Chapter 56

Just moments ago, Haohao had been showing off with a smug look on his face, but now he was the one crying the hardest among the four children. The other three kids were also crying.

“What happened?”

Haohao felt embarrassed and didn’t want to say anything, but Cheng Yingying, on the other hand, didn’t hold back. She wiped her tears while explaining that there was a really fierce goose over there.

“Wow.”

A flash of surprise appeared in An’an’s eyes. At this point, Haohao had already stopped crying and, seeing An’an’s reaction, completely changed his earlier aloof attitude of not wanting to play with him. Instead, he actively suggested,

“Do you want to go check it out?”

This question successfully made An’an take two steps back, shaking his head vigorously like a rattle drum.

“No way.”

All of them had been scared to tears by that thing called a big goose, and yet they still wanted to take him there? Just like his dad said, they were all troublesome.

With all the snacks confiscated, even a single piece of candy now felt sweeter than ever to An’an.

Some staff members noticed that An’an had secretly kept that candy. Technically speaking, it did violate the show’s rules, but they couldn’t ignore the fact that his dad was Gu Chen, who carried half of the program’s live broadcast ratings on his back.

The director waved his hand, signaling everyone to pretend they hadn’t seen anything.

Some crew members also caught wind of what had happened when Haohao led the other kids outside. They couldn’t help but chuckle as they talked about it.

An’an had been happily sitting there enjoying his candy, but when he noticed them whispering and laughing, his good mood came to an abrupt halt. His curiosity got the better of him—what exactly were they laughing about?

Haohao sat stubbornly in place, deciding to wait for his dad to return. No matter how much the staff tried to persuade him, he refused to move, and the other kids followed his example.

Although this situation technically had little to do with the production team, since they were in the middle of filming, the director decided to send a message urging the dads to return as soon as possible.

Judging by how the kids were practically covered in mud, if they caught a cold, it would seriously disrupt the recording schedule.

An’an crouched down, resting his chin on his hands, his curiosity practically eating away at him.

His intensely curious expression even influenced the audience, keeping those who had been switching between different livestreams glued to the screen, eager to know what had happened that had all the staff members laughing.

Before long, someone came over with the answer: when the four kids first encountered the geese, they thought they were cute pets and reached out to touch them—only to be chased in a frantic escape, rolling and scrambling all the way back.

The viewers outside the screen had their curiosity satisfied, but An’an did not. He had no one to ask, so he could only tuck his curiosity away, planning to tell his dad as soon as he got back.

Meanwhile, the puzzle-solving segment was something the production team had carefully designed to ensure it was engaging. However, due to the children’s situation, some parts had to be cut.

Yu Honghui had watched this variety show in his past life when he was bored, meaning he already knew the answer. Even though the clues in hand didn’t match the solution exactly, he still managed to get the correct answer through a mix of guesswork and intuition.

【WTF, how did he do that? If I’m not mistaken, the clues he had were mostly wrong, right?】

【Could this be one of those cases where everything in the process is wrong, but the answer is right?】

【I’m starting to suspect that this show is scripted and rehearsed in advance.】

【Yeah, I was really interested in this puzzle segment because I heard Mr. Huo designed it himself. I was even trying to solve it along with them.】

【Let’s break it down: there were six key clues in total, and Gu Chen had three of them. Even if someone had to guess, it shouldn’t have been Yu Honghui who got it right.】

【I came to the same conclusion—Gu Chen should have been the one to solve it.】

【Anyone know the background of this Yu Honghui guy? Are they trying to prop him up by stepping on Gu Chen? Fight, fight, fight!】

Even though Yu Honghui had a decent number of fans, he was nowhere near Gu Chen’s level. Besides, even his own fans couldn’t bring themselves to argue that he had genuinely deserved to get the answer.

With the remaining clues, Gu Chen also relied on some guessing and reasoning to get close to the truth, ultimately securing the second-best house—a two-story building.

Since he had no idea how the others fared, he was quite satisfied with his result. As long as it wasn’t the worst house, that was good enough—he didn’t want An’an to suffer alongside him.

Among the other three, one had barely gotten close to the answer, while the other two were completely lost and had chosen to forfeit. After the houses were assigned, the staff finally informed them that their children might not be doing too well at the moment.

