Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu looked up at Xuan Zhixia with longing eyes, while Xuan Zhixia lowered his head and stared at them quietly for ten seconds.
Neither of them spoke first.
Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu felt that, apart from Yao Shuyue, the first person to kiss her mother, and Gao Shang, who always loved to compete with Mu Zhijun, Mu Zhijun and Meng Xiang were both asked by their parents if they wanted to kiss her or him.
The two children felt they had fallen behind the other children, so they hoped that Xuan Zhixia would take the initiative to ask them questions, so that they would feel more proud and be able to “get back at them”.
However, Xuan Zhixia did not want to have such close contact with them.
”Don’t look at me. I don’t like being kissed, and it’s unhygienic,” Xuan Zhixia said coldly.
Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu: “…”
Xuan Zhixia: “After all, I’m physically weak and can’t fight off those viruses.”
Upon hearing this, everyone else fell even more silent.
”oops……”
The two children stood in front of Xuan Zhixia, looking a little anxious.
Shang Jingshu said, “We brush our teeth, it’s very hygienic!”
Shang Jingqi opened his mouth wide in response: “Ah—”
Shang Jingshu added, “Besides, we won’t bite you, we’ll just give you a kiss! Just like other kids!”
Shang Jingqi closed his wide-open mouth and then suggested, “Well, how about you kiss us? We’re not worried about your hygiene!”
Xuan Zhixia, his heart as hard as stone, still shook his head: “No, it’s even less hygienic.”
Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu: “…”
”Hahahaha!” Gao Shang burst into a series of cheerful laughs. “You guys got rejected! I’ll just…”
Shang Bishu quickly covered Gao Shang’s mouth, preventing him from finishing his mocking words.
”Brother Gaoshang didn’t mean that, please don’t misunderstand…” Shang Bishu explained to Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu in a dry manner.
At this moment, Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu had no time to argue with Gao Shang. They were a little anxious, feeling wronged after being rejected repeatedly and being ridiculed, all while being watched by so many children and adults… Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu’s eyes were red, and they looked like they were about to cry.
Standing next to Yao Qingqian, Yao Shuyue was puzzled. She tilted her head and asked her mother in a low voice, “Mom, why don’t Brother Qiqi and Sister Shushu’s fathers kiss?”
Yao Qingqian patted her daughter’s head and shook her head slightly to signal her not to say anything more.
Xuan Zhixia looked at the two children in front of him, and then at Shang Shuji, who was standing next to him but was very calm and composed, as if it were none of his business. He was very confused about the current situation.
”Your father is right here, why are you only looking for me?” Xuan Zhixia asked Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu.
The two children just looked pitiful and didn’t say a word.
Xuan Zhixia looked at Shang Shuji again and found that this man was even more indifferent than him, their stepfather. It seemed that even if the two children really cried, he would just say coldly, “Crying is useless.”
After thinking for a moment, Xuan Zhixia asked Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu, “How much do you two weigh?”
Although they didn’t understand why Xuan Zhixia asked this question, they still answered it.
Shang Jingqi: “I weigh 35 kilograms.”
Shang Jingshu: “I weigh thirty-three…”
Xuan Zhixia nodded slightly: “Alright, but I should remind you first that I can only last for five seconds at most. Whether you want to seize the opportunity or not is up to you.”
”Huh?” The two children were a little confused.
The others didn’t quite understand what Xuan Zhixia meant either.
Xuan Zhixia squatted down, picked up the slightly lighter Shang Jingshu first, and carried her directly to Shang Shuji’s side: “Kiss him.”
With Xuan Zhixia’s height advantage from the hug, Shang Jingshu could easily kiss Shang Shuji’s face, as long as Shang Shuji didn’t dodge in any other direction.
Shang Jingshu immediately understood Xuan Zhixia’s meaning. Her eyes lit up, and when she noticed that Shang Shuji hadn’t dodged, she quickly kissed Shang Shuji on the cheek.
Shang Shuji felt slightly helpless, but he really couldn’t stay out of it any longer.
Xuan Zhixia was exhausted. When he put Shang Jingshu down, he almost lost his balance and couldn’t stand up immediately. He subconsciously reached out to the side for support, but Shang Shuji helped him up by the arm.
