Because the recording location was relatively remote, Su Huaiming and Fu Xiaoxiao set off a day early so they could arrive with the others.
The butler and his companions carried the luggage and escorted the father and son to the door.
Although they were only separated for five days, they were still reluctant to part and chased after each other for a long distance.
Fu Jingfan was dressed casually at home, wearing a soft wool sweater and loose-fitting loungewear. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, which softened his aggressive and menacing aura, making his facial features appear gentler, like a refined and gentle university professor.
But Su Huaiming knew it was all fake.
He stood behind Fu Xiaoxiao with his suitcase, looking at the sky and the ground, but not at Fu Jingfan.
Fu Xiaoxiao was still young and didn't understand the emotional entanglements between adults, nor did she sense that something was wrong. She ran over and hugged Fu Jingfan's leg, her voice as sweet as candy, "Daddy, I don't want to be separated from you. Can't you come to see us these next few days?"
Fu Jingfan lowered his eyes and patted Fu Xiaoxiao's head. Before speaking, he gave Su Huaiming a meaningful look. Seeing that Su Huaiming did not respond, he slowly said, "Dad has work to take care of and cannot accompany you."
Fu Xiaoxiao pouted, wanting to give it one last try, "Can we deal with the work later? When I grow up, I can help you."
Fu Xiaoxiao might be able to help, but that will be at least a decade or more later; that's a long way off.
Fu Jingfan appreciated Fu Xiaoxiao's kindness and reassured her, "With Xiao Xiao's help, I'll definitely be much more relaxed. However, things are quite urgent this time, and I can't spare the time to be with Xiao Xiao. If I have the chance next time, I'll definitely be with Xiao Xiao and..."
As Fu Jingfan finished speaking, he didn't look up, but he felt a resentful gaze fall on him. His lips moved twice, and he swallowed back what he was about to say, showing a strong desire to survive.
Although Fu Xiaoxiao agreed, she still clung to Fu Jingfan's leg, as if she didn't want to be separated from him for even a second.
Su Huaiming waited patiently, but he was about to be late if he didn't leave soon, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk over. He touched Fu Xiaoxiao's fair and tender face and said, "It's only five days. Time will pass quickly. You'll be able to see your father when you come back. You can be with him 24 hours a day. Don't be separated."
Fu Xiaoxiao nodded and waved politely to Fu Jingfan.
After doing all this, he suddenly remembered something, his watery eyes filled with worry, as if he were genuinely concerned for Su Huaiming, "I'll stay with you, so don't be lonely, and I'll protect you for Daddy!"
As he spoke, Fu Xiaoxiao clenched his fist, trying to tense his biceps, but unfortunately the flesh on his arm was soft and undulated like milk.
Su Huaiming: "..."
What misunderstanding does Fu Xiaoxiao have about him?!
This kind of thing has happened many times before. At first, Su Huaiming tried to reason with Fu Xiaoxiao, but he found that the kid was extremely stubborn in this matter. No matter what he said, Fu Xiaoxiao never changed her mind. After a while, Su Huaiming just gave up on it.
He sighed wearily, snorted coldly through his nose, and, still not satisfied, pinched Fu Xiaoxiao's nose again.
Fu Xiaoxiao covered her nose, angry but not daring to speak out, and whimpered a few times like a puppy, trying to act cute.
Su Huaiming wasn't buying it and led Fu Xiaoxiao forward.
He had only taken one step when he heard Fu Jingfan calling him from behind.
Su Huaiming was still angry and didn't turn around to look at Fu Jingfan, leaving him only with a cold back view.
Fu Jingfan's laughter was deep and magnetic, making one's chest tremble. Su Huaiming seemed to feel his breath on the tip of his ear. "Are you still angry with me?"
Su Huaiming remained silent, glancing at the sky.
He realized that he couldn't be too nice to Fu Jingfan, otherwise this guy would become more and more outrageous!
After the live stream ended that day, Fu Jingfan kept smiling at him, his appearance so deceptive that even someone like him, who isn't a sucker for good looks, couldn't resist.
Fu Jingfan kept bringing up what he had promised in the office that day, without complaining that he had broken his promise, but just kept sighing, which made him feel a little guilty.
In addition, he was afraid that Fu Jingfan would remember this incident and accidentally reveal it during a live stream, at which point he would be so ashamed that he would have to leave the entertainment industry!
