Ch122 - Extra 15: Parent-child variety show (3)

When Xiao Yiheng led the neatly dressed Little Lychee out of the children’s bedroom, Li Cheng, who had been dawdling in bed, had already prepared breakfast in the kitchen.

They didn’t like having strangers in their home, so they didn’t hire a live-in nanny. They simply hired a cooking aunt who came home every day to make lunch and dinner and clean the place. 

The camera mounted on the kitchen wall followed Li Cheng’s movements. He was dressed in matching couples’ pajamas as Xiao Yiheng. His fluffy hair was tied into a small topknot that stood flamboyantly on top of his head, and the buttons were tightly connected to the throat.

Li Cheng’s breakfast was basic. A food processor was used to make toast and scrambled eggs. He merely needed to slice cucumbers and tomatoes. Unfortunately, he was clumsy at even the most basic tasks. When the spectators saw him holding the kitchen knife, they immediately broke out in cold sweat.

Fortunately, the breakfast was completed without any risk ─ the toasted crispy brown bread was slathered with a thick layer of peanut butter and topped with sliced veggies, sausage, and egg, transforming it into a simple and delicious sandwich!

Li Cheng proudly presented his “banquet” to the table, awaiting praise from the other two family members. 

Sadly, Little Lychee didn’t give him any face. He rested his chin on his hands and sighed like an adult.

Li Cheng: “You stinky little demon, don’t you want to eat the breakfast that Dad made?”

“No~~” Little Lychee drew out his words and said reluctantly, “I like Dad’s breakfast best.”

Xiao Yiheng shot a quick, covert glance at the camera mounted on the dining table, and whispered: “ChengCheng, you can sleep a little longer in the mornings. I will take care of breakfast.”

Li Cheng was upset: “Why? Do you look down on the sandwiches I made? My cooking is so good, and this is my specialty!”

“Right, right, right.” Xiao Yiheng debunked him, “Your three big specialties: sandwiches, instant noodles, and fruit salad.”

In the wake of Xiao Yiheng’s ridicule, the barrage was filled with laughter.

“Damn, I thought the third specialty had to be scrambled eggs with tomatoes, but it’s a mere fruit salad???” 

“Li Cheng doesn’t even know how to light the stove, right??”

“Pretty fools don’t change in a decade!!”

“Our ChengCheng’s fingers are used to grasp the pillow, not a kitchen knife!”

“Hold on! Upstairs, you’re constantly teetering on the verge of lechery, aren’t you afraid of getting banned?” 

After breakfast, Li Cheng and Xiao Yiheng changed into parent-child clothes similar to Little Litchi’s style, clasped hands, and took Little Litchi and Little Lemon on a trip.

It was a weekend. Xiao Yiheng discovered a lakeside park in the suburbs and took the three-person family there for a picnic and photos. The cooking aunt had prepared the picnic meal a day in advance, so Li Cheng didn’t need to show off his “cooking skills.”

They discussed the trip with the program team ahead of time. When they left, the waiting crew immediately followed and kept them in view, filming at a safe distance. They attempted not to disturb them and just filmed the family of three’s most genuine life interactions.

They arrived at the lakeside park after an hour of traveling. There weren’t many tourists around that day, so Li Cheng quickly chose a secluded area. The pair of husbands worked together. Li Cheng spread out a picnic blanket, and Xiao Yiheng erected a modest tent for cover. Little Lychee was not idle either. He gathered some wildflowers and willow twigs and weaved them into a wreath, joyfully presenting it to his father as a gift. 

Little Lemon had been very busy for a long time. It leaped into the lake with enthusiasm when it saw swans roaming around, seeking to compare necks with the swans to see who had the longer neck.

The sun was shining brightly, the catkins were softly swaying, and the lake water, full of ripples, was gently tapping on the reeds on the shore… The three-person family lay side by side on the lawn, gazing at the blue sky and basking in the sun’s rays.

It was such a relaxed and natural scenario that the audience’s “admiration” was expressed one after the other.

