What on earth had he done to offend Lu Xianqing?
Si Qianqiu’s image had always been good. Although he had long been overshadowed by people calling him a “discount Qin Sizheng,” he had been Sheng Entertainment’s first-generation boy group visual at nineteen.
The company had crafted a persona for him as a cool, refined young nobleman. Over the past two years, he had developed both in music and acting, with very solid results.
He paid close attention to his public image and was nothing like Qin Sizheng, that madman who dragged the entire entertainment industry into chaos. So why would Lu Xianqing react to him like that?
The more Si Qianqiu thought about it, the more indignant he felt. So what if he was a Best Actor—did that give him the right to completely ignore him?
One day, he would stomp Lu Xianqing under his feet!
Little Strawberry held her small bowl and timidly called out, “Daddy, I’m hungry.”
Si Qianqiu snapped back to his senses and realized they were still filming. He immediately plastered on a “gentle” smile and patted her head. “Then let’s go find something to eat.”
Qin Sizheng had arrived just in time—there had been only one white steamed bun left. For Si Qianqiu, all that remained was an empty basket and a smiling host, Wan Lai.
“Daddies and babies who arrive late will have to rely on their own abilities to obtain food,” Wan Lai said.
Si Qianqiu blurted out, “Where am I supposed to get it?”
Wan Lai’s expression didn’t change. “Of course, you’ll have to think of a way.”
With a dark face, Si Qianqiu led Little Strawberry back. This trash program was just as pitiful as ever—when they said no food, they really meant no food. Where was he supposed to get a meal for Little Strawberry?
She kept whispering that she was hungry.
Well, wasn’t he hungry too?
Last night, when Xu Jinhán had his accident, the production team had provided a meal, but it had been so hot that he couldn’t eat much. By morning it had already gone bad. This dump didn’t even have a refrigerator!
Looks like he would have to wake up earlier tomorrow.
On this show, building a relationship with Lu Xianqing mattered more than anything else! Wen Li had stayed lukewarm for years, but after working with Lu Xianqing, she had directly won Best Actress. As long as he latched onto Lu Xianqing, it would be worth more than filming a hundred projects through sheer effort!
Qin Sizheng sliced the bun and set it aside, then went into the yard to pick up two eggs. He cracked them neatly into a bowl, whisked them into an egg wash, used chopsticks to coat the bun slices, and dropped them into the oil.
Little Tomato cheered, spinning in circles. “Daddy, it smells so good!”
【Yes, your daddy smells so good. I want to bury myself in your daddy’s arms and sniff. Little Tomato, do you need a mommy? Pick me, pick me!】
【Male mom, male mom! Mommy’s hungry!】
Qin Sizheng squinted and smiled as he fried a few slices, let them cool slightly, and handed them to Little Tomato. “Try it.”
Little Tomato took small bites and immediately gave a thumbs-up. “Daddy is the best!” Then he raised both hands, offering for Qin Sizheng to take a bite too.
The moment the barrage saw this, the atmosphere split cleanly down the middle.
【Oh no, oh no—Qin Sizheng is a germaphobe. It’s already got saliva on it; there’s no way he’ll eat it. He won’t be able to keep up the act now, right? Honestly, he should just quit already.】
【Wow, Little Tomato is so well-behaved, and the baby is so cute too! What kind of ultimate sweet duo is this!】
Just as the comments were tearing into each other, Qin Sizheng lowered his head and went “nom,” taking a bite of the bun slice. His eyes were like a river of stars. But the next second, the fans were stunned by something that slipped out from his collar.
It was a ring strung on a fine chain—shaped like a little kite, wrapped with three strings of different colors!
【That’s our fan-support design! He’s actually wearing it! He carefully hid it against his chest! I’m exploding and crying on the spot—Sister Feifei, come quick, he’s keeping us in his heart.】
【Chasing an idol like him—I have no regrets in this life.】
【I’m just a passerby, not even a fan, but seeing him wear the support item and carefully keep it hidden is such a small detail and so touching. If I were one of the Little Zithers, I’d probably cry on the spot. Being kept in his heart is worth more than anything.】
【What fans want is really so little. We understand we might never see him even once in our lifetime, but he wears the support item and keeps it close to his heart. I don’t think I’ll ever like anyone else again.】
【Who knows if this was intentional? How convenient that it just “happened” to fall out. Trying to gain goodwill with a show, right? You’ve already forgotten how he ditched fans at the airport and threw away their gifts? Brain-dead fans are so easy to fool.】
【Useless at everything except hype. You really are something, Qin Sizheng.】
【So what if he’s gaining goodwill? Has your idol ever kept you by his side? The jealousy is practically leaking through the screen—gross.】
【Hype my ass. Didn’t you see he kept it hidden in his chest? It was obviously an accident. If you don’t need your eyes, donate them to someone who does, okay?】
【You’re jealous, you’re jealous, you’re jealous.】
Qin Sizheng had only felt that the Little Zithers gave him a bit of strength in this unfamiliar world. He hadn’t expected it to be seen at all. He quickly tucked it back into his collar, acting as if nothing had happened, and continued frying the buns.
