Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Early Saturday morning, hundreds of thousands of viewers were already interacting in the live chat of *Ming Zai On the Go*, eagerly awaiting the broadcast.

The live feeds of four parent-child families lit up simultaneously.

On camera, the four parent guests greeted the audience together.

Wen Cishu was noticeably less natural compared to the other three celebrity guests.

Compared to previous episodes, this time he appeared more casual, wearing white comfortable home clothes and a coffee-colored striped cardigan thrown over his shoulders. He smiled somewhat shyly and said, "Good morning, everyone."

His loosely tied-up hair had a few loose strands falling down—he clearly hadn’t been awake for long.

"Mommy~~~ Long time no see! You look so beautiful and gentle this morning~"

"Babe, don’t be shy! Come closer, let me kiss you!"

The first task for the four parents was to wake their kids up before the announced time.

Wen Cishu, who had originally started while sitting on the sofa, leaned forward to pick up the compact camera and whispered, "Come on, I’ll take you to check if Yi Ming is awake yet."

The scene shifted to an elegant and cozy living room, featuring a white rug with a subtle pattern and massive double doors.

As Wen Cishu walked through the long, quiet hallway, the camera quickly passed by various art pieces and paintings displayed along the walls.

He rarely used the stairs, so out of habit, he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor.

"Double doors for the bedroom? And an elevator right outside? [wtf]"

"If it were anyone else, they’d probably introduce every single item in the house to the audience, but Mommy just walked past? Hello?? Production team, someone remind him—this is for the show!"

"He probably sees this stuff every day and doesn’t think it’s worth mentioning LOL."

Just as viewers grew impatient, Wen Cishu softly yawned and covered his mouth with one hand.

This season's air time was earlier than usual, and he was genuinely sleepy.

Arriving at the third floor, Wen Cishu approached the white door, knocked lightly, but heard no response.

He turned the knob and entered.

From his perspective, the audience saw a little blue bundle curled up on the bed in the distance.

Wen Cishu whispered, "Yi Ming doesn’t seem to be awake yet, so I’ll show you his room instead."

"Oh~ I get it, Mommy’s deliberately not showing us his bedroom. So sneaky!"

"Ming Zai’s bedroom?? That’s bigger than my whole place!"

"My favorite part—rich people home tour! Love it!"

Making his way to the study, Wen Cishu quietly explained Yi Ming’s usual habits.

He pointed the camera toward a framed calligraphy work hanging on the shelf.

"This is Yi Ming’s attempt at *Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection*. Not bad, right? Though he usually gets fidgety—I have to watch him like a hawk to make sure he sees it through properly."

He pointed to “The Companionship of the Lady” and “Is it not painful,” chuckling, "He wrote it in three sittings."

His pride was practically oozing.

"A mixed-race kid has to practice calligraphy too? Hahaha, rough life."

"Babe, you're way too obsessed with Ming Zai! With your own calligraphy skills, how could you say 'not bad'?"

"Mommy: Doesn't matter, Ming Zai's is the best!"

Wen Cishu then briefly filmed the cute little figurines neatly arranged on the shelf.

"Bao Yiming has been arranging these himself the past few days, setting them out specially for the camera. Aren't they adorable?"

As he smiled while filming, he suddenly caught sight of a small figure near the doorway connecting the study to the bedroom.

Bao Yiming: ==

Wen Cishu turned around in surprise, "Did I wake you, kiddo?"

On camera was a handsome but bed-headed teen.

"Little Daddy! You started filming without me?"

Realizing the camera was rolling, Bao Yiming clutched his head and darted about, "Ugh, I haven't even brushed my teeth or washed my face yet! Don't film me!"

In the morning glow, his lanky frame bounced around like a hyper puppy.

"So freaking cute, Ming Zai~ No wonder Mommy's always pinching those cheeks—they're too cute!"

"Messy hair and still a heartthrob, Ming Zai~ Don't worry!"

Bao Yiming dashed to the bathroom, peeking out with half his face visible, "Little Daddy, shoot the toys by my bed first. I'm going to wash up!"

"Okay."

Wen Cishu walked toward the bedroom. The king-sized bed was adorned with pastel-blue cartoon blankets and pillows. Along the headboard were many delicate ornaments—some in Chinese style, some in European style, including a crystal Santa Claus and tiny reindeer in the center.

Wen Cishu explained softly, "Yi Ming likes collecting little trinkets he loves. Sometimes he swaps things with his other dad."

