Chapter 54

Gu Chen, who knew well about his son’s aversion to carrots, didn’t take his refusal seriously when he heard it. Instead, he continued teasing him.

“Why not? Doesn’t An An trust Daddy’s cooking?”

Gu Chen put on a pitiful expression, successfully making the little one—who had been firm in his refusal—start to waver. After a long pause, An An finally mumbled in a small voice:

“No carrots.”

“Hmm? Are carrots not tasty?”

“Rabbits eat them. An An doesn’t.”

Previously, the nanny had watched an animated short film with him, in which a rabbit loved eating carrots. Ever since then, rabbits had become one of An An’s greatest fears.

If they could eat carrots, who knew if they’d grow up and start eating children!

“Alright, no carrots. How about pork rib and corn soup?”

“This one is good! This one is good!”

In truth, An An didn’t really like corn either. But compared to carrots, anything was better. Thinking about it carefully, corn even seemed a little appealing.

“You can’t sleep just yet. Let’s read for a bit first.”

Gu Chen got up, found a picture book An An hadn’t seen before, and placed it in front of him. After settling him in, he began clearing the table.

Once everything was cleaned up, he sat down on the sofa, pulled his son into his arms, and read with him.

“Daddy, look!”

An An stretched out his little finger, pointing at an image in the picture book. It showed a little lamb so happy it seemed like it could float up to the clouds.

“I’m really happy too!”

“That happy?”

“Mm!”

Not only did An An enjoy his father’s company, but Gu Chen also cherished these moments of being with his son. He wished this holiday could last longer—just a little longer.

But no matter how much he wished, time moved steadily forward. Soon, it was New Year’s Eve.

Gu Chen got up especially early that morning, pulling a festive cotton-padded jacket from the wardrobe. Seeing that An An was still fast asleep, he quietly left the bedroom.

According to their local customs, the New Year’s Eve dinner was held at night, while breakfast and lunch were simple. Gu Chen had never paid much attention to these customs before.

His parents had passed away early, and after graduating, he had entered the entertainment industry, leaving him little time to focus on such traditions.

In previous years, he had often spent New Year’s Eve on set. If the director gave him half a day off to have dumplings together in the evening, it was already a rare and cherished memory.

But now, there was a little one at home. Spring Festival was the grandest of all traditional holidays, and Gu Chen didn’t want to overlook any of its customs. He wanted to give An An a complete childhood.

Since everything had been prepared in advance, Gu Chen made shredded chicken porridge for breakfast. Once it was ready, he went to the bedroom to wake up the little sleepyhead.

Still drowsy, An An clung tightly to his father’s arm with both hands and feet. Gu Chen was already used to this and skillfully helped him get dressed. Once An An was neatly dressed, he slipped his feet into his slippers.

Only then did An An finally wake up completely. He rubbed his eyes and stretched out his words in a soft, sleepy voice:

“Daddy…”

“Mm, do you like shredded chicken porridge?”

“Like.”

“Shall we go?”

Gu Chen extended his hand toward An An, who quickly placed his little hand in his father’s, happily walking out.

After sitting down at the dining table, An An noticed he was wearing a new outfit today. He waved his small hands in the air excitedly.

“Daddy, bib! I need a bib!”

An An usually ate very neatly, so Gu Chen rarely put a bib on him. Besides, An An found it uncomfortable to have something around his neck.

But today, realizing he was wearing a new outfit, he suddenly paid attention to it. He was worried he might accidentally dirty such a nice set of clothes.

The bright red cotton-padded jacket was exquisitely made. Even the pockets were designed with adorable cartoon rabbits. Since it was the Year of the Rabbit, the furry rabbit ears were made from real rabbit fur—absolutely adorable. An An secretly touched them several times.

“Alright.”

Gu Chen fetched a new bib and fastened it around An An’s neck before handing him a spoon. The shredded chicken porridge had been left to cool for a while, so it wasn’t too hot—just the right temperature for eating.

But An An, who was extra careful about taking care of himself, still blew on it for a long time before finally taking a bite.

“Daddy is the best!”

After praising his father, he started devouring his food. Sitting across from him, Gu Chen watched him from time to time.

Gu Chen hadn’t originally been passionate about cooking. But An An always gave him such enthusiastic feedback—showering him with praise and eating so earnestly—that he couldn’t help but keep thinking about what to cook next.

“Today is Spring Festival. Do you know what that means, An An?”

