Chapter 130

There had already been some speculation that Zhou Jingkai wasn’t just an ordinary person, but all those voices had been drowned out by Lu Mingzhe’s fans, who accused them of trying to make something out of nothing.

Now that Lu Mingzhe had withdrawn from the show, his fans had mostly left as well, and the comment section had become noticeably more peaceful.

When someone started hinting at a big reveal, the other viewers eagerly urged them to spill the beans.

【What kind of background are we talking about? I just searched online and didn’t find anything.】

【In my next life, I swear I’m picking a friend who can actually finish a sentence.】

【Just came back from searching too—nothing. But I did notice he casually wore a watch once that looked like it cost five million.】

【I’m dying of curiosity here, just tell us already!!】

The first person who had dug up the information didn’t keep the secret for long and posted what they had found.

He was the youngest son of the former richest man in the country, recently returned from studying abroad.

If you searched for “Zhou Jingkai” or anything related to him, you’d come up empty-handed. But this netizen had been clever. She remembered that He Dongling’s mother had mentioned they’d known each other since childhood. Starting from He Dongling’s side made the search much easier.

Over the years, the He family hadn’t developed much, and they hadn’t done a great job keeping things under wraps.

【Whoa, the Zhou family? They have a younger son?】

【I always thought the Zhou family only had one eldest son.】

【Same here…】

Viewers had only guessed that Zhou Jingkai wasn’t ordinary, but they never imagined he was this extraordinary—the reclusive youngest son of the country’s former wealthiest family.

Many people also recalled the time Lu Mingzhe had threatened him, and the comment section lit up with playful jabs.

【Any of Lu Mingzhe’s fans still watching? Who exactly was your idol threatening to punish with a drink, huh? Haha.】

【Wonder if Lu Mingzhe can even sleep after seeing this news.】

【Probably not. His own house is crumbling—doubt he has time to worry about others.】

Most people were just joking around, but in truth, a few of Lu Mingzhe’s fans had stuck around.

After all, the director really was talented. There were tons of parenting-romance variety shows in the country, but his was the only one that never got boring.

Besides, being a Lu Mingzhe fan didn’t mean they only liked him.

With everything that had happened recently, the more rational fans had quietly left, leaving behind only the extreme ones. When they saw these kinds of comments, they jumped in without hesitation to start a fight.

【You say he’s the youngest son of the richest family, and that makes it true? Has the Zhou family confirmed it?】

【Stop making up identities. When the Zhou family’s lawyers send a cease and desist, I’ll be waiting for your public apology.】

【Funniest joke I’ve heard all year. If he’s the Zhou family’s son, then I must be the Zhou patriarch’s wife.】

The person who had spent all that time digging up the info wasn’t happy to hear this. After all, she had put in the effort, and since she had time on her hands, she decided to argue back.

【First of all, correction: former richest man. He’s not anymore, okay~】

【If I’m wrong, feel free to send me a lawyer’s letter.】

【Lu Mingzhe’s fans are the real joke of the year. If they’re not crowned the Comedy Kings next year, I’m not watching!】

Zhou Jingkai came downstairs carrying An An, who had just changed into a fresh set of clothes. Grandma He had already prepared his favorite dish—steamed egg custard.

Grandma He still hadn’t figured out how her daughter and Zhou Jingkai had ended up tangled together again.

And judging by how familiar An An was with him, it was obvious this had been going on for quite some time.

The more she thought about it, the more her head ached. As she placed the egg custard in front of An An, she couldn’t help but ask:

“That uncle… what’s going on with him?”

“Mm, An An picked him~”

An An didn’t dare say too much before things were officially confirmed. That would ruin his innocent-little-boy act.

Grandma He knew she probably wouldn’t get much out of such a young child, but she asked anyway, not ready to give up.

That evening, she went to ask He Dongling directly. She needed to get to the bottom of this.

Back in the day, she had a good relationship with Zhou Jingkai’s mother. But after the engagement was called off, she felt too embarrassed to reach out again, always feeling like they had wronged the Zhou family.

