Chapter 108 The final season of the variety show has been filmed...

Ji Zhi Qiu hurriedly went back to her room to coax Lu Yunian.

Lu Yu Nian stood silently by the window, his back looking somewhat lonely. The room was quiet. Ji Zhi Qiu deliberately slowed her breathing and tiptoed over.

He stood behind Lu Yu Nian, looked at the ends of his hair for a while, and then hugged him without warning.

His face was pressed against Lu Yu Nian's back, and he gently shook him. "Don't be angry. Don't you know Yan Yan's personality? Children say the darndest things. He didn't mean what he said." As he said this, he suddenly realized something was wrong. He had helped clear Ji Yan Yan's name, so wouldn't all the blame fall on him?

He paused, and for his own life, he didn't hesitate to betray his own son. "He always says whatever comes to mind, his thoughts are all over the place. Even I, as his father, can't figure out what he's thinking. I've already corrected him severely. From now on, we won't even use the 'after' part anymore. He'll just call you 'Dad' directly."

Since things had come to this point, and Lu Yu Nian's temper was always very good, Ji Zhi Qiu blinked and looked at him expectantly, hoping that he would turn around and hug her back.

Lu Yu Nian remained silent. Ji Zhi Qiu suddenly noticed something was wrong, frowned slightly, and leaned forward to look at Lu Yu Nian's expression.

Lu Yunian turned his head to the side, blocking his view.

Ji Zhi Qiu felt as if a stone was pressing on his heart. Knowing Lu Yu Nian as he did, he knew Lu Yu Nian wouldn't really be angry about something like this, so why was he avoiding him now?

"What's wrong? Are you angry just about this, or is it something else?"

Lu Yunian seemed amazed by his keenness, and suddenly turned his head, staring at him intently with a complex mix of emotions in his eyes that Ji Zhi Qiu couldn't decipher.

The two stared at each other silently for half a minute. Lu Yu Nian slowly raised his hand and smoothed Ji Zhi Qiu's slightly furrowed brows.

"It's okay, I won't get angry about this, and I won't really hold it against Yan Yan."

Ji Zhi Qiu grabbed his wrist and pressed, "Then what are you fussing about?"

Lu Yu Nian stared at him intently for a moment, then said meaningfully, "Do you hate it when people lie to you?"

The question was too abrupt. Ji Zhi Qiu paused for a few seconds, then scratched his head awkwardly. "This question is not easy to answer. I don't care that much about deception itself, but if I am deceived, I will feel like I have been fooled and that I will lose something important. I would probably be angry. It depends on the specific circumstances and my state of mind at the time."

"What if someone lies to you?" Lu Yunian continued to ask.

Ji Zhi Qiu paused, then grasped the crux of the matter: "Who is this person? Do you have something to say to me?"

Lu Yu Nian looked at him silently, as if he had gone through a fierce internal struggle, and finally shook his head.

Looking at Ji Zhi Qiu in front of him, feeling Ji Zhi Qiu's company and presence, he felt a strong sense of guilt and unease, feeling that all the happiness before him was something he had deceived.

He didn't care about Ji Yanyan's words, but Ji Yanyan's words made him realize something.

If Ji Zhi Qiu knew the truth, how would he react? If he was furious and abandoned him again, then Ji Yan Yan's words would come true.

Lu Yu Nian is not the type to run away from reality. He had been wanting to find the right time to explain things clearly, but he was too attached to the warmth in front of him to speak.

If things continue like this, he might never find an opportunity to speak up in his entire life, but he can't lie to Ji Zhi Qiu forever.

Ji Zhi Qiu's brows furrowed more and more as he carefully traced Lu Yu Nian's features with his eyes, trying to find clues from his micro-expressions and explore his current emotions, but unfortunately he still failed.

Lu Yu Nian was experienced and shrewd, and seemed shrouded in mystery. When Lu Yu Nian reached in, he could only feel a hazy dampness but could not see Lu Yu Nian clearly. He could only wait for Lu Yu Nian to respond, take his hand, and invite him to enter this private misty forest together.