The little one, who was carefully wiping his mouth with a napkin, instinctively shook his head.

“Shall we learn about the legend of ‘Nian’ together later?”

“Okay!”

Excited about this, An An even rolled up his sleeves, wanting to help his father. Though cleaning up together took much longer than Gu Chen doing it alone, he didn’t mind at all.

When one person cleans up the kitchen, it’s called housework. But when you do it with your son, it’s called spending time together.

Gu Chen held An An in his arms as they admired the snow while he told the story of ‘Nian.’ Then, he found an animated short film about it. Once An An was fully absorbed in watching, Gu Chen went to the kitchen to make coffee for himself and warm milk for An An.

He brought both drinks over, placing them on the small table beside them. Steam rose from the matching cups.

An An’s cup had an insulating sleeve, so it wasn’t too hot to hold. Seeing his intention, Gu Chen quickly lifted his own cup before An An could act and clinked it against his son’s.

“Cheers!”

“Cheers~”

For lunch, Gu Chen didn’t make too many dishes—just something simple. In the afternoon, he and An An put up Spring Festival couplets together.

By the time they started preparing for the New Year’s Eve dinner, An An had already moved his little stool straight into the kitchen.

An An was very skilled at peeling onions and garlic, so there was no need for Gu Chen to teach him. If you threw a clove of garlic in front of him, he would obediently peel it while muttering with a frown that he didn’t like eating it.

“An An, this is just for seasoning; you don’t have to eat it.”

Last time, after the garlic was stir-fried in the braised pork ribs, An An didn’t recognize what it was and stuffed it directly into his mouth. He ended up crying for quite a while because of the spiciness.

Thinking of that, a smile appeared in Gu Chen’s eyes.

“Oh.”

An An hummed softly. Even though it was his dad speaking, he still didn’t quite believe him.

Dad always made things sound nice. Garlic was just as nasty as ginger. Once it was stir-fried in a dish, he couldn’t recognize it at all. It blended into whatever it was cooked with—so sneaky!

“This time, I’ll pick them all out for you before serving, okay?”

Gu Chen saw his son’s skepticism. Normally, he would think that picking out the ginger and garlic after cooking was too troublesome, but since it was New Year’s Eve, there was no need to make An An unhappy.

“Really, I promise.”

“Then… okay.”

An An hesitated before agreeing, though he still had some doubts. But after all, this was his dad.

Since it was just the two of them for New Year’s Eve dinner, Gu Chen didn’t cook too much—just ten dishes, mostly An An’s favorites. When all the dishes were laid out on the table, the spread looked incredibly rich.

Normally, An An would already be happy if there was just one dish he liked. But today, nearly everything on the table was something he enjoyed. He placed his hands in front of his chest, his eyes wide with excitement.

Aside from his favorite dishes, there was even soda, which Gu Chen had strictly forbidden before.

“Wow!”

“Wow, do you like it?”

“I do!”

As they ate, Gu Chen took out the red envelopes he had prepared earlier and placed them in his jacket pocket. In addition, there were also red envelopes sent by Brother Li and Director Wang, which he had converted into cash.

Gu Chen had expected Brother Li to give An An lucky money. After all, every year before, he had never forgotten to prepare red envelopes for Brother Li’s kids. But he hadn’t expected one from Director Wang.

Even though they had worked together before, there were plenty of actors in the industry who had collaborated with Director Wang. In the end, it was probably because An An was just too likable.

By the time the New Year’s Eve dinner was ready, the sky outside had already darkened. Gu Chen turned on the dining room lights and also switched on the TV in the living room as the perfect background sound.

Halfway through dinner, Gu Chen took out the red envelopes.

“This one is from Director Wang, and this one is from Uncle Li.”

Both red envelopes were about the same thickness. An An took them and casually stuffed them into his pocket. Just as he was about to grab another cola chicken wing, he suddenly lifted his head and stared at Gu Chen intently.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

“Dad?”

“Hmm?”

“Dad, where’s your red envelope?”

As he spoke, An An stretched out his small hand in front of Gu Chen, completely unreserved. His little fingers even curled urgently a couple of times, signaling for his dad to hurry up and hand it over.

“I wouldn’t forget yours.”

Among the three red envelopes, Gu Chen’s was the thickest. If he weren’t worried that overstuffing it would make it look bad, he would have put in even more.

