Chapter 28

Chapter 28

By the time Wen Zhi finished all her tasks, she noticed Mu Mu had fallen asleep on the newly bought king-sized bed. The child's cheeks were flushed from sleep, a tiny tuft of hair sticking up mischievously on his head, and his left hand was still resting on the unlocked iPad beside him.

She picked up the iPad and saw the page paused on a search bar. Scrolling down, she found a long list of search queries.

"What should I do if I suddenly find out my family is rich?"

"What should I do if I suddenly lose my dreams?"

"What are some dreams kids usually have?"

Glancing at Little Dumpling, she noticed his tiny brows were furrowed tightly—how troubled he must be.

She set the iPad aside, gently brushed away the light sweat on Little Dumpling’s forehead, moved him to the center of the bed, took off his shoes and socks, and tucked him in gently.

Even in his dreams, Little Dumpling’s brows remained knitted. He dreamt of returning to the solemn and imposing Great Yong palace. Goose-feather snowflakes fluttered down, and his mother was punished, kneeling in the freezing courtyard of the Shoukang Palace. The Empress Dowager’s scolding voice carried from afar, while his father stood beside her, expressionless, demanding his mother apologize.

Standing outside the carved walls of Shoukang Palace, he felt utterly miserable. Pressing his lips together, he whispered, "Senior Tutor Shen, I want to be the crown prince. I want to be the emperor." That way, no one could bully his mother anymore.

Senior Tutor Shen replied softly, "If that is Your Highness’s wish, I will do everything in my power to assist you."

And so, the little child had his first dream.

The tutor told him that once he had a dream, he must stick with it.

Moonlight bathed the floor, gradually fading into the glow of dawn.

Little Dumpling suddenly bolted upright from the soft, warm bed. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced around and finally relaxed when he realized this wasn’t Great Yong.

He jumped off the bed, slipped into his fluffy yellow duck slippers, and ran out the door. Knocking on the neighboring room, he dashed inside. The cold air from the air conditioner made him shiver, so he turned it off before grabbing Wen Zhi’s arm and shaking her.

Wen Zhi blinked sleepily and sat up. "What’s wrong?"

Mu Mu sat across from her, his dark eyes wide and earnest as he asked, "Mom, I thought all night but still couldn’t figure out what my dream should be. Can I decide on it later?"

Still stuck on this? Wen Zhi found it amusing. "Then how did Mu Mu come up with his dreams before?"

Mu Mu answered without hesitation, "Back then, I didn’t want Mom to be bullied, so I wanted to be the emperor. Later, I wanted Mom to live a good life, so I wanted to be a big boss." But here, there was no Great Yong, no one bullied him or his mother, and their family was already rich. He truly couldn’t think of what he wanted to do.

Wen Zhi’s heart warmed. She patted his head and said, "Mu Mu, don’t make Mom the basis for your dreams. From now on, just think about what you like to do. If you can’t figure it out now, take your time. If you really can’t think of anything, just relax and be a regular happy kid, like Mom. Go to school step by step, make friends, eat, play, and be pampered."

Mu Mu only partly understood. "But Sen Sen and Xiao Xiao have dreams too. Even Xiao Wen has a dream. He told me yesterday he wants to be a glowing Ultraman hero."

"Mom, what’s your dream?"

Wen Zhi hugged Little Dumpling close and answered just as seriously, "I want Mu Mu to be a happy little child. Before Mu Mu finds a new dream, can you fulfill mine first?"

Mu Mu nodded hesitantly. "Well… okay, I’ll try."

Wen Zhi continued persuading him, "The first step to being a happy child is not to study too hard. Especially at night—no staying up late, or you’ll turn into a panda."

Mu Mu hesitated, "But… what if I fall behind from not studying?"

Wen Zhi reassured him, "Once summer break’s over, Mu Mu can go to school. There, you’ll make lots of friends and learn so many things."

She went on to describe how fun kindergarten would be, and soon, Mu Mu was looking forward to it.

After yesterday’s livestream, Wen Zhi and the Wen family had gone viral online. Netizens chased after her, calling her "Sister Zhi," and endorsements flooded in. Now that Little Dumpling knew his family was rich, he finally stopped exhausting himself taking on endorsements.

