Is it okay to hug like this?
Xiaxia wiggled his hips to adjust his position and felt the embrace. It was bigger and more spacious than his father's, unlike before when it felt like it was trying to squeeze him in two.
"It's barely acceptable, I guess."
"Remember to tell me if you feel unwell anywhere."
Wei Yutang gave him a word of advice out of concern. He was carefully imitating how Chu Qing held the baby while holding Xia Xia the whole time. Since it was a live broadcast, there was no time for him to look at his phone.
However, his reaction was like the most powerful rebuttal to some of the comments in the live stream.
Getting angry? Wei Yutang showed no sign of getting angry at all; on the contrary, he spoke to Chu Qing very gently.
If we disregard their identities and only look at this scene, no one would think that Chu Qing was trying to attract Wei Yutang's attention; on the contrary, it was Wei Yutang who was accommodating Chu Qing.
Whether giving interviews or attending events, Wei Yutang always maintained a cold and taciturn demeanor, but fortunately, he had the background and status to back him up.
Some people commented that he was too arrogant, and even those who weren't his fans would defend him.
So what if he's arrogant? Whether it's his family background or his personal abilities, he has the right to be arrogant!
The stark contrast between his performance on variety shows and his private life has sparked a bold idea in the minds of some netizens who came just to watch the spectacle.
[As a bystander, I'll say it first: why is there a tiny bit of something to ship between them?]
[Just one passerby here, haha, this is so sweet!!]
[For casual fans, has anyone seen Wei Yutang treat others like this before?]
[As far as I remember, Wei Yutang didn't have such a good temper, and I've never seen him apologize to anyone.]
Wei Yutang's fans vehemently denied the allegations, passionately hurling insults at Chu Qing, claiming she was deliberately trying to gain attention and disgust people, and even questioning whether those people were marketing trolls hired by Chu Qing.
Those people were just passersby who came to watch a live stream, and even they felt that Chu Qing seemed to be deliberately trying to ride on Wei Yutang's popularity.
Anyone in this room, even Huo Sen standing in front of Wei Yutang, could be accused of trying to ride on his coattails. Wei Yutang's excellence is unparalleled in the entire entertainment industry.
To put it bluntly, the entire production team was riding on Wei Yutang's popularity, making this live broadcast watched by many overseas netizens.
They simply felt that the way these two interacted had a strong sense of chemistry, which is why they made their comments.
They don't care if people insult Chu Qing, but they can't stand being called a paid troll and subjected to personal attacks.
The comments scrolled very quickly, and at the most heated moments, the live stream page even lagged a bit, forcing many viewers to turn off the comments.
During the time it took to let the partners get to know the children, some members of the production team had already prepared the props, which were placed in a small pavilion in the outer courtyard.
A large basin was filled with goldfish swimming around, swaying their tails slowly and contentedly.
The fishing tools placed next to it are made of paper, which becomes fragile when it gets wet.
Using such a tool to scoop up small fish is quite difficult. You need to hold the paper firmly enough to withstand the weight, and you also need to consider that the fish may struggle after leaving the water.
The guests who brought their children were temporarily moved to the observation room. Chu Qing said goodbye to Xia Xia before leaving.
Although she had already said it, Xiaxia still subconsciously lifted her foot when she saw her father leave, her mind filled with the thought that wherever her father went, Xiaxia would go too.
After taking a step, he subconsciously turned his head to look at the tall uncle standing next to him.
Dad said they came to record the show to make money, but considering that the money could buy a lot of milk powder and allow Dad to spend more time with her... Xiaxia decided to stay and make do for now.
She pulled her foot back and stood obediently beside her uncle.
Xiaxia isn't quite good at math yet, but that doesn't stop him from carefully counting on his fingers how much money he can earn for baby formula by staying here despite his own injustice.
The sound of the child crying as he faced parting made Wei Yutang frown slightly with impatience. He squatted down to cover Xiaxia's ears, but saw that he had both hands on his ears.
"Uncle, do you also find it noisy?"
"Um."
After Xiaxia asked the question, she waited for her uncle's answer, but to her surprise, there was only such a simple word. She silently turned her head to the side and looked at the little boy rolling around there.
She sighed helplessly to herself, wondering when her father would be able to come back.
I had nothing to talk about with the uncle next to me; he killed the conversation with just one word.
Author's Note:
Xiaxia (shaking her head helplessly): Nothing to talk about, nothing to talk about.
Chapter 44
Wei Yutang had never interacted with children that age before. Even with his own children, a nod or a greeting was a luxury for him.
Seeing Xiaxia obediently covering her ears and standing there, I went through a few topics in my mind, but none of them seemed quite right to talk to the child.
I'd like to ask about his father, but since we're recording a show right now, some things I say could easily be blown out of proportion.
After a long wait, the director announced the start of the event. The guests held their children and let them hold the fishing tools, with adults holding the children's hands to help them.
Some children felt that it was the adults who were currently with them that caused the absence of familiar people, so they not only became uncooperative, but also cried and fussed whenever they got close.
