Chapter 30
Thick clouds covered most of the sun, and the lawn looked gray and misty.
After calling his grandma, Tiantian sat on the steps with his little face propped up, tears constantly welling up in his eyes, his lashes wet and stuck together.
Shen Jinfeng stood on the lawn, looked down at the little one’s sparkling eyes, and gently pinched his little nose.
“Little crybaby, you miss your grandma?”
After the call, Shen Tiantian knew that his grandma was going back to the countryside and wouldn’t be living with him. He was sad and had no time to deal with his annoying second brother.
He turned his little head to the side, leaving his second brother with a chubby little side profile.
Shen Jinfeng inexplicably wanted to laugh, but he also knew that this was not the time to laugh. The more he laughed, the more embarrassed and angry the little one would be, and he might even jump up and hit his knees.
“Grandma is a grown-up. She also has the right to choose her own life. The countryside has everything she’s familiar with, so it’s naturally more comfortable for her to live there.”
Shen Jinfeng’s eyes lowered, and his beautiful lower eyelids also gently pressed down, showing a slender arc, making his whole face look incredibly gentle.
In that moment, the mockery that was always in Shen Jinfeng’s eyes disappeared, like the thick layer of ice on a lake melting, his voice soft and gentle.
The camera was far away, and the sound quality was average, but just looking at the picture was enough to make many netizens scream.
[Aww, aww, aww! Shen Jinfeng seems like a different person?!]
[How did he suddenly become so good-looking? Is the light too dazzling?]
[This scene is divine! It’s a pity we can’t hear what they’re saying. Can any brothers or sisters who know lip-reading reveal it?]
[It seems to be about Grandma?]
Tiantian had already wiped his tears with his small hand, tensed his little belly, and took several deep breaths.
Shen Jinfeng poked his contracting and expanding little belly with his finger, smiled, and the corners of his lips curved into a shallow arc.
“How about this, when I have time later, I’ll drive you to the countryside to see your grandma.”
Shen Tiantian’s little eyes lit up. He let out a “wow,” tugged on Shen Jinfeng’s sleeve, and rubbed his soft little cheek against him.
“Really? You’re so nice, big brother.”
Shen Jinfeng thought that when the little one acted spoiled, he was just like a little kitten meowing and purring at you.
He would even take the initiative to wrap his tail around your wrist and rub his fluffy face against you.
It was the first time Shen Jinfeng had received this kind of treatment. His smile couldn’t help but deepen, and he reached out to pinch the flesh on Shen Tiantian’s face.
“Alright, I still have work today. Can you do the live stream by yourself?”
Although Shen Jinfeng was the one who had pushed for the variety show live stream, even he himself had already tacitly agreed that the live camera should follow Shen Tiantian.
Shen Tiantian shook his little head, giggled, and his obedient appearance was that of the most considerate little brother in the world.
“I can!”
Shen Jinfeng also smiled, shook his head, picked up his coat, and left with his assistant.
Only Shen Tiantian was left on the lawn, along with a little Qin Ye who was standing behind a pillar in the distance, secretly observing him.
Shen Tiantian hadn’t decided what to live stream today. Seeing Qin Ye hiding on the side, he instantly understood.
He stood up impatiently, clenched his little fists, and stomped his feet excitedly.
“Don’t peek. I’ll be hidden soon!”
Thinking that Qin Ye was playing hide-and-seek, Shen Tiantian shouted, quickly ran behind the lawnmower parked on the lawn, covered his mouth, and giggled.
He was hiding here. Qin Yezi would definitely not be able to find him!
Qin Ye was confused. He stood behind the pillar and tilted his head, a hint of confusion in his lead-gray pupils, as he watched Shen Tiantian run away excitedly.
He tentatively took a small step, walked over to the cameraman who was still filming Shen Tiantian’s hiding spot, poked his head out, and called out:
“Tiantian?”
Shen Tiantian was happily giggling to himself. Suddenly hearing Qin Ye’s voice, his little eyes widened.
“How did you find me?”
Shen Tiantian stood up and walked around the lawnmower, a bunch of little question marks hanging over his dazed head.
He was hiding so well. How could he still be found?
Shen Tiantian folded his little arms and thought for a while. He really couldn’t figure it out, so he had to sigh and turn his head.
“Alright then. You found me. Now it’s my turn to find you.”