He couldn’t see the barrage of comments fighting it out. He went into the yard to pick a few tomatoes and some green beans, cooked a pot of tomato egg-drop soup, and stir-fried one dish of green beans and one of tomato and scrambled eggs.
Lu Xianqing arrived at the courtyard where Xu Jinhang was staying. Little Tangyuan had just woken up, sitting on the bed and yawning, looking pitiful and drowsy. The director whispered a reminder, “Uncle Lu is here.”
Little Tangyuan’s eyes lit up at once. He slipped on his little slippers and ran straight out into the courtyard.
Even though he was usually a bit afraid of Lu Xianqing, at this moment he trusted him the most. He threw himself into Lu Xianqing’s arms and was lifted up to sit in the crook of his arm, leaning against the man’s neck and whispering委屈地, “Uncle Lu.”
“Did you cry?” Lu Xianqing asked him.
Little Tangyuan nodded shyly, then hurriedly asked how his dad was doing. Lu Xianqing told him everything was fine, that he would stay in the hospital a few days and be back soon. He just had to be good, and his dad would return in a few days.
Little Tangyuan nodded obediently.
“Come on, get dressed.” Lu Xianqing set him down on the bed to stand, rummaged through the suitcase, and pulled out two pieces of clothing to change him into. Little Tangyuan stretched out his arms. “These don’t match!”
…?
Lu Xianqing looked at the two items in his hands. How did they not match?
“This one and this one are a set. Mom picked them out for me before we came. And this little bow tie has to go on too.” Little Tangyuan pointed to each item in turn. His idol baggage was honestly heavier than Lu Xianqing’s.
“…Fine. I’ll dress you up like a little prince.”
He took out the clothes and helped Little Tangyuan put them on, added the bow tie, and then came the shoes—more picky objections.
“These are sneakers. They don’t go with this outfit. I want that pair.” The little finger pointed again. Looking at that face so much like Xu Jinhang’s, Lu Xianqing chuckled. “You’re lucky you’re young. If it were your dad, he’d be on his knees calling me Dad by now.”
Director: “…Um, Fourth Brother, we’re live.”
Lu Xianqing turned around, puzzled. “So what if we’re live? Even on a livestream, Xu Jinhang wouldn’t dare order me around like this. Don’t believe me? Call him and ask.”
Director: “…You’re right.”
Your fame is big; you make the rules.
On Qin Sizheng’s side, he had just finished cooking and was still wondering whether Lu Xianqing would come over when the door suddenly opened. Their eyes met, and Qin Sizheng tensed so badly he almost dropped a bowl.
He swallowed. “Senior Lu.”
“Mhm.”
Little Tomato was feeding the rabbits. Qin Sizheng brought over a basin of water for him to wash his hands, and casually called out to Little Tangyuan, “You come wash your hands too, then it’s time to eat.”
He squatted down, a towel draped over his wrist, carefully washing the children’s hands—from fingertips to between the fingers—humming a hand-washing song as he worked.
Lu Xianqing lowered his gaze to watch those hands. The chill in his eyes slowly spread. He wanted to throw these two little brats out. Those hands were so gentle in their stroking and rubbing, yet the ones being treated with that gentleness weren’t his hands.
He wanted to smash everything those hands had touched. Or maybe cutting off that hand would be better—hide it away so no one else could ever see it.
“Senior Lu, you should wash your hands too. I’ll bring the dishes out.” After drying the children’s hands, Qin Sizheng changed the water, setting the basin down with a towel on the rim.
“Mhm.” Watching his retreating figure, Lu Xianqing thought to himself: next time, I’ll make him wash my hands too—one hundred times more thoroughly than this.
When Qin Sizheng brought the food out, one adult and two kids were already seated in the yard, looking strangely harmonious.
The two children seemed afraid of him and didn’t dare speak, sitting bolt upright like little saplings. Lu Xianqing, on the other hand, lounged against his chair, looking perfectly relaxed.
