“If both of us are home, he takes care of Xiao Kaixin more. Since he can’t come back often due to filming, he spends more time with Xiao Kaixin when he’s here… um, and of course, he also spends time with me.” The man smiled bashfully as he said this, exchanging a tender glance with the person beside him.

The protagonist shou was far from being a gentle and elegant young master—his temperament fell significantly short compared to Ji Miandeng. Moreover, the arrogance in his expression was not an act. On the other hand, the protagonist gong seemed dull—possessing that honest, restrained dullness that could be charming if not for the slick cunning hidden underneath.

Lu Chen critically assessed the pair.

The comment section flooded with “I’m shipping this!” while a few scattered remarks subtly mocked a certain “clinging vine” film emperor who had given up on his career.

Lu Chen’s brows furrowed slightly at those three words.

“Clinging vine” was a term some people used to describe Ji Miandeng.

Public opinion assumed Ji Miandeng had married into a wealthy family, living extravagantly and submissively while relying on others for money.

But after all, he was a triple-award-winning film emperor and someone who was easily content. His savings were more than enough to support himself and his son. Based on Lu Chen’s observations over the past few days, he guessed that Ji Miandeng had married the domineering CEO to provide his son with a complete family.

He truly cared about Lu Tuan’s upbringing.

Misinformation should be treated as rumors and not given a platform.

With that thought, Lu Chen sent a message to the director, asking him to pay more attention to managing the livestream’s comments, particularly with regard to blocking certain words.

The RV traveled for another hour.

Lu Tuan rolled over, propped himself up with his chubby little arms, and called out in his soft, just-woken-up voice, “Daddy～”

In this position, his cheeks were squished against his shoulder, creating a little double chin.

“Awake now?” Lu Chen stopped typing and gently pinched that soft layer of chubbiness with a faint smile.

Lu Tuan was truly a solid little chubby dumpling.

Just as he was thinking this, Lu Tuan knelt up, patted his little belly, and declared, “Hungry～”

The adorable, food-loving little dumpling made Lu Chen’s smile deepen. Seeing Ji Miandeng still fast asleep beside him, he put a finger to his lips and whispered, “Shh,” as he carried the obedient and quiet Lu Tuan out of the bedroom.

The fridge held pre-prepared meals from the housekeeper. Lu Chen took one out, put it in the microwave, and grabbed a box of milk biscuits from the side cabinet. Each biscuit was individually wrapped, so he pulled one out and handed it to Lu Tuan. “Can you eat this first?”

Sitting on the kitchen counter and waiting, Lu Tuan happily grabbed the biscuit with both hands. “Yes, yes～”

Lu Chen unwrapped it, carried him to the sofa, and said, “Eat slowly. I’ll finish up some work.”

Lu Tuan nodded obediently, putting a finger to his lips and softly saying, “Shh～.” The child’s attempt to imitate the shushing gesture was clumsy but utterly endearing. Lu Chen chuckled, patted his head, and returned to his work.

Lu Tuan began nibbling on his biscuit quietly, but after a few bites, he started eyeing other things. His big eyes darted sneakily toward the side cabinet several times.

He tilted his head to look at Daddy, making sure he wasn’t being watched. Then, he carefully climbed off the sofa.

Lu Chen noticed the child’s movements out of the corner of his eye, assuming he wanted to find Ji Miandeng. He looked up and reminded, “Play out here. Don’t disturb Daddy.”

“Okay～ Lu Tuan just wants to walk～” The little boy grinned foolishly, his cuteness masking his true intentions.

Lu Chen paid him no more attention.

Lu Tuan toddled around the room and then, glancing back at Daddy, made his way to the side cabinet. With some effort, he managed to open it and his eyes lit up.

The housekeeper had thoughtfully placed all of the little master’s favorite snacks on the lower shelf, neatly arranged in small, individually wrapped portions.

Lu Tuan carefully placed the unfinished biscuit on the floor and grabbed a fish sausage. After a moment’s thought, he stuffed it into the front pocket of his overalls.

He was wearing denim overalls today, with a large pocket running from his chest to his belly. Into this pocket, he tucked two fish sausages, one fish cake, a cheese stick, and a fruit bar, making the area around his tummy bulge.

Just as he closed the cabinet and was about to clap for himself, the microwave beeped. Startled, he froze on the spot.

Lu Chen had just finished his work. Hearing the sound, he looked up to see Lu Tuan standing with his arms outstretched, biscuit on the floor.

