After the director left, Jiang Xiao thought for a long time, replaying the events in her mind before finally calling Zhou Xiulin. It was already 11 o’clock at that time, and Zhou Xiulin was used to staying up late, especially since they hadn’t talked today; he couldn’t possibly be asleep.
It was a quiet night, and Zhou Xiulin had just managed to put Little Bean Sprout to sleep. The little troublemaker had finished her training camp today, watched a performance during the day, and was still too excited to sleep at night. When she saw Jiang Xiao’s call, she naturally knew what she might be asking. He had already seen the news online. When Jiang Yi appeared on the show, he had foreseen what would happen next.
Zhou Xiulin, wore his slippers, walked and answered the phone, “Still recording the show?”
Jiang Xiao sat cross-legged on the sofa, “No, I’m taking a break. I’ve turned off all the cameras. Dad and the others left in the afternoon, and Yilu and Yi Han are coming tomorrow afternoon.”
Zhou Xiulin came to the balcony. Through the glass, he could see the stars in the night sky, “Time flies; three days have already passed.”
Jiang Xiao paused for a moment, “Have you seen the news online?”
“Hmm? What news?” he asked deliberately.
Jiang Xiao gritted her teeth, “It’s about you and Dad.”
The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.
“Rv’p yzz vawl.”
“R byhld’v blyae yduvbkdt qasx usw twup. Ebyv lmynvzu byrrldle?”
Hbsw Dkwzkd pxkzle tldvzu, “R xlv uswa eye obld R oyp pvweukdt kd vbl Bdkvle Fvyvlp.”
“Eso! Ebld oyp vbyv?”
“Rv oyp rascyczu vbl ulya yqvla usw qkapv pyo xl. R oyp kdhszhle kd y pbssvkdt kdnkeldv kd vbl Bdkvle Fvyvlp, yde uswa eye oyp yzps yv vbl pnldl.”
Kkydt Dkys nswzed’v clzklhl bso nskdnkeldvyz vbkp osaze nswze cl. Hbsw Dkwzkd pzsozu alnswdvle obyv byrrldle vbyv eyu. “Zswa eye oyp pbsv yde osaakle bl oswzed’v xyjl kv, ps bl ypjle xl vs ts cynj vs Ubkdy yde qkde usw.”
“Fs, usw jdlo xl vbld?”
“Tl tyhl xl y rbsvs sq usw.”
“So you recognized me right away.”
“That’s right.”
Jiang Xiao took a deep breath, “Zhou Xiulin, you sly fox. Indeed, businessmen are cunning. For so long, you and Dad kept this from me!” It was as if she had been blind to any clues.
“My lady, I was wrong.”
“Don’t think you can get away with this! We’ll talk about this when I get back!”
“I’m willing to accept the consequences. Well, it’s getting late; you should get a good night’s sleep. Don’t overthink things!”
Jiang Xiao hung up the phone in frustration.
So, Zhou Xiulin had been good to her because of her dad. Dad had shielded him from a bullet back then. There must have been this factor at the beginning of their relationship.
No wonder she had gone from being an unknown assistant to eventually being transferred to Zhao Xinran’s side.
It turned out there were things she didn’t know about.
As the night grew deeper, considering the work for the next day, Jiang Xiao had to go to sleep. While arranging her pillow, she suddenly found an envelope on her bed.
Jiang Xiao felt an inexplicable sense of nervousness. At this point, there were no cameras around, or else she might have thought it was part of the show.
The handwriting on the envelope was very familiar; it was written by her dad.
“To Xiao Xiao, with love.”
Jiang Xiao opened the envelope and saw the letter her dad had written to her. It was a full page of words, and as she held the letter in her hand, a chill ran down her spine. She spent over ten minutes reading it from beginning to end, feeling her strength gradually draining away. She slumped on the edge of the bed.
So that’s how it was! So that’s how it was!
Dad, so you came to participate in the program this time to tell me this?