All these years, she had never been able to let it go.

“Mom, he’s just another guest invited by the production team. We happened to be paired together.”

Grandma He was skeptical of this explanation, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed plausible. So she reluctantly accepted it.

“What about An An?”

“An An really likes him.”

He Dongling didn’t need to say it. Grandma He could see it clearly. That little guy truly liked Zhou Jingkai—even Haha had to take a backseat.

The show had become even more entertaining with the addition of the older generation. People from different eras and with different values were bound to clash.

Add in clueless little kids, and those conflicts escalated even faster.

Seeing glamorous celebrities on screen dealing with the same family dramas in private made the audience feel incredibly satisfied.

Even Zhu Yinghou and her mother-in-law had their share of friction, not to mention that top-tier starlet who married into a wealthy family—her conflicts were endless.

Li Lulu’s mother clearly favored her younger brother. No matter what it was, she always made Li Lulu do it.

She had been like that at home for years, and it had become second nature to order her daughter around.

On camera, Li Lulu couldn’t afford to get a bad reputation, so she deliberately acted pitiful, which made many fans feel sorry for her for having such a mother.

Lu Mingzhe’s sudden public relationship announcement had also affected Li Lulu. When her manager brought it up, her mother happened to overhear—and slapped her across the face on the spot.

Not just Li Lulu and her manager, even the viewers watching were stunned. No one expected her to lash out like that.

“Mom?”

“You’re not allowed to be with him! I was counting on you marrying a rich man so you could help your brother in the future!”

Li Lulu’s younger brother was sitting on the couch playing video games and didn’t say a word. He used to be quite satisfied with Brother Lu, but now his opinion had changed.

No matter how well someone did in the entertainment industry, they still couldn’t compare to a real tycoon—especially after he found some news about the richest family.

“Mom, what are you even saying?”

The slap landed hard. Half of Li Lulu’s face went numb, and tears welled up uncontrollably. She sniffled, trying not to ruin her makeup.

He Dongling saw the scene and quietly walked away with An An in her arms.

Li Lulu’s situation was pitiful, but after everything she’d done to her before, it was hard to feel any sympathy. So she simply took An An a bit farther away.

An An clung to his mother’s neck, glancing curiously in that direction.

If he remembered correctly, the System had told him that if he hadn’t shown up, Li Lulu’s mother would’ve been very pleased with Lu Mingzhe.

“Mommy, her mommy is scary.”

An An hugged his mom tightly like a little octopus. Feeling his grip, He Dongling helplessly pinched his nose and asked:

“Scary? What’s scary about her?”

“Hmm… she hits really hard. An An is scared. Mommy don’t look, don’t learn bad things.”

Seeing how nervous he was, even trying to cover her eyes, He Dongling walked a bit farther with him in her arms. This little guy’s mental gears were practically flying out of his head and hitting her in the face.

He really didn’t know how to hide his thoughts at all. He simply didn’t want her to learn to hit kids.

He Dongling thought back seriously. She had rarely laid a hand on An An. Most of the time, when he misbehaved, she just made him stand in a corner like Haha.

Seeing how scared he was, He Dongling didn’t feel pleased that he feared her. Instead, she gently ruffled his fluffy little head and lowered her voice to promise:

“Mommy will never hit you, okay?”

“Mwah! Love Mommy the most!”

…

Shocking! Top Starlet Brings Mom on Variety Show, Gets Slapped on Camera!

The headline quickly made its way onto all the major news platforms. It was rare to see someone throw all decorum aside and start a physical altercation on a show. Even more surprising was that Li Lulu had always maintained a carefully crafted public image.

If it weren’t for the fact that she couldn’t afford the hefty breach-of-contract penalty, she would’ve walked off the show just like Lu Mingzhe did.

The first episode wrapped up quickly. At the farewell party, Xiao Yangyu stuck close to An An and Haha, his face full of reluctance to part.

“You have to come play with me, okay?”

An An hesitated as he watched Xiao Yangyu repeatedly pawing at Haha. Xiao Yangyu didn’t get a response and followed An An’s gaze, then sheepishly pulled his hand back.