“Admire, really admire. Handsome and thoughtful husband, energetic and intelligent son, lovable and fat, no, lovable and cute pet… This is the life I desire!” 

“Admire, really admire. Two individuals who love each other don’t need to go on a date to a high-end restaurant or go on a vacation overseas. Even lying down comfortably on the lawn for the day is extremely wonderful.”

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

“Admire, really admire! Please leave a remark and tell me what I should do to have such a perfect love.”

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They called it swimming, but it was really just splashing water on each other. When Little Lemon arrived to participate in the fun, it swam to them and then shook its body, flinging all the water from its feathers on them. Because of the duck, the two of them were soon drenched.

The cameraman zoomed in at just the right moment, giving the father and son a stunning close-up. Crystal clear water droplets splattered in the air, and sunlight penetrated the droplets, refracting into vivid light and shadow.

Xiao Yiheng did not enter the water. He merely sat silently on the beach, watching them splash in the lake, as if trying to capture the beauty of the moment with his eyes.

The program team wanted to photograph the family of three playing in the water, so they went to talk to Li Cheng about it. 

Li Cheng immediately shook his head and refused: “Xiao Yiheng can’t go into the water. He is unable to swim. Little Lychee is still young. I can’t care for them both on my own.”

This response was beyond everyone’s expectations. “The partner of a swimming champion can’t swim?” exclaimed a staff member.

Li Cheng’s tone remained casual: “Yeah, so what? The husband of a well-known painter is also unable to paint.”

This interaction was kept unedited in the program, and when it was broadcast, it sparked a heated debate among the audience. 

“Li Cheng is right. Even if they are in love, they are independent individuals. There is no need to merge completely.”

“Prior to viewing the episode, I always assumed that the tall and icy alpha was the one who pampered the headstrong omega. After watching the program, I realized that they are clearly pampering each other!”

“Often, the first reaction is the most honest. Li Cheng said this without even thinking about it, proving how much he truly loves Xiao Yiheng.”

Xiao Yiheng abruptly turned around and returned to the vehicle while the father and son were playing in the lake. He eventually hauled out a drawing board, easel, and paint box from the car. When they went on a spring outing this time, Xiao Yiheng brought his drawing board with him and wanted to sketch. 

He located a level spot on the bank to put up the drawing board, affixed the drawing paper to the board, and raised his hand to draw the outlines.

Screams erupted in the barrage as it flew by. Some art students expressed delight at the prospect of seeing a variety performance and witnessing the painting process of a famous oil painter! Everyone wondered if Xiao Yiheng would paint Li Cheng and Little Lychee playing in the water, and others even analyzed it as if it were a model to discuss what techniques Xiao Yiheng might use.

To their amazement, after completing the draft, Xiao Yiheng did not pull out his painting and palette, but rather a box of colored pencils.

As the barrage filled with question marks from the audience, Xiao Yiheng drew fast on the drawing paper, and soon, a little boy three heads tall with round eyes appeared vividly onto the paper. 

Xiao Yiheng’s earlier oil paintings were quite realistic, with sophisticated light and shadows; however, this painting employed certain comic techniques to emphasize the characters’ facial characteristics and silly gestures, while the background was very basic.

So… the big shot was just painting for fun to unwind?

For Xiao Yiheng, a painting of this caliber was a piece of cake, and he finished it swiftly. After finishing the first painting, he carefully set it aside and started to think about the second.

The two paintings’ protagonists were the same round small kid, and the content of the second painting immediately followed that of the first, giving the impression of a coherent story. 

Xiao Yiheng pondered, sketched, stared at the lake from afar, and sketched some more.

The camera had been following the tip of his pencil. When Xiao Yiheng finished drawing two pieces in a row, an incredible sentence appeared on the barrage.

“Wait a minute! I was wondering why this character painted by Xiao Yiheng appears so familiar. Isn’t this the protagonist of the particularly famous children’s series “Guo Guo and Dad”!!!”