His fingers brushed against a leaf-shaped metal paperweight, "This one's probably from a trade."

Then he touched a pink incense burner, "We played with incense together a few days ago. There were two of these—the other one's in my room."

"Collect? Mommy, are you hearing yourself? Regular people just say 'collect'!"

"What kind of East-meets-West madness is this? But somehow, it works."

"Little Daddy, I'm ready!"

Bao Yiming, now dressed, bounded over excitedly, "Let's go! Today, I'm cooking breakfast for you, Little Daddy!"

Wen Cishu aimed the camera at the little monkey, "Is this a challenge from the crew?"

"Yep~" Bao Yiming happily tugged at his little daddy, "Today, I'm running the house! Little Daddy, you're under my orders today!"

Wen Cishu felt a pang of worry.

—He should've had Auntie Zhong prepare breakfast and eaten before filming.

As the father and son took the elevator downstairs and entered the kitchen, the audience finally got a preliminary understanding of the mansion.

On Little Sweet Potato, some netizens had already begun compiling the general layout of the mansion, including the displayed figurines, artworks, and even the brand of the sofa.

Some viewers even paused the show frame by frame, circling every item that appeared in each shot for further study.

Skilled bloggers posted suspected comparison images, ranging from luxury brand official websites to auction house records of past sold collections.

"Seen frame-by-frame analysis of acting and micro-expressions, but this is the first time seeing frame-by-frame analysis of home collections. You guys are next-level!"

"Are they actually super-rich filming a reality show? I thought it was just hype or building a fake persona. How is their family for real?"

"The first episode was so popular, yet they didn’t take any ads or do marketing. Turns out they just don’t care about the chump change from showbiz?"

"Judging by the mansion’s layout, what’s shown is just scratching the surface. Another day of envying Ming Zai."

However, during the short livestream, what most delighted the audience was the segment where Ming Zai’s mommy introduced his calligraphy.

Though no one could see his expression, only hearing his voice, it was overflowing with pride.

"I’ve practiced calligraphy since childhood. If I wrote like this at nine, my parents would’ve probably made me throw it away—definitely wouldn’t show it to guests—no offense to Ming Zai though..."

"Totally get it. When the camera panned over, I thought hubby was showing us books on the shelf or some fancy collectible."

"Ming Zai: ? (I've got mommy practicing with me~ Got that? Nyeh~"

"Sorry, Ming Zai! Though your calligraphy is average, your way with words is killer! (Piling on the compliments to make up for it)"

"Aside from being super spacious, Ming Zai’s room doesn't fit my idea of upscale, minimalist chic. Many of the lamps shown are different shapes, not matching at all. The rugs in each room are also different styles and colors. Though they clearly look expensive, they’re a bit too gaudy and cartoonish."

"Mommy said Ming Zai loves the animal world, so his room has related stuff. Last time he gave his siblings presents, they were animal-themed too—it's totally on-brand!"

"Come on, he’s nine. Isn’t cartoonish and gaudy normal?"

"The freedom to display whatever he wants in his bedroom—honestly, I’m crying with envy, and some people still complain it’s messy?"

"His two dads don’t even mind, why are outsiders buttting out? Stop policing people's bedroom choices!"

-

On the first floor, the audience caught glimpses of the housekeepers in the footage, though their faces weren’t shown.

"Mr. Wen?" Uncle Xu stepped forward, off-camera, and said, "The kitchen’s been tidied up."

Wen Cishu chuckled. "The crew specifically said not to go overboard with cleaning—just keep things looking lived-in."

"Couldn’t do that. Still had to organize a bit."

Uncle Xu replied honestly.

The chefs had already cleared out to the Chinese-style kitchen, leaving the Western-style one available.

Wen Cishu noticed the eggs, bread, and other ingredients prepared on the kitchen island—clearly arranged by Uncle Xu in advance.

"Sweetie, the production team gave you a task, but you just had Uncle Xu get everything ready for you?"

Bao Yiming playfully stuck out his tongue. "I didn’t know where the eggs and veggies were kept!"

Uncle Xu quickly explained, "After hearing the young master mention it yesterday, I thought it’d be best to prepare in advance."

"Well, well, looks like Ming Zai is the young lord at home!"

"Ming—heir of a wealthy family—young master—Zai: How should I know where the eggs are kept?"

"That's right~ Uncle Butler knows best!"

After Uncle Xu left, only father and son remained in the kitchen.

When Bao Yiming cracked the eggs, Wen Cishu was completely surprised.

