Chapter 31: Stepfather
After the online drama had been going on all night, when the film crew saw Chi Xiasheng again, their eyes couldn’t help but hold a bit more sympathy for the young man.
A few of the more soft-hearted girls even went over to cheer him on, telling him to work hard and that his future in the industry would surely be smoother!
Although Chi Xiasheng hadn’t checked his phone, he could roughly guess the situation online from the expressions of the crew members.
The Su family had hidden it too well before, and because they were wealthy and powerful, most people in the wealthy circle who knew the inside story didn’t want to cross them, so they also kept quiet about the kidnapping.
Now that the matter had been exposed online, Su Chengjian was probably furious.
Thinking of Father Su, Chi Xiasheng’s mood was very complicated.
His former family, now when he thought of them, it was with a heart full of disgust and resentment, having to calculate every step…
It’s really ironic, Chi Xiasheng thought with a sigh.
Su Chengjian had been caught off guard by Chi Xiasheng’s sudden move and was naturally so angry his lungs were about to explode. But no matter how angry he was, he still had his reason and ordered his secretary to deal with the online matter.
The most Su Chengjian could tolerate was the exposure of the kidnapping. Any online comments involving “why the Su family didn’t save Chi Xiasheng” would be mercilessly deleted.
The netizens, who had initially sympathized with Chi Xiasheng because of the kidnapping, were now very puzzled when they found that any comments related to the Su family were being deleted.
What’s going on? Isn’t Chi Xiasheng a member of the Su family? Why can’t the name “Su family” even appear in the comments?
Some attentive netizens had already sensed that something was wrong, but they were powerless. Even if they felt there was a problem with the Su family, they couldn’t investigate it.
The online uproar temporarily subsided, and Chi Xiasheng also began his acting work.
Today, his schedule was quite tight. He had to try on which costume was more suitable and then make an official announcement after his makeup was decided. He also had to start filming his first scene right away.
Because they were on an island, the film crew had originally planned to cut Xiyu’s scenes, so they didn’t have enough staff. They probably couldn’t even take a proper set of promotional photos for him.
Bo Wenye discussed it with him and decided not to release any promotional photos, just a simple official announcement. After all, a good photographer was crucial for promotional photos. If they just made do, not only would the photos be unsatisfactory, but they might even attract criticism.
Chi Xiasheng could feel the goodwill in Bo Wenye’s action and nodded in agreement.
He went to the back with the stylist to decide on the costume he would wear.
Wen Nian, who had come with him, saw him leave and his lively spirit immediately vanished. He curled up on a small chair, quietly waiting for him.
Some of the older sisters in the crew wanted to tease this little boy and deliberately went over to talk to him.
“What’s your name?”
Wen Nian had no experience with humans. Seeing a human so close to him, he blushed and lowered his head, whispering his name.
“Wen Nian.”
The girls, seeing Wen Nian’s cute, blushing appearance as he spoke, were screaming internally.
This boy is so cute, I want to pet him and take him home!
Don’t be fooled by Wen Nian’s talkativeness. He was only like that with fish or people he was familiar with. Once he was in a strange environment, he would become extremely shy.
It was only after Chi Xiasheng came out in his costume that Wen Nian finally escaped from the girls’ chattering encirclement and let out a huge sigh of relief.
One of the girls found Wen Nian’s hurried escape amusing. But when she turned her head and saw Chi Xiasheng’s costume, she was almost stunned.
They knew Chi Xiasheng was handsome, but they never expected him to look so good in this robe.
He was like a true immortal who had walked down from a snowy mountain, pure and ethereal, untouched by a single speck of dust. But this coldness didn’t make people feel distant. Instead, it inspired a genuine affection, making one feel that he was so beautiful that he deserved everything the world had to offer.
Even the unknown wildflowers on the island, when brushed by the hem of his robe, couldn’t help but release their fragrance, longing for him to pass by again.
The crew members could now personally feel what it was like to be favored by all things.
Bo Wenye was also slightly surprised when he saw Chi Xiasheng’s makeup and costume. He never expected him to be so compatible with the role of Xiyu. It was as if Xiyu had walked straight out of the book to play himself.
It was only after everyone had recovered from their shock that Chi Xiasheng looked up at Bo Wenye with a faint gaze.
