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The next morning, Lu Chen skillfully opened the door to the new room. Just as he was about to step in, he saw a little dinosaur crouching on the carpet.
Hearing the door open, Lu Tuan lifted his little face, his eyes lighting up. He grinned and called out, “Big Daddy~”
A touch of warmth flickered in Lu Chen’s eyes as he leaned down to pick him up. “Why are you crouching here?”
The little one usually sat at the dining table, eating and playing in the mornings.
“Waiting for Big Daddy.” Lu Tuan clapped his little hands happily.
Lu Chen observed his expression. In those clear, dark eyes was affection and a bit of playful coquettishness—something that felt different from the memories of the domineering CEO.
The CEO hadn’t been particularly close to this sudden child, rarely holding him. And young children, sensitive to emotions, wouldn’t typically act so clingy.
Lu Chen couldn’t quite name the feeling in his heart. He set Lu Tuan on the high chair, ruffled his hair, and said, “Thank you for waiting for me. Let’s eat now. Start with warm water.”
The soft, fine hair beneath the little dinosaur hat felt nice to the touch.
“Okay~” Lu Tuan obediently followed the instructions.
Halfway through breakfast, Lu Tuan fiddled with the buttons on his clothes, suddenly remembering the promise he made to his Little Daddy the night before.
“Big Daddy,” he called out.
Lu Chen, always keeping an eye on the little one, saw him clamber off the chair, circle around, and hug his leg. Looking down, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I want to go on TV to play games—with Little Daddy and Big Daddy together.” Lu Tuan’s little face lit up with excitement. Little Daddy forgot about Big Daddy! But Lu Tuan is smart—Big Daddy should join too!
Hearing this, Lu Chen raised an eyebrow. There was no doubt about who had planted this idea in the little one’s head.
Is he that eager to join a variety show?
Without saying a word, Lu Chen watched as Lu Tuan puckered his lips, trying to persuade him. The little one climbed onto him, using all his strength, and planted a kiss on Lu Chen’s right cheek. “Big Daddy, agree~”
“I’ll talk to your Little Daddy about it,” Lu Chen replied, settling the boy on his lap and pulling over the children’s plate to feed him.
Thinking he’d secured permission, Lu Tuan believed he’d done his Little Daddy a big favor. He ate his meal with great enthusiasm, sneaking little grins between bites.
It was the weekend, and Lu Chen wasn’t going to the office. After breakfast, he changed Lu Tuan’s clothes and took him downstairs to ride his balance bike. When they returned, Ji Miandeng hadn’t woken up yet. It wasn’t until the sunlight grew bright and piercing that he finally emerged from the bedroom, yawning.
Lu Chen, sitting idly in the living room watching Lu Tuan play with toy cars, didn’t hear any sound. But out of instinct, he glanced over.
At the end of his gaze, slanted sunlight cast a glow over the man, outlining his figure and the tips of his hair in light. His skin was fair, his demeanor languid, and his eyes slightly narrowed in a brief, relaxed moment of beauty—he was dazzling, like light itself.
The next moment, Ji Miandeng stepped out of the sunlight, his eyes suddenly widening in surprise.
Lu Tuan, about to speak to Big Daddy, noticed his gaze and followed it. He turned his little head and exclaimed, “Little Daddy!”
Lu Chen shifted his eyes away, focusing instead on the little figure running toward Ji Miandeng. His fingers unconsciously rubbed together in thought.
Ji Miandeng gave him a faint sense of familiarity, though they had never met before.
Breakfast for Ji Miandeng began at 10:30. By then, Lu Tuan was hungry again. As Ji Miandeng ate, he occasionally fed a bite to the little one, who obediently leaned against him, chewing like a small squirrel.
Lu Chen glanced at the pair from a distance, then stepped out onto the balcony to take a call.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ji Miandeng watched him leave. Turning to Lu Tuan, he asked quietly, “Did you do what you promised me last night?”
With his mouth full of steamed bun, Lu Tuan nodded enthusiastically, signaling that he had completed the task.
Satisfied, Ji Miandeng rewarded him with a sip of sweet milk. “Good boy.”
