Chapter 91

Chapter 91

However, no matter how reluctant they were, the idea of not filming anymore was just that—an idea.

Adults sometimes cannot be so capricious.

Lin Yi put aside his emotions, bid farewell to Huo Jihan, and then took Huo Mianmian to the airport.

In the afternoon, Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian successfully arrived in Jiang Nan.

They stood by the roadside, waiting for the program team's car to pick them up.

During this time, Lin Yi sent a message to Huo Jihan to let him know they had arrived safely.

The feeling of being able to send a message to someone upon arrival, knowing they will definitely respond, is particularly good.

Sure enough, Huo Jihan replied shortly after: "Be careful out there."

Lin Yi typed back with a smile: "Got it, go ahead with your work."

After typing this, he also sent a cute heart-shaped emoji.

On the other side, at the Huo Group.

Li Feng came to Huo Jihan's office, ready to report on work.

Then he saw Mr. Huo holding his phone, looking at it intently, not only reading but also with a faint smile in his eyes.

Li Feng was first taken aback, then understood.

It must be from Mr. Lin.

After all, their Mr. Huo only shows such a smile when dealing with Mr. Lin.

After a while, Huo Jihan put down his phone and resumed his usual indifferent expression: "What is it?"

Li Feng collected his thoughts and began reporting.

Over here.

Lin Yi also put away his phone and finally had the chance to take in the surrounding scenery.

He noticed that after an autumn rain, the scenery here had changed from the last time he visited.

Last time, everything was green, especially when boating on the river, it was misty like a traditional ink painting.

This time, many leaves had turned yellow and red, especially the maple leaves, which were bright orange and very eye-catching.

Huo Mianmian was also looking at those colored leaves.

After watching for a while, he excitedly said, "Dad, these leaves seem to be dyed."

Lin Yi smiled and asked him, "Who do you think dyed them?"

Huo Mianmian tilted his little head and thought for a moment before answering, "I don't know. Did these leaves hire a stylist?"

Lin Yi laughed and said, "Maybe, after all, they love beauty too."

Hearing this, Huo Mianmian looked at the leaves even more intently, his eyes sparkling.

Soon, the wind blew through the sky.

Some leaves were blown off the trees and swirled in the air, drifting everywhere with the wind.

One red leaf floated towards Lin Yi.

He reached out and caught the leaf.

It was a beautifully shaped maple leaf.

Lin Yi held the stem of the maple leaf, twirling it, and thought poetically that he had caught the first leaf of autumn?

Huo Mianmian was clearly more curious about these falling leaves.

Leaf after leaf drifted in the wind, like dancing butterflies.

Huo Mianmian couldn't help but jump to catch the leaves.

He was small, and even when jumping, he didn't get very high, but it was adorable.

He ran towards the maple forest beside the road, bouncing around, trying to catch more leaves.

Lin Yi stood by the roadside, watching this scene with a contented smile.

Huo Mianmian was wearing a soft, orange-colored outfit today, with a white scarf around his neck.

The little one was already adorable, and now he was jumping around in a golden maple forest, catching falling leaves.

This scene was like something out of a fairy tale, beautiful and enchanting.

Lin Yi took out his phone and snapped a photo, then put it away.

Their family's Mianmian's growth journey had gained another vivid footprint.

A few minutes later, the program team's car arrived.

Several staff members came to greet Lin Yi.

The cameraman also got out of the car with his equipment.

When they saw Lin Yi, their eyes lit up. Although they had spent a considerable amount of time with him, they were still often stunned by his good looks.

Today, Lin Yi was dressed for autumn, wearing a thin white sweater on top and light blue jeans on the bottom.

This outfit perfectly showcased Lin Yi's perfect physique—his slender waist and long, straight legs.

Wearing the sweater made Lin Yi look gentler than usual, especially as he smiled warmly at something in the distance, making his gentleness even more palpable.

Just standing there, he drew everyone's attention to himself.

The live stream had already started and was now out of control.

"Ahhhhhhh, Lin Yi in a sweater is killing me, who understands?!!!"

"Linlin looks so gentle like this."

"If Linlin just waved at me, I'd climb mountains and cross rivers to get to him."