“Thank you~”

“Eat up before it gets cold.”

“Oh.”

Gu Chen had no interest in watching the Spring Festival Gala. In the past, it used to be entertaining, but over the years, it had turned into a platform for preaching all sorts of moral lessons. He just couldn’t bring himself to enjoy it anymore.

After a long, exhausting day, having to listen to all that nagging talk during New Year’s felt downright tiring.

It was the same every year—he had no desire to watch those overused, stale jokes. But he couldn’t say no to the little one beside him, who had never watched a Spring Festival Gala before and found it all fresh and exciting.

Gu Chen brought over some sunflower seeds and nuts, setting them on the coffee table in the living room, and sat on the sofa with An An.

With his dad there, An An turned into a lazy, boneless little thing, snuggling into his embrace.

Seeing this, Gu Chen’s mind couldn’t help but drift back to his own childhood. Back then, he had crowded into a small courtyard, just as eager to watch the Spring Festival Gala.

After a while, An An started to get bored and began fiddling with the nuts on the table.

He didn’t like cracking sunflower seeds, almonds were too sharp on his fingers, and he couldn’t break open walnuts at all. After struggling for a while, when a program he liked came on, he quickly handed the nuts to his dad.

Gu Chen cracked them open and fed them to him—he looked just like a little squirrel waiting to be fed.

At first, the novelty of the Spring Festival Gala kept An An entertained, but as time passed, he grew bored and started running around the house. Before long, he began to feel drowsy.

Just then, fireworks went off outside. An An hurried to the floor-to-ceiling window and pressed against it to watch. Gu Chen, who had been sitting, also stood up.

If he remembered correctly, their city had long banned the setting off of fireworks. Even on New Year’s Eve, it had never been this lively before.

From their high floor, the view of the fireworks was breathtaking.

It was An An’s first time seeing such a scene, and he was utterly amazed. Even after the fireworks had completely faded, he was reluctant to move away.

Turning his head, he gently tugged at his dad’s shirt, his wide eyes filled with a clear request—his wish practically written all over his face.

Gu Chen crouched down, took a deep breath, and prepared to explain things to his son.

If he actually dared to do something like that, he’d probably make the headlines tomorrow—for all the wrong reasons.

“An An…”

Just as he said those two words, the sound of police sirens rang out, piercing through the night. An An watched for a while, then asked curiously,

“Dad, what’s that for?”

“They’re here to catch the people who set off fireworks. Fireworks aren’t allowed here—if you set them off, you’ll be taken away.”

And especially during major holidays like the Spring Festival, if something were to happen, the consequences would be even more serious than usual, and no one would dare to take that risk.

“Then forget it.”

An An shrank his shoulders, already having second thoughts. He ran over to pull the curtains shut to keep himself from being tempted and then led his dad back to the living room sofa.

Watching the Spring Festival Gala skits, Gu Chen truly found them boring. Even someone like him, who often had trouble sleeping, was starting to feel drowsy.

Just as he was about to ask An An when he wanted to go to bed, he turned his head and saw that An An had already fallen asleep in his arms. Moving carefully, he picked him up and carried him to the bedroom.

Gu Chen didn’t turn off the living room lights—he still remembered some Spring Festival traditions, like keeping the lights on all night.

After settling his son in, Gu Chen sat down and started scrolling through his phone. If An An were awake, he wouldn’t be doing this—when he was with his son, he focused on spending time with him.

Only after An An fell asleep did he allow himself to check his phone for a while. He saw a lot of discussions about this year’s Spring Festival Gala, as well as people sharing pictures of their New Year’s Eve dinners.

Perhaps because it was the New Year, even Gu Chen’s usual haters seemed to have gone off to celebrate, not flooding his page with attacks like they usually did.

Normally, whenever Gu Chen had free time, he would get quite addicted to his phone. But today, as he kept scrolling, he suddenly found it boring.

Instead of consuming all this fragmented, meaningless content, he might as well cuddle with his son and get a good night’s sleep.

With that thought, Gu Chen turned off his phone, placed it on the bedside table, and kissed the half-asleep An An on the forehead.

This was the most peaceful and happiest New Year Gu Chen had experienced in years.

…

After the New Year’s celebrations, Gu Chen spent the entire first day of the new year playing with his son. On the morning of the second day, he received a message from Brother Li, who sent over his upcoming work schedule via email.

