TSSRWAB Chapter 24

Doubao and Dougao saved their candies for two days, but that person still didn’t show up.

 

So mean, Doubao thought, but then felt bad for thinking it.

 

After all, that person is their other father.

 

Doubao puffed out his cheeks, sat on the bed and sulked while his swinging little legs. Dougao sat beside him, his cool little face unreadable as he lost himself in thought.

 

It was the weekend, and the two were going back to Jinjiang City.

 

Lu Xi had to work and couldn’t see them off, so he asked Pete to drive Dahl and the two little ones to the airport.

 

Pete noticed the two were upset, probably sad about leaving their father, so he video-called Lu Xi, who happened to be on a break.

 

“Talk to Doubao and Dougao. They seem pretty down.”

 

The camera focused on the two sitting on the bed. The sulking Doubao immediately called out to his daddy cheerfully and grabbed the phone, though a hint of that earlier anger still lingered in his eyes. A glance at Dougao next to him showed he felt much the same.

 

“What’s wrong? Don’t want to leave Daddy?” The doting father Xiao Lu was moved to tears.

 

They hadn’t even left yet, and they already missed him.

 

Doubao whined a little, unable to hold it in anymore, and said in his babyish voice, “Daddy, there’s a person who’s so mean. He’s mad at me and Dougao. We have candy, but why hasn’t he shown up yet?”

 

Doting father Xiao Lu: …

 

Ugh, it’s that popular little girl.

 

Xiao Lu said jealously, “Did you make her angry? If you did something wrong, apologize to her properly, give her the candy, and be sincere about it, little guys. She’ll forgive you.”

 

“W-what if he doesn’t forgive us?” Doubao looked very troubled.

 

Daddy Xiao Lu really wanted to say that there’s no deep-seated grudge between kids that candy can’t resolve. If candy wasn’t enough, he, the father of Doubao and Dougao, is willing to add a stack of lollipops! And if that still isn’t enough, he’ll throw in some chocolates too!

 

There’s nothing that can’t be solved.

 

But he couldn’t say that.

 

“Try it first. If it doesn’t work, Daddy will help you figure something out.” Xiao Lu decided to order some chocolate online right away. Lao Jian is in France, maybe he could get him to source some Belgian chocolates.

 

He was determined to help Doubao and Dougao win over that popular little girl’s heart.

 

Doubao brightened up. “Okay! Thank you, Daddy! Love you the most~”

 

His chubby little hand blew a kiss to his daddy. Dougao waved his hand obediently and said, “We’ll try, Daddy. Bye-bye~”

 

The two were lively and cute again.

 

Xiao Lu, after hanging up the call: …

 

They’re only three and a half years old, but he already has these kinds of dad problems. What’s going to happen when they grow up?!

 

Old Daddy Xiao Lu was deeply worried, then angrily nailed his scene in a single take.

 

“Alright, little gentlemen, time to go. Uncle Pete will take you to the airport.”

 

Doubao and Dougao stood up, shouldered their little backpacks, held hands, and trotted ahead. All the gloom from earlier was completely gone. Dahl carried the luggage and followed behind.

 

In the hotel corridor, a tall man watched the retreating backs of the two small figures.

 

These are Lu Xi’s children with another woman.

 

These are…

 

Lu Xi’s children.

 

That boy.

 

「Uncle Xie, I’ve been feeling sleepy lately and craving sour things. I’m pregnant, it must be your baby!」

 

The young man deliberately cradled his flat stomach, lazily and coquettishly leaning into him, lifting his sparkling eyes and said: 「Do you prefer boys or girls? I like girls, but if they look like you– hahaha, that would be okay too.」

 

「Nonsense.」Xie Zhuhan helped the young man steady himself.

 

The young man is a human and a boy, how could he possibly get pregnant?

 

Of course, Lu Xi knew it was impossible, which was why he joked so recklessly. He loved teasing his serious and meticulous Uncle Xie. After being scolded by the old-fashioned man, he threw his head into Xie Zhuhan’s arms.

