Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Though Mo Lingnan seemed like a nuisance, he wasn't entirely wrong about one thing.

This factory director's residence, built in the 70s or 80s, was indeed the last asset Grandpa had bequeathed to Lu Tingchao.

The Lu family had been utterly ruined, and it was only thanks to this apartment that Lu Tingchao hadn't ended up homeless back then.

Oh, wait—that's not quite right. Soon after, he married Zhuang Ji.

The door creaked open.

Mrs. Zhang poked her head out from the bedroom: "Xiao Lu, was that man who just came by… really a police officer?"

"Huh?"

Lu Tingchao closed the door. "Yeah, one was. The other was our downstairs neighbor."

Mrs. Zhang sighed: "They're so meddlesome. And here I thought that tall young man was quite handsome. His attitude was terrible, though. Have you had breakfast? There's still some porridge in the kitchen."

Lu Tingchao shook his head: "No need. I came back to check on Doudou. I have some errands to run today and need to head out."

"Doudou is still asleep. This child, his temperament doesn't seem to take after you at all… He rarely cries and is strangely aloof…"

Lu Tingchao chuckled: "Aloof?"

This old, spacious apartment still sported its early-90s decor. The bedroom door creaked when pushed open.

The child, nestled under a Pochacco blanket on the bed, opened his large, dark eyes wide.

After a few seconds of staring at Lu Tingchao, he propped himself up with his soft, pale hands and scrambled out of bed: "Chao Chao."

Lu Tingchao: "Please address me as your esteemed father."

Lu Doudou: "…"

A classic case of passive resistance.

Lu Tingchao, feeling rather put out, pulled a chair over and sat by the bed: "Or 'the world's most handsome and greatest father' would also suffice."

Lu Doudou remained silent and scooted back an inch, his little bottom sticking out.

Lu Tingchao: "!"

Lu Tingchao: "Lu Doudou, are you staging a rebellion?!"

Lu Doudou possessed the same beautiful almond eyes as Lu Tingchao. When the two stared at each other, it was like a large toy and a small toy undergoing factory calibration.

After a long pause.

Lu Doudou asked in a soft, childish voice: "What's rebelling?"

Lu Tingchao immediately seized the advantage: "You don't even know what rebelling is? How illiterate! Call me Daddy, and I'll tell you."

Lu Doudou blinked: "Daddy."

Lu Tingchao happily pinched Lu Doudou’s soft, tender cheek: "Rebelling is like, well, a place that was originally peaceful, and then suddenly… people decide they want to fight, so they start fighting."

Lu Doudou was silent for a moment, then sighed: "…Illiterate Chao Chao."

Lu Tingchao: "? Lu Doudou!!"

A worried look for his illiterate father crossed Lu Doudou’s adorable, pink little face.

Frowning deeply, he gave Lu Tingchao a long look, then crawled to the other side of the bed in his little coveralls, picked up a children’s picture book lying nearby, and turned to a page.

"Chao Chao, turn on the light."

Lu Tingchao: "…"

Lu Tingchao quietly switched on the light.

Lu Doudou was very quiet and serious when reading.

Lu Tingchao had almost no experience growing up with parents. Although Lu Doudou was already two years old, he still had no idea how to interact with a young child.

After sitting silently beside him for a while, Lu Tingchao asked: "So… is the book good?"

"It's alright."

Lu Doudou turned a page. "Chao Chao, last night before bed I read about the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising. I just read the next page—uprising means rebelling."

Lu Tingchao: "…"

Lu Tingchao leaned over to peek at Lu Doudou’s picture book.

Wow.

It was indeed about the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising, complete with illustrations.

…Are kids' books this advanced these days???

Lu Tingchao scratched his nose.

Lu Doudou turned another page.

He frowned a little hesitantly for a few seconds before speaking very cautiously: "Chao Chao, you said before that my other dad is also a man."

Lu Tingchao: "? Yeah. What about it?"

Lu Doudou was silent for a long time: "…Then, is he illiterate too?"

Lu Tingchao: "…"

Well, but.

For a second, an image of Zhuang Ji being illiterate flashed through Lu Tingchao’s mind, and he burst out laughing.

"No, no."

Lu Tingchao waved his hand. "Kiddo, even though things between your daddy and me have completely fallen apart, his education is actually quite good. He has a Ph.D. from a top-ranked university in the world. He definitely won't hold you back."

Lu Doudou still seemed doubtful but didn't question further.

