Jian Xingsui said, "If there's nothing else, could you please fill this out for me? I need to go back and hand it in."
"Oh..." An Ran's feelings were quite complicated. He tentatively asked, "Will Mom and Dad... oh no, Uncle and Aunt come to visit us?"
Jian Xingsui was unsure, saying, "He might come."
An Ran smiled and said, "That's good too. It's been a long time since we last met, and I guess we'll miss each other."
Jian Xingsui thought, "I guess I miss you. Whether you'll come to see me or not is really uncertain."
However, there was no need for him to mention it, so he simply waited quietly for An Ran to finish filling out the form, then took it and said, "Thank you."
Just as he was about to leave, An Ran behind him said, "Wait!"
Jian Xingsui turned around and looked back at him.
An Ran stood there, seemingly conflicted, before finally speaking, "Brother Jian, Dad and my brothers might come to see me in a couple of days, you guys..."
Jian Xingsui stopped in place.
It turns out that when the pain reaches its extreme, the body retains a memory. When An Ran said this, his heart involuntarily ached. The only memories of Jian's father in his mind remained that day, when he stood in his room, those cold words, and that card that was used to get rid of him.
Of course, he would sometimes recall other things, such as when he was young, his father would take the whole family on spring outings, he would hold himself in one arm and hold his brother's hand in the other, his mother would cook his favorite dishes, his eldest brother would buy him the latest toys, and his second brother would come to his room to sing to him on rainy days.
They used to be a very good family.
But later, as he grew older, he realized how stupid he was. When he entered junior high school and was in the same class as An Ran, everything changed. It was as if he had been given a cannon fodder aura, and everyone started to look at him with disappointment.
He wanted to work hard and become the pride of his family, but he always messed things up. Some things can't be held onto tightly. Over the years, he lived such an inflexible life, like a stick that, despite feeling the pressure, refused to bend down or let go, and in the end, he could only be shattered to pieces.
There's no going back.
He knew.
"Why are you telling me this?" When Jian Xingsui turned around again, her gaze was calm and undisturbed: "I have nothing to do with them anymore."
An Ran choked up.
This seems to be the answer he wants, yet it isn't.
Watching Jian Xingsui's departing figure, he inexplicably felt that this person seemed different from before, and no longer the same.
...
Day 2
The production team started filming. Since they weren't filming the stage performances for the time being, they assigned everyone a task: to call their parents in front of the camera. The purpose was to see how their parents would react after not seeing their children for a month.
Before making the call, the staff came over and asked, "Let's do an interview. What do you think the parents' reaction will be after they answer the phone?"
The trainees gave different answers.
Shen Xingchen: "Of course, you missed me."
Ning Ze succinctly stated, "It will motivate me to work hard."
Li Xu'an smiled and said, "They will miss me a lot and will give me some advice."
An Ran also showed a touching expression: "I think it's enough to be able to talk to my parents. To be honest, I miss them a lot after being away for so long."
The staff then turned the camera to Jian Xingsui and asked, "And what about you?"
Jian Xingsui never expected that even she would be targeted.
Facing the camera, he gave a slight, awkward laugh: "I can't guess either."
The staff laughed and let him go in the end. But the more they did that, the more curious everyone became about what the reaction would be. Then someone came in and handed everyone a box containing a cell phone: "You have five minutes. Please take this opportunity to call your parents."
After everyone received their phones, they started making calls.
Shen Xingchen was the first to make the call. He dialed the number and heard a deep male voice answer. Shen's father asked, "What's up?"
"Hey, Dad." Shen Xingchen's voice was drawn out and casual: "It's me, your son!"
Father Shen: "What's wrong? You've gotten into trouble again?"
The viewers in the live stream were laughing hysterically.
Shen Xingchen clicked her tongue, feeling embarrassed: "Dad, what are you saying? I just missed you. You know we have an event here in a couple of days. Bring your brother to see me, okay? This is the only chance we'll have in the next few months!"
"..."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
Shen Xingchen said smugly, "How about it? Aren't you happy?"
"Just a few months?" Father Shen seemed to sigh. "I thought things would be quieter for a while longer."
?
Shen Xingchen's eyes widened.
The viewers in the live stream were amused by the father and son's reaction. Although President Shen complained about his son, his words were full of affection, which made people laugh and envy at the same time.
Then it was other contestants.
Ningze's parents were indeed concerned about him and urged him to work hard.
When An Ran made the call, Jian's father answered gently, "Ranran, we've all been watching your live stream. You did a great job, and we're all so proud of you. Don't worry, your mom and dad are always there for you!"
These words brought tears to An Ran's eyes.
The viewers in the live stream were also moved.
Almost everyone was taking the opportunity to express their emotions, except for Jian Xingsui, who sat to the side, dialing a phone. However, the call wouldn't go through. Five minutes had almost passed, and while everyone else was expressing their deep feelings to their parents, Jian Xingsui only heard a cold, mechanical voice: "Sorry, the user you are trying to reach is temporarily unavailable..."
The staff member pointed the camera at Jian Xingsui, practically shoving it in her face: "What's wrong? Is no one answering?"
Jian Xingsui looked up at the camera, unsure of what to say. His hands, resting on his lap, tightened unconsciously. He lowered his eyes to hide the sadness that flashed across them, and forced a smile: "Yeah, I must be busy."
Are you really that busy?
Nobody knows.
During those five minutes, all the contestants were chatting enthusiastically with their families, but Jian Xingsui sat there without saying a word.
Finally, when filming ended and the production crew was about to collect the phones, Jian Xingsui was about to return them when the phone suddenly vibrated and then rang. He hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to answer, because five minutes had already passed.
The staff member smiled gently and said, "It's okay, go ahead and answer it."
Jian Xingsui hesitated: "But the regulations..."
"It's okay, the rules are rules." The staff member pointed to a deserted corner: "Go there, just give me your phone after you're done making the call."
Jian Xingsui then picked up her phone and walked away.
The staff member sighed as she watched his retreating figure. It wasn't that she was particularly willing to make an exception for Jian Xingsui; it was mainly because when the child sat there just now, although he had tried his best to restrain himself, his eyes were just too heartbreaking.
...
On the other side.
After answering the phone, Jian Xingsui hesitated before speaking, "Hello."
Mr. Zhang said, "Hello, is this Xing Sui? I was busy in the store and didn't hear you."
Jian Xingsui quickly said, "It's alright."
Although leaving that home was somewhat impulsive, a month has passed and his anger has long since subsided. Seeing how much other parents cherish their children, he secretly begins to hope that the Zhang couple might also care about him.
He waited a while and heard Zhang's father say, "Are you alright over there?"
A smile slowly spread across Jian Xingsui's face. He said, "It's fine."
"That's good. How's Ranran doing?" Zhang's mother came over from the side: "Is he working too hard? I saw on the live stream that he's lost some weight."
Jian Xingsui tightened her grip on her phone.
Is An Ran tired? Maybe, but isn't I tired too?
He lost five or six pounds during the entire performance, but he didn't utter a single word about it in Zhang's mouth.
Jian Xingsui said stiffly, "He's alright, he's fine."
Zhang's mother sighed, "That's good, then I can rest assured. By the way, Xing Sui, what did you call us about?"
Once they arrived, Jian Xingsui had no intention of inviting them to visit, so she made up a random excuse: "It's nothing, the production team needs to fill in the parents' blood types, what are your blood types?"
Without thinking, Zhang's father blurted out, "Oh, type B."
Jian Xingsui frowned unconsciously: "Type B? But I'm Type A?"
"..."
There was a deathly silence on the other end of the phone.
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