Raising Kids C08

Chapter 8

“It’s Hua Mulan.”

Xie Hui corrected with a smile and took the chance to ruffle the boy’s fluffy hair. The soft, plushy texture felt nice. As a new dad, he hadn’t been on this journey for long, but he had already fallen in love with these natural little gestures.

“Then I must have remembered wrong.”

Little Xie Ze grinned so widely that his eyes disappeared. Hugging his dad tightly, he nuzzled against him, acting spoiled.

“Daddy, hurry up and tell me the story.”

Back when he was sent to daycare, Xie Ze had overheard other kids complaining that their dads told stories with an accent, saying they weren’t as good as the ones played on their moms’ phones. He had been so envious.

But now, he was a little baby who had his dad by his side. He couldn’t go back to daycare and show off in front of those kids who didn’t have their dads with them.

“Alright.”

Xie Hui reached out to turn off the ceiling light and instead switched on the bedside light strip, which emitted a soft, warm yellow glow that wasn’t harsh on the eyes.

The filming crew didn’t stay in the bedroom; only a camera remained on the shelf to record.

Having dubbed his own lines in multiple TV dramas and movies, Xie Hui had a solid foundation in dialogue delivery and a very pleasant voice. Especially now, as he patiently told a bedtime story to his son, his entire presence exuded the warmth and gentleness of a father.

The first day of filming ended perfectly—no chaotic disasters like in other celebrity families, no late-night struggles to put a child to sleep.

Since editing the content of three celebrity families into a single episode was a big task, the footage was handed over to the editing team at the end of each day’s shoot.

After reviewing the footage, the head of the editing department called the director in charge of Xie Hui’s group.

Every moment between the father and son was so heartwarming and harmonious that it felt like a shame to cut anything.

—

When Xie Hui woke up, he changed into his workout clothes, planning to go for a morning run. But before he could leave, a drowsy little Xie Ze also sat up.

Rubbing his sleepy eyes with his chubby little hands, his messy hair sticking out in all directions, he lifted the blanket and climbed out of bed.

“Daddy, people say eating well and exercising hard helps you grow faster. I want to go running with you too!”

“Alright, baby, hurry up.”

Xie Hui would never dampen his child’s enthusiasm. Seeing him eager to exercise, he held his chubby little hand and led him downstairs.

The show’s staff were already up and had finished breakfast. They were surprised to see the father and son awake so early.

Xie Hui went into the kitchen to pour some water and let it cool so Xie Ze could drink it after their run. Meanwhile, little Xie Ze stood on tiptoe, tugging at the shirt of the staff member in charge of guest interactions.

“Uncle, last night you asked me such silly and childish questions, but today you didn’t even ask about my outfit.”

Xie Hui had dressed him in a matching father-son outfit that morning, and little Xie Ze was beaming with excitement. He had been looking for someone to show off to when he spotted the uncle who always talked to his dad.

“Oh? What’s up with your outfit today?”

The staff member, who had just lifted his cup of goji berry tea for a sip, was momentarily puzzled. He set his thermos down and looked at the boy curiously.

“Uncle, you’re so dumb! This is called a father-son outfit. Daddy and I are matching!”

With a proud expression, Xie Ze shot a disdainful glance at the “silly uncle” before running off to find his dad in the kitchen.

When the staff member and the cameraman followed, they happened to overhear little Xie Ze complaining to his father.

“Daddy, that staff member is so dumb! He’s not as smart as me. I already knew what it was, but he didn’t!”

Hearing his son’s words, Xie Hui helplessly curled his lips into a smile. Lowering his head, he leaned in close and gently reminded him:

“Baby, you are very smart, amazing, and know a lot of things that others don’t. But you need to understand that talking about others behind their backs is not right.”

Children at this age were still learning, and it was up to the parents to guide them in the right direction. Very few kids were naturally “bad”—most so-called “troublemakers” were simply the result of indulgent or overly permissive parenting.

“Huh?”

Xie Ze blinked, clearly confused. He tilted his head, wanting to argue but unsure of what to say.

“There will always be people smarter than you in this world. Would you like it if they called you dumb? Did you like it back in daycare when those kids said Daddy didn’t love you?”

Bringing the issue back to something personal made little Xie Ze scrunch up his face in frustration. He turned around, looking at the staff member by the kitchen door, blushed, and walked over.

“Uncle, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that about you.”

The staff member had just thought the kid’s antics were amusing and hadn’t felt offended at all. Now, hearing his apology, he found it even more endearing and replied with a smile, “It’s okay.”

—

Before their run, Xie Hui helped Xie Ze remove the microphone attached to his clothes, then held his hand as they headed to the villa’s jogging area.

There, they unexpectedly ran into an elderly man walking his dog.

“Well now, it’s rare to see a young man out running so early.”

The old man was quite chatty. His husky, however, was less patient—it barked twice before anxiously spinning in circles.

After the old man greeted him, Xie Hui slowed his pace. Since he had his little one with him today, he couldn’t run as usual. A casual stroll sounded just fine.

“That’s right. They say regular exercise is good for the body.”

