Chapter 127

The five men in suits each had their own unique charm, but none stood out more than Movie King Jiang and Zhou Jingkai.

Movie King Jiang had remained a top star in the entertainment industry for years. His strikingly recognizable face still outshone the younger idols flooding the scene today.

【Movie King Jiang, is that really him?】

【Woc, am I really seeing this for free? Movie King Jiang and Lu Mingzhe are both here?】

【I can’t believe I’m living to see Zhu Yinghou and Movie King Jiang on a variety show together. I can die happy now, sob sob.】

【I heard “Let’s Fall in Love” has been trying to invite Zhu Yinghou and Movie King Jiang for ages, but they always declined. I never thought my dream of seeing them on a romance show would come true here!!】

【Who is Lu Mingzhe partnered with? He Dongling or Li Lulu?】

【Isn’t it obvious? His legal wife is right there. Who else would it be?】

【Not necessarily. Lu Mingzhe has publicly said many times that he has a great relationship with Lulu. All these years, he’s never even mentioned his wife.】

【They didn’t even announce the birth of their child. That’s got to mean he doesn’t love her, right? Or maybe they’re already divorced?】

The appearance of all five men at once instantly shattered viewership records.

There was Movie King Jiang, who had long since stepped back from the spotlight. Then there was Lu Mingzhe, entangled with both He Dongling and Li Lulu. Add to that the heir of a wealthy family married to a popular actress, and another guest who was a low-key assistant husband.

The last man wore a custom-tailored suit and had an extraordinary presence just standing there. His looks were on par with Movie King Jiang.

【Who is this handsome guy? Is he in the industry?】

【I recognize the others, but this guy and Lu Mingzhe—I don’t know who they’re paired with.】

【Honestly, this handsome stranger might even be better looking than Lu Mingzhe.】

Whenever they appeared on screen together, it was impossible not to compare them. With everyone already attractive, Zhou Jingkai’s aura made him shine even brighter.

Lu Mingzhe acted as if he didn’t even see He Dongling and An An. He walked straight over to Li Lulu, smiling as he greeted her.

“Has filming all these days been tiring?”

When Lu Mingzhe approached, Li Lulu’s younger brother lit up with excitement, bouncing twice as he shouted:

“Brother-in-law!!”

【Brother-in-law? Did I miss something major?!】

【Is the couple I ship actually real? Wow!!!】

【Does this mean he’s already met the parents? Otherwise, how could he be called brother-in-law so casually?】

【Is He Dongling embarrassed? He won’t even look at her.】

【Where are all the people who said Lulu was the other woman? Don’t you think you owe her an apology?】

This surprise wasn’t just kept from the audience—even the guests had no idea. Lu Mingzhe’s appearance was completely unexpected for He Dongling.

She no longer cared about Lu Mingzhe, but instinctively glanced at An An.

Biologically speaking, that was his father.

He was still so young. What if he longed for a father’s love?

Watching his own dad treat another child better than him—he’d definitely feel hurt and disappointed, even if he refused to admit it.

He Dongling had already prepared comforting words in her mind and was just about to speak when she saw An An hand her Haha’s leash, then toddle off on his short little legs toward Zhou Jingkai.

“Uncle, how old are you~?”

An An had to crane his neck with great effort just to see the man’s face.

Zhou Jingkai crouched down to meet him at eye level, reached out to ruffle Xiao An’an’s hair, and replied:

“Twenty-eight.”

“Oh~”

Normally, An An didn’t like strangers touching his head. But considering what he was about to do, he decided to endure this small discomfort and continued asking:

“Uncle, how tall are you~?”

“Six foot one.”

“Do you have abs?”

As An An asked, he instinctively glanced at the uncle’s torso.

On a child, this wide-eyed curiosity didn’t seem inappropriate at all. In fact, it was downright adorable.

“Yep, six-pack. Want to feel?”

“Yes!”

Without a second thought, An An reached out and gave them a poke. His eyes widened instantly—so firm!

“Wow!”

He then instinctively reached down to touch his own tummy, but only found soft squishy baby fat. He let out a discouraged sigh.

“Uncle, do you have a girlfriend~? How many people in your family~?”

The questions were getting increasingly suspicious. If not for the setting, it would’ve sounded like a speed-date interview.

