Tiny Genius Alert! Mom & Dad Better Make Peace-Chapter 531 - 491: Bamboo, Your Liangsheng Finale (Middle Part): Cold Gaze 1
"Why would I feel embarrassed? You’re my mom, I’ll always be a baby who needs to be taken care of in front of you..."
"Baby?" Xinyun couldn’t help but laugh, grabbing an apple and tossing it to Jian Liangtong, "Have an apple, baby."
Jian Liangtong awkwardly caught the apple, pouted, and leaned on Jian Ningfeng’s shoulder to take a bite.
"Why did you suddenly think of coming back?" Jian Ningfeng looked at Jian Liangtong affectionately.
Jian Liangtong looked up at Jian Ningfeng, swallowed the apple in her mouth, and said, "I missed you guys, so I came back."
"Your mom and I were also planning to go to S City to visit you and Hao Hao these past few days, but it seems you came back just in time." Jian Ningfeng said.
"Hehe, that’s what we call being on the same wavelength." Jian Liangtong said with a cheeky smile.
Jian Ningfeng also smiled, clearly delighted that Jian Liangtong came back with Hao Hao.
"How long do you plan to stay this time with Hao Hao?" Xinyun asked Jian Liangtong.
"A week at most, or three to five days at least," Jian Liangtong said.
Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng exchanged a look and both fell silent.
Jian Liangtong continued to nibble on the apple, though if you looked closely, you’d notice her movements gradually slowed.
"Let’s go."
Xinyun suddenly stood up from the sofa.
Jian Liangtong was startled and looked at her, "Where to?"
Xinyun looked lovingly at Hao Hao, "Going to the supermarket with your dad, buying a chicken, and a fish. Hao Hao’s body is too weak and thin, just skin and bones. While you’re home, I’ll make something nutritious for Hao Hao to nourish him."
"Grandma, Hao Hao is strong." Jian Chenghao said earnestly.
Xinyun smiled, but there was a hint of sadness, and she lovingly patted Hao Hao’s little head, "Grandma knows our Hao Hao is strong, but Hao Hao is too skinny. Grandma hopes Hao Hao can get a bit chubby; it’s better to be chubby."
"If Grandma hopes Hao Hao gets chubby, then Hao Hao will eat more and grow chubby." Hao Hao’s innocent words filled Xinyun’s heart with love and tenderness, and she bent down to kiss his forehead.
Looking at Xinyun, Jian Liangtong felt a heavy weight in her heart, like a huge stone pressing down, making it hard to breathe.
She knew that ever since Hao Hao was born, Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng had to worry about both her and Hao Hao.
Hao Hao was frail and sickly since childhood and only recently started getting better.
In the first two years of his life, Hao Hao almost spent all his time ill, never without medicine.
And her situation wasn’t any better. It was hard for her to manage caring for Hao Hao alone.
At that time, Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng, concerned about her and Hao Hao, took turns taking extended leaves to go to S City to care for them.
But Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng both had formal jobs, and taking frequent extended leaves could cause dissatisfaction among colleagues and supervisors.
In fact, both Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng had subtly been advised to resign by their respective supervisors.
But at that time, Jian Liangtong didn’t have a job.
The housing prices in S City were exorbitant.
Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng made the down payment, but still had to make monthly mortgage payments.
On top of Jian Liangtong and Hao Hao’s living expenses, medical fees, etc., it was undoubtedly a significant burden for Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng.
In other words, at that time, they couldn’t afford to lose their jobs!
Recalling that period, it seemed like every corner of life was filled with heartache and gloom.
Their family felt like it was cursed, with nothing going smoothly.
To avoid losing their livelihood.
Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng had no choice but to turn to Jin Ju, who was also struggling, hoping she could help look after Jian Liangtong.
Jin Ju had always considered Jian Liangtong as her best friend and closest family, so how could she refuse Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng’s request?
Moreover, even if Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng hadn’t asked, she couldn’t possibly ignore Jian Liangtong and Hao Hao.
So, Jin Ju moved into Jian Liangtong’s apartment with her twins.
She worked during the day and took care of the "four" ’children’ at home at night.
Back then, Jin Ju was so exhausted she could practically sleep for a week straight once she hit the bed.
Perhaps seeing a friend’s hardship, or understanding her parents’ struggles.
Jian Liangtong started cooperating with the doctors for treatment and gradually could help with caring for the children, lightening Jin Ju’s load.
In the long-standing darkness of their family atmosphere, there seemed to be a turn for the better.
Jian Liangtong began living life like a normal person, working, bringing the greatest joy and relief to Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng.
Jian Liangtong often couldn’t help but wonder.
If she weren’t Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng’s daughter, would their life be a little less difficult?
If... one day she’s gone, would they finally be freed?
She always thought like that.
During the first two years, she thought about this more than anything else every day.
And now, she’s scared to think!
She’s afraid that once she starts thinking, everything will go back to square one!
