A Warm and Cute Strike (GL) - Chapter 40

Coming out of the study, Qin Xuening, looking conflicted, returned to her bedroom with the help of her crutches.

In the room, little Qingnuan, fresh from her bath, was sprawled on the bed with her legs kicked up, scrolling through Weibo with great delight. Hearing movement behind her, Qingnuan turned and saw Xuening. She called out happily, “Sister Xuening!”

Then, she hopped off the bed and pitter-pattered to her side, considerately offering her support.

Xuening didn’t push her away but allowed her to lead the way. However, she tried her best to concentrate her weight on the other side, merely resting her arm lightly on the little girl’s shoulder without applying actual pressure.

As Qingnuan supported her, she felt that Sister Xuening was so light. She remembered her mother saying that Sister’s injuries hadn’t fully healed and she needed to eat more to gain some weight back. She felt this made perfect sense; the big sister was just too thin, unlike herself, who had gained a lot of weight and “meat” recently. Luckily, all her beautiful little dresses still fit her.

In reality, Qingnuan had been thin due to long-term malnutrition. Although the food had been lavish lately and she had gained weight, she was still small for her age; it was just that her baby fat had returned, making her look chubby.

Once they were settled on the bed, Qingnuan unfolded the quilt neatly placed at the foot of the bed and carefully covered Xuening. Then, she stared at her with wide, sparkling eyes. Amused by her “seeking praise” look, Xuening reached out to ruffle her small head and whispered, “Thank you.”

“Hehe, you’re welcome!” Qingnuan’s eyes instantly crinkled with a smile. She turned to grab her tablet, leaned lazily against Xuening, and continued scrolling through Weibo.

Xuening leaned against the headboard, her hands folded in front of her. Her index finger tapped rhythmically; her brow furrowed slightly as she opened her mouth to speak, only to close it again immediately.

Qingnuan was oblivious. She clicked on her “following” list. Just then, Xiang Nan’s Weibo updated with a repost from the official Mango TV account featuring a promotional video for Daddy, Where Are We Going?.

Qingnuan tilted her head. She had learned many characters recently and recognized the name of the production team. Curious, she tapped the triangle symbol in the center of the video, and it began to play silently.

The first guest was Xiang Nan, filmed during an interview in the studio after their first outdoor shoot. This promo only featured snippets of the fathers expressing the show’s concept, keeping the children’s images hidden to maintain suspense. From Xuening’s angle, she could see the tablet and the video playing. She reached over to maximize the video, and the sound filled the room.

Qingnuan looked amazed. It can do that!

“Sister Xuening, you’re so smart!” Qingnuan praised her without hesitation, making Xuening blush slightly.

By then, Xiang Nan’s segment was ending, and Gu Yuan appeared on screen: “My daughter is six years old… Don’t look at me and think I’m a bad guy just because I play villains successfully. In reality, my daughter is truly adorable, and I love her very much…”

“Who is this?” Xuening took the rare initiative to start a conversation.

“That’s Sister Tongtong’s daddy.” Qingnuan watched with interest, completely unaware that behind her, her “big sister’s” face had darkened.

Sister Tongtong? Calling her so intimately…

Xuening pursed her lips and gave a soft “oh.” She stopped worrying about whether to tell her. Expressionless, she lay back and pulled up the covers to sleep.

Qingnuan noticed nothing. She was engrossed in the video, feeling a bit of nostalgia as she watched the familiar uncles and heard their unique accents. They were all very good people, like the interesting characters in the adventure stories her father told her. She was quite happy to have met them.

Xuening, who was pretending to sleep while actually stewing in jealousy, waited for a while. When the little girl didn’t come to talk to her, she felt a wave of frustration and wondered why she was being so petty. She took a deep breath, and once the promo ended, she whispered, “Nuannuan, it’s time for sleep.”

“Oh! Okay!” Qingnuan responded immediately, turned off the tablet, placed it on the nightstand, and switched off the light. Then she lifted the covers, slid in nimbly, and squeezed closer to Xuening.

Feeling the small head nuzzling against her chest, Xuening felt helpless yet couldn’t stop a smile from forming. She adjusted her position and pulled the girl into her arms.

Qingnuan finally settled down, snuggling contentedly. “Sister Xuening, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

While the two girls drifted into a peaceful sleep, people on Weibo remained very active.

Mango TV’s post had actually gone out that morning but gained little traction until Xiang Nan reposted it that evening. Then, the hype began to climb.

“Nan-ge and Fei-jie’s daughter? Can’t wait!” was the most liked and replied comment.

“Waaaah, I wanted to have my idol’s babies, but he already has a five-year-old? I’m still a ‘single dog,’ I can’t even… [crying face]”

“Rooting for Nan-ge and little Nuannuan! I’ll definitely watch the premiere!”

