The preview episode of “Where Are the Cubs Going?” was also released on Friday night, just like the live stream, so the live broadcast hit with a combination punch from the start.
As for the preview clip with its strong flame-baiting nature, it was indeed deliberately edited by the production team for effect. Viewers guessed right but still cursed and grumbled, all lamenting that Producer Bai Yong was as shameless as ever.
Yet they had to admit their sense of anticipation had been stirred. Right on cue, the live variety show concurrently went online. Fans chasing their idols needed no further urging. Passersby whose interest was piqued also held their noses and clicked in. After all, there was that old saying etched into every Chinese person’s DNA – “Well, since I’m already here…”
Then came the half-hour wait. The live broadcast lens, pointed at the green mountains and clear waters bathed in the setting sun’s afterglow, was indeed beautiful, but it was still unjustifiable to be staring at a standby screen inside a variety show’s live room, right?
But the longer they waited, the higher the sunk cost. Viewers’ patience evaporated, but their stubborn persistence was ignited.
On one hand, they flooded the danmaku and online comment sections with the hashtag #ScrewedOverByThatDogBaiYong#, offering up countless artistic expressions in beautiful Chinese. On the other hand, they rubbed their hands together frantically, determined to see what gave the production team the confidence to make the audience wait over half an hour right from the broadcast’s start.
Even more, because the “discussion” level was so high, Producer Bai Yong once again climbed onto the trending searches. Gossip-eaters were delighted. Even people with no interest in kid variety shows learned that the scandal-ridden D-lister clinging to Han Cheng had his show airing. The live room’s popularity surged further:
[Did Han Cheng deliberately sign up for a kid variety show while filming? This way, he gets the fame and buzz without having to publicly act lovey-dovey with that certain someone.]
[Isn’t it obvious? I don’t believe a single punctuation mark of their “official announcement.” Word is it’s a resource swap between the sugar daddy behind Ji Nuo and the Best Actor. Otherwise, would Han Cheng even look at a “filter beauty” like Ji Nuo?]
[Oh, you know everything now? Making baseless slander accusations, are we?]
[Aiyoyo, the Best Actor’s fans are so filial, not abandoning the ugly sister-in-law picked up from the trash heap.]
[Just so you know, the vast majority of Orange Fans are Han Cheng’s drama fans. Han Cheng is an actor, not an idol selling a boyfriend persona. Whatever Ji Nuo does has nothing to do with fans. Please don’t escalate and start fan wars…]
Across the Weibo public square and related discussion threads on various platforms, just as the fan vs. hater war was about to escalate into full-blown virtual brawling, Ji Nuo’s high-definition live stream footage seemed to freeze time for an instant.
The live broadcast equipment was acquired at great expense by the Mangosteen Platform. It had been shipped to Jade Mountain Town a week in advance to lay cables and prepare for the official filming. It was completely beyond comparison to the small portable cameras used for the preliminary interviews. Under the soft sunset glow, the image quality was comparable to a movie.
Even with Kang Feier, hailed as the most beautiful Beauty Queen, setting the stage first, the moment Ji Nuo entered the frame, he still completely stunned the audience. The filter rumor shattered itself. Ji Nuo once again hit the trending searches because of his face:
#JiNuoStunning#
#BeggingJinuoToRecommendHisPlasticSurgeon#
#HanCheng’sAestheticTaste#
…
After the shock subsided, the premiere popularity of the kid variety show further exploded. Even past midnight, Ji Nuo’s live room still had close to a million idle viewers.
Thus, the next morning, many people were literally jolted awake by the roaring, childish voice of little friend Lu Ao’ao.
~
Ji Nuo was still somewhat dazed when he opened his eyes.
He was usually somewhat particular about beds. Having just moved into Han Cheng’s house and not yet adjusted, then coming to Jade Mountain Town, he’d thought his night would be restless, filled with fragmented dreams. He never expected to fall into such a deep sleep that he’d almost forgotten he was recording a live variety show.
Ji Nuo looked down and immediately saw the cub pushing against his chest with both hands, desperately trying to distance himself.
