Chapter 262 Two Six Two Two Combined
262:
Just as he was pondering this, his son and daughter-in-law returned.
"Why are you two up so late?" Old Master Feng asked.
When he took Ye Qingxi back, his grandson and future granddaughter-in-law were already in the hotel room.
"There's a bit of traffic on the road," said Feng's father.
Feng's mother nodded, sat down beside him, and took a sip of water.
Grandpa Feng silently and imperceptibly rolled up his sleeves, placed his left hand on the coffee table, and revealed the wristwatch he had been admiring all evening.
Feng's mother, with her sharp eyes, noticed it immediately. "Dad, you got a new watch?"
Grandpa Feng laughed. That's why he loves his daughter-in-law; she's so thoughtful and considerate.
"Hmm." Grandpa Feng pretended to put his wrist back again. "I didn't want to change it, but Xiao Xi gave me this watch, so I couldn't refuse and had to change it. You know, this child, why would she give me a gift? I've never seen a child her age give a gift to their great-grandfather. Really."
Phoenix Mother: !!!
Phoenix's father: !!!
"Xiao Xi sent this to you?!" Madam Feng exclaimed in surprise.
"Hmm," Old Master Feng said in a flat tone.
"When did it happen?" The old man didn't have this watch on his wrist when they left this afternoon.
"Tonight."
"Tonight? Tonight!" Madam Feng realized what was happening. "You said you made an appointment, was it with Xiao Xi?!"
Grandpa Feng nodded, "Yes!"
Phoenix Mother: ...
Father Feng: ...Well, no wonder he didn't go with them to meet his future granddaughter-in-law. So he was planning to meet his future great-grandson in secret!
"Dad, you and Xiaoxi seem to get along quite well?"
"Not bad," said Grandpa Feng at the Verdun Circuit. "Just a hundred thousand miles better than you guys."
Phoenix's father: ...
"When will you and Xiaoxi meet again?" Feng's mother asked curiously. "We should meet up then too."
"That won't do," Old Master Feng refused.
Ye Qingxi came to keep him company because she saw that he was alone and had no one to accompany him. If his son and daughter-in-law were with him, Ye Qingxi might not have felt comfortable coming over.
This child is kind and overly sensible.
Because of my kindness, I'm willing to stay with him.
Because he was so sensible, he wanted to save the precious time they could spend together for his son and daughter-in-law, who rarely came home throughout the year.
Sighing inwardly, Old Master Feng thought to himself, "With this kind of personality, if he had another brother or sister in the family, he would definitely suffer if they didn't get along."
So it's better to be an only child.
I wonder if his grandson has realized this yet, Old Master Feng thought to himself. I'll have to talk to Feng Que about this in a while.
“You’re not familiar with him, he’ll definitely feel awkward if he sees you,” Old Master Feng gave his son and daughter-in-law another reason.
"So how did you become familiar with him? Let's learn from him," said Madam Feng.
Grandpa Feng: ...
"This requires familiarity with children and dedication. You have to put your heart into it. If I pass on my experience to you, is that dedication from your own heart?"
"Don't think you can fool the child just because he is young. The child can feel whether you are putting your heart into it or not. You are going to be grandparents soon, and you are still so careless."
After finishing speaking, Grandpa Feng stood up and quickly walked towards the stairs.
How do we become familiar with each other?
Of course, he relies on playing the victim and selling tea, but can he say that?
Of course he can't.
He couldn't very well tell his daughter-in-law that he was the old man selling green tea in Ye Qingxi's WeChat contact list, could he?
So it's best to leave now.
Upon hearing this, Feng's parents felt that their father was right to reprimand them.
"We really haven't paid enough attention to Xiaoxi," Feng's mother admitted.
Feng's father said, "But Shao Wu doesn't want Xiao Xi to know about his relationship with Xiao Que. To Xiao Xi, we are just two outsiders, and two outsiders who are not in the country most of the time. We can't see him at all. Even if we want to care, it's not easy for us."