“The production team is so sly. Why aren’t there photos of the kids? I want to see what their baby looks like so bad!”

“I went to the preview today. It’s so warm and the concept is so fresh! Also, Nan-ge’s daughter is named Xiang Qingnuan, she’s super cute and ‘moe’!!! She and Nan-ge look so much alike!”

This last comment quickly became a top hit. Replies grew at a visible rate: “Of course they look alike, they’re father and daughter. Why say they ‘match’?”

“But Nan-ge is so handsome and Nuannuan is so cute! Oh, and Ye Feifei! The three of them together raise the beauty level of this variety show by a lot!”

“Holy cow! My beautiful Feifei is in it too? Can’t wait!”

Anyone who saw the post had their curiosity piqued. Celebrity children were usually well-protected, so a show like this hit a specific spot for the audience. Two hours later, Ye Feifei’s Weibo also updated.

Ye Feifei: Hubby is the best. Take good care of Nuannuan, or you’ll be kneeling on dry ramen when you get home [whip emoji]. //@Xiang Nan: Repost.

This “dog-abusing” (display of affection) post quickly drew a massive crowd. Furthermore, when Xie Sha—a production director and a heavyweight in Ye Feifei’s fan club—posted a photo with Feifei from the day of filming, the topic exploded and climbed the trending charts.

#Ye Feifei’s Daughter#

#Daddy, Where Are We Going?#

#Xiang Nan Kneeling on Ramen#

With help from some “internet water army” (paid posters), Daddy, Where Are We Going? became a hit before it even aired. This gave the production team a huge boost of confidence. Zhou Ludong believed that as long as they controlled the quality, this show would become a classic.

Soon, it was time for the second recording.

Qingnuan didn’t say it aloud, but she was unhappy. While the first experience was fun, the feeling of being separated from Sister Xuening was not pleasant. She didn’t want to do it again. But since she had promised, she had to go; she couldn’t be someone who broke her word.

Since the second location was in S-Province, far from A-City, they needed to fly. The production team sent a car early to take them to a hotel near the airport for a next-day assembly.

Xie Sha and the cameramen knocked on the Xiang family’s door on the afternoon before the recording. This time, Ye Feifei opened the door herself. Xie Sha was flattered; if the cameras weren’t rolling, she would have screamed and jumped.

“Sorry for the trouble,” Feifei smiled warmly, leading them inside. “Nuannuan and Xiang Nan are upstairs. I’ll call them down.”

Nuannuan was in the music room listening to Xuening play. When her mother came to call her, she looked at her sister reluctantly, but Xuening seemed immersed in the music and didn’t notice her gaze. She hugged her mother’s neck and buried her face in her shoulder, unaware that before the door closed, Feifei and Xuening exchanged a knowing look.

The second recording began in the living room. The family of three sat on the sofa, and Xie Sha interviewed them briefly according to the script before handing a mission card to Qingnuan.

Qingnuan took it curiously, nestling in her mother’s arms as she opened it. “This is your first mission for today,” Xie Sha said.

Ye Feifei held her daughter, pointing at the words as she taught her to read: “Daddy has to help little Nuannuan fulfill a wish today.”

Qingnuan blinked, looking at Xie Sha and then at Xiang Nan. She looked a bit confused.

“Meaning, Daddy Xiang will fulfill one of our little baby’s wishes today. Nuannuan, do you have a wish?” Xie Sha prompted.

“A wish?”

“Yes, any wish. What do you want most right now?”

Nuannuan tilted her head and said honestly, “I want to go out and play with Sister Xuening.” Then her eyes dimmed. “But Sister doesn’t want to go…”

Xie Sha breathed a sigh of relief that the girl gave the expected answer, but was also moved by her devotion to her sister. Nuannuan really, really loves her sister! Xie Sha felt her heart break for the girl and wanted to make her happy again.

She looked at Xiang Nan: “So, can Daddy Xiang fulfill this wish?”

“Of course! I’m the best daddy in the world!” Xiang Nan said proudly and a bit theatrically, earning a nudge from Feifei to be serious.

Qingnuan looked at him, confused. “Daddy…”

“Sweetie, Daddy means it.” Xiang Nan took her small hand, his face turning tender and affectionate. “Go find Xuening and ask her one more time.”

“But Sister Xuening…”

“Trust Daddy. This time, she will definitely agree.”

Qingnuan’s eyes began to light up as if she understood something. She laughed joyfully, picked up her skirt, and scrambled upstairs. “Then I’ll go ask her!”

Xie Sha saw her disappear in a flash and quickly called the cameramen to follow. Truthfully, she had been curious about this “Sister Xuening” for a long time. Today, she would finally see her!