The corner of Qiao Moyu's lips twitched. She was about to go when Ye Peicheng spoke up, "There's a public washroom over there. I can take him."
Without waiting for Qiao Moyu to reply, he strode over.
"Baobei, uncle will take you." Ye Peicheng bent down and picked Luo Luo up up before walking away quickly.
Qiao Moyu fell silent. Why does she have the impression that Ye Peicheng was going to steal her son away?
On the other end, Ye Peicheng brought Luo Luo over to the restroom. When the little boy finished peeing, he bent down to help the toddler wipe up and put on his pants, after which his gaze fell on the toddler's cloth shoes. Ye Peicheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Qiao Moyu was quite professional in fooling others. The outfit she prepared for this boy was good enough to be on a historical drama!
He asked Luo Luo, "Baobei, where did your master find you? Where are your parents?"
Luo Luo felt that this uncle in front of him was a very good person, especially since he helped to beat up those bad guys at the mall in the past. However, his mother instructed him not to speak carelessly while wearing this outfit, so he simply stared at Ye Peicheng with rounded eyes and gritted his teeth.
Not a sound escaped.
Seeing this gesture, Ye Peicheng understood right away. "Little boy, does you master not allow you to speak? If so, Baobei can just nod and it won't count as speaking."
Luo Luo's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing that.
The corner of Ye Peicheng's lips curled up as he asked, "Do you usually live with your master?"
Luo Luo nodded obediently.
Ye Pecheng then asked, "Where are your parents?"
After thinking about it, the boy shook his had. He didn't know who his father was. His mom was his master, but she wore those clothes right now, so his mom is gone. Only his master remained.
Ye Peicheng had no idea what the little rascal was thinking at all. Seeing Luo Luo shake his head in reply, he suddenly felt his heart ache. Such a young child without parents? It appears that this child was adopted by Qiao Moyu.
He then asked, "How does your master treat you?"
Luo Luo Ma nodded, his big eyes filled with a happy light.
Seeing this, Ye Peicheng was completely relieved. Although Qiao Moyu shouldn't have brought such a young child out to spread old superstitions, she didn't ask for any compensation for her services. Furthermore, the only reason she could have brought a child with her was because she was short on money.
Perhaps the reason why she said she wasn't lacking in money just a moment ago was due to her pride.
As he carried Luo Luo through the alley, a leaf landed on his hair. The little toddler reached out for it, but the leaf slipped through his fingertips.
He stretched out his arm again, but the branch was too high for him to reach.
As he looked at the boy in his arms, Ye Peicheng somehow recalled a son of a friend of his who really enjoyed sitting on his dad's shoulders. Ye Peicheng would chuckle every time his friend had to put the boy back on his chair.
He looked up at Luo Luo and asked: "Baobei, would you like to pick some leaves?"
Luo Luo reached upwards, his eyes full of desire, but the object was out of reach. Since he never asked anything from strangers, he remained quiet, but his gaze lingered silently at the leaves above his head. The mottled sunlight sprinkled on his hands.
Clearly, the boy wanted it, but he wouldn't easily voice out his wants. Ye Peicheng suddenly felt as if his heart was squeezed, little a feeling of sour pain.
He lifted the boy over his head and placed him on his shoulders. In that moment, the little boy noticed that he could reach the leaf above his head with just the stretch of his hands.
Luo Luo had never experienced such a strange feeling before. For a moment, he forgot that Qiao Moyu admonished him to be careful while at work. The boy laughted brightly.
He reached out his hand to pluck a leaf, and said joyfully, "Uncle, I've found a leaf!"
"So your name is Luo Luo." Although Ye Peicheng couldn't see the expression on Luo Luo's face, he could still imagine the toddler's smiling eyes.
Immersed in his emotions, his voice carried a hint of a smile: "Do you like being up this high?"
"I like it!" The little guy clapped excitedly. "Luo Luo has never been this tall! "I really like it!"
