing Fan came from a family with some background. Lu Chen spent a little more time investigating, and an hour passed without him realizing it.

Raising his eyebrows slightly, he got up, intending to check on Lu Tuan. Since the bath, things had been unusually quiet.

The door to Lu Tuan’s room wasn’t fully closed. Before Lu Chen approached, he heard the sharp, joyful laughter of a small child coming from inside.

Just as his hand touched the doorknob, a clear and pleasant voice sounded.

Lu Chen stopped and furrowed his brows. So Little Daddy was with him.

Inside the room, the big one and the small one were completely unaware that someone was outside. Ji Miandeng pressed a finger to his lips, gesturing for Lu Tuan to quiet down. His other hand made a slight downward motion, calming the child until he could sit properly. He then said, “Lu Tuan, can you help me with something?”

When asked a question, the two-year-old’s eyes lit up. “I can!”

Ji Miandeng pulled out a few photos from who-knows-where and held them up by his face for Lu Tuan to see. “Do you want to go play here?”

A carousel, models of animated movie characters, a water park…

Lu Tuan nodded enthusiastically, not forgetting to add, “With Little Daddy~”

Ji Miandeng hooked his pinky around the child’s outstretched finger. “Of course. Do you remember the TV show ‘Dads Taking Care of Kids’?”

Lu Tuan tilted his head and thought for a moment. “Flowers.”

The final episode of Dads Taking Care of Kids had been filmed at a flower market, and the show had ended some time ago. Ji Miandeng dramatically cupped Lu Tuan’s round little face. “You’re so clever, Lu Tuan.”

After praising him for a bit, Ji Miandeng said, “So, do you want to be on TV and play games like the other kids with your little dad?”

Lu Tuan furrowed his little brows and replied, “I don’t want to be on the TV!”

His reluctance even made his pronunciation slightly off.

“Why not?” Ji Miandeng was taken aback.

“I don’t want long hair, and I don’t want to cry either,” Lu Tuan said. He had misunderstood “being on TV” to mean acting in a movie.

Ji Miandeng had acted in many period dramas, one of which featured a dramatic scene where the character severed ties with his parents, cutting his hair and having a long crying scene. In two-year-old Lu Tuan’s logic: being on TV = long hair, and being on TV + short hair = crying.

Even someone who knew him as well as his little dad, Ji Miandeng, couldn’t figure this out immediately. He had to abandon the subtle guidance and jump straight to persuasion: “Tomorrow morning, you’ll tell big dad that you want to be on TV and play games with little dad, okay? Ask him to agree and help me out. Can you do that?”

The little ball of Lu Tuan sighed, “Alright.”

Helping little dad wasn’t lying, after all.

“Alright then, let’s pretend I’m big dad now. What would you say?” Ji Miandeng decided to rehearse with him in advance. He straightened his posture, lowered his gaze, and imitated Lu Chen’s proud, emotionless demeanor, embodying at least ninety percent of the aloof CEO vibe.

Lu Tuan loved role-playing games. Seeing Ji Miandeng like this, he giggled, flashing his little white teeth, and crawled into his lap, sitting firmly on his folded legs. Ji Miandeng quickly supported his little butt with one hand to reduce the pressure.

The cute little ball, Lu Tuan, adorably repeated, “I want to be on TV and play games with little dad. Big dad agrees! Love big dad!”

Smooch!

Ji Miandeng, the elegant beauty, was stunned by the kiss. What a little boss!

He gently lifted the child by his small arms and set him aside, maintaining a serious face as he tried to reason with him: “You can’t do that. Boys can only kiss little dad, not big dad.”

Of course, this was nonsense. Ji Miandeng just didn’t want his son getting too close to that unfamiliar soul.

Little Lu Tuan, who usually agreed with everything his little dad said, blinked blankly for a moment. A few seconds later, he lowered his head and began fiddling with his little toes.

Ji Miandeng almost burst out laughing at the sight of this human cub acting so pitiful, but he barely managed to keep a straight face and asked, “Did Lu Tuan hear me?”

Lu Tuan wiggled his toes, pretending he hadn’t heard anything~

Ji Miandeng observed him carefully and pondered for a moment.

Lu Tuan rarely threw himself at him recklessly. Sometimes the child couldn’t distinguish between acting and reality, always assuming his little dad’s right arm was injured. The quick, practiced way he had climbed onto Ji Miandeng earlier clearly indicated he was used to doing so with Lu Chen.

Lu Chen must have allowed it.

Since when had their relationship gotten so good? Wasn’t Lu Chen usually reluctant to interact with the little one?

Previously, Ji Miandeng had felt relieved that Lu Chen was entirely focused on work, but now it seemed that relief had come too soon.

This parenting variety show they’d been invited to? They had to go.