Unfortunately, he never got to see it. Ji Zhi Qiu wasn't discouraged, after all, they had just gotten together and everything took time. But now he felt a void in his heart and desperately wanted to know what emotions Lu Yu Nian's every move and expression represented.

His heart skipped a beat, and he was about to ask a question when Lu Yu Nian interrupted him.

Lu Yu chuckled softly, as gentle and refined as ever, and gently touched his face with a soothing tone, "Don't overthink it. You should know me. I won't be angry with Yan Yan, and I won't hold this against her anymore."

Ji Zhi Qiu looked at him silently. He could feel Lu Yu Nian's surging love and had never doubted it. But Lu Yu Nian was wrong about one thing: he didn't understand Lu Yu Nian.

Ji Zhi Qiu suddenly realized the problem: it was Lu Yu Nian who took the initiative to approach him first. He did have some initial attraction to Lu Yu Nian and was quite fond of her, but he only fell in love with her after getting to know her. So when did Lu Yu Nian fall in love with him? Why did Lu Yu Nian like him?

At first, he thought that Lu Yu Nian must like raising children since he had given away so many shooting stars and become his number one fan. But now it seems that this is not the case. Lu Yu Nian does care about the three children, but it is more out of love for them that extends to Lu Yu Nian.

Why did Lu Yu Nian suddenly start following his live stream and send him shooting stars? And why did she keep accompanying him?

Ji Zhi Qiu's anxiety affected his actions. When Lu Yu Nian was caught off guard, he grabbed his sleeve tightly and asked, "I feel like I still don't know you well enough. I have some questions I want to ask."

This time, Lu Yu-nian did not avoid looking into Ji Zhi-qiu's eyes, and saw her reflection. "Okay, I will let you understand me, but can you give me some more time?"

Ji Zhi Qiu nodded immediately. He didn't want to be too forceful and make things difficult for Lu Yu Nian. He simply extended his little finger under Lu Yu Nian's questioning gaze, "Then let's pinky swear it's a deal. You can't go back on your word later."

Seeing Ji Zhi Qiu's childish behavior, Lu Yu Nian chuckled, but still cooperated by hooking his finger and gently shaking it, "It's a deal, whoever lies is a dog."

“I would never lie,” Ji Zhi Qiu suddenly stared at Lu Yu Nian’s earlobe.

He didn't know why Lu Yu Nian had such a strong preference for this area. He hadn't felt anything special before, but his earlobe became particularly sensitive under Lu Yu Nian's caresses and kneading. It was as if this area had become a special switch. Every time his earlobe was pinched, a tingling and numb sensation would spread from his tailbone to his limbs, like an electric shock. He could roughly understand Lu Yu Nian's implication.

He used to enjoy being unilaterally controlled by Lu Yu Nian, but now he suddenly feels resentful and wants to get revenge.

Ji Zhi Qiu's understanding of the word was limited to its literal meaning. He slowly leaned forward, and before Lu Yu Nian could react, he quickly tiptoed over and bit Lu Yu Nian's earlobe.

The pain, itching, and tingling sensations spread together, like whipping the nerves. Lu Yu Nian froze for a few seconds, his raised hand frozen in mid-air. Ji Zhi Qiu, who had just been full of ambition, immediately cowered after finishing. He glanced around, not daring to look at Lu Yu Nian, and quickly turned and walked away, as fast as if a demon was chasing him.

He breathed a sigh of relief after escaping the door, and slowed his pace. Lu Yu Nian remained standing in the same spot, his gaze following Ji Zhi Qiu's back. His eyes became dark and deep, and he slowly raised his hand to grasp his earlobe, where Ji Zhi Qiu's teeth marks seemed to still linger.

Ji Zhi Qiu still felt sorry for him, so she just pretended to bite him, without using any force and without breaking the skin or drawing blood.

