Raising Kids C14

Chapter 14

Chen Heng couldn’t be bothered to argue with Ke Ting over these matters. He gave the elderly man an apologetic smile, took his two children by the hand, and walked out.

It was strange how things worked—no matter if you were right, if you spoke up too many times, you’d still be scolded for being fussy.

Xie Hui also carried Xie Ze into the courtyard. With the old man’s permission, he carefully examined the fresh vegetables.

“Wow, Daddy, look! This one’s so chubby!”

The sense of novelty quickly made Xie Ze forget about what had happened earlier. He pointed at a plump vegetable with wide eyes filled with amazement.

“Mhm, Grandpa takes good care of his vegetables.”

In the pavilion, only Ke Ting’s coaxing of his child remained, making the atmosphere stiff and awkward.

Even Ke Ting himself now realized that this couldn’t go on. Once or twice was fine—he could ask the director to edit out those moments and maintain a peaceful image.

But his daughter had been like this the entire time. He couldn’t just have them reshoot everything from start to finish.

As he looked toward the child squatting beside the vegetable patch, speaking in a soft, childish voice, a hint of envy welled up in his heart.

The program’s focus on cultural heritage was only a small part of it. The director had always made sure to balance priorities.

If too much of that content was inserted, and it failed to be as engaging as the main program, the audience would definitely drop off.

The first day of filming wasn’t too tiring, but Ke Ting was utterly drained. It was his first time putting his daughter to bed, yet she kept fussing until the middle of the night. Even the filming crew was exhausted, rubbing their eyes and longing for the shoot to end.

“Sorry about this. I don’t usually spend much time with her. She’s actually very well-behaved around her mother.”

Ke Ting was all too aware of the internet’s ruthless nature. Even as her father, he found this frustrating—let alone the audience.

Meanwhile, Ke Zhen remained oblivious to her father’s struggles. Instead, she kicked a crew member hard.

“I don’t like Mommy! I want to beat Mommy to death! That evil woman won’t even let me watch videos! You’re all bad people!”

The situation spiraled into complete chaos.

Because the guest houses were close to each other, Xie Ze, too, was kept awake by the commotion.

Leaning against the windowsill, he gazed at the exceptionally bright stars outside and murmured,

“Daddy, I think even the stars must have worries.”

It was summer, and the night wasn’t cold—though there were a few more insects buzzing around. Xie Hui figured moments like these were rare for his little one, so instead of stopping him, he sat beside him and kept him company.

“Hm? What kind of worries would stars have?”

“For example… why does that little girl cry so much? Isn’t she tired?”

The cameras in their room were still rolling, and their microphones hadn’t been removed. Some things Xie Hui obviously couldn’t say out loud, so he simply ruffled his son’s little head.

“Maybe… she’s just unhappy.”

Xie Ze tilted his head back, staring at the bright stars in the sky. He thought about all the fantastical myths his daddy had told him before, and his curiosity was instantly sparked. He started asking question after question.

Before long, nestled in his father’s arms, Xie Ze’s eyelids began to droop.

Resting against his father’s chest, his breathing evened out, and soon, soft little snores could be heard.

Xie Hui gently carried him to bed, tucked him in, and removed his mic.

Even as Xie Hui drifted off to sleep, the wailing of a child could still be heard from the other side.

…

Early the next morning, when Xie Hui woke up, he was surprised to see Brother Jiang sitting in the living room downstairs, looking visibly anxious.

“Brother Jiang, what’s wrong?”

Brother Jiang had a dark expression as he unlocked his phone and handed it over, explaining,

“Last night, past midnight, Ke Ting posted on Weibo saying that his daughter wasn’t as mature as your son. The fact that you secretly got married and had a child is now trending. What the hell.”

Brother Jiang had to muster every ounce of his patience not to start cursing on the spot.

He had originally planned a well-orchestrated reveal—contacted marketing accounts, reserved a trending spot, and arranged for the news to be released in a controlled, peaceful manner.

Days and nights of planning and overtime had all been ruined by Ke Ting’s one impulsive post.

They’d all been in the industry for years—no one would believe that Ke Ting had done this unintentionally. Even a dog wouldn’t buy that excuse.

Xie Hui glanced at the trending topic. It was ranked third. The comment section was a mess, filled with speculation from fans, opportunistic posts from marketing accounts, and hateful remarks from trolls. His brows furrowed as he shut off the screen.

“Get in touch with the director. See if we can hold a livestream during filming—I need to explain this.”

Xie Hui quickly made his decision. He wasn’t going to let this incident spiral out of control, nor was he willing to let baseless speculation fall upon his son.

He didn’t care about the attacks directed at him. But the comments insulting his child—even implying that he had hidden his son because of a disability—completely enraged him.