“I thought I was the only one who thought it resembled “Guoguo and Dad”! This bundle of books is currently on my bookshelf. My daughter loves reading them. She listens to them every day, and all three books are on the verge of falling apart.” 

“”Guoguo and Dad”? What is this? How come I’ve never heard of it?”

“Upstairs, you’re clearly unmarried. The specifics are not popular science. Just search it!”

Curiosity killed the majority of netizens. Many single dog netizens hastened to look into this enigmatic book title.

They were oblivious before searching; they were astonished after searching. 

The first book in the “Guoguo and Dad” series of children’s books was published half a year ago. The books were written for children aged three to five. The story revolved around a brave little boy named Guoguo and his two fathers.

Guoguo saw green pepper as the devil’s fruit that he had to strive hard to overcome; chopsticks as the warrior’s longswords that he had to learn to wield; and the buttons on his shirt and shoe straps as snares that tried his patience. He had no choice but to face these challenges.

Guoguo’s two fathers, known in the books as Dad A and Dad O, were his powerful shields, protecting him from harm and teaching him to deal with disappointments.

This collection contained three books in total. The story was straightforward, the illustrations were rich and colorful, and the artist’s Guoguo was smart and lovely, making him memorable at first sight. 

“Guoguo and Dad” swiftly spread to all kindergartens after it was released. Teachers frequently utilized this set of books to instruct children in the hopes that they would be as self-sufficient and brave as Guoguo. If a child had not yet read this collection of children’s novels, he was behind the times!

Despite the fact that this bundle of books had only been on the market for a little over six months, it had already been printed three times, and the sales volume had reached a frightening level. It was reported that copyrights in other countries had already been sold.

The mysterious painter of this set of children’s books had not appeared from the beginning to the end. Could it be he was…

“I reread my daughter’s book, and I’m now certain! Guoguo is the protagonist’s name, and the family includes a Dad A and a Dad O. The painter’s pen name is Dad A! The most crucial aspect is that the protagonist’s image resembles Little Lychee. Everything fits!” 

“Fuck (uncivilized speech has been blocked)? The oil painting bigshot crossed borders to create artwork for children’s books. Isn’t this a bit much of a contrast?”

“I personally think picking a brush to document every stage of a growing child is incredibly touching!”

“Sure enough, wonderful people are amazing regardless of their field…”

“It turns out that I had three ‘picture albums’ by Xiao Yiheng in my house, but I had no idea???” 

“I’m crying. It used to cost hundreds of dollars to get a big shot’s picture album, and you had to rely on hand speed to grab it; now, I can purchase three ‘picture albums’ by the bigshot and not only get free shipping, but also next day delivery!”

“Thank you, upstairs. I’m going to order the bigshot’s children’s book right away! My joy has returned!”

… …

With the conclusion of the first episode of “Where are the cubs?” the level of discussion on the program remained strong, and it also triggered a number of extraordinary events. 

First and foremost, the ratings for this program had skyrocketed. At the conclusion, the ratings surpassed 2, setting a new high for the station’s variety shows that year. The crown for annual ratings appeared to be already in the bag.

Second, the name Little Lychee shot to the top of popular searches like a rocket. The door of Xiao Yiheng and Li Cheng’s house was alleged to be knocked down by a swarm of newborn milk powder companies offering exorbitant fees and asking him to advertise.

The third and most crucial outcome was completely unexpected. Three days after the show aired, the set of children’s books sold out owing to the insane audience!!

The 200,000-copy inventory of the “Guoguo and Dad” series of children’s books was quickly depleted. The publishing house rushed to print it, but it was still unable to fulfill the audience’s desire to purchase it. 

Xiao Yiheng was taken aback when he learned about this.

Many new viewers were intrigued by their 13-year romantic journey after the episode premiered. Youyou set up a live interview for them to discuss their sad experiences when they were young, their sweet lives after being together, and their experiences participating in variety shows twice.