“You have to bring Haha too. I’ve got tons of snacks at home. If it’s not enough, I’ll use my dad’s secret stash to buy more!”

Neither Grandma nor Mom allowed An An to eat many snacks, so hearing this made him waver.

“Okay~”

“Have your mom add my mom as a friend.”

Xiao Yangyu was afraid they’d lose contact after the show ended, and even more afraid he’d forget about it once he got home. So she grabbed An An’s hand and went over to find their moms.

Li Lulu stood beside her. At this point, she no longer cared about maintaining her image. Her mind was filled with the relief of finally being done.

The show was coming to an end, and the partners featured on it would go their separate ways. They wouldn’t be returning for the next season.

After saying goodbye to his friend, An An clung to his uncle, wrapping his arms around his neck and refusing to let go.

Even when Zhou Jingkai’s assistant came over to urge him, An An still buried his face in his uncle’s neck.

He Dongling had no choice but to step in and gently coax An An into her arms. The moment she took him, An An burst into tears.

He rarely cried this hard. He Dongling’s heart ached as she gently patted his back to comfort him. She shot a look at Zhou Jingkai, signaling him to go ahead and leave.

Zhou Jingkai really did have something important to take care of that day and couldn’t afford any delays, so he had to leave for now.

“An An, once I finish my work, I’ll come visit you, okay? I’ll bring your favorite toys too.”

An An kept crying with his face buried, his eyes swollen and red. Even his curled lashes were damp, making him look pitiful.

He Dongling and her mother took An An home. As soon as they arrived, she dropped her luggage and went straight to bed for a proper rest.

Filming a reality show that ran live all day was truly exhausting. You had to stay mentally alert the entire time, constantly worried about any mishaps being recorded.

Taking care of An An wasn’t hard. In fact, He Dongling had enjoyed it at first. But ever since Zhou Jingkai showed up, things hadn’t been so easy. She only truly relaxed once she got home.

The nanny who usually looked after An An had been called back to the house. As soon as An An came in, she took him to the playroom.

Kids had boundless energy, and for An An, the variety show had just felt like a fun outing. He wasn’t nearly as drained as his mom.

After sleeping straight through to the next day, He Dongling woke up and checked her phone, only to find a message from her agent.

The audition opportunity Zhu Yinghou had set up for her had been confirmed. The casting team had already contacted her agent, and the audition venue was finalized.

The agent messaged her mainly to let her know that the script had been sent to her email and asked her to take a look when she had time. The message also included detailed information about the audition’s time and location.

After years of playing bit parts, she finally had a legitimate audition opportunity. He Dongling’s heart raced with excitement.

She changed clothes, freshened up, and went downstairs to share the good news with her parents.

During her days of rest at home, He Dongling had been studying the printed script diligently, memorizing every line for every character.

She cherished this rare opportunity. Even if all she got was a brief appearance in front of a renowned director, it would be worth it.

On the day of the audition, He Dongling got up at 7 a.m. and put on a casual outfit. When she came downstairs, An An was sitting on the couch eating fruit.

She walked over, bent down, and kissed his forehead.

He Dongling wasn’t a superstitious person, but she firmly believed that An An had brought her good luck and helped pull her out of the mire.

For such an important audition, she wanted to start the day right by kissing An An for good luck.

An An counted on his fingers. In the past seven days, this was the first time his mom had kissed him without being asked!

“Mama, what’s going on~?”

“I’m going to an audition today.”

An An had heard her mention it before. He nodded, half-understanding, and watched her leave. Then he went back upstairs to his room.

He quietly closed the door from the inside, then pulled out his smartwatch and called Uncle Zhou to tell him that Mama was going to an audition.

An An really liked Uncle Zhou. If it weren’t for the fact that he loved his mom more, he might’ve become a little traitor and sided with Uncle Zhou completely.

He Dongling thought An An liked Zhou Jingkai because he had taken care of him for a while. But what the System could see was that Zhou Jingkai’s soul was exceptionally pure.