He was not a little rascal like Qin Ye. He had a great sense of sportsmanship. He immediately turned his back and covered his eyes tightly.
“I’m only counting to ten!”
Only then did Qin Ye understand that Shen Tiantian was playing a game with him!
Qin Ye’s little heart was in his throat, and he was so nervous he didn’t know what to do.
After being found by Grandpa Qin on the mountain, besides recovering from his injuries, he had been helping Grandma with housework and had never played games with other children.
Qin Ye didn’t like to play with those children either.
They would throw mud and stones at him, mocking him for being a wild child without a father or mother, a little debt collector who was freeloading at Grandma’s house.
Qin Ye’s personality was already introverted and silent, and now he was even less talkative.
He wasn’t very good at playing games either. He was afraid that if he didn’t play well, he would make Tiantian unhappy, and then Tiantian would definitely think he was a silly little wooden puppet.
After hesitating for a while, when Shen Tiantian was counting the last two numbers, Qin Ye panicked and ran to hide behind the cameraman.
Shen Tiantian put down his hands, and his watery, sparkling eyes were revealed, shining brightly.
He immediately saw Qin Ye hiding behind the cameraman, but he deliberately didn’t find him. His little eyes darted around, and he pressed his lips together to hide a smile.
Qin Yezi is so silly!
Shen Tiantian then slowly searched the lawn, a hint of small triumph on his fair little face.
When Qin Ye wasn’t looking and turned his head to look at him, Shen Tiantian suddenly lunged forward and grabbed his arm.
“I caught you!”
Shen Tiantian bared his teeth, a small, rebellious tuft of hair on his forehead bobbing up and down, so lively that it seemed as if all the sunlight had fallen on him.
But in fact, there was no sun at all today.
Qin Ye unconsciously wanted to smile along, but his little face was used to being tense, so the curve of his lips was very shallow, but his gray eyes were very bright.
“Yes, Tiantian is very good.” Qin Ye wasn’t annoyed at being caught, a hint of shattered light in his eyes.
Shen Tiantian lifted his head, and his fleshy little chin trembled along with it as he nodded repeatedly.
“That’s right. When I used to play with other little friends, I was super awesome!”
Shen Tiantian was excited for a while, then reminded him:
“Now it’s my turn to hide. You have to count for a longer time this time.”
Qin Ye had a boundless tolerance for Shen Tiantian. He nodded and obediently covered his eyes and started to count.
This time, it was Shen Tiantian’s turn to be nervous.
He was like a participant in a chase game, running forward on his short little legs without looking back, all the way from the lawn to the living room.
In the cameraman’s lens, Shen Tiantian directly transformed into a small bolt of lightning.
The discussion in the comment section was quite intense.
[Who is this little boy?]
[He’s quite good-looking and seems very polite.]
[There are often other children in Tiantian’s camera. Two days ago, it was a random kid, and today it’s this little boy named Yezi.]
Ye Jiabao, who was watching the live stream, had the corner of his mouth twitch.
What random kid? I’m his cousin, okay?
Ye Jiabao was furious, but seeing that Shen Tiantian was actually playing with Qin Ye, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated. He angrily put down the tablet and decided to go and find Shen Tiantian.
He couldn’t let Qin Ye have it so easy in the Shen family!
Just as Ye Jiabao put down his phone, a comment flashed by.
[This Yezi, why does he look so much like my relative’s child?]
After several live streams, Tiantian had accumulated quite a few “older sister fans,” “mommy fans,” and “daddy fans.” This comment was not conspicuous at all and was quickly pushed down.
The weather was a bit gloomy, but fortunately, the lights were on in the living room, and the marble floor reflected a bright light.
Shen Tiantian rushed into the living room. His little shoes had weak friction, and he almost slid across the floor.
Losing his balance, Shen Tiantian fell flat on the floor, his little tummy making intimate contact with the floor.
But he had been running too fast, and he couldn’t stop his forward momentum, sliding forward another half a meter.
When Shen Tiantian stood up, his little tummy was hot and a little numb from the friction.
Shen Tiantian rubbed the flesh on his belly indifferently, continued to run forward, and dived into the pile of pillows on the sofa.
He hid his little head tightly, leaving only his little bottom and short little legs sticking out, wiggling happily.
Alright now, no one can see me!