There wasn’t much work lined up—mostly commercial shoots and promotional activities. Notably, there was a parenting reality show that would begin filming after the Lunar New Year period ended.

He would sign the contract when he went to the company, and by the end of the first lunar month, he would have to fly to the filming location.

Thinking about it, he would only be separated from his son for less than a month, which was within his acceptable range.

Gu Chen was known in the industry for his hard work, and his agent, Brother Li, was the same. Even before the fifth day of the lunar new year, Brother Li had already returned to the city and gone to the company to handle work for Gu Chen.

An An’s nanny returned on the eighth day of the lunar new year, bringing some specialties from her hometown. An An was so happy to see her that he jumped in place with excitement.

This time, Gu Chen left without telling An An—he had no intention of letting him know at all.

It might sound sentimental coming from an adult, but Gu Chen honestly wasn’t sure if he could steel himself and not waver if he saw An An with tear-filled eyes begging him not to go.

He truly couldn’t bear to leave. Their blood bond, combined with the time they had spent together recently, made Gu Chen wish he could pack An An into his suitcase and take him along.

At first, when An An woke up and was carried by the nanny, he didn’t notice anything unusual. But when she brought him to the dining table and he saw his favorite custard buns, he suddenly remembered that he had promised his dad he would share one with him.

Sliding down from his chair, he started searching for his father, going from room to room, even checking the bathroom.

But after searching everywhere and not finding him, An An finally realized what had happened. Standing in the spacious living room, he suddenly burst into tears.

“Waaah! Daddy! Daddy!”

Tears streamed down An An’s face as he cried uncontrollably, practically turning into a little tear-streaked mess.

The nanny had expected him to miss his father, so she had prepared some distractions in advance, thinking they would help. But now, as she held the toys in front of him, he didn’t even glance at them. Only then did she realize the severity of the situation.

“Don’t cry, An An. Daddy will come back to see you as soon as he finishes work.”

She held An An and gently patted his back to comfort him. An An didn’t struggle but just kept crying, his sobs growing hoarse. Seeing him like this, the nanny started to worry that he might cry himself sick, so she called Brother Li to ask if Gu Chen was available.

“What’s wrong?”

Brother Li glanced at Gu Chen, who was currently in class and had about ten minutes left before it ended.

“An An won’t stop crying. I’m afraid he might make himself ill.”

An An’s usually sweet and clear little voice was now hoarse from crying—it was obvious, and Brother Li was startled.

“No matter how I try to soothe him, it’s not working. He just keeps saying he wants his daddy.”

The nanny had looked after many children before and used to think the most difficult ones were those who threw tantrums and rolled on the floor.

But now, she realized that children like An An, who just buried themselves in her arms and sobbed silently, were just as difficult to handle. Looking at his red, swollen eyes, she felt both heartbroken and helpless.

“Hold on. Gu Chen will be done in a few minutes. Keep an eye on your phone—I’ll have him video call you.”

“Okay.”

The teacher who was lecturing Gu Chen noticed that Brother Li seemed to have something urgent going on, so he ended the class a few minutes early.

Gu Chen was still packing up his things when he casually asked, “What’s up, Brother Li?”

“Video call An An. The nanny said he’s been crying so much his voice is hoarse.”

Gu Chen, who had been relaxed just moments ago, immediately tensed up upon hearing this. He quickly picked up his phone and sent a video call request to the nanny.

The moment the call connected, he could hear An An’s hoarse cries, mixed with him calling out for “Daddy.”

“An An?”

The familiar voice made An An’s sobs stop abruptly. He lifted his head and started looking around for the source of the voice. His reddened, swollen eyes came into view on the screen, making Gu Chen’s heart ache.

“Don’t cry, An An. Daddy just went to work. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done, okay? It won’t be long, less than a month.”

An An clutched the phone, staring at the screen, tears still rolling down his cheeks as he complained in a small, aggrieved voice.

“Daddy left… without telling me.”

“Sorry, that was my mistake. I was in a rush and saw you sleeping soundly, so I didn’t wake you up,” Gu Chen apologized sincerely.

He had left without saying goodbye partly because he couldn’t bear it and partly because he thought An An might not remember it after a couple of days.

Feeling guilty and distressed, Gu Chen coaxed An An for a long time. It wasn’t until Brother Li reminded him that he had other work to do that he prepared to end the call.

By then, An An had stopped crying. The nanny had wiped away his tears, though his pretty eyes were still swollen. When he heard that his father was about to leave, he pouted.