 

「Uncle Xie, you left everything inside me last night. I’m really pregnant.」

 

The young man cradled his stomach with a sly look in his eyes, deliberately wriggling and provoking Xie Zhuhan.

 

Xie Zhuhan’s cold face nearly caught fire, either from being too angry at the boy’s shameless words or something else. In the end, he pinned the boy down on the couch –

 

“Walk slowly and be careful with your steps.” Dahl asked, “Do you want me to carry you?”

 

Doubao shook his head. “No need, Uncle Dahl.”

 

“Then walk carefully.” Dahl ruffled the young master’s hair and said with a smile, “Next Friday will be here soon. Then Uncle Dahl will accompany the two little young masters to see the Master again.”

 

“Great! We can see Daddy again soon.”

 

Doubao cheered up. They could see that uncle again too.

 

Xie Zhuhan watched as the elevator doors slowly closed, and the figures disappeared from the corridor.

 

–

 

The filming for Little Male Fox had been very intense recently, and it’s all high-tension scenes.

 

The second male lead which is the emperor of the enemy nation, ordered the sorcerer to refine the little male fox into a powerful weapon to aid his ambition of unifying the three kingdoms. When the sorcerer was refining the weapon, the emperor went there from time to time, watching with his own eyes how the mangled and bloody remains of the little fox’s soul gradually recovered its original appearance.

 

The fox’s original form was beautiful.

 

The little male fox, now darkened into a killing weapon, carried an extremely dangerous aura.

 

The emperor has an overwhelming desire to control the weapon-puppet. The newly refined little male fox had lost his fox memories, but his rebellious nature made him unwilling to be a puppet, constantly angering the emperor. Later, he remembered his past with the empress. Fearing the little male fox would leave him to help the empress, the emperor fabricated a twisted story, mixing truth and lies.

 

“…He said the empress only saw the little male fox as a replacement. You need to express this subtly. The person you love most sees you as a substitute, and once they find the real one, they skinned and dismembered the replacement little male fox…”

 

Director Hu was explaining the scene.

 

In Little Male Fox, the transmigrating empress certainly didn’t see the little male fox as a replacement. The enemy emperor was lying, trying to make the weapon sever all emotions and attachments so he would submit to him alone.

 

The actor playing the second male lead kept struggling with this part, and Lu Xi, who usually got into character easily, was also having issues this time.

 

Director Hu had no choice but to call a break and start explaining the scene, breaking it down piece by piece.

 

“Stop giving me this clean-cut act, just treat him like a weapon! If you really can’t play it in a complicated way, then play it like you love him to death,” Director Hu told the male lead.

 

The straight second male lead scratched his head. “Is that okay? Isn’t this a little romance drama?”

 

“Since when do second male leads in romances hug the male lead for no reason? Or tie him up every time he thinks of the female lead?” Director Hu, a veteran, said, “You know, pushing boundaries. Using the grand excuse of unifying the three kingdoms to satisfy your own selfish desires, understand? Love that’s hard to speak of, get it?”

 

The second male lead, faced with these three questions: …So that’s what we’re filming.

 

He had a sudden realization.

 

“Bromance, I get it. Socialist bromance.[mfn]社会主义兄弟情, shèhuì zhǔyì xiōngdì qíng – A Chinese internet term originating from censorship practices. It is used to describe deeply affectionate, often romantic relationships between male characters in media that must be framed as “just good friends” or “brothers” to comply with content regulations and avoid being flagged as homosexual content.[/mfn] Director, I’ll do better this time.”

 

When it was Lu Xi’s turn, Director Hu glanced at him and said lightly, “Tone down the fierceness a bit. He just said it; you need to go through the process: disbelief—belief—disbelief, wavering back and forth. Then show lingering love for the female lead, but then remember your entire clan was slaughtered, and all the injuries you suffered, turning that love into hatred, with just a hint of love showing through that hatred.”

 

“What you just did was pure rage, like you wanted to wipe out her whole family. Where’s the love?”

