The system said：【Now that little An Zhe isn’t as gloomy as in the original story, as long as we help him make more friends in the parenting show and maintain a healthy, positive mindset, we should be able to prevent him from treating the female lead as a lifeline.】
An Shijiu listened while nodding.
The two—one human, one system—were in remarkable harmony.
Meanwhile, Director Li, who was alone in the café on the first floor, was suffering inwardly.
Although the entertainment industry claimed that traffic was king, relying on negative publicity was still looked down upon.
The two prospective guests he was currently contacting, although both were ordinary people, were at least respectable.
Especially that single mother, Ye Qingyin—gentle and refined, someone who left a good impression at first sight.
Her daughter, Ye Xuxu, was also lively and adorable, her voice soft and sweet enough to melt hearts.
Guests like them would definitely become the main drivers of traffic once the parenting show aired.
That was exactly what he wanted.
As for this internet celebrity mother and son, although he valued the popularity they had gained from riding on Film Emperor Shen’s fame—
Film Emperor Shen’s fans were notoriously aggressive. If things were not handled properly, the entire show could be dragged down.
Director Li stood up and checked the hidden camera inside the greenery beside him.
No one would have imagined that he had already started the livestream from the guest invitation stage.
Whether to take the risk of letting this mother and son join the show would depend on the audience’s reaction.
At this moment, the livestream room only had a few hundred viewers.
【Little Angel Xuxu】: It feels like the director’s expression changed after getting hung up on. That was really rude.
【User 3657】: Everyone’s here for the first livestream, right? The flop show’s director should thank the Ye mother and daughter—like blessings from heaven.
【User 132435】: That second guest, Shang He, said outright he came because of Ye Qingyin. He’s at least a well-known host, yet he has zero awareness of the camera.
【User 3657】: Not surprising. He’s fallen out of the spotlight and has probably been away from this environment too long.
【Little Angel Xuxu】: Xuxu’s mom seems to be a preschool teacher. Even Shang He got impressed by child psychology, haha~
【Yanjing the Unmatched】: Does this parenting show have no standards? They’re even using some random internet celebrity who clings to other artists for attention?
【Little Angel Xuxu】: Director, run! The Yanzi Army is coming!
Director Li remained completely unaware of all this.
He flipped through the questions he had prepared.
“Ding—”
The café’s glass door was pulled open.
A little boy, about five or six years old, walked in.
His porcelain-white face had strikingly delicate features. Most captivating of all was the way he looked at people—not like ordinary children who blinked their big eyes as if saying, “Love me~”
His pupils were an intense black, devoid of emotion.
This high-appearance, cool little child immediately drew everyone’s attention.
After taking a few steps forward, he suddenly turned back, revealing a sweet smile.
He stretched out his small hand. “Mom, will you hold my hand?”
Some nearby women were instantly charmed, smiling brightly.
However, the woman with the orange-pink bun hairstyle whom he warmly invited did not even raise an eyebrow. Expressionless, she took his hand.
The two stood there just like that.
Director Li was stunned by their looks.
They looked even better than in the video!
He quickly stood up. “Ms. An, over here!”
An Shijiu led An Zhe over.
“Please, have a seat.”
Director Li took out a tablet. “What would you like to drink? Besides coffee, we also have milk tea and cake for children.”
Food for her?
An Shijiu’s expression remained unchanged, but her eyes lit up. She casually glanced at him several times.
A big face, thick eyebrows, full lips, a flat nose… the more she looked, the more agreeable he seemed.
Having experience ordering at hotpot restaurants, she skillfully added a drink and a slice of cake for herself, then handed the tablet to An Zhe.
When An Zhe was focused, his brows would unconsciously furrow. He placed the tablet on the table and carefully scrolled through it with his fingers.
Although he was just ordering, he gave off the serious air of doing homework.
Finally, his brows relaxed. He tapped the plus sign next to fresh milk, then handed the tablet back.
Calmly, he said, “Thank you.”
Director Li looked at Ms. An, who seemed mentally absent, then at her son, who sat upright and proper.
He scratched the back of his head before handing the tablet to the waiter.
An Zhe noticed that the man’s black coat was draped over the chair beside him.
