Chapter 44
Shao Mian was intrigued by Abyss’s offer. A secret about Lin Ran? What could a flame sprite possibly know?
Abyss, sensing his interest, exclaimed, “I promise you’ll like it! And I really want to become stronger…” It almost clung to his leg, its eagerness surprising Shao Mian. A few days with that human had changed it. Perhaps a bit of competition among cubs was beneficial.
“Fine, I agree,” Shao Mian said, flicking Abyss’s head playfully, making it spin.
Jerk! Abyss, clinging to a pen holder, felt a pang of longing for A-Ran. He wouldn’t treat it like this! It regretted not trading itself to A-Ran for the peach. It would have been the first cub by his side!
As Lin Ran logged out, still holding Snowball’s necklace, a notification appeared:
[Limited-time offer! 1 gold for “Snow Crystal Necklace (half)”! Redeem?][Yes][No]
1 gold? Too cheap to refuse. He clicked “Yes.”
He opened his eyes, a cool object in his hand. “It actually worked,” he said, examining the beautiful, icy blue crystal. It was a gift from Snowball, so he didn’t put it away but tied it to his phone with a string.
“My phone isn’t overheating anymore. Is this Snowball’s magic?” His budget phone often overheated. This was a practical gift. He smiled, looking forward to Snowball visiting him too.
[Cub affection: 99. You are indispensable to this cub, who wants to stay by your side forever!] Snowball’s affection, like Sootball’s, was stuck at 99.
“This summer has been… wonderful,” he sighed, looking at the blue sky. His life had changed since the start of summer. But school was starting soon. He would miss his family, friends, and the village animals.
He had enough gold for another Encounter Card. What kind of fluffy creature would it be this time? But spending all his gold again made him hesitate.
Meanwhile, the village’s fruit juice was selling well, both online and offline. The film crew, having spent time in Jiangjia Village, had become friendly with the villagers, especially Lin Ran and Jiang Jie, who were now close to Liu Weng Gang, the assistant director. He had even bought a large batch of juice for the crew.
“Mr. Liu, here’s your delivery!” Jiang Jie said, arriving with the juice, Lin Ran helping him unload.
“Just in time! The kids loved it,” Liu Weng Gang said. The film featured many child actors, including the famous An Xun, and they all loved the juice. Even An Xun, usually quiet and reserved, had shown interest, surprising Liu Weng Gang.
“Glad you like it. But we won’t be delivering next time. The village will arrange for someone else,” Lin Ran said.
“Oh, going back to school?” Liu Weng Gang asked, slightly disappointed. He had wanted to offer Lin Ran a small role.
He gave them both a red envelope before they left.
“He’s so nice! Not arrogant at all, unlike some of the staff,” Jiang Jie said, holding the envelope.
“Hey— You two, stop!” a child’s voice called out.
“I can’t open this. Help me,” a young actor, dressed in costume, said, mistaking them for staff, holding a bottle of their juice. He was handsome, but his arrogant demeanor was off-putting.
Jiang Jie, seeing their juice, was happy to help. He thought he recognized the actor from a TV show his grandparents watched.
Lin Ran, however, took the bottle and opened it.
“Here. Next time, say ‘please’,” he said, crouching down, looking at the boy.
The boy, seeing Lin Ran, thought he was an actor too, then dismissed him as an extra. Even among child actors, there was a hierarchy. Realizing they weren’t important, his arrogance returned.
“Don’t tell me what to do… I need a glass. Get me one.”
“Hey, that’s rude! Why should Lin-zai do that for you?” Jiang Jie said, offended. This kid was nothing like his on-screen persona.
“Don’t argue, A-Jie. Let’s go,” Lin Ran said, pulling him away. He had encountered spoiled children before during his tutoring days. He was glad his cubs were well-behaved.
“Hey— You’re ignoring me!?” The boy, annoyed, tried to follow them, then noticed something shiny and grabbed it.
Jiang Jie, protective, pushed the boy’s hand away, glaring at him.
“Don’t touch him. I’m not as nice as Lin-zai,” he growled.
The boy, intimidated, froze. After they left, he looked at the shiny object in his hand: a string of glass beads. Hmph, so what?
Lin Ran, back home, packed his suitcase for school, then, later that night, realized Snowball’s necklace was missing. He panicked; it was a precious gift.
“Where could it be?” Jiang Jie also helped search.
“We’ve looked everywhere!” he said, trying to reassure him.
Lin Ran bit his finger anxiously, a rare sight, making Jiang Jie realize the necklace’s importance.
“Did you leave it at the film set?” he asked.
“Maybe, but we can’t just go back there,” Lin Ran said.
“I can ask Mr. Liu. Or… I can sneak in tonight,” Jiang Jie offered.
“No! What if you get caught? Let’s try contacting them. If we can’t find it, we can’t find it…” Lin Ran said, thinking he could use Snowball’s half of the necklace to locate the other half.
That night, there was a night shoot at the film set. An Xun, waiting for his scene, sat quietly, the other child actors playing nearby, occasionally glancing at him but not approaching. He was known for being aloof, and his mother and manager were protective.
“Stop staring! I’ll show you something cool,” Huang Zi Yan, the boy from before, said, annoyed by their attention towards An Xun. He had been the leader of the child actors before An Xun arrived, and he resented the shift in attention. At least An Xun seemed content to be alone.