For someone like An An, who had a special constitution, that purity was incredibly attractive.

Downstairs, Grandpa He and Grandma He had just returned from a walk and were also discussing the same topic.

They hadn’t had contact with the Zhou family in years. Once close friends, they had drifted apart. To say they didn’t feel hurt would be a lie.

Ever since Grandma He saw Zhou Jingkai on the show, they had started paying attention to news related to the Zhou family.

With the show’s popularity and all the drama, some bold individuals had even approached the current and former heads of the Zhou family.

When asked if Zhou Jingkai was their child, both men admitted it without hesitation. He was indeed their son.

When asked about their thoughts on Zhou Jingkai and He Dongling’s situation, both gave the same answer: they respected Zhou Jingkai’s choices.

Zhou Jingkai’s father even smiled during the interview and mentioned An An, saying he had watched the show and thought An An was adorable. He hoped to meet him someday.

Given how well Grandpa He knew his old friend, he was certain the man wasn’t usually this magnanimous.

If Father Zhou knew what Grandpa He was thinking, he would’ve agreed without hesitation. If he didn’t seem petty enough, he’d be happy to adjust!

Normally, Father Zhou wouldn’t be thrilled about his son getting involved with someone he’d once broken off an engagement with. But Zhou Jingkai had been abroad for years.

Especially after his eldest son told him that his younger brother was willing to be someone’s side piece, Father Zhou suddenly felt like nothing else mattered.

Compared to his son being someone’s affair partner—a scandal that could disgrace the whole family—being hung up on He Dongling seemed much easier to accept.

If the family didn’t care that He Dongling had been divorced and had a child, then no one else had any right to judge.

After comforting himself with that logic, Father Zhou felt much better. Then his eldest son, without hesitation, gave him a little extra dose of medicine.

Even though he could accept He Dongling as his daughter-in-law, his younger son still hadn’t won her over!

After all these years, it was still one-sided. That made Father Zhou feel his son was a bit hopeless, and he couldn’t even be bothered to look at anything related to him.

Still, that child really was adorable. If he became his grandson, that wouldn’t be so bad.

Father Zhou’s unusually generous attitude during the media interview made Grandpa He feel increasingly guilty. In the end, he could only shake his head and sigh, saying, “Let the children live their own lives.”

That afternoon, He Dongling returned home. The moment An An heard the sound of the car, he ran out eagerly, wobbling as he threw himself into his mother’s arms and hugged her tightly around the neck.

“Mama~ Did you get the part~?”

After asking, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her cheek.

“An An, kiss kiss, kiss kiss An An.”

He Dongling tilted her head and gave his cheek a quick peck. As she walked into the house, she smiled and said, “The director told me to go home and wait for the results.”

During the audition, He Dongling could feel that the director was quite pleased with her.

Even if she didn’t get the part this time, there would be other opportunities in the future.

She was no longer the same as she had been in the past—desperate for quick success. Back when she first entered the industry, she had an inexplicable confidence, convinced that she would become a star one day.

Now that she knew her future held success, she had begun to take steady, measured steps, calm and unhurried.

“Mommy can do it! Mommy is the best!”

“Mm.”

Three days later, her agent contacted her again, just a few hours before she was about to head out for another bit role.

The agent, who had always communicated via text before, called her directly this time. As soon as He Dongling picked up, she heard a slightly excited voice on the other end.

“He Dongling, Director Zhang picked you for the female lead!”

The agent had never imagined that the least promising artist under his management would one day land the lead role in a drama directed by Zhang—especially a suspense series that had been in the works for a long time.

“Really? That’s amazing.”

He Dongling’s voice sounded relatively calm, but in truth, tears of joy were already streaming down her face.

“But Director Zhang said your fundamentals are still a bit weak. If you want to play this role, you’ll need to join the production team for training first.”

“When do I go? I’ll pack right now.”

Time was tight. He Dongling only had enough time to pack her things and say goodbye to An An and her parents before getting into the car her agent sent to pick her up.