The cameraman filmed Shen Tiantian’s head-burying hiding posture, and looking at his little bottom with a small pom-pom on it, the screen was filled with “hahaha.”
[If I can’t see, it means others can’t see either. So funny.]
[Burying one’s head in the sand. But this pajama set is very cute, with a little pom-pom tail.]
[I want the same pajama set! It would be best if you could just ship Tiantian over, thank you!]
Shen Tiantian was still waiting quietly here, unaware that as soon as Qin Ye came in, he saw the small lump sticking out of the pile of pillows.
He wanted to call out to Tiantian, but thinking that Tiantian was really enjoying this game, he hesitated for a while and pretended not to see.
Turning around, Qin Ye, this “little blind man,” looked around the living room and even glanced into a vase.
“Tiantian, are you there?”
Shen Tiantian covered his little mouth, listening to the sound of Qin Ye’s footsteps wandering around the room, trying not to laugh too loudly.
Qin Yezi is really silly.
I’ll play with him again in the future.
After searching for a long time and seeing that Qin Ye couldn’t find him, Shen Tiantian lifted the pillow himself and crawled out.
“I’m here. Didn’t expect that, did you!”
Shen Tiantian smiled, both obedient and smug, his beautiful, expressive eyes curving into a sparkling little crescent moon.
Qin Ye liked this very energetic Tiantian. He hummed twice and let out a smile.
“I didn’t expect it at all. I couldn’t find you.”
When Shen Tiantian saw the camera filming him, he ruffled his messy hair, and his smug little expression was replaced by a shy and obedient one.
“Many wittle fwiends can’t find me. It’s okay, I can teach you next time.”
Shen Tiantian had had his fill of playing. He spun around excitedly for a while and continued:
“I won! This time, I’m going to hide in the garden. You can’t peek!”
The comment section was about to die of laughter.
[Cub, if you just say it out loud, how can he not find you?]
Unfortunately, Shen Tiantian was a little illiterate. He couldn’t understand the comments scrolling across the tablet held by the staff member’s older sister and was still happily laughing.
Seeing Qin Ye cover his eyes and start to count, Shen Tiantian quickly turned his little head and ran forward at high speed.
Shen Tiantian hid in the garden for a while. He didn’t wait for Qin Ye, but instead, he waited for the furious Ye Jiabao, who had his hands on his hips.
The weather was damp and cold. Most of the flowers were in the sunroom, and only a few evergreen trees made this small garden look green.
Shen Tiantian hid behind a potted plant. The branches of the potted plant were not many, and they couldn’t cover his round figure at all.
But Tiantian still felt that this place was very hidden. Seeing his cousin come over, he quickly pulled Ye Jiabao behind the potted plant to hide.
“Cousin? Are you playing hide-and-seek too?”
Shen Tiantian looked at the small potted plant for a while, hesitated, and shook his little head.
“This is the place I found. You have to find a new place to hide, cousin.”
Ye Jiabao was about to die of anger at this little fool.
He glanced at the cameraman who was still filming, tried his best to maintain his composure, suppressed the anger that was rushing to his head, took Shen Tiantian’s arm, and forced a smile.
“I know a place where Qin Ye will never find you. Come with me.”
Ye Jiabao pulled Shen Tiantian forward, hid in the sunroom, and, before the cameraman could follow, reached out and tapped Shen Tiantian’s little forehead.
“How is your brain wired? Why are you playing with Qin Ye!”
Shen Tiantian’s little forehead was red from being tapped. He reached out his small hand to rub it, feeling angry.
“Every… every time, you hit my head, cousin!”
Shen Tiantian was not happy. His ears automatically blocked out his cousin’s machine-gun-like words. He turned his chubby little body, squatted down, and started to pick at a small flower petal that had just grown on a nearby branch.
Seeing that Shen Tiantian’s attention was once again drawn to the flowers, Ye Jiabao was speechless.
As expected, a real cub’s attention is very difficult to focus.
Ye Jiabao really didn’t know what to do with him. After a moment of thought, he cleared his throat and said:
“Tiantian, have you forgotten your identity as the little male lead?”
Tiantian’s ears twitched. He turned his head, his watery eyes looking at him.
“No, but I’m playing hide-and-seek now. I’ll inherit the company tomorrow.”
Ye Jiabao pouted. With those two devilish brothers around, it would be a miracle if you could inherit the company!