Lu Aotian had realized the severity of the situation mid-outburst. His whole body froze in place, utterly trapped. He deeply regretted waking Ji Nuo up.
Because compared to live-streaming himself wetting the bed, anything was tolerable.
Now that it had come to this, Lu Aotian was both frantic and furious. His teeth ground audibly, his tense little body trembling slightly from the sheer force of his mortification. A million furious curses simultaneously erupted in his mind.
How! Could! This! Be!
This! Is! Outrageous!
Watching Ji Nuo’s gaze go from dazed to surprised, then a hint of amusement flicker in his eyes, Lu Aotian clenched his little fists deathly tight, his small face flushing a deep, wine-red. For a moment, he didn’t know if it was more from shame or anger—likely both.
He! Will! Definitely! Laugh at me!
Not only that, everyone… everyone will know he…
Right at that moment, Ji Nuo suddenly turned on his side, blocking the camera angle with his back.
Then he propped up the blanket and gave the little one in his arms a smile. In a quiet voice only the two of them could hear, he asked gently: “Did you drink too much milk before bed last night?”
Lu Aotian, red-faced, bared his little baby teeth, his milky fierceness fully exposed.
While surreptitiously gauging the size of the “rainfall map”, Ji Nuo soothed him warmly: “Don’t be scared. Didn’t the doctor say so yesterday? Our Ao’ao lacked proper nutrition before. Although he’s four, his physical development is a bit slow. And even normal four- or five-year-old babies can’t always fully control nighttime urination…”
Lu Aotian’s rigid body gradually softened under Ji Nuo’s soft, calming voice. The other was neither laughing at him nor scolding him?
His face still looking terrible, Lu Aotian held it in for a moment before mumbling quietly: “I’m, not a baby.”
“Alright, alright, you’re Ao’ao, not a baby.” Ji Nuo quickly confirmed that the cub’s nocturnal rain had mostly concentrated on his own thick coat. Ji Nuo actually felt quite relieved.
After all, the quilt and cotton mattress belonged to the villagers. If they were soaked through with urine and couldn’t be washed, they’d have to pay compensation. While it wouldn’t cost much, once negotiated, the bed-wetting incident would probably be impossible to hide. The little guy’s “face” would be completely lost. Ji Nuo couldn’t help but think back to Lu Ao’ao’s earlier garbled, high-pitched childish voice and wanted to laugh. It was just too adorable.
He cleared his throat and, winking conspiratorially at the child, said: “It’s cold outside. You wait here in the blanket first. Uncle will go get your clothes.”
Lu Aotian’s little hands clutched the blanket, his already beautifully curved peach blossom eyes opened wide and round, fixedly staring at Ji Nuo’s departing back.
Ji Nuo quickly returned with a black-based, thin sportswear set: black top, black pants, plus a white t-shirt, with a small pack of baby wipes wrapped inside.
Standing by the bed, Ji Nuo held up the blanket as a shield for the little one and asked in a deliberately childish tone: “Ao’ao can dress himself, right?”
Lu Aotian curled his lip and responded with a low grunt.
Ji Nuo had brought two thick coats. One was a thin, waterproof jacket-style coat; the other was a soft woolen cardigan. Fortunately, the one the child had been lying on was the waterproof jacket. Also, while the child’s upper body had snuggled close to him, his little bottom had stayed entirely on the jacket the whole night, and he hadn’t thrashed around in his sleep.
After the child finished changing, Ji Nuo made an excuse that he himself needed to change clothes before covering the camera. Then he swiftly wrapped the dirty clothes inside his coat, bundled them up with both their bedding, and carried it all out to the yard.
The cotton-padded bedding was simply hung out to air. The rest, including the sheets and duvet cover, he washed thoroughly and hung them all up in the yard to dry. Fortunately, the yard attached to this condemned house, though equally dilapidated and desolate, was spacious enough. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been enough room to hang everything.
He used every single clothesline in the yard, stretching them all the way to the corners.
Working on an empty stomach in the morning, he was feeling a bit hypoglycemic. What’s more, he kept catching a faint, pleasant aroma, like cooking wafting over from someone’s house, making him hungrier the more he smelled it.