Back when her mom was busy, An An had already been left in the care of the nanny. Now, with grandparents around too, An An figured he actually came out ahead.

After hugging Haha’s big furry head and giving himself a little pep talk, An An didn’t seem as upset about his mom leaving as he had been at first.

…

Xiao Yangyu, who had been pestering to visit An An, was finally brought over by Zhu Yinghou. She had no choice—this little troublemaker had worn her down.

Standing in front of the villa with her daughter in tow, Zhu Yinghou suddenly realized that He Dongling’s background might be better than she had originally thought.

It had been a while since Xiao Yangyu last saw Haha. Her backpack was stuffed with snacks she had prepared just for him. The moment she saw him, she threw her arms around his ears and head, hugging him so tightly he let out a series of muffled whines.

Since stepping back from the spotlight to focus on her family, Zhu Yinghou had become passionate about documenting her life—especially anything involving her daughter.

Maybe it was because she had reached a certain age. Her mindset had become more peaceful, her personality more mature. She could now view her daughter’s growth with a calm and rational eye.

Raising her from a tiny pink bundle into the beautiful girl she was now gave her a sense of accomplishment that surpassed all the awards she had ever won.

Zhu Yinghou snapped a photo of her daughter with An An and posted it to her personal social media account.

Her fans were already used to their goddess turning into a full-blown baby-posting maniac. If she ever posted a bit late, they’d even tease her about it.

By contrast, He Dongling rarely shared photos of An An. Her fans, who liked her because of her variety show appearances, only knew she had joined a drama production—nothing more specific.

So when they saw An An in Zhu Yinghou’s post, many of the online “moms” who followed Xiao Yangyu and An An were delighted.

As the comments poured in, someone inevitably brought up An An’s biological father.

An An had truly won hearts with his performance on the show. Sitting on a tiny stool, holding a doll in his arms, he had said he didn’t blame his dad for not raising him.

He hoped his dad was doing well in another world, and that he himself would work hard to grow into an outstanding person.

That moment pierced the hearts of countless online moms. They felt that this usually mischievous little guy was actually incredibly mature—so mature it made people ache for him.

And when they thought about the things Lu Mingzhe had done, they genuinely felt he might as well be dead.

After Lu Mingzhe and Li Lulu officially announced their relationship, even the last few loyal fans left. All that remained were the CP fans from their one popular drama.

Not only was Lu Mingzhe’s agency planning to drop him, even Li Lulu’s agency was preparing to squeeze out every last bit of value from her before tossing her aside.

Her contract was about to expire, and she had shown no signs of wanting to renew. The agency had no hesitation in using her up.

They threw the two of them onto a dating reality show, using the opportunity to promote a new rookie the company planned to push next year.

By the time they were reduced to mere tools, their reputations no longer mattered. They were just stepping stones for others to trample on.

This kind of defeatist attitude quickly drove away even the CP fans.

Lu Mingzhe had fallen hard from his pedestal. Unable to accept his new reality, he began drinking heavily. When he got drunk, he’d go online and often came across news about He Dongling.

Her situation was the complete opposite of theirs. Her role as the female assassin in the suspense drama had made her an overnight sensation.

Years of playing background roles were now being dug up, held up as proof of her hard work.

With no scandals to her name, solid acting skills, and a good reputation, plus Zhu Yinghou constantly recommending her for roles, anyone with eyes could see that she was on a steady rise to the top.

On top of that, Zhou Jingkai, the youngest son of the former richest Zhou family, was willingly acting as her assistant, taking care of her daily needs. His repeated displays of affection had become a hot topic.

By industry standards, He Dongling’s breakout came relatively late for a female artist, so whether she dated or not didn’t matter much to her fans.

They already adored her child—finding a stepdad for him was totally acceptable.

As long as he wasn’t another Lu Mingzhe, the fans had no objections to her dating.

Every time Lu Mingzhe saw news of her success, he would fly into a rage. But after venting, he couldn’t help but keep reading.