Lu Yu Nian thought of another side of Ji Zhi Qiu that only he had ever seen: fierce yet exceptionally obedient. Even if she didn't understand his requests, she would obediently comply. When pushed to the limit, she would bite his shoulder to suppress the gasps that were about to escape her lips. She didn't blame him for going too far and even felt sorry for him. Like a small animal, she would slowly lick the teeth marks she had left to comfort him.

A certain nerve became sensitive, but Lu Yu Nian's body temperature quickly dropped again.

Everything is built on deception, like a castle built on ruins, precarious and collapsing at the slightest touch, even the warm little home inside the castle will vanish into thin air.

****

Ji Zhi Qiu trusts Lu Yunian very much.

Although he didn't know Lu Yu Nian well enough, which made him a little uneasy, he would cooperate wholeheartedly since Lu Yu Nian had made a promise.

Anyway, they have plenty of time; everything can be done slowly.

Ji Zhiqiu is optimistic by nature and doesn't dwell on troubles. He quickly adjusted his state of mind and unexpectedly received another great gift from the director.

The director is really going all out. In order to generate buzz and discussion, each move is more insidious than the last. Yesterday, the parents and children were shuffled and regrouped. Today's theme is to directly switch the roles of parents and children.

Almost all the children's eyes lit up, the only difference being how strong their reaction was.

They were the youngest in their families since birth and were always disciplined by their parents. Now they are finally able to be independent and have a say in their own lives.

The parents' faces were grim. Letting their children run the household would only lead to chaos... The thought was too horrible for them to bear.

Lin Jinzhao doted on his eldest son, spoiling him into a brat, but he didn't dare take the risk. He could only weakly retort, "Isn't there a problem with the director's arrangement? The children are so young. It's too much to ask them to make decisions."

His eldest son immediately jumped out, put his hands on his hips, and retorted vehemently, "I'm not a little kid anymore, Dad, how can you do this? You don't trust me at all!"

Lin Zizhou's shouting was so loud it was almost unbearable. Zhao Fuke, who was closest to him, immediately changed his expression. Fortunately, Ji Zhiqi was standing at the very edge, so his voice wasn't so harsh when it reached him.

Lin Jinchao frowned deeply. He had seen the comments online, which were quite critical of his parenting style. As a big star who was surrounded by admirers, he felt that his son should receive the same treatment. However, after seeing the comments online, he vaguely sensed that something was wrong, but he was unwilling to admit it yet.

He tried to control his son, who had been growing up, but he didn't expect Lin Zizhou to be such a nimble fat boy, sliding around in his father's arms. After a long time of struggling, Lin Jinzhao chased after him, panting, and finally managed to catch up with him.

Zhao Fuke wasn't worried that his son would cause trouble, but he was used to being high and mighty and couldn't stand having his voice taken away. Only Wen Qizheng and Ji Zhiqi seemed indifferent.

The director stopped the farce from continuing and made the decision: "It's decided, that's how it will be. Our themed experience activity will officially begin in one hour!"

...

As soon as she got home, Ji Zhi Qiu automatically switched into the role of a child, lay down on the sofa, and winked at Ji Yan Yan, "Yan Yan, I want to drink a cup of hot cocoa."

Although Ji Yanyan is a little face-obsessed and loves her father's face very much, she is extremely meticulous in her work. With her cheeks puffed out and hands on her hips, she said, "Dad, you're not imitating correctly. Yanyan's actions and tone should be cuter, not so greasy."

Ji Zhi Qiu pinched his nose angrily: "You've got some nerve, daring to call your father greasy."

Ji Yanyan said matter-of-factly, "No, I'm the parent now, you're just a child."

Ji Zhi Qiu: ...Oh, right.

He continued his greasy acting, rolling into the sofa and weakly pounding on it, saying, "I want hot cocoa, I won't get up unless you give me hot cocoa!"

Ji Yanyan also got into character and said in a childish voice, "No, you'll get cavities if you drink too much."

Ji Yanyan is no longer a naughty child and won't throw tantrums. Ji Zhi Qiu imitated his usual behavior and picked up the little guy before Ji Yanyan could react, bumping his head against him: "No, no, I want to drink."