Whether their concern was genuine or just for show, the dads hurried back as fast as they could. Gu Chen was the quickest of them all, his long legs carrying him ahead of the others.

The staff members on site didn’t even get a chance to finish explaining before he was already sprinting back. The assistant director, seeing him like this, couldn’t help but ask,

“What’s wrong?”

“Um… Teacher Gu, your An’an is fine.”

Gu Chen had run back at full speed, and even though he regularly exercised, he was still slightly out of breath when he arrived.

But what he saw was his son, still looking just as clean as when he had left. Compared to the other four, who were covered in dirt, An’an stood out as especially adorable.

Even though An’an wasn’t dirty, Gu Chen still didn’t let his guard down—he was worried that his son had done something to the other kids.

An’an had never really had any friends before, but surely, he hadn’t suddenly started bullying others, right?

“What happened, An’an?”

“I don’t know either! Dad, tell me when you find out, okay?”

Having waited so long for his dad to return, An’an excitedly bounced twice in place.

“What’s going on with them?”

An’an shook his head. He hadn’t gone with them, so he didn’t know the details. He was waiting for his dad to find out and tell him, but instead, his dad was now turning around to ask him.

Seeing his son completely clueless, Gu Chen let out a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn’t his own kid who caused trouble, that was all that mattered.

He reached out and picked An’an up, then handed him the accommodation card with a smile.

“Look, this is where we’ll be staying for the next seven days. Are you happy?”

An’an clearly remembered that run-down house—the worst of them all. The one in front of him now wasn’t the best, but it was still much better. He was thrilled.

“Wow! Daddy, you’re amazing!”

Gu Chen feigned modesty, gave An’an a quick kiss on the cheek, and chuckled.

“Just average.”

On the way here, the assistants had carried the kids over, yet the only one who fell was An’an. Now, four little ones, covered in dirt, sat in a row on small stools.

When the fathers returned and saw their children in such a state, they were all a little angry.

Yu Honghui was shocked at first but quickly remembered they were still filming the show. He immediately put on a concerned expression, rushed over, and held Haohao’s shoulders as he asked,

“What happened?”

“Daddy, the big goose chased me—waaah!”

Hearing their pitiful cries, An’an clung tightly to his dad’s neck, then whispered into his ear, thinking his voice was small,

“Good thing the big goose didn’t chase me.”

Gu Chen had also grown up in the countryside. As a kid, who hadn’t been chased by a rooster or a big goose? He still remembered the one he hated the most, a goose that specialized in pecking people’s butts.

“Big geese are fierce. If they peck you, it really hurts.”

Playing along, Gu Chen leaned closer and whispered back.

“Daddy, An’an is a good boy.”

“Mm, I know An’an is good.”

Otherwise, how could it be that all the other kids looked like they had rolled in the mud while his son was still clean and fresh?

If it were Gu Chen, even if the conditions here weren’t convenient, he would have at least cleaned his child up first. If water soaked into their clothes after a fall, they could easily catch a cold.

But the four other fathers, including Yu Honghui, just carried their kids straight to their assigned houses without even trying to clean them up first.

Holding An’an in one arm, Gu Chen used his other hand to grab the freshly washed clothes that had been drying. Once they got back to their place, he found a small heater to dry An’an’s clothes.

【Didn’t Gu Chen pack a bunch of outfits for An’an? Why bother drying them?】

【Aww, An’an warming his little hands near the heater is too cute! Baby humans at this age are truly the most adorable!】

【Haha, look at him leaning against Gu Chen! Gu Chen’s helpless expression makes him seem like such a good dad.】

【Of course he has to dry them! Even if he brought ten outfits, they might not be enough.】

【Speaking from experience, in this kind of weather, you take any chance you get to dry clothes.】

An’an had a piece of his clothing on his lap. As he watched the steam rise from the wet fabric under the heater, his eyes widened in amazement.

“Wow! Daddy, it’s smoking!”

“Mm.”

Gu Chen flipped the clothes over from time to time to make sure they dried evenly. Since the show didn’t have anything else scheduled, he chatted with An’an to keep him entertained.

“Daddy, what’s a big goose?”

“It’s a big white animal. Very fierce. Its pecks hurt a lot.”

“Oh… good thing I didn’t play with them.”