But Qin Sizheng was not relaxed at all. He fought down the urge to scream, forcing himself to calmly walk over and set the dishes on the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the ring on Lu Xianqing’s right hand. His breath hitched, his face flushing red all at once.
He had an identical one. On the day he transmigrated, he had taken it off, and the original owner had modified it into a ring loop that he wore every day.
If Lu Xianqing ever found out his ring had been turned into something like that—and worn in that kind of place—he would skin him alive. And then Lu Xianqing’s fans would grind his bones to dust.
Qin Sizheng shuddered violently. He absolutely could not let him find out. Absolutely not.
“You cold?” Lu Xianqing asked.
Afraid he’d notice something off, Qin Sizheng shook his head quickly. “No.” He lifted his hand and gave Little Tomato and Little Tangyuan each a piece of golden, egg-coated fried steamed bun, then served them a bowl of egg-drop soup.
Little Tangyuan and Little Tomato said “Thank you” in unison, then buried their heads in the fried buns, eating with great enthusiasm.
Watching them wolf it down, Qin Sizheng couldn’t help smiling. Just as he was about to eat, he noticed Lu Xianqing staring at his hands and not touching his chopsticks. He thought Lu Xianqing might be嫌弃 his cooking.
“Senior Lu, my cooking is… okay. Why don’t you give it a try?” He picked up the chopsticks and handed them over. When Lu Xianqing accepted them and put a bite of tomato and egg into his mouth, Qin Sizheng immediately stared at him nervously and asked, “Is it good?”
Lu Xianqing tilted his head, catching sight of eyes like misty autumn water and lips slightly parted in tension. Instead of answering, he asked, “Have you cooked for anyone else before?”
Qin Sizheng shook his head.
Lu Xianqing withdrew his gaze from him, his eyes cool and indifferent. “It’s average.”
Qin Sizheng instantly deflated. “Ah… really?”
Lu Xianqing took a sip of tomato egg-drop soup, then picked up some green beans and put them into his mouth. “Don’t cook for other people in the future. If it doesn’t taste good, it’s rude.”
The more he said, the more dejected Qin Sizheng became, his head nearly buried in his bowl.
As expected of an award-winning actor—pampered and picky. Everyone used to say his cooking was good, even called him Little Master Chef.
“I can suffer a bit and help you taste-test,” Lu Xianqing said.
Qin Sizheng jerked his head up, immediately shaking his head and waving his hands. “Ah—no, no, no, that’s not necessary, Senior Lu. I’ll find someone else.”
Lu Xianqing set his chopsticks down. “Who do you want to find?”
Qin Sizheng froze. Jiang Xi or You Si, maybe? In this world, he didn’t really have friends—who else could he find? And he’d only said it casually. Why did it sound like Lu Xianqing was… unhappy?
【Hahaha, why do I feel like Fourth Brother is such a tsundere? He says “meh, it’s just okay,” but his body is seriously committing to the clean-plate campaign. So you’re the official Clean Plate Ambassador? My respect, my respect.】
【Right, right. For normal people it’s “I like you, so you can only cook for me.” For Fourth Brother it’s “your cooking is terrible, don’t embarrass yourself in front of other people—only embarrass yourself in front of me.” Hahahaha, what an absolute blockhead, zero romance. Both of them are blockheads. Might as well call them Blockhead Couple.】
【Is Fourth Brother doing some PUA stuff? Hahahaha. Babe, don’t be scared—listen to your big sister and just punch him once. Let him know why flowers are so red.】
【CP shippers, nmsl? Can you get lost? Is your fave even worthy of carrying Fourth Brother’s shoes?】
【Shipping is freedom, mind your damn business. Toxic solo stans, don’t come near me. I’ll ship if I want to, I’ll ship if I want to. Blockhead Couple forever!!! Mad yet? Mad yet?】
【CP fans minding their own business, got it? Don’t come looking to get flamed.】
Qin Sizheng’s back was about to be soaked through with sweat. He didn’t even dare lift his head, completely forgetting what Xu Zhao had told him about playing to the camera. He just wanted to dig a hole and bury himself alive.
Just then, a clear, cheerful laugh rang out. “Sizheng’s eating? We came to mooch a meal. You don’t mind, right?”
Si Qianqiu led Little Strawberry in. When he saw the golden, fragrant egg-fried steamed bun slices on the table, his eyes nearly turned red with jealousy. If he’d known, he wouldn’t have given this house up to him!