 

Lu Xi replied flatly, “After being skinned and dismembered, all I want is to kill her entire family. There’s no love left.”

 

“Hey, this is a little romance drama. You’re the male lead. If you don’t love her anymore, how do we even film this?” Director Hu was getting anxious.

 

Lu Xi knew all this. He just got so into the character that his fists clenched. Seeing Director Hu’s anxiety, he said, “Okay, okay, I love her, I love her. I’ll love the female lead to death.”

 

Director Hu: …The words were right, but it felt somehow wrong.

 

Take N.

 

Lu Xi wore a flowing black robe embroidered with dark thread, which had a subtle hint of allure. His hair was tied up loosely, with two strands hanging by the sides of his face. His skin was made up to be deathly pale and his lips crimson, like a vengeful spirit that crawled up from hell.

 

Now, the vengeful spirit was tied up.

 

The second male lead wore his usual imperial robe. The production had spent all its costume budget on the male lead.

 

“Do you think your empress loved you?” The emperor of Qi circled the tied little fox and gently stroked the side of the little fox’s face with one hand. The touch was cold, but at the mention of the empress, the little fox’s eyes flickered, inadvertently revealing a trace of love.

 

The emperor’s jealousy flared. His stroking fingers pinched instead, and he said with vicious pleasure, “Fool, she only saw you as a toy. Now that her true beloved has returned, with two identical faces, the impostor must die. Your entire clan will be slaughtered, skinned and torn apart. This is her love for you.”

 

The little male fox lifted his head, his eyes turning blood-red.

 

“I don’t believe it.”

 

“Your clansmen’s fox pelts were made into cloaks and draped over the body of her beloved.” The emperor’s gaze fixed on the little male fox. “Fox, your skin was used as a cushion under someone’s feet. You are only fit to be used as a footstool for her beloved.”

 

The little male fox transformed into a killing weapon in an instant.

 

He was angry, furious, ruthless, and devastated, yet a single line of bloody tears slid from the corners of his eyes.

 

The emperor was immensely pleased. He reached out and embraced the killing weapon tied to the pillar.

 

“Fox, my A-Li, you belong to me. I would never treat you like this.”

 

His low murmur was almost like a promise.

 

The scene came out decent, but Director Hu still felt like something was missing. “Let’s try one more time. When you deliver your last line, lower your head and kiss the little fox’s hair.”

 

“I can’t kiss another guy, but kissing Lu-ge is fine. I can do it! I’m okay with it!” the second male lead said readily. In the past, whenever his roommates joked about being gay, he’d get annoyed. But with Lu-ge, he didn’t feel that at all.

 

They did another take.

 

Director Hu suddenly felt a chill. Did the temperature drop?

 

Action. Lu Xi got into character.

 

“I don’t believe it.”

 

Xie Zhuhan stood before Lu Xi. It was obviously just acting, it’s fake. But somehow, it reminded him of that boy four years ago, the one who disappeared without saying goodbye, and whether he looked like this too.

 

The same unbearable sorrow and despair.

 

「There is some resemblance. Do you only like this type?」

 

「None of your business.」

 

That conversation between him and that person was overheard by Lu Xi.

 

The second male lead lowered his head and gently hugged the little male fox. His lips slowly brushed over the little fox’s hair, filled with gentle care.

 

Time stood still.

 

Tears of blood fell from the young man’s pale cheeks.

 

Xie Zhuhan reached out to touch the young man’s hair, his eyes, his face. And for some reason, there was a strange ache in his chest.

 

A sharp, pulling pain.

 

He pressed a hand to his own heart.

 

“What’s wrong with me?” Xie Zhuhan murmured to himself.

 

There was no answer.

 

“Alright, alright. That’s a wrap.”

 

Director Hu was satisfied. He pulled up the footage they’d just shot and let out a soft “Huh?”

 

Is there a ghost messing with them? The shot was clearly good, but when it got to the part where the second male lead kissed Lu Xi’s hair, something went wrong again.

 

From that blurry angle, did he actually kiss him or not?

 

Forget it, they’ll use it as is.