Chapter 27
Wen Ningshu turned her gaze towards Shen Huaixi upon hearing his voice, noticing that he had returned without her knowledge.
After Su Xingyao intentionally hurt Shen Huaixi a few times upon his return, the adopted son developed a fear that they would kick him out once their biological son was around. As a result, he became very cautious and sensitive whenever Su Xingyao was mentioned.
Given this situation, Wen Ningshu and Shen Liangyu had tacitly agreed not to bring up Su Xingyao in front of Shen Huaixi unless absolutely necessary.
Now that Shen Huaixi had suddenly appeared, both of them tacitly stopped discussing Su Xingyao's childhood.
Feeling down, Wen Ningshu quickly composed herself and stood up with a smile to greet Shen Huaixi.
"Xiao Xi, why didn't you call me in advance? Have you eaten? I'll ask Aunt Liu to make something for you."
Shen Huaixi gave a perfunctory nod, "I've already eaten."
After saying this, his eyes immediately shifted to Shen Liangyu.
"Mom, Dad, do you know that Su Xingyao is on TV now? He's really amazing! I heard the news on my way back and rushed home to tell you!"
Smiling sincerely, Shen Huaixi pulled out his phone and showed the interview video to Shen Liangyu.
"Dad, have you seen it? Su Xingyao is so popular now, and he's all the rage. His name has been trending on Weibo for days, and everyone is talking about him."
Su Xingyao's involvement in the entertainment industry was already a touchy subject for Shen Liangyu.
Now, Shen Huaixi deliberately brought up how many people were talking about him and even tried to show the video, which felt like rubbing salt in the wound.
Hearing these remarks, Shen Liangyu was so angry that he didn't even bother to look at the video Shen Huaixi mentioned. He let out a cold snort and walked off, hands clasped behind his back.
After a few steps, he couldn't help but snap, "Don't be happy for him. He's just making a fool of himself."
Seeing his father leave in anger, Shen Huaixi's smile froze on his face, and he looked at his mother with a bit of hurt.
Then he realized Wen Ningshu was lost in thought.
In the past, she would have immediately comforted him and gently chided his father, telling him not to take it to heart.
But this time, he received no such comfort.
This subtle shift left Shen Huaixi feeling uneasy.
He quickly turned around and approached her.
However, he found that she had already looked back at him.
But now, her eyes lacked the blind affection they once held, replaced by something indescribable.
For a moment, Shen Huaixi thought she had figured out his earlier motives...
"Mom, what's wrong?"
Panicked, Shen Huaixi approached Wen Ningshu and cautiously asked, "Did I say something wrong?"
Hearing this, Wen Ningshu seemed to snap out of it.
"No, your dad is just like that. Don't take it to heart." Wen Ningshu forced a smile, avoiding further discussion in front of Shen Huaixi.
She rubbed her temples and said tiredly, "I stayed up late last night and I'm a bit tired. I'll go rest for a while. If you want anything to eat, Aunt Liu will make it for you later."
Speak of the devil, and here he comes.
Wen Ningshu had just mentioned Aunt Liu when the latter hurriedly came out of her room.
"Young master, you're home! Why didn't you give us a heads-up? It's raining outside, isn't it? Your coat is soaked. I'll grab you some dry clothes."
Unlike the Shen couple, Aunt Liu's face lit up with joy upon seeing Shen Huaixi return home.
After warmly greeting him, she fussed over Shen Huaixi, her attention entirely on him.
Wen Ningshu shot a glance at Aunt Liu, but since she had always been this way with Shen Huaixi since he was a child, she didn't think much of it.
After a quick exchange of words, Wen Ningshu headed upstairs.
However, halfway up, she instinctively turned around, her eyes landing on Shen Huaixi.
From where she stood, Wen Ningshu could only see Shen Huaixi's back.
Yet, her mind kept replaying the scene where he had mentioned Su Xingyao in front of Shen Liangyu.
Reason told her that Shen Huaixi had always been this way, speaking his mind freely in front of them, especially when it came to Su Xingyao.
But this time, something about the scene felt off to Wen Ningshu...
As if every word was calculated.
The filming for "Let's Travel Together" wrapped up two days ago.