When Ji Miandeng finished eating, Lu Chen sat down across from him, his gaze probing. “I need a reason. Why do you want to take Lu Tuan on a variety show?”
Ji Miandeng blinked, straightening up with a polite and gentle smile. “Why ask that?”
Lu Chen didn’t answer.
Ji Miandeng paused, his left hand lightly rubbing his right fingers. “I want to make a comeback.”
His expression turned slightly uncomfortable. “In these years we’ve been married, I feel like I’ve lost my sense of direction. When I was younger, I thought I wanted an easy life. But lately, I’ve been wondering—is this really what I want? I’m a three-time Best Actor winner, but now online… Let’s not talk about me. The way I am now, it’s not a good example for Lu Tuan either.”
Hearing his name, Lu Tuan, holding a custard bun, snuggled against Little Daddy’s leg and struck a cute pose.
Ji Miandeng pinched his cheek gently.
A disappointing tool indeed.
Lu Chen observed coldly. Aside from the sentence “I’m a three-time Best Actor winner,” the rest was all lies. Ji Miandeng had been lying from the start, constantly soothing himself by rubbing his hand.
But their relationship wasn’t one where they could speak honestly. In the novel, Ji Miandeng joined the variety show, and the CEO never said a word about it.
Fine.
Lu Chen thought for a moment. Maybe it wasn’t possible to forcefully alter the trajectory. A possibility crossed his mind: if certain plot points changed, would they compensate elsewhere in life?
So he said, “Let me see the show’s proposal.”
Ji Miandeng hadn’t expected his nonsense to convince him. Hearing this, he immediately opened WeChat.
Lu Chen skimmed the document, making a show of it, and said in a calm voice, “The project looks good. You can participate. I’ll adjust my schedule as needed to cooperate.”
The first part made sense to Ji Miandeng, but the second part…
Ji Miandeng looked up. “?”
Ji Miandeng: “…You’re going too?”
Lu Chen let out a chuckle, though his face lacked any trace of humor. “The program invited a family of three. Are you planning to remove me from the household?”
Ji Miandeng choked. “I wouldn’t dare.”
“Then what’s with that expression? Wasn’t it you who sent Lu Tuan to persuade me to join the show?” Lu Chen turned off his phone, speaking deliberately as he called to Lu Tuan, who was under the table. “I’ve agreed to your request.”
Ji Miandeng stared at the little bun by his feet, utterly baffled.
Lu Tuan, completely unaware of the situation, happily munched on his second breakfast, his baby voice cheerful. “Huh?”
…
The show’s contract process moved swiftly, given that the premiere was approaching, and the director was desperate to avoid any last-minute cancellations. A CEO! A legendary film emperor! The show had its talking points and guaranteed traffic. This family alone could secure enough funding to greenlight more episodes!
Progress after that was equally fast. Brimming with enthusiasm, the director informed the three featured families that filming would begin on Friday.
“Growing Up With You” was a new variety show from Shuimei TV, produced by the best variety show team in the country. A live-streamed reality show centered on parenting, it had generated buzz as soon as promotional photos from its sponsorship campaign leaked. Excitement among netizens grew when one day, they discovered the show had quietly registered an official account.
Not everyone loved variety shows, so the news initially spread in a limited circle.
Then a certain marketing account leaked the list of participants.
“Film emperor,” “socialite wife,” “comeback”—this combination of keywords could only mean one couple in the entire entertainment industry.
[Sure, as if the film emperor would be interested in such small-time gigs. 🙄]
[OMG, as a former fan, I’m floored. Sigh.]
[What a load of BS. If the film emperor really joins, I’ll eat fermented herring while doing a handstand.]
And then, “Growing Up With You” made its official announcement.
The three families were revealed in succession, and the third family’s announcement post sent comments skyrocketing into the tens of thousands, filled entirely with genuine reactions.
[Sincere question: Did the film emperor’s husband go bankrupt? If so… that’s amazing news!]