"Yi Ming, did you secretly learn how to cook at home yesterday? Daddy didn't know anything about it."

"I didn't learn."

Bao Yiming’s tone was innocent and childlike. "I just watched grown-ups do it and copied them."

Wen Cishu watched his surprisingly adept movements. Maybe he's just really observant?

Bao Yiming actually knew how to turn on the stove, add oil, and fry the eggs—all smoothly.

As the frying pan sizzled, Wen Cishu felt that Xiao Houzi had more natural talent for cooking than he did.

"I'll handle the toast then."

"No!" Bao Yiming immediately stopped him. "Little Daddy, we said I'd do everything! Little Daddy, you just grab the plates."

"Okay."

Wen Cishu went to fetch the porcelain plates, smiling warmly at the adorable Xiao Houzi working hard to prepare breakfast. "Want to eat in the sunroom?"

"Mm-hmm." Bao Yiming naturally had no objections.

He loved the small table—it meant he could sit very close to his Little Daddy.

"I'm so lucky to have such a grown-up son! Suddenly I want one too—where do I sign up for one?"

"Wow, Mommy's looking at our little master with so much love~~"

At the small table in the sunroom.

Though Bao Yiming’s movements were slow, he carefully put together sandwiches and warm milk before bringing them to the table.

"Here you go, Little Daddy!"

Wen Cishu treated it like a gourmet meal, rubbing his hands together with a smile. "Is Daddy the first to taste Yi Ming's sandwich?"

Huh?

Why did he also say "first"?

Bao Yiming nodded vigorously. "Nope! Big Daddy doesn't get any!"

Wen Cishu felt a twinge of guilt: Guess we all want to be first sometimes.

Big Daddy: That's my boy—always thinking of me. (Sarcastic tone)

"The other three families all have signs of the other parent, except for Ming Zai’s big dad."

"It’s all Mommy’s fault for not showing their bedroom—at least then we could’ve seen what blankets the couple sleeps under."

"You say you want to see the blankets, but really…"

Wen Cishu took a bite of the sandwich and found it actually pretty good.

Aside from the slightly overcooked fried egg, the lettuce that wasn’t properly dried, and the bread that was a little burnt, everything else was perfect overall!

"Yiming, what are we doing today? Does the production crew have another task for you?"

"Yep." Bao Yiming grinned mysteriously. "Little Daddy has to listen to me all day today~"

Wen Cishu had a kinda bad feeling.

He glanced at the camera and teased, "You're not planning to bully Daddy in front of so many viewers, are you?"

"How could I?" Bao Yiming swallowed a piece of burnt toast. "If I bully Little Daddy, Big Daddy will come charging over with his little milk pan again to whoop my butt."

*Cough cough...* Wen Cishu choked on his milk.

Bao Yiming quickly handed him a tissue.

[*Again?* Big Daddy spanking Ming Zai? How could he—our Ming Zai is so well-behaved.]

"But if I do bully Little Daddy, I guess I deserve it~ Just go easy on me."

"If Ming Zai’s Big Daddy is really that hot guy with the anti-biting mask they’ve been talking about, getting spanked must hurt. Ouch..."

As he ate, Wen Cishu wondered whether Bao Tingyuan would drop from the sky or pop up from nowhere.

He couldn’t help pulling out his phone and sending a message under the table.

"Did you go to the office?"

The man had disappeared early this morning.

Bao Tingyuan: "That's classified."

Wen Cishu: "..."

This man was totally spy material.

-

Ten minutes earlier.

In the modern kitchen of the annex, the air was filled with the warm, toasty smell of freshly baked bread.

A tablet sat on the counter playing the live broadcast of *Zai Zai the Superman*. The gentle voices of Wen Cishu and Bao Yiming played softly in the background, creating a cozy atmosphere in the spacious room.

Standing in the kitchen was Bao Tingyuan.

He was still wearing his usual black shirt, though his sleeves were rolled up to reveal his forearms. In one hand he held a wooden spoon, flipping an egg with ease.

Then, he just slapped all the ingredients between two slices of bread, making a simple sandwich identical to the one Wen Cishu and their son had made.

While Bao Yiming was fumbling with heating the milk, Bao Tingyuan was carefully making a cup of coffee.

As the father and son moved into the sunroom to sit down, Bao Tingyuan laid out his breakfast on the small outdoor table in the garden.

Everything ready, Bao Tingyuan soaked up the sunlight as he enjoyed breakfast alongside the father and son on TV.