He recalled that when he had held his mother’s hand earlier, her palm had seemed a bit damp.
Leaning closer, he whispered, “Mom, if you’re hot, you can take off your coat.”
An Shijiu paused, touched her forehead, then nodded and removed her coat.
Assassins underwent special training; they were not very sensitive to heat, cold, or pain—so they could focus better when pursuing targets.
Director Li tried to keep his expression from stiffening. Perhaps he should start with some small talk?
The system urged anxiously：【Don’t just stare at each other awkwardly. It’s embarrassing. Say something!】
An Shijiu said, “What do you want to talk about?”
“Oh, my surname is Li. Um—well, I have a variety show here and would like to invite you to participate.”
“I agree.”
【User 3657】: The fastest guest to accept in this program has appeared!
【User 132435】: Just earning money whenever possible.
【Little Angel Xuxu】: Does no one think she’s rude? And is something wrong with her? She even needs such a young child to remind her? Compared to her, calling Ye Qingyin an educator isn’t an exaggeration!
【User 3657】: To be fair, that kid is really good-looking.
【Little Angel Xuxu】: What’s the use of a good-looking child with a mother like that?
Director Li was also stunned. “Aren’t you going to ask what kind of show it is?”
An Shijiu did not answer. He gave an awkward smile. “Let me introduce it to you. I also have a few questions.”
The show was called 《Cute Kids Adventure》.
There were five locations in total, all with harsh living conditions.
Each location lasted 30 days. Participants could only bring daily necessities and had to complete tasks to obtain supplies for survival.
Director Li said, “So the program requires a long time commitment, and we’ll be livestreaming the entire process. Are you okay with that?”
Five locations, 30 days each—150 days in total.
That was enough time to film two assembly-line dramas.
This was also why most people refused him.
“I’m okay with it.”
Director Li was not surprised. He picked up his notes. “If we’re going to collaborate, I need to understand the guests better. May I ask you a few questions?”
An Shijiu had already begun to frown.
In her life, conversations usually consisted of only two sentences:
“Who?”
“Where?”
Then—slash! slash! slash!
The system shouted anxiously：【Listen properly! Don’t cause trouble!】
An Shijiu took a deep breath. At least she was still alive now, not being gnawed on by wild dogs in a mass grave.
She could endure it.
“Go ahead.”
Director Li glanced subtly at the camera hidden in the greenery and cleared his throat.
“Is An Zhe really your child with Shen Yanjing?”
The system said：【This is your chance to fix things. Just say no—say it was for publicity!】
At that moment, the waiter suddenly arrived with a tray.
“Hello, your drinks and cake.”
An Shijiu looked at the small cake in front of her.
“Taking someone’s money means helping them resolve their troubles. Even a meal carries kindness—I cannot deceive him.”
The system said：【…If I had a body, I’d already be hitting you.】
An Shijiu scooped a bite of cake into her mouth.
The soft texture and rich milky flavor made her pupils instantly widen.
She nodded at Director Li. “Yes.”
【Little Angel Xuxu】: She may not understand manners, but she understands marketing.
【User 3657】: She doesn’t even know it’s livestreamed, yet she says the same thing privately—could it be true?
【Yanjing the Unmatched】: Are you crazy? Don’t drag our brother into this.
【User 132435】: Her looks really hold up. I think her expression while eating cake is so cute!
【Little Angel Xuxu】: Try eating something better.
Director Li deeply admired Ms. An’s thick skin.
If he had such confidence, what variety show couldn’t succeed?
As for her words—he did not believe a single one.
“Second question: do you have any special skills or talents?”
An Shijiu thought for a moment. “I’m skilled in many things. My best skill is chasing S—”
The system screamed：【Ah!! Shut up, you can’t say that!】
Director Li looked puzzled. “Chasing who? Blowing sand? Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”
An Shijiu picked up the spoon from the ceramic cup beside her. The water in it tasted bitter.
“I mean, I’m strong. Does that count as a talent?”
Then she pinched it lightly.
Under Director Li’s gaze, the sturdy metal spoon slowly bent into a U-shape.
Director Li: (⊙_⊙)?