child
In Shantou during the summer, the sky is a clear, deep blue, and the rolling grasslands stretch all the way to the foot of the distant mountains. The wind rustles the grass, bringing with it the fragrance of fresh grass and earth. The early scenes of "Autumn Wind Chant" will be filmed in Shantou, and in half a month, the production will move to Hengdian. Today, we are filming a scene here depicting the three main characters as children, playing on horseback in the mountains.
The staff were still adjusting the equipment and setting up the camera positions. Su Jing had already changed into his costume, and his neat riding attire accentuated his tall and straight figure. He led over a tall black horse, smoothly mounted it, and gently pulled on the reins, causing the horse to trot obediently, showing that he was a seasoned pro.
"Teacher Su rides the horse so well!" exclaimed the martial arts instructor beside him.
Su Jing sat on the horse, holding the reins tightly with his left hand. Hearing this, he just smiled and casually replied, "After all, I've been acting for so many years."
The sun blazed down relentlessly, baking the grassland until it shimmered with distorted heat. Su Jingwei frowned almost imperceptibly. He rode his horse to find shelter under a shady tree, but his gaze involuntarily drifted toward Chu Yiran, who was walking toward them.
Chu Yiran had also changed into an ancient costume, a long robe with wide sleeves, his black hair tied up high, riding a gentle white horse. Sunlight fell on him, outlining his handsome profile, a figure that made Su Jing feel a moment of disorientation, as if time and space had intersected.
As Chu Yiran approached, Su Jing casually untied the leather water bag hanging beside his saddle and tossed it over with just the right force and angle, so that Chu Yiran could catch it instinctively.
"Drink some water." His tone was flat and even had a sense of entitlement, as if it were just a common concern between partners. "It's windy and dusty here, and it's easy to get thirsty."
Chu Yiran gripped the cold water bag, his heart leaping. It was too similar… This posture almost overlapped with the shadow of that person deep in his memory.
"Is Teacher Su's right hand still not healed?" Chu Yiran asked, frowning as she stared at Su Jing's left hand, which he hadn't yet withdrawn.
Su Jing's hand stiffened, but he pretended to be calm and said, "After all, it's impossible to fully recover, so I've been learning to use my left hand recently."
A soft laugh came from the side.
The two turned their heads at the same time and saw Lin Wanxing riding over on a small dappled pony. She had a mischievous yet relieved smile on her face, and her eyes swept back and forth between Su Jing and Chu Yiran. She nodded repeatedly and said, "Oh my, that's great! I knew it! Filming together is the best way to build a relationship! Seeing you two getting along so peacefully now, I'm relieved! Let all those misunderstandings disappear!"
She looked "very pleased," as if she had seen two quarreling children finally make up.
"By the way, the director said we should be able to wrap up around 3 or 4 pm today. Shall we go see Xixi and Linlin together?" Lin Wanxing first looked at Su Jing, then turned to Chu Yiran, "Ran-di, why don't you come with us too! We have nothing to do back at the hotel anyway. Let me tell you, those two kids are so cute!"
"I--"
Just as Chu Yiran was about to speak, Su Jing interrupted loudly, "Alright, let's go together!"
——
After finishing work, the setting sun painted the sky a warm orange hue, and the three drove to the "Sunshine Welfare Home" located in the suburbs of Shancheng. As soon as the car came to a stop, two small figures suddenly popped out and rushed towards Su Jing, who had just gotten out of the car.
"Xiao Jing's dad!"
Two little figures, one dressed in a pink princess dress and the other in a blue short-sleeved shirt, nestled into Su Jing's arms from either side, hugging his legs tightly.
Su Jing's body stiffened instantly. This unreserved intimacy left him at a loss. He instinctively wanted to push them away, but when he caught a glimpse of Chu Yiran beside him looking at the children gently, he forced himself to hold back. He simply squatted down and stiffly wrapped his arms around the two of them.
Linlin's round eyes stared at Su Jing's cold profile. His small body had only been in his arms for a few seconds when he sensed something was wrong. He tugged at Xixi's hand, pulling her out of Su Jing's arms, then tilted his little face up, pointed at Su Jing, and said warily, "Who are you? You're not Xiao Jing's dad!"
Upon hearing this, everyone around was stunned. A barely perceptible look of panic flashed across Su Jing's face. He reached out to pull the two children back into his arms. "Linlin, what's wrong? Are you joking with your dad?"
Dean Du, who was standing nearby, quickly smiled and smoothed things over, gently patting Linlin's little head: "Boys are growing up, they've been very naughty lately!"