“Nope. Single. No romantic entanglements. My family includes my parents, my older brother and sister-in-law, their son and daughter, and me.”

An An’s face lit up with joy and he threw his arms around Zhou Jingkai’s neck.

Zhou Jingkai, who had been squatting for a while and was starting to feel the strain, smoothly lifted An An into his arms. Thanks to years of working out, he held the boy securely with one hand and supported his back with the other.

His movements were a bit clumsy, but steady. An An instinctively wrapped his arms around his neck to avoid falling.

“Uncle~”

“Hmm?”

【An An? My sweet An An, what’s going on? When did you turn into such a little flirt?!】

【Does anyone remember yesterday when An An was grossed out by Xiao Yangyu sweet-talking Haha? That voice was so sugary it gave us goosebumps.】

【An An: I am not the child I was yesterday!】

【Since filming began, this is the first time we’ve seen An An act so bashful.】

【Why does this little guy seem a bit… shy?】

An An clutched the hem of his shirt, cheeks flushed red, sneaking glances at Zhou Jingkai and giggling. Not just the audience—even Zhou Jingkai found him irresistibly cute. He leaned in and gently nuzzled the side of An An’s face with his nose.

Carrying An An, he walked over to He Dongling and extended his hand.

“Hello, I’m Zhou Jingkai.”

He Dongling instinctively reached out, but froze the moment she heard his name. Zhou Jingkai gave her hand a brief shake before letting go.

Even after all these years, hearing that name again made He Dongling feel awkward. She wanted nothing more than to disappear into the ground.

Her father and Zhou Jingkai’s father had been childhood friends. When she was born, both families were on equal footing, and they jokingly arranged a marriage between the two kids.

But the Zhou family’s fortunes soared, and a few years ago they even became the wealthiest family in the country.

Meanwhile, the He family, now under her brother’s management, maintained a steady pace but couldn’t even break into the elite circles of the top-tier families.

The gap between them had grown too wide. Back then, He Dongling had lofty ambitions and refused to follow her parents’ arrangements. She took the initiative to cancel the engagement, and not long after, she met Lu Mingzhe.

Everyone assumed she broke off the engagement because of Lu Mingzhe, but that wasn’t true.

She simply hated being bound by an arranged marriage. That’s why she insisted on ending it right after graduating high school.

It just so happened that she met Lu Mingzhe soon after, so no matter how she explained it, it never sounded convincing. And few people were willing to believe her.

Now, seeing her former fiancé Zhou Jingkai standing in front of her, while her son had just groped his abs like a little rascal—it was enough to make her vision go dark.

An An noticed his mom zoning out and grew anxious. He quickly piped up in his baby voice:

“Mommy, I’m Zhou Zou-kai.”

Watching the little guy wave his hands in the air in a panic, Zhou Jingkai smiled gently and said:

“Your mommy and I haven’t seen each other in a long time, so she’s just a bit surprised.”

“And also, you’re not Zhou Zou-kai. You’re An An. I’m Zhou Jingkai.”

The little guy’s language skills were actually pretty good, but when he got flustered, his words came out all jumbled. He took a deep breath and repeated after him:

“Zhou… Jingkai!”

“That’s right. Well done. Uncle has a toy prize for you.”

At that moment, an assistant who had been waiting nearby walked over carrying a remote-controlled helicopter. For a three-year-old boy, a toy like that was irresistible.

“Wow, thank you, Uncle!”

An An excitedly wrapped his arms around his uncle’s neck, planted a loud kiss on his cheek, and wiggled happily. Zhou Jingkai, understanding the moment, set him down and helped him open the gift box.

On the other side, Xiao Yangyu noticed An An receiving a present and instinctively looked up at her dad, waving her small hand in front of him.

Movie King Jiang, catching the naked disdain in his daughter’s eyes, cleared his throat awkwardly.

The moment he heard he could visit the set, he eagerly pushed aside his work to come see his wife and daughter. Who would’ve thought he’d need to bring a gift for this little princess too?

He reached out to place something in Xiao Yangyu’s palm, but she quickly darted behind her mother.

“No! I want Haha, not Daddy!”

