Page 39
[That tall, slender figure, that face that looks flawless from every angle, those phoenix eyes brimming with classical charm. Oh my god, is that his natural face? If it is, I'm buying in right here and now.]
[If he looks like that, who's playing the female lead? Isn't he a male enchantress in the flesh?]
[Think outside the box. Get a male actor to star opposite him! Tsk, that tiny waist. You people have no taste!]
[A danmei adaptation? Now I'm even more interested. Hehehe.]
Fans of the variety show explained in the comments, and only then did the netizens learn that he was merely a non-celebrity guest on a variety show. They all expressed their disappointment.
A well-known entertainment gossip account added fuel to the trending topic: [Just heard that a top-tier magazine approached a certain show to invite a non-celebrity father and son to shoot a cover. They've never offered such a high appearance fee before. And yet, they were politely turned down~~ The editor-in-chief says they'll find someone in the industry to reach out again (well, I wish them luck.]
[Aaaaaah, it has to be the great beauty and Mingzai! Which editor-in-chief? Come on, you can do it!]
[Why won't they do it? I hate this!]
[Probably genuinely has no intention of entering showbiz. Just taking his kid on a variety show for fun.]
[Isn't this the overnight fame Mingzai wanted? Please shoot one photo. Just one would do!]
As the buzz continued to grow, the show's official account also came through, releasing wave after wave of high-definition photos of the guests before noon.
They had clearly taken inspiration from the previous episode and were now editing footage in real time in an organized fashion.
The comments under the official account were filled with praise for the staff's efficiency and timely response.
At the filming location.
Wen Cishu ran into a small problem.
A mother came into the teahouse carrying a little baby.
Since everyone else had their hands full, Wen Cishu helped serve the tea. As he bent down, his long black hair slid over one shoulder like flowing water.
The baby, only a few months old, reached out and grabbed his hair.
The round-headed little baby opened his mouth and babbled excitedly, looking ready to bounce right out of his mother's arms.
Startled, the mother hurriedly stood up to follow her child's movement. "Baby, don't pull. I'm so sorry!"
The little baby thought his mother was encouraging him and kicked his feet even more excitedly.
"It's fine, it's fine." It did not really hurt Wen Cishu. Looking at the soft little baby, he could not help praising him. "This child is so lively." Just like his own little monkey.
He did not pull back, afraid of tugging on the baby's hand.
Just then, Bo Yiming came rushing over and anxiously cupped the hair in his hands.
"Little baby, don't grab my Little Dad's hair."
The mother reached out, about to pull the hair free.
Seeing what she was about to do, Bo Yiming hurriedly stopped her. "Let me!"
Everyone jumped.
Bo Yiming gently held the baby's thin wrist and pushed forward against the soft back of his hand. The tightly clenched little fingers naturally relaxed.
"All done~"
Bo Yiming smiled and looked up at his Little Dad, as though asking: Aren't I amazing~?
Wen Cishu wrapped an arm around the little monkey's shoulders and drew him closer with a smile. "What a clever Baby Mingming."
The mother clearly had not expected that. She looked at her little baby, who was still smiling adorably.
As a first-time mother, she often found herself troubled by her baby grabbing things at random. Usually, she simply pulled them free or waited for the child to release his fingers himself.
She quickly asked, "How did you do that, little one? Can you teach me?"
Bo Yiming raised his own hand to demonstrate. "Just push the back of the hand. Gently. Then the little fist can't stay clenched, and it'll open."
He felt that the baby's big eyes were still fixed on his Little Dad's hair, so he hurriedly pushed his Little Dad toward the counter and said sweetly, "Miss, I'll pour your tea."
The mother held her baby's hand and tried it, discovering that it really worked.
"How did you know that, little one?"
Bo Yiming pointed at his Little Dad. "When I was little, I really liked grabbing Little Dad's hair too. Big Dad pressed my hand like that, and I remembered it. It doesn't hurt at all. You can ask the baby if you don't believe me."
Bracing both hands on his knees, he winked at the baby. "Baby, did big brother hurt you?"
"Hehehe~~" The baby, his little mouth stretched into a grin, could hardly understand him and simply smiled innocently.
The mother nodded in understanding. "Thank you. Now I know how to do it too."
[I think I've learned it too! Where's a baby? Let me try it!]
[Mingzai's Big Dad even knows this? Is he a parenting expert?]
[Probably just doesn't want his wife to get hurt from the pulling. Clearly, the wife is his own flesh and blood, and the son was an accident.]
[Mingzai, furious: Who was an accident? Elaborate!]
After two busy hours, it was finally time for the guests to eat.
Bo Yiming took the sign his Little Dad had just written-[Closed for lunch break]-and posted it outside the door.
A group of people entered the teahouse carrying exquisite lacquered food boxes, which they lined up on the long table in the hall.
The guests gathered around. When the lids were opened, they saw an array of exquisite, delicious dishes.
Chu Han asked, "Is the lunch provided by the production team this special today?"
A staff member nodded. "It was specially prepared."
Wearing white gloves, he set out eight individual servings of soup. "Thank you for all your hard work this morning. Eat while it's hot."