After dinner, Jian Liangtong wanted to help Xinyun clean up, but Xinyun shooed her to the living room with disdain.
Feeling both happy and a little guilty, Jian Liangtong thought that at nearly twenty-five, she still couldn’t do anything, and a big part of it had to do with not being allowed to do any chores at home.
Sitting in the living room for a while, she saw Jian Ningfeng intently teaching Hao Hao to play chess, and feeling a little bored, she went into her room, opened her laptop, and checked the day’s entertainment news.
After skimming through it, she found there wasn’t any major news, so she logged into her company’s group chat on WeChat to read the messages.
"I heard that the famous screenwriter and director Chen Zhenglin is going to start shooting again after his last billion-dollar blockbuster."
"It’s not just hearsay. According to insiders, Director Chen is already secretly casting."
"The male lead in Director Chen’s last movie was a big star. Will this one be a big star too?"
"No need to guess. Director Chen’s male lead has already been decided."
"Who?"
"Do you know?"
"Decided so quickly? Is it that mysterious?"
"Hurry up and tell us who it is, I’m dying to know!"
"Is it someone from our company?"
"..."
This immediately sparked heated discussions and speculation in the WeChat group.
Almost every big name in the industry was guessed!
Jian Liangtong just watched without joining the discussion.
The WeChat group was abuzz for half an hour.
The person who leaked the information finally revealed the answer dreamily, "Of course, it’s Huo Tianwang! Director Chen has mentioned in many interviews his desire to work with Huo Tianwang. This time, the male lead in his movie is specially tailored for Huo Tianwang."
"Actually, I guessed it early on. But Huo Tianwang has become increasingly selective with his roles in recent years. He only does one film a year, though he endorses many ads. It seems like he’s deliberately fading out, appearing less and less in the public eye."
"Yeah, to be honest, I’m also a fan of Huo Tianwang. As a die-hard fan like me, I constantly worry that one day Huo Tianwang will suddenly disappear from the entertainment industry altogether."
"Rumors have it. The reason for Huo Tianwang’s strange behavior over the years is because of..."
"Because of what?"
"What is it?"
"Because of a woman!"
"..."
The group then had an intense discussion about this "woman."
Jian Liangtong watched the rapidly scrolling messages in the chat box, her fingers gripping the mouse so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"It’s said that four years ago, this woman was very close with Huo Tianwang. Huo Tianwang appeared with this woman more than once on the front page of entertainment news. As a die-hard fan of Huo Tianwang, I was heartbroken for a while because I felt Huo Tianwang was serious, and they might get married soon."
"Do you guys remember what that woman looked like?"
"Google it!"
"I just Googled, nothing."
"..."
"I remember the woman was very beautiful, though rumored to have had some work done."
"Let’s not talk about this. Back to the main topic. Since it’s confirmed that Huo Tianwang will play the leading male role in Director Chen’s movie, what about the female lead? Is there any news about whom Director Chen favors?"
"Director Chen intends to cast a newcomer as the female lead."
"What? Getting Huo Tianwang to act with a newcomer, is that reliable?"
"I also find it dubious."
"Impossible, right?"
"Who knows, let’s wait and see."
"..."
The conversation stalled at that message with no one responding for quite a while.
Jian Liangtong took a deep breath, her clear almond-shaped eyes fixed on the last message in the chat box.
She finally noticed that the speaker was none other than Wendy.
Wendy rarely spoke in the group.
Whenever she did, there would be an eerie silence in the group for several minutes. "Sister Wendy, did you get some insider information?" Someone couldn’t resist their curiosity and bravely opened their mouth.
However, Wendy did not reply.
A few more minutes passed.
Someone anonymously sent a message, "Sister Wendy has just signed a few new talents. Among them, there are two female artists with great potential. Could it be that Director Chen has already contacted Sister Wendy to use the newcomers she represents?"
Wendy still didn’t respond.
But others began to discuss it.
Jian Liangtong watched them discuss for a while, then closed the WeChat messages and logged out.
As for this news, Jian Liangtong merely noticed it and didn’t take it to heart.
She just didn’t expect that this movie would have a significant impact on her life.
On the third day back in Z City, Jian Liangtong treated He Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng to dinner at Yu Xiangju.
The cost per person at Yu Xiangju was very high, and He Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng initially refused to go, thinking it was too expensive.
Although they eventually gave in to Jian Liangtong’s insistence, He Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng only ordered two dishes that Jian Liangtong and Hao Hao liked, plus two of the cheapest vegetable dishes.
Jian Liangtong didn’t say anything when they ordered.
Only after He Xinyun handed the menu to the waiter and the waiter left, Jian Liangtong excused herself to the bathroom, found the front desk, and added two dishes that He Xinyun and Jian Ningfeng liked.
After ordering, Jian Liangtong went to the bathroom to kill time.
Bathroom.
Jian Liangtong came out of the restroom cubicle and was standing at the sink, turning on the faucet to wash her hands.
Suddenly, her arm was grabbed abruptly from behind and pulled back forcefully.