Xuan Zhixia was slightly taken aback, turned his head to look, and just then heard Shang Shuji comment: “People who try to be strong will cause trouble for others.”
Xuan Zhixia: “…”
He was about to reply when suddenly his cheeks felt hot.
Shang Jingshu quickly kissed Xuan Zhixia on the face, as Xuan Zhixia was half-squatting and had not yet stood up, making it convenient.
After the kiss, Shang Jingshu immediately stepped aside, her big eyes wide with a hint of guilt, and said, “Uncle, I’m really hygienic, don’t worry…”
Seeing this, the lonely Shang Jingqi became even more anxious. He hadn’t been able to be picked up by Xuan Zhixia to kiss Shang Shuji, nor had he been able to kiss Xuan Zhixia himself; now he was at the bottom of the list of all the children!
In his haste, Shang Jingqi took advantage of the fact that Xuan Zhixia hadn’t straightened up yet and quickly kissed Xuan Zhixia on the other cheek.
Xuan Zhixia: “…”
”Uncle, don’t be afraid!” Shang Jingqi said, feigning composure. “If you really get sick, we’ll take care of you!”
Xuan Zhixia was still a little out of breath from carrying Shang Jingshu. Fortunately, Shang Shuji didn’t pull his hand away, so Xuan Zhixia used the support to slowly stand up.
Shang Shuji lowered his eyes slightly and glanced at the spot where the two had touched.
”You all just hope I don’t get sick,” Xuan Zhixia said helplessly.
Seeing that he didn’t seem angry, the two children were quite pleased.
Then, Shang Jingqi glanced at Shang Shuji somewhat awkwardly and absentmindedly… Clearly, Shang Jingshu had just kissed father, so Shang Jingqi wanted the same treatment now.
After looking at Shang Shuji, Shang Jingqi continued looking Xuan Zhixia.
Xuan Zhixia shook his head slightly: “Don’t count on me. I overestimated myself. I’ve already exhausted all my strength.”
Shang Jingqi could only pout and say regretfully, “Oh…”
Then he continued to look at Shang Shuji, still not saying a word.
Shang Jingshu was in a good mood and had become a little bolder. Seeing Shang Jingqi’s nervous yet expectant expression, she blinked and mustered her courage to speak to Shang Shuji: “Um… Dad… could you squat down a little?”
Shang Shuji’s expression remained unchanged. Upon hearing this, he glanced at Shang Jingshu, then calmly looked at Shang Jingqi.
Shang Jingqi pursed his lips and mustered his courage: “Dad…can you get down a little?”
Shang Shuji then complied with Shang Jingqi’s expectations, bending down to allow Shang Jingqi to kiss him on the cheek.
Now, the two children, having gotten their wish, gave each other a silent “Yay!”
Anyone present could see that the two of them were very happy.
”By the way, Uncle, you don’t look down on us, do you?” Shang Jingshu asked Xuan Zhixia, looking up at her.
Xuan Zhixia had already pulled his arm out of Shang Shuji’s hand and was using a wet wipe he always carried with him to gently wipe the spot on his face where he had just been kissed.
Hearing the child’s question, he calmly shook his head.
Shang Jingqi immediately and confidently brought up past grievances, looking at Gao Shang and scoffing, “We weren’t disliked! You’re lying!”
Gao Shang immediately snorted, “I wasn’t wrong! Your stepfather is still wiping his face right now!”
Gao Feng and Shang Bishu tried to cover Gao Shang’s mouth again, but this time Gao Shang was smarter and dodged to the side. Gao Feng and Shang Bishu couldn’t run around like him, so they could only smile apologetically.
Shang Jingshu retorted loudly, “No, that’s not true! Our uncle is just very clean!”
Gao Shang shouted even louder: “That just means you’re not clean! Dirty children!”
Shang Jingqi shouted even louder: “You’re the dirty child! You even know how to roll around on the ground and cry!”
Gao Shang was furious: “You’re bullying me again! I only cried once yesterday, and you keep saying it, you’re bullying me! No wonder you are disliked!”
