Chapter 22
Lu Tingchuan’s eyes widened. What did she mean by he’s completely useless? Where did his usually obedient, well-behaved son go?! Had he been spending too much time with that Mo Jia’ang kid? His precious boy used to never talk like this—and what was with that disgusted little look in his eyes!
Xia Shi couldn’t help but laugh, shaking the cup of milk in her hand. “There’s no ice cream, but I do have milk—Mom just made fresh strawberry milk! It’s warm!”
When it came to things Xia Shi made, Lu Xuan was always full of enthusiasm. Hearing this, his eyes lit up again.
Xia Shi handed him the cup of milk. Lu Tingchuan frowned and asked, “Where’s mine?”
Xia Shi shot him a sideways glance, then winked at their son. “Mom made it especially for you. Daddy doesn’t get any.”
The little guy looked even happier. Lu Tingchuan’s expression turned tragic—utterly defeated.
“This time, the youngest one on the show will be little Yuan Yuan,” he said. “She really likes you, you know. You’ll have to take good care of her.”
Lu Xuan blinked, caught off guard by his dad’s sudden topic shift. He thought for a moment, then nodded. “I’ll take care of her. But I’m worried about Brother Fang Fang. Every time Yuan Yuan and I play together, he gets mad.”
Lu Tingchuan raised a brow. “Do you know why he gets mad?”
Lu Xuan frowned. “He thinks I’m stealing his sister. But even though Yuan Yuan’s really nice, she’s still someone else’s sister. I don’t want to steal her—I want my own sister.”
Lu Tingchuan froze, replaying his son’s words in his head. Then he looked toward the kitchen where Xia Shi was bustling about, and the corners of his mouth curved into a small smile. He walked over and saw a cup of warm milk sitting on the counter—clearly meant for him. Picking it up, he took a sip, narrowed his eyes at Xia Shi, and said, “And you said I didn’t get any.”
Xia Shi glared at him. “You’re always bullying him! You know you’re in the wrong, and you still have the nerve to act all tough!”
Feeling a little guilty, Lu Tingchuan rubbed his nose and, blocking the camera with his back, slipped one hand around Xia Shi’s waist and the other over her stomach. In a low voice, he asked, “Feeling better?”
Xia Shi shook her head lightly. “I’m fine now.”
Her cramps usually only lasted the first day. Hearing that, Lu Tingchuan sighed in relief.
At six thirty, calls came in from both sets of parents. Lu Jingshan (his father) kept it brief—just checking in and reminding them to travel safely. Xia Shi’s mother, however, was another story—she went on and on, especially after hearing Lu Xuan shouting “Grandma! Grandma!” while clinging to Xia Shi’s arm.
“Xuan Xuan, sweetheart, do you miss Grandma?”
“Mm-hmm!”
Xia Shi had no choice but to turn on the speakerphone.
Her mother immediately started complaining, “Oh, I can’t believe your mother just let your father take you two by himself! I’ve been worrying all day! I wanted to call earlier, but it would’ve been the middle of the night for you. Can your dad even take care of a kid properly? He can’t even make porridge without filling my kitchen with smoke! I once asked him to watch the soup for me, and he boiled it dry! He can even burn a steak to charcoal! What are you two going to eat while you’re gone? Your father—”
Xia Shi leaned against the wall, hiding her laughter. Lu Tingchuan couldn’t take it anymore and cut her off. “Mom! Mom! The film crew is right here—they can hear everything, and it’s all being recorded! Please, spare me a little dignity!”
There was a long pause on the other end. Then, “The crew’s already there? Why didn’t you say so earlier! Fine, that part doesn’t count—tell them to edit it out! I’ll call back and redo it!”
Before Lu Tingchuan could say anything, the line went dead, leaving only the busy tone.
This mother-in-law of his—what a whirlwind.
Sure enough, a few moments later, the phone rang again. Xia Shi and Lu Xuan picked up as if the previous call had never happened. After a round of cheerful greetings, Grandma’s voice rose an octave, brimming with excitement.
“Sweetheart, you’re going on a trip with Daddy—are you happy? Look at him, isn’t your dad amazing? He’s so handsome, he can act, he makes money, he takes care of you, dresses you, washes your face—and oh, right, he can even boil water! Isn’t Daddy the best, most handsome, most talented dad in the whole wide world?”
Lu Xuan just stood there, completely dazed. The film crew tried not to laugh, and Xia Shi, though she tried to hold it in, finally burst out laughing.
Lu Tingchuan glanced at her doubled over with laughter, grabbed the phone from Lu Xuan’s hand, and said, “Mom, that’s enough!”
“What do you mean enough! I still have a lot more to say!”
“Mom, really, it’s enough!”
Finally, she hung up, sounding reluctant. Lu Tingchuan wiped the sweat from his brow in relief.