“Director Bo? Can we film?”
Looking into Chi Xiasheng’s eyes, Bo Wenye seemed to see the deep blue in the depths of his pupils, as profound as the real sea. The heart-pounding feeling from their first meeting rushed back to him.
His heart pounded in his chest. Bo Wenye closed his eyes for a moment to escape from Chi Xiasheng’s gaze.
“Let’s film your scene with the female lead first.”
At Bo Wenye’s command, the crew members finally pulled themselves out of their surprise and began their busy work.
The female lead was played by the very famous traffic starlet Luo Tong, who rarely engaged in hype and had worked her way up to her current position with her own strength.
She looked at Chi Xiasheng’s face and was only dazed for a moment before she smiled and greeted him.
Few people who could stand at the top of the entertainment industry had weak willpower, so Chi Xiasheng’s influence on them was not strong.
Chi Xiasheng’s acting was not as fluid as Luo Tong’s. Afraid of holding up the progress, he had been immersing himself in the aloof feeling of Xiyu.
Luo Tong saw him nod at her and, for a moment, also felt as if Xiyu was in front of her.
Powerful and reliable, handsome and elegant.
Luo Tong, following the script, stumbled and fell at his feet with red-rimmed eyes, begging for his help.
“Immortal Lord… Immortal Lord, please save me…”
Xiyu closed the book he was reading, his expression still faint. Even though the female lead’s clothes were tattered and she was covered in wounds, he only lowered his gaze slightly.
His reaction made the female lead’s heart turn cold.
In everyone’s eyes, Xiyu’s expression had already shown that in his eyes, the female lead was no different from the flowers and grass on the roadside. After all, Xiyu was the person in the entire cultivation world closest to becoming a true immortal. His character was set to be like this, treating all living things equally, like a true deity.
It was because the female lead knew his personality that her eyes were filled with panic, afraid that he would really not help and would let her die at the hands of the villain.
The longer she waited, the more panicked she became. Just as she was about to give up, Xiyu’s clear voice, like the collision of jade, sounded.
“Only this once. There will be no next time.”
Xiyu had broken his rule of never interfering in worldly affairs for the female lead.
A light re-ignited in the female lead’s eyes, bright and sparkling.
At that moment, Luo Tong really brought herself into the role, developing different feelings for this Immortal Lord who was different only to her.
Although this feeling would not be reciprocated and would only serve as a point of conflict with the male lead later on, Luo Tong truly felt the palpitation of being protected by someone in a time of crisis.
The hope and warmth of being saved from a desperate situation made the female lead want to cry. In the end, she collapsed to the ground from exhaustion.
This scene ended very smoothly, and a tenth of Chi Xiasheng’s scenes were also finished.
Chi Xiasheng felt very relaxed. After all, the character of Xiyu was too suitable for him, and it was very easy to play.
Wen Nian, who was watching from the side, had his mouth wide open. It was the first time he had seen Chi Xiasheng acting, and it felt both strange and familiar.
“Xiaxia…”
Chi Xiasheng brought over a small stool and sat with Wen Nian. He smiled and said, “What’s wrong? It’s still a while before dinner. You’ll have to wait a little longer.”
Wen Nian just shook his head. “I thought you were gone for a moment. That person didn’t seem like you, so cold, not good at all.”
Chi Xiasheng rubbed Wen Nian’s head. “That means I acted well. What do you think of acting, Niannian? The assistant director said they’re still missing some small roles. Do you want to try?”
This was one of the reasons why Chi Xiasheng had brought Wen Nian here today, to let him get a feel for the film set and see if he could get a job. After all, when they went ashore, they would also have to rely on work to earn money.
Wen Nian also knew that money was needed everywhere in the human world. Hearing this, his little face fell.
“I don’t like it. I still like to play, or pick fruits, or chase the little fish in the sea.” At this point, Wen Nian asked again, “Xiaxia, I’m really good at chasing little crabs and gray fish in the sea. Can I earn money with that?”
Chi Xiasheng didn’t think so.
Judging by the speed at which Wen Nian had to swim across half the sea to catch a small gray fish every day, he would probably starve to death if he relied on that for a living.
Wen Nian was very disheartened.