Fu Jingfan understood his thoughts and kept putting pressure on him. It's also because he was too easily swayed that he gave in for a while.
And then...
Su Huaiming's legs went weak and half of his body went numb when he recalled the feeling of almost drowning in the sea.
He was a little scared of the feeling of being completely controlled by his body, to the point of losing control and wanting to jump off a cliff, but Fu Jingfan completely grasped his thoughts and pulled him to do it again.
He didn't know if he was angry at himself or at Fu Jingfan. Unable to sort out his emotions, he subconsciously didn't want to give Fu Jingfan a pleasant look, and didn't want to be with him for a while.
Therefore, he was almost impatient to participate in the recording of the children's variety show, which was completely opposite to Fu Xiaoxiao's feelings.
When Su Huaiming heard Fu Jingfan's voice, he had a lot to say, but he couldn't open his mouth at all. Moreover, Fu Xiaoxiao was standing between the two of them, looking up at him with her fair and tender little face and curious eyes.
Su Huaiming could only manage a forced smile, saying sarcastically, "You should focus on your work, put more effort into it, and make sure you handle things well."
Fu Jingfan understood that Su Huaiming wanted him to focus on his work and not bother him. He also knew that he had gone too far a few days ago, so he smiled without saying anything and lowered his stance.
Su Huaiming was still not satisfied, and without even giving Fu Jingfan a glance, he led Fu Xiaoxiao forward.
While Su Huaiming was packing his luggage, Fu Xiaoxiao stood beside him, staring longingly at Fu Jingfan. After hesitating for a few seconds, she ran over again when Su Huaiming wasn't paying attention.
Fu Xiaoxiao ran so fast that her face was flushed and her breathing was uneven. "I'm very experienced. If you've upset him, you absolutely can't lie on the ground crying and making a scene. You have to find another way."
Fu Xiaoxiao thought of her past embarrassing moments and sighed deeply. "Anyway, you need to be good, so you won't make Daddy angry anymore."
The butler, standing behind, was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this.
He simply couldn't imagine Fu Jingfan lying on the ground crying and making a scene. How could Fu Xiaoxiao think that everyone was like him?
Fu Jingfan patted Fu Xiaoxiao's head, his tone no longer that of a coaxing child, and his expression became more serious. "I won't be able to be with you these next few days, so you need to be good and take good care of him for me."
Fu Xiaoxiao was taken aback, inexplicably sensing that this was a conversation between men. She immediately straightened her expression, puffed out her chest, and bowed to Fu Jingfan, "I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"
After saying that, fearing that Su Huaiming would find out he was not there, he hurriedly ran back.
Su Huaiming had seen it all along, but he didn't want to interfere too much with Fu Xiaoxiao, and he was too lazy to care about the affairs between the father and son.
Fu Xiaoxiao snuggled up to Su Huaiming, and the two of them slept soundly on the way. When they arrived at the recording location, they were both full of energy, which was in stark contrast to the others.
Four episodes have already been recorded, and everyone has kept in touch privately, becoming good friends and very familiar with each other. Sun Siyuan had already forgotten that he was recording a variety show, without any idol baggage, and yawned at the camera.
Zhou Hanyan and Sun Siyuan have been sworn enemies since childhood, and they had a conflict before the recording. Zhou Hanyan wouldn't miss any opportunity to antagonize Sun Siyuan, and immediately mocked, "Don't open your bloody mouth, it'll scare the kids, and aren't you afraid your fans will leave?"
"My fans are unfollowing me?" Sun Siyuan showed no shame whatsoever, confidently stating, "With this face, how could my fans possibly unfollow me?"
Zhou Hanyan: "... Have you no shame!"
Sun Siyuan: "I have my own correct understanding."
Zhou Hanyan: "I guess I've finally come to a clear understanding of how thick-skinned you are."
Sun Siyuan: "Don't be a sour grapes! You're just jealous that I'm more handsome than you!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Hanyan immediately flew into a rage, rolled up his sleeves, and strode towards Sun Siyuan, seemingly ready to fight in front of the cameras.
How could Yu Xuanxuan allow such a thing to happen? She immediately ran over, hands on her hips, not afraid at all, and said in a tone that sounded like she was lecturing a child, "No fighting! We're all good friends, we should get along well!"
Jameel and Fu Xiaoxiao also went over to educate the two.
Sun Siyuan and Zhou Hanyan both looked very unhappy, but in front of the children, they couldn't bring themselves to vent their anger. They could only nod resentfully and shake hands to make up at the children's insistence.
