Chapter 125: The Father Who Exploited His Child Star 18

The only promotional activity that required Xie Chu’s cooperation was this one. Later, after the show premiered, he and Yang Yu participated in an interview together.

“I heard you were an actor found by someone close to the director at a street stall, is that right?”

Xie Chu held the microphone, nodded, and replied in a small, childlike voice:

“Yes.”

The main interviewee was Yang Yu, a popular young star transitioning to a serious actress, while Xie Chu was just an add-on. The reporter asked Yang Yu more questions, but Yang Yu would steer the conversation towards Xie Chu.

She had just heard last night that Xie Chu was now a young artist in the same company as her. Besides working for the same company, the more important reason was that she genuinely liked Xie Chu.

“Yang Yu, I heard you have a lot of scenes with this Child Actor in the drama, is that right? With romance dramas being so popular, are you worried about the broadcast results of a drama with more scenes interacting with a child?”

Yang Yu, who had a stable position as a popular young star with very few scandals, recognized the trap in the reporter’s words. Under the flashing lights, she extended her free hand to shield Xie Chu’s eyes and smiled politely at the camera.

“Yes, if you’re interested in this drama, you can first check out the Original Author’s work. It’s excellent; I stayed up all night reading the whole thing and got scolded by my manager.”

Xie Chu, with his eyes covered, held the microphone obediently without moving. The chair he was sitting on was a bit high, and he idly swung his feet.

“Every work has its target audience, and I’m not worried about the broadcast results. Director Xu and the crew, as well as the actors, are all excellent and hardworking. I believe this is a good work.”

At this moment, Xie Chu, who had been swinging his feet, remembered what Uncle Gu had told him before the interview. He poked his head out from behind Yang Yu’s hand that was covering his eyes, held the microphone, and loudly declared:

“Please support us!”

Yang Yu couldn’t help but curve her lips when she heard him say that, and the reporters present also laughed.

After the interview ended, Yang Yu handed Xie Chu over to his father. Because there were few people in the lounge at the time, Yang Yu knocked on the door, stepped back three paces, and after the door opened and she confirmed it was Xie Hui, she gently pushed Xie Chu’s back.

“Mr. Xie, I’m bringing your son back to you.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Xie Hui gently waved his hand, and Xie Chu’s two short legs moved quickly, suddenly hugging his father’s leg.

“Dad, I missed you so much.”

Xie Hui squatted down and held him in his arms. The little rascal habitually started rubbing his head against him.

“How much could you miss me after only being away from me for such a short time?”

“Super much.”

Director Xu and Gu Jingtong were also in the lounge. Today’s main interviewees were the actors, and after interviewing the actors, they would also interview the director.

“Xie Hui, given our current relationship, when Xie Chu becomes famous in the future, if I come to him for a role, don’t promise anyone else first.”

Director Xu joked as he got up to prepare for his interview, and Xie Hui smiled and agreed.

“Of course, Director Xu, for a director like you, Chu Chu will definitely prioritize you.”

Xie Chu didn’t fully understand the meaning of their words, but hearing it was his father speaking, he nodded vigorously.

“Right!”

The Entertainment Industry seems prosperous, with new talents appearing like carp crossing a river, but actors with genuine talent never lack opportunities.

Director Xu had originally planned to bring his nephew along, but Gu Jingtong really disliked the interview process, so he stayed in the lounge.

Seeing Xie Chu sitting on the sofa, obediently munching on biscuits, he couldn’t help but tease:

“Chu Chu, you’re so obedient to your dad?”

Xie Chu, leaning against the back of the sofa, rolled his eyes, not really wanting to bother with this silly uncle.

“What if your dad says he’s selling you to me, would you obediently come home with me?”

“Dad wouldn’t sell me, Uncle Gu, you’re talking nonsense!”

After Xie Chu finished speaking, he still felt unsatisfied and continued fiercely:

“Uncle Gu, if you say that again, then Dad and I will sell you!”

Xie Hui rubbed his son’s head. Xie Chu, who had just been fiercely scolding, had his eyes redden when his father touched him, and he sniffled pitifully, feigning distress.

“Chu Chu is so well-behaved, how could Dad sell you? Besides, Chu Chu, have you forgotten what Dad told you last time, that human trafficking is illegal?”

Xie Chu leaned against his father, lifted his chin, and snorted at Gu Jingtong.

“Uncle Gu, did you hear that? human trafficking is illegal. If you dare, I’ll call the police uncles to arrest you!”

Gu Jingtong cooperatively raised his hands above his head, pleading:

“Heard it, heard it, I was wrong.”

Gu Jingtong had only graduated not long ago. He envied Xie Hui for having such a well-behaved child, but he currently had no plans to get married. When he craved a well-behaved human cub, he would come over to play with Xie Chu.

After work here ended, Xie Hui took his son back to that small town, and Gu Jingtong would occasionally come to visit him.

Especially on Xie Chu’s birthday, Gu Jingtong had originally gone abroad with his uncle for an Award Ceremony, but he flew back overnight to give him a gift.

As they spent more time together, with Gu Jingtong’s persistence and Director Xu’s matchmaking, Xie Chu officially recognized Gu Jingtong as his godfather.