Xiao Yangyu had been glued to Haha these past few days, and she was definitely covered in dog fur. She still remembered how her dad had ended up in the hospital because of an allergy. Once she confirmed he hadn’t brought a gift, she immediately ran off to cuddle and play with Haha.

【Disdain from his own daughter.】

【Xiao Yangyu: What? No gift? Then why are you even here?】

【Xiao Yangyu: We agreed, once I hug Haha, you’re not allowed to hug me anymore.】

The other kids, seeing that An An had received a gift, all turned to the men beside them.

Except for Zhou Jingkai, everyone else had come empty-handed.

【Zhou Jingkai: Single-handedly raised the bar for set visits.】

【This guy is seriously handsome. Was there no info on him before?】

【Where’s the assistant? I want his full profile in three minutes.】

After a bit of casual chatting, the host took the initiative to introduce the guests who had come to visit the set. Most of the spotlight still landed on Movie King Jiang.

Over the years, he had starred in countless productions. If they tried to compile everything, it would take more than a day, so they only showcased his most critically acclaimed work.

Lu Mingzhe’s highlight was a recent hit historical drama where the two leads were separated by life and death. In reality, he stood side by side with Li Lulu.

Another popular actress’s husband was the youngest son of a wealthy industry insider and often appeared in the public eye. There was plenty of online buzz about him.

One female guest’s assistant husband only appeared in a short clip showing him taking care of his wife’s daily needs.

Then there was Zhou Jingkai. His introduction didn’t highlight anything particularly special, just a few photos.

【That’s it? It’s over already? I feel like I saw something, but also nothing at all.】

【Let’s be real, a director who managed to get Li Lulu and He Dongling in the same production definitely isn’t afraid of stirring things up.】

【The only explanation is that this guy has serious backing.】

Fans of Lu Mingzhe and Li Lulu weren’t happy seeing so many people praising someone connected to He Dongling. They started mocking him in the comment stream.

【What’s so secret that it can’t be shared?】

【Is it something shameful? Or is he just a nobody not worth introducing?】

【And this guy thinks he can compare to Lu Mingzhe? Don’t make me laugh.】

【No matter what, Lu Mingzhe is still a top-tier actor. Stop trying to ride his coattails.】

Later, Lu Mingzhe’s fans even posted various achievement charts, trying to crush the unknown Zhou Jingkai with hard data.

In other variety shows, the sheer number of fans might have swayed public opinion.

But this show had already broken records thanks to the addition of Zhu Yinghou and Movie King Jiang. Their fans, along with curious casual viewers, made up the majority.

【You’re comparing stats with a non-celebrity? That’s just ridiculous.】

【As a total outsider, I think that guy’s really good-looking and super attentive with the kids.】

【An An’s turned into a little clingy koala. He must be amazing. If the kid’s happy, then Mom’s happy too!】

The comment section was a chaotic mess of opinions flying in all directions.

The host arranged rooms for the male guests, and at that moment, Xiao Yangyu firmly requested not to be placed next to her dad.

At home, she might worry about her dad not liking pets, but during the show, she finally had a chance to play with Haha, a dog with such a good temperament.

Given the choice between her dad and Haha, she chose Haha.

Caught off guard by the rejection, Movie King Jiang was still processing it when his wife added:

“Yeah, let’s put our rooms farther apart. I need to take care of Xiao Yangyu.”

An An clung to his uncle’s neck and asked in a high-pitched voice:

“Uncle, can I sleep with you tonight~?”

Though they hadn’t been filming for long, An An had already figured out where the cameras were. He knew the bedrooms weren’t monitored at night.

There were still some things he wanted to ask his uncle. He couldn’t ask in front of the cameras.

“Of course you can.”

An An originally looked a lot like Lu Mingzhe, which was why He Dongling had trouble accepting him at first.

The System couldn’t bear to see its little one suffer, so it made a few tweaks, adjusting his features to resemble Zhou Jingkai more closely.

It still left a few traits similar to He Dongling, enough for others to recognize the blood relation between them.

As he grew older, these features would become more pronounced.

He Dongling, who spent every day with An An, might not notice the change, but Zhou Jingkai, meeting him for the first time, could clearly see how much the boy resembled her.

He Dongling opened her mouth to stop him but didn’t know what to say. By the time she finished hesitating, the room assignments were already done.