“Pick up the biscuit and put it on the table. It’s time to eat,” Lu Chen said as he retrieved the warmed-up rice.

Lu Tuan glanced at Daddy’s expression, obediently picked up the biscuit, and climbed back onto the sofa to wait for his food.

The rice portion was just the size of Lu Tuan’s little fist—enough to fill his tummy without affecting lunch.

Lu Chen handed him a spoon, trusting him to eat on his own.

“Thank you, Daddy～” Lu Tuan said sweetly.

Lu Chen casually remarked, “Why is your mouth so sweet today?”

Lu Tuan kept giggling, “Hehe.”

While Lu Tuan was eating, Ji Miandeng woke up. Seeing that Lu Tuan was well taken care of, he leaned by the window and gazed at the scenery outside.

Once Lu Tuan finished eating, Lu Chen took him to play with his toys.

Ji Miandeng frowned slightly as he watched the two of them walking away, lost in thought.

When they arrived in Province C, the RV stopped at a campsite, and the program team’s vehicle was put to use again.

As they were nearing the theme park, the livestream resumed.

[Comments in the livestream]

• “Tuanbao, you’ve made it to the trending topics! Number one on the list!”
• “Lu Tuan is a top star right from debut—Gen Z icon! /doge”
• “Wow, wow, Lu Da-ge driving. The car looks like it’s worth millions just because of him!”
• “Thanks to the movie king for joining this show. I’m obsessed—it’s so, so healing!”

It was mealtime, so the number of viewers in the livestream had increased significantly compared to when it first started.

The Lu family followed the staff’s directions to check into the hotel, where they were scheduled to stay for two nights.

Ji Miandeng and Lu Tuan were accustomed to specific bedding, so the first thing Ji Miandeng did upon arrival was make the bed.

They were given a room with a king-sized bed. As Ji Miandeng made the bed, he felt regretful. He had forgotten to ask the director for separate rooms beforehand, and now he couldn’t say anything in front of the cameras.

Besides, it didn’t seem like Lu Chen had any intention of changing rooms. After all, from his perspective, the two of them were legally married, so sharing a room was perfectly normal.

Although there was Lu Tuan, it wasn’t quite the same as sharing a bed in the RV.

After finishing with the bed, Ji Miandeng couldn’t come up with a better solution for now and decided to deal with it later.

Meanwhile, Lu Chen followed behind Lu Tuan, watching him explore the room. After they finished their little tour, Lu Tuan wanted to climb onto the bed. Lu Chen picked him up, but his arm was poked by something bulky in Lu Tuan’s pocket. He patted the pocket and asked, “What are you hiding in here? Your belly’s even rounder now.”

At the word “round,” Lu Tuan flailed his little arms and growled, “Lu Tuan is not fat!”

Lu Chen appeased him with a casual tone, “Alright, alright, you’re not fat. Let me see what’s in your pocket.”

When the snacks inside were revealed, Lu Chen was puzzled. “?”

There hadn’t been any of these snacks when they left in the morning. Did Ji Miandeng pack them for him later?

Lu Chen turned to Ji Miandeng, but he hesitated for a second when trying to address him. Normally, Lu Chen referred to Ji Miandeng as “Mr. Ji” very politely, but that didn’t quite suit the current situation. Following the way Lu Tuan addressed him, Lu Chen asked, “Xiao Baba (Little Daddy), did you pack these snacks for Lu Tuan?”

Lu Tuan turned to his little daddy with an innocent blink of his big eyes.

[Livestream comments]

• “Xiao Baba?! That’s so sweet and loving!”
• “I can even see a hint of guilt in Lu Tuan’s expression!”

Ji Miandeng had just finished organizing Lu Tuan’s toys. Hearing this new form of address, he paused with a complicated expression before turning around. “…What snacks?”

The two adults began pulling snacks out of Lu Tuan’s pocket. The little guy apparently had some talent for packing. He had neatly placed the long, slim snacks vertically so they wouldn’t all end up at the bottom.

The snacks were laid out, and Ji Miandeng had the same doubts as he asked Lu Chen, “Didn’t you prepare these for him?”

Lu Chen remained silent, glancing at little Lu Tuan, who sat upright and proper like a baby on trial.

Ji Miandeng understood and lightly flicked Lu Tuan’s little forehead. “Hiding snacks again?”

The word “again” made the moment amusing.

Miandeng sighed helplessly. When it came to food, he’d always been indulgent with Lu Tuan; otherwise, the little one wouldn’t have developed those adorable little rolls of chubbiness. However, there were some restrictions when it came to snacks, which probably led to Lu Tuan developing a habit of stashing “secret snacks.”

