Raising Kids C10

Chapter 10

Xie Hui took the suitcase and glanced inside. Clearly, there were too many things stuffed into the small suitcase. No matter how hard the little guy tried, it was impossible to force it shut.

When Xie Hui unzipped the suitcase to check if it was just a matter of poor arrangement, he was surprised to find four different small plush toys crammed inside.

“You’re bringing so many of the same thing?”

As he tried to rearrange the toys neatly to make space, he patiently asked his son the reason.

“We’re traveling quite far, so bringing too much stuff might be inconvenient. You only have this one small suitcase. Are you sure you want to bring the same toy in different versions?”

The reason he specifically told Jiang Ge to buy a small suitcase was to limit the number of toys the little guy could bring. Thankfully, the variety show was focused on healing and warmth, so they didn’t forbid children from bringing toys.

“Daddy, you said there would be three other kids filming with us. Shouldn’t I prepare some gifts for them?”

Seeing that his dad couldn’t manage to close the suitcase either, Xie Ze angrily sat down on the carpet, puffing up his cheeks in frustration. He suddenly had the urge to sulk.

“Which one does Baby want? I’ll put yours in Daddy’s suitcase, okay?”

Xie Hui was relieved to see that his little one wasn’t resistant to making friends. Fortunately, the incident at daycare hadn’t left any lingering shadows.

For a first meeting, preparing gifts for potential new friends was quite thoughtful.

Xie Ze actually liked all of the plush toys, so he picked one at random and handed it to his dad. Then, in his soft little voice, he politely said, “Thank you, Daddy.”

“No need to thank me.”

That night, after Xie Hui coaxed his son to sleep, the system’s voice chimed in again.

【Host, based on system scans, your parenting approach significantly deviates from the majority of parents in this world. There is no need to indulge childish behavior excessively.】

Just moments ago, Xie Hui had been feeling content watching his son sleep soundly like a little piglet. But the system’s voice instantly dampened his mood.

For now, he’d tolerate this system in this mission world. But once he returned to the system space, he’d definitely ask the Main God to replace this thing. It had zero tact—truly an artificial fool.

People always emphasized that relationships needed a sense of ritual. But for someone like Xie Hui, who had no interest in romance, he believed that raising a child also required a sense of ritual.

A father who cursed constantly and behaved crudely but still expected his child to be well-behaved and sensible—that was nothing but unreasonable nonsense.

Even though the system had been triggered just by his casual interactions with his son, Xie Hui had no intention of changing. His baby wasn’t going to stay three years old forever.

With that thought, he reached out and pulled his son into his arms, leaning in to kiss his chubby cheek.

Xie Ze was already deep asleep, but being moved around like that, he still mumbled in his dreams.

“Mm… Daddy…”

—

Last time, because the shoot was at home and Jiang Ge had other company assignments, he hadn’t been present during the filming.

But this time, they were traveling out of town, and there would be two other families participating. Apart from the scheduled filming, there would also be communication outside of filming hours. So as Xie Hui’s agent, Jiang Ge had to come along.

Originally, the production team had booked the same flight for all three families. However, Ke Ting had taken on a commercial shoot during the break, so he didn’t arrive according to the program’s schedule.

After disembarking, they boarded the vehicle arranged by the production team. It was Xie Ze’s first time traveling far, and he seemed a little out of sorts, lacking his usual energy.

Sitting in the child safety seat, he gazed solemnly out the car window at the unfamiliar scenery. Then, turning to his father, he asked seriously, “Daddy, will the auntie really take good care of my sunflower?”

Xie Hui had assumed his son was just unaccustomed to flying. He hadn’t expected the little guy to still be worrying about whether the housekeeper would properly care for his sunflower.

“She will.”

Xie Ze hadn’t fully trusted the auntie’s assurances before they left, but he was willing to trust his dad. With his father’s confirmation, he obediently snuggled into his arms again.

Before long, they arrived at their temporary lodging arranged by the production team. When Xie Hui got out of the car, he noticed that another family had already arrived.

The other actor, Chen Heng, had won a Best Actor award. He got married at thirty-five, and a year later, his wife gave birth to twins. Now, both kids were nearly five years old.

Chen Heng was well-known in the industry for his temper. He joined the variety show mainly because he had been focusing on his family and hadn’t released new projects for a while. This was his way of gaining exposure and promoting his upcoming movie.

As Xie Hui stepped out of the car, pulling his suitcase behind him, little Xie Ze also tugged along his small suitcase. When he saw the two older kids sitting on suitcases in the open space ahead, he turned to his dad and asked, “Weren’t there supposed to be three?”

Xie Hui glanced over and, meeting his son’s curious gaze, quietly reminded him, “Watch your step while walking. The other kid’s dad is busy with work, so they haven’t arrived yet.”

