Hong Dou was exceptionally spirited today, pulling Qin Wei along to keep her company. Qin Wei tried to sneak away several times but was unsuccessful; as soon as she walked away, Hong Dou would cry loudly.
Hong Dou wailed loudly, reaching out his little hands to grab Qin Wei's clothes:
"Can't you keep me company? We've been apart for so long. Don't you miss me? I don't want to separate from you! Qin Wei! Say something!"
It was like a tragic farewell scene, so much so that He Hong couldn't bear to watch any longer. She politely invited Qin Wei to stay:
"Miss Qin, it's quite late. I wouldn't feel at ease with you going home alone..."
"Why don't you stay over."
Qiao Sixiao stood to the side and said to her, then looked at Hong Dou,
"Mind your manners and address her as Auntie Qin."
"Sister, come play with me."
Hong Dou ignored the others, pulling Qin Wei over to play with his building blocks.
After washing up in the bathroom, Qiao Sixiao brought over her own pajamas for Qin Wei to wear. By the time she came out, Hong Dou was already asleep. He Hong was sitting in the living room still looking over documents. Seeing Qin Wei, she waved her over to sit down.
"It must have been tiring for you today Miss Qin, having to listen to a child's chatter all day. Did you find it annoying?"
"No, not annoying. I liked Hong Dou since we worked together on set, he's my friend."
Qin Wei made no attempt to hide her fondness for Hong Dou, despite not being terribly fond of this elder of his.
"Does Manager He know that the rival drama premiered tonight?"
Seeing that she was in good spirits, Qin Wei took the chance to ask her.
Hearing this put He Hong in a more serious mood:
"They hid away to film it, rushing to get it done in time to air before us. No promotions, just suddenly dropped it because they were afraid we'd do something if we caught wind, so they sacrificed promotional lead time. That's a loss on their part.
You and Su Yang did well squeezing them off the trending topics, stealing quite some attention. You two don't need to clarify anything for now. Getting caught together at this time, both fanbases know what's going on between you two. You just need to..."
"Is this house going to become Manager He's office as well? It's midnight and you two haven't considered that people need to sleep?"
Qiao Sixiao stood in the bedroom doorway, tone cold.
He Hong didn't continue. She patted Qin Wei's back:
"Go rest. There are friendships, and there is business. Artists don't need to keep up with public relations issues themselves."
As she spoke, she walked over to Qiao Sixiao:
"It's rare for you to be back. We'll sleep in tomorrow instead of getting up early. I'll go to work in the afternoon. Sleep earlier, youth is capital but you shouldn't be staying up late wilfully. Self-discipline is very important, young people should restrain themselves more. Health is most important."
He Hong returned to her own bedroom. Qiao Sixiao also returned to hers, leaving Qin Wei standing alone in the living room bewildered.
She turned and walked to the room door:
"I'm the guest and no one told me where to sleep!"
"Where else do you think? Here."
Qiao Sixiao pointed at the double bed in the room.
"Your house has four bedrooms..."
"What were you thinking spouting nonsense to my mother earlier?"
Qiao Sixiao quirked her lips.
"What, scared?"
Qin Wei: "..."
Qiao Sixiao's smile faded:
"My brother's room which I never stayed in, always locked when he's not here. I don't use this room often either, it was cleaned out specially when I said I was coming back.
My patience has worn thin, I need sleep. It's a 500 square foot house, I'm sure you'll find a corner you like. I'm sleeping, feel free to do as you wish."
Still...the bed would be best...
...
Changing locations suddenly, Qin Wei would find it hard to fall asleep as she lay in bed looking at Qiao Sixiao's room.
It was still very simple, no plushies or extra colors, similar to the layout of her Cloud Studio apartment, the only difference being a glass display cabinet in the room filled with dance trophies and certificates.
City level, provincial level, national competitions and even international ones. Qiao Sixiao had many awards, quite a few rather prestigious.
Qin Wei asked her softly: "Do you like dancing?"
"No."
Qiao Sixiao answered bluntly, then paused briefly,
"Those were all when I was young. It was something He Hong made me learn. My dad hoped I would learn painting instead, they used to fight about it."
Qin Wei asked again: "Couldn't you just study both?"
Qiao Sixiao turned to glance at her: "Wouldn't I be tired?"