Xixi hugged Su Jing's neck tightly and retorted in her childish voice, "Brother is silly! This is Xiao Jing's dad!"
The adults around just thought it was a child being naughty and laughed it off. Lin Wanxing squatted down and smiled as she took Linlin's hand: "Linlin, have you not seen Xiao Jing's father for too long? You miss him so much that you've mistaken him for someone else? Look, Aunt Wanxing has brought Uncle Chu to see you today."
Chu Yiran also squatted down, his gaze level with the children's, and said in a gentle voice, "Hello Xixi and Linlin, Uncle brought you some gifts." As he spoke, he took out two bags of candy from his pocket and handed them to them.
After getting the candy, Xixi clung to Su Jing for a hug, while Linlin, clutching the candy, remained hidden beside Lin Wanxing, her bright eyes scrutinizing Su Jing from time to time.
Su Jing carried the little girl in his arms, almost with his hands and feet moving at the same time, towards the activity room of the orphanage. Xixi nestled obediently in his arms, her two soft, white arms wrapped around his neck, her little head resting trustingly on his shoulder, her soft, slightly curly hair tickling his chin.
She carried the faint scent of children's bath wash, mixed with the clean smell of clothes dried in the sun. Due to her congenital heart disease, her face was not as rosy and full as that of other children, appearing somewhat pale and thin, but her features were as delicate as a porcelain doll. She slightly pouted her pink lips, breathing evenly, as if she might fall asleep at any moment.
Dean Du walked beside Su Jing, a pleased smile on his face, and chatted on about the two children's recent situation: "...Xixi recently won another award for her painting. The teacher praised her talent, but this child is too competitive. Once she starts painting, she loses track of time. She needs to be reminded to rest more...Linlin is a bit mischievous, but her math scores are exceptionally good. She's quick-witted, but she just can't sit still..."
Su Jing nodded stiffly and responded with "uh-huh".
The little body in his arms was so soft and warm, filled with complete dependence. This unfamiliar touch made him uncomfortable all over, and the muscles in his arms tensed up.
Watching Su Jing carry the girl ahead, Chu Yiran was momentarily lost in thought. Lin Wanxing suddenly spoke up, "Aren't they adorable? Xixi and Linlin, their full names are Du Xixi and Du Linlin, both taking the surname of Dean Du. They should be... eight years old this year. They were abandoned at the gate of the orphanage after being diagnosed with congenital heart disease at birth... but fortunately, their surgeries have been very successful."
She paused, then continued, "Speaking of which, we have to thank Su Jing. He's always been a kind-hearted person since he was a child and has always had the habit of doing charity work. A few years ago, when he came here to donate money, he spotted these two little ones hiding in the corner at a glance. You didn't see what he looked like at the time. He's usually a cold and indifferent person, but he squatted there and played with the two children with building blocks for a whole afternoon."
Chu Yiran listened quietly, imagining the scene, feeling somewhat unfamiliar with it.
"Later, he even considered adoption," Lin Wanxing smiled, with a hint of helplessness. "Unfortunately, he was single and not old enough to meet the requirements. But this guy is so stubborn. Since adoption didn't work out, he simply took over all the medical and tuition fees for the two children, and he still does now. Xixi and Linlin are also very close to him, calling him 'Little Jing's Dad' all the time. Every time he comes, the two children are as happy as if it were New Year's Day."
Chu Yiran listened quietly, thinking to himself—
Even if Su Jing lived ten more lifetimes in his previous life, he would never have done such a thing. That man was cunning, power-hungry, and viewed all living beings as pawns; he would certainly disdain doing such things…
Chu Yiran asked, "Speaking of which... why would Su Jing want to adopt a child so early? At his age, he's still just a..." He paused, then found a word, "...a young man."
Lin Wanxing turned her head upon hearing this, her tone as natural as if she were discussing the weather: "Oh, you mean this? I guess it's because he won't have any children of his own in the future anyway, so he's looking for some companionship in advance."
Chu Yiran frowned, somewhat puzzled. "Why?" He hesitated to ask, "Is there... something wrong with his health?"
"Ah? No, no!" Lin Wanxing quickly waved her hand, as if surprised that Chu Yiran would think of that.
She glanced at Dean Du and Su Jing walking ahead, then reached out and covered Linlin's ears, leaned close to Chu Yiran's ear, and whispered, "Don't you know? He came out of the closet a long time ago. How can someone who likes men have children?"
"—?!"