“Daddy, custard bun.”

“Hmm?”

“Custard bun, save it for Daddy.”

Gu Chen hadn’t expected this. He vaguely recalled asking An An a few days ago if he was willing to share his favorite custard bun.

“Daddy can’t come back today. Can An An eat it for me instead?”

“Okay, Daddy, goodbye.”

An An waved his little hand proactively, and his thoughtful gesture made Gu Chen even more reluctant to leave. As he got into the car heading to his next work location, he discreetly wiped away a tear.

Brother Li handed him a tissue and joked, “If the paparazzi catch this, tomorrow they’ll say you had a breakup.”

“They can say whatever they want,” Gu Chen replied casually.

Meanwhile, after calming An An down, the nanny reheated the now-cold food. She played a few small games with him before coaxing him to sleep, gently rolling an egg over his swollen eyes to reduce the swelling.

She took great care of An An, and he could feel it. He got along very well with her, though he still missed his father from time to time.

—

Gu Chen had always been a workaholic, and now that he was eager to return home, he worked even harder, often staying late to finish everything early.

If he could wrap up his tasks ahead of schedule, he could take An An to the filming location with him. That way, they could explore the new city together, treating it like a trip.

The parenting reality show was called Go, Adorable Baby!. Since its first season, it had always been lukewarm in ratings, mostly due to the lack of suitable guests.

People were already surrounded by mischievous kids in daily life, so few were interested in watching more on a show. The only way to make it appealing was to pair a troublesome child with a high-profile father, creating a contrast that fans might enjoy.

But those truly popular celebrities rarely wanted to participate in such shows.

Gu Chen was the most popular guest they had ever invited. The director had offered a generous contract, which Gu Chen scrutinized multiple times before signing to ensure there were no clauses harmful to An An.

Knowing Gu Chen was eager to go home, Brother Li adjusted his schedule accordingly. By the time they wrapped everything up, it was already late.

Gu Chen had his assistant book an early morning flight and, before heading home, stopped by a still-open store to buy gifts for An An.

Before arriving, he texted the nanny, instructing her not to tell An An—he wanted to surprise him.

Standing at his doorstep, Gu Chen’s palms were sweaty from nerves. He was worried An An might still be upset about last time.

After mentally preparing himself, he knocked lightly on the door. The nanny, guessing who it was based on the time, pretended to be busy and called out to An An, who was playing with his toy excavator.

“An An, can you help me open the door?”

“Okay!”

An An carefully put his excavator back where it belonged, slipped on his slippers, and ran to the door. He tiptoed to open it, then turned to leave—only to stop mid-step when he heard a familiar voice.

“An An.”

“Hmm?”

An An poked his head out to check. The moment he saw it was his father, he gleefully jumped into his arms. Gu Chen caught him and hugged him tightly.

“Daddy, why are you back?”

“Not happy to see me?”

“Happy!”

An An’s answer was off-topic, but Gu Chen didn’t mind. He pinched An An’s chubby cheeks, closed the door, and set the gifts aside.

“Remember the work Daddy told you about? This time, you’re coming with me!”

“Okay!”

As long as his father didn’t sneak away again, An An was thrilled. The idea of traveling together made him feel like he was floating on air.

“I’m taking tomorrow off to rest and pack. We’ll leave the day after tomorrow.”

“Daddy, custard bun.”

“Hmm?”

“Custard bun, for Daddy.”

To make sure he didn’t forget his promise, An An had been asking for custard buns every day. The nanny, seeing his persistence, finally understood why.

“Thank you, An An.”

Gu Chen hadn’t realized An An had been eating custard buns for so many days, but knowing his son took his words to heart moved him deeply.

He kissed An An’s forehead. The little boy blushed and buried his head in Gu Chen’s chest. Their close proximity let Gu Chen hear An An giggling softly, making his smile deepen.

Gu Chen packed An An’s luggage himself but left him a small suitcase so he could feel involved.

An An was excited about going with his father. When he video-called Director Wang, he even mentioned it.

Although the movie had wrapped, unlike before, their contact didn’t completely stop. Director Wang had kept Gu Chen’s private number to check in on little An An.

Now that he heard this, he curiously continued asking:

“You’re going to work with your dad? Filming a movie?”

“No, together.”