“The matter of inheriting the company can be put aside for now, but Tiantian, Qin Ye is a bad child. Have you forgotten?”
Tiantian’s little brain couldn’t store too many things, and he had really forgotten.
He blinked his sparkling eyes, and afraid of being found out by Ye Jiabao, he quickly shook his little head. “No, I haven’t forgotten.”
Shen Tiantian’s expression was very guilty, but fortunately, Ye Jiabao’s attention was not on him at all. He leaned in to his ear and continued to mutter:
“Good, that’s good. Don’t say anything later. Just watch what I do…”
The dark clouds in the sky gathered, a thick layer spreading across the sky.
The air was filled with a damp mist that clung to the skin, wet and chilly.
Qin Ye searched all the way from the living room, pretended to search the small garden, and then slowly walked to the sunroom.
The cameraman was standing at the door with his dark, gaping machine, filming, but he didn’t go in.
Qin Ye poked his head in and looked. He saw a small figure hiding behind a flower, the flower branch still swaying slightly, and couldn’t help but let out a smile.
“I don’t think Tiantian is hiding here.”
Qin Ye wanted Tiantian to win, so he deliberately said this at the door.
Shen Tiantian, who was hiding behind the flower branch, covered his mouth, smiling like a little mouse that had stolen a treat, and couldn’t help but shake his head.
“Cousin, Qin Yezi is silly, isn’t he?” Shen Tiantian said in a low voice.
Ye Jiabao, who was standing by the flower branch, was too lazy to play this childish game, his expression extremely speechless.
But when Ye Jiabao saw the camera filming a close-up of them, he quickly struck a pose, and the corners of his lips lifted into a beautiful arc.
He also spoke in a gentle and kind voice:
“Tiantian, how can you say that Qin Ye is silly? Qin Ye has been playing with you for so long, and you’re still speaking ill of him?”
Shen Tiantian looked up and saw his cousin speaking so loudly, calling back Qin Ye, who had already walked out. His little expression was full of helplessness.
Tiantian could only poke his little head out from the flower pot and wave his hand at Qin Ye.
“I’m here.”
The small flower petals next to Shen Tiantian’s fair cheeks seemed to have grown from him.
Qin Ye thought that Tiantian was very cute at this moment, like a colorfully packaged, soft and springy little gummy bear.
It made one want to pinch him and then take a bite.
Qin Ye felt that such a thought was too much. His expression was a little unnatural. He walked over, hummed in acknowledgment, and didn’t dare to look at Tiantian.
He was afraid that he would really bite Tiantian.
That would be too scary.
Ye Jiabao was still “scolding” Tiantian to the camera:
“Qin Ye is your friend. Tiantian has to be a good child. You can’t say that he’s stupid or silly anymore.”
Qin Ye’s expression was confused. He looked at Ye Jiabao, who seemed to be speaking up for him, his eyes filled with incomprehension.
This child, why is he so strange?
“It’s okay. I really couldn’t find Tiantian. I’m quite stupid. Tiantian wasn’t wrong.”
Ye Jiabao let out an “ah.” “…”
Dude, are you crazy?
Ye Jiabao’s back teeth clenched for a moment, then he smiled again, pretending to be happy, and took Shen Tiantian’s hand and bounced.
“That’s good then. Tiantian just said that you’re living in his house and are his little follower, right, Tiantian?”
Tiantian’s sleepy eyes were filled with a layer of tears. After being called by his cousin twice, he stopped yawning and rubbed his eyes with his small hand.
“That’s right, that’s right. When I inherit the company in the future, I’ll have many, many little followers.”
Ye Jiabao couldn’t help but let out a smile, thinking that he had finally succeeded in setting the trap.
In his previous life, Qin Ye hated it the most when people called him a little follower. As soon as someone called him “Young Master Shen’s little follower,” he would be like a little wolf cub, his eyes red as he charged at them.
Ye Jiabao had often used “little follower” and “freeloader” to mock him, and in the end, the petty Qin Ye had remembered every single time and dealt with him miserably.
And now, it was in front of the camera, with so many netizens watching. Qin Ye’s self-esteem had always been extremely high since he was a child. He must have already held a grudge against Shen Tiantian.
Ye Jiabao was just letting out a triumphant smile when he looked up and saw Qin Ye looking at Shen Tiantian with a slightly nervous expression.