“Why didn’t you play with them?”

Gu Chen actually wanted An’an to make more friends. It was always more fun for kids to play together, but there hadn’t been many chances before now.

“They’re silly. It was so slippery, and they still played.”

“True. It’s best not to play outside when it rains.”

“I’ll go when it’s sunny.”

“That works too.”

Gu Chen didn’t want to impose his own thoughts on An’an. Even though he was just a little kid, he was still an independent person, not just an extension of his father.

“Daddy, when are we going home?”

“Do you miss home?”

Being in a place that was worse than home in every way, it was completely normal to feel homesick. Gu Chen understood that.

An’an shook his head lightly, rested his head on his dad’s arm, and softly said,

“I miss my toys. I miss snacks.”

“But if we go home, Daddy has to work. I won’t have as much time to be with you.”

“Are we working now?”

“Yes.”

Gu Chen had explained the parenting reality show to An’an before, but he hadn’t expected him to understand. Now, he took the chance to explain it again.

“Then I don’t want toys or snacks anymore. I just want Daddy~”

“Mm.”

【From Gu Chen’s work schedule, it’s clear he spends at least 70% of his time on his career. But he still manages to be such a good dad?】

【Remember that shocking livestream from less than a year ago? In just a short time, they’ve built such a close bond. So, fans of the other guests should stop making excuses.】

【If Gu Chen can do this in under a year, what excuse do parents who’ve been around since birth have?】

【Stop using work as a shield. Who’s more famous than Gu Chen? If he can do it, why can’t they?】

Among the four other families, only Yu Honghui showed real care for his child. The other three relied on post-production editing to cut out any footage of their impatience toward their kids.

As their fans tried to justify their behavior, many viewers couldn’t help but compare it to their own experiences.

Those irresponsible fathers were just like the ones in their memories, and those fans making all sorts of excuses just to avoid admitting any mistakes were just like those relatives who spoke without standing in others’ shoes.

【Is your family more famous than Gu Chen?】

【As a neutral observer, I’m genuinely curious—do you really think your favorite celebrity is more famous than Gu Chen?】

【Saying they’re busy with work, haha. If they’re busier and less famous than Gu Chen, what exactly are they busy with?】

【If this show wasn’t a live broadcast, would all their actions be edited out in post-production? All we’d see is what they want us to see.】

【I’ll just say one thing: Any father who truly cares about their child would never let them inhale secondhand smoke! Can a celebrity selling the image of a good husband and father really not understand this basic principle?】

Anyway, the few celebrities who joined this show weren’t doing great in their companies. With contractual obligations and the director promising additional resources, they were hoping to use this parenting variety show as a stepping stone for a comeback. If it worked, great—if not, well, the company had already squeezed what it wanted out of them. Once they lost their usefulness, they’d be discarded quickly.

Even after drying for a long time near the small heater, the clothes still weren’t dry. Outside, staff members had come to call them for lunch.

Those fathers had barely managed to clean up their kids and change them into fresh clothes. After a whole morning of non-stop work, they were too exhausted to bother with the dirty clothes and simply tossed them aside.

Normally, they had assistants to take care of these things, so it was natural for them to assume someone else would handle it.

Yu Honghui, despite being reborn from his previous life, only had a vague idea that audiences of parenting shows preferred gentle and responsible fathers. But having never personally taken care of a child for an extended period, no matter how much he tried to fake it, he couldn’t hide his lack of experience in the details.

During lunch, Hao Hao spotted the big geese again. They were honking arrogantly, and remembering how he had embarrassed himself earlier, his face turned red with anger. He pointed at the geese and said fiercely:

“Dad, I want to eat them.”

Yu Honghui found his son’s words amusing. He nodded seriously and said casually:

“Sure, let’s ask the director later if we can eat them.”

【Am I the only one who finds this kid a little scary?】

【I used to think these four kids were cute, but after seeing everything, they were the ones who tried to touch the geese first. And now, after getting pecked, they want to eat them?】

【I wasn’t bothered at first, but now that you mention it, it does feel a bit off.】

Hearing the geese honking, An An also looked over curiously. They were well-fed and much bigger than him. He shrank his shoulders nervously, a little scared.