Their positions were completely reversed, but their sizes were very different. When Ji Yanyan acted cute, she looked like an adorable kitten, while Ji Zhiqi was like a lion trying to strike a pose. After bumping into her, he suddenly felt that there was nothing in front of him but empty air.

He was stunned for a moment, then looked up and saw that Ji Yanyan had just been knocked down by him, her feet in the air, staring blankly at the ceiling, unable to believe that a parent could be knocked flat on their back by their child.

Ji Zhi Qiu suppressed a laugh, "I want hot cocoa, and I also want to play with building blocks."

Ji Yanyan scrambled up from the sofa and finally agreed. As a parent, she was happy to run errands for Ji Zhi Qiu. She first stood on tiptoe and, with great effort, took out a drink from the cabinet. Then she wandered around the house, searching for Ji Zhi Qiu's lost building blocks.

Ji Zhi Qiu got bored after only half an hour and rolled her eyes around.

Kids, all they do is eat and sleep. He patted his empty belly and said, "I want to eat."

Ji Zishen, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, walked out of the kitchen and looked at him expressionlessly as if to say, "Did you cook when you were a parent?"

Ji Zhi Qiu then realized what was happening and shrank back, afraid of running into the line of fire.

For the sake of the show's effect, the director set up all sorts of obstacles for them along the waterway.

It was almost lunchtime when a staff member knocked on the door and said in a businesslike manner, "Your water bill for this month is 3,600 yuan. Please pay it on time."

Ji Zhi Qiu: ? ? ? The water bill for one month is three thousand six? Do you think I'm releasing the ocean at home?

It was obvious that the production team was deliberately trying to trick people. Ji Zhi Qiu was about to slam his fist on the table when he suddenly caught the gaze of the staff and sat back down dejectedly.

He's a child now, we can't interfere.

Upon hearing the noise, Ji Sicheng walked straight to the staff member, looked up at him, and said, "Let's go, I'll take you to see the water meter, and then we'll pay the bill."

Ji Sicheng had long held the reins of the family finances, not only paying various fees but also overseeing investments in all areas. Ji Zhiqi had even seen him looking at a stock market page filled with red (indicating losses).

Ji Sicheng handled the staff with ease, and in the end, he thwarted the director's attempt with just a few words, ultimately paying only thirty-five yuan.

Ji Zhi Qiu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Ji Si Cheng, who was passing by, couldn't help but complain, "Have you ever meddled in this kind of thing before?"

Ji Zhi Qiu paused, searching his memory for relevant information, and honestly shook his head.

"Then you can continue lying down."

He lay down again, and Ji Yanyan flew around him like a little bee. Ji Zhi Qiu felt that the scene was strangely familiar.

Despite being a little dragon of pride, Ji Yanyan is at the bottom of the family's food chain. He doesn't dare to offend his two villainous older brothers, so he only dares to work on Ji Zhi Qiu. However, Ji Zhi Qiu is the type who is not blessed but has to enjoy things. Since his own son wants to play house with him and take care of people, he will cooperate wholeheartedly.

No wonder he lay down so easily as soon as he got home, and Ji Yanyan took care of him without any complaints.

Ji Zhi Qiu scratched his head and realized that whether or not they played this game made no difference to their usual way of getting along.

The viewers in the live stream were waiting for this, and they laughed very loudly.

You've finally realized you've never acted like a father before...

[Hahahaha, cooking is none of your business, entertaining guests is none of your business either, so what do you usually do at home? *doge emoji*]

[Ahhh, I'm so envious of Ji Zhi Qiu! I wish I had three such well-behaved kids, and could live off my son.]

Are you sure you envy Ji Zhi Qiu?

These few comments had just appeared when the netizens who were actively following the gossip fell silent.

They had all seen Ji Zhi Qiu's previous live stream clips. The three well-behaved kids now were once mischievous children, causing chaos at home every day. Ji Zhi Qiu had endured hardship to enjoy his current happiness. If it were anyone else, they would probably have died on the way.