Though disappointed, the merchants pivoted to the other three parents for endorsements.

When Wen Bingchun received several endorsement offers in a row, she had a brief moment of excitement. But upon hearing that these were deals Wen Zhi had turned down, her expression instantly soured.

Why should she only get what Wen Zhi didn’t want!

Furious though she was, she still had to go through with the shoots.

After sending away a flood of business reps, Wen Zhi received a call from Duan Chengsi of the National Go Association, who said he got her contact from Director Fang and wanted to visit. Just as she declined, the head of the auction house she’d previously dealt with showed up, bearing an extravagant gift. He invited her to view the auction house’s wares at her convenience and even granted her a super VIP membership.

Wen Zhi gave a noncommittal “Hm,” then promptly blocked them all.

Looked like she’d have to change her number after the show ended.

“Lay low, and people criticize; stand out, and people come knocking.”

Fortunately, she had to go to the TV station first thing in the morning to shoot promotional posters. Wen Zhi started packing. Butler Zhong hurriedly handed her a lacquer box, saying, "Nuannuan Xiaojie, this was bought for you by your mother before she passed. The master insisted it be given to you upon your return."

Wen Zhi paused briefly before tucking it into the deepest part of her suitcase.

"Mhm, I’ll take a look when I get to the set."

Mu Mu, worried about leaving Xiao Hei at home, slung his backpack and brought the puppy along.

When Wen Zhi and Mu Mu arrived at the TV station, the other three parents and children were already there, in hair and makeup. Wen Zhi greeted them with a smile. "You guys are early birds!"

Liu Yiru, sitting on the sofa, replied, "I'm local."

Wen Bingchun, in the makeup chair, added, "I was afraid of being late, so I came last night."

The makeup artist beside her praised, "Ms. Wen is such a pro."

Wen Bingchun gave a tight smile.

From the moment Wen Zhi entered, Lin Jiyao only glanced at her before immediately looking away. Now, he kept his eyes closed, not joining the conversation.

Director Fang, spotting her, fawned over her like she was royalty, fussing over her before offering tea and water. He called out to the makeup artist, "Hey, Youyou, come do Sister Zhi’s makeup first."

The makeup artist hesitated, glancing at Wen Bingchun. "Director, I’m halfway through here..."

Wen Zhi said, "I can wait."

Director Fang beamed. "Don't be silly." He then turned back to the makeup artist impatiently. "You’re almost done anyway. Let the assistant take over and attend to Sister Zhi first."

Youyou bowed gratefully to Wen Bingchun. "Um, Sister Bing, I—"

Wen Bingchun dug her nails into her palm but maintained a gentle, understanding smile. "It’s fine. Go ahead and do Xiao Zhi’s first."

Youyou rushed to style Wen Zhi.

An assistant took over Wen Bingchun’s remaining makeup. She turned to Liu Yiru and remarked airily, "Seems Xiao Zhi is a real star now—even Director Fang calls her 'Sister Zhi.'"

Liu Yiru chuckled. "I’d like to call her that too."

Lin Jiyao, who had been silent, unexpectedly chimed in, "Don’t make her sound old."

Wen Bingchun did a double take at him, but he kept his head down, scrolling through his phone.

Xiao Xiao, spotting Mu Mu, ran over and took his hand, leading him to the sofa. Noticing Xiao Hei, she happily patted the puppy’s head. "Wow, Xiao Hei seems to have had a growth spurt!"

"Let me see, let me see." The children gathered around Little Black, who wagged his tail, unusually docile.

After a few days apart, Little Black's limp was gone, and he looked much livelier, his fur glossy black. The crew couldn't help but marvel: "No wonder he’s a million-dollar dog!"

After playing with Little Black for a while, Xiao Xiao finally whispered, "I brought gifts for you! Sen Sen and Xiao Wen also brought gifts. Mu Mu, did you bring any?"

Sen Sen and Xiao Wen turned to look at him.

Mu Mu nodded. "I did."

He pulled his backpack to the front and was about to take something out when Xiao Wen suddenly exclaimed, "Not yet!"