She didn’t care anymore.
Tears welled up in the corners of Jiang Xiao’s eyes. She lowered her head, and the light cast a shadow on her face.
The next morning, when Jiang Xiao woke up, she realized she had a slight fever, but she didn’t pay much attention to it. In the evening, the second wave of guests arrived one by one. Yi Han and Qin Yilu came together.
Qin Yilu was dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, with her hair tied in a ponytail. She had an excited look on her face, clearly enjoying a break from filming. For her, it was like a gift from the heavens. “Jiang Jie!” She gave her a big hug.
Jiang Xiao appeared as usual, having spent many years in the entertainment industry, and her acting skills were on point.
She led the two of them into the courtyard.
Qin Yilu asked curiously, “Jiang Jie, is your third guest really Teacher Jin?”
Jiang Xiao tilted her head, “Yes, he agreed.”
Qin Yilu exclaimed, “Wow, that’s amazing! Jiang Jie, you should invite me for the next episode.”
Jiang Xiao, amused and indulgent, said, “Take it easy, don’t reveal everything! Watch out for Jin Zhongbei’s fans coming after you.”
Qin Yilu chuckled, “Don’t worry. I’ll bring my professionalism to the table. I won’t embarrass you. Yi Han and I will go chop firewood and cook in a little while.”
The addition of Zhang Wuji and Zhao Min1I think that’s the name of the characters Yilu and Yi Han played in a movie together undoubtedly increased the exposure of Jiang Xiao’s artists.
Several talent agents had joined the program with this goal in mind. On the one hand, they wanted to showcase their various skills, and on the other hand, they were eager to boost the exposure of their own artists. It would be foolish not to bring their own artists along.
Qin Yilu’s lively personality and Yi Han’s similar disposition made both courtyards much more lively. The director’s team was also becoming more satisfied, and privately, everyone believed that “The Most Beautiful Talent Manager” would surely have high viewership ratings after it aired.
That evening, everyone gathered and played a game of “Truth or Dare” with about ten people.
Unfortunately, Jiang Xiao’s group had some bad luck and kept getting hit.
Sheng Mina clapped her hands and asked, “Jiang Xiao, truth or dare?”
Jiang Xiao, upon seeing it was her turn, chose “truth.”
Sheng Mina raised an eyebrow and consulted with Sun Jing for a moment. “How old is your husband, and how tall is he?”
Jiang Xiao burst into laughter, “Mina, you really care about me. My husband is six years older than me, and he’s 186 cm tall.”
“186 cm?” Sheng Mina asked in surprise.
Jiang Xiao nodded, “Yes. I’ve posted photos on my Weibo; it’s our whole family, the real deal.”
Sheng Mina: “Then you should bring your husband onto the show.”
Jiang Xiao: “He doesn’t like to be in the spotlight.”
Fang Mu tried to diffuse the situation, “Mina, you’re too biased, it’s just a simple question. I’ve already been stripped bare by you all a moment ago.”
Everyone burst into laughter.
The game continued, and unexpectedly, it landed on Qin Yilu this time.
Qin Yilu chuckled, “I want to switch places; Jiang Jie is dangerous.”
“Okay, okay, truth or dare?”
“Dare!” Qin Yilu replied boldly.
“Good. Call a male actor you’ve worked with and imitate three cat sounds.”
This move was truly ruthless.
If it weren’t for the fact that they were recording a program now, Qin Yilu would have almost slammed the table. “Does Yi Han count?”
“Of course not,” Yi Han quickly waved his hand.
Qin Yilu gritted her teeth, “You guys are brutal.” She took out her phone and scrolled through her contacts.
Everyone teased, “Yilu, find someone talented. Haven’t you worked with Jin Zhongbei? Call him!”
“Hello, don’t set me up!”
“Yes, yes, call Teacher Jin. I really want to hear Jin Teacher’s magnetic voice.”
Qin Yilu indeed didn’t have many male actors she could call, aside from Song Yiwen, it seemed like Jin Zhongbei was her only option.
