Just as things were heating up online, a busy scene was also unfolding at a certain airport.
"Well I'll be, your kid got a score of 742 on the college entrance exam?!" exclaimed an enthusiastic uncle upon seeing the score.
Hearing this exclamation, the other passengers in the VIP lounge instantly looked up.
"Really, 742?" asked another stunned man.
"Yeah, it says so right here," said the enthusiastic uncle, ignoring those trying to stop him and continuing to enthusiastically point at the information on the screen, "Ji Ruochu, Chinese 148, Math 150, English 150..."
Despite his age, the uncle had sharp eyes and read out the scores loud and clear, astonishing those around him.
But before he could finish reading, Ji Mochen immediately stuffed his phone into his pocket. He had wanted to ask the well-meaning uncle to keep it down, but it was too late.
"Dad, what's going on?" Ji Ruochu, who had just returned from the bathroom with her mother, looked puzzled.
"You're Ji Ruochu?"
"You are..." Ji Ruochu was confused. This uncle didn't seem like one of her fans, judging by his age.
In the next moment, they watched dumbfounded as the uncle hauled out the baby who had been sleeping soundly in a stroller next to him.
"Ah, I've run into a living Window and Curtain star today. Could you do me a favor and open up the intelligence for my grandson?"
Ji Ruochu: ?
Open up the what?
"Dad!" Seeing his finally sleeping son about to fuss again, the uncle's son couldn't stand it.
"Quiet!" The uncle glared over, then instantly had a kindly look again as he regarded Ji Ruochu. "Just touch my grandson's forehead, real quick!"
Ji Ruochu: ??
In the end, under the uncle's repeated invitations and the apologetic looks of the baby's parents behind him, Ji Ruochu gently touched the baby's little forehead after warming her finger.
Strangely, with just that light touch from her, the baby who had been fussing and was about to burst into tears instantly quieted down and continued sleeping soundly.
The baby's parents: ?!!
Only after Ji Ruochu had finished touching the foreheads of all the children in the VIP lounge at their pleading did she finally understand the context from her father scolding his own father.
The story started 10 minutes earlier when the family of three had gotten off the plane.
At that time, Ji Mochen was looking at his phone in surprise and disbelief at the missed call notifications from his big brother and former agent Brother Qin.
Thinking something must have happened, he had Ling Chujin take their daughter to the bathroom on the excuse of her needing to go, while he himself went to the lounge to call them back.
Of course, that was just the superficial excuse. In fact, the couple had agreed ahead of time to take their daughter on a trip before her college entrance exam results came out.
To be safe, Ji Mochen first secretly checked his daughter's score. If it was good, that would be a pleasant surprise, and if she didn't do as well as expected, it could serve as a distraction.
Therefore, despite his curiosity about why his big brother and Brother Qin had called, Ji Mochen, doting father that he was, first checked his daughter's exam score.
The result of this check left him dumbstruck. Perhaps because he was stunned for so long, the enthusiastic uncle next to him came over, leading to the scene described earlier.
"So..." Ji Ruochu was a bit curious after understanding the context, "What did Big Uncle and Uncle Qin want with Dad?"
At her words, Ji Mochen next to her slapped his forehead. "Oh right, that's what I forgot."
He then promptly called his big brother back.
Ji Ruochu: ...I feel sorry for Big Uncle for some reason.
"Hey Big Bro..."
...
"We know about the exam score already, we checked."
...
"Interview?"
Their steps faltered and Ji Mochen asked in surprise, "They came to you? But we were going to go play, can it be a few days later?"
...
"They're coming here? That's fine, let me ask your niece..."
Ji Mochen then covered the receiver and briefly explained the situation to his daughter.
Ji Ruochu took a look at the hot search topics about herself online, as well as the various mocking comments under her father's latest post, and nodded.
Having gotten approval, Ji Mochen continued, "Okay, we're staying at Third Bro's villa in N City this time. I'll send you the address later. Just have them come directly."
...
After hanging up, he called the other missed call.
"Brother Qin, what's up?"
Brother Qin, who had finally gotten through to His Lordship: ...
Three minutes later.
"Hot search?"
Ji Mochen opened the car door for his wife and daughter.
"Let me take a look..."
So three seconds later, a certain smug Ji suddenly slammed the car door shut, black-faced.
...
"Thanks," said Ji Mochen, gritting his teeth. "I'll contact Old Man Qiu."
Brother Qin on the other end: ...Not even calling him Director Qiu anymore.
After hurriedly hanging up, Ji Mochen then dialed the culprit behind this incident.
"Director Qiu, what is the meaning of this? Helping the haters right after finishing filming?"
...
After listening to a string of apologies from the director, Ji Mochen finally gave a cold humph and asked:
"So what is the solution from the show team?"
...
"Got it, we'll do it that way then."
...
"Exam score?" Ji Mochen paused before hanging up and softly glanced at his daughter who had started resting her eyes. Putting on an air, the doting dad calmly said,
"742 points. What about it?"
...
"Highest in the country this year?" Ji Mochen, who had just learned of this news, arrogantly said, "That's normal, right? With such a high score."
...
However, even after hanging up, the doting dad still couldn't recover. He looked at his daughter resting with eyes closed and quietly asked his wife who was also glaring at her phone.
"Dear, do you think I'm dreaming? Are we actually still on set?"
"Old Lin, pull over for a bit," said Ling Chujin, who had been silent.
"Okay."
One minute later, the car pulled into a roadside parking spot and stopped.
"What's wrong?" the man asked, puzzled.
"I'm going to test something."
"Test wha—"
Before he could finish speaking, Ji Mochen felt a hand on his arm.
Looking down, it was indeed his wife's hand.
The fair, slender hand had a new walnut-colored manicure on it. That hand gently stroked his muscular, well-defined arm, then slowly slid inward...
Ji Mochen, who had been a bit startled originally, instantly became embarrassed. In a low voice, he demurred, "Dear, our daughter's here, don't do this—"
After a brief pause...
"Owwww!"
An earth-shattering wail sounded from the car.
Driver Old Lin sat up stiffly in his seat: "Mr. Ji, are you alright?"
Ji Ruochu, who had been resting her eyes, was also jolted awake: "Dad, what's wrong?"
"I..." Ji Mochen, whose inner arm had just been given a 360 degree twist, slowly revealed a smile uglier than crying.
"I'm f-fine, I just suddenly felt like stretching my vocals..."
Wuwuwuwu...
Ling Chujin, you heartless woman!
Old Lin & Ji Ruochu: ...