Most parents couldn’t tolerate people speaking ill of their children. Their kids were their bottom line. Xie Hui was no exception.

“Got it. I’ll contact them right away. The director should agree. Go get changed.”

Xie Hui was still in his pajamas, and it wasn’t ideal for a livestream. But he was too restless to wait, so he simply got up and walked out with Brother Jiang.

“Forget it. Let’s go ask together. Changing clothes doesn’t matter—who knows where my ‘idol image’ went by now.”

Just as they stepped out, they saw the director heading toward them.

The director had already learned the whole story from the crew early that morning and had come over to discuss how to handle the situation.

Upon learning of their plan, the director simply nodded.

“Alright, it’s better to clarify this matter as soon as possible.”

Since the little one hadn’t woken up yet, Xie Hui, not wanting to disturb his sleep, went to the roadside fields, logged into his social media account, and started a live stream.

The summer night had been stuffy, but the early morning, before the sun had fully risen, was a bit chilly—especially in this area. Xie Hui, still dressed in his pajamas, had no time to care about that.

The trending topic was still hanging there, and plenty of gossip enthusiasts had stayed up all night watching the drama unfold. As soon as the stream started, a flood of people poured in.

“Good morning, everyone. Today, I just want to clarify something.”

Xie Hui didn’t bother with beauty filters or makeup. The sun had barely risen, and the golden light cast a glow on his side profile. The viewers, who had only come to eat melon (watch the drama), found it hard to believe that someone who looked so young already had a son.

“Although Mr. Ke Ting announced this matter without discussing it with me beforehand, I do have a child. However, there was no secret marriage or hidden birth.”

At this point, Xie Hui noticed a staff member beside the director holding up a sign that read: 【That’s enough for now. End the live stream.】

“Alright, see you all.”

After Xie Hui ended the stream, the director walked up to him.

Just now, while watching Xie Hui’s explanation, the director had an idea—why not add a Q&A segment where the kids and their dads answer audience questions together?

They could use the show’s official account for the live stream, which would also help boost engagement and popularity.

Xie Hui didn’t refuse and nodded, indicating his full cooperation. He wasn’t against marketing himself. In today’s world, even good products need promotion—let alone the entertainment industry, where traffic is king.

…

After breakfast, the fathers gathered with their children in a courtyard.

Xie Hui could clearly sense the hostility in Ke Ting’s gaze. He could guess that Ke Ting had watched his brief morning live stream.

Ke Ting had revealed his child’s existence without permission—of course, Xie Hui wasn’t going to just let that slide. His sarcastic remarks earlier were only the beginning.

By breakfast time, the production team had already collected enough audience questions. If there weren’t enough, they’d make up a few themselves.

There was no rehearsal. After a quick briefing, the live Q&A began, with questions being drawn randomly.

Each round, one card was drawn from a pile. Each card contained three questions.

“Baby, go pick one.”

Xie Hui gently nudged Xie Ze’s shoulder, remaining seated in his chair.

“Okay!”

Xie Ze eagerly responded, his short little legs moving swiftly. He grabbed a card and ran back to his dad, handing it over with a proud look.

Xie Hui placed his son on his lap, then flipped the card open to read the questions.

【Why didn’t you reveal your child’s existence before? Are you bringing him on the show now just to make money off him?】

【Why have a secret marriage and child? Why didn’t you announce it?】

【Did you and the child’s mother truly love each other? Why bring your child on the show?】

Each question was sharp and difficult to answer.

“I didn’t reveal my child before because he was still young, and at the time, I was too busy with work—I didn’t even make it home for New Year’s or his birthdays.”

Hearing that, Xie Ze, remembering his lonely birthdays in the past, pouted while leaning against his dad, waiting for him to comfort him.

“As for making money—there’s no need. I’ve already earned enough. If I invest wisely, I won’t starve for the rest of my life.”

With Xie Hui’s financial abilities, even if he quit the entertainment industry after this show, he could still let his money work for him.

“There was no secret marriage. When I was with his mother, we were genuinely in love. But after we broke up, we lost contact.”

Xie Hui calmly stated the facts. After finishing, he lowered his head and kissed his baby’s chubby cheek before looking back at the camera.

“As for bringing my child on the show… isn’t getting paid to spend time with my son a great deal? Do I even need to explain?”

Xie Ze reached out his chubby little arms, hugged his dad’s neck, and leaned in to give him a kiss as well.

“Yeah! Great deal~”

After saying that, he clapped his hands together and, in a sweet, childish voice, praised:

“Daddy is so smart!”

Even Xie Hui, who was used to his little one’s heartfelt compliments, found himself a little helpless. He reached out and playfully pinched his son’s nose.

“No need to praise me for that.”