The child's big eyes were covered with a layer of mist, a bewildered look that was just like a little deer lost in the forest.
Mu Ran was bursting with guilt.
She just intended to tease the little guy.
"In the future, as long as there are tasty treats, you'll be by my side."
Chu Xijin's eyes slowly brightened, Aunt wasn't going to abandon him, she would always be with him.
That was good.
He wasn't a child without a home.
He wasn't a child who was rejected and thrown far away.
"Aunt, even if there aren't tasty things, I still want to be by your side, I can work, I'm really strong."
Mu Ran tenderly pinched his soft cheek, it was so white and tender, and smooth, the feel was truly superb, "Alright, as long as you don't mind, I'll always keep you with me."
Chu Xijin's round eyes turned into little crescent moons, filled with laughter, and he stretched out his pinky, "Pinky swear for a hundred years, no changes allowed!"
"Yes, pinky swear for a hundred years, no changes allowed!"
At the moment their pinkies touched, Mu Ran knew the vow was made, and she would need to raise Chu Xijin from now on.
It might feel like a burden, but it was nothing compared to the pain and worry of giving him to someone else.
"Tomorrow we'll start the show recording, sleep early."
"Okay!" Chu Xijin obediently returned to his room, happily rolling on his bed several times.
He didn't believe in promises, but he trusted his aunt.
*
Mu Ran was half-awake when a phone call came through.
It was from Jiao Yuyao.
Lately, there had been film screenings, and she was being invited for drinks by the cinema executives.
"Not going!"
If they want to show it, show it, if not, then forget it.
Jiao Yuyao felt the headache, awkwardly glancing at the company of bigwigs listening to his phone call: "There are a lot of important people here, even your sister-in-law is present."
"If they don't want the meeting to end immediately, they can invite me; otherwise, don't blame me for smashing wine bottles and calling me irritable." Mu Ran cynically laughed, "Find the one who sent me this invitation, give him the phone, I'll have a chat with him, sober him up, and stop him from going crazy around me all day!!"
The executives on-site looked at each other in dismay.
Feng Qikuo covered her face, wanting to hide her existence, she knew that once her sister-in-law heard the call, it was either going to be a scolding or a scolding.
Yet these people seemed to have a masochistic tendency.
Knowing the outcome, they chose to gamble their cinema chain and asked Jiao Yuyao to call Mu Ran.
Paying a high price just to be scolded, no one else but these oily-headed guys could manage that.
Jiao Yuyao was cringing to the tip of his toes: "No worries, you have a show to record tomorrow, get some sleep early."
"Heh heh." Mu Ran tossed the phone aside, utterly speechless.
A bunch of idiots.
Her sleep was disturbed, filled with stifled anger, Mu Ran opened WeChat, looking for someone to vent at.
To her annoyance, she discovered that anyone she displeased was blocked.
Damn.
She couldn't even find a place to lose her temper!
Mu Ran opened her gaming app and got so frustrated with her noob teammates she almost wanted to run to their house and scold them harshly.
She played several rounds before finding a suitable team, and by the time the game ended, it was already three o'clock.
She had work the next day!
Mu Ran patted her head; without being on set, she tended to forget she had responsibilities.
She set the alarm for eight and lay back in bed, but the more she wanted to sleep, the harder it was, the more she couldn't sleep, the more irritated she became, tossing and turning countless times before finally falling asleep.
She hadn't slept long when it was six o'clock, and in another room, Chu Xijin's biological clock told him it was time to get up.
He went to the bathroom, brought a small stool, and started brushing his teeth.
Seeing himself clean and tidy, Chu Xijin nodded in satisfaction, then ordered delivery; while waiting, he reviewed the martial arts his uncle had taught him in the living room.
With the arrival of the delivery man, the show crew's staff also arrived.
The live broadcast was supposed to start at eight, but the crew adjusted the timetable for a surprise.
The early birds and night owls would have this privilege.
The camera focused on the bewildered child looking at them, Chu Xijin tilted his head in confusion, "Big brother, do you need to install equipment?"
[Wow, I was about to sleep, but hearing this voice made me jump back to life!]
[Tilted head, so cute!]
[Mu Ran's character is trash, but her genes are really something!]
[Little gentleman with long hair, aaaah, so handsome!]
[Did the young male lead from a historical novel come to life?]
…
Seeing him looking so cute, the cameraman was charmed, "No, filming has started now, are you going to have breakfast?"
"Yes, have you eaten yet?"
"I have, I have."
"Then come in and sit, I'll go call aunt." Chu Xijin set down his breakfast and was about to knock on the door.
"No, no, no!!!!"
The cameraman quickly stopped him, "No rush, we can just chat, no need to call her."
Director Mu was a fearless figure in the entertainment circle; as a small fry, he wouldn't dare provoke her.
"Is it not necessary?" Chu Xijin asked again, "Isn't the work starting?"
Doesn't working require people's presence?
The cameraman wiped his cold sweat, "It's not necessary, you can just ignore my presence."
Today was supposed to be Yang Yingying chatting with Chu Xijin, but Yang Yingying had an urgent matter, and the whole production team was terrified of Mu Ran, avoiding her like the plague; eventually, the unfortunate cameraman was left to talk to Chu Xijin.
"Oh, oh, oh." Chu Xijin nodded in a daze.
[Although... but... hahaha, the cameraman is so pitiful, but I'm so glad.]
[Mu Ran is truly something; there's a five-year-old child at home, yet she stays up so late and lets the child eat takeout!]
[Doesn't anyone find the child eating delightful, he seems very well-mannered, but not pretentious, and he's wearing a modified traditional outfit; I'm dying, I love it so much!]
[What's it like being charmed by a child's demeanor?]
…
The audience's view of Mu Ran wasn't great, but it didn't stop them from adoring Chu Xijin, the young cub.
Who could resist the charm of a little gentleman dressed in traditional garb, with a head of silky hair?
No one!
After finishing his breakfast, Chu Xijin tidied up the trash and stood obediently in front of the cameraman, "Do I need to do anything?"
"Can you introduce yourself?"
The cameraman followed the director's instructions.
"Alright." Chu Xijin earnestly said to the camera, "My name is Chu Xijin, 'Chu' as in 'clear as day,' 'Xi' from the word 'hope,' 'Jin' meaning the beauty of jade, as in 'Jinyu.'"
[Those eyelashes are so long~]
[Those eyes are beautiful~]
[That voice is lovely~]
[Chu Xijin, really nice name.]
[Whoever's breaking the compliment chain, just leave, we're praising Jin baby.]
…
Chu Xijin received no feedback, so he turned to the cameraman, "Is that okay?"
"Do you have any hobbies?"
"Hobbies?" Chu Xijin guessed at the word's meaning and said, "I like learning new words now."
"Very diligent." The cameraman praised him.
Chu Xijin shyly smiled.