In the evening, the family of three headed to Country Garden—the residential complex where Lu Jingshan lived.
On the way, Xia Shi asked Lu Tingchuan about his schedule. “Xuanxuan’s school starts in a few days. Will you be free?”
“I have to do some post-dubbing for a movie we finished filming, but I’m free in the mornings. I’ll take you two there.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuan lit up with joy. “Daddy and Mommy are both taking me?”
No matter how adaptable a child is, the first time in a new environment is always a little nerve-racking. Lu Xuan was only five years old. Even though they had chosen a bilingual international kindergarten that blended Eastern and Western education, it was still vastly different from the one he had attended in the U.S.
Xia Shi couldn’t help kissing him. “Yes. Daddy and Mommy will take you together. Happy?”
“Happy!”
From the rearview mirror, Lu Tingchuan glanced at Xia Shi. “As for what happened with Yun Duo, if she doesn’t speak up, let’s not mention it either.”
Xia Shi nodded. Lu Tingchuan asked, “You mentioned a variety show from Beijing TV reached out to you? How’s that going?”
“Sophie said it’s a brand new show, and the network is putting a lot into it. They’ll send me a general outline in a couple of days. I don’t need to decide right away—they’re still in the early prep phase, so there’s no rush.”
Lu Tingchuan smiled. “If you have time recently, would you consider doing a movie’s ending song?”
Xia Shi immediately caught the subtext. “Your movie? ‘Heaven’s Secret’ just wrapped.”
“Not ‘Heaven’s Secret.’ It’s ‘In Paris’—the one before.”
Xia Shi was taken aback. “Isn’t ‘In Paris’ about to release? Don’t tell me you still haven’t settled on an ending song.”
“It was originally set for the National Day release. However, ‘Coffee & Tea’ is also scheduled then, and it’s backed by Twinfly Studios, so it’s getting more showtimes. Both are romantic art films. Director Guo tried to negotiate, but talks fell through, so our slot got squeezed out. Now it’s been rescheduled for Christmas. There was an ending song, but Director Guo decided to use it in the middle of the film for an important scene. He was never quite satisfied with the earlier version—just used it as a stopgap. Now that he knows you’re back in China, he reached out to me to see if you’re available.”
Xia Shi felt an intense pressure. Fame could be a double-edged sword—people’s expectations could be too high. With someone like Director Guo, there was no doubt he’d already sought top-tier talent. Xia Shi didn’t underestimate herself—she believed she had talent and ability—but even she knew she wasn’t invincible. Artistic creation depended on inspiration.
Lu Tingchuan noticed her hesitation. “Director Guo said not to stress. He knows these things are about timing and luck. You can look at the main plot and the previous demo. If it sparks anything, you can give it a try.”
After some thought, Xia Shi agreed.
The two casually chatted about work, and the car pulled into the parking garage. They got out and headed upstairs. As soon as they entered, they heard Wang Qin speaking to Yun Duo.
“Honestly, you had a good job at the magazine but insisted on entering the entertainment industry. Now you’re saying you want to quit? Duoduo, you can’t be this indecisive. Back then, I even asked Tingchuan to help find you an agent. It’s only been a few months!”
As the three of them walked in, Wang Qin’s voice cut off instantly. She quickly put on a smile. “You’re back?”
Lu Tingchuan and Xia Shi greeted her with “Auntie,” while Lu Xuan sweetly called her “Grandma.” Wang Qin responded and didn’t mention the earlier conversation.
“Ye Zheng is here—he’s in the study with your dad.”
Lu Tingchuan nodded his thanks, handed the things he brought to Wang Qin, and led Xia Shi and Lu Xuan to the study.
Lu Jingshan was writing. A large desk was laid with a 1.5-meter-long, 50-centimeter-wide sheet of rice paper. As the three entered, he had just finished a stroke—four characters in bold calligraphy: Li Yan Li Xing (Stand by Your Words and Deeds).
The strokes were bold and vigorous, graceful yet powerful, like a breeze flowing from the sleeve and like moonlight falling on the chest. No wonder he was Vice Chairman of the National Calligraphy Association.
His proud student Ye Zheng stood to the side, praising, “Teacher, you’ve still got it. As sharp as ever.”
“I’m old. My wrist strength is going.” Lu Jingshan shook his head helplessly. When he looked up and saw Lu Tingchuan, his whole face lit up. “You’re here.”
Lu Tingchuan responded. Lu Xuan ran over and called out, “Grandpa!” then pulled out a few of his own “assignments.” Lu Jingshan laughed so hard his face wrinkled up. “Good, good, good! Much better than last time!”
Xia Shi nearly facepalmed. It was just a few scribbles—how could he tell it was “much better”?
Lu Xuan beamed under the praise. “Daddy teaches me every day!”
Lu Jingshan snorted. “Your dad teaches you? Please. He barely retained even a fraction of what he learned when he was little. Teaching you? He’ll only lead you astray!”
