On the way home, Little Xinxin happily told Shen Xuanrun about her day at kindergarten.
"Big brother, Xinxin became the class monitor of the senior class! And I made a new friend, too. He's the nephew of that Uncle Gu just now, Gu Maojie. But he doesn't seem to talk much. He hardly pays any attention to Little Xinxin (｡ò ∀ ó｡)."
Shen Xuanrun said, "It's all right, Xinxin. You'll definitely become good friends in the future. Don't worry."
And not just good friends-he would be the kind of good friend who could say to her, "Woman, you're playing with fire."
Shen Xuanrun looked at his own tender little cabbage and felt a little sad at the thought that the male lead would be the pig rooting it up someday. Boo-hoo-hoo.
Meanwhile, Gu Weichen looked at the silent Gu Maojie beside him, who already had the air of a domineering CEO, and fell silent himself.
"How was kindergarten today?" Gu Weichen asked, looking at Gu Maojie.
"All right, Uncle," Gu Maojie replied expressionlessly.
"Did you make any new friends?" Gu Weichen asked tentatively.
Gu Maojie was silent for a moment. "Too noisy."
Gu Weichen looked at his solemn little nephew, then recalled the innocent, adorable Little Xinxin from earlier. Why was the difference so great?
He glanced again at the expressionless Little Maojie, whose tightly furrowed brows made him look as though he were holding a company-wide meeting, and began to wonder where things had gone wrong.
He was completely unaware that he usually wore an icy expression himself. Little Maojie idolized him, and after spending so much time around him, had begun copying him.
That night
Little Xinxin: Oh yeah, I have a new friend! I'm going to give my new friend a little present (/≧▽≦/).
Little Maojie: She really talks a lot. Oh well, I can just about put up with it. Serious face.
Shen Xuanrun: I'm going to work out. I want abs. I'm going to find a girlfriend and beat the male lead's uncle. Heave-ho, heave-ho. Working out.
Gu Weichen: What exactly went wrong with my parenting? A solemn expression.
The next morning, Shen Xuanrun walked out of his bedroom on aching legs and saw Little Xinxin emerge from hers, rubbing her eyes and clutching a folded paper flower.
"Good morning, big brother," Little Xinxin greeted him groggily.
"Morning, Xinxin. What are you holding?"
"It's a present for my new friend. Grandpa said giving presents can make friends closer, and Xinxin made this herself. Big brother, will Gu Maojie like it?"
"Of course he will."
Shen Xuanrun thought sourly, Your big brother hasn't even received a present from you yet. My lovely little cabbage's leaves have already started growing outward ⊙﹏⊙.
After he dropped the little female lead off at kindergarten, Sister Chen successfully found him an acting instructor, Teacher Sun. The teacher had also studied traditional opera when younger, and lessons could begin that afternoon.
That afternoon, Sister Chen brought Teacher Sun to Shen Xuanrun's apartment.
"Teacher Sun, I'll leave Xuanrun in your hands. And please don't forget to prepare those emergency heart pills I mentioned."
Shen Xuanrun: ...Was the original owner really that bad?
Teacher Sun said, "Don't worry. I'll teach him everything I can. You should have faith in Little Shen, too."
Sister Chen: ...It's not that I don't want to believe in him. It's just that every instructor said exactly what you're saying before going in, but not one came out with a normal complexion. One even got so angry he ended up in the hospital.
Still, Sister Chen only smiled awkwardly and saw Teacher Sun inside. Her presence would disturb their lesson, so she waited in the garden.
Two hours passed, and Sister Chen still hadn't seen Teacher Sun come out. She began to wonder whether Shen Xuanrun had already angered the teacher into fainting.
Although the lesson was scheduled for three hours, all the previous teachers had come out after a little over an hour, saying they couldn't teach him and would refund the tuition.
At the three-hour mark, Sister Chen watched in astonishment as Teacher Sun came out looking cheerful.
Teacher Sun said, "Haha, Little Chen, I told you that you were exaggerating. Little Shen is quite talented."
"Huh?! Really? Thank you for thinking so highly of our Xuanrun, Teacher Sun." Sister Chen: (●-●) Am I the one who's lost my mind, or has the teacher?
"I believe that as long as Little Shen studies hard, he'll definitely become a huge star. Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be going."
"Teacher Sun, I'll see you out." Seeing that Teacher Sun was about to leave, Sister Chen hurried to escort the teacher out.
Shen Xuanrun sat on the sofa and reviewed the techniques he had learned that day.
After seeing Teacher Sun off, Sister Chen sat down across from Shen Xuanrun, her eyes brimming with tears.
Shen Xuanrun: ⊙▽⊙
"Sister Chen, what's wrong?"
"I've waited two years. I've been waiting since you were seventeen, and now the day has finally come. I'm fine. I'm just too excited," Sister Chen said, choking up.
"Isn't that a bit exaggerated?" Shen Xuanrun said awkwardly. It was all the original owner's fault.
"How is it exaggerated? However happy I was when I first signed you, that was how despairing I felt when I watched you act. Such a lovely face, wasted on those acting skills. And now Teacher Sun says that as long as you act diligently, you'll definitely become a huge star. I've waited so long! Waaah!" Sister Chen wailed loudly again.
Shen Xuanrun: Sister Chen, I know you're excited, but could you please stop crying? Asking online how to comfort someone. Pretty urgent.
"You have no idea how upset I felt every time those teachers came out looking grim. Boo-hoo-hoo.
"Do you remember Teacher Qian, the one you angered into the hospital? He said you were hopelessly stubborn and there was nothing he could do, and told me to find someone else. When he asked you to gaze lovingly into someone's eyes, all you could do was stare blankly. You still couldn't do it after he demonstrated several times, and in the end, you even gave yourself cramps.
"And every time your scenes came on, people online said all you could do was blink and smirk. You made a devoted young gentleman look like a sleazy middle-aged man."
Shen Xuanrun said, "...Don't worry, Sister Chen. The old me is gone." That wasn't me. I refuse to own it.
After calming down, Sister Chen said earnestly to Shen Xuanrun, "Put your heart into playing Zhao Ziru. As long as you perform as well as you did today, I believe this character will become a hit."
"Mm."
"Hmph, and that Huang Shuangru mocked you for having a zombie face before. I'm definitely going to make her eat her words." Sister Chen clenched both fists and spoke resentfully.
Huang Shuangru was Sister Chen's rival. The two were constantly competing for resources, and whenever a celebrity managed by the other made a fool of themselves, they would thoroughly mock them.
Huang Shuangru managed a second-tier celebrity. Although that celebrity wasn't as good-looking as Shen Xuanrun, their acting was better, and they had plenty of fans who supported their career. Shen Xuanrun, however, only had fans of his looks; all the rest were zombie followers.
After delivering her impassioned speech, Sister Chen left full of ambition. She was going to have a good brag.
It was almost four now. It was time to pick up the little female lead. Shen Xuanrun tidied up and headed for the kindergarten, too.
Inside the kindergarten.
Little Xinxin said, "Gu Maojie, I made this flower myself. It's for you. Let's be good friends."
Little Maojie: So ugly. I don't want it.
Little Xinxin's face was full of hope, her eyes as wide as bronze bells.
Little Maojie: Oh well, I'll take it. It's just because I don't want to see her cry, definitely not because she's cute.
Little Xinxin said, "Great! Then we're good friends now ٩( 'ω' )و"