“Wow, what is that? Like Elsa’s diamond!” a girl said, admiring the icy blue stone. It looked like a real gem.
“It’s so cold.” “Zi Yan, did you take your mom’s necklace?” The children gathered around, boosting Huang Zi Yan’s ego.
“I found it! If you play with me, you might find one too!” he boasted.
Just then, An Xun, surprisingly, walked over and grabbed his wrist.
“…Where did you get this?” he asked, his tone serious.
“What are you doing?! Trying to steal it?!” Huang Zi Yan yelled, but An Xun’s grip was strong.
“What’s going on? Don’t fight!” The managers, parents, and even the director rushed over, worried.
“He stole it,” An Xun said, looking at Huang Zi Yan’s guilty expression.
“No! I found it!” Huang Zi Yan protested.
“An Xun’s mom, look at your son! Just because he’s famous doesn’t mean he can bully others! His wrist is red! What’s your explanation?” Huang Zi Yan’s mother said, her family being the most influential among the child actors’ parents.
“An Xun, why are you saying that?” Lu Ya asked, worried about offending her. And she was worried An Xun was having another “episode.” He became aggressive and unpredictable during those times.
“He stole it,” An Xun repeated, then took out his half of the necklace, which fit perfectly with the blue stone.
“I broke this in half. I didn’t give it to you,” he said, and even Lu Ya looked at the necklace in surprise. When had he given it away?
“Did you buy this for him, Mrs. Lu?” the director asked, recognizing the gem’s value. It was a shame it had been broken; it would have been worth a fortune. But the perfect fit proved An Xun wasn’t lying.
“I… I…” Lu Ya hesitated. She had never bought him such a thing. And no fan would give such an expensive gift.
“Maybe he found it too and is trying to steal ours!” Huang Zi Yan’s mother said, and everyone looked at the two mothers, sensing the power imbalance. An Xun seemed to be fighting alone.
“Where did you steal it from?” An Xun asked again, his calm persistence unnerving Huang Zi Yan, who burst into tears.
“Mommy—! I didn’t steal it! I found it!”
The scene descended into chaos. Lu Ya pulled An Xun away, his gaze fixed on the crying boy, making even her uneasy. That necklace was his most prized possession.
“Mr. Liu, is this a bad time?” Jiang Jie asked, arriving with Lin Ran. That kid’s crying was giving him a headache.
“Yes, it is. What is it?” Liu Weng Gang sighed.
“We’re looking for something we lost this morning,” Lin Ran said.
“More lost items? What is it?”
“An icy blue stone, like a gem, but broken in half. Shouldn’t be worth much. Do you have security cameras?” Lin Ran explained, noticing Liu Weng Gang’s widening eyes. Another person claiming the stone?
“He— He gave it to me! He’s the thief!” Huang Zi Yan, seeing Lin Ran, pointed at him, trying to divert attention from himself.
“Who are you calling a thief?!” Jiang Jie exclaimed, outraged. This spoiled brat was a celebrity?
Everyone looked at Lin Ran.
“I suggest we check the cameras,” Lin Ran said calmly, thinking the boy’s behavior reflected his upbringing.
But before anyone could respond, An Xun, staring at Lin Ran, suddenly ran towards him.
“An Xun! What are you doing?!” Lu Ya exclaimed, thinking he was going to confront Lin Ran, which would be a disaster. She didn’t understand the necklace situation and didn’t want it to become a news story.
But An Xun, surprisingly, stopped in front of Lin Ran, holding the necklace, his expression hesitant, almost shy, like he was dreaming. He was afraid to approach, fearing it would all disappear.
“It’s A-Ran…” he whispered, clutching the two halves of the crystal.
Lin Ran: ? He thought he was hallucinating, or that Sootball had come to find him. But it was definitely this little boy saying his name.
Even Jiang Jie was confused. A-Ran? Did he know Lin-zai? He was getting wary of child actors after the Huang Zi Yan incident.
“Here,” An Xun said, offering him the other half of the crystal.
“Is this yours?”
“Thank you… It is. Hey!” Lin Ran said, then gasped as An Xun suddenly hugged him tightly, as if afraid of letting go.
He had held many fluffy creatures, but being hugged by a small human child felt strange and wonderful.
He instinctively hugged An Xun back, under the stunned gazes of the entire film crew. Even the director was surprised by An Xun’s sudden display of affection. He was usually so reserved.
“Lin-zai… is this… your secret love child? Or a younger sibling? But the ages don’t match!” Jiang Jie exclaimed, recognizing An Xun from the movie. He had been a fan!
Lin Ran, uncomfortable with the attention, instinctively stroked An Xun’s hair, feeling like a familiar fluffy tail would soon wrap around his wrist. It was like when he had first rescued Snowball from the cave.
“Snowball?” he whispered, like a secret code.
An Xun, hugging him tightly, blushed and whispered back, “…Mew!” Their own little secret.
It really was Snowball! Lin Ran was stunned, then found himself charmed by An Xun’s attempt at a cub sound, his cheeks puffed out in concentration. He was adorable!
How could he possibly let anyone else adopt this cub? He was getting anxious…