Mu Mu paused, confused. "Why?"

Xiao Wen: "Uncle Director said we can only exchange gifts tomorrow when the show starts filming. Our gifts were all handed to the adults for safekeeping, so you can't take yours out either."

Mu Mu quickly zipped up his backpack and scurried over to Wen Zhi, stuffing it into her arms. "Mom, keep this for me. Give it back tomorrow."

After handing over the backpack, he ran back to the couch and pulled out a handful of snacks from his pocket. "These are just Mom’s snacks, not gifts. Here, have some!"

Xiao Xiao and Sen Sen happily accepted.

Mu Mu glanced at Xiao Wen and snatched his hand back.

Xiao Wen's chubby face scrunched up in displeasure. "Why didn’t you give me any?"

Mu Mu blinked. "But you said you wouldn’t eat my snacks!" He wasn't in the habit of forcing people to take his food.

Xiao Wen: "..."

"I’ll have some."

He stretched out his chubby hand, and soon a packet of biscuits appeared in it. The chubby kid tore it open, took a crunchy bite, and mumbled, "I thought about it. As the older one, I should be generous. From now on, I'll eat whatever you give me."

After finishing the biscuits, he moved on to chocolate, then duck necks, chicken legs, profiteroles...

Mu Mu watched for a long time before hesitantly suggesting, "Maybe... you should come do boxing with me. If you eat too much without exercising, you'll get even rounder."

The chubby kid's cheeks bulged. "Snacks don't make you fat! Your mom snacks all the time and she's not fat! And my mom said once I grow taller, I won’t be chubby anymore."

Mu Mu was speechless.

Xiao Xiao hopped up and ran over to Wen Zhi, tilting her head up. "Auntie, is it true that eating snacks won't make you fat?"

Wen Zhi, in the middle of her makeup: "..."

"Well... it depends on your body."

Xiao Xiao widened her round eyes. "What's 'body'?"

Wen Zhi frantically thought.

The room erupted in giggles. Even Lin Jiyao, who had been glancing at his phone, smirked and beckoned to Xiao Xiao. "Come here, don't be a pest."

Xiao Xiao pouted and refused to move. The makeup artist, Yo-yo, chuckled. "The grown-ups are all set. Kids, your turn for makeup!"

The four little ones happily sat still, letting the makeup artists do their work.

After more than ten minutes, the four groups of guests arrived at the studio. Director Fang let Wen Zhi and Mu Mu film first.

Wen Bingchun felt very uncomfortable inside: by seniority, Wen Zhi shouldn’t have gone first.

However, Liu Yiru and Lin Jiyao calmly sat aside watching, their eyes clearly filled with admiration.

She suppressed her displeasure with difficulty, but when the promotional posters came out in the afternoon, she couldn’t take it anymore.

In the poster released by the official Weibo of *Baby! 2*, Wen Zhi in a swaying red dress, Mu Mu looking adorably cool in his little suit, and the aloof Lin Jiyao and Xiao Xiao appeared together in center stage, while she and Liu Yiru were placed slightly behind them.

How does Wen Zhi, a nobody, deserve this?

Glancing at Wen Zhi playing games across from her, she secretly used a burner account to go on a rant under the official Weibo post.

“Why does Wen the waste deserve this? By seniority, Movie Queen Liu and Lin Jiyao should be in the center. How does a nobody like her get center stage?”

Gardenia fans and randos jumped into the fray instantly.

“Hahahaha, with the power of reeking money!”

“Who doesn’t love a rich daddy? Our Sister Zhi is dripping with cash, shining bright—she totally deserves center stage.”

“Hahaha, stay mad, haters. Our Sister Zhi is about to blow up any minute.”

“Exactly, *Baby! 2* premieres tonight. Mandatory viewing—y’all better tune in.”

The replies were nothing but love for Wen Zhi.

Wen Bingchun: “…”

Seriously, are people really this money-obsessed?

Like they’ll ever see a dime of it?

She closed her phone and smiled at Liu Yiru. “The promotional posters are out. Xiao Zhi is so photogenic—she’s even more cut out for stardom than we are.”