Phoenix Mother: "That's true."
The couple looked at each other and sighed helplessly.
Feng Que didn't stay in Mu Shaowu's room any longer. It was too late, and Ye Qingxi needed to go to sleep, so Mu Shaowu asked her to leave.
"How's your preparation for tomorrow's scene going?" Feng Que asked with concern before leaving. "That's one of the most important scenes in the whole film, so you have to pull through."
Mu Shaowu gave him an OK sign, "Don't worry."
However, after Feng Que left, Mu Shaowu finished bathing Ye Qingxi and sat on the bed to read the script again, feeling extremely guilty.
Ye Qingxi, still in bed with her little head peeking out, quietly approached him and asked, "Daddy, aren't you going to sleep yet?"
"Dad is watching tomorrow's play."
"Do you need me to rehearse with you, Dad?"
"No need," Mu Shaowu said.
How could he possibly interrupt his son's sleep time!
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingxi didn't say anything more.
Mu Shaowu was clearly unsure about tomorrow's show. If he was told to go to bed early, he wouldn't be able to sleep soundly anyway. It was better to let him continue watching, as this would make him feel more at ease.
Ye Qingxi closed her eyes and said, "Goodnight, Dad."
"good evening."
Mu Shaowu lowered his head and kissed him on the forehead.
The scene to be filmed the next day is the one where Qiao Xia clashes with Qiao Tian after finding him.
Ye Qingxi and Mu Shaowu had finished their makeup and styling long ago.
The set-up staff finished setting up the scene, and the equipment was in place.
Feng Que, sitting behind the monitor, shouted, "Action!"
Mu Shaowu placed the fried rice he was holding on the table.
"Let's eat," he said, trying to sound calm.
But Ye Qingxi stood motionless by the door not far away.
Mu Shaowu said patiently, "Come and eat."
Ye Qingxi slowly raised her eyes, looked at him gently, and said nothing or did nothing.
His eyes were clear and calm, like a clear lake. He looked at Mu Shaowu with a mix of sadness, grievance, and a feeling that Mu Shaowu couldn't quite put into words.
"Come and eat," Mu Shaowu said for the third time.
However, Ye Qingxi remained standing in place, as if she hadn't heard anything.
Mu Shaowu looked at the child in front of him, not understanding what he was doing.
Without saying a word, he left a letter and went to find his relatives.
He finally found him and brought him back, but the man refused to get close to him at all.
He stood there while he was cooking, and now that the food is ready, he's still standing there, as if he doesn't feel any of his worry, anxiety, or fear.
It was as if he didn't want to be with him at all.
"You don't want to eat, do you?" Mu Shaowu asked him.
Ye Qingxi remained silent.
"You don't want to go back here either, do you?"
Ye Qingxi remained silent.
"Qiao Tian, you don't want to be with me at all, do you?"
Ye Qingxi looked at him, her lips pursed slightly, and her eyes held a trembling sadness.
Mu Shaowu nodded.
He said, "Okay."
"In that case, I won't force you."
After he finished speaking, he walked closer to Ye Qingxi, opened the door, pulled Ye Qingxi up, and pushed her out.
Ye Qingxi instinctively grabbed his arm, her eyes filled with undisguised anxiety, worry, and fear.
"You should leave," Mu Shaowu said. "Anyway, you don't want to stay here, so you should leave."
Ye Qingxi was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting him to say that, and for a moment she forgot how to react.
Seeing this, Mu Shaowu assumed that he really didn't want to stay here.
He increased the force with which he pushed the child in front of him.
Ye Qingxi tugged at his sleeve, tears welling up in her eyes like mist.
"This kid is a real actor!" the assistant director couldn't help but exclaim. "His eyes conveyed so much emotion, without uttering a single word!"
Feng Que also thought so; Ye Qingxi's acting skills were truly excellent.
His acting was lively, natural, lifelike, and nuanced; you couldn't tell it was his first time acting.