The two of them, big and small, finished the whole book.

Lu Tingchao originally intended to help Lu Doudou put on his coveralls, but after fumbling for a bit, not only did he fail to find the arm and leg holes, he ended up completely wrapping the chubby kid inside the garment.

Lu Doudou couldn’t move his arms or legs.

Only his head was visible, like a soft, white silkworm larva.

Lu Tingchao playfully poked him with a finger.

The Doudou-burrito tumbled "gululu" a few times on the large bed, rolling to the other side.

Lu Tingchao ran to the other side and poked again.

Lu Doudou rolled back "gululu" once more.

Lu Doudou: "..."

Lu Tingchao, without any guilt, declared boldly: "This is a brand-new workout routine. See, I'm working hard too."

Lu Doudou: "..."

The expressionless kiddo struggled inside the smock for a long time before finally freeing his arms and legs.

Having lost his "toy," Lu Tingchao reluctantly mustered a faint sense of responsibility.

He picked up Lu Doudou from the bed: "Let's go. Today, let’s have Auntie Zhang make your favorite shrimp."

"Chao Chao."

Lu Doudou rested his head on Lu Tingchao’s shoulder.

Lu Tingchao: "What is it?"

Jostled with each step, Lu Doudou’s small voice sounded soft and shaky: "If Daddy can't manage, I think you should find someone else to take care of you."

Lu Tingchao: "What?"

"Ideally someone who’s rich, kind, and very knowledgeable."

Lu Doudou thought for a moment, speaking earnestly, "Even though I’ll be able to take care of you when I grow up, I can’t do it yet."

Lu Tingchao: "...Wait a second."

Lu Tingchao said: "Student Doudou, are you saying I should find someone who’s rich, kind, well-educated, and perfect in every way, and then dump him once you grow up?"

"Yeah."

Lu Doudou was firm. "You don’t have to kick him, just toss him aside."

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Alright then, what a fine example of "use and discard."

Though Lu Tingchao might be a bit of a jerk, he hadn’t planned on corrupting his kid from such a young age.

He didn’t continue the topic. After having breakfast with Lu Doudou and letting him read on his own, he prepared to leave: "Auntie Zhang, I'll be back tonight."

With Zhuang Ji away filming, Lu Tingchao’s schedule was relatively flexible.

As he reached the door, he noticed Auntie Zhang following him, looking somewhat uneasy: "Xiao Lu... something came up back in my hometown recently. I might have to resign."

Lu Tingchao was surprised: "So suddenly?"

Finding an affordable and good housekeeper wasn’t easy. At least before divorcing Zhuang Ji, Lu Tingchao really needed an auntie.

"Ah... it's just bad timing."

Auntie Zhang also sounded apologetic. "I meant to tell you as soon as possible last night so you could make arrangements, but it got delayed. I’m really sorry, Xiao Lu."

Auntie Zhang had been reliable and hardworking over the years. Lu Tingchao shook his head: "I understand. Auntie Zhang, I'll try to hurry. Can you stay until next week?"

"No problem."

*

One problem unresolved, another arose.

By the time Lu Tingchao received Lin Cheng’s call in the car, he was already getting a headache.

"Mr. Xiaolu, I’ve arrived at yours and Brother Ji’s place, but it seems no one’s home."

Lu Tingchao: "...Can we not go to that wretched place?!"

Lin Cheng was confused: "Mr. Xiaolu?"

Lu Tingchao took a deep breath: "It’s nothing, Assistant Lin. I was just messing with a friend. I’ll be home soon. Please wait a moment."

Lin Cheng said cheerfully: "No problem, no problem. It’s my duty."

Lu Tingchao thought for a moment: "Assistant Lin, may I ask—around what time will Zhuang Ji finish filming the variety show, and is there a flight back?"

Lin Cheng paused: "The timing for this kind of group variety show isn’t fixed; there might be additional filming... Also, Brother Ji said to take you directly to his room, Mr. Xiaolu..."

Lu Tingchao: "Got it."

That useless Zhuang Ji, Auntie Zhang quitting, young Lu Doudou.

His messed-up life.

Lu Tingchao made a call.

A moment later.

Mo Lingnan’s calm voice came through: "I thought you were mad?"

Lu Tingchao parked outside the villa he shared with Zhuang Ji: "No. Mr. Mo is brilliant and powerful, incredibly handsome. If I had to say one more thing, it would be: Officer, I adore you."