Chu Yiran felt as if a thunderbolt had suddenly exploded in his ears, shaking him to his core. He happened to step on a loose pebble, and he staggered, almost falling to the ground.
"Watch out!" Lin Wanxing quickly grabbed his arm and steadied him. Looking at Chu Yiran's shocked expression, she was even more surprised: "My God...you...you didn't know about this? I thought it was an open secret in the industry! Many partners and media outlets knew about it, but everyone just kept quiet and didn't report it widely."
Chu Yiran opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Yes, he learned the rules of this era, knowing that freedom was valued here and that "sexual orientation," a private choice he had never heard of in his previous life, was respected. He understood, and could even rationally express his agreement—but it was a detached understanding, as if separated by a transparent glass.
In his past life, this wasn't openness, it was taboo. It wasn't a choice, it was original sin. Back then, he and Su Jing were already used to being treated as strange tales and as oddities. He never imagined that one day he would be able to talk about this topic so openly with others.
Seeing his shocked expression, Lin Wanxing assumed he was simply stunned by the fact, so she patted his shoulder and continued to explain in a relaxed tone, "It's okay! It's no big deal. Su Jing has been like this since he was little. He made it clear to his family and friends a long time ago that he didn't like girls and had no feelings for them. His parents are very open-minded and completely accept it. So you see, there's a reason why he's had zero scandals all these years!"
Chu Yiran could no longer hear what Lin Wanxing said after that.
As soon as they entered the activity room, Xixi had already fallen asleep in Su Jing's arms.
Even breathing could be heard from her neck. Su Jing lowered his gaze and fell on Xi Xi's peaceful sleeping face, feeling somewhat at a loss for what to do.
Dean Du laughed and said, "Xixi knew you were coming and was so excited that she didn't take a nap at noon. She probably can't hold on any longer."
Lin Wanxing stepped forward and naturally took Xixi from Su Jing's arms: "I'll take Xixi back to the girls' dormitory. You guys stay here and play with Linlin for a while."
Dean Du took Lin Wanxing back to the dormitory, leaving Chu Yiran, Su Jing, and Lin Lin staring at each other in bewilderment.
Chu Yiran coughed lightly: "Oh right, there's a bunch of stuff for the children in the car, I'll go get it." With that, she fled from the activity room.
Seeing that no one was around, Su Jing immediately seized the opportunity and pulled Linlin, who was still looking at him with a suspicious gaze, in front of him.
He crouched down, trying to make his expression serious and mysterious, and lowered his voice to say, "I'll tell you a secret: your real 'Little Jing's Dad' has been captured by aliens to carry out a secret mission! Before he left, he entrusted me to take care of you, so you have to listen to me from now on."
Linlin's eyes widened, but instead of being afraid, she gave him a "you're kidding me" look.
Su Jing's gaze sharpened, attempting to intimidate: "If you don't obey, even aliens will abduct you!"
Linlin wasn't buying it at all, puffing out her little chest: "Liar! You're a bad person! If you dare to arrest me, I'll tell Aunt Wanxing and Uncle Xiao Chu!"
Su Jing quickly covered his mouth, "Shh!" He suddenly remembered something, "Don't you like playing with Grandma Wu the most? As long as you behave well, I'll have Uncle Zhao Wei send you to Jiangcheng to play."
Previously, Su Jing would always bring Xixi and Linlin home to play during winter and summer vacations. Upon hearing this, Linlin's bright eyes darted around, clearly tempted.
He raised his chin slightly: "Then you have to agree to one more condition."
Su Jing frowned: "What?"
"Before, Xiao Jing's dad would turn into a big horse for us to ride, it was so much fun!" Linlin said matter-of-factly. "Now you want to be a big horse too! I want to ride a big horse right now!"
Su Jing: "..."
To think that he, a man of such stature, would now be reduced to a mere child's mount?
As she spoke, Linlin began shoving Su Jing: "Squat down! I want to ride a horse!"
Su Jing felt a slight throbbing in the veins on his forehead. He took a deep breath and told himself not to argue with a child. He gritted his teeth and knelt on the soft mat in the activity room.
"Giddy up! Giddy up! Run!" Linlin excitedly climbed onto Su Jing's back, patting his back with her little hands.
"puff--"
A sneer came from above. Su Jing looked up and saw Chu Yiran standing at the door, holding a box of toys.
The setting sun shone through the window onto his face, making his curved eyes shine brightly, and the curve of his lips was soft and gentle. Su Jing was momentarily lost in thought.
How long has it been since he last saw Chu Yiran smile like that?
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