Chapter 21: The Opening Song
Wispy clouds, like willow catkins, drifted in the sky. The sun slowly rose, pouring a golden warmth through the gaps in the clouds, dispelling the endless darkness and pulling the earth back into a bright world.
It was the start of another school week. Nuonuo had just finished breakfast when he saw Fei Luo putting on his little blue backpack, ready to take the car to school.
“No, ya! Brother no go!”
Nuonuo didn’t understand that Fei Luo was going to school. He only knew that every time his third brother put on this bag, he would disappear for a long time before coming back.
Nuonuo didn’t even bother to eat his last bite of food. He anxiously got down from his baby chair and, with his little arms outstretched like a wobbly, dazed penguin, ran up to Fei Luo. He was so small he didn’t even reach Fei Luo’s shoulder, but he still stood on his tiptoes, trying to take the backpack off his third brother’s back.
Bad backpack, taking Third Brother away again! Nuonuo thought, his little brow furrowed unhappily.
Fei Jing watched the scene from the side, took a sip of his rose tea, and let out a soft laugh. “The little sticky rice ball wants to carry a backpack too? How old are you, and you already want to go to school?”
Nuonuo was pulling on Fei Luo’s backpack strap, preventing him from leaving. The doll hanging on it swayed a couple of times.
Auntie Wu, who had just finished clearing the table, also rushed over. She coaxed Nuonuo with candy, finally giving Fei Luo a chance to escape.
Fei Luo didn’t like going to school either, but it was his father’s request. He could only purse his lips and, with no light in his eyes, follow the driver uncle out.
The moment Nuonuo turned his head, he saw that his brother’s figure was gone. The candy he had just gotten fell to the floor with a clatter. He quickly ran out after him. But he was too small. In the time it took him to cross the threshold, Fei Luo was already in the car and gone.
Nuonuo pouted, turned back to pick up the fallen little candies and put them back in his pocket, and then ran to his second brother, crying, pointing at the car driving away outside the door. “Third Brother is gone again!”
His eyes were filled with a pool of tears, which swirled in his eyes, on the verge of falling.
It was the first time Fei Jing had seen Nuonuo with red-rimmed eyes, about to cry. The feeling of watching a show also turned into a bit of a lump in his chest. To be fair, with his little nose all red, the little one did look quite pitiful.
“Alright, stop crying. How about… I take you out to play later?”
Fei Jing wasn’t very good at comforting children either. He could only tap his chin with his finger and say uncertainly.
Nuonuo’s little hand, which was wiping his tears, stopped. His attention was instantly diverted, and he looked up at his second brother. “Pway?”
Fei Jing let out a soft scoff, reached out his slender finger, and poked the little silly egg on the forehead. “You only heard the word ‘play,’ didn’t you? Are you trying to trick me?”
Nuonuo went over and hugged his second brother’s leg, his moist, bright black eyes blinking a couple of times. He even tilted his little face up and asked, “Go out to pway, ya?”
Fei Jing placed his teacup on the table next to him, rubbed his head, a little helpless.
Starting today, Yuncheng would be holding a two-day open day event. This event was like a conference. Not only would people from Yunzhou and Huazhou, which were managed by Fei Zhiyan, attend, but also many people from the usually closed-off Daizhou and the always-at-odds Baizhou would come.
And Fei Jing, as a top celebrity, had also been invited to the branch site in the south of Yuncheng to sing the opening song. The fact that the opening of such a grand event was entrusted to Fei Jing was enough to prove how popular he was. So, no matter what, Fei Jing couldn’t miss this opportunity.
Fei Jing looked at the time, estimating that his manager would be here to pick him up soon. But when he looked down and saw Nuonuo’s sparkling, expectant eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to say that he was going to leave the child alone.
What if the little dumpling starts crying again after I say it?
Although Fei Jing liked to tease Nuonuo, he didn’t want to see the little one sobbing and shedding tears.
Fei Jing couldn’t help but wonder when he had become so soft-hearted.
After hesitating for a long while, and seeing that his manager had already stopped at the door, Fei Jing was defeated by Nuonuo’s expectant gaze. He gritted his teeth, took out his phone, and called Fei Zhiyan.
After saying that he wanted to take Nuonuo out to play, Fei Jing unconsciously held his breath, afraid that Fei Zhiyan would let out a cold laugh in the next second and send him to solitary confinement.
Fei Jing’s heart was a little panicked. Just as he was about to open his mouth to explain a little more, Fei Zhiyan’s voice came from the other side. “Take a few more bodyguards. Don’t lose Nuonuo.”
Fei Jing’s clenched fist suddenly loosened, and he let out a slight breath. “Thank you, Father.”
When it came to Fei Zhiyan, Fei Jing was indeed both respectful and afraid, to the point where he rarely dared to ask for anything from his father. Although he knew that his father had agreed today probably because he was afraid Nuonuo would cry at home alone, Fei Jing still couldn’t help but feel a little relieved.
Fei Jing remembered that he was adopted by Fei Zhiyan from an orphanage when he was seven and a half. At that time, Fei Jing was wearing his cleanest but still-frayed clothes in the car. His light-colored eyes would occasionally glance at the man who had become his father, only feeling that the other’s imposing aura was almost suffocating him.
Fei Jing had been emotionally intelligent since he was a child, with a strong ability to read people. He could tell that Fei Zhiyan had adopted him not because he liked him, but even with a hint of impatience.