The lunch provided by the production team was decent. At the very least, An An ate happily. After the meal, the sun suddenly came out, and Cheng Yingying invited An An to play together.

An An looked at his dad. After receiving an encouraging glance, he placed his small hand in Cheng Yingying’s.

“Okay, be careful.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Among the kids, An An was the best-looking. Earlier, Cheng Yingying had been too lazy to talk because she had been dragged around, but after asking her dad, who encouraged her to befriend An An, she immediately ran over.

“Do you like it here?”

Cheng Yingying was talkative, while An An only answered when spoken to. Despite their differences, they got along well.

“I like it!”

An An firmly remembered that if they weren’t here, his dad wouldn’t have as much time to be with him. Even though this place wasn’t as clean as home and his toys and snacks had been taken away, he was still happy because his dad was here.

“I don’t like it. The geese are too mean.”

Cheng Yingying pouted, still upset about earlier. Luckily, she had been training under her mom’s supervision, or she would’ve looked even worse after that incident.

An An and Cheng Yingying walked hand in hand until they reached a beautiful flower field. Feeling a bit cold, An An pulled his hand away and tucked it into his pocket.

His dad had helped him ask about something he was curious about earlier, satisfying his curiosity.

“That’s not right. My dad said you were the one who wanted to touch the goose first.”

“I just wanted to pet it, but it pecked me?!”

Cheng Yingying, a little princess spoiled at home, was still holding a grudge over being pecked. When her new friend didn’t take her side, she felt wronged.

Even though An An thought she wasn’t very smart, since she was his first official friend (thanks to their dads), he patiently explained.

“I want to touch your head.”

Cheng Yingying instinctively wanted to refuse. She frowned and said:

“I don’t like that.”

“My dad said, before doing something, you should ask if the other person is okay with it.”

An An’s soft, childish voice earnestly shared his dad’s lesson. Cheng Yingying vaguely understood.

“Well, I still don’t like the goose.”

“My dad said liking or disliking something is your own choice.”

Cheng Yingying realized she was in the wrong but was too proud to admit it. Instead, she awkwardly changed the subject.

“Why do you always say ‘my dad said’?”

“Because I really like my dad!”

“I don’t like my dad. I like my mom. Where’s your mom?”

It was an innocent question between children, but in the live-streaming chat, the barrage of comments suddenly halted for a moment.

Su Ling’s scandal had been so huge that even people who didn’t follow the entertainment industry knew about it.

There was a heartless woman who wanted to use a child to marry into a wealthy family. However, upon discovering that the man’s family wasn’t as well-off as she had imagined, she immediately turned around and began to despise them.

She raised the child until he was three years old, but fearing that he would hinder her from finding a new rich man to support her, she sent the child back.

【Children may be innocent, but asking such a question is really inappropriate.】

【Thankfully, the baby is still very young and doesn’t remember these things. Otherwise, how heartbroken would he be?】

【Wuwu, I really want to be the baby’s mom! I would never be like his biological mother… But unfortunately, Gu Chen wouldn’t agree!】

Gu Chen’s girlfriend fans haven’t significantly decreased despite the past scandal. Most women have soft hearts, and seeing such a pitiful little child makes it hard to blame him.

Besides, no matter how much Gu Chen’s girlfriend fans adore him, they are well aware that they can never remove the word “fan” from their status.

【I wonder if the baby’s mother would turn green with envy seeing how well Gu Chen is taking care of the child now?】

【Hopefully, that disgusting woman never comes back to disrupt the baby’s life.】

【Exactly! The baby is being taken care of so well by Gu Chen. It’s best if things stay this way.】

Cheng Yingying hadn’t heard a response from An An for a long time. She nudged him with her elbow and urged,

“Why do you like your dad so much?”

“Why don’t you like your dad?”

An An didn’t know how to answer her question, so he simply turned it back on her. Cheng Yingying thought about it seriously before answering,

“Because I like my mom more.”

“What about your dad?”

“I like him too, but not as much as my mom.”

“Oh.”

Cheng Yingying had finished speaking, but seeing that An An didn’t seem interested in continuing the topic, she suddenly felt like she was at a loss and angrily placed her hands on her hips.

“Then what about you? Where is your mom? Why don’t you like her?”