That drama became a huge hit after it aired, even breaking many records. What was amusing was that the drama version, like the novel, had many people complaining that the male lead was superfluous, wanting to keep watching the female lead and her son level up.

The male lead had anticipated this when he took the script, and after several promotional collaborations, he felt he also wanted to cling to the Di Shu cub.

Before kindergarten, Xie Chu took on another small role through the company, playing the male lead’s childhood self in a drama, with a short filming period.

Like Director Xu’s previous work, dramas where the little guy had more scenes than the Male Lead Actor were rare. More often, it was like this, playing the protagonist’s childhood or the protagonist’s child, with no more than ten episodes of screen time.

Before Xie Chu started kindergarten, Xie Hui opened his Snack Shop. Using his previous savings plus the money Xie Chu earned from acting, he bought a storefront.

The first floor sold snacks, and the second floor was for accommodation. The location was at a busy school entrance, and business was good from the start.

Xie Hui was not like the Entruster, who wished the little guy would live in the film set for over three hundred days a year. Most of what he filmed was what Xie Chu himself liked.

The little guy especially loved xianxia dramas. He wasn’t afraid of wirework at all, and after flying around, he would excitedly tell his father that he felt like a little immortal.

After signing with the company, many troubles were reduced. The scripts were usually sent by the company staff responsible for Xie Chu’s work, or emailed.

After Xie Hui deemed it suitable and confirmed the schedule, he would sign the contract. The longest filming period was only one and a half months.

Even if the company arranged an assistant to accompany Xie Chu during work, whenever the little guy had to film, Xie Hui would temporarily close the Snack Shop and accompany his son.

Being in an unfamiliar place, Xie Chu was also more sensitive to pain than ordinary people. He had to wear socks to sleep, wrap his head tightly when going out, and had a pile of small habits.

Even if the assistant was professional, Xie Hui, like all parents, felt that he was best suited to take care of his son himself, and no one could understand Xie Chu’s preferences better than him.

During breaks in filming at the film sets, Xie Hui would take the books from their kindergarten and teach his son, trying to ensure he didn’t fall behind others.

This time, Xie Hui, as usual, had the driver load the luggage into the car. Xie Hui pulled down the rolling shutter door and pasted a note on it saying “Temporarily Closed for Two Months.”

It was because Xie Hui’s own snack-making skills were excellent, and the shop was kept clean, with various snacks being nutritious, tasty, and reassuring to parents, that he dared to be so willful and leave for several months like this.

On the way to the airport, Xie Chu, wearing a mask, leaned against his father’s arms, holding his father’s arms with both hands.

“Dad, why are we going for so long? Is it for a lot of filming, or are you planning to take me to play for a few days?”

Xie Hui had read the script sent by the company before. It was a movie with a ‘kidnapping’ theme, and the director was a friend of Director Xu, with whom they had previously collaborated.

The screen time wasn’t too much, but Director Xu had told Xie Hui in advance that his friend, Director Wang, was very meticulous, so even if Xie Chu’s scenes weren’t many, they should try to take more time off.

“It’s because the scenes are challenging, so it needs more time. But after filming, we can go to the Zoo. I heard that city’s Zoo has many, many kinds of animals.”

“Then Dad, should we bring Zhaocai with us? Let Zhaocai see the tigers, roar roar.”

Xie Hui had originally planned to name that little fat orange cat “Juyi,” but the little guy only responded when called “Zhaocai.”

When Xie Chu was at home, he would often hug that round little fat orange cat, and it would only respond when called “Zhaocai.”

Every time Xie Chu had to go filming, Xie Hui would send it to a pet store for boarding a day in advance.

“It’s said that our city is also preparing to build a Zoo. Next time, we’ll take Zhaocai with us if there’s a chance.”

“Okay.”

Xie Chu was now gradually accustomed to flying. He no longer found the clouds outside the window novel. Upon arrival, someone picked them up and took them to the hotel.

After entering the hotel room, he would carefully check to see if it was a pieced-together bed, and only after confirming it wasn’t would he pounce on it to rest.

Xie Chu had filmed many dramas. Unlike before, when he had to audition, now basically the contract was already set before he even arrived.

That evening, Xie Hui held the script and told the little guy, who was sitting on his lap in fluffy pajamas, about the general plot of the script.

The story began when a mother, feverish, went to pick up her child, and the child was accidentally abducted, instantly destroying their once happy and complete family. While relatives and friends advised her that she could have more children, she persisted for decades just to find her child.

Finally, when she was old and lying in bed, she vaguely saw her child playing with toys on the carpet at home when he was little, and she passed away with a smile on her lips and tears in her eyes.

Xie Hui didn’t focus on the female lead’s scenes, only mentioning what his son would play: first, a little prince pampered by his family, then abducted and sold to a mountain village, where he was beaten and abused by the family who bought him.

At first, Xie Chu kept both hands obediently on his knees, but then he involuntarily got sleepy, his little head nodding, and he leaned sleepily against his father’s arms, not forgetting to mumble softly:

“Dad, tell me tomorrow…”