Half a month later, Lu Mingzhe and Li Lulu pulled every string they had to get tickets to an awards ceremony. The two of them entered as a pair.

When they stepped onto the red carpet, most of the reporters lowered their cameras.

They were used to this kind of cold reception by now. Pretending they were being warmly welcomed, they waved to the crowd.

Just after they walked past the red carpet, the previously bored photographers suddenly sprang to life.

The commotion behind them made both Li Lulu and Lu Mingzhe instinctively turn around, curious to see which big star had arrived—only to find it was someone they knew.

He Dongling stepped out of the car, dressed in a custom red gown, her face adorned with a polite smile as flashbulbs lit up around her.

Her heels were a bit too high, so she held onto Zhou Jingkai’s arm for support.

The gown had a wide skirt. After getting out of the car, she took two steps forward to let it fan out more elegantly.

The car door was still open when a little boy in a tiny suit jumped out and ran after her.

It was An An.

Li Lulu, seeing this scene, instinctively looked down at her own borrowed gown.

It was long out of style, ill-fitting despite the money spent.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recapture her former glory. Instead, everything around her just reminded her how far she had fallen.

Lu Mingzhe couldn’t tear his eyes away. As he turned to leave after signing in, he saw Zhou Jingkai kneel on one knee to adjust He Dongling’s gown. Every movement radiated careful tenderness.

An An, who had only walked a few steps before getting tired, huffed and puffed his way back.

Once his uncle finished fixing the gown, An An stretched out his arms and bounced up. Zhou Jingkai scooped him up without hesitation.

From a distance, the three of them looked just like a real family.

Given Lu Mingzhe and Li Lulu’s current standing, they weren’t allowed to linger. Soon, staff came over to guide them to their seats.

Not long after they sat down, they overheard someone behind them talking about He Dongling.

Ever since her breakout drama a few years ago, He Dongling had been getting top-tier resources. Rumor had it that she had just been cast by an internationally renowned director as the lead in a new film.

Apparently, the script had been meticulously crafted over many years, with awards in mind. Paired with He Dongling’s consistently impressive acting, it was a match made in heaven.

Even though filming hadn’t even started yet, it was easy to predict that the box office would do well once it hit theaters.

At an event like this, He Dongling naturally sat in the most prominent spot up front. A film she had acted in was nominated, and the live broadcast cameras frequently focused on her.

In that film, He Dongling played the second female lead and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

The female lead in that same movie was Zhu Yinghou. She had just won an award last year, so it was unlikely she would win the same one again this year. That gave He Dongling a strong shot at taking home the prize.

The Zhou Family was one of the sponsors of this awards ceremony, so Zhou Jingkai also had a seat.

Since An An didn’t have any official role, he simply sat on his uncle’s lap, holding a plate with a slice of fresh strawberry cake.

While everyone else was immersed in the glamorous atmosphere of fame and fortune, An An was completely focused on eating his cake, carefully trying not to get cream on his face.

Zhu Yinghou was seated right next to He Dongling. Over the past few years, thanks to Xiao Yangyu constantly pestering her about wanting to see her “gege,” the two women had spent more time together and become good friends.

Zhu Yinghou had originally decided to step away from the spotlight, but she returned to take on a lead role this time just for He Dongling.

When she saw An An’s greedy little expression, she asked her assistant to make a note to bring home a small cake for Xiao Yangyu, who had stayed behind to keep his father company.

After a long stretch of preliminary proceedings, it was finally time to announce the awards. An An, who had been lazily slumped in his uncle’s arms like a boneless kitten, unconsciously sat up straight.

The host walked onto the stage holding a card. She first introduced all the films nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Then, almost instantly, the stage lights dimmed.

A single spotlight shone on the host, making her the only point of brightness in the darkness.

“The winner of Best Supporting Actress at the 23rd Golden Phoenix Film Festival is—”

“He Dongling!”

Translator’s Notes

• breach-of-contract penalty: In Chinese entertainment industry, stars commonly sign strict contracts with agencies or productions, where breaking the agreement (‘breach of contract’) carries major fines and can end a career.