Neither Sun Siyuan nor Zhou Hanyan wanted to lose face, so they pretended to be calm and collected. However, Su Huaiming noticed that the veins on the back of their hands were bulging as they clenched their fists, their arms trembling with the force, and they were gritting their teeth in pain.
They were in so much pain that they couldn't bear it anymore and wanted to pull their hands back.
Yu Xuanxuan stopped them, "You only shook hands for ten seconds, that's not enough. Good friends should hold hands for 30 seconds."
Jameel added, "To show your sincerity, please hold on for one minute!"
Sun Siyuan and Zhou Hanyan exchanged a glance, both suppressing the urge to shake each other off.
These three kids are all incredibly talkative. If we don't go along with them, they'll probably keep nagging and come up with even more mischievous ideas to torment them.
A minute later, Sun Siyuan and Zhou Hanyan turned pale with pain and couldn't wait to let go. They gritted their teeth and gasped for breath in pain.
The viewers in the live stream fell silent.
[For a moment, it was hard to tell who the child was.]
[Haha, it seems like Sun Siyuan and Zhou Hanyan can't even put their heads together.]
[It must be tough on Su Huaiming and Ji Mingzhe, having to take care of two extra-large children.]
[Look, Sun Siyuan and Zhou Hanyan are dredging up old grudges again, they're talking about who ate your toes when you were a baby! They've really held a grudge against each other since infancy!]
[The two of them have a strange kind of cuteness...]
Su Huaiming and Ji Mingzhe stood aside, watching them helplessly. They had originally wanted to go through the motions with the production team, but now they didn't know what to say.
The director seemed to have anticipated this scene, and came over early to announce the theme of this episode, interrupting the argument between Sun Siyuan and Zhou Hanyan.
"The welfare home has many children, and they hold regular performances every year. This year, they are short four children for their performance. Xiao Xiao, would you be willing to help them and put on a wonderful, unforgettable performance?"
Fu Xiaoxiao loved playing with other children and enjoyed being the center of attention. She immediately jumped up, raised her hand, and exclaimed, "I'm willing! I want to help them!"
Yu Xuanxuan and Jameel readily agreed, as long as they could have fun. Ji Youyou was a little shy, but with Ji Mingzhe's encouragement, she finally nodded.
The director had originally planned to send everyone to an orphanage later, but Sun Siyuan and Zhou Hanyan started arguing again, so he had no choice but to interrupt them, asking, "Are you willing to go and help him?"
Aside from Sun Siyuan, Zhou Hanyan was very polite to everyone else, quickly suppressing his anger and nodding, "Okay."
Sun Siyuan objected, "You just asked those four kids, and now you're asking us two? That's easy to misunderstand!"
Director: "..." You know that's good to know.
Although he thought that way, he still smiled and coaxed her, "I'll be more careful in the future and won't say things like that again."
Sun Siyuan felt a little better and got into the car one after the other with Zhou Hanyan.
They quickly arrived at the location where they were going to record next.
The orphanage has limited funds, and the annual performance is a public service without any sponsorship. Therefore, all the preparations need to be done by the children and the orphanage staff.
When Su Huaiming and his group arrived, they were immediately surrounded by children.
Some children were outgoing and eager to greet Fu Xiaoxiao and her friends, while others were more shy and hid behind the adults, observing them cautiously.
Yu Xuanxuan is a social butterfly. She naturally walked over and greeted the children, "Hello everyone, my name is Xuanxuan. From now on, we'll be good friends. Let's get along well!"
Fu Xiaoxiao and Jameel were inspired by them and successfully integrated into the group.
Ji Mingzhe originally thought Ji Youyou would be shy, but when Ji Youyou saw girls her age, she immediately hugged her doll and went over, integrating herself much faster than Fu Xiaoxiao and the others.
Ji Mingzhe was older and the only real father among the four families, so he was more worried. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the four children were all at ease.
After the staff gave them a tour of the welfare home, they took them to the prepared location.
Su Huaiming asked, "What stage are you at in your preparations?"
The staff member smiled sheepishly before saying, "We've just started; we've only finalized the repertoire, haven't arranged for the children to rehearse, and haven't even started setting up the stage yet. We'll need your help."
Ji Mingzhe, being habitually a worrier, inquired about some details and discovered that the matter was more complicated than he had imagined.