*
However, due to numerous media and officials in Qingshan City wanting to interview Su Xingyao, his trip home was pushed back by two days.
After finishing all the interviews, and learning that Su Xingyao was alone, the government arranged a car to take him to the airport.
Early in the morning, Su Xingyao lugged his suitcase to the hotel's underground parking lot and quickly found the driver who had come to pick him up.
The car started and smoothly drove out of the parking lot.
It was still early, and a drowsy Su Xingyao pulled out his earphones to listen to some music.
But as he glanced up, he spotted a crowd gathered on the road not far from the hotel.
At first, Su Xingyao thought there might have been a traffic accident.
But looking closer, he saw a long banner through the distant crowd—
"Thank you, Teacher Su Xingyao, welcome back to Qingshan in the future!"
The driver up front noticed the scene and quickly explained with a smile.
"Everyone heard that Teacher Su was leaving and came early in the morning to see you off."
After saying this, the driver honked the horn, and the crowd outside seemed to get the hint, waving enthusiastically towards Su Xingyao from afar.
Although the number of people who came to bid farewell to Su Xingyao today wasn't as exaggerated as the crowded scenes on TV, there were still quite a few. Many had even come before dawn, fearing they might miss the time.
However, before this, perhaps to avoid disturbing Su Xingyao, everyone had been very quiet, just waiting outside in an orderly manner, hoping to offer their most sincere greetings as soon as he came out.
Now that his car had finally appeared, the crowd couldn't hold back anymore and began calling out Su Xingyao's name.
The voices filtered through the car window to Su Xingyao's ears.
Realizing everyone had come to say goodbye, Su Xingyao quickly sat up and pressed his face to the glass to see the crowd outside.
In all his twenty-three years, he'd never been treated like this.
To be exact, he'd never been hit with such a wave of gratitude from so many people before.
It left him momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
Noticing Su Xingyao's surprise in the rearview mirror, the driver slowed down and started explaining.
"Qingshan's a real gem—rich in history, culture, and natural beauty."
The driver sighed, "But no matter what our local tourism board tried, we just couldn't catch a break. Most folks across the country hadn't even heard of us."
"But this time, you put Qingshan on the map. Qingshan's sudden fame is something us regular folks can really feel, so everyone's really thankful to you."
The driver chuckled, "They must've caught wind you were leaving today and wanted to come say thanks."
The driver's words took Su Xingyao by surprise.
"I didn't do much; it was just a fluke."
Su Xingyao wasn't trying to be humble; he really believed it.
Even though the local government kept praising and thanking him, thinking he's the reason Qingshan blew up online.
But Su Xingyao knew deep down that Qingshan's sudden fame was really thanks to the local government and the people.
The government was approachable, listened to the people, and fixed problems fast.
The locals were passionate, always stepping up to make things better and keep the town looking good.
And honestly, he was just a small piece of the puzzle.
Hearing this, the driver chuckled and shook his head.
"But that fluke was the key. Qingshan's been waiting years for this."
He looked out at the ordinary folks, "Lately, our small businesses have been booming, and everyone's here to really thank you."
Su Xingyao looked out too, following the driver's gaze.
Just then, the car rolled into the thick of the crowd, and Su Xingyao saw banners, commendatory flags, and hand signs, all bearing his name.
On top of that, people brought all kinds of odd stuff.
Besides the usual milk, veggies, and fruit, some folks even brought live chickens...
In no time, Su Xingyao's car was surrounded, and everyone was waving like crazy.
Seeing everyone trying to talk to him, Su Xingyao quickly rolled down the window and waved back at the Qingshan folks.
The folks by the roadside got all excited when they saw Su Xingyao.
"Ahhhhhhh Mr. Su!!!"
"Mr. Su, thank you!"
"Safe travels, Teacher Su!"
"Goodbye, Teacher Su! Don’t forget to come back to Qingshan City someday!"
Su Xingyao nodded in agreement, "Thank you all, I’ll make sure to come back when I can."
In the time it took Su Xingyao to say these few words, several enthusiastic citizens were already shoving their commemorative banners through the car window.
Running after the car like this was pretty risky, and worried it might cause an accident, Su Xingyao quickly urged them to stop.
Though the crowd was excited, they eventually listened. With some young folks stepping in to keep things orderly, they reluctantly stepped back behind the safety line.