In contrast, Xiaxia only showed a hint of reluctance on her face. After squatting down and glancing at the paper tools, she turned her head and beckoned her uncle to come over quickly.
"Uncle, please help me."
"good."
Wei Yutang squatted down behind Xia Xia, his tall body just big enough to hug her. From the camera's angle, the two people, one big and one small, had a subtle resemblance in their profiles.
A large hand enveloped his small hand, gently scooped up a small fish, and placed it in the fish tank to the side.
He moved quickly; before the fish even had a chance to thrash, he had already placed them in the new fish tank.
The little red goldfish swam around in the fish tank, wagging its tail, before settling down.
Wow, Uncle is amazing!
For Wei Yutang, an adult, he felt that such a childish game was not difficult at all.
Unexpectedly, I received genuine praise from Xiaxia, and I bowed my head and said thank you.
They caught five fish in total, but then they had to stop because the paper had been soaking in the water for too long and torn.
With five chances to win a prize, many viewers in the live chat were eagerly anticipating what they would get.
Before they started fishing, the production team showed all the slips of paper to the audience, including the chef, whose name was written on two slips of paper and mixed in with the others.
This means that if a guest doesn't draw the chef's name, they will need to cook for themselves.
Few celebrities in the industry are actually good cooks; most are just marketing their personas. Viewers of live variety shows usually enjoy seeing guests make fools of themselves, and the bigger the star, the more they want to see it.
I remember an actor who worked with Wei Yutang on a project said in an interview that Wei Yutang was quite lucky.
[I'm a fan, and I'm hoping he doesn't get the chef character! Let me see what Wei Yutang's cooking style is like!]
[Production team, this is such a great opportunity for you, I hope you won't be ungrateful.]
The process of preparing the prize draw was completely transparent, and there was no possibility of any behind-the-scenes manipulation by the production team. The audience was aware of this as well, and they just commented on it casually in the live chat.
Xiaxia put the tools down behind Wei Yutang, looked around, and not finding her father, she reached out and tugged at Wei Yutang's clothes, tilting her head up to ask:
"Uncle, where's my dad?"
Wei Yutang arrived in a hurry and didn't check the program schedule, so he's not sure where Chu Qing is now.
"I'll take you to find it."
"I'll go find some garlic."
Xiaxia didn't want to trouble the uncle, so she turned and ran in the direction her father had left in her memory. She had only taken two steps when she saw her father appear in front of her, and her little legs moved faster and faster.
He wished he could ride on wheels of fire and fly to his father in a flash.
Xiaxia and Wei Yutang got along quite well; their brief time together did not shake her father's position in her heart.
The moment Xia Xia saw Chu Qing, she completely forgot about Wei Yutang.
Chu Qing had been worried that Xia Xia would throw a tantrum. No matter how well-behaved the child was usually in front of her, she was still just a three-year-old. (Yu (+tide*Exclusive))
It's perfectly normal for a child to feel sad when they can't see their father, and to cry and fuss when they're unhappy.
Fortunately, Xiaxia performed very well.
Xiaxia ran up to her father and stood in front of him, tilting her head and bringing one side of her face close to his as she said:
"Xiaxia, you're awesome!"
Chu Qing understood and bent down to kiss his cheek. Her usually cool and aloof eyes softened in that instant. Sunlight fell on their shoulders, making for a beautiful scene when captured by a camera.
Many viewers who had just entered the live stream were curious when they saw this scene, wondering when such a person had appeared in the entertainment industry.
With such good looks, there's no reason for her to remain unknown. Even without much acting skill, just based on her face alone, many people would be willing to buy her services.
[I'm looking for all the information about this guy online, he's so gentle, so soothing.]
Do you have any works? Where can I watch them? I'd like to catch up.
[Dear netizens with amazing resources, please provide me with information about this young man. Don't force me to beg you on my knees!]
The newcomers were drawn to Chu Qing. After learning a little about the situation, they didn't give up on him because he wasn't popular. Instead, they became even more excited.
What's this called? This is called treasure hunting!
This mentality is very common among fans, especially among artists who debuted at a relatively young age.
If the person you like is outstanding from the start, shining brightly with countless fans, that's certainly not bad.
However, if you like an artist who wasn't popular at the beginning and watch them grow up and gain more fans, you'll feel a subtle sense of satisfaction.
It is a very fulfilling thing to accompany a rough gem to gradually reveal its own brilliance.
Please don't be fooled by his looks, okay? He has a terrible temper, and he was just giving Wei Yutang pointers.
In other words, if you look at it more closely, you'll realize that its appearance isn't anything special at all.
[They're just pretty faces; how many "flower vases" are there in the entertainment industry?]
[Given his previous attitude towards Wei Yutang, I think being good-looking is useless if you don't know how to respect your seniors.]
Not many people came out to refute it. New fans who had just joined the fandom were not very loyal and did not want to start a fight. When they saw others saying this, they quickly switched from being fans to being onlookers who wanted to watch the show.
A terrible temper? They'd like to see just how bad!