"..."
What a plain, unadorned answer.
Remembering the director's instructions, the staff member steeled himself and continued, "Don't you get bored staying in your room all the time?"
Su Huaiming looked utterly puzzled. "Are the shows bad, the games no fun, or is my phone dead? Why would I be bored?"
The staff member: "..." But you're a celebrity, and you're filming a variety show right now!
"Don't you ever come out to use the bathroom?" the staff member managed to ask after considerable effort.
Su Huaiming shook his head, not understanding why he had asked. "There's a bathroom in my room."
"Could we take a look around your room, then?" the staff member continued.
Su Huaiming nodded and stepped aside, letting the cameraman carry his equipment inside.
Only then did the viewers in the livestream see Su Huaiming's so-called bedroom.
It was actually a suite, complete with a restroom, study, bedroom, walk-in closet, entertainment room, and sitting room. There was also an enormous bathroom where one could enjoy a comfortable soak while admiring the view outside.
The cameraman carried his camera around the room, taking a full five minutes to make one circuit.
[This is beyond ridiculous. This bedroom is bigger than my whole house.]
[Now I finally know why Su Huaiming doesn't come out. I'm dying, he doesn't need to.]
[If I had a room like this, I could stay home until the end of time.]
After looking around, the staff member turned to Su Huaiming. "Could you show us around your villa?"
Su Huaiming said earnestly, "Let the butler show you around. If I take you, we'll get lost."
The staff member was at a loss for words for a few seconds before continuing, "How about we go with the butler? You can interact with everyone while we look around."
Su Huaiming looked reluctant and said in distress, "It's too big here. Walking all the way around would be exhausting! Besides, everything I want is here. I'm perfectly happy staying in the bedroom."
The staff member and the viewers in the livestream fell silent.
[That's so damn real. For homebodies like us, even living in a mansion wouldn't make a difference. We'd just want to stay put and wouldn't want to go anywhere else!]
[What a coincidence. I dreamed about this place yesterday. I was happy at first, but I walked for ages without finding my way out, and it scared me awake.]
[I'm suddenly thinking rich people have their troubles too. Their houses are so big that they walk several times as many steps as everyone else every day. Doge.jpg]
[I'm dying. Where did all the people saying Su Huaiming was flaunting his wealth and playing up his rich-family persona go? Weren't they making a huge fuss just now?]
[...Su Huaiming is flaunting his wealth. Isn't this more impactful than showing us all kinds of designer clothes and watches, antiques, diamonds, and collectibles?]
[Unintentional wealth flaunting is the deadliest.]
Chapter 6: 006
Even knocking on his door hadn't gotten Su Huaiming out, and the director was completely out of ideas. On the third day, he could only force Su Huaiming to go out. Surely he wouldn't have anywhere to hole up then.
After hearing they were going out, Fu Xiaoxiao was extremely excited. He ducked into his little walk-in closet and picked through all kinds of clothes.
In the end, Fu Xiaoxiao chose a pale yellow sweatshirt with a yellow duckling printed right in the middle. His pants were in the same color palette.
He put on little white shoes and came running out, his fine, soft hair bobbing in the air as he ran, looking much like a duckling's down.
Su Huaiming had gone barefaced for the past few days, showing no awareness that he was a celebrity. The production team couldn't stand watching any longer and sent a makeup artist and stylist over, dragging Su Huaiming out of bed early and working on him for a full hour.
Su Huaiming hadn't gotten enough sleep. He yawned and sauntered out of his room, then stood in the doorway and suddenly turned his head, looking down at the camera.
He wore a black silk shirt, its soft fabric without a single wrinkle, its smooth lines tapering at his waist. Below it were black slim-fit trousers, and his shoes were black too. There wasn't another color on him from head to toe.
Su Huaiming's skin was already fair, and the contrast between black and white was striking.
Su Huaiming had just rubbed his eyes. The delicate, sensitive skin around them had turned faintly pink after only a brief rub.
He looked down at the camera, chin slightly raised and eyes lowered, his expression cold and stern with a trace of languor.
His gaze didn't flinch in the slightest, and his posture was casual, as though nothing in the world could move him. He also carried a faint air of sophisticated world-weariness.
He looked as though he had a filter on, creating a striking atmosphere.
[Wow wow wow wow wow, I bow before the boss!]
[He's giving off such strong gong energy, but wife's waist is so slim and his legs are so long. I can't control myself!]
[This styling and aura could crush a whole crowd of entertainment industry stars!]
[First, let me emphasize that I'm not a masochist, and second, I don't have any special fetishes, but I really love it when Su Huaiming looks at me with contempt!]
Su Huaiming stared at the camera for a few more seconds, then suddenly blinked and said a flat "Oh." "I remember now. I need to use the bathroom."
With that, Su Huaiming turned back into his room and casually closed the door.
At that moment, the whole world fell silent.
The viewers in the livestream: "..."
So that look Su Huaiming had just given them was only him spacing out?!
And he was going to the bathroom in that outfit!
Damn it, give me back the flutter I just felt!!
After using the bathroom, Su Huaiming came out of his room again and saw Fu Xiaoxiao dressed in pale yellow.
Father and son headed out together.
They drove to the nearest upscale mall. This area was the legendary rich people's district, and the mall had been built especially for them. The prices inside were outrageous, and everything came down to one word: extravagant.