"Wahh, finally got to see Lin Yi again. The sudden downpour that day worried me so much."

"Now everything's fine. After the rain, the show will continue filming."

"Congrats on restarting the show!!!"

As netizens discussed enthusiastically, Huo Mianmian, the little bundle of joy, ran over from a distance, entering the frame.

He was naturally cute and soft, and dressed in fluffy autumn clothes with a scarf around his neck, he looked even softer.

The live stream erupted with excitement again.

"Ahhhhhh, Mianmian is here, so cute!!!"

"This little milk bun hits right in the feels!!!"

"Ahhhhh, I want to give him a kiss!"

"Line up for kisses!!"

"I was just wondering where Mianmian went, and then he appeared."

"How can Mianmian be getting cuter every day? Is this even fair?"

"Our little Mianmian is the cutest in the universe!"

Huo Mianmian ran up to Lin Yi and showed him a handful of maple leaves, his eyes bright and happy. "Dad, I caught a lot of maple leaves."

Lin Yi ruffled his hair and praised him. "Our Mianmian is too amazing."

Huo Mianmian held the leaves carefully and said, "I want to take them home and make them into specimens to keep forever."

He had once seen a cartoon where a child did this and remembered it ever since.

Lin Yi encouraged him. "Sure, I'll help you make them when we get home."

Hearing this, Huo Mianmian became even happier. He carefully held the leaves and followed Lin Yi, afraid of losing even one leaf.

His cautious and precious demeanor made him even more endearing.

"It's just some maple leaves. Mianmian, come find your big sister; I'll go up the mountain and get you a whole bag!"

"Hahaha, the commenter above is so cool."

"That's a must. For our Mianmian, I'd climb mountains and dive into seas, doing anything."

"Good point, but how do we actually get such a little cutie? We can't!"

"The commenter above, stop it, my friend is already heartbroken."

Soon, Lin Yi and the others got into the car and headed to the ancient town where they had stayed before.

The car stopped at the entrance of the ancient town.

After all, the town largely retained its old-fashioned appearance, with stone paths and steps that cars couldn't navigate.

Lin Yi and the others had to get out and drag their luggage for a short walk.

However, as soon as Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian got out of the car, they saw Shen Feng.

At that moment, Shen Feng was leaning against a nearby stone pillar, frequently checking his phone.

Suddenly, he looked up and saw Lin Yi and the others.

Shen Feng immediately dropped the grass he had been playing with and quickly stood up, walking over to Lin Yi.

Judging by the state of the grass, he had been waiting there for quite some time.

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow as Shen Feng approached. "What are you doing here?"

Seeing Lin Yi, Shen Feng's eyes brightened, but he still complained, "So slow. Didn't you say you'd come early?"

Lin Yi replied, "I came as soon as I received the notification from the production team. Isn't that fast enough?"

Shen Feng huffed.

Lin Yi chuckled. "So why are you here? Did you come specifically to pick us up?"

Shen Feng instinctively denied it. "Who would come specifically to pick you up? I'm just here to enjoy the scenery."

He had to keep this secret; otherwise, if people knew he had come early just to wait for Lin Yi, wouldn't it ruin his reputation?

Lin Yi nodded casually. "Sure, do as you please."

As he spoke, he was about to pull his suitcase.

But at that moment, Shen Feng walked over and snatched the suitcase from Lin Yi's hand, then grabbed Huo Mianmian's small suitcase as well.

Lin Yi: "??"

Without any explanation, Shen Feng just dragged the two suitcases forward. "Hurry up, hurry up! Stop dawdling!"

Lin Yi: "..."

Can this guy talk properly?

"Hahaha, Shen Feng is such a character."

"Shen Feng, if you keep being so tsundere, even the heavens won't be able to help you."

"I can't help but ship Lin Yi and Shen Feng together. I'm guilty, I need to reflect."

"Hehe, it's good. More of this, please!"

Although Lin Yi found Shen Feng strange, he had to admit that having someone carry their luggage made things much easier.

So Lin Yi held Huo Mianmian's hand and followed Shen Feng leisurely.

They walked along the cobblestone path.