After saying that, he paused and glanced at Lu Tingchuan somewhat nervously, then gave a couple of awkward hums. Though he didn’t say it, seeing that Lu Tingchuan didn’t get angry, he clearly felt relieved.
Who would’ve thought that the once-strict Lu Jingshan—known for his temper and harsh discipline—would now be the one acting like a turtle around his son? Their roles had completely reversed.
Ye Zheng smiled to break the tension. “Xiao Chuan had other ambitions. But all those years of childhood practice still make him more than qualified to teach Xuanxuan the basics.”
Lu Jingshan took the out gracefully. Lu Tingchuan smiled faintly. “I brought you some things. Everything Dr. Su mentioned last time—I’ve got it all. I gave it to Auntie. Make sure you take it on time. I’ll be calling her to check.”
Old age had softened Lu Jingshan a lot. He even had a touch of childishness now, glaring at his son. “I’m not a kid. Is that necessary?”
“Yes, yes, yes—you’re the most obedient.” Lu Tingchuan coaxed him like a child. Looking at his father’s now white hair, his heart was filled with emotion. He was grateful to have this second chance—not just with Xia Shi, but also with his father. No matter how wide the gap once was, a father and son were still father and son. Sometimes he found it hard to believe that this once short-tempered man had now become so… endearing.
Xia Shi looked at the calligraphy and said, “Dad, how about giving me this piece? I’ll get it framed and hang it in our study—it’ll add some scholarly charm.”
Lu Jingshan beamed. “Sure! But I doubt you know a good framing shop. I’ll get it mounted for you. Ye Zheng can bring it over, or you can come pick it up.”
Ye Zheng agreed, then looked at Lu Xuan and turned to ask, “I recently signed on to do a variety show on Strawberry TV called Where is Baby Going. I heard the producers reached out to you guys?”
Lu Tingchuan glanced at Lu Jingshan. The old man huffed, “Why are you looking at me? Do I look that old-fashioned? You think I’d stop Ye Zheng from joining?”
Lu Tingchuan was stunned.
The Lu family had been scholars for generations. His great-grandfather was a Qing Dynasty scholar, his grandfather a famous teacher during the Republic. Lu Jingshan was one of the few university students from the ‘70s and later a top professor at Jing University, not to mention his major achievements in calligraphy. While not aristocrats, they could certainly be called a literary lineage.
Because of this background, there was always an air of old-school rigidity. Lu Jingshan, raised in a traditional education system, deeply valued those ideals—so much so that he couldn’t understand the modern entertainment world.
As a child, if a test was graded, he had to rank in the top three. If there were no rankings, scores had to be above 90. Otherwise, it was punishment or beatings. Unsurprisingly, he saw the entertainment industry as beneath dignity. When Lu Tingchuan first secretly took a film role, Lu Jingshan dragged him into the study and beat him so badly he ended up in the hospital. That incident was the final straw that broke their relationship. Lu Tingchuan left the hospital, moved out in secret, and didn’t return home for years.
Now hearing this change in tone…
Ye Zheng chuckled. “Teacher knew from the start. I was surprised when the show approached me—I’m a calligraphy teacher, not in your world. But it was Teacher who convinced me to sign on.”
Lu Tingchuan was now truly stunned, his face the picture of disbelief.
Xia Shi, who knew their history well, stifled a laugh and nudged him. He snapped out of it and replied, “They did contact me. I turned it down.”
Ye Zheng sighed dramatically. “Looks like my daughter, Yuanyuan, is going to be disappointed.”
Yuanyuan was Ye Zheng’s daughter, four years old. He also had a six-year-old son named Fangfang.
4Ye Zheng glanced at Lu Tingchuan, then bent down to ruffle Lu Xuan’s hair. “Xuanxuan, would you like to go play with Fangfang and Yuanyuan? There’ll be lots of other kids too.”
Lu Xuan tilted his head. “Play what?”
“A ton of fun things! You get to travel with Daddy, visit the grasslands of Inner Mongolia and learn horseback riding, go to Harbin for ice skating and skiing, and more…”
Of course, the show’s locations were still a secret. Even the families who’d signed contracts only knew the site for the first episode. Ye Zheng was making it all up.
Xia Shi couldn’t take it anymore. She pulled Lu Xuan over and scolded with a smile, “Come on, you’re one of China’s Top Ten Outstanding Youths, an award-winning young calligrapher. Aren’t you afraid your students and fans will see this sly side of you? You’re like the Big Bad Wolf trying to lure Little Red Riding Hood!”
Ye Zheng chuckled. “So, you don’t want him to go?”
Xia Shi pointed at Lu Tingchuan. “You know what kind of man I married? He’s so out of touch with household chores. He can’t even tell romaine lettuce from celtuce leaves. I asked him to buy garlic scapes—he brought back chive blossoms. I don’t even need to watch the show. Just from the press materials, I can already imagine the chaos if he actually went. It’d be a total disaster.”
Lu Tingchuan was mortified. Ye Zheng and Lu Jingshan burst out laughing. Thankfully, Wang Qin called them for dinner just then, saving Lu Tingchuan from further embarrassment.
