Chapter 17

Since they were visiting someone’s home, Xie Ze obediently held his father’s hand and stood still. As soon as they stepped inside, a Husky enthusiastically pounced on them.

Seeing the familiar Husky, Xie Ze instinctively took a step back and clung tightly to his father’s leg.

The Husky had no awareness that it had scared someone and kept bouncing around, circling Xie Ze twice, until a familiar elderly voice rang out.

“Fugui, don’t be naughty. Come here!”

An old man wearing a Tang suit walked over, grabbed the Husky’s leash, and pulled it back.

“Grandpa, why are you here?”

Since the previous incident had happened not too long ago, little Xie Ze still had some impression of this elderly man he and his father had met while out for a walk.

“Oh, little one, it’s you.”

At this moment, Xie Hui finally reacted. He hadn’t expected that the person the old man had complained about—his son, who was over thirty and still unmarried, wanting to spend his life hugging a camera—was actually the up-and-coming genius director in the industry.

His first film, despite being in a niche genre, had swept all the major awards.

Director Song had only given Xie Hui this opportunity as a trial. He had seen Xie Hui’s previous works but hadn’t been particularly impressed or satisfied.

But now, after meeting him in person, he realized that Xie Hui had a kind of natural charisma that he liked. And seeing how well his father got along with Xie Hui’s son only reinforced his impression.

The old man, who used to love Fugui the Husky, was now completely ignoring the dog’s whining as it lay to the side, howling for attention.

“Little one, come here, Grandpa has some candy for you.”

Xie Ze glanced at his father. Only after receiving his father’s nod of approval did he follow the old man.

Meanwhile, Director Song took a script out of his bag and handed it to Xie Hui, speaking in a low voice.

“It’s yours. Take it home and study it. Filming starts next March. There are quite a few action scenes, so I hope you can come to the set in advance for some training with the martial arts instructor. Will that be okay?”

Xie Hui took the script and nodded lightly.

“Yes, of course.”

His straightforward response made Director Song exhale in relief.

These days, most actors in the industry were either temperamental or overly pampered, which was why he preferred working with newcomers. Even if their acting needed training and guidance, at least they were obedient.

One major reason why today’s wuxia dramas weren’t as good as before was that many actors refused to train. Using body doubles and CGI just wasn’t the same.

“Alright, I’ll have my assistant handle the contract with your agency. My dad seems to like your kid. Stay and have a meal before you go.”

Director Song had long grown tired of his father’s nagging. At thirty-five and still unmarried, he was considered old in the eyes of the older generation. But his entire focus was on work, and he had no intention of getting into a relationship.

Yet his father was getting on in years, and Director Song couldn’t bear to leave him alone, fearing that one day, he’d regret it when it was too late.

Now, seeing that a little kid could keep his father entertained, Director Song felt slightly relieved.

“Alright, then I’ll take you up on your hospitality.”

In the directing world, Song wasn’t considered old, and since all his works were top-tier, he had a certain pride about him—believing that no actor was beyond his ability to train.

He had watched Xie Hui’s performances. The guy had talent, and now that he had also shown a cooperative attitude toward training, Song made his decision right then and there.

After dinner, little Xie Ze’s pockets were stuffed full, and he was still clutching a handful of candies.

Before they left, the old man saw them to the door and told Xie Ze to visit often.

“Okay, Grandpa, I’ll remember!”

As Xie Hui carried his son, Xie Ze waved goodbye to the old man.

The old man stood there, watching them until they disappeared from sight. Then, he turned around, looked at his son standing by the door, and asked with a stern expression:

“Tell me, isn’t Xie Hui’s son adorable?”

Director Song, confused, nodded. “Yeah, he’s pretty cute.”

“Then when are you going to get married and give me a grandchild?”

The moment his father brought up the topic again, Director Song’s face twisted in frustration. Not this again…

—

On the car ride home, Xie Hui saw his son struggling to fit all the candy into his pockets. He reached out to take some from him.

“There’s no more space. Can Daddy hold some for you?”

“Sure! Thank you, Daddy!”

Jiang Ge, sitting across from them, was happy that Xie Hui had landed the role.

He wasn’t stupid—he could tell that little Xie Ze had played a role in helping Xie Hui secure the part.

“Xie Ze, your daddy owes you one this time.”

Still busy organizing his candy, Xie Ze perked up when Uncle Jiang called his name. He lifted his head in confusion.

“Huh?”

Wasn’t he just here to accompany Daddy and grab some candy?

Xie Hui understood Jiang Ge’s underlying meaning. He lowered his head and placed a quick kiss on his son’s chubby cheek.

“Yes, I really owe it to you.”