After a moment of silence, everyone tacitly changed their story.

[I still can't believe that Yan Yan, this angelic little darling, is actually such a mischievous child, lol]

The contrast between my other two sons' behavior before and after is even greater; I often wonder if there's a parallel universe at play.

Ji Zhi Qiu is incredibly capable; she's a true role model for parents.

[You should publish a book about this; you're such a great parenting expert.]

[Please publish this book, I'll definitely buy it all!]

The theme set by the director did indeed spark some interesting moments. The other three families' interactions were all chaotic. One family went out for a long walk under the scorching sun, seemingly tireless. The other two families couldn't quite get the tone of their conversations right, either sounding lifeless or making funny mistakes. Only Ji Zhi Qiu's family had long forgotten the theme set by the director. After hearing the bell signaling the end, Ji Zhi Qiu was still looking around blankly.

The director tripped over Ji Zhi Qiu again, but he got used to it after a while and called the four families back as if nothing had happened.

The other three families were extremely exhausted, but Ji Zhi Qiu was full of energy and well taken care of by her three children.

Before we knew it, the show had come to an end.

The director was suddenly filled with emotion, "Thank you all for your companionship. We have gained a lot along the way and gotten to know each other better."

The director looked at the individuals present with a warm gaze, hoping they would share their thoughts on the end of the variety show.

But Ji Zhi Qiu was the first to take the microphone. The director had a bad feeling the moment he saw him. Sure enough, Ji Zhi Qiu’s gaze inexplicably swept over his pocket. “Indeed, with variety shows being so popular, you must have made a lot of money, Director.”

Director: "..." Would it kill you to be a little sentimental?

The atmosphere became awkward, neither going up nor down. The director silently looked at Ji Zhi Qiu, recalling many details. At first, he was just betting on Ji Zhi Qiu based on his years of professional experience. As it turned out, he was right. Ji Zhi Qiu not only gained a huge number of fans thanks to the popularity of this variety show, but his existence also made the show a success. Although they had a love-hate relationship on the show, they had a mentor-student relationship in private. He not only helped Ji Zhi Qiu, but also himself.

Wen Qizheng held back his laughter but couldn't help but laugh out loud. The somewhat tense atmosphere instantly melted away, and they returned to their usual way of getting along. There was no need for deliberate sentimentality; their warmth was hidden in the details of daily life.

The four groups of guests sat side by side watching the stars, and the director and crew members also joined in. They were the behind-the-scenes staff, working hard but unseen, but without each and every one of them, there would be no achievement.

Several staff members had interacted with them before. Ji Zhi Qiu greeted them, and Ji Yan Yan, the little bull, had already climbed into their arms on all fours.

Ji Yanyan loves being surrounded by people, and the staff also like him very much, so it's a win-win situation.

Ji Yanyan sat obediently like a little glutinous rice ball, still smelling of milk. The first staff member took a deep breath, filling his lungs, as if he had discovered a new continent. He called other colleagues over to smell him, but Ji Yanyan didn't understand why. He felt that everyone liked him and was so happy that he was floating on air. Ji Zhi Qiu couldn't help but laugh when he saw this scene.

Far from the city center, the air quality is excellent, and you can see a sky full of stars. Ji Zhi Qiu found the brightest one and pointed it out to Lu Yu Nian.

"It's like a diamond adorning the night sky."

Lu Yunian nodded slightly, but his gaze was fixed on the star reflected in Ji Zhi Qiu's eyes.

He chuckled softly, "Indeed bright."

Because it was so bright, he was able to grope for light in the gloomy night, find his way back, embrace a whole star, and receive the unexpected bonus of three stars adorning the surrounding area.

In the darkness of night, he finally found his place.

No matter how the clouds roll or how the winds rage, this star will always shine brightly.

Others who heard the sound looked over, and there was a Milky Way made of stars in the night sky, flowing endlessly with time.

The final season of the variety show has finished filming, but happiness never ends.