Just as Gu Chen finished packing up, he came in and, seeing that Director Wang had taken good care of An An, took the initiative to explain that it was a parent-child reality show.

“This kind of show…”

Director Wang didn’t quite know how to comment. In reality, he didn’t approve of Gu Chen participating in it. With Gu Chen’s current popularity and status, joining such a show had no benefits at all.

“I’m just treating it as playing with An An.”

Gu Chen noticed Director Wang’s concerns and explained with a smile, reaching out to ruffle An An’s soft hair.

He didn’t want to miss out on An An’s growth, but at the same time, he couldn’t just abandon his work altogether. This was the only way to balance both.

“When you put it that way, I guess it makes sense.”

After that, An An yawned. Feeling that it was about time to sleep, he said goodbye to Director Wang and crawled into bed, pulling the blanket over himself. After An An fell asleep, Gu Chen secretly took a bunch of pictures.

Since this was Gu Chen’s first time participating in such a show, Brother Li wasn’t too reassured and planned to accompany him the entire time.

It was An An’s first time on a plane. Once his initial excitement faded, he got sleepy and slept all the way to their destination. With an assistant handling the luggage, Gu Chen only needed to carry An An.

Gu Chen’s travel plans hadn’t been made public, so he was in disguise. Wanting to match his father, little An An also wore a baseball cap and sunglasses.

It was still early spring, and the weather was a bit chilly, so An An was bundled up in a thick jacket.

Gu Chen knew very well that his success in the industry came from maintaining his physique. He consistently exercised to stay in shape—lean in clothes, muscular without them, with a perfect height to match. Carrying his three-year-old son in one arm made An An look like a tiny doll.

No matter how low-key he tried to be, Gu Chen’s unique aura still drew attention.

The production team had already arranged a hotel for them. Just as Gu Chen opened the door and hadn’t even finished unpacking, Brother Li came in, mentioning that the food here was pretty good.

After the long trip, they were all tired. If they weren’t planning to go out, having dinner at the hotel seemed like a good option.

By then, An An had already woken up. Being in a new place made him feel a little uneasy, so he stayed curled up on his dad’s lap, zoning out.

“What do you want to eat tonight?”

Gu Chen held An An’s little hand as he asked. He wasn’t picky about food, but An An was the priority. The still-drowsy An An leaned against him and mumbled,

“Anything is fine.”

Then, remembering what his dad had told him last time, he quickly added,

“No carrots.”

“Only no carrots?”

“Mm.”

Gu Chen didn’t just say “whatever” like An An. He knew that “whatever” was actually the hardest thing to order, so he picked a few of An An’s favorite dishes.

After such a long journey, not just him but also his assistant was surely exhausted. Gu Chen wasn’t the type to make things difficult for others—mutual consideration was best.

That night, after a simple dinner, An An struggled to fall asleep. He had napped too long on the plane, so it was understandable. Gu Chen rarely had free time, so he played some games with him.

An An loved video games. Before this, Gu Chen had always felt that kids getting into electronics too early wasn’t good for their eyes, so he had barely let An An touch them.

Even when the phone ran out of battery, An An was still reluctant to stop. Gu Chen lightly knocked on his head and reminded him,

“Time for bed.”

“Okay…”

An An pouted reluctantly. If the phone hadn’t died, he felt like he could have played for much longer. Seeing his dad’s stern expression, he had no choice but to be obedient.

“Acting pitiful won’t work.”

Gu Chen pinched his nose. He had long seen through this little guy’s tricks to make him give in. An An huffed and quickly ran off to find his pajamas.

Since it was his dad, he didn’t feel embarrassed.

“Daddy’s mean.”

“Mm, mean daddy will make carrots for you tomorrow morning.”

With just one sentence, Gu Chen instantly turned his sulking little boy back into a clingy sweetheart, who immediately hugged him and begged for mercy.

“Just kidding.”

Gu Chen had lost count of how many times he had stayed at hotels like this for work. It was always convenient, and over time, it had become routine.

All the repetitive, dull aspects of life seemed to take on color with An An’s presence.

The next day was beautiful. Though it was still chilly in early spring, the warm sunlight felt wonderful on the skin.

Gu Chen had originally planned to take An An out for some fun. Brother Li brought them breakfast and mentioned that it might not be possible.

Somehow, news had leaked that the new season of Go, Adorable Baby! was being filmed here, and even the guest list was being circulated.