She clicked on the name with the note “Jin Dashen2like a male god or a master.” Luckily, she hadn’t made a silly note like “sweetheart.”
Everyone held their breath.
The phone rang for about ten seconds before it was answered.
“Hello, who is this—”
Who is this—Who is this—
Heart-pounding!
Everyone stifled their laughter.
Qin Yilu’s face turned bright red, embarrassed in front of the entire nation. “Meow—meow—meow—this is Lulu’s Stray Cat Shelter, currently recruiting volunteers, looking forward to your participation, goodbye!” She hung up after saying that.
Everyone was left dumbfounded.
Qin Yilu smoothed her hair and took a sip of water. “Let’s continue! I want to switch places!”
A satisfied smile tugged at the corner of Jiang Xiao’s mouth. Perhaps, her participation in this program wouldn’t bring too many changes to her own life, but it might be different for Qin Yilu and Yi Han.
The front row camera crew watched Qin Yilu’s triumphant expression.
It had been a truly entertaining evening. After the game ended, everyone went their separate ways.
Qin Yilu approached Jiang Xiao and said, “Jiang Jie, I did pretty well, didn’t I?”
Jiang Xiao smiled, “Yilu, I initially thought that you would gain popularity after the release of “Eternal Sword and Dragon Slayer,” probably next year. But now, I think this episode of the show will bring you a wave of fans. You have a great sense of variety, and you’re lively without being artificial. You have a youthful charm with a touch of elegance, which is quite rare among young actresses.”
Qin Yilu held her hand and said, “Jiang Jie, you’re praising me so much that I’m starting to feel embarrassed. By the way, why do you feel so warm? Are you running a fever?”
Jiang Xiao did indeed feel uncomfortable. “I brought some medicine; I’ll take it when I get back.”
After returning home, Jiang Xiao took her medicine and went to bed early. Qin Yilu stayed in the same room and was busy taking care of things.
“Yilu, you should go to sleep.”
“I’m not tired. I’ve gotten used to it on the set.”
“You’re almost done with filming. The next script is based on an IP novel, a campus drama.”
“The company bought it?”
“We acquired the rights in the first half of the year.”
Qin Yilu was somewhat excited, “Jiang Jie, Mr. Zhou is really good to you. In this day and age, it’s all about connections, and Mr. Zhou, as a fan of your Dad, has become a fan of yours too. Why didn’t my dad ever save a big shot?”
Jiang Xiao replied, “…Get some sleep. Tomorrow you and Yi Han are going out to sea, right?”
“Yeah. I’ve been filming period dramas for a while now, and I feel like I’m out of touch with the modern world. The other day when I called my mom, I started with ‘Mother!’ and she said I was acting like a child!”
Listening to Qin Yilu’s chatter, Jiang Xiao gradually fell asleep. In a half-awake, half-asleep state, she heard her phone ringing. She answered with a muffled voice, “Hello?”
“Are you sleeping?” It was Zhou Xiulin on the other end.
“Yeah, a bit tired.”
“Have you caught a cold?”
Jiang Xiao hesitated for a moment, “My dad left a letter for me before he left—”
Zhou Xiulin furrowed his brow, “Dad packed his bags to leave when he came back.” He had called to tell her about this as well.
Jiang Xiao felt a pang in her heart. “Let him go; we can’t stop him.”
“What did Dad say in the letter?” Her mood seemed low, probably related to the letter.
Jiang Xiao sniffled, “It’s about my birth.” She paused, “Let’s talk about it when we meet. Is Little Bean Sprout asleep?”
“He’s listening to stories. His aunt bought him a story machine, and he can operate it himself. He insists on listening every night.”
Mentioning their son made her mood much better. “I miss him a lot, and I miss you too.”
Zhou Xiulin fell silent for a moment and then reminded her, “Remember to take your medicine; it’s in your silver suitcase.”