“Is there no job in this world where you can earn money while playing?”
Hearing this, Chi Xiasheng stroked his chin. “I think… there might be.”
Wen Nian’s eyes lit up, and he patted his chest. “That’s the kind of job I like! I’m going to rely on that for a living!”
Chi Xiasheng felt that a fish should still have dreams. Earning money from games was not an impossible goal.
So, the two of them began to plan to buy a phone first. After all, if Wen Nian wanted to earn money from games, he definitely couldn’t do it without a phone. But the facilities on this small island were not as convenient as on the mainland. There were basically only places for eating, drinking, and playing, but no places to sell phones.
But fortunately, Chi Xiasheng only needed about a week to film. After these few days, he could go back to the country.
Wen Nian also began to look forward to having his own phone.
He had never really played games on a phone before and thought it was similar to catching small fish in the sea. So, he would go into the sea to practice every day, not stopping until he had caught a few small fish.
These few days, the kitchen also kept adding dishes. Fish soup, fried fish, sweet and sour fish, Wen Nian was very satisfied.
Just as Chi Xiasheng was busy filming, Wen Nian, who had gone to the sea to catch fish, came running over, crying.
Seeing Wen Nian crying so miserably, Chi Xiasheng didn’t even care about the sweat on his face from filming and ran over to ask him what was wrong.
Wen Nian held a still-struggling fish and said with a sob, “Xiaxia, I think I’m going to have a stepfather! Sob sob~”
Chi Xiasheng was taken aback for a moment, then he remembered that he had rarely seen Wen Shu these past two days.
“Where’s your mom? Where is she?”
Wen Nian pointed to the restaurant. “She’s eating with a man. Sob sob, I saw them when I went to deliver the fish.”
These past two days, Wen Nian would deliver fish to the restaurant’s chef at lunchtime. The chef had also remembered this handsome and well-behaved red-haired boy and would always use his best skills to cook fish for him.
But today, when Wen Nian went to deliver the fish as usual, he turned his head and saw Wen Shu eating with a man inside the glass window.
The two of them were acting intimately, which made Wen Nian’s eyes widen in shock. In an instant, he imagined a lot of things. For example, a stepfather, an orphan, being stranded at the bottom of the sea…
He had imagined so much that he already felt like an unwanted fish and ran to find Chi Xiasheng in great sadness.
“It’s okay, it’s probably a misunderstanding. I’ll go with you to see.”
Chi Xiasheng felt that if it were true, there was nothing he could do. After all, Wen Shu was a merman who had lived for five hundred years and had already developed mature thoughts and preferences. If she felt lonely and wanted to find someone to accompany her, it was not incomprehensible.
On the way to the restaurant, Wen Nian was still sobbing softly, which gave Chi Xiasheng a headache.
“It’s okay, Niannian, you have to learn to accept it. After all, your mom has probably been lonely for too long. She might also want to find someone to accompany her.”
Wen Nian was still crying. “But if I have a stepfather, and he doesn’t like me, he’ll kick me out, and I’ll be stranded at the bottom of the sea, bullied by big sharks, and have my food stolen by crocodiles…”
Chi Xiasheng thought Wen Nian was thinking too much. “Don’t worry, Auntie Wen definitely wouldn’t do that. And I’m still here, I definitely won’t let you be stranded at the bottom of the sea.”
Chi Xiasheng felt that although Wen Nian was a hundred-year-old fish, his thinking was about the same as a primary school student. Although he was optimistic and cheerful, he was also occasionally silly, which made people feel very helpless.
Perhaps, as Wen Nian had said, enlightened fish were often not very smart.
Chi Xiasheng’s comfort still worked. At least Wen Nian was not so scared anymore. He puffed out his small chest and went to the restaurant with him with a fierce momentum.
When the two of them arrived, the man with blond hair and blue eyes was kneeling on one knee, holding out the diamond ring he had been cherishing. “My dear Shu, from the first time I saw you, I felt that you were an angel sent by God to save me. You are so noble, elegant, and beautiful, that I feel ashamed of myself and can only stare at you foolishly from the dark like a humble clownfish. But I still beg you to give me this chance to enter the palace of marriage with you and enjoy a happy and beautiful life!”
