Chapter 33
The So-Called Wish
This morning’s breakfast came without any games from the show crew — everyone got their food quickly and cheerfully. After eating, the five families gathered at the clearing in front of House No. 3 and followed the village chief to the filming site.
On the mountain above this small village was an abandoned temple. Though the temple had long fallen into disrepair, behind it was a natural spring that had been renovated into what they now called the “Wishing Pool.”
There was a local legend: the temple had once been very prosperous, with worshippers flocking to it. The spring had flowed for thousands of years without ever drying up — a sign of divine protection. It was said that if you threw a coin into the spring and shouted out your wish, the spirits would help make it come true.
Since the crew was filming here, naturally they had to visit the site. But even such a simple thing couldn’t escape being turned into an elaborate game.
Xia Shi looked at the joint costume she and Lu Tingchuan were forced to wear — a two-person suit — then at the obstacle course ahead of them. Her head was already throbbing. The suit was loose enough, but the range of movement for each person was limited. Crossing a balance beam, tire pits, and a small water pool to reach the finish line first looked like quite a challenge.
Lu Tingchuan leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Don’t worry. I have a secret weapon.”
Xia Shi blinked. Before she could ask what it was, the village chief blew his whistle — the race had begun. She hadn’t even reacted before her feet left the ground. Lu Tingchuan had lifted her up and dashed forward.
The fathers were all quite athletic, but the mothers inevitably slowed them down. One by one, couples slipped off the narrow bridge, and the Mo couple, who had been leading, fell behind after Mo Mama tripped in the tire section.
Laughter filled the air. Just then, Lu Tingchuan shot past like the wind. Without Xia Shi slowing him down — since he was carrying her — he sprinted smoothly through the course like a soldier charging into battle, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
Ye Zheng was the first to notice. “Lu Tingchuan, you’re cheating!” he shouted.
Then, refusing to lose, he scooped up Ye Mama and started running too.
Lu Tingchuan glanced back, crashed into Ye Zheng just enough to throw him off balance — and Ye Zheng toppled straight into the water pit. Lu Tingchuan gave him a cheeky wink and kept going. The other fathers caught on and tried to imitate him, but they were too late. Lu Tingchuan and Xia Shi reached the finish line first, claiming the little red victory flag.
Ye Zheng climbed out of the water, dripping and indignant. “Lu Tingchuan! That’s cheating! Village chief, he broke the rules! Do-over!”
Lu Tingchuan crossed his arms. “The rules said we have to stay in the joint suit and reach the finish line together — which we did. It didn’t say I couldn’t carry her. Don’t blame me just because you weren’t smart enough.”
Ye Zheng felt like he’d taken a thousand points of damage.
The village chief laughed heartily and turned to the six kids. “Well, little ones, do you think that counts as cheating?”
Lu Xuan, of course, sided with his parents. Yuan Yuan also supported him without hesitation. “Uncle Lu and Aunt Xia are the best!”
Fang Fang was furious. “My mom and dad were bullied, and you’re helping them? You’re so dumb!”
Yuan Yuan glared back. “You’re the dumb one! Your whole family’s dumb!”
Everyone blinked — wasn’t that… also her family? So she was calling herself dumb too?
Ye Zheng covered his face with a sigh. “Ah, daughters grow up and can’t be kept anymore.”
Fang Fang pointed at him urgently. “See, Daddy’s angry!”
Playing along, Ye Zheng put on a hurt, angry face. Yuan Yuan ran over and hugged his leg, smiling sweetly. “Daddy, I think you look super handsome today! And your clothes look really nice too!”
Ye Zheng looked down at his soaked, mud-streaked outfit. Uh… calling this nice? His daughter was really trying hard to comfort him.
“Daddy, even though Uncle Lu and Aunt Xia are awesome, you’re awesome too!”
Uh… did she really have to add that first part?
Ye Mama burst out laughing.
The game didn’t continue — there was no need. It had only been for fun, and it wasn’t as if the losing families were going to be banned from visiting the Wishing Pool. Since Lu Xuan’s family had won the chance, he generously invited all the other families to come along.
The village chief handed out coins. Lu Xuan leaned close and whispered, “Uncle Chief, does this really make wishes come true?”
“Of course it does!”
Lu Xuan’s eyes lit up, and he smiled secretly.
The kids started making their wishes enthusiastically.
“I want to eat strawberry cake every day!” — That was little foodie Yuan Yuan.
“I want to be a Sanda (kickboxing) champion like my dad!” — That was proud, competitive Mo Jia’ang.
“I want my little sister to stop following Lu Xuan everywhere!” — That was overprotective big brother Fang Fang.
“I want to be a host like my dad!” — Said the eldest, Yu Xiangwan.
“I want to be as amazing as my dad!” — From the ever-admiring Betty.
Then it was Lu Xuan’s turn. His voice was the loudest, and his wish the most unique.
“I want a little sister! My own sister!”
Everyone’s heads immediately turned toward Lu Tingchuan and Xia Shi.
Ye Zheng laughed teasingly. “Xuan Xuan, that’s not a wish for the pool — that’s something you need to talk to your parents about.”
Lu Xuan looked back at his parents, eyes shining. Lu Tingchuan smiled meaningfully at Xia Shi. “Daddy will do his best to make your wish come true — but Mommy has to help too, right, Mommy?”
That last line was clearly aimed at Xia Shi. She shot him a glare and turned away. Seriously, did he have to say that in front of everyone?