“I’ve taken it. Goodnight.”
Zhou Xiulin couldn’t really settle down. What Jiang Xiao worried about the most was her mother, right? Now, her dad must have told her everything about what happened back then. So, what kind of story was it that left Jiang Xiao feeling so downcast?
He glanced at the time; it was already past eleven.
He went to the bedroom where Zhou Simu was still awake, sitting on the big bed, listening to a story on his own.
“Daddy, have you finished talking to Mommy?”
“Your mommy asked me to tell you to go to sleep early.”
Little Bean Sprout lay there, blinking his big eyes. “Mommy must miss me so much. Daddy, do you miss your wife?”
Zhou Xiulin knew his son’s routine and knew what was coming.
“Oh, I wish I could go see Mommy tomorrow. Daddy, don’t you think so?”
Zhou Xiulin chuckled softly. “Yes! I could go see your mommy, but you have to go to school.”
Little Bean Sprout pouted. “Bad daddy!”
“Go to sleep. Zhou Simu, you’re a big boy now, you have to understand that your mommy is my wife first and foremost, and she can only belong to me for a lifetime.” He wasn’t sure if the little rascal could comprehend this.
Little Bean Sprout pouted even more. “I’m Mommy’s big treasure. Mommy loves me the most.”
Zhou Xiulin sighed inwardly, “Yes, without you, maybe your daddy wouldn’t have been able to win over your mommy so easily.”
The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Zhou Xiulin drove to Yunni Town. So when Zhou Simu woke up in the morning and didn’t see his dad, he felt very disappointed. Not even his grandma’s animal-shaped buns could make him happy.
Zhou Simu arrived at kindergarten feeling very unhappy and started discussing life’s troubles with a few other kids again.
Zhou Simu: “My mommy went to work in another place, and today, my daddy secretly went to see her alone. I also want to visit my mommy. It’s been a whole week since I saw her.”
Yangyang: “Your daddy is so mean! Why didn’t he take you with him? Then, you wouldn’t have to go to kindergarten today.”
Zhou Simu: “But I really like kindergarten.”
Yangyang: “If you miss your mommy, you can go find her yourself. Do you have money? If you have money, you can take a bus.”
Zhou Simu: “I have money.”
Yangyang: “Do you know where your mommy is?”
Zhou Simu: “I don’t know.”
Yangyang: “Well, then there’s no way.”
Zhou Simu: “I can go back and ask my grandma.”
Yangyang: “That’s a good idea. But there’s another way. You can ask a police officer for help, and they can help you find your mommy.”
Zhou Simu nodded, “Yangyang, you’re really smart.”
Yangyang giggled, “Then next time we play house, I’ll be the daddy, Duoduo can be the mommy, and you can be our baby. How about that?”
Zhou Simu thought for a few seconds, “Not good.”
Yangyang stormed off.
After Zhou Xiulin arrived in Yunni Town and parked the car, he slowly made his way to the yard where Jiang Xiao was staying.
The town had a charming name, and the scenery was even more beautiful than the photos Jiang Xiao had sent him. It was all cement roads in the countryside, and the view was tranquil and idyllic.
Dressed in a sharp suit and polished shoes, Zhou Xiulin appeared in the area, drawing the attention of the villagers along the way.
However, since they were aware that a television crew was currently recording a program nearby, people didn’t show too much curiosity.
Zhou Xiulin arrived at the front gate of the yard, which was left open. He paused for a moment, and it was very quiet inside.
He cleared his throat and a slight curve formed at the corner of his mouth.
Yes, today he was just making an early entrance.
Thanks for visiting. If you like this story, then I’m shamelessly asking you to visit NovelUpdates and give a 5⭐ review. (人❛ᴗ❛)♪тнайк чоц♪(❛ᴗ❛*人)
You can also check out my other translations Here
Oooooooh no way ! Mr.zhou is showing his face to the public !
But I feel her pain in this chapter. A complete family … seems so hard to have sometimes.