[Rumor has it the film emperor’s husband is a short, greasy, balding man and their son is a spoiled brat. Imagining life in that household is suffocating. The film emperor was once the most stunning figure in the industry, a legitimate triple crown award-winner.]
[The entertainment industry’s number one deserves this. Being blinded by love always leads to ruin.]
[Let me guess: first, they join a variety show to cash in, then fast-forward to the film emperor getting divorced and leaving with nothing.]
Since Ji Miandeng’s retirement, his rare public appearances had sparked quite a few viral moments:
Even though Ji Miandeng had left the entertainment industry, his legend persisted everywhere.
And now, this legendary figure, along with his equally legendary husband and child, was going on a variety show!
…
Early Friday morning.
The production team had already provided the schedule for the first episode. They were heading to a newly constructed theme park in Province C for two days of filming. The theme park was a sponsor and expected full-scale advertising in return.
The production team arrived at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Lu Chen and Lu Tuan, sticking to their usual routine, got up on time and were already having breakfast together by 7:30.
Lu Chen glanced at the still-closed bedroom door and said to Lu Tuan in a calm voice, “What did your little dad say about when he’d wake up yesterday?”
Lu Tuan shook his head blankly.
It was now 7:40.
Still no sign of movement.
“Let him sleep a bit longer,” Lu Chen said helplessly. “As long as he’s up before the crew arrives.”
Lu Tuan poked his chubby cheek with a tiny finger. “Little Dad’s shy-shy.”
Lu Chen was amused by his antics.
At 7:59, Lu Chen granted the program team access to come upstairs. He picked up the fully dressed Lu Tuan and went to knock on Ji Miandeng’s bedroom door. Following his lead, Lu Tuan mimicked him by knocking on the door several times.
“What is it?” The person who opened the door was clearly still half-asleep, their eyes barely open.
Lu Chen glanced at him. Ji Miandeng’s hair was sticking up, and his pajamas were loosely hanging on him, exposing a large patch of fair skin below his neck that was dazzlingly white. Compared to his usual gentle and refined demeanor, this drowsy and unkempt version seemed more real. “The program team is on their way upstairs. You should get up now.”
Ji Miandeng didn’t catch on right away and vaguely responded, “Hmm?” Then he processed the words in his mind and suddenly snapped awake. “Sh—”
He caught sight of Lu Tuan’s innocent, wide eyes and forced himself to swallow the last half of the word. “I’ll be ready soon.”
As Ji Miandeng closed his door, the doorbell rang.
Lu Chen initially intended to set Lu Tuan down, but the little boy refused and let out a few soft grunts, so Lu Chen carried him to open the door.
The moment the door opened, they were greeted by a camera lens, its red light indicating it was already recording.
Lu Chen stepped aside to let them in. “Come in, please. There’s a bit of a situation at home.”
Lu Tuan, still clinging to his dad’s neck, curiously peeked at the people behind the camera and said in his baby voice, “Please wait for a bit, uncles~.”
[Live Stream Comments]
The follow-cam director hesitated. “Mr. Lu, may we film your home?”
Technically, this request was within the rights outlined in the contract. However, the man’s powerful presence made the director feel a bit intimidated.
Lu Chen nodded. “Go ahead.”
As the camera panned around, it captured various areas of the house. Knowledgeable viewers began explaining in the comments, summarizing everything with one word: luxury. Everything about the place was expensive—exceptionally so.
For a moment, people felt some sympathy for Ji Miandeng.
After filming the living room, Ji Miandeng emerged from his bedroom. Having been off-screen for years, he seemed unsure of where to place his hands. He walked over to Lu Chen, reaching out to take their little “helper tool” from him. With a polite nod to the program crew, he said, “Thank you for waiting.”
But the little “helper tool” panicked. He scrambled to push away from Ji Miandeng and clumsily ran to the floor. “Little Daddy, blow blow~.”
Ji Miandeng: “…”
Lu Tuan then diligently started blowing on Ji Miandeng’s right arm.
Ji Miandeng: “…”
This little one was off to a foolish start. Hopefully, his dad wouldn’t hold it against him in the future.
[Live Stream Comments]
Lhaozi[Translator]
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