Mo Lingnan: "Hmm."

Hmm????

This was urgent.

Lu Tingchao held back his temper: "Dear former Officer, I have one more request. My housekeeper is resigning, and I have to work. Could you..."

Mo Lingnan: "Take care of Doudou for a few days?"

Lu Tingchao clasped his hands together: "Pretty please, is that okay?"

"Sure. We have a housekeeper at home. Just bring his usual stuff when you bring him over."

Lu Tingchao hesitated for two seconds: "Okay, but... I need to head out now, Mo Lingnan. I’ll have Auntie Zhang pack up Lu Doudou’s things. Could you please go pick him up tonight..."

Mo Lingnan: "Got it."

Lu Tingchao: "!!!"

What a saint!

Lu Tingchao was so moved he could cry: "When I get back, I’ll definitely make it up to you big time!"

Mo Lingnan: "How heavily?"

Lu Tingchao: "I really love you; every word is genuine."

Lu Tingchao said confidently: "When I get back, I’ll sing for you in person, all night long."

Mo Lingnan: "..."

Mo Lingnan: "Okay."

Lu Tingchao: "???"

Is he really this accepting?

Lu Tingchao has always been someone who couldn’t keep his emotions to himself. With the problem solved, his mood naturally improved, and even the smile on his face carried more genuine warmth.

Lin Cheng has known about Lu Tingchao ever since he started working alongside Zhuang Ji.

Yet even after seeing him multiple times, each reunion still leaves Lin Cheng easily mesmerized by Lu Tingchao.

These days, fans often throw around the phrase "my wife is so pretty."

But Lin Cheng feels that Lu Tingchao is the one in this industry whose looks can truly be described with the word "beautiful."

Unlike Zhuang Ji’s handsomeness, clean-cut elegance, and sharp features,

Lu Tingchao’s beauty is universal, transcending gender, possessing both striking impact and lingering appeal.

So Lin Cheng has always secretly felt that it’s quite inappropriate for Zhuang Ji to leave Lu Tingchao alone at home… because looks like these really attract admirers.

Lu Tingchao switched from his own car to Lin Cheng’s, and before leaving, he didn’t forget to pick up that large pile of delivered camera lenses and equipment from the property management.

After takeoff and landing,

During the flight, Lu Tingchao fully adjusted the equipment, took a photo of the sky through the window, then patted Lin Cheng: "Beautiful, huh?"

Lin Cheng genuinely felt that Lu Tingchao was the prettiest, but didn’t dare say it: "Is Mr. Xiaolu going to film Brother Ji?"

"Ah… yeah."

Lu Tingchao nodded, packing the camera away, "By the way, does Zhuang Ji know that his pairing with Jiang Rong has been really popular lately?"

This question seemed a bit dangerous.

But seeing that Lu Tingchao looked unfazed, Lin Cheng didn’t make too much of it: "He knows. Jiang Rong’s company asked for his opinion, but he didn’t respond—probably to save face for the director. Mr. Xiaolu, don’t take it to heart."

Lu Tingchao scoffed: "Why would I be upset? It’s about making money—no shame in that."

The stage lights for the group variety show were already lit; aside from the warm-up music, the stage was temporarily empty.

Lin Cheng led Lu Tingchao through the noisy crowd of fans and sat him down in the center of the front row: "Mr. Xiaolu, I’ll come pick you up after the show ends."

"Okay."

It was a bit hot inside the venue.

After sitting for a while, Lu Tingchao felt he couldn’t take it anymore and got up to find a restroom to take off his inner shirt.

The restroom closest to the stage was jam-packed.

Lu Tingchao walked a bit further and finally found an empty one at the corner downstairs.

This was Haicheng’s best stage, with everything exquisitely and elegantly decorated.

A faint scent filled the air with a rich rose aroma.

He pushed the door open, rinsed his hands at the sink first, then undid the collar button of his shirt and was about to pull it down—

When a tall figure suddenly grabbed Lu Tingchao’s wrist from behind, pinning him against the sleek wall of the sink.

With the force of momentum, Lu Tingchao bumped right into that person’s embrace.

To be precise, against their firm abs.

Lu Tingchao: "!"

What followed was the sharp citrus scent of a perfume.

Voices suddenly came from outside the restroom.

The man paused, then seemingly yanked Lu Tingchao by the waist with force, pulling him into the nearest stall and sliding the lock shut behind them.