The ancient town was just as beautiful as last time, quaint and serene. Some people strolled leisurely through the alleys, while others drifted in small boats on the river.

This was a completely different experience from the big city, reducing much of the restlessness.

Soon, they arrived at the courtyard where they had stayed before.

The courtyard was spotlessly clean, and after the rain, it exuded a fresh and pleasant atmosphere.

Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian entered the courtyard and were warmly welcomed by everyone.

After all, Lin Yi was the most popular person in the group, and everyone had a great relationship with him.

Lin Yi smiled and greeted everyone, then opened his suitcase and took out some food he had brought from the capital.

After all, only he and Mianmian had returned, while the other guests stayed in Jiang Nan.

When Lin Yi distributed the food, everyone expressed their gratitude and accepted it.

Only Shen Feng grumbled unhappily on the side, "Everyone gets some?!"

Last time, when Lin Yi left, he said he would bring something tasty for Shen Feng, which made him excited for quite a while. After all, it wasn't about the food; what mattered was that Lin Yi thought of bringing him a gift specifically.

But now, it turned out that he wasn't the only one who got a gift!

Shen Feng felt frustrated.

He took his portion and sat aside with a sour face.

After Lin Yi finished distributing the gifts, he noticed Shen Feng sitting alone, looking unhappy.

Lin Yi thought there might be a problem with the food he brought, so he walked over and asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

Shen Feng huffed and turned his face away without speaking.

Lin Yi: "..."

He was somewhat speechless. "Shen Feng, are you three years old? What are you sulking about?"

With a sour face, Shen Feng finally turned to Lin Yi after a while. "Everyone gets some? I thought you only brought something for me."

Young Master Shen couldn't hold back his dissatisfaction and blurted it out.

Even if he wanted to be friends with Lin Yi, he wanted to be the most special one, at least more special than the others in the show.

Lin Yi: "..."

He thought something serious was bothering Shen Feng, but it was just this?

Lin Yi didn't intend to indulge him and immediately held out his hand. "You don't want it? If you don't want it, give it back."

"Who said I don't want it?!!" Shen Feng hugged his portion tightly, afraid Lin Yi would take it back. "Was that what I meant? Don't accuse me wrongly!"

At that moment, Shen Feng didn't look like a twenty-five or twenty-six-year-old adult but rather like a spoiled child.

Lin Yi found it amusing, withdrew his hand, and said somewhat helplessly, "Yours is the most special, okay? Didn't you notice that yours is more than everyone else's?"

Lin Yi was a master at lying, doing it without batting an eye.

Shen Feng believed him and proudly raised his head. "Really?"

Lin Yi: "Yeah, really."

Shen Feng huffed again. "That's better."

Lin Yi: "..."

Was he babysitting?

"Hahaha, Shen Feng, you were tricked. Your portion is exactly the same as everyone else's."

"I see helplessness on Lin Yi's face."

"I'm dying of laughter. Lin Yi is treating Shen Feng like a little kid."

"The interaction between these two is really amusing."

Seeing that Shen Feng had calmed down, Lin Yi picked up his suitcase and led Huo Mianmian back to the room they had stayed in before.

Before their arrival, the production team had already opened the house to let some fresh air in.

Now, warm sunlight streamed into the room, filling it with a pleasant scent of sunshine, making everyone feel very comfortable.

One significant advantage of this wooden house was that it never felt stuffy; it was well-ventilated all around.

After entering, Lin Yi poured himself a cup of tea.

This light tea had a faint, refreshing aroma that blended perfectly with the water, making it hard to stop drinking.

At this moment, Zhuang Che rushed into the room, seeking help: "Lin Yi, save me!"

Lin Yi took a sip of tea calmly: "What's wrong?"

Zhuang Che, panic-stricken, said: "I just saw a venomous spider at my door. It's so scary! Can you help me?"

He looked genuinely terrified, almost on the verge of tears, his eyes filled with moisture.

Lin Yi: "...A venomous spider? Are you sure?"

Zhuang Che nodded: "Yes! Right at my door, it's huge!!"

Hearing this, Lin Yi told Huo Mianmian to stay put and then walked out of the house toward Zhuang Che's wooden cabin.