That night, while helping her son bathe, He Dongling was still bothered by what had happened. She didn’t think she was wrong back then, but the misunderstandings that followed had indeed painted Zhou Jingkai in a bad light. No matter how she looked at it, she owed him.

“Why do you want to stay with that uncle?”

“An An has questions.”

“Can you tell Mommy?”

“Nope, it’s a secret~”

An An’s gut told him that if Mommy found out, she’d definitely spank him until he cried.

“Alright then, but be good over there. Don’t cause trouble. If you’re unhappy, come back to Mommy.”

“Okay, I’ll be good!”

Freshly bathed and dressed in pajamas, An An hugged his little pillow and ran off to Zhou Jingkai’s room.

He had already visited twice during the day and knew the way well. Mimicking a scene from a TV drama he’d recently watched, he knocked on the door.

“Uncle, Uncle, open up! It’s An An!”

“I know you’re in there. Don’t pretend you’re not!”

Zhou Jingkai heard the knocking and that soft baby voice urging him. He quickly got up. On the other end of the phone, Mother Zhou was confused and asked instinctively:

“What’s the rush? It’s so late. What’s going on?”

“Uh… I’m picking up your grandson.”

Grandson? Mother Zhou was stunned. Since when did she have a grandson?

Could it be… her son had a secret child?

Zhou Jingkai hung up right after saying that, tossed his phone aside, and opened the door. An An threw himself into his arms with a big grin, hugging his neck tightly.

“Uncle, I’m here~”

Zhou Jingkai held him and gently pinched his nose, lowering his voice to ask:

“Did you tell your mom before coming?”

“Yup~”

He wouldn’t have come if Mommy hadn’t said yes.

“Is there something you wanted to ask me?”

“Mm-hmm, Uncle’s so smart.”

An An had only asked a few general things during the day. So far, he was pretty satisfied, but there were still some details he couldn’t ask in front of Mommy. If he did, he’d definitely get spanked.

So he decided to sneak over and ask in private.

He even left Haha behind just for this.

Xiao Yangyu had happily stuffed all the snacks her dad brought into An An’s bag, looking like she’d scored a major win.

An An was happy with the snacks, Xiao Yangyu was satisfied with Haha, and Movie King Jiang was the only one left out and wounded.

“Uncle, do you like my mommy~?”

Children often have sharper instincts than adults, especially when it comes to reading people.

Others might not have noticed, but An An saw that his uncle kept looking at his mom.

“Yeah.”

Zhou Jingkai admitted it without hesitation. He wasn’t worried about this little guy running around telling people. He had never thought liking He Dongling was something to be ashamed of.

“After getting married, where are you living?”

An An was a little troubled. Ever since he overheard the conversation during the day, he had been feeling uneasy. He didn’t want his mom to live with those people. These past few days, she had clearly been uncomfortable living with others.

Zhou Jingkai had joined this show on a whim. Before coming, he had already prepared himself for the worst. Even if he could only see her once, spending a few days together would be worth it.

But the first thing An An said was about marriage. Even in his wildest dreams, Zhou Jingkai hadn’t dared to hope for something that big.

An An wasn’t necessarily hoping his mom would marry this man. He just wanted to figure things out before anything started.

After all, he was still young. If his mom didn’t like the idea, he could just say he was being childish and didn’t know any better.

On the surface, An An looked innocent, blinking his eyes with a face full of naivety. But in his heart, he was calculating with a mental abacus clacking away.

Zhou Jingkai was stunned for a long time, unable to react. An An thought he was hesitating, so he pursed his lips and gently asked,

“Is it because you don’t want An An…?”

“An An can stay with Grandpa and Grandma, or even go die, boohoo.”

He had seen that line in a TV drama before, and now was the perfect time to use it. Zhou Jingkai quickly reached out to cover his mouth, frowning as he said,

“What nonsense are you talking about? Who said I don’t want you? Children shouldn’t talk about life and death like that, understand?”

Zhou Jingkai wasn’t particularly superstitious, but when it came to children, he couldn’t help but be a little cautious. His sister-in-law often reminded him that kids were more delicate.

“Oh.”

An An nodded obediently. This uncle was actually pretty nice, which made him feel a little guilty about trying to trick him.