Qin Wei continued: "I feel like your mother today is different from her usual self."
"That's because Hong Dou is around. Adults don't want their conflicts on display in front of children.
I haven't lived at home for a long time, only occasionally coming back to visit my dad..."
Qin Wei went on: "The rival drama aired, you know..."
Qiao Sixiao glared at her:
"You just wanted to make conversation right! I'm sleeping!"
...
The next morning, Hong Dou went to pound on their bedroom door like crazy. Only after seeing a dazed Qin Wei open the door was he reassured.
"I thought you left! I cried when I woke up this morning."
Hong Dou looked up at her,
"I started missing you as soon as I woke up. Can you draw Ultraman for me?"
"Hong Dou, can you let Auntie Qin wash up and get ready before playing with you?"
He Hong walked over intending to carry Hong Dou away but he refused:
"No! I haven't gotten to play with her in ages. I don't want to separate! Granny!"
Hong Dou was serious. He hadn't left Qin Wei's side since getting out of bed that morning. Whenever she walked away from his sight, Hong Dou would start crying and shouting, so much so that Qin Wei who originally intended to leave after getting up still hadn't managed to do so successfully even at lunch time...
...
Su Yang: "..."
Qin Wei: "..."
Hong Dou: "..."
Today Hong Dou was stuck to Qin Wei, nothing anyone said could dissuade him. But Qiao Sixiao had to return to set in the afternoon while He Hong also had her own arrangements. Left with no choice, He Hong had her assistant buy tickets to an indoor playground for kids and handed these two over to Su Yang.
"Manager He said I'm to bring you two here to play today..."
After hearing Su Yang speak, Hong Dou held Qin Wei's hand and craned his neck to look at her:
"You don't have money? Why must we bring him? Can't we just go ourselves? I don't want him to come, I don't want him going with us."
"Your granny arranged for us to bring him. He's pitiful, there'll be no one to play with him if we don't bring him..."
Qin Wei crouched down and whispered in his ear.
Hong Dou didn't understand:
"If he's pitiful then pity him! I don't want to bring him, okay?"
Qin Wei patiently explained to him:
"Take pity on him Dou Ge. He's going to kindergarten tomorrow. He hasn't been to an amusement park before. And, we need him to carry things for us. How am I going to play with you if I have to carry stuff?"
Hong Dou finally understood:
"So Su Yang is our bodyguard, I see. Bodyguards are fine. But he played my dad before while you played my mum. I don't wish to see you two together."
Qin Wei, Su Yang: "Don't worry, neither do we."
...
It was a newly opened theme park, very trendy online recently and tickets extremely hard to come by. Only well connected higher ups with money like Manager He could easily obtain VIP tickets to come by anytime without queuing or ticket checks.
There were truly huge crowds within the park so despite dressing low key, they were still worried about being recognized and so donned caps and masks. Fortunately the weather was turning cooler so walking around masked wasn't too unbearable.
They brought Hong Dou to play the carousel and river rafting, also taking pictures with various park mascots. After all Hong Dou was just a child who got very excited seeing all this. Su Yang accompanied him on many of the rides which he didn't protest overly much against.
When it was time for the flower float parade, Hong Dou was tired by now and extremely averse to Su Yang, so Qin Wei could only carry him.
"Why isn't Strawberry Bear here?"
Watching the characters atop the floats, Hong Dou asked Qin Wei.
Qin Wei replied: "Because this isn't Disneyland."
"Then why isn't Ultraman here?"
Hong Dou continued asking.
Qin Wei explained: "Because they don't have the rights."
Unsatisfied, Hong Dou started throwing a tantrum: "But I want Strawberry Bear! Make him appear quickly!"
Qin Wei told him gently but firmly: "No can do, that would be imposing on others."
"What does imposing mean?"
"It means asking or bringing up people or matters one shouldn't, being annoying and lacking social awareness."
"Oh."
Hong Dou pondered for a bit, lying against Qin Wei's shoulder. He said to Su Yang:
"Su Yang, you should know my aunt doesn't like you at all. You can never become my uncle."
He turned his head, looking at Qin Wei innocently:
"This is what imposing means right?"
Qin Wei nodded: "You've grasped the essence perfectly."
Su Yang: "⊙〈⊙..."