This was the first time Li Cheng had agreed to such an emotional interview. He spoke a lot in front of the camera and nearly ran his mouth dry, but he couldn’t complete telling his narrative.

Xiao Yiheng had very few words in comparison to him. He was simply responsible for filling in the blanks left by Li Cheng. 

Because Xiao Yiheng’s comments were insufficient, many live viewers raced to send messages in the hopes that the handsome male god would talk more.

Xiao Yiheng frowned slightly: “Actually, I don’t have anything to say…ah, I recall. I’d like to discuss the “Guoguo and Dad” series. The editor of the publishing house called me yesterday. According to the editor, many viewers bought the “Guoguo and Dad” series of children’s books after viewing the show. I also checked the reviews on the book purchasing website and discovered that the majority of the buyers are single. I’m not sure why you bought this collection of books.”

Li Cheng, who was sitting next to him, burst out laughing because he spoke so candidly.

“Pfft! Haha… I’m sorry, sorry.” Li Cheng did his hardest not to chuckle and apologized to the host. “I’m sorry, he’s always been extremely direct. To be honest, we didn’t expect this set of books to sell so well. We brought Little Lychee to the bookstore one day to buy books, and we intended to get him some picture books, but Little Lychee thought none of them were as beautiful as his father’s paintings, so Xiao Yiheng decided to draw some himself.” 

Xiao Yiheng implicitly agreed: “Before the drawings could be presented to Little Lychee, they needed to be bound into a book and printed out. But because I don’t know how to typeset, I simply turned the paintings over to my agent. My agent suggested that since I’d completed the designs, we should contact a publisher directly. I had no objection to this. I merely requested anonymity.”

After handing over the copy of the drawing book to the publishing house, Xiao Yiheng never inquired about it again. He agreed to donate his manuscript and signed a contract. Because this series of children’s books was intended as a gift for his child, he did not take any money from the royalties gained from it. All of his earnings were donated to elementary schools in isolated mountainous areas to acquire brushes, paper, and other stationery for them in order to plant the seed of painting in their hearts.

And he really accomplished it.

Fans watching the live interview were taken aback by Xiao Yiheng’s remarks. For a while, the entire live broadcast area was encircled by numerous fireworks that appeared out of nowhere. 

The live program had a time limit. They had repeatedly extended it. Because it was nearly midnight and many people had to wake up early the next day to go to school or work, the interview could only be stopped.

The host motioned them to say a few words of farewell in the final minute of the interview.

Xiao Yiheng naturally placed this burden on Li Cheng.

Li Cheng pondered for a while, then took the microphone from the host’s grasp and spoke loudly. 

“Wow… I wasn’t expecting to have to say goodbye so soon. Well, I’ll hurry up and tell you a little secret.

Many viewers are curious about Little Lychee’s name — his legal name is ‘Xiao Lizhi’, Xiao Yiheng’s Xiao, Li Cheng’s Li, and the ‘zhi’ from ‘knowing and defending each other’.

I genuinely hope that you, like us, can find a partner that understands and defends you.

Finally, I’d like to express my gratitude once more. Thank you for listening to our story and for your support. 

In truth, our tale isn’t all that spectacular, but I hope it inspires you to have unwavering love, firm and unrivaled faith, and indomitable courage.

It’s getting late. The clock is going to strike twelve o’clock.

Good night, sweet dreams.”

THE END. 

Translator:

Amy: It’s a wrap, folks! There’s a lot I like about this non-cliché story: the comedy, the poignant moments, the well fleshed-out characters, and the funny side characters. I appreciate the author for giving the protags backstories that explain their personalities, whether it’s XY’s aloofness or LC’s bravado. 

TOSW is the first novel that I’ve completed translating. It will always be special to me. I hope you had as much fun reading this story as I did. Thank you for coming along on this wonderful ride. You guys are amazing.

I wish you a happy Halloween! Have a great time next weekend! See you~~ 

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my other project, Heart has Ling Xi. It’s written by the same author as TOSW.