PCMWF Chapter 111

Thank you, CM, for the coffee <3

Tang Dou sat beside her, also watching intently. Both of them had seen firsthand how Qiqi’s nanny had treated him, so they were understandably wary.

After the results came out, Tang Dou was a bit disappointed. “It really doesn’t seem to be related to Du Ze.”

But Hua Zhao furrowed her delicate brows and raised an eyebrow. “Do you believe in a woman’s intuition?”

Tang Dou thought to himself that this was a pretty unreliable thing. Should he believe it or not?

“Besides, he clearly could have helped carry the suitcase. Why would he make a five-year-old girl carry it herself? Is that stupid guitar of his really that important?” Hua Zhao pointed at the monitor.

Even as she complained, she kept one eye on Qiqi, who was watching Ultraman intently with Youyou and Lele. Without any evidence of wrongdoing, they couldn’t accuse Du Ze of abuse. The worst they could do was call him an inconsiderate, careless father. She had no idea what Niu Niu’s mother saw in him.

Tang Dou didn’t dare interrupt her when she was angry. He only raised his hand weakly and said, “I think Du Ze actually has a bit of a performative personality. Every time the camera is on him, he’s very good to Niu Niu.”

A five-year-old girl was pure and innocent. Faced with an adult skilled at deception, it was hard to tell sincerity from pretense. And Du Ze had been married to Wang Shilan for almost two years now. Two years ago, Niu Niu was even younger. To get Niu Niu’s mother to marry him, Du Ze had probably treated Niu Niu better than his own daughter.

Hua Zhao turned and patted Tang Dou’s shoulder. “I think you’re right. No wonder you studied psychology!”

Tang Dou smiled modestly. “You flatter me.”

“Xiao Tang, I’m about to give you a very important mission. Can you handle it?”

Tang Dou sensed a tone that sounded like coaxing a child into doing something. He blinked slowly.

Hua Zhao, with great solemnity, entrusted him with the most important task: “From now on, you’ll be our inside agent. Stay in the surveillance room and keep an eye on Du Ze’s every move.”

Tang Dou had inexplicably gained her trust, and to his own surprise, he’d even agreed. It was just watching the monitors, but Hua Zhao made it sound like he was saving the world. On the monitors, the children had taken over the living room. Each little cushion had a little one perched on it. Su Youli watched, entranced. The tall, mighty Ultraman Tiga had now become the hero he admired most.
Through Mi Le’s explanations, the little guy learned that there were many different Ultramen. But if you asked Mi Le who his favorite Ultraman was, his answer was the same as Su Youli’s. Every kid loved Ultraman Tiga. Even Niu Niu, the only girl, was no exception. She had already declared that when she grew up, she would marry Ultraman Tiga.

The little girl shyly shared her wish. Pei Qiqi, deeply shocked, looked at her and then said calmly: “But Tiga isn’t human. You can’t marry him.”

Although Pei Qiqi was a year younger than Niu Niu, he had at least been to kindergarten and was quite clever. The four little ones chattered for a long time about whether Tiga was human and whether Niu Niu could marry him.

At eight o’clock, Su Youli’s sleepiness arrived on time. The little guy, who had been sprawled excitedly on the small sofa, rubbed his eyes with his little hands, yawned, and then his eyelids drooped. He fell asleep in one second on the spot.

Pei Qiqi was already experienced at taking care of his little brother. He rested the little guy’s head on his shoulder, his small, not-yet-grown arms gently holding the little guy’s body. Mi Le and Niu Niu covered the sleeping little brother with a blanket. The three little ones didn’t speak aloud anymore, but their mouths continued to move silently and passionately, continuing the previous topic.

When Hua Zhao returned, this was the scene she saw: one little one sleeping soundly, and the other three clearly tired too, huddled together with little energy. Two minutes later, the parents each took their little ones back to bed. Pei Qiqi watched Youyou being carried away by Uncle Shen, his cheeks rosy from sleep. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, a bit reluctant to let go.

Hua Zhao patted his head. “You can play with Youyou again tomorrow. You’ve had a long day today. Time for bed.”

Qiqi was a sensible child. Youyou was sleepy, and his aunt was also very tired. She had even tidied their room today. The two family suites were directly across from each other. Hua Zhao held Qiqi’s hand and watched Du Ze carry Niu Niu back to bed. As he closed the door, the man nodded at them. Du Ze had a very deceptive face. He was always smiling, with slightly drooping eyes that made him seem easygoing. When Hua Zhao first saw him on the variety show, she’d thought he was a gentle father. After the door across the way closed, she sighed. When she turned to close her own door, she noticed a pair of slippers at her feet.

“Thanks, sweetie.” She smiled and pinched Qiqi’s cheek.

Pei Qiqi’s ears turned red. The moment he put the slippers down, he turned and ran away. The little guy was quite shy. Hua Zhao couldn’t help but laugh. The first day in Haicheng had been relatively harmonious. Without the Cen father and son, filming went very smoothly. While the parents were putting their children to sleep, the production team had already edited the day’s footage into a preview and posted it online.

They not only announced the newest family to join but also explained that Shen Yan couldn’t participate in the second leg of filming due to work reasons, and his father, Shen Minyan, would be taking his place. As a variety show that had generated high expectations even before airing due to its excellent production team, the pilot and the first two episodes had maintained consistently high popularity.

Releasing this update at nine in the evening, when traffic on major platforms was at its peak, naturally caused a huge stir. Tang Dou, mindful of his undercover role, scrolled through his phone while keeping an eye on the surveillance of Niu Niu’s room. To his surprise, netizens were much more interested in Shen Minyan appearing as a substitute parent than in Hua Zhao and Pei Qiqi. The name Shen Minyan generated so much discussion.

[I don’t follow the news. Who is Shen Minyan? Is he more famous than Shen Yan?]

[Let me explain for non-industry folks: Shen Minyan is Shen Yan’s father. You know the Shen Group? It’s never been below the top two on the domestic wealth rankings. Get it now?]

The casual reader still didn’t understand. In an age ruled by traffic and popularity, many rich people used their connections to enter the entertainment industry. But no one had ever seen a forty-something billionaire come to a variety show before.

[Shen Minyan isn’t your average rich person. He built his fortune from nothing. He relied on government subsidies to get through school, from middle school through college. And he was an orphan.]

This comment left even more netizens baffled.

[Wait, isn’t his father Shen Tailun? What did I miss?]

High society wasn’t the entertainment industry. The general public mostly caught only rumors and knew little about the behind-the-scenes details.

[I only know about it because I studied finance and looked up the news about the Shen family back then. Shen Minyan really was an orphan. He was adopted by Shen Tailun at twenty. You can look up the old news, but I’m guessing it’s probably been scrubbed clean by now.]

Just vibes, late nights, and coffee keeping this translation project alive. If you want to help fuel the next chapter, Ko-Fi and PayPal are linked below.