"It's just that he's too young to win a Best Actor award. Otherwise, he really should have won one after this movie." The assistant director clearly adored Ye Qingxi.
Phoenix Palace: ? ? ?
Feng Que looked at the people around him and thought, "You really have a lot of wild ideas!"
However, great minds think alike, and he also felt that Ye Qingxi had the talent of a movie star!
At his age, just as the assistant director said, even if he dared to nominate Ye Qingxi for Best Actor, no one would dare to give him the award!
Six years old is still too young!
But if he is willing to continue acting in the future, with his looks and acting skills, he will definitely leave his mark on film history.
It's just unknown whether Mu Shaowu will let him continue acting, after all, at Ye Qingxi's age, going to school is more important.
Feng Que felt a pang of regret upon thinking about this.
He felt that an actress like Ye Qingxi should shine on the big screen.
Moreover, it would be best if there were films documenting each of his ages: childhood, adolescence, and youth.
He's so good-looking, such a great actor, and so full of charm.
It would be a pity not to leave something behind.
However, Ye Qingxi was not his son after all, so no matter how much he wanted to do it, he could only dream about it.
“But he could be nominated for Best Newcomer, right?” the assistant director said again. “Director Feng, you said before that Xiao Xi has never acted before, so he is a newcomer in the film industry. This award is most suitable for him.”
Otherwise, given Ye Qingxi's age, the judges probably wouldn't have awarded him the Best Supporting Actor award, the assistant director thought to himself, preoccupied with his favorite actor.
Feng Que nodded, "That's definitely possible."
Xiao Dai, the assistant standing behind them: Wait, you've already started discussing which award to submit for Xiao Xi? Isn't that a bit too early?
So which film festival are we going to submit to?
Let him dream about it in advance!
Ye Qingxi was unaware that Feng Que and the others had already begun planning for him to win the award; at this moment, he was still focused on acting with Mu Shaowu.
It must be admitted that having Ye Qingxi as his co-star is indeed a rare and great advantage for Mu Shaowu.
Firstly, Ye Qingxi's acting skills are truly excellent. He acts with such emotion that it's easier for his co-stars to immerse themselves in the scene and his emotions.
Secondly, when Mu Shaowu saw the tears in Ye Qingxi's eyes and the sadness in them, his heart ached unconsciously.
He might not be able to feel a strong, heartfelt love for other children, but Ye Qingxi was not one of them; she was his child. So all he needed to do was look at Ye Qingxi, and that love was already welling up in his eyes and in his heart.
"Go away! Don't you not want to be with me? Don't you want to leave me? Don't you want to go find your family? Then go away!"
Mu Shaowu pried his hands off and pushed him away forcefully.
Ye Qingxi's tears fell instantly.
"Dad." He hugged Mu Shaowu tightly, his tears soaking Mu Shaowu's clothes.
"Dad." Ye Qingxi hugged him, calling him Dad while crying softly and helplessly.
He cried very softly, like a small animal whimpering.
Mu Shaowu was stunned. He listened to his sobs, looked down at the child in his arms, and his eyes were filled with undisguised love and heartache.
He didn't really want Qiao Tian to leave; he wanted Qiao Tian to stay by his side forever.
But he was afraid. He was afraid that Qiao Tian didn't want to stay by his side. He was afraid that Qiao Tian would leave not only because he was afraid of being a burden, but also because he wanted to go to his family.
The fear is that he hasn't gone to his relatives' place yet, not because he doesn't want to go, but because he has other ideas.
He was afraid that Qiao Tian would leave him.
He has no relatives left.
He only has Qiao Tian.
Mu Shaowu hugged the child in his arms tightly.
As the camera zooms in, you can see him holding Qiao Tian as if he were clutching his last lifeline, and you can see the tear that unconsciously falls as he lowers his head and his eyelashes droop.
They huddled together for warmth, clinging tightly to each other.
The hallway was dark, but the light from the room shone on them.