Lu Xuan threw himself into her arms. “Mommy, I want a little sister! I’ll be a good big brother!”
Flustered, Xia Shi picked him up and turned away quickly. “We’ll talk about it at home — let’s go home first!”
Lu Tingchuan chuckled softly and followed behind.
Lunch had to be cooked by the families themselves. Xia Shi took charge while Lu Tingchuan helped, and the kids played outside.
“Shouldn’t you check on Xuan Xuan?” she asked, a bit worried.
“No need,” Lu Tingchuan said. “They’re all together, and there are plenty of people watching them.”
She nodded — true enough. Each child had a cameraman and two staff members following to prevent accidents.
Speak of the devil — Lu Xuan peeked around the kitchen doorway, then quickly hid again. A moment later he peeked once more, gripping the doorframe nervously. “Mommy, can you come here for a second? I need to tell you something.”
The way he kept sneaking glances at Lu Tingchuan made both adults pause.
“Can’t you tell Daddy?” Lu Tingchuan asked. “Did you get into trouble?”
Lu Xuan lowered his head, scratching at the doorframe anxiously. “Daddy, if I tell you, you have to promise you won’t be mad, okay?”
Lu Tingchuan blinked. He’d just been joking, but from the boy’s expression, it seemed something serious had really happened.
He exchanged a look with Xia Shi. She motioned with her chin for him to handle it. Setting down the vegetables, Lu Tingchuan wiped his hands and sat down, pulling his son onto his lap. “Daddy has to know what happened first before deciding whether to be angry.”
Lu Xuan pressed his lips together, then confessed in a small voice, “I hurt Huahua. I hit her with a stick. I didn’t see there was a nail in it, and it poked her belly. She bled.”
Huahua was the homeowner’s Shiba Inu puppy — only a few months old.
Lu Tingchuan was stunned. Lu Xuan wasn’t the type to hurt animals. He’d grown up around pets in America — the neighbors all had cats and dogs — and he’d always played gently with them. In the U.S., animal abuse was a crime; he knew that.
Frowning slightly, Lu Tingchuan kept his tone calm. “Didn’t Daddy tell you that when you play with Huahua, you have to be gentle? Can you tell me why you hit her with a stick?”
Lu Xuan kept his head down, staring at his toes. “I was wrong,” he whispered. Tears silently rolled down his cheeks, but he didn’t explain further.
Lu Tingchuan glanced toward the nearby staff.
The female director quickly explained, “Lu Xuan and Yuan Yuan were playing with Huahua. Yuan Yuan kept tugging Huahua’s ears — she probably hurt the dog. Huahua got scared and chased Yuan Yuan, barking and trying to bite. Yuan Yuan was crying and running away. Lu Xuan stood in front of her and yelled at Huahua, but the dog didn’t stop and jumped toward Yuan Yuan, so Lu Xuan…”
Lu Xuan jumped in quickly. “It wasn’t Yuan Yuan’s fault! She didn’t mean to. She just wanted to play with Huahua.”
Yuan Yuan was only four years old — too young to know better. Kids often tug on animals’ tails or ears, not realizing they’re hurting them. The animal reacts instinctively, and things can turn dangerous for both sides.
That was exactly why, even though Lu Xuan loved animals, Lu Tingchuan and Xia Shi hadn’t let him have a pet — a pet was a life, not a toy.
“Daddy, it’s not Yuan Yuan’s fault. I didn’t take care of her. Don’t be mad at her. I hurt Huahua.”
So he was trying to take the blame to protect her.
Lu Tingchuan smiled softly and ruffled his son’s hair. “Daddy knows it’s not Yuan Yuan’s fault. She didn’t mean to, and it’s not really your fault either. You were just trying to protect her. Next time, if something like that happens, Daddy will teach you what to do — squat down low. That usually scares dogs off because they think you’re not a threat. If that doesn’t work, call for help from nearby adults, okay?”
Lu Xuan nodded firmly. “So you’re not mad, Daddy?”
“No, I’m not mad. Let’s go check on Huahua, all right? Where is she now?”
“She’s hiding in the woodpile. I called her, but she won’t come out.”
Father and son went to find the puppy. When Huahua saw Lu Xuan, she barked and ran, so Lu Tingchuan gently chased her down and picked her up. There was a small cut on her belly, bleeding a little, but it wasn’t serious. He let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Lu Xuan stepped back nervously. “Daddy, is Huahua mad at me?”
Smiling, Lu Tingchuan pulled him closer and had him slowly reach out to pet the dog. After a few tries, Huahua sensed the boy’s sincerity and calmed down. Lu Tingchuan handed her into Lu Xuan’s arms.
“See? Animals have feelings too. If you’re kind to them, they’ll know.”
Lu Xuan grinned wide. “I’ll be good to her! Huahua, don’t be scared. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Don’t bite Yuan Yuan, okay? I’ll be your friend.”
Lu Tingchuan chuckled, got the small first-aid kit Xia Shi had packed, and guided his son through cleaning and bandaging the wound.
After that incident, Lu Xuan wouldn’t let Huahua out of his sight. He even kept her on his lap during lunch, gave her her own spot at the table, and carefully fed her from a small bowl — acting like a little dad himself.
After lunch, it was time for the mothers to leave. The kids were reluctant — partings were always sad, even after such a fun day. Thankfully, it was only for a night. The next morning, the fathers and kids would also finish filming and head home.
The third season of Where Are We Going, Baby? wrapped up just as I Am the King of Singers premiered.