Seeing this scene, Chi Xiasheng was almost speechless.
If he remembered correctly, they had only been on this small island for a total of four days.
In just four days, could a person fall so deeply in love?
Chi Xiasheng felt he couldn’t understand the passionate and unrestrained feelings of Westerners.
Just as Chi Xiasheng and Wen Nian were watching the show in a daze, another man rushed over angrily.
“You bastard! Miss Wen Shu and I are the most compatible!”
This man was dressed in a suit, his hair styled with gel, and he was holding a bouquet of flowers. It was obvious he was here to confess his love.
The two men clearly saw each other’s intentions. Sparks flew in their eyes, and they started fighting without a word.
In an instant, the room was in an uproar. Chi Xiasheng protected Wen Nian and retreated, standing by the door to watch the farce.
It was only when the hotel security came and pulled the two men apart, making them sit in chairs to calm down, that the restaurant finally quieted down.
The blond man was still unconvinced and continued to confess to Wen Shu in his broken Chinese. “Shu, you must not be with this rude man. My gentle and deep love is the most perfect and compatible with you!”
The other man was also furious. “You’re the rude one, you foreigner! Go back to your own country!”
Wen Shu, who was watching the show on the side, still had a gentle smile on her face. When she saw the people at the door, she waved at Chi Xiasheng and Wen Nian.
“Xiaxia, Niannian, come here.”
Chi Xiasheng glanced at Wen Nian and then hesitantly walked over.
“Auntie Wen, maybe we should leave first. You can handle your private matters?”
Wen Shu smiled gently and rubbed Chi Xiasheng’s head.
“Silly child, what’s more important than you two? Come and eat. Don’t mind them.”
Chi Xiasheng was pushed down into a seat by Wen Shu. Wen Nian was still standing on the side, blinking at Wen Shu.
“Mom, is this the stepfather you found for me?”
The moment Wen Nian’s words fell, the two men next to him stood up.
“Mom? You’re her son?!”
The two of them spoke in unison and then looked at each other in surprise, before looking away in disgust.
“That’s right, this is my son. What do you think, isn’t he cute?”
Wen Shu rested her chin on her hand and introduced them. She then pulled Chi Xiasheng over and said, “This is my godson. Isn’t he beautiful?”
Chi Xiasheng was taken aback. He looked up at Wen Shu, only to see the gentle tolerance in her eyes.
His eyes warmed, and for some reason, his heart felt as if it had been softened, warm and comforting.
Suddenly having a godmother made Chi Xiasheng feel a little at a loss. He couldn’t refuse Wen Shu in such a situation and could only stare at the scene in a daze.
The man in the suit held the flowers and glanced at Chi Xiasheng, who was still in his ancient costume. A hint of amazement appeared in his eyes, but then he frowned again.
“I’m sorry, Miss Wen. I think I need to reconsider.”
The man in the suit felt that although her son was indeed beautiful and exquisite, he was not his biological son, after all. And both children were already so big…
On the other hand, the blond foreigner didn’t mind at all. He looked at Chi Xiasheng’s face and exclaimed in admiration, “My god, Miss Shu, your son is as beautiful as a siren. It really makes my heart flutter!”
The blond foreigner, who had almost fallen in love with someone else, took out the gift he had prepared and handed it to Chi Xiasheng.
“Please accept my praise and this welcome gift.”
Wen Shu, seeing his behavior, her usually gentle face instantly turned cold.
Heh, daring to hit on my newly-adopted godson!
I’ll let him know today how ferocious a merman can be in a fight!
Then, Wen Shu staged a one-sided beating, which left the onlookers stunned and then numb.
After throwing the man out like a piece of trash, Wen Shu elegantly sat back down in the restaurant chair, ready to enjoy her dinner.
Wen Nian was fine. After all, he had seen Wen Shu beat up sharks several times at the bottom of the sea, so he was very used to her occasional terrible violence.
But Chi Xiasheng and the other staff in the restaurant were so shocked their mouths were wide open. They looked at the seemingly delicate and beautiful woman in front of them and deeply felt that women were not to be trifled with.
The few security guards who had come to control the situation quickly straightened the overturned chairs in the restaurant and then retreated with the other staff.