Shang Jingshu glared at him: “I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you! You’re a stingy little crybaby, a bad kid! We weren’t rejected! We got to kiss two dads! You only got to kiss one!”
The three children were playing around and making a lot of noise.
Children kissing their parents on the cheek to say goodbye is a trivial matter, but the children present rushed to create a sense of “ritual,” which may seem a bit ridiculous to many adults, and even to older children, it may seem “too childish.”
But for the children present, it was very important.
Immediately, Yao Shuyue tugged at her mother’s hand: “Mommy, Mommy, hurry up, let me kiss you one more time!”
After getting kissed, Yao Shuyue exclaimed cheerfully, “I got kissed twice too!”
Mu Zhijun raised her hand: “Then I want one too!”
Meng Xiang shyly followed up in a low voice, “I…I want to too…”
Shang Jingqi pointed at Gao Shang: “Hmph! See that? You’re the most backward right now!”
Gao Shang immediately let out two loud cries and ran to his parents, whom he had been hiding from, jumping up and down anxiously, saying, “I don’t want to be last!”
Finally, this collective “comparison” ended. The parents found it both fun and frustrating, so they quickly asked the production crew to take their children away to prevent the “comparison” from starting again.
Because they are going to play “hide-and-seek,” the children and their parents will now separate and start from different directions. After fifteen minutes, the game will officially begin.
If the children can find their parents before 5 o’clock, they can receive a toy prepared by the program team.
”Dad, Uncle, bye-bye!” Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu were unusually lively at this moment, waving to Shang Shuji and Xuan Zhixia.
The chattering children were finally gone, and Xuan Zhixia breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that the world was finally quiet.
Shang Shuji walked beside Xuan Zhixia, glanced at him slightly, and said unhurriedly, “If you hadn’t made a fuss, they would have left long ago.”
Xuan Zhixia: “…Mr. Shang, no one has ever told you that you have a very unpleasant way of speaking, has that been the case?”
Shang Shuji did not answer, but skipped to the next topic: “You can’t even stand being kissed on the cheek by a child, but I’ve never seen you starve to death when you eat at the same table with other people.”
Xuan Zhixia was speechless for a moment before calmly saying, “When there are many people, like at dinner last night, there will be serving chopsticks. If others don’t have serving chopsticks, I will bring it up. When there are few people, it’s okay if there are no serving chopsticks; I can pay attention to the direction I pick up the food myself. Mr. Shang, you are a pragmatist, so you should talk less.”
Shang Shuji: “…”
Inside the live stream—
[Hahaha, less talk, more action!]
[Let alone someone like Xuan Zhixia who is in poor health and prefers quiet, those kids were all calling for their mom and dad, it gave me a headache.]
[Kids like to play, they get together and compare all sorts of things. I’ll save this clip for when they’re a little older, hahaha]
[Xuan Zhixia just directly refused to let the two children kiss him. Wasn’t he afraid of being scolded?]
[And then wiping his face with a wet wipe after being kissed…]
[I think it’s a good thing. Worrying about so-called politeness and being considerate can make you uncomfortable, which is quite annoying. But seeing that he actually did it, I still think he was a bit bold, especially since people were watching.]
[Emmm, my thoughts are a bit… suggestive…]
[Hahaha, I was thinking the same thing! It’s really hard not to think about it! Xuan Zhixia can’t even stand being kissed on the cheek, what will he do during “that” time?]
[Let me tell you a secret: my wife doesn’t let anyone kiss him because he’s afraid I’ll be upset if I sees him. He’s usually very clingy around me, um!]
[Aren’t Gao Feng and Bi Shu going to discipline Gao Shang? Gao Shang doesn’t get along well with the other children. This isn’t good for him. He’s still young, and his personality can probably be corrected.]
[It seems they don’t want to manage it, and they don’t know how to manage it either.]
[Mr. Shang doesn’t seem to care much about Qiqi and Shushu, but his indifference is different from that of Gao Shang’s parents. Qiqi and Shushu are also very different from Gao Shang himself… Raising children is too complicated. I’ll just stick to raising cats online!]
[I’m just virtually raising a dog, hahaha! I’m not interested in human babies; I’m only watching this show for the celebrity families and to see what happens.]