Liu Yiru glanced at the official Weibo and nodded in agreement. “She really is more photogenic than us.”

Wen Bingchun: “…”

Great, Liu Yiru and Wen Zhi are thick as thieves.

After dinner, the production team assigned the guests four adjacent rooms on the same floor and informed them that the first episode of *Baby! 2* would air at 7:30 p.m. on Liulian TV’s prime time slot, telling them not to miss it.

After her shower, Wen Zhi cozied up on the couch with Mu Mu to watch.

It was Mu Mu’s first time seeing himself on TV, and he found it both new and thrilling. He couldn’t help laughing at scenes like plucking lotus seedpods, gathering mushrooms, and making bear-shaped cookies. The moment Xiao Hei saw Mu Mu on TV, he went wild, barking, jumping, and wagging his tail nonstop while rubbing against them.

Mu Mu, tickled by Xiao Hei’s affection, burst into laughter, his pale little face turning pink, making him look even more adorable. Wen Zhi couldn’t help giving his cheeks a pinch.

After doing so, she suddenly remembered the brocade box Uncle Zhong had sneakily given her. She got up and rummaged through her luggage. Upon opening it, she found a beautiful all-diamond star hair clip nestled in golden velvet.

Wen Zhi froze: she’d lost one just like it before and had been heartbroken for a long time.

Her mother had promised to custom-make another as her birthday gift.

Twelve years later, here it was.

A firm knock rapped at the door.

Wen Zhi dabbed at her eyes, set down the ornate box on the table, and went to answer it.

Outside, Liu Yiru smiled and asked, "Is it okay if I come in?"

Wen Zhi nodded, and Liu Yiru entered, tugging Sen Sen along with her.

Sen Sen politely greeted, "Hello, Auntie," before darting over to Mu Mu to watch the first episode of the show together.

Wen Zhi led Liu Yiru to the coffee table and sat across from her. "What brings you by?" she asked.

Liu Yiru smiled again and suddenly inquired, "You mentioned giving me a big gift before—was it about Liang Group's bankruptcy?" Back then, she had only said she wished her ex-husband would suffer as much as possible.

That morning, before leaving to film the show, she had received a call from her assistant informing her that Liang Group had gone bankrupt. Liang Yi had tried reaching out to her but then went radio silent.

Considering Wen Zhi's earlier words and her background, Liu Yiru suspected Wen Zhi was behind it.

Wen Zhi raised an eyebrow. "Not to your liking?"

Liu Yiru replied, "No, it’s extremely satisfying."

"Thank you."

Ever since joining the entertainment world, she had received many gifts, but this was the first time she had gotten something so uniquely significant.

Wen Zhi said, "My pleasure."

The two exchanged knowing smiles.

Just then, the door knocked again. Both were surprised. Wen Zhi went to answer it and found Wen Bingchun standing there, clutching a tin.

Wen Zhi eyed her suspiciously. "What is it?"

Wen Bingchun slipped past her into the room, putting on a chummy act. "Before coming, I baked some cookies and brought a few tins to share. I forgot earlier during filming, so I’m bringing yours over now."

Upon entering, she noticed Liu Yiru and tossed out a casual greeting, "Oh, Sister Liu is here too. What's the gossip? Mind if I join?"

She sat down like she owned the place across from Liu Yiru.

Liu Yiru glanced at Wen Zhi, who shrugged.

As the atmosphere grew awkward, the door knocked yet again.

Wen Zhi: "..."

Who could it be this time? Surely not Lin Jiyao?

She opened the door, and Xiao Xiao dragged Lin Jiyao inside, dragging him along, urging him, "Hurry up, brother!"

"Miss, I came to play with Mu Mu! My brother was getting lonely in his room, so can you take care of him for me?"

Lin Jiyao—all six feet of aloof intimidation—lonely?

The moment Lin Jiyao stepped in, his eyes met those of the three women.

The air went dead silent.

Watching Lin Jiyao’s face pale, then turn beet red, Wen Zhi jumped in to save him. "So... we're one short for mahjong. Wanna play a few hands?"

Lin Jiyao: "..."

Author's Note:

Lin Jiyao: This is... so embarrassing I could die.