Though the gifts didn’t make it to him, Su Xingyao was showered with heartfelt promises.
A man grabbed a megaphone and yelled to Su Xingyao, "Teacher Su, next time you’re here, come to my place for barbecue—on the house!!"
A little girl, not wanting to be left out, jumped up to wave goodbye.
"Teacher Su, my fruit salad is free forever! Come back to Qingshan soon!"
"My grilled fish is on me too!"
"All the ice jelly you can eat!!"
"Fruits too... whenever you’re back..."
All goodbyes must come to an end.
As the car drove off, the voices of the crowd faded into the distance.
He turned to look at the blurry figures behind him, his emotions still unsettled.
For a typical star with a massive following, this kind of scene is no big deal—they’re used to being mobbed at airports.
But for Su Xingyao, who’s been dogged by scandals and has no online fans, it was the first time he’d felt such direct affection and kindness from so many strangers.
Once he realized this world was fictional, he became indifferent to most things.
He didn’t care about life, death, or what others thought of him.
The only thing that mattered was the childhood dream he’d shared with his friends.
Even with fans and haters alike cursing him, he kept appearing on shows and acting in dramas.
Not knowing if he’d ever find his friend, he aimed to rise higher and stay in the spotlight.
But this trip to Qingshan made Su Xingyao realize the deeper meaning and value of being a public figure.
His parents constantly belittled him, saying being a star was like being an ancient performer—worthless and shameful.
Though he’d never agreed, he’d made many compromises to spare their feelings.
But really, was that necessary?
Su Xingyao looked down at the banner in his hand and held it tightly.
After saying goodbye to the people of Qingshan City, Su Xingyao boarded the plane home.
After more than two hours of flying, he finally arrived at the airport.
This time, Su Xingyao decided not to trouble the Lu family driver to come all the way to pick him up and instead took a taxi directly back to the Lu family villa.
As soon as he entered the password and opened the door, he saw Sunset, who had already heard his footsteps, sitting at the door wagging his tail at him.
Even Coral, who's usually so standoffish, softened up and started acting all cute around him.
Su Xingyao squatted down and quickly stroked both the cat and the dog.
"Long time no see, Sunset, Coral."
Hearing this, Coral lifted her paw, gently tapped Su Xingyao's sleeve in protest, and let out a meow.
Su Xingyao immediately corrected himself, "I saw your videos while I was recording the show."
He smiled, carefully switching the names around, "Coral, Sunset, you guys are adorable."
Only when her name came first did Coral seem satisfied, flicking her tail as she led Su Xingyao inside.
Sunset, completely unaware of the exchange, only had eyes for Su Xingyao.
As Coral walked away, Sunset quickly followed but then dashed back to Su Xingyao, trying to grab the suitcase handle with his mouth to help out.
"It's alright, I can manage, it's not that heavy."
Su Xingyao explained to the dog as he followed the cat and dog towards the living room.
A few minutes later, stepping into the first-floor living room, he was surprised to see Lu Jiuxu actually at home.
Not only was he home, but he was also sitting straight on the sofa, watching TV.
Whether he heard the noise or just had a keen sense, Lu Jiuxu turned to look the moment Su Xingyao walked in.
Before Su Xingyao could say anything, Lu Jiuxu beat him to it, "Teacher Su, you're back."
His voice, clean and magnetic, was especially pleasing.
Lu Jiuxu stood up and walked towards Su Xingyao.
Hearing this new way of being addressed by Lu Jiuxu, Su Xingyao took a moment to adjust.
As far as Su Xingyao could recall, Lu Jiuxu had never formally called him by any title before.
When they first met, they had formally addressed each other as Mr. Su and Mr. Lu.
But after so much time together, Su Xingyao felt they were now friends.
Realizing this, he also noticed Lu Jiuxu hadn't called him Mr. Su in ages.
But Lu Jiuxu hadn't called him by his full name either, as that would seem too formal.
But Su Xingyao was certain Lu Jiuxu wouldn't easily call him Xing Yao or Su Su, like Lu Zhiyun did, given his reserved nature.
So when Lu Jiuxu casually called him "Teacher Su" after he returned from the variety show...