Qin Ye clenched his little fists and asked, “Many little followers? Why?”
What was wrong with him as a little follower?
Shen Tiantian had been squatting in hide-and-seek for a while, and his little legs were numb. He thumped his little legs with his small hand and said without thinking:
“Because I’m super awesome. I’ll have one, two, three, four, five… ten little followers!”
Qin Ye gasped.
At this moment, he was actually glad that Tiantian could only count to ten, and only had ten little followers.
If he could count to a hundred, wouldn’t he have a hundred children as his little followers?
Qin Ye’s expression couldn’t help but become disappointed. He sighed and said, negotiating with Shen Tiantian:
“Then… can I be your number one little follower?”
Shen Tiantian felt that although Qin Ye was silly at playing games, he was good-looking. He was a pure little looks-supremacist, so he nodded.
“Alright then.”
Qin Ye was not at ease and even wanted to make a pinky promise with Shen Tiantian.
“Let’s make a pinky promise, so you won’t go back on your word.”
The two of them hooked their little fingers together, and Qin Ye even impatiently stamped it with his thumb.
“Alright now.”
Qin Ye finally smiled. A hint of light appeared in his gray eyes, and his little expression instantly became much more lively and vivid.
In the future, even if other children appeared, he would still be Tiantian’s best little follower.
And on the side, Ye Jiabao, who had been watching, was completely dumbfounded.
More than one question mark had appeared above his head. He even circled Qin Ye twice, so shocked that he looked like he was looking at some national treasure animal.
“Are you f*cking Qin Ye?”
Accidentally, a curse slipped out of Ye Jiabao’s mouth.
Could this male lead have been possessed by someone?
Ye Jiabao was so angry he forgot that they were still live-streaming. He suddenly thought of something, his expression froze, and he quickly tried to remedy it:
“I mean, you don’t look like the Qin Ye I know, hahaha.”
Qin Ye was currently immersed in the joy of being Tiantian’s number one little follower. Hearing Ye Jiabao’s question, his little brows furrowed.
“This is the second time we’ve met. We’re not close. Why would you say that?”
Qin Ye was not as easy to fool as Shen Tiantian. Although he was young, he could already accurately capture the loopholes in Ye Jiabao’s words and ask back.
Ye Jiabao knew that the little male lead was smart and was afraid of revealing more if he said more, so he could only gloss over it and pull Shen Tiantian.
“Tiantian, let’s go upstairs and play with the building blocks. Don’t you have a car building block that you haven’t finished yet?”
Shen Tiantian felt that the atmosphere between Qin Yezi and his cousin was strange, but he couldn’t figure out why, so he could only shrug his little shoulders and nod.
“Alright.”
Shen Tiantian took his number one little follower and his cousin to the game room on the second floor to build with blocks.
The morning’s live stream ended when the building blocks were half-finished.
The assistant director looked at the feedback in the background, nodded in satisfaction, and before packing up the equipment and leaving, he reminded Shen Tiantian:
“There’s a studio recording the day after tomorrow. Several groups of little guests and their parents will be there. There will probably be a small game on site. Don’t forget, Tiantian.”
Tiantian nodded vigorously. Seeing the assistant director uncle and the staff leave, he waved his little hand at them.
At lunchtime, no one else from the Shen family came back.
Ye Jiabao found that the three Shen family men were still workaholics and wouldn’t come home for lunch, just like in his previous life, and he was relieved.
During the meal, Ye Jiabao tried to sow discord between Shen Tiantian and Qin Ye again.
But Qin Ye seemed to take the identity of a little follower very seriously. After a meal, seeing Ye Jiabao jumping up and down several times, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled and annoyed.
Shen Tiantian got sleepy after eating his fill. He was led by Auntie Mu to walk around the lawn a couple of times and refused to walk a single step more.
As soon as he went upstairs, he dived into his small bed and fell asleep.
Qin Ye finally found an opportunity to speak to Ye Jiabao alone.
Ye Jiabao also felt that the timing was right. Before the bad words in his mouth could come out, he heard Qin Ye speak first:
“Why are you always speaking ill of me in front of Tiantian?”
As if in a daze for a moment, Qin Ye spoke again:
“Do you want to be Tiantian’s little follower too?”
Ye Jiabao: “…”
Are you crazy?!