The restaurant suddenly became quiet, with only the occasional sound of Wen Shu’s knife and fork clinking.
Seeing this, Chi Xiasheng couldn’t say much and could only eat first to fill his stomach.
When they were almost done eating, Wen Nian burped and looked at Wen Shu pitifully. “Mom, are you still looking for a stepfather for me?”
Wen Shu glanced at him. “What? You want a stepfather?”
Wen Nian quickly shook his head. “No, no. I thought you and that uncle were going to get married.”
Wen Shu wiped her mouth and took a sip of her after-dinner drink. “I will never get married. Marriage means responsibility and loyalty, but I will not give my loyalty to any human.”
Wen Shu looked gentle and mild on the outside, but in her bones, she was full of freedom and unrestrained madness.
“Don’t worry, baby. You will never have a creature like a stepfather.”
Hearing this, Wen Nian finally let out a sigh of relief and hugged her, saying he was almost scared to death.
Wen Shu poked Wen Nian’s head with her finger and pushed him away.
“Look at you, you coward. You’re just like that ugly koi demon father of yours. My eyes are hurt by the ugliness. You’d better stay away from me.”
Wen Nian was afraid that Wen Shu would beat him up like she had just beaten that man, so he quickly stopped his clingy behavior and buried his head in Chi Xiasheng’s arms.
“Xiaxia, I was almost scared to death~”
Chi Xiasheng: “…”
Wen Nian was good at everything else, but sometimes he was too clingy and talkative, which often made his ears hurt.
“Auntie Wen, I’m going to work now. After I get my money the day after tomorrow, we can take a boat and leave here.”
Wen Shu was very touched by this. She felt that Chi Xiasheng was truly a warm-hearted little cub. He even knew how to earn money to support himself. This was much better than Wen Nian, who only knew how to catch fish and eat all day!
“Don’t work too hard. I have several old lovers on the mainland. Their money is enough to support us.”
Hearing this, Wen Nian raised his hand and cheered. “Yay!”
The corner of Chi Xiasheng’s mouth twitched. He felt that Wen Shu’s thinking was extremely progressive.
“That’s not very appropriate. And I quite like my current job. I can also support myself with it.”
Wen Shu sighed. “Alright then. But you also have to pay attention to the balance between work and rest. I’ll find a way to supplement the family income later.”
Chi Xiasheng thought it would be better if Wen Shu didn’t try to find a way. She hadn’t even done anything yet, and two men were already fighting over her. If she really wanted to do something later, the consequences…
Chi Xiasheng didn’t dare to think about it. He quickly explained the country’s laws to Wen Shu, which made her cover her mouth and laugh for a long time.
“Don’t worry, I have my limits.”
Seeing Wen Shu say this, Chi Xiasheng couldn’t say much more. He could only look worriedly at the still-silly Wen Nian and go to film his night scene first.
The filming of the drama went very smoothly. During the filming, Chi Xiasheng also occasionally ran into Qiu Li.
But every time Qiu Li saw him, she would subconsciously avoid his gaze.
Once or twice was fine, but being avoided every time, even if Chi Xiasheng was stupid, he could feel that something was wrong with Qiu Li.
His heart turned cold. He simply called out to her after the night scene was over.
“Sister Qiu Li, can we talk?”
Hearing this, Qiu Li didn’t stop. Instead, as if her dark side had been exposed, she lifted her skirt and hurried away.
They were filming a scene by the sea, on the deserted beach where Chi Xiasheng had first come ashore.
Qiu Li felt guilty and didn’t dare to talk to Chi Xiasheng. She didn’t see that she was walking in the opposite direction of the hotel and just kept her head down and walked.
Chi Xiasheng frowned. He didn’t plan to chase after her when he saw her run away. After all, they were in the same film crew. She could hide once, but she couldn’t hide every time.
But just as he was changing his clothes to leave, he suddenly heard a child’s faint, thin cry in the distance.
In the darkness, this voice was so weak it could almost be blown away by the wind. Most of the staff didn’t hear it and left laughing, with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
But after becoming a merman, Chi Xiasheng was very sensitive to sounds that ordinary people couldn’t hear, and he caught this sound almost instantly.
Thinking of something, his heart jumped, and he quickly turned back.