An An also stood up. Since he had been squatting for too long, his legs felt a little numb. A hint of confusion flashed in his big eyes before he answered,

“I don’t remember. I just like Dad.”

“Oh, my mom said that when I was little, my dad went on a business trip for a few months, and when he came back, I didn’t recognize him anymore. So… will your mom come back?”

An An shook his head again. His memories of his mother were so vague that he couldn’t remember anything at all.

His innocent and clueless little angel-like expression made many viewers adore him even more and feel even more sorry for him.

Such a delicate and precious child—how could his own mother be so heartless as to abandon him like that?

Fortunately, Gu Chen was a responsible father willing to take care of him. If it had been someone else, the child would have been lucky just not to be mistreated.

Cheng Yingying felt like this little brother was a bit slow, but he was clean, well-behaved, and quiet, so she decided she could overlook that flaw.

Hao Hao saw how well they were getting along and remembered what his dad had told him earlier. He walked over, hoping to invite Cheng Yingying to play with them.

“Cheng Yingying, don’t you want to go look at the flowers?”

Earlier, Cheng Yingying had been interested in the flowers, but now she still remembered how she got pecked in the morning because Hao Hao took her to touch the geese. Her body still hurt from it.

“I don’t want to.”

“Why do you play with him and not with me?”

“He looks nice.”

Cheng Yingying answered without hesitation. She had met many kids while following her mom around, but this was the first time she had come across one so pretty.

“You only care about looks! That’s shallow!”

Any other kid would probably argue back if they heard that, but Cheng Yingying was different. She nodded seriously and acknowledged his statement.

“Yes, I care about looks. You’re not good-looking, so I don’t want to play with you.”

If all kids were as pretty as An An, she’d want to play with as many as possible.

“You…”

Hao Hao was furious, but he didn’t know how to refute her, so he could only leave with his other two friends.

…

On their first night in the small mountain village, both An An and Gu Chen were very happy. For them, as long as they were together, even if the conditions weren’t as good as home, it was still a joy.

Early the next morning, the crowing of roosters woke them up. The sky hadn’t fully brightened yet when staff members began calling the dads to get up and assigning them their tasks for the day.

In the morning, they needed to take their children up the mountain to collect firewood. The weather hadn’t completely warmed up yet, so there was no need to worry about bugs in the forest.

The afternoon was for free play, and the next morning, they had another activity—each child would draw a card to swap dads.

This variety show had always had mediocre ratings, but this particular segment was widely praised.

The director genuinely wanted to improve the show through innovative elements while also preserving the core aspects that made it appealing in the first place. He hoped to attract new viewers while keeping the old ones.

Most of the dads struggled to manage their own kids, let alone someone else’s. Upon hearing about the activity, they all looked worried—Gu Chen included.

Gu Chen knew very well that, in others’ eyes, An An was the most well-behaved little angel. But in reality, that was only in front of him.

Even the professional housekeepers struggled when they first arrived at their home. If the pros had a hard time, then these dads—who rarely took care of kids—would fare even worse.

If this weren’t a live broadcast, he’d have seriously asked the director if this segment could be canceled.

Collecting firewood wasn’t a big challenge for them. The real difficulty was bringing the kids along.

Cheng Yingying and her dad came over to join An An and his father, so the four of them walked together along the narrow path.

Cheng Yingying’s dad had always struggled in his career, which made him prone to frustration. He tried his best to control his temper and not bring it home to his family.

He truly wasn’t good at taking care of kids. The neat and pretty braids Cheng Yingying had in the morning were now completely undone, her hair messily draping over her shoulders.

“Mr. Gu, how do you manage to get along so well with kids?”

The two children were hopping ahead, while their fathers followed slightly behind. Feeling the atmosphere was a little stiff, Cheng Yingying’s father took the initiative to start a conversation.

“You just have to spend more time with them.”

In terms of age, Cheng Yingying’s father was much older than Gu Chen, but the entertainment industry didn’t care about seniority—experience was what mattered. Calling him “Mr. Gu” was standard; even calling him “Brother” wouldn’t be out of place.

“I’m too busy with work. I don’t have time for that.”

“If you’re busy, calling them works too. When I was filming, I would video call An’an after work. Sometimes, he’d wait for my call until he fell asleep, and the nanny would let me see him sleeping.”