But this was Fei Jing’s own choice. He was as beautiful and cute as an angel, and many people had wanted to adopt him since he was a child. There was even a couple who came to the orphanage every day, just to move Fei Jing, hoping he would become their child.
But Fei Jing didn’t want that kind of life at all. He knew clearly what he needed and quietly waited in the darkness until Fei Zhiyan’s arrival. He thought it was all his own calculation, but when Fei Zhiyan’s cold eyes looked over, Fei Jing was suddenly startled, realizing how ridiculous his little tricks were.
Fei Zhiyan disliked people playing tricks in front of him. Although Fei Jing had long gone astray, his heart as black as night, he still had to restrain himself and be a docile little lamb.
For so many years, Fei Jing had not committed a single crime, afraid of being thrown into the “little black room” for solitary confinement by Fei Zhiyan. That place was almost like hell. Fei Jing had tested Fei Zhiyan’s bottom line a few times and, after being sent in once, he came out with the heart to destroy the entire world. Otherwise, Fei Jing wouldn’t have grown more and more insane in the later stages of the plot. His own self-destructive personality and the confinement in the little black room both played a significant role.
Hearing Fei Jing’s rare soft tone, Fei Zhiyan’s hand, which was signing a document, paused. He finished signing his name, waved his assistant away, and then spoke. “Don’t cause any trouble, or I’ll throw you into the sea to feed the fish.”
Fei Jing knew his father wasn’t joking and couldn’t help but straighten up a little, quickly agreeing. “Don’t worry. You go ahead and work. I’m taking Nuonuo to the car now.”
Although Fei Zhiyan was indifferent to his second son, after all, the other’s ability to stir up trouble was enough to give him a headache, but having raised him for so long, he still gave a final instruction. “Sing the opening song well.”
Hearing the “beep” from the phone, Fei Jing was in a daze, thinking he had misheard. He held his phone, stunned for a long while without blinking.
“Brother.” Nuonuo was holding a small apple that Auntie Wu had given him, chewing on it with juice all around his little mouth. He even stood on his tiptoes to offer it to his second brother.
Fei Jing came back to his senses, looked at the unevenly chewed apple, and pushed him away with one finger, a little disdainfully. “Isn’t it dirty? You eat it yourself.”
Nuonuo shook his head. Seeing that his second brother wouldn’t eat it, he continued to chew on the apple and asked strangely, “What’s wong with Second Brother? You’re not tawking.”
Fei Jing thought of the phone call just now. His light-colored pupils flickered a couple of times before he suddenly curled his lips into a light laugh. “It’s nothing. I just didn’t expect Father to know I was going to sing the opening song today.”
Fei Jing still remembered that when he said he wanted to enter the entertainment industry, Fei Zhiyan’s eyes were as dark as a bottomless abyss, almost as if he were about to throw him directly into the sea. He really thought he was done for at that time, standing in front of his father with his head down, heart pounding, waiting for the final judgment.
In just a few short minutes, Fei Jing felt as if a century had passed. He almost couldn’t stand Fei Zhiyan’s cold gaze and was about to say he wouldn’t enter the entertainment industry. But in the end, Fei Zhiyan had agreed.
Fei Jing didn’t know why Fei Zhiyan had agreed, but he knew his father didn’t like him being exposed to the public, as it would add a considerable obstacle to Fei Zhiyan’s already highly-watched identity. Therefore, Fei Jing had kept his identity strictly hidden, not leaking a single bit of it in the entertainment industry.
But perhaps Father is also paying attention to me? Fei Jing thought. Otherwise, how would he know I have an opening song performance?
A small bit of joy welled up in his heart. Fei Jing took Nuonuo’s chubby little hand, his lips lightly curled, and followed his manager to the car to go to the event venue.
The manager was wearing a suit today, her hair tied in a neat high ponytail. Seeing that Fei Jing was in a good mood, she also breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he didn’t throw a young master’s tantrum, she could save a lot of trouble.
After carefully explaining the schedule of today’s event to Fei Jing, the manager took out her phone to confirm with the organizer. Finally able to take a break, she was pinching the bridge of her nose to relax when she looked down and saw Nuonuo, who was diligently chewing on a piece of apple.
Nuonuo remembered this big sister, but when she looked over, he still clutched Fei Jing’s clothes and hid behind his brother.
Seeing the cautious and cute Nuonuo, who was like a little animal, the manager couldn’t help but show a doting smile. “Fei Jing, your little brother came with you? He’s so well-behaved. Little cutie, let big sister give you a hug, okay?”
The manager, who had no resistance to cubs, looked at Nuonuo’s soft little face and wanted nothing more than to turn into a big bad wolf and take a big bite.
Nuonuo wasn’t familiar with this big sister. He shyly buried his head in his second brother’s stomach, then remembered he hadn’t answered her, and shook his head, saying in a muffled voice, “No, ya.”
The manager clutched her chest, her eyes looking at Fei Jing with a bit of envy and jealousy. “Fei Jing, how do you have such a well-behaved little brother? He’s not your biological brother, is he?”
With Fei Jing’s arrogant and willful temper, the manager completely refused to believe that such a cute cub was his brother. Otherwise, it must be a genetic mutation, the manager thought with certainty.
Fei Jing was speechless for a rare moment. But he also knew his temper wasn’t great, so he opened his mouth but couldn’t refute it.
But Nuonuo, hearing this, lifted his little head and said very seriously to the manager sister, “Yes, ya. I am brother’s wittle brother.”
A very, very close little brother, Nuonuo thought, swinging his little feet.