Zhuang Che, like a frightened little animal, cautiously followed Lin Yi, hands clasped together.

As they approached his house, he tried to grab Lin Yi's sleeve.

Lin Yi: "..."

He avoided Zhuang Che's hand and said: "If you're scared, stay here. I'll go check it out myself."

Zhuang Che, on the verge of tears, hesitated for a moment and then said: "I... I'll go with you."

Lin Yi replied: "Fine, but don't touch me."

He wasn't used to close physical contact with others.

Zhuang Che, hearing this, didn't dare to grab Lin Yi anymore and followed him weakly and helplessly.

While sobbing, he asked Lin Yi: "A-Are you not scared?"

Lin Yi replied indifferently: "Why should I be? If it's really a venomous spider, we'll just kill it."

"Ah, who understands? Lin Yi really gives a sense of security."

"Indeed, if I were Zhuang Che, I'd stick to Lin Yi all day too."

Upon hearing Lin Yi's words, Zhuang Che turned pale: "K-Kill it?! What if its spirit comes back to take revenge?!!"

"..."

Lin Yi glanced at him: "It will. Then you can wait for its revenge."

Zhuang Che nearly turned white: "W-Will you protect me?"

Lin Yi replied coldly: "Of course not."

Zhuang Che: "W-Why not?"

Lin Yi: "Because I've never seen a spider eat a person, and I really want to see it."

Zhuang Che: "..."

Why did he find Lin Yi scarier than the venomous spider?

"Hahaha, Little Master Zhuang Che is truly pitiful."

"Poor kid, his face is white from fear."

"Hahaha, Lin Yi scares people so seriously that no one can tell if he's joking or not."

By now, Lin Yi had reached the door of Zhuang Che's house.

He looked down and saw a black, spider-like creature under the threshold.

Zhuang Che, standing behind him, started stuttering again: "T-That's it!"

Lin Yi moved closer.

Zhuang Che panicked: "Don't get too close, it's dangerous!!"

Ignoring Zhuang Che's warning, Lin Yi approached the black thing and picked it up.

Zhuang Che screamed: "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

The volume of someone screaming in terror is immeasurable. Lin Yi felt his eardrums were about to burst and said helplessly: "Can you please shut up?"

Zhuang Che continued: "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Lin Yi: "..."

He really wanted to stuff a broom in this guy's mouth!!!

Lin Yi no longer paid any attention to Zhuang Che and instead picked up the object in his hand to examine it.

Then he went to the courtyard and called out loudly, "Which child threw their toy spider in front of someone else's door?"

A toy spider? !

Hearing this, Zhuang Che finally stopped howling.

But he still couldn't believe it was a toy spider. How could a toy spider be so realistic and even move?

"Hahaha, what a false alarm."

"Without mentioning anything else, nowadays toys are made incredibly lifelike. At first glance, they look real."

"This toy spider can actually move? I would have been scared too."

"The main point is how brave Lin Yi is. How did he determine it was a toy spider and even pick it up? What if it was a real spider? Wouldn't he have been bitten?"

"I was thinking the same thing. Lin Yi is amazing."

Just then, Zhuang Che voiced out the netizens' doubts.

Lin Yi replied nonchalantly, "If it bites, it bites. Isn't there a hospital nearby?"

His demeanor and confidence were so impressive that one couldn't help but admire him.

Zhuang Che: "..."

All the netizens: "..."

Awesome, really awesome!!

In fact, Lin Yi was just putting on an act. He wouldn't really risk catching a live spider.

He was so sure it was fake because he had played with similar ones when he was a kid.

As a child, he was known for being mischievous and fearless, trying everything, whether he should or not.

Those experiences shaped part of his current carefree and unbound personality.

In the end, the spider didn't find its owner. Perhaps some kids playing outside dropped it here a few days ago.

But since the issue was resolved, it didn't matter anymore.

The spider didn't find its owner, but Zhuang Che followed Lin Yi around like he had found his protector.

Lin Yi looked at him curiously, "What's wrong?"

Why was this unlucky kid following him?

Zhuang Che said anxiously, "I'm worried about encountering another monster. I feel safe only when I'm with you."

Lin Yi: "...Where did you get this misconception?"