Just as he finished speaking, Xie Hui felt his hand suddenly empty. Looking down, he saw little Xie Ze had already run over to the restless dog and squatted down in front of it.

“Do you know how dangerous that is?! You can’t spin around with the leash!”

Xie Ze crouched down with a serious expression, trying to reason with the husky. However, the dog looked extremely unconvinced and let out a couple of unwilling howls after Xie Ze finished speaking.

“Awoo, awooo!”

“If you keep spinning, you’ll knock Grandpa over! You’re not being good at all!”

The old man found it amusing to hear the little boy scolding the dog with his soft, childish voice. He sat down on a stone bench by the roadside, still holding the leash firmly in his hand.

“Young man, how old are you? Is this your son?”

Xie Hui saw how his little kid was completely absorbed in lecturing the husky, and his pronunciation was much clearer than usual, so he let him be. Sitting on another stone bench, he smiled and chatted with the old man.

“I’m twenty-six. Yes, he’s my son.”

“Wow, you already have a son at twenty-six. My son is thirty-five and still says he wants to spend his whole life with that stupid camera of his.”

The old man sighed but didn’t dwell on the topic. He glanced at his normally proud and energetic dog, now lying on the ground with its ears drooping. Every now and then, it let out a little “awoo,” expressing its dissatisfaction. The sight made him chuckle.

“Your kid sure is lively and outgoing.”

“Yeah, he’s… quite talkative.”

As the old man got ready to head home, Xie Ze obediently returned to his father’s side, waving goodbye to both the grandpa and his naughty dog.

On the way home, Xie Ze held his dad’s hand, looked up seriously, and said,

“Daddy, since I like you, I won’t be mad at you this time. But you can’t say bad things about me in front of others again!”

Xie Hui slowed his pace to accommodate his son’s short little legs. Hearing this, he paused for a moment, neither scolding nor refuting him immediately. Instead, he patiently asked,

“Hmm? When did I say bad things about you?”

“Just now! You told that grandpa that I’m very talkative!”

After saying this, Xie Ze puffed out his cheeks in anger.

“Baby, ‘talkative’ isn’t a bad thing. It means you’re cheerful and outgoing. It’s not an insult.”

Xie Hui’s eyes were filled with amusement. Maybe it was because they had spent more time together, but he now found his child irresistibly cute and endearing.

“Really, Daddy?”

“Really.”

Although he received his father’s reassurance, little Xie Ze was still a bit skeptical.

“Then, Daddy, write this down for me first. When I get my kindergarten diploma, I’ll think about whether it’s really not a bad thing.”

“Alright, Daddy will remember it for you.”

When they got home, the first thing they did was put on the recording equipment. The nanny had already prepared breakfast and placed it on the dining table. Steam rose from the bowls, filling the air with the delicious aroma of food.

After washing up with his dad, Xie Ze climbed onto his high stool, grabbed a spoon, and stuffed a big mouthful of pumpkin porridge into his mouth.

“Daddy, what are we having for lunch?”

“We still have some pork ribs. I can make braised ribs. We also have greens, carrots, and celtuce, plus some fresh shrimp. What would you like?”

Xie Hui had just sat down when he heard the question. He thought for a moment before listing a few options.

“Shrimp and greens, okay? Daddy, no carrots.”

Just thinking about carrots made Xie Ze scrunch his little eyebrows together. He shoved another spoonful of porridge into his mouth with determination. When he grew up, he was going to get rid of every carrot his dad ever bought!

“The carrots are just there for variety. Baby, how about carrot porridge for breakfast tomorrow?”

As long as the picky eating wasn’t too severe, Xie Hui didn’t see the need to forcefully correct it—especially since his little one only disliked stir-fried carrots.

After swallowing his porridge, Xie Ze finally responded,

“Carrot soup is fine too.”

“Alright.”

After breakfast, Xie Ze carried his little water can and headed to the backyard. Every day, he diligently completed the tasks his father assigned him.

The repetitive filming schedule was admittedly a bit dull, but fortunately, each session only lasted three days. The second episode would feature the fathers and children traveling to different cities to film together.

Scenes of adorable kids gathering were always a favorite among viewers.

Today, Xie Hui wasn’t working. Instead, he sat on a swing chair in the courtyard, watching his little boy water the plants.

Just then, a long-lost voice echoed in his mind.

【Host, the Lord God has sent you a voice invitation.】

Xie Hui, who had been completely absorbed in watching his son’s small figure busily tending to the seeds, was slightly annoyed by the sudden system notification. He lazily replied in his mind,

“I’m not answering. Once he hangs up, ask him which world he wants me to fix this time.”

【Understood, Host.】

As expected, the Lord God failed to reach him again. Upon hearing the system’s response, he was so furious that he nearly jumped up. But after throwing a little tantrum, he slumped onto the sofa, unable to stop himself from relaxing.

That troublemaker… looks like he’s finally settled down now.

After dealing with the system, Xie Hui frowned slightly, feeling an inexplicable itch in his hands. Just then, an excited child’s voice pulled him back to reality.

“Daddy! One of the seeds has sprouted!”