At the boundary between darkness and light, there were only the two of them.
"Wow!" the assistant director exclaimed. "Teacher Mu's acting has improved by leaps and bounds! She acted so well, she didn't hold Xiao Xi back at all!"
Feng Que nodded, then turned to the assistant director, looking dissatisfied, and said, "How can you say that about Teacher Mu? When has Teacher Mu ever held Xiao Xi back?!"
Even if it's delayed, you can't say it out loud!
Assistant Director: ...We're already so familiar with each other, there's no need to pretend like this.
Assistant Director: "Yes, yes, yes, Teacher Mu is so excellent and acts so well, how could she possibly hold Xiao Xi back?"
Feng Que: Why does this sound so much like Yin and Yang?
Feng Que remained silent. "You should just keep the first half of the sentence."
Assistant Director: ...You're really picky!
"However, Teacher Mu's acting skills have indeed improved a lot, and he is acting better and better. Director Feng, you have a good eye. Not only did you discover Teacher Mu's potential, but you also discovered Xiao Xi's gem right away. I guarantee that once this movie is released, Xiao Xi will definitely be the most sought-after child star in the future. With his looks and acting skills, the film industry will not let him go for any important roles under the age of ten."
The assistant director originally intended to praise Mu Shaowu, but his exaggerated praise ended up praising Mu Shaowu's favorite person instead.
“That’s right,” Feng Que said proudly.
Those aged eleven or twelve or older might have to change their age to accommodate Ye Qingxi and try to get him cast.
Feng Que was never worried about Ye Qingxi's future in film and television; he was only worried that Mu Shaowu didn't want Ye Qingxi to continue acting.
However, with this film airing, Mu Shaowu's future film career should be much smoother.
He can actually act very well, he just needs a good, patient director and good co-stars.
Feng Que recalled that yesterday, after Mu Shaowu and Qi Yi finished filming the scene where they were looking for Qiao Tian, he praised him after the scene, saying that he acted very well, even better than Qi Yi, and that he had portrayed Qiao Xia's worry, anxiety, fear, self-blame, and love for her child.
Mu Shaowu was clearly surprised and a little embarrassed when he heard this. "Really? Is that so? Haha, I didn't even notice."
He looked at himself, his eyes filled with bright joy.
Feng Que couldn't help but laugh. Mu Shaowu was quite cute back then.
"Cut!" he shouted. "Great performance! One more take! Mu Shaowu, Xiao Xi, keep it up!"
"Okay," Mu Shaowu replied.
He looked down and saw Ye Qingxi giving him a thumbs up.
"Dad acted so well!"
Mu Shaowu was caught off guard by the praise, feeling both pleased and surprised.
He slowly raised the corners of his lips and rubbed his son's head, "Xiao Xi acted well too, Xiao Xi, you acted the best!"
Ye Qingxi knew, of course, that he acted well—he had always been the best actor.
But Ye Qingxi was even happier than if she had acted better herself, because her father could act so naturally and so well.
That's great, his father's acting skills are slowly but surely shining brightly.
Two days after filming this scene, Lunar New Year's Eve arrived.
Mu Shaowu didn't join the Spring Festival travel rush ticket scramble. Instead, he told Mu Zheng about it and asked him to bring his family's private jet to pick him and Ye Qingxi up.
Mu Zheng naturally had no objections.
He told Qin Cheng about it and asked him, "Dad is going to pick up Xiao Xi and your second uncle. Do you want to come along?"
Qin Cheng nodded quickly, "When?"
"Tomorrow," Mu Zheng said.
"Once we pick you up, we'll go straight to your grandfather's house for the New Year."
"Okay," Qin Cheng said happily.
Mu Zheng instructed Qin Luan, "Then you should go there first tomorrow and tell them about this while you're at it."
"Okay." Qin Luan had no objections.
She looked at her husband and said, "Be careful."
"Um."