Though it surprised Su Xingyao to hear, it somehow felt perfectly fitting.
Even... better.
Actually, many people had called him Teacher Su these past few days.
But for some reason, when Lu Jiuxu called him that, it felt different from everyone else.
In the few seconds Su Xingyao was distracted, Lu Jiuxu had already walked up to him.
He was wearing a pair of silver-rimmed glasses.
He looked just as handsome as a few days ago, but with an added touch of refinement.
Noticing Su Xingyao's stare, Lu Jiuxu took off his glasses.
"I forgot to take them off after reading documents on the computer."
Realizing Lu Jiuxu was explaining, Su Xingyao felt a slight regret for not having more time to admire his new look.
But he couldn't help saying, "You look really good like this."
—"Boss, is your scale accurate?"
Just as Su Xingyao finished speaking, he heard a familiar voice.
Following the sound, he looked toward the large TV screen.
He realized the show playing was the edited broadcast of *Let's Travel Together*, which he had filmed days earlier.
Right then, the person in the center of the screen was, coincidentally, himself...
Coming home to see his own variety show playing on a huge TV...
Su Xingyao forgot everything else and couldn't help glancing at Lu Jiuxu.
A big question popped into his mind.
He wondered—would someone like Lu Jiuxu, a business tycoon, really watch such variety shows in his free time?
From what he remembered, Lu Jiuxu didn't seem to watch much of this kind of thing before.
As Su Xingyao thought this, Lu Jiuxu's attention turned to the screen, where Su Xingyao was testing the scale.
After watching, Lu Jiuxu turned back to Su Xingyao, his deep eyes amused. "Teacher Su is really impressive."
Su Xingyao, feeling shy, lowered his eyes and asked, "Were you watching this show?"
"Yes, I've been watching it."
Lu Jiuxu's casual tone made Su Xingyao feel like he was overreacting, so he joked, "I thought you spent your free time watching financial news and reading documents."
Lu Jiuxu chuckled. "Not too far off."
Then, his expression turned serious as he added, "But missing Teacher Su's debut would be a real loss."
A loss?
Su Xingyao looked up and met Lu Jiuxu's gaze, which was both amused and serious.
He didn’t see why this would be a bad deal.
After all, if you miss it, you can always catch it online or even watch the replay on TV...
When the idea of a "TV replay" crossed his mind, Su Xingyao checked his phone and glanced at the TV again.
"Is this a live broadcast?"
It was only 4 PM, and the show was supposed to air at 8 PM during prime time.
Lu Jiuxu's response was exactly what Su Xingyao had expected.
"I was watching the replay."
Su Xingyao's eyes widened a bit.
So, Lu Jiuxu had gone out of his way to watch the replay?
Just as Su Xingyao was wondering, Lu Jiuxu spoke in a gentle tone.
"I watched the live broadcast yesterday too."
He said it casually, but there was a hint of pride in his voice.
Su Xingyao was puzzled: "?"
"You watched the live broadcast and then went back to watch the replay?"
Seeing Su Xingyao's confusion, Lu Jiuxu couldn’t help but chuckle.
"I wanted to pick up some grocery shopping tips too."
Su Xingyao finally understood...
Lu Jiuxu looked at Su Xingyao and, under his skeptical gaze, casually offered a convincing reason.
"Auntie Zhang's gone home, so I need to learn."
"But since Teacher Su is back, would you mind giving me a live demonstration for tonight's dinner?"
Realizing that Lu Jiuxu, who was even more commanding than a typical CEO, was eager to try his hand at grocery shopping, Su Xingyao's eyes lit up with amusement.
Curious, he agreed right away.
"Of course, no problem!"
After they agreed, Su Xingyao decided to leave in ten minutes.
They didn’t leave right away because Su Xingyao wanted to take care of the banners he’d received recently.
Su Xingyao felt a little conflicted about the banners.
The banners themselves weren’t expensive, but the sentiments behind them were priceless.
He’d thought about hanging them up like everyone else.
But he thought it might come off as too showy.
Besides, it doesn't seem appropriate to display them in someone else's home...
Just as he was hesitating, Lu Jiuxu stepped in and solved the problem for him.
He went ahead and hung all the banners Su Xingyao received right in the center of the third-floor collection room.
