The day of filming for Traveling with Adorable Kids arrived.
The show had a new format: the cameras followed the guests from the moment the production team knocked on the door, streaming everything live. It was more challenging.
As a trainee dad, Qin Sizheng had an extra segment: arriving with the production crew at the child’s home.
The director in charge of his group, a young woman named Chen Yue, handed him a task card.
Qin Sizheng read it aloud without realizing:
“Good morning, trainee dad. You need to arrive at the child’s home by 6:30 a.m. and set off together to our first destination, Wild Fox Village.”
6:30 a.m., forty minutes left—plenty of time for makeup.
“Do I have to wear makeup?” Qin Sizheng asked.
Chen Yue blinked. Even without makeup, his radiant and striking features could outshine most of the appearance-focused entertainers in the industry. But still, she was surprised—no one had ever refused makeup before.
Makeup could have been the finishing touch, but Qin Sizheng didn’t want Little Tomato to feel any distance from him. So he had Jiang Xi pick out a white shirt and jeans, giving him the look of a friendly “neighborly big brother.”
The extravagant outfits the original wore felt unnatural to him. In his past life, he always wore T-shirts and jeans, which gave him a sense of security.
“Okay, no makeup then. Let’s go,” Qin Sizheng said with a slight smile, grabbing an enormous, ridiculously heavy bag from the corner and easily slinging it over his shoulder.
“Let’s go pick up my little one, Little Tomato.”
The production team had previously given him the child’s details: Little Tomato, four and a half years old, living in the same city.
Before getting out of the car, Qin Sizheng opened the giant bag he had carried. Chen Yue was shocked to discover a full set of plush toys and headpieces.
A minute later, she heard a sigh: “Phew, it’s so hot in here.”
Chen Yue laughed. “It’s late July—of course it’s hot in that costume.” She added, “Why don’t you take it off? You don’t want to get heat rash. The kids we pick for trainee dads are usually well-behaved, won’t throw tantrums.”
Qin Sizheng’s voice came muffled through the headpiece, a nasal hum. “It’s okay. If Little Tomato’s happy, that’s enough.”
This group’s “hot potato” had been no one’s choice. Chen Yue, a newcomer, had been assigned to him and had studied all of Qin Sizheng’s scandals in advance, preparing herself for anything.
But Qin Sizheng was completely different from what she expected: so earnest, so dedicated.
Dressed as a giant bear, Qin Sizheng knocked on the door twice with his “paws.”
Little Tomato’s mother opened the door, startled at first by the bear costume, then smiling warmly. “Come in,” she said, turning gently to the child: “Little Tomato, look who’s here!”
Little Tomato peeked out shyly from behind his mother, encountering the bear costume for the first time. His eyes lit up.
Qin Sizheng opened his palm, revealing three shiny fruit candies.
Little Tomato looked at his mother, who nodded, and tentatively reached out to take one, holding it carefully in his hand without unwrapping it.
Qin Sizheng performed a clumsy, ridiculous little bear dance, making Little Tomato giggle, slowly letting go of his mother’s hand.
Qin Sizheng held his hand, and together they did a playful “bow” gesture.
Little Tomato flashed a set of baby teeth.
“Time’s up! The trainee dad is taking you now,” Chen Yue reminded him.
By the time Qin Sizheng removed the bear costume, he was soaked in sweat. Breathing a long sigh, he got into the production car, loosening the window for air, noticing Little Tomato lingering outside, reluctant to let go.
“小 Tomato,” he called.
Little Tomato spun around nervously, his round eyes full of apprehension.
“Hi, I’m Qin Sizheng, your trainee dad,” he whispered in the child’s ear with a wink. “Last season, they almost took away all the snacks. Let’s eat these candies quickly.”
He exaggeratedly crunched the candy in his mouth with an “Awooo!”
Little Tomato blinked, then joined him in mischief, “Awooo!” munching the candy.
They laughed together.
Because the previous season had been so popular, the production team decided against filming first and airing later. This season was streamed live online in real time.
Qin Sizheng and Little Tomato laughed, completely unaware of the storm of comments tearing into him online.
【Qin Sizheng can really handle this! I thought he wouldn’t say anything, that he’d crack under the criticism.】
【Of course he can! Season one was huge. And now with Si Qianqiu joining this season… he’s the top celebrity in the industry. Who wouldn’t want to ride his coattails? Qianqiu forever!!!】
【Stop sneaking in personal bias! Top celebrity? Built from trending searches? Has the title of Qin Sizheng’s replacement been officially taken off?】
【Qin Sizheng can take care of a child? Hope he won’t hurt the kid—production better add more cameras.】
【New here, can someone explain why everyone’s bashing Qin Sizheng? Isn’t he good-looking and gentle? I’m starting to envy Little Tomato.】
The barrage of comments dredged up Qin Sizheng’s old scandals, almost obscuring his face completely.
Most of his previous fans had turned against him. Even though Red Xue Feifei and others had tried to defend and apologize, his former reputation was so poor that it barely made a ripple.
After a long flight, they finally landed at Wild Fox Village.
All the guests for this season of Traveling with Adorable Kids were assembling for the first time.
Qin Sizheng arrived first. Second was actor Xu Jinhan, a past Best Actor winner.
Xu Jinhan’s look wasn’t the usual soft beauty; his strong, masculine features conveyed reliability.
Most entertainers didn’t have time to spend with their children. He was taking advantage of this show to bond with his kid.
Qin Sizheng had done his homework, reviewing Xu Jinhan’s works in depth, especially the drama where he won Best Actor. He had vividly brought the historical emperor Qin Shi Huang to life.