Under Lu Tuan’s pitiful, pleading gaze, Ji Miandeng waved his hand, confiscating everything. “Lu Tuanzai, your skills are getting better, huh? Hiding this much without anyone noticing.”

He glanced at the cheese stick packaging and informed Lu Chen, “These are from the RV.”

He hadn’t bought them, so it must’ve been Uncle Jin’s doing.

In other words, Lu Tuan had hidden them right under Miandeng’s nose.

Lu Chen retraced his memory, narrowing down the timeframe and immediately messaged Uncle Jin to ask for surveillance footage.

Little Lu Tuan, devastated over the loss of his snacks, lay slumped in despair. After sending the message, Lu Chen patted his round belly and curtly said, “You need to go on a diet.”

Lu Tuan’s eyes widened in disbelief. Daddy didn’t love him anymore!

The live comments were rolling with laughter:

• “Lu Tuan’s gaze at the confiscated snacks is like a heartbreaking farewell scene! This kid’s acting chops are inborn, the son of an actor indeed.”
• “LU TUAN IS NOT FAT! GIVE HIM THE SNACKS BACK!!”
• “I feel bad for him. If it were my house, Lu Tuan could eat from a snack-filled room. Lu Tuan, come visit Auntie! 😭😂”
• “But seriously, HOW did he manage to hide those? I’m 18, and my mom always finds my stash instantly. 😂”

While little Lu Tuan, full of indignation, sought comfort by curling up on Ji Miandeng’s shoulder, the doorbell rang.

Lu Chen went to open it.

“Hello, you must be Miandeng’s husband? We’re another group of guests. Heard you just arrived, so we thought we’d stop by.” Zhao Yu stood politely with a child in his arms, flashing a courteous smile.

Holding the door frame, Lu Chen replied bluntly, “Hello, and you are?”

Zhao Yu’s face froze for a split second but quickly recovered without the cameras catching it. After years of fame, it had been a long time since anyone asked that question. But knowing Lu Chen was different from most, Zhao Yu humbly smiled. “I’m Zhao Yu, an actor. I’ve worked with Miandeng before. This is my son, Zhao Weikai. His nickname is Kaixin (Happy).”

He turned to the little one. “Kaixin, say hi to Uncle.”

Kaixin, intimidated by Lu Chen’s aloof demeanor, shyly mumbled, “Su-su.”

The little one’s delicate and petite features immediately caught attention. He was younger than Lu Tuan but appeared significantly smaller.

The child’s adorable looks were undeniable, and in the original storyline, audiences had preferred Kaixin over Lu Tuan by a significant margin.

Lu Chen, however, couldn’t help but feel a subtle sense of competitive pride as a parent. In his eyes, his chubby little Lu Tuan was far cuter.

Although he often called him “chubby,” Lu Tuan’s weight was still within the healthy range. His round and soft appearance only added to his charm.

And, of course, Lu Tuan was clever—after all, hiding snacks so well was no small feat.

While Lu Chen internally showered his son with praise, outwardly, he remained composed, giving Zhao Yu and his child a brief nod as a greeting before stepping aside to let them in.

Even though he knew Zhao Yu likely came to ride their coattails for popularity, it wasn’t appropriate to shut them out, given they were all on the show together.

Zhao Yu entered and, upon seeing Ji Miandeng, became noticeably more familiar in his mannerisms. “Miandeng, long time no see.”

Ji Miandeng, however, responded with a polite but distant smile. “Long time no see.”

Meanwhile, little Lu Tuan, still sulking, lay draped over Miandeng’s shoulder. Gently patting his back, Miandeng coaxed him, “Look, there’s a little brother here to play with you.”

Lu Tuan stirred slightly.

Zhao Yu, noticing this, placed his son down and said, “Kaixin, look at your big brother. Go say hello.”

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Lu Tuan finally peeked over his shoulder and saw a smaller child standing on the floor.

Ji Miandeng helped Lu Tuan put on his shoes. “Go play with your little brother.”

The two kids cautiously approached each other. Lu Tuan, being more sociable, reached out and poked Kaixin’s cheek. “He’s so small!”

For a two-year-old to seriously exclaim this, the three adults couldn’t help but laugh. Even Lu Chen’s lips curled into a noticeable smile.

The comments exploded once again:

• “Not gonna lie, our Lu Tuan might actually be a bit big! 😂”