Seeing his banners now sharing space with Lu Jiuxu's high-end collections, Su Xingyao always felt something was a bit off.
"Doesn't it seem a bit out of place?"
"No, it fits just fine."
With that, Lu Jiuxu pointed to the most noticeable spot in the living room as they headed downstairs.
"Actually, putting them on display would be nice too."
This immediately reminded Su Xingyao of the banner the Qing Shan City Cultural and Tourism Bureau had sent him.
He quickly waved his hand, refusing the idea.
The bold characters "Miraculous Hands Bringing Spring" were something he couldn't bring himself to display where guests would see them right away...
*
After sorting out the banners, Su Xingyao and Lu Jiuxu headed out to buy groceries.
But there wasn't a vegetable market nearby, just a big supermarket.
Neither of them was the type to stand on ceremony. Going to a vegetable market would mean a long detour, and neither Su Xingyao nor Lu Jiuxu was into that kind of hassle.
After parking, the two headed into the supermarket.
"While supermarkets are more organized than street vendors, there are still tricks to buying vegetables."
Su Xingyao grabbed a bag and waved it at Lu Jiuxu, "Some of these bags are pretty heavy."
Even though Su Xingyao figured Lu Jiuxu's interest in buying vegetables was just a friendly joke, he still took the time to share his tips during the shopping trip.
After discussing the bag issue, Su Xingyao pointed out the fish in the glass tanks in the fresh produce section.
"Fish tend to carry a lot of water when scooped out, but many supermarkets weigh them with the water still in the bag."
After this explanation, Lu Jiuxu took the chosen vegetables to be weighed.
The salesperson was eager to help, taking the vegetables out and removing the bag's weight before weighing them.
Another customer buying fish had the salesperson poke a hole in the bag to drain the water before weighing.
Seeing the salesperson's efficient handling, Lu Jiuxu leaned over and whispered to Su Xingyao, "Seems like this place is pretty honest."
Su Xingyao nodded with a smile, "No wonder they're doing so well."
Two people don't need a lot of food for one meal.
After Su Xingyao picked out three dishes to suit their tastes, they quickly headed back to the parking lot.
On their way back, they passed a square.
The square was lively, with crowds gathered everywhere, except for one spot that was a bit empty.
Su Xingyao glanced over and saw a group of about ten young people practicing skateboarding.
For a lot of people, skateboarding was the cool thing to do when they were kids.
Before life and his adoptive parents had overwhelmed him to the point of suffocation, Su Xingyao had also daydreamed about looking cool doing tricks on a skateboard.
Although those memories have now faded in color.
But those childhood dreams that never came true still spark a quick sense of longing and hope when you stumble upon them later in life.
When Lu Jiuxu stopped at a red light and habitually glanced at Su Xingyao, he caught the subtle emotions in Su Xingyao's eyes as he watched the lively skateboarders.
Twenty minutes later, they returned to the villa.
Su Xingyao went into the kitchen and started teaching Lu Jiuxu how to cook, hands-on.
To his surprise, Lu Jiuxu already knew the basics.
"Mr. Lu, you have some talent for cooking."
Lu Jiuxu smiled faintly, "I used to cook when I was a child."
Having an extra pair of hands made things go a lot faster.
Soon, Su Xingyao had prepared stir-fried green pepper with pork, vinegar-glazed cabbage, and pork rib and corn stew.
After getting back, Lu Jiuxu didn't keep watching the rerun of "Let's Travel Together." Instead, he casually flipped to a news channel.
Later, with the evening news host droning on in a serious tone, Su Xingyao had his first meal alone with Lu Jiuxu.
Even though he was loaded, Lu Jiuxu didn't have the usual rich people quirks.
After the meal, he quickly cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher.
Just as he finished stacking the plates, his phone suddenly rang.
Lu Jiuxu glanced at it but didn't answer immediately.
"Wait for me a few minutes."
After telling Su Xingyao, he hit the dishwasher's start button and headed for the front door.
Three minutes later, Su Xingyao saw Lu Jiuxu again, this time holding two shiny new skateboards and two sets of safety gear.
Lu Jiuxu looked at Su Xingyao and raised an eyebrow.
"Teacher Su, let's go out and play."