[I feel that after what just happened, Qiqi and Shushu probably like Xuan Zhixia more. After being “encouraged” by Xuan Zhixia, both children dared to act cute with President Shang.]
[Although her attempts to be cute were weak, at least she took the first step?]
[It was an unintended consequence, but it inadvertently fostered a stronger bond between the two children and President Shang.]
The adults had agreed that tonight’s dinner would be at the home of Mu Zhijun’s parents, Mu Xi and Fang Yuejun, a couple of Yue Opera artists.
Just like last night, each family brought some ingredients with them.
Shang Shuji and Xuan Zhixia had run out of food at home, so after traveling with the other guests for a while, they went off on their own to ask a villager if they could buy some vegetables.
”You’ll be in charge of communication,” Shang Shuji said.
Xuan Zhixia walked forward slowly: “Well, you’re in charge of paying and putting in the effort.”
The living expenses and red envelopes given by the production team are all with Shang Shuji.
Shang Shuji: “It sounds like I’m at a disadvantage.”
Xuan Zhixia smiled and said, “Don’t worry, it won’t be any worse than going out shopping alone yesterday.”
Shang Shuji: “…Didn’t your fortune teller say that you shouldn’t go out today?”
Xuan Zhixia calmly replied, “I’ll ask later.”
Shang Shuji: “…”
Like many rural areas, Liangshan Village is a place where you can hardly see any young people. There are mostly elderly people and children, but most of them are preschoolers who play together in groups without any supervision.
When these children get a little older, some will be taken to live with their parents and attend school, while others will remain in the village. However, it is not school dismissal time now, nor is it summer vacation for other grades besides kindergarten, so you can hardly see any older children.
Overall, not many people still live in the village, and you can always see fields lying uncultivated along the roadside. The elderly who remain in the village, having spent their lives farming, are still habitually restless and always want to do something, no matter how old they are.
It’s the busy farming season, and there are very few villagers at home in the afternoon. Even if they don’t go to the fields, they usually carry some work with them and go out to sit and chat with their neighbors.
Xuan Zhixia walked slowly and unhurriedly, and Shang Shuji did not urge him. After walking for a while, they finally came across a house with its door open, where people were not in a hurry to go out and were willing to sell vegetables to them.
They only had what vegetables were available, with little room for choice. After agreeing on the price, the family brought out a large bag and had Shang Shuji and Xuan Zhixia go directly to the field with them.
The villagers were picking, digging, and pulling in the fields, while Shang Shuji and Xuan Zhixia stood idly on the edge of the field, only able to endure the curious stares of a few village children—these children had originally been playing by the roadside, but probably became curious about the strangers and the camera, so they followed them over.
”Uncle, are you the people the village chief was talking about who’s going to be on TV?” a child asked.
Shang Shuji remained calm and composed, seemingly oblivious to the noise of the world around him.
Xuan Zhixia nodded and replied gently, “Probably.”
“Is it fun to be on TV?”
Xuan Zhixia countered, “Do you guys think it’s fun?”
”That’s fun! Uncle, is that the big thing filming? Can we be on TV too?”
Before Xuan Zhixia could answer, the children cheered and jumped for joy.
“Wow! Can we be on TV too?”
”Great! I can see myself on TV!”
”I can also call my mom and dad to see!”
”Uncle, when will this TV program air?”
Xuan Zhixia did not explain to them in detail the differences between variety shows and TV dramas, as well as the differences between live broadcasts and pre-recorded broadcasts, and between online platform broadcasts and television programming.
He replied gently, “I’m not quite sure either; it’s not up to me to decide.”
There was an answer, but no real response. However, judging from his attitude alone, one wouldn’t suspect that he was being perfunctory; the answer itself made him seem quite honest.
Shang Shuji glanced at Xuan Zhixia casually.
The children were a little disappointed by Xuan Zhixia’s answer, but they quickly cheered up and continued to ask questions out of curiosity.
The villager who sold vegetables to Xuan Zhixia and Shang Shuji came out of the field with his bag of vegetables, and they were about to leave.