Xia Shi, still giggling, handed Lu Xuan his little Mickey backpack. “Mommy made two boxes of snacks—one for you when you’re hungry, and one for your friends. Remember to share, okay?”
“Mommy made them herself! Awesome!”
Lu Tingchuan peeked inside the bag—sure enough, only two boxes. He frowned. “So there really isn’t one for me this time?”
Not just another “no milk for you” joke?
Xia Shi shot him a look, and he pouted, visibly sulking. Even his gaze toward Lu Xuan carried a hint of jealousy. He ruffled the boy’s hair. “Go upstairs and check your luggage one more time—it’s almost time to leave.”
Of course, everything was already packed. It was just an excuse to double-check. Xia Shi followed him upstairs and opened the suitcase. “I packed Xuan Xuan’s clothes in mesh bags, labeled for different weather. It gets cold in the mornings and evenings, so bring an extra jacket. His pens and homework stuff are in that blue suitcase with the formula and other supplies.”
“I got it. You’ve told me, like, five times already. I’m not that useless.”
Xia Shi paused mid-task, looked up at him lightly, then tilted her head back toward the ceiling with a sigh.
Lu Xuan came in dragging his little suitcase in one hand and holding his huge Baymax plushie in the other. “I’m ready!”
His luggage had been prepped long ago, of course—he only needed to pick two toys. But now the suitcase was full of toys, and Baymax was bigger than he was.
Lu Tingchuan was speechless. “Do you really need that many?”
“Yes!” Lu Xuan said firmly. “The toys aren’t just for me! I brought Lightning McQueen for Brother Fang Fang and Star Wars toys for Mo Jia’ang! And Baymax—I have to bring him, I sleep with him every night!”
Lu Tingchuan wanted to tell him that the show crew would confiscate everything, but he couldn’t give that away—it hadn’t been mentioned to the parents yet. So he could only try to persuade gently, saying the trip would be inconvenient and the luggage too heavy. Lu Xuan looked down at his things, torn.
With a sigh, Lu Tingchuan relented. “If you really want to bring them, fine—but you have to carry them yourself. Daddy won’t help.”
Lu Xuan nodded solemnly and began inching forward under the weight of his gear. His suitcase wasn’t that big or heavy, but for a five-year-old, it might as well have been a mountain. Baymax alone blocked half his vision, so he had to look down carefully and take each step slowly.
The cameraman and the female director both watched anxiously. She couldn’t help asking, “Mr. Lu, you’re really not going to help him?”
Lu Tingchuan stood behind, arms crossed, perfectly calm. “He insisted on carrying it himself—so he should do it himself.”
The director winced. The stairs weren’t high—it was just a two-story apartment—but still, what if he fell? The stairs were carpeted, thankfully, but she still worried.
“Ah!”
Sure enough, he slipped—fell one step down, landing on Baymax, with the suitcase on top of him.
The director’s heart jumped. She looked to the parents. Xia Shi flinched but stayed where she was, leaning against the railing. Lu Tingchuan looked down and called, “Xuan Xuan, just three more steps—come on, you can do it!”
Encouraged, Lu Xuan stood back up and kept going. What usually took him ten seconds took nearly ten minutes, but at last, he managed to get both Baymax and the suitcase downstairs.
Standing proudly in the living room, he looked up at his father. “Daddy, I did it! I did it all by myself!”
Seeing his son’s face full of joy, both parents smiled brightly.
The young director, who didn’t have kids herself, suddenly understood—if you’ve never experienced hardship, you can’t know how sweet success feels.
Compared to Lu Xuan’s struggle, Lu Tingchuan made carrying two massive suitcases and a backpack look effortless—taking two or three stairs at a time. The director’s heart practically screamed, So manly! Clearly, this guy worked out. Did he have abs? Eight-pack, maybe? She suddenly wanted to see—oh no, get it together!
When it came time to say goodbye, Xia Shi expected Lu Xuan to cling to her. But the little guy was excited—practically bouncing. She felt a pang of sadness.
Lu Tingchuan smiled, leaned close, and whispered, “Xuan Xuan’s fine letting go—but I’m not. I already miss you and haven’t even left yet.”
Xia Shi gave him a playful glare.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and stole a quick kiss. Remembering the cameras, he barely brushed her lips—a dragonfly touch—and whispered, “Wait for me.”
Just then, Lu Xuan, dragging his suitcase and clutching Baymax, reached the elevator and pressed the button. Turning back, he saw them and shouted, “I want a goodbye kiss too!”
Before he could reach them, Lu Tingchuan scooped him up under one arm. “Let’s go! We’ll be late!”
“But Mommy didn’t kiss me goodbye yet—!”
Ding!
The elevator doors opened. Lu Tingchuan dropped Lu Xuan and the luggage inside, blocking the exit with the suitcase. The doors slid shut, cutting off Lu Xuan’s voice…