“If it’s about marriage, I have properties in different cities under my name. We can live wherever we want. I’m usually busy with work, so I don’t mind moving in.”

“Moving in?”

That tiny head was filled with big confusion. Zhou Jingkai realized the little guy might not understand, so he explained,

“It means living at your grandma’s house.”

“Oh, I think that’s fine!”

Right now, An An thought this uncle looked better and better. He decided to rank him first for now and keep evaluating the others.

While he was still young and had his grandparents to protect him, he had to make the most of it. When he got older, if his mom got mad, she definitely wouldn’t hold back.

The next day, the show started filming from the moment the kids woke up. An An was still groggy when Zhou Jingkai pulled him out of bed. He was rubbing his eyes, barely awake, as clothes were already being slipped onto him.

“Take off your pajamas.”

“Socks, socks, An An needs socks.”

“Boohoo, my pants aren’t pulled up! They’re falling!”

Zhou Jingkai didn’t show a hint of impatience. Following An An’s instructions, he finally got him dressed properly. Once An An nodded in satisfaction, he carried him to the sink to wash up.

An An held his toothbrush and brushed his teeth while Zhou Jingkai shaved beside him. It was the first time An An had seen something like this. After rinsing his mouth and spitting out the water, he asked curiously,

“Uncle, what are you doing?”

“Shaving. It’s prickly.”

“What about An An?”

An An leaned over, wanting the uncle to shave him too.

The day before yesterday, his mom had kissed him five times. Yesterday, only three. It must be because his stubble was prickly, so she kissed him less!

Zhou Jingkai reached out and touched An An’s chin, then said helplessly,

“There’s nothing there. It’s smooth and clean.”

“Oh. Then why didn’t Mommy kiss me?”

“Maybe she wants you to kiss her first?”

A self-assured kid like An An would never think his mom didn’t want to kiss him. He nodded, agreeing with the uncle’s explanation. Of course, Mommy was just shy and wanted him to kiss her first.

Aiya, she should’ve said so earlier~

Zhou Jingkai had no idea what this little guy was thinking now. After getting him ready, he even carefully applied sunscreen on him.

Before joining this variety show, he had done plenty of preparation, including learning how to properly take care of a child An An’s age.

Once An An was all set, he put on his hat and was carried out by Zhou Jingkai.

Downstairs, He Dongling was preparing breakfast. She hadn’t known how to cook at all when she lived alone, but after getting together with Lu Mingzhe, who often complained that outside food tasted bad, she had learned a bit.

She wasn’t a master chef, but her cooking was presentable.

Zhu Yinghou was helping pick vegetables nearby. She couldn’t cook at all.

The oil and smoke in kitchens could speed up skin aging, and someone like Zhu Yinghou paid extra attention to that. Plus, she always had assistants with her wherever she went, so she never needed to cook herself.

Having never learned, just seeing all the seasonings in the kitchen gave her a headache. Fortunately, He Dongling was helping, which was a huge relief.

Breakfast was simple, but for lunch, each family had to work together to prepare the meal.

Xiao Yangyu sat in her car, her lips pouting so much they could hold an oil can.

If the whole family had to cook together, she couldn’t avoid interacting with her dad like before. That morning, her mom had nearly scrubbed her bald while washing her, and even changed her into a different outfit.

After breakfast, each household went to the sponsor’s supermarket to buy groceries.

Each child sat in the front seat of a shopping cart. Zhou Jingkai pushed the cart while He Dongling walked beside him.

Since the other four families were either legally married or rumored couples, viewers naturally viewed their interactions through the lens of a real family.

【Am I the only one who thinks they actually look really good together?】

【Not just you. I even feel like An An might be his kid!】

【I’m starting to believe Lu Mingzhe and He Dongling really did divorce early. If they’re apart, she can find someone better.】

【Zhou Jingkai really dotes on An An.】

【An An, quick, ask him to buy a big durian. Let’s see if he hesitates.】

As they passed the fruit section, An An really did spot a durian. The spiky ball immediately caught his attention. He patted Zhou Jingkai’s hand, successfully making him stop the cart.

“Uncle, what’s that?”

“Durian.”

“Huh? Isn’t durian white?”

“That’s the durian before it’s peeled.”