One of the children stared at Shang Shuji and asked him curiously, “Uncle, are you this uncle’s boss? My dad used to say that bosses never talk outside and have to act mysterious! It’s the employees who have to talk all the time!”
Shang Shuji: “…”
Xuan Zhixia chuckled, then went along with the child’s idea, saying, “That’s right, he’s my boss, and I’m his little brother who carries his bags.”
Shang Shuji paid the villagers for the vegetables, then picked up the bag and coldly called to him, “Let’s go.”
After buying the groceries, Shang Shuji and Xuan Zhixia went back to their “home” to put the groceries down before heading out again to a densely populated area of the village.
They met up with the other parents, and shortly after the group assembled, they were found by the children who were also traveling together.
Seeing the six children from the five families running towards him, Xuan Zhixia breathed a sigh of relief. He was already tired and didn’t want to move anymore. Now that the “hide-and-seek” game was over, it meant he could rest soon.
Not far away, Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu ran side by side, discussing as they ran.
”Sister Junjun, think about it, Yueyue, and… that naughty kid, don’t they all run over and hug their mom and dad?”
”So…should we hug?”
”If the first child to reach us gets a hug, then we’ll hug them too!”
”Okay, let’s run a little slower, so we don’t get there first… Should we hug Daddy or Uncle?”
”How about we each take one?”
”But Dad and Uncle might not want us to hold them…”
”No, we must take the initiative to fight for it!”
”Hmm…that’s right! Just like how Uncle and Dad acted before playing hide-and-seek!”
”That’s right! As long as we take the initiative, they won’t refuse!”
”The two adults in my family are just a bit shy…”
The reason these six children chose to run towards their parents wasn’t just because they were excited to see them. The key reason was Gao Shang – as soon as he saw his parents, Gao Shang ran out first, shouting that he would definitely be number one this time.
The other children were influenced and, without really understanding what was happening, started this spontaneous running race.
This time, Gao Shang finally got his wish and became the first place winner. He was the first to run to his parents, and because of the momentum of running, he fell directly into his father’s arms.
Soon, Mu Zhijun also rushed into her mother Fang Yuejun’s arms.
Gao Shang shouted at her, “I won this time!”
Panting, Mu Zhijun retorted defiantly, “No way! You’re cheating! You ran away first!”
Gao Shang: “Anyway, I won! I just won! Humph!”
Because Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu were talking as they ran, they didn’t run as fast as Meng Xiang this time.
Seeing Meng Xiang rush into his temporary father Lin Zhaoshui’s arms like a swallow returning to its nest, Xuan Zhixia glanced at Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu, who were already very close, and reasonably suspected that the two of them were also going to rush into someone. Even if they didn’t want to, they would inevitably lose control.
”Mr. Shang, step forward and block him.” Just in case, Xuan Zhixia had already taken two steps back and then walked behind Shang Shuji.
Shang Shuji: “…”
He didn’t say anything until Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu were almost within reach. Only then did Shang Shuji move his feet without a word, causing the two children, who neither wanted to stop, to bump straight into Xuan Zhixia.
Shang Shuji had already walked behind Xuan Zhixia and was standing there steadily.
Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu, weighing 35 jin and 33 jin respectively, pounced on each other with momentum. Whether Xuan Zhixia was willing to catch them or not would not affect the outcome—because Xuan Zhixia was completely unable to catch them.
He was knocked backward.
Shang Shuji raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that he had forgotten this was a beauty lamp.
Xuan Zhixia lost control and fell backward, bumping into Shang Shuji, who hadn’t dodged. Shang Shuji then helped him up with his strong hands.
Shang Shuji said, “Stand firm, and don’t try to extort money from your boss.”
Xuan Zhixia: “…”
The two children, Shang Jingqi and Shang Jingshu, did not expect this to happen. They bumped into Xuan Zhixia, almost causing him to fall. The two children also lost their balance and wobbled back and forth before finally sitting on the ground.
They scrambled to their feet, not even bothering to check their bottoms, and asked Xuan Zhixia guiltily, “Uncle, are you alright?”
Xuan Zhixia steadied himself, looked down at the two children, and sighed softly, “It’s alright, I haven’t fallen yet.”