Ye Qingxi was quite looking forward to it when she heard that their family's private jet would be coming tomorrow.
He had flown on private jets twice, once on a friend of Mu Shaowu's and once on Zhong Yan's plane, but he had never flown on his own.
"What's our family's private jet like?" he asked Mu Shaowu.
Mu Shaowu: ...
"It looks like a normal airplane."
"Didn't you add any of our signature features?"
Mu Shaowu asked curiously, "What special features do you want to add?"
Ye Qingxi: It seems there aren't any.
“Although we don’t have any right now, we can add more if you want,” Mu Shaowu said. “Anyway, you’re the little darling of the family, so if you talk to them, they’ll definitely be willing.”
Ye Qingxi: ...But he didn't know what special features to add.
Just as he was thinking, there was a knock on the door.
Mu Shaowu stopped packing his luggage and walked to the door.
He opened the door and found it was Feng Que.
Feng Que was carrying a bag. "These are some things my parents bought, saying they're a gift for your dad."
Mu Shaowu said "Oh" and reached out to take it.
However, Feng Que did not leave.
"Is there anything else?" Mu Shaowu asked.
“My parents want to visit your dad during the Spring Festival. They say it's to visit old friends, but actually…” Feng Que looked at Mu Shaowu, giving him a knowing look, “What do you think?”
Mu Shaowu felt there was no need for it.
He glanced back and, seeing that Ye Qingxi wasn't in the suite's living room, leaned close to Feng Que's ear and said, "Forget it, we're all fake, there's no need for this."
"If you go and your parents start discussing a collaboration with my dad, will my dad agree or disagree?"
"Agree, we're fake."
"If I don't agree, I'll be putting my dad in a difficult position by not letting him earn the money he's already got."
"So let's just forget about it."
Feng Que actually thought the same thing.
Seeing that Mu Shaowu also felt the same way, she felt that they were truly on the same wavelength: "Then I'll go back and try to persuade them."
"Mm." Mu Shaowu nodded.
He nodded, but seeing that Feng Que was still standing at his door, he asked, "Is there anything else?"
"How are you and Xiaoxi getting around tomorrow? Do you want me to give you a ride?"
"No need, we have a driver to take us."
When will you be back?
Mu Shaowu thought for a moment, "I guess it will be on the evening of the first day of the Lunar New Year."
Feng Que: You really stayed until the very last moment.
"Okay. Let me know in advance and I'll pick you up."
"No need," Mu Shaowu refused again. "A driver will come to pick me up."
Feng Que: ...This driver is really dedicated to his job!
“Alright,” Feng Que said.
"Who is Dad?" Ye Qingxi asked, getting out of bed and walking out when Mu Shaowu didn't return.
“Your Uncle Feng,” Mu Shaowu replied.
Feng Que tilted his head and greeted him.
Upon seeing him, Ye Qingxi remembered something and said, "Uncle Feng, it's rare for you to come home, and these two days are the New Year. Could you try to spend more time with Great-Grandpa? He's always lonely at home."
Phoenix Palace: ...Lonely?
Does his grandfather ever feel lonely?
Doesn't he always complain about how noisy his cousins are?
Mu Shaowu glanced at the fleeting question in his eyes and smiled: You don't know, do you? The image your grandfather has in my son's eyes is that of a lonely old man with only a dog for company.
How pitiful!
“Okay,” Feng Que replied.
Although I don't know what's going on, agreeing first is definitely the right thing to do.
"That's good, Uncle Feng, see you next year~" Ye Qingxi waved to him.
Feng Que waved to him, "See you next year~"
"You too." He looked at Mu Shaowu. "See you next year~"
"Mm." Mu Shaowu smiled as he looked at him.
Feng Que then left and headed back.
Mu Shaowu also returned to his bedroom and began packing his luggage again.
The next morning, Zeng Chong had his driver take him, Ye Qingxi, and Mu Shaowu to the airport.
Thanks to Mu Shaowu, he can go home to reunite with his family today and return to the film crew tomorrow night.