Since his son got along well with Cheng Yingying, Gu Chen was willing to share a bit more.

“You need patience with kids. Reasoning with them works better than just giving orders.”

Gu Chen generously shared his insights, all based on books he had read and personal experience.

“If I’m not strict with her, she doesn’t listen at all.”

Cheng Yingying’s father shook his head helplessly. No matter how much he talked, it never seemed to work. The fastest way was still to use a firm tone to give orders, and if that failed, a little disciplinary action.

“If you keep that up, she won’t want to be close to you in the long run.”

Gu Chen adjusted the tools on his back. Seeing that they were almost at their destination, he didn’t say more.

What Cheng Yingying’s father said wasn’t entirely wrong, but Gu Chen believed that many things needed to be taught from a young age.

A book he read once had a point that resonated with him—children are like mirrors, perfectly reflecting their parents’ behavior.

The reason Cheng Yingying was still a relatively well-behaved child was probably because her mother had put in a lot of effort raising her.

—

This was An’an’s first time gathering firewood in the mountains, and he found it exciting. Cheng Yingying, on the other hand, wasn’t very interested in picking up firewood—she was more fascinated by the beautiful cherry blossoms.

A villager leading the way noticed her staring at the flowers and kindly plucked a few for her. Even An’an, who was just tagging along, got some.

An’an was delighted to suddenly have flowers in his hands. He actually liked them too, but he was too shy to say so.

“These wildflowers are everywhere around here!”

The villager casually remarked, just to let them know they weren’t rare, but both kids still politely said “thank you.”

With the flowers in hand, Cheng Yingying was suddenly more motivated to work.

She felt that since she was older than An’an, she could take care of him. While putting dry branches into her own basket, she also secretly tossed some into his.

An’an had his own little basket on his back. He picked up suitable twigs and placed them inside.

But he distinctly remembered not putting in that much—so how did it suddenly feel too heavy to carry? Panicking, he ran over to his father.

“Daddy, I can’t walk anymore!”

Gu Chen glanced at his son’s basket. It wasn’t packed, but for a three-year-old, it was definitely getting heavy. He easily lifted it off An’an’s back.

For an adult, it was nothing, but for a little kid, it was clearly a challenge.

“Branches can be dangerous too. I’ll carry them.”

The path down the mountain was uneven. Gu Chen already had his own basket, which was more than half full of firewood. He originally wanted to hold An’an’s hand, but seeing his wobbly steps, he felt uneasy.

It wasn’t just Gu Chen who was worried—An’an himself was a little scared.

Gu Chen simply put An’an’s basket back on him and then lifted him into his arms. This way, as long as he didn’t fall, An’an would be fine.

An’an still clutched the flowers in his tiny hands. Occasionally, he’d spot birds flying around and follow them with his gaze.

They were the first ones to return, which meant An’an earned the privilege of choosing first in tomorrow’s “Swap Dads” activity. The staff hadn’t told the kids about it yet.

Gu Chen felt a headache coming on just thinking about it. His little troublemaker might be fine with other activities, but this one was bound to make him cry for ages.

Normally, just seeing his dad leave was enough to make him tear up—how was he supposed to handle being assigned to another father?

If there weren’t so many cameras around, Gu Chen would’ve asked the director outright if they could cancel this segment!

—

The next morning arrived quickly.

Dressed in fresh clothes, An’an eagerly ran ahead when staff told them to gather. His little legs moved fast—nowadays, he could run without tripping, full of energy and excitement.

Gu Chen followed behind him. His long legs easily caught up, but his face didn’t look relaxed at all.

Just thinking about the upcoming activity gave him a headache.

At the gathering point, the other families had also arrived.

The director knew this segment was a bit cruel for the kids. To prevent them from outright refusing to participate, he had them line up in yesterday’s order first.

Then, he called out to An’an.

An’an looked at his dad, then at the director, making sure they were really calling him.

For some reason, he had a bad feeling. Taking the smallest, slowest steps possible, he edged forward.

“What’s happening?”

The director, seeing An’an’s innocent expression, hesitated for a moment before handing him a set of face-down cards. Keeping his tone gentle, he said:

“Pick one from these.”

“Oh.”

An’an randomly drew a card and flipped it over.

It had Yu Honghui’s photo on it.