Zhuang Che: "Huh?"

Lin Yi looked at him solemnly, "Who said you're safe with me? Aren't you afraid I might be more dangerous than those monsters? With your delicate skin, I could crush you with one hand."

Zhuang Che: "..."

Zhuang Che froze for a few seconds, then ran away crying.

"Hahaha, save me, I'm rolling on the bed laughing."

"Hahaha, Lin Yi, stop scaring people. You've frightened Zhuang Che out of his wits."

"Aaaaah, I really love Lin Yi!!"

"No wonder everyone says that Lin Yi carries most of the show's ratings. He's just so captivating!!"

Lin Yi didn't care where Zhuang Che had run off to. He returned to his room and poured himself another cup of tea.

Unexpectedly, after a while, Zhuang Che came back.

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow at him, "Not afraid of me anymore?"

Zhuang Che still looked a bit scared but managed to say, "I just called my parents. They said if there's a chance, they'd like to invite you for dinner to thank you."

Lin Yi was puzzled, "Thank me?"

Zhuang Che: "That's what my parents said."

Zhuang Che's parents had their son late in life and spoiled him, giving him whatever he wanted. But deep down, they were also worried about their son's naivety and delicacy.

Now that they had found Lin Yi, who seemed capable of guiding their son in a positive direction, they didn't want to miss this opportunity and begged Lin Yi to help their son.

The Zhuangs owned a film company and were quite wealthy, so their gratitude to Lin Yi would undoubtedly be substantial.

After hearing Zhuang Che's words, Lin Yi was still puzzled.

But this young master seemed genuinely scared and left quickly after speaking.

Lin Yi: "..."

However, he didn't dwell on these matters and soon forgot about them.

In the evening, the production team organized a shadow puppet show for the guests.

None of the guests had seen a shadow puppet show before, so they were naturally very curious.

The shadow play was held in a room that wasn’t too spacious.

Each guest brought a small stool and sat in the viewing area.

Soon, the lights in the room went out, leaving only the lights on the performance area.

Huo Mianmian nestled obediently in Lin Yi’s arms and asked softly, "Dad, what is a shadow play?"

Lin Yi was rarely stumped by this question.

It wasn’t that he knew nothing about shadow plays; it was just that explaining it seemed quite complex, and Huo Mianmian might not understand.

So he simply said to Huo Mianmian, "You’ll see in a bit."

Huo Mianmian nodded his little head. "Oh."

Thus, father and son ended their conversation happily.

"Hahaha, I was waiting for Lin Yi’s explanation."

"The best explanation is no explanation (dog emoji)."

"I think Lin Yi is right. As they say, seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving."

"Sis upstairs, you have more words, so I’ll listen to you."

At that moment, the shadow play began.

Today’s performance was the story of the Three Battles with the White Bone Demon.

For adults, the story of the Three Battles with the White Bone Demon was very familiar, but since they had never seen it performed as a shadow play before, they were quite excited.

Children were curious about everything, and each one had their eyes wide open, watching the screen attentively.

Soon, the figure representing the White Bone Demon appeared first, showcasing its superb magic skills, flipping up and down, dazzling the audience.

It had to be said that these shadow play artists were truly remarkable.

Not only could they vividly create various characters, but they could also manipulate these figures to perform complex actions, even more agile than real people.

Then, Sun Wukong appeared.

Sun Wukong held the golden hoop staff and had two long feathers on his head, making him very lifelike.

As soon as Sun Wukong appeared, he jumped around, making it hard for the audience to keep up.

Everyone watched the shadow play intently, not wanting to blink.

In the end, Sun Wukong fought the White Bone Demon three times and finally killed it, making the entire performance exhilarating.

Everyone felt as if they were there, immersed in the performance, and when the lights in the room came back on, they burst into applause.

"I’m so excited watching this."

"The artists are amazing, applause, applause!!"

"Every time, I doubt my own brain and hands."

Huo Mianmian also clapped seriously. After a while, he turned to Lin Yi and asked, "Dad, are there really a White Bone Demon and Sun Wukong behind the screen?"

Lin Yi smiled and said to him, "Why don’t you go take a look?"