"But Shaowu, your family has a private jet, right? Why didn't you use it before?"
Of course, it's because this plane is basically used by people like his dad and his older brother who are busy with work every day.
If it weren't for the fear of crowds during the Spring Festival travel rush, potentially jostling Ye Qingxi, Mu Shaowu himself wouldn't actually know how to use it.
Ye Qingxi followed Mu Shaowu forward and soon saw Qin Cheng and Mu Zheng standing on the gangway.
"Xiao Xi," Qin Cheng called out to him.
Ye Qingxi walked quickly to him. "Why are you here too?"
“My dad said he was coming to pick you up and asked if I wanted to come along, so I came,” Qin Cheng said.
Ye Qingxi smiled, looked up, and greeted Mu Zheng, "Uncle~"
Mu Zheng patted his head. "It's alright, you haven't lost weight yet."
"Of course! You have no idea how well your nephew has been eating lately. Someone is bringing him loving lunches every day. How could he not lose weight? It's good that he's not gaining weight."
"Grandpa Feng?" Mu Zheng asked.
Ye Qingxi and Mu Shaowu exclaimed in surprise, "You actually knew that?"
Mu Zheng knew, of course. "After your sister-in-law came back, she told me that Xiao Xi had helped Grandpa Feng with two favors, so Grandpa Feng repaid the favor tenfold by sending him lunch every day. She and Xiao Cheng even ate there for free several times."
Mu Shaowu nodded. Very good. Old Master Feng did a good job of laying the groundwork. Look, even his elder brother didn't notice anything unusual.
When Mu Zheng first heard it, he wasn't entirely without doubt, but he simply didn't have the imagination to think that his younger brother was playing a fake relationship with Feng Que. In addition, given Feng Que's age and status, it seemed unlikely that he would want anything from Ye Qingxi.
That's why Mu Zheng didn't think much of it.
Ye Qingxi has always been popular with older people. His father, Old Master Kang, Old Madam Kang, and now Old Master Feng, it doesn't seem impossible.
Moreover, Mu Shaowu was by Ye Qingxi's side, and Feng Que, the grandson of Old Master Feng, was also in front of Mu Shaowu, so Mu Zheng did not think much about this matter.
Looking back now, he was just saying it offhand.
The group quickly took their seats.
Ye Qingxi and Qin Cheng hadn't seen each other for a while and had a lot to say, so they decided to sit down together.
"This is my first time flying on my family's private jet," Ye Qingxi said.
Qin Cheng nodded, "Me too."
“But our plane is so simple.” Ye Qingxi recalled the appearance of the plane she had just seen. “Zhong Yan’s plane is so fancy.”
"Do you want something a little more flashy?" Qin Cheng asked him.
Ye Qingxi didn't want it to be too flashy; he just felt that it could be decorated a little to reflect their family's unique characteristics.
"Ah! I've got it!" Ye Qingxi suddenly pictured their family's clothes in her mind.
"We could draw some cats on the plane," he said. "That would make it look like home clothes!"
Qin Cheng had no objection. "Then I want to draw what Donut looked like when he was little."
"I'll draw what Cotton Candy looks like when it was little," Ye Qingxi said. "Then I'll ask other people what kind of cats they like."
"Yes," Qin Cheng agreed.
Mu Shaowu watched the two of them chattering away together and smiled knowingly.
He closed his eyes and rested for a while.
After getting off the plane, Zeng Chong got into a car and left.
Mu Shaowu and the others also got into Mu Zheng's driver's car.
Looking out the window at the familiar city, Ye Qingxi felt a surge of emotion, as if she were returning to her hometown.
How strange, he thought. He had only been in this world for a little over a year, yet he already felt such a strong attachment to this city.
He even felt that this place was his hometown.
Perhaps Ye Qingxi thought that what he cherished was not the city itself, but certain people who lived in it.
He's back.
He was finally going to see his family again.
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