“Xu-sen…” Qin Sizheng started, but was bumped, nearly stumbling. Another man had already swooped in like a gust of wind and shook Xu Jinhan’s hand.
“Senior Xu! I really didn’t think you were real! I thought I was imagining things from over-expectation!”
“I’ve loved your work forever, hoping for a chance to collaborate. I never expected to meet you on this show so soon—truly an honor!”
Qin Sizheng recognized him: Si Qianqiu, a rising idol from the same company.
Originally, Qin Sizheng’s company had planned a boy group, but his looks overshadowed the group, feeling out of place. They recruited Si Qianqiu instead, letting Qin Sizheng debut solo.
The group didn’t take off, and Si Qianqiu was criticized for being “planted” as a replacement, constantly compared with Qin Sizheng and labeled: “the substitute Qin Sizheng.”
Later, it was only when Qin Sizheng started causing trouble that Si Qianqiu had a chance to reclaim his spotlight—but the nickname “substitute Qin Sizheng” lingered like a nightmare, a personal demon and untouchable territory.
So imagine his surprise when they were cast on the same variety show.
He was determined to crush Qin Sizheng underfoot, to show everyone who the real original was.
“Oh, this is Senior Qin Sizheng, right? Didn’t expect you here.”
Qin Sizheng only intended a nod of acknowledgment, but when Si Qianqiu extended his hand, he had no choice but to shake it.
Si Qianqiu’s smile was polite, but his grip was brutal, fingers pressing inward until Qin Sizheng yelped in pain from a “slight scratch” as he pulled back.
That very day, Si Qianqiu had been preparing to film a clip for his fans—a playful “grab the sheet” segment—but Qin Sizheng had gone first, making Si Qianqiu’s effort vanish without a ripple and even earning comparisons calling him a copy of Qin Sizheng.
He wanted to tear that hand off.
Qin Sizheng, mildly surprised at the sudden squeeze, understood—was this some kind of entertainment-industry strength test? Probably a weird rule. But honestly, this hand strength was so weak, it could barely crush a chicken.
Fine. Let’s see.
Qin Sizheng blinked once, then flexed his finger joints.
Si Qianqiu shrieked, cold sweat pouring down, and yanked his hand back in shock.
How did Qin Sizheng suddenly have this much strength? Wasn’t he supposed to be the delicate type who could break a wrist during an arm-wrestling scene?
Xu Jinhan, noticing the odd expression, asked, “What’s wrong?”
Si Qianqiu, embarrassed and afraid Qin Sizheng would call him out, swallowed his words. “Nothing… just twisted my foot a little. Need some care from a senior, that’s all.”
Xu Jinhan, unsuspecting, nodded. “Be careful. Rural paths are uneven; a bad twist could be serious.”
Qin Sizheng didn’t even glance at his reddened hand. Instead, Little Tomato gently grabbed his fingers and blew softly. The warm, tiny puff of air made Qin Sizheng pause.
“Daddy, phew… doesn’t hurt,” Little Tomato said timidly.
Unexpectedly touched by the child’s care, Qin Sizheng grinned at him. “Daddy’s a superhero! Can fight ten monsters—super brave!”
Little Tomato pursed his lips in a shy smile.
Suddenly, a furious voice boomed: “Has the production gone mad? Hiring such a low-quality artist without notice? I wouldn’t even be here if not for the contract—step aside!”
Everyone turned to see the infamous hot-tempered director He Du, berating the apologetic assistant behind him.
In the original script, Qin Sizheng’s character had clashed with this temper, leading to a huge rift with the child, who then acted out and eventually suffered an accident that caused amputation. Qin Sizheng’s character would quietly exit the scene with his family.
He Du approached Qin Sizheng, his presence almost suffocating. Qin Sizheng hadn’t yet concealed his sympathetic expression when He Du sneered:
“You can take care of a child?”
Little Tomato instinctively stepped behind his dad.
Qin Sizheng calmly hoisted him onto his shoulders, smiling politely at He Du. “Learning, Director He. Please take care of us.”
He Du, unimpressed, ignored him, ready to leave, but Si Qianqiu stepped in to smooth things over.
“He Ge, Sizheng’s only eighteen. How could he handle a child? Don’t be so harsh—it’s not our set anyway, relax.”
He Du shot him a cold glance. “Who are you?”
Si Qianqiu froze.
At that moment, Xu Jinhan smiled toward him. Si Qianqiu quickly returned the smile.
“Over ten years, right? I was surprised to hear you’d be here.” Xu Jinhan ruffled his son’s hair as he called out. Little Tangyuan obediently answered, “Aunt Liu.”
Liu Mianmian, a national treasure-level athlete with multiple gold medals.
Jiang Xi had told Qin Sizheng about her: soft-sounding name but fierce and straightforward in character, uncompromising in her gaze. As a former competitor, Qin Sizheng naturally felt a hint of respect.
He smiled at her when she looked back, but got no response.
She knew of Qin Sizheng’s past antics: lacking professionalism, tossing fan gifts, slandering other artists, ignoring fans. Even one example of this was enough to make her scoff.
A faint, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at her lips, but Qin Sizheng could feel her contempt and disdain.
The host, Wan Lai, a current top anchor at Coconut TV, checked that all guests had arrived and the crew was ready before officially starting.
“Welcome, dads and kids, to Traveling with Adorable Kids! We hope for a fun journey. But first, a cruel test awaits!”
“What is it?”
“Please hand over all phones, snacks, and toys to the production team.”