If they wanted the filming to go smoothly, they would have to stay in the hotel for the next few days. That meant all of Gu Chen’s plans had gone to waste.

As Brother Li carefully unpacked the food, he snuck a glance at Gu Chen’s expression.

Gu Chen waved at his still-sleepy son, calling him over to sit beside him, then held out a custard bun to his mouth. But after eating them for so many days, An An immediately wrinkled his nose at the smell and turned his head away.

“No.”

“Oh? You don’t like these anymore?”

“Mm.”

An An picked up another bun and stuffed it into his mouth. Seeing that An An refused to eat the custard bun, Gu Chen decided to finish it himself to avoid wasting food.

Brother Li, who had been carefully observing his expression, was acting so obvious that Gu Chen couldn’t help but ask,

“Brother Li, what are you looking at?”

“Aren’t you upset?”

After preparing for so long, even if it was just a minor inconvenience, he should at least be a little disappointed. But instead of looking troubled, Gu Chen seemed completely unbothered.

“Even if the news hadn’t leaked, it would’ve been difficult to take An An out to play anyway. It doesn’t really make a difference. As long as I’m with An An, that’s all that matters.”

Since the show they were filming was a parenting reality show, for Gu Chen, it was essentially just playing with An An—only without prior notice.

As long as his son was by his side, he wasn’t picky about anything else.

“Alright. If you need anything, let me know in advance, and I’ll bring it over. It’s best if you don’t go out for now. You used to post about An An on Weibo all the time, so a lot of people are already speculating whether you’ll be one of the guests.”

“Mm, I know.”

If he couldn’t bring An An along, Gu Chen didn’t have much motivation to go out.

Though it was called a hotel, it was actually more like a luxury farmhouse. The entire place had been booked by the production team, so An An could run around freely in the large courtyard.

It was the planting season, and from the window, An An could see many people outside working. Gu Chen stayed with him, taking the opportunity to teach him some basic knowledge about planting.

“Daddy, can I do it too?”

An An tilted his head up, staring at his father curiously. Although he phrased it as a question, deep down, he already knew—Daddy would never refuse such a small request from him.

“Of course. Once Daddy earns a bit more money, I’ll buy a villa or a house with a big balcony just for An An, so you can plant whatever you want. How does that sound?”

An An was completely drawn into the big dream his father painted for him. He grinned widely and was just about to start calculating which crops would be the most worthwhile when Gu Chen suddenly leaned in and added softly by his ear:

“Like carrots?”

The moment those words landed, An An’s little face fell, and he immediately burrowed out of his father’s arms to the other side.

“You don’t want carrots?”

“No.”

“Then what do you want?”

“Cucumbers!”

An An knew exactly how to fight fire with fire. Gu Chen wasn’t a picky eater most of the time—except when it came to cucumbers. He had always found the taste of cucumbers peculiar, just like Sichuan pepper root, something he simply couldn’t accept.

Gu Chen ruffled An An’s neatly combed bowl-cut hair, making it a fluffy mess. Under An An’s glare of indignation, he couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile.

During their stay at the hotel, the father and son had a wonderful time together. Meanwhile, the other guests of the show arrived one after another. After three families had checked in, only the last group was still missing.

Whenever Gu Chen ran into the director at the hotel, he could see the man’s face growing darker with each passing day.

Among the first three families to arrive, the first was a martial arts star who had been incredibly popular in the film industry in his earlier years. Now forty years old, he had finally welcomed a daughter, whom he named Cheng Yingying.

The second was a male actor who had been blacklisted and forced out of the industry for three years. He was a childhood idol for many, but after such a long time without exposure in the entertainment world, making a comeback and securing new opportunities was extremely difficult. He had joined the show with his daughter in hopes of regaining some visibility.

The third family was an industry power couple. The wife was a well-known director with multiple awards under her belt, and the husband was her go-to leading man. Their son was adorably chubby, his sturdy build making him look especially reliable.

On the day they arrived, Gu Chen took An An to visit each family and introduce themselves. Fortunately, none of them were difficult to get along with.

Two days later, the final group of guests finally made it to the set.

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—Nian (年) is a mythical beast in Chinese folklore that terrorized villages on New Year’s Eve. People discovered it feared loud noises, bright lights, and the color red, leading to traditions like firecrackers, red decorations, and celebrations to scare it away. This legend symbolizes overcoming adversity and is the origin of many Chinese New Year customs.