Chapter 40: Do Men Become Childish After Becoming Fathers?

Liu Wu watched as Director Kong visibly softened toward the little dumpling and had a hunch—bringing the child along this time might have been the right move. She was an absolute bonus point. This little dumpling was just too adorable. Her way of speaking was obedient and sweet, and she was so pretty. Who could keep their heart from melting when faced with her?

As the assistant moved a chair over, the little dumpling looked up with her sweet, babyish gaze. She was so tiny, and when she tilted her little face up to look at you, it made her seem extra serious.

“Thank you, Uncle,” she said politely.

Yu Mozhi nodded to the two directors, patted the little dumpling’s head, and bent down slightly. His voice was calm and elegant, without much fluctuation in tone, but it carried a natural air of grace and nobility.
“Mianmian, be good. I’ll buy you some candy when we go back.”

Liu Wu, standing beside them, couldn’t help clicking his tongue in amazement. Really, if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed that Yu Mozhi could bend down and coax a child like this.

When the little dumpling heard that, her eyes lit up. She looked at the assistant uncle who had just moved the chair for her even more fondly. Remembering the new gesture she had just learned, she raised her two little hands over her head and made a heart shape with her bright, sparkling eyes.
“Love heart!”

In this onslaught of cuteness, only Yu Mozhi barely maintained his composure. He reached out and pulled the little dumpling’s hands down.

What kind of heart was that? You were making a heart with your head.

And didn’t you say you liked him the most? Why are you making hearts at someone else—just for a candy reward?

For the first time, Yu Mozhi experienced this feeling.

He didn’t yet realize that this was what it felt like to be a father watching his daughter grow up—both proud and gratified, yet also helplessly jealous and heart-sore.

“All right, all right!”

Director Kong came back to his senses, checked his watch, and once again regained his serious, impartial demeanor.
“You’ve read the preview script we sent you, right? Just perform the third scene.”

Yu Mozhi responded with a soft “mm.” Seeing the sparkling eyes of his little dumpling, he couldn’t help but reach out and fold down the bunny ears on the back of her hood over her eyes.

The little dumpling’s vision suddenly went dark.

“Eh?”

The bunny ears flopped down in front of her face. She grabbed them and tried to pull the hood up, but all she managed to do was tug on the floppy ears.

Liu Wu couldn’t bear to watch anymore and stepped in to adjust the oversized hat properly for her.

“How childish can you get.”

What was going on? Do men really become childish after becoming fathers?

Yu Mozhi just rolled up his sleeves, revealing a serious attitude.

This film was a crime-investigation-themed movie. It mainly told the story of a male lead who adopted the daughter of a fallen comrade while seeking the truth about a case from several years ago. The second male lead, Ji Lu, started out as a ruthless villain. Later, within the organization, he saved a little dumpling. Initially, he disliked and ignored her, but after witnessing her suffering—being mistreated, threatened, and even forced into wrongdoing—this emotionless villain began to soften. However, the little dumpling never got a happy ending. Her life ended at just three or four years old.

In the end, Ji Lu betrayed the organization, collaborated with the police to destroy it entirely, and then disappeared along with the organization.

The casting for the villain’s child role had been delayed because it was hard to find a child actor who could hit the right emotional tone. Children that age usually acted on instinct, but this role needed both innocence and a touch of the dark, twisted loli vibe. Very few children of that age could pull it off.