“Oh.”

From the moment they stepped off the car, the production team’s cameras had been rolling. The assistant director, Gu, even walked over and handed Xie Ze a beautifully wrapped small box.

“Thank you, Uncle Gu.”

Since they were in the middle of work, Assistant Director Gu simply waved at him without engaging in further conversation.

When Xie Hui approached Chen Heng, he smiled and greeted him.

“Hello, I’m Xie Hui. Sorry for being a little late. Did I keep you waiting?”

Although Chen Heng had a bad temper, he wouldn’t put on a sour face unless someone provoked him. When Xie Hui greeted him, he responded with an enthusiastic smile.

“No, no, we just got here as well. Xie Hui, right? I’ve seen some of your work before, but I didn’t expect you to have a son. He looks quite young, doesn’t he?”

As a first-time father, Chen Heng fit the audience’s idealized image of a celebrity taking care of children. Others struggled with one child, but handling two was a complete disaster for him.

“He just turned three, so he’s not that little anymore. I wanted to bring him out to see the world. His name is Xie Ze.”

Following the lead of the older kids, Xie Ze sat on his suitcase to rest. When he heard his name from his father’s mouth, he lifted his head to look at the burly Chen Heng. His soft, childlike voice carried a hint of politeness.

“Hello, Uncle Chen. My name is Xie Ze.”

“Ah, hello, hello!”

The two little ones beside Chen Heng had been staring at Xie Ze since he arrived. Now that he had spoken, they jumped off their suitcases simultaneously and stood in front of him.

Chen Yue found it rare to see such a small and well-behaved child. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. In her experience, kids this age were usually noisy and prone to crying. This sense of novelty made her mimic the adults, reaching out a hand to Xie Ze.

“I’m Chen Yue, and this is my brother, Chen Xing.”

At the daycare, Xie Ze had always been an unpopular child, often teased that his father didn’t love him.

Chen Yue’s friendly attitude made him a little flustered. He carefully extended his hand and shook hers.

“I’m Xie Ze.”

Even though he was only three years old, he already had a clear sense of distinctions. Just now, he had introduced himself to Uncle Chen, but now, he was introducing himself to his new friends.

“I saw some wildflowers over there earlier. I asked the cameraman uncle, and he said we can pick them. Want to go get some?”

After exchanging names, Chen Yue quickly found something fun to do.

Xie Ze, however, didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he turned to look at his father.

“Go ahead, but be careful.”

Only after getting his father’s approval did Xie Ze happily follow them to the blooming wildflowers by the roadside.

Seeing them getting along well, Xie Hui didn’t follow to interfere but instead started chatting with Chen Heng.

Children’s interactions were always filled with innocence and wonder. In corners unseen by adults, their boundless imaginations could only truly resonate with their peers.

Both being in the same industry and fairly well-known, Xie Hui and Chen Heng had heard of each other before this meeting.

Chen Heng glanced at Xie Ze, who was holding hands with his daughter, then looked back at Xie Hui and asked, “Are you planning to go public with your kid?”

Having traveled through so many worlds, Xie Hui had a sharp sense of people’s intentions. Sensing that Chen Heng was simply curious and meant no harm, he nodded lightly.

“Yes, I am. I used to prioritize work, but the last time I went home to see him, I realized he had already grown so much before I even noticed. I’m afraid of missing out on too much of his childhood.”

If it had been before he had kids, Chen Heng would have dismissed such sentiments. But now that he was a father himself, he could completely relate.

“Yeah, they grow up so fast. I spent over six months filming on a closed set, and when I got home, these two little rascals told me their dad had become paler!”

Xie Hui chuckled at the thought and shrugged. “Then, Brother Chen, I suppose I have it a little better than you. At least my little rascal still remembers me.”

Before today, Chen Heng had no particular impression of Xie Hui. He had been indifferent—neither hostile nor particularly interested. In the same industry, maintaining a casual acquaintance was enough.

But now, seeing his children getting along well with Xie Hui’s kid, he started to find Xie Hui more agreeable—perhaps thanks to the ‘parent filter.’

The three children played together for a long time before finally returning, exhausted.

As Xie Ze ran toward him, Xie Hui instinctively caught him and held him in his arms. Seeing his son’s sun-reddened face and sweat-dampened hair, he reached out and playfully pinched his nose.

“Did you have fun?”

Xie Ze nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with excitement.

Watching him, Xie Hui suddenly felt that the original owner’s decision to send him to daycare wasn’t entirely wrong.

After all, childhood playmates were a unique presence that even a father couldn’t replace.

As Xie Hui turned to grab the insulated water bottle from his backpack, he suddenly found Xie Ze holding out a small bouquet of wildflowers to him.

His little face was lit up with a bright smile, his eyes squinting from the joy.

“Daddy, this is for you!”