Ji Nuo was pondering whether to make flatbread for breakfast or find some other solution. The kitchen had rice and flour, but no ingredients for side dishes… Judging by the production team’s performance last night, he guessed his Mystery Suite probably didn’t come with breakfast.
Turning his head, he spotted Lu Ao’ao crouching three steps away, not sure when he’d gotten there, head down, focused on pulling up grass.
Ji Nuo smiled and walked over. Pausing, he crouched down: “Why didn’t you wait for Uncle inside? Is your little tummy hungry?”
While inwardly mocking the baby talk (‘tummy’), Lu Aotian looked up with a complicated expression and replied: “You helped me wash… thank you.”
Ji Nuo’s smile deepened: “You’re welcome. Can I touch your head, then?”
The live broadcast machine had been moved to the yard, but with a hanging quilt beside them, the camera couldn’t capture much. Clearly, Lu Aotian had considered this too. He fell silent for a moment before asking in a deliberately deep, excessively mature voice: “If I let you touch my head, will you keep the secret?”
Ji Nuo shook his head. Just as Lu Aotian was about to bare his milk teeth again, Ji Nuo smiled and explained: “You don’t have to let me touch your head. I’ll keep it a secret anyway.”
Hearing this, Lu Aotian looked at him with a complex expression: “Why?”
Though Lu Aotian had always treated Ji Nuo as his flunky, he knew that, limited by his toddler body, everything was just one-sided. He never expected Ji Nuo’s self-management awareness was this strong…? He didn’t understand.
Ji Nuo helped him stand up: “You don’t like it, so of course I can’t do it. That stuff is your privacy.” He gently swatted the boy’s little black hands and was about to stand up to take the child to wash his hands.
Although breakfast was still a problem, he could at least make the child a bottle of milk to fill his belly for now.
But as the little dark hand opened, he realized that besides weeds, the child’s palm clutched several black-based, white-edged fan-shaped flakes, resembling pencil shavings.
Coupled with the special fragrance they emitted, Ji Nuo was almost certain this was an extremely precious wild edible mushroom – Thelephora ganbajun!
Looking down, he then noticed the ground. A massive cluster of ganbajun, already half-bald from the child’s plucking.
The intact half looked exactly like the mushroom encyclopedia entry he’d once seen. He remembered it so clearly, first because its price was so expensive he couldn’t comprehend it—a thousand yuan per jin and still rising yearly—and second because it truly didn’t look like something edible, yet was known as the ultimate delicacy.
It was the first time Ji Nuo felt like a pie had fallen from the sky. It was almost unbelievable. Such a huge cluster of ganbajun could solve more than just their breakfast…
Lu Aotian, who had stood up, was now extremely seriously contemplating whether he should allow his head to be touched. After a swirl of thoughts, his little face was a picture of utter conflict.
A moment later, Lu Aotian suddenly stamped his foot fiercely. Taking a deep breath, his face solemn, he declared: “You… can touch it!”
But Ji Nuo urgently pulled him aside: “Ao’ao! Stop stomping!!” This kid—not content with plucking the mushroom half-bald, he actually wanted to completely annihilate it? What grudge did he have?
Ji Nuo grabbed a nearby twig and carefully dug the mushroom out of the earth. He also very meticulously picked up the fragments Lu Aotian had torn off.
Then, holding a huge cluster of ganbajun that his two hands could barely contain, as if carrying some precious family heirloom, he walked back. Only at the doorway did he remember the cub.
“Ao’ao, come back,” Ji Nuo called to the corner of the yard.
Lu Aotian’s little lips were pressed tightly together. He stomped his foot repeatedly on the small hole left where Ji Nuo had dug the mushroom.
Ji Nuo frowned slightly: “Uncle is going to make some super delicious ganbajun. You’re not coming?”
The small figure in the distance paused mid-action. A moment later, he awkwardly shuffled over, coolly tossing down a line: “You already missed your chance to touch my head. Even super delicious won’t do.”
With that, his little bottom swiveled around, and he walked into the house ahead of Ji Nuo.