Zhou Xu sat down with Xiao Qi in his arms and called to everyone, "Then let's dig in. Come on, sit down."
Wen Cishu was standing to one side, wiping ink stains off his fingers with a wet wipe. As he watched the dishes being taken out of the food boxes, a hint of puzzlement flashed through his phoenix eyes.
Seeing him distracted, Zhu Wei kindly pulled him over to sit down. "Yiming's dad, are you tired from standing so long this morning?"
Zhou Xu poured a glass of water and pushed it in front of Wen Cishu.
Wen Cishu thanked him and explained, "No, the food just smells really good. Maybe I really am hungry."
He accepted the chopsticks and rice Chu Han passed him.
The plump, glistening grains of rice in the bowl and their aroma were unexpectedly familiar.
"Let me try the food."
Zhou Xu picked up a piece from the platter of white-cut chicken and tasted it without dipping it in sauce first. Surprise greeted him with the first bite. "Oh, they actually used Zhanjiang chicken."
Zhu Wei laughed. "Mr. Zhou, you can even tell where the chicken came from? Looks like I was right to call you the god of cooking."
Chu Han took a sip of soup. "This soup is especially flavorful too. It doesn't taste like they added much seasoning. It must have simmered for most of the day."
[Zhou Xu is amazing. No wonder he doesn't want to stay in showbiz. He probably wants to join the ranks of master chefs.]
[Wait, why is there a whole table of dishes today? Is it New Year's? (I want some too. Nom nom!)]
Wen Cishu picked up a little spoon and drank his soup. Looking at the table full of dishes, he did not even need to guess who had arranged lunch.
Bo Yiming picked up a piece of four-delight braised wheat gluten. As he ate, delight dawned on his face. "Little Dad! This wheat gluten tastes just like the one we have at home. I thought only our family made it this way."
Xingxing leaned over to inspect the strange-looking dish. "What's this? Is it good?"
Bo Yiming took Xingxing's chopsticks, picked up a piece of wheat gluten, soaked it in the rich sauce beside it for a few seconds, then brought it to his mouth.
The wheat gluten was served cold, and sauce flooded out with the first bite.
Xingxing was astonished. "Mom, how come I've never had this before?"
Chu Han picked up a piece. "I had it before when I was filming in Hu City. If you like it, I'll look into how to make it."
Wen Cishu knew that their chef had specially blended this sauce, and thought he could ask the chef to prepare some to send to Xingxing's family later.
Rongrong anxiously waved her little hand. "Big Brother Yiming~~ I want some too~"
Zhu Wei said, "I'll get you some. Your big brother is too far away."
"And Xiao Qi too~"
The round little cutie was so anxious that his pursed lips were almost turning into a pointed beak.
Zhou Xu gave him a piece. "I've never seen you this eager to eat my cooking."
Xiao Qi let out a sweet, babyish giggle of satisfaction.
Wen Cishu guessed that this lunch must have been arranged yesterday at the latest. Otherwise, there was no way they could have prepared so many ingredients on short notice.
Perhaps it had been even earlier. After all, they also had to coordinate the arrangements with the production team.
He unconsciously turned the ring on his left hand, thinking:
When Bo Tingyuan put his mind to being attentive, he truly left nothing overlooked.
[Did Mingzai mean something else by that? Mommy's expression seems pretty telling. Something's going on.]
[Could someone have been worried his wife wouldn't eat well, so he openly sent a loving lunch through the production team?]
[No need to guess. His wife is unconsciously touching his ring. That's definitely it.]
[Who said earlier that the wife was his own flesh and blood? That was truly insightful.]
Everyone chatted as they ate, and Bo Yiming brought up his Little Dad learning to cook at home. "My Little Dad thought we'd have to cook on the show again, so he specially learned how."
Zhou Xu asked with a smile, "Yiming's dad, are you planning to steal my title as the god of cooking?"
Wen Cishu came back to his senses and raised his face. "Mostly, I can't let you all do the cooking every time. I need to help too."
Zhu Wei served her daughter some food and said to him, "You don't need to learn at the last minute. Cooking is pretty hard."
Wen Cishu nodded, feeling increasingly sheepish.
-There was simply no way he could learn.
[Mommy, do you have to take this so seriously? You actually learned to cook at home. I'm shocked.]
[When the great beauty isn't talking, he looks exactly like a cool, aloof top student, okay? Don't let that stunning beauty fool you! He was definitely a model student back in school.]
Xiao Qi sat on his father's lap, occasionally reaching his little hand beneath his father's arm to pinch the sleeve of the young uncle beside him.
He joined the conversation too, saying in his babyish voice, "Big Brother Yiming, Daddy practices singing at home. In the bath... mmph!"
Before he could finish, a large hand covered his little face.
Zhou Xu looked down. "Xiao Qi, how about we don't tell Big Brother Yiming about this sort of thing?"
Xiao Qi struggled to pry his father's fingers away, making muffled sounds of protest.
"Wow! Uncle Zhou, are you going to work hard to become an overnight sensation?!"
Bo Yiming's voice rose, entirely unsurprisingly. As though pumped full of "chicken blood," he spoke excitedly.
"Uncle Zhou, can you sing for us later?"