Xie Ze still didn’t quite get it, but he loved it when his dad kissed him. His eyes crinkled into a happy smile.

—

Director Song’s crew was still preparing for filming, which would take some time. This worked out well, as it allowed Xie Hui to finish recording the rest of the parent-child reality show before heading to his training.

Back home, Xie Hui carefully read through the script.

The character he was set to play was a killer—not the protagonist, but the most efficient weapon in the hands of the main antagonist.

This assassin created many obstacles on the protagonist’s path to success. In the final act, while gravely injured, he kidnapped the protagonist’s son.

Unexpectedly, instead of crying, the child tried to help wipe the blood from the assassin’s wounds.

Cornered and desperate, he received the order to kill the protagonist’s son. But in that moment, the child’s small gesture of kindness stirred something in him.

In the end, he defied the order, let the child go, and chose to jump off a cliff to his death.

The role wasn’t particularly extensive, but Xie Hui liked the character setup. After reading the script, he finally understood why Director Song had emphasized the need for a period of training.

The character in the script was hailed as a human weapon, the strongest blade of the royal family, and every appearance involved combat. Without a martial arts foundation, it would be difficult to capture that feeling.

In the original owner’s memories, his son often interrupted his work. But now, every time Xie Hui entered the study, Xie Ze would obediently go play with the nanny.

From Xie Hui’s perspective, this was because the original owner had been absent too often.

Xie Ze had already lost his mother’s companionship, and his father was also too busy with work to spend time with him. Even with a nanny around, it couldn’t fill the void left by missing parents.

Now that Xie Hui had given him enough love, Xie Ze was no longer as clingy as before.

…

In the subsequent episodes of the parenting show, Ke Zhen still acted like a domineering little princess. What surprised Xie Hui was that, despite being heavily criticized online, she and her father hadn’t quit the show.

The final episode was filmed in winter, in a small mountain village where the snow was thick enough to reach people’s knees.

Xie Ze was bundled up like a ball by his father, sitting on a small stool by the fire, warming his hands.

Sweet potatoes and radishes were buried in the fire, and when their fragrance drifted out, Xie Ze couldn’t help swallowing.

“Sister Yueyue, I heard from Uncle Director that this is the last shoot.”

Chen Yue, who was also sitting by the fire, nodded.

“Mm, I’ll be starting first grade next year. When will you start kindergarten?”

Xie Ze had just been trying to make conversation, but hearing this question, he was taken aback. His dad hadn’t told him.

“Xie Ze will start kindergarten in the second half of next year. The snow outside is really heavy—be careful when you go out.”

Xie Hui had just pushed open the door and overheard Chen Yue’s question, so he answered on his son’s behalf.

“Uncle Xie, where’s my dad?”

Chen Xing, who hadn’t seen his father for a while, immediately asked when Xie Hui walked in.

“He’s still finishing up. He should be back soon.”

The show had arranged for each father to build a snowman for their child. Chen Heng, having two kids, was naturally at a disadvantage.

Ke Ting followed inside soon after, noticeably quieter than in the first episode—no longer as tactless, making the shoot more bearable.

Xie Hui walked to the fire, used the tongs to pull out the roasted sweet potatoes and radishes, and placed one in front of each child, reminding them to wait before touching them.

The kids, whose stomachs had been rumbling from the aroma, all nodded eagerly like little pecking chicks at his warning.

Chen Heng was the last to return. The winter sky darkened early, so he had to use a flashlight on his way back.

For their final dinner, the show had prepared hot pot, perfect for the season.

Most kids couldn’t handle spicy food, but Xie Ze secretly reached out with his chopsticks for a piece of beef. Even as tears welled up from the spiciness, he refused to spit it out.

When Xie Hui turned his head and saw him wiping his tears with the back of his hand, he sighed helplessly and handed him a glass of milk to ease the spice. Watching his son obediently sip the milk, Xie Hui sighed again.

“Didn’t you know you can’t handle spice, little glutton?”

Xie Ze set down the cup, and once the overwhelming heat faded a bit, he sniffled and whispered,

“Dad, I… I can eat it.”

After dinner, the crew had the fathers take their kids to the open space at the village entrance, where their afternoon-built snowmen stood.

As they arrived, staff members lit fireworks on the other side. The crackling sounds filled the air, followed by dazzling bursts in the sky.

In an instant, the fireworks’ brilliance illuminated the snowy land like daylight.

The children hopping around the snowmen in excitement became the final scene of the last episode of the show.

Watching his son bounce around so joyfully, Xie Hui could barely remember the timid little boy who hadn’t even dared to speak loudly when he first arrived in this world.