Zhou Jingkai patiently explained. It was easy to guess that An An had only ever seen the inside of a durian before.

“Let’s buy one.”

An An rubbed his hands together. He wanted to peel the durian himself and stared at Zhou Jingkai with eager eyes.

“Alright.”

Before He Dongling could even refuse, Zhou Jingkai had already agreed. He asked a store clerk to weigh it and handed the bag to An An, holding it from the bottom.

“Do you want to hold it?”

An An glanced at the spiky shell, then quickly tucked his little hands into his pockets. Frowning, he muttered,

“Fai!!”

His reaction made Zhou Jingkai laugh. So the little guy did know not to touch something like that.

As they continued shopping, An An got really into picking live ingredients—big crabs, shrimp, even a lively flopping carp.

Seeing how much they were buying, even He Dongling couldn’t keep a straight face in front of the cameras. She tugged on An An’s shirt and reminded him,

“That’s a lot of food. Mommy doesn’t know how to cook some of it.”

“Oh… then what do we do?”

An An instinctively looked at the uncle, trying to shift the responsibility onto him.

“Uncle knows how.”

“Yay!”

Later, when he got tired of sitting, An An got down and ran to the vegetable aisle to pick things out. He Dongling and Zhou Jingkai fell behind. She lowered her voice and asked,

“You really know how to cook?”

“Yeah, I do.”

Zhou Jingkai had studied abroad for a while. The circumstances had forced him to become a decent cook, and he could handle just about any ingredient with ease.

Their cart was the fullest among all the families. Once the uncle guaranteed he could handle it, An An had no more reservations and tossed everything he liked into the cart.

Back at the villa, He Dongling couldn’t help with the cooking anymore. Zhu Yinghou and the movie star Jiang were scrambling around.

Li Lulu wasn’t a great cook, but her dishes looked decent. Among female celebrities, she was already doing well.

Zhou Jingkai hadn’t lied. After taking off his jacket and rolling up his shirt sleeves, he put on gloves and began expertly handling all kinds of ingredients.

To keep An An from getting bored and trying to help, he gave him a bowl of peas and a small basin, asking him to shell them.

An An carried a little stool out to the backyard to sit in the sun. He didn’t think the ground was clean enough for the basin, so he placed it on Haha’s belly instead.

Haha turned to glance back, then after a few seconds of thought, laid his head down again and pretended to be asleep.

An An was carefully shelling the peas one by one, placing them into a bowl.

A staff member took the opportunity to approach and ask An An a few questions.

“An An, does your mom not cook at home very often?”

“Nope~ Mama’s really busy with work.”

Children don’t understand the treacherous undercurrents of the entertainment industry, let alone the fact that this particular staff member had been bribed by Li Lulu. What seemed like an innocent question was actually full of hidden traps.

“So your mom doesn’t take care of you that much either? Do you feel sad about that?”

This question immediately triggered An An’s sense of caution. After finishing shelling the peas, he looked up and stared at the staff member, his voice soft and childish as he asked:

“Do you like Daddy or Mommy more?”

“Why would you ask such a strange question?”

The staff member didn’t understand and wasn’t willing to let a child steer the conversation. Just as she was about to redirect the topic, An An gave a little snort.

“Your questions are weird too.”

“Do you like my mommy? Why do you keep asking about her?”

“I love her very much. I won’t say anything bad about her, I don’t like you. Haha, let’s go.”

With that, An An picked up his stool, hugged the bowl, and carried the bag of shelled peas to the other side. Haha followed behind him.

The staff member was quickly called aside by the team leader and replaced with a younger woman to go talk to An An.

Still upset from what had just happened, An An puffed up his cheeks like a little pufferfish when he saw someone else approaching, letting out a disgruntled hum. His sulky expression was adorably vengeful.

“Xiao An’an, what about your daddy?”

Daddy?

An An paused in his pea-shelling, seriously tried to think for a moment, but came up blank. So he sniffled and put on a pitiful look as he said:

“Wuu, he passed away early. Mama’s had a really hard time raising me.”

Translator’s Notes

• Woc: ‘Woc’ is a censored or internet-friendly form of the Chinese expletive ‘卧槽’ (wò cáo), roughly equivalent to ‘WTF’ or ‘holy crap’ in English slang.