As soon as they entered the mall, Fu Xiaoxiao charged around like a foal that had slipped its reins.
His legs were short, but he ran quite fast. Several nannies chased after him, struggling all the while, yet none dared grab Fu Xiaoxiao and stop him.
Su Huaiming paused and said expressionlessly, "Come hold my hand."
Fu Xiaoxiao looked back. The yellow clothes made his face look even more tender. He puffed out his bun-like cheeks and said, "I don't want to."
Su Huaiming continued, "If you don't hold my hand, I'll get lost."
Su Huaiming had already found Fu Xiaoxiao's weak spot. Despite his young age, he was already vain and wanted people to treat him like a man.
Fu Xiaoxiao didn't like Su Huaiming, his bad stepfather, but it would be troublesome if Su Huaiming got lost. He could only walk over reluctantly and reach out to hold Su Huaiming's hand.
"You're so useless," Fu Xiaoxiao complained in his little baby voice, his face scrunched up.
Fu Xiaoxiao's hand was small enough for Su Huaiming to enclose it entirely in his palm, and it was especially soft.
Without the slightest awareness that he was supposed to be the adult, Su Huaiming said casually, "It's enough that you're useful."
Even holding Su Huaiming's hand, Fu Xiaoxiao couldn't stop for a moment. He looked around excitedly and pulled Su Huaiming toward the top floor.
There was a children's play area on the top floor, with ball pits, slides, and crisscrossing tunnels. It was practically a happy house for gophers.
Fu Xiaoxiao loved playing here most of all. Before they'd even paid, he charged straight in.
The butler arranged everything, then frowned as he watched Fu Xiaoxiao, his expression full of worry.
"What's wrong?" Su Huaiming asked.
"The young master loves playing here. Someone has to watch him while he plays and praise him the whole time. Even after he's played for a long time, he still won't leave. Once, the mall was about to close, and the young master still refused to come out."
Su Huaiming looked at the play area and asked, "Xiao Xiao is so young. Shouldn't an adult go with him?"
Suspecting nothing, the butler said, "You don't need to worry about that. The nannies will stay by the young master's side to protect him at all times."
"There's no need to trouble them," Su Huaiming said. "I'll go in and keep Xiao Xiao company. Tell them to look around wherever they like. I'll cover their expenses."
The butler looked at Su Huaiming in great surprise. Su Huaiming paid no attention to his gaze, took off his shoes, and walked into the play area.
The play area had a very high safety rating and could support over five hundred kilograms. Adults often came in to play with their children.
Su Huaiming stood at the entrance to the play area, his eyes shining as he looked at the equipment, eager to give it a try.
From a very young age, he had barely been able to get out of bed and walk, and his activities had been limited to the hospital and his own home.
He had only seen play areas like this online and had never played in one himself. It had been a regret of his, and he hadn't expected that thanks to Fu Xiaoxiao, he could make that dream come true today.
Everything in this mall was geared toward the high end. The play area not only had plenty of activities but was also large enough that a child would surely be exhausted after playing through it from beginning to end. For an adult, though, it was just right.
Su Huaiming immediately dove into the foam balls, burying himself completely. After rolling around a few times, he crossed the ball pit and headed for the slide.
Fu Xiaoxiao was too young to use the slide, but Su Huaiming wasn't.
Hugging a foam ball, Fu Xiaoxiao stood to the side and watched enviously as Su Huaiming came down the slide and landed in the balls.
Fu Xiaoxiao asked eagerly, "Is it fun?"
Su Huaiming nodded and said with certainty, "It's fun."
The viewers in the livestream: "..."
[This is ridiculous. At a children's play area, the kid is asking the parent if it's fun!]
[!!! Su Huaiming, do you remember you came to look after Xiao Xiao?]
[That said, I really want to play too. I'm just too embarrassed to go in alone.]
[I took my nephew in to play for a while before. It really is a lot of fun.]
[This play equipment is a little childish for kids, but just right for adults.]
After Su Huaiming finished playing on the slide, he finally remembered his task and took Fu Xiaoxiao to play on the trampoline.
It was still early, so Su Huaiming and Fu Xiaoxiao were the only ones in the play area.
Fu Xiaoxiao loved the trampoline most of all. He stood straight, pushed down on it with his feet, and bounced into the air. He stretched one arm straight toward the sky and supplied his own sound effects: "I'm flying!"
It looked like he had watched quite a few children's shows.
Su Huaiming weighed more than Fu Xiaoxiao, so naturally, the height of his bounce was beyond anything Fu Xiaoxiao could match.
Just as Fu Xiaoxiao came down, Su Huaiming pushed the trampoline down. Fu Xiaoxiao lost his bounce and landed sitting on the trampoline, then rolled to the side like a little pale yellow dumpling.
Fu Xiaoxiao tried to prop himself up with his hands, but Su Huaiming was still jumping up and down. Unable to find his balance, Fu Xiaoxiao could only stick up his little bottom and sway back and forth.
It took him a great deal of effort, but he finally managed to jump up again.
Su Huaiming was having far too much fun to pay any attention to Fu Xiaoxiao.
With Su Huaiming getting in the way, Fu Xiaoxiao couldn't enjoy himself. He planted his hands on his hips, stood in front of Su Huaiming, and pointed at his nose. "You..."