After kindergarten let out, Shen Xuanrun successfully found the little female lead among the crowd of little kids.
Little Xinxin spotted Shen Xuanrun too. After all, her brother was the most handsome, hehe. She rushed over and hugged his leg, dangling from it like a charm.
"Brother Xuanrun, our teacher gave us little red flowers today!" Little Xinxin said excitedly.
"Really? You're amazing, Xinxin! What would you like to eat today? I'll ask the housekeeper to make it for you." Shen Xuanrun picked up the charm hanging from his leg and asked gently.
"I want ants climbing a tree again!" (/≧▽≦/)
"Sure, Xinxin. You're such a good girl. Mwah." Shen Xuanrun kissed Little Xinxin's chubby cheek.
Little Xinxin shyly covered her face.
Elsewhere.
Gu Maojie looked at the empty back seat, squeezed the little red flower in his hand, and said to the driver,
"Uncle... didn't come today?"
"Mr. Gu has a meeting today and is very busy. He asked me to pick you up first, young master," the driver answered hurriedly.
"Oh." Little Maojie's gaze dimmed. He got into the car without another word and quietly watched Shen Qianxin in Shen Xuanrun's arms through the window.
On the way home.
"Xinxin, Grandpa is back. I'll take you to kindergarten tomorrow morning, and Grandpa will pick you up in the afternoon." Shen Xuanrun felt a little sad. Although he had only spent three or four days with the little female lead, he had already grown fond of this adorable little girl.
"I don't want to leave you, Brother Xuanrun. ⊙﹏⊙" Little Xinxin's big, dark eyes filled with tears, making her look pitiful.
"I don't want to leave you either, but I'll be going off to act soon, so you'll be able to see me on TV." Shen Xuanrun hid his sadness and comforted her.
Night fell, and the bustle of the day faded. The city lights were too dim, and the moonlight wove a mistlike radiance like a hazy veil.
Before going to sleep, the little female lead tugged on Shen Xuanrun's sleeve and shook it. "Brother Xuanrun, Xinxin wants to hear you tell a fairy tale today."
"Then I'll start with a story about a little horse whose path was blocked by a river."
"Is it The Little Horse Crosses the River?"
"Long, long ago, a little horse wanted to cross a river, but didn't know how deep it was. An old ox nearby said,
'It's fine. This river only reaches my calves.'
But a little sheep nearby who looked easy to bully said,
'No, this river is too deep. I nearly drowned.'
But the little horse remembered what its mother had said about learning the truth through practice, so it bravely gave it a try. Guess what it discovered?"
"The river only reached its thighs!" Little Xinxin answered excitedly.
"It turned out the little sheep really could drown!"
"Huh?!!"
Little Xinxin: Same familiar flavor as always.
"Xinxin, only by becoming strong can we avoid being bullied. Weak people often end up being the ones who get hurt, even when they've done nothing wrong," Shen Xuanrun taught her.
"Then does that mean once we're strong, we can kick the little sheep into the river?" Little Xinxin asked innocently.
"...Things depend on what people do. We don't need to worry about what others are like. Just be yourself. You don't need to imitate anyone else." Shen Xuanrun _(:з"∠)_ I just didn't want you to become a sanctimonious, innocent little saint, not for you to develop into a black-hearted one.
Shen Xuanrun gently stroked the little female lead's head.
"Then I'll go on to tell you the story of the little white rabbit searching for happiness!
One day, a little white rabbit saw the word 'happiness' on TV. What was happiness?... The little rabbit wanted to know what happiness was, so it ran outside to ask.
The tiger said happiness was being with your family; the lion said happiness was having the person you loved love you back; the leopard said happiness was being healthy and having everything go your way.
The little rabbit happily went home and told its mother all this. Then Mother Rabbit said, 'Actually, you were very happy today.' The little rabbit didn't understand why. Xinxin, do you know why?"
"Because it was happily together with its mother, its mother loved it too, and its whole family was very healthy. Is that right, Brother?" Little Xinxin said excitedly.
Shen Xuanrun shook his head. "Mother Rabbit said, 'You actually made it home alive, you little brat.'"
The little female lead: ...Sorry, I'm still too young.
"Then what does this story teach us, Brother?" Little Xinxin asked, blinking her big eyes.
"Xinxin, when you don't know what happiness is, you actually already have the happiest thing in the world. We shouldn't keep demanding more and complaining about what we've lost. After all, you have to give something up to gain something." Shen Xuanrun gently pinched Little Xinxin's rosy, plump cheek and spoke softly.
Little Xinxin nodded hazily. It all seemed so profound, and she drifted off to sleep.
The Gu Family Villa.
Gu Weichen pushed open the villa's front door and saw Gu Maojie asleep on the sofa in his pajamas, still clutching a little red flower that had been squeezed out of shape.
The nanny beside him immediately said,
"Mr. Gu, I told the young master to go back to his bedroom to sleep, but he refused. He insisted on waiting here for you. After he fell asleep, I covered him with a blanket."
Gu Weichen nodded. "You can leave now."
Gu Weichen gently picked Little Maojie up, slowly walked upstairs, and laid him on his bedroom bed, straightening his covers.
He took the little red flower from Little Maojie's hand and fell silent for a moment. Then he straightened the squashed little red flower, placed it on the table beside the bedroom, found a piece of paper, and wrote,
"I saw it. Well done!"
He put the paper beside the little red flower, quietly left Gu Maojie's bedroom, and closed the door.
Early the next morning, Gu Maojie woke up in bed, his gaze downcast. "Uncle still hasn't come back?"
But when he turned his head, he saw the little note on the bedside table. His eyes brightened, and he quickly got out of bed to wash up.
He left his bedroom and ran downstairs. Gu Weichen was sitting on the sofa, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. When he saw Gu Maojie, he said coolly,
"Don't run on the stairs. Eat breakfast first. I'll take you to kindergarten."
"Okay, Uncle." With his short arms and legs, Gu Maojie climbed up to the dining table to eat breakfast.
Gu Weichen looked at Gu Maojie, who seemed to have little flowers blooming all over him, and said nothing. After a simple breakfast, he took Gu Maojie to kindergarten.
Once they arrived at the kindergarten, Gu Weichen declined the driver's offer to open his door. He had only just stepped out when the young man's dejected voice sounded in his mind.
Boohoo, soon I won't be able to see soft, sweet Little Xinxin anymore, and filming for Battle in the Sea of Commerce is about to start too.
It was the first time he had heard the young man sound so down and sad. Gu Weichen paused, but quickly got out and closed the car door.
Seeing Gu Weichen made Shen Xuanrun even more dejected.
Waaah, why don't I have a body like that? I've been working out for two days, and my legs, my waist, my arms-there isn't a single part of me that isn't sore!
Gu Weichen saw the gentle young man before him furtively rub his waist.