Hearing this, Huo Mianmian slid out of Lin Yi’s embrace and ran to the back of the screen, poking his little head out curiously.

The performers behind the screen were a man and a woman.

The young lady saw a cute little boy suddenly run over and couldn’t help but exclaim, "Wow!"

Such an adorable child!!!

Her voice changed, and she asked Huo Mianmian in a sweet voice, "Little brother, why did you come here?"

Huo Mianmian tilted his head and said, "I’m looking for the White Bone Demon and Sun Wukong."

The young lady immediately took the White Bone Demon and Sun Wukong from the stand to show Huo Mianmian. "Look, they’re here."

Huo Mianmian looked at the paper figures and blinked in amazement.

So that’s how it is!

Seeing such a cute child, the young lady wanted to pinch his face but restrained herself. Instead, she took a candy from her bag. "Little brother, here, have some candy. This candy is delicious."

Huo Mianmian reached out both hands to accept the candy and said in a soft voice, "Thank you, sister."

Hearing Huo Mianmian’s gratitude, the young lady was so excited that she stomped her feet.

The comments were filled with excitement.

"Ahhh, I want to interact with Mianmian this closely too."

"Is it too late for me to learn shadow play now?"

"When Mianmian tilts his head to speak, he looks like a little kitten, melting hearts."

"I’ve been following this variety show from the start, watching Mianmian go from not talking to actively greeting people. Who understands this change?!"

"I do, I’m tearing up with joy right now. Our Mianmian has really grown."

"Mianmian must always stay this happy!!"

After a while, Huo Mianmian left with the candy.

He didn’t eat it right away because the young lady had said it was delicious, so he wanted to save it to share with his little dad.

By ten o'clock in the evening, Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian returned to their residence. After washing up, they got back into bed.

While Lin Yi was straightening the sheets, suddenly, a small dinosaur silhouette appeared on the wall opposite him.

The silhouette waved its tiny claws and approached step by step, looking both fierce and cute.

It was intentionally trying to scare him!

Lin Yi knew it was Huo Mianmian but still played along, muttering to himself, "Oh my god, what is this? So scary!"

After saying that, he deliberately moved aside, pretending to be frightened.

At this moment, Huo Mianmian happily hopped in front of Lin Yi, his eyes and brows curved in a smile. "Little Dad, don't be afraid, it's me!"

Lin Yi patted his chest. "It's just Mianmian, you scared me to death."

Huo Mianmian genuinely thought he had frightened his little dad, feeling a sense of mischief accomplished, and laughed as he leaned into Lin Yi’s arms.

Tonight, Huo Mianmian was wearing a one-piece dinosaur pajama set, complete with the hat. Only his round, chubby face was visible, making him incredibly adorable.

If someone really encountered such a dinosaur, their first reaction would likely not be to run but to pick it up and give it a kiss.

"I could eat one of these little dinosaurs in one bite!"

"The cage is ready; where can I catch such an adorable little dinosaur?"

At this moment, after laughing enough, Huo Mianmian reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of candy.

He opened his palm and presented the candy to Lin Yi. "Little Dad, look!"

Lin Yi looked down and saw a peanut-flavored cheese candy.

Smiling, he asked Huo Mianmian, "Where did you get this candy?"

Huo Mianmian truthfully replied, "The lady who performed the shadow play gave it to me!"

Lin Yi remarked, "Wow, how nice! She must have seen how super cute our little Mianmian is, so she gave it to you."

Huo Mianmian happily offered the candy to Lin Yi. "Little Dad, let's share it."

Lin Yi was touched that even when Huo Mianmian received a single piece of candy, he thought to save it for him. He gently ruffled Huo Mianmian’s hair. "Thank you, my treasure."

Huo Mianmian tilted his head, letting Lin Yi ruffle his hair, like a little kitten seeking attention.

Soon, Lin Yi tore open the candy and broke it in half.

They each took a piece.

Father and son put the candy in their mouths and exclaimed in delight.

The sweet flavor filled their mouths instantly.

But clearly, their hearts were even sweeter.

"Who’s envious? Oh, it's me."

"It's just a piece of milk candy, right? I can buy it myself, sniff sniff!"

"My smile won't go away, hehe."