While Qiao Moyu began to trouble over the fact that the two of them have not yet returned, she suddenly saw this scene before her:
Luo Luo sat on Ye Peicheng shoulder while dancing joyfully. Ye Peicheng feared that he might fall off, so he used one hand to hold the boy's waist while the other hand held his tiny calf. Both of them were laughing as the sunlight fell upon them. Although the man wore a long-sleeve shirt and pants and the boy wore a green Taoist robe, there was a kind of strange harmony between them.
By the time Ye Peicheng stood in front of her with Luo Luo, the little toddler on his shoulder happily raised the leaf in his hand and said: "Mom– Master. Uncle is carrying me!"
For a moment, Qiao Mo Yu was lost in thought. She suddenly felt that no matter how good she was to Luo Luo, she might not be able to take the place of his father in this child's heart.
Especially since Luo Luo was a boy. If he had a father, perhaps both father and son will have these kinds of moments together; playing video games, playing basketball as the boy grows taller, or watching soccer together.
It seems that she must quickly find a way to investigate the events that occurred that year!
"Luo Luo is so powerful! You're tall, even taller than us!" Qiao Moyu praised. She turned her gaze to Ye Peicheng and said seriously, "Film Emperor Ye, thank you. It's rare for him to be this happy."
Ye Peicheng could see the complicated look in her eyes, even through her thick makeup and Taoist robes. It was as if they were on set together.
He said, "If you have any difficulties, you can tell me."
Qiao Mo Yu understood what he meant and nodded. "Alright."
Ye Peicheng played with Luo Luo for a while longer until the boy was satisfied. He then placed him down and said, "I'll send you home."
Qiao Mo Yu's apartment was not too far away. After about 20 minutes, Ye Peicheng stopped his car at the entrance of the district.
Qiao Moyu carried Luo Luo and got out of the car. She thanked the man and was about to bid farewell when Luo Luo showed his reluctance. He looked up at Ye Peicheng eagerly and asked, "Uncle, will Luo Luo see you again?"
Ye Pecheng's heartbeat slowed down as he replied, "Yes, I will."
The little guy's eyes curved into a smile. He stretched out his hand and asked, "Uncle, pinky promise?"
Ye Peicheng stretched out his fingers and hooked Luo Luo's pinky. The soft touch made him feel a little absent-minded. After letting go, he watched as the pair entered the taxi and drove away. The sensation of the boy's soft touch continued to linger on his finger.
… ….
Over the next few days, Qiao Mo Yu would leave to the studio early and return home late.
'Sheng Shi' was finally going to broadcast its final episode today. Due to the successful online sales, the director led the entire film crew for a roadside performance at Tianheng Plaza in order to express his gratitude. This was to be considered their final celebration.
That day, Qiao Moyu, who just finished filming for 'First Light of Dawn,' rushed over to this designated location. By the time she and Ye Peicheng arrived at Tianheng Plaza, the rest of the crew was already present.
Since they were performing at a road show that evening, the actors wore their drama costumes. Thus, Qiao Moyu also changed into a plain long dress.
When she walked out of the public dressing room, she ran in Xing Wanshuang who just recently came out of a private dressing room.
Xing Wanshuang wore a long, red dress while holding a long sword. Her black hair contrasted with her vibrantly red lips, creating a heroic beauty. Noticing Qiao Moyu, her lips curled to a sneer. Then she turned around and left.
There were only seven to eight minutes left before the roadshow. Qiao Moyu didn't go backstage right away. Instead, she stood alone under the light.
She was waiting for a call.
Two days ago, her manager, Sister Wu, had been contacting a program called "I'm not just an Actor" to register Qiao Moyu as a guest.
She already knew about this program from reading about it on the novel. This was the kind of show where everything was recorded only once and the videos recorded will be broadcasted. There was a follow up shoot, as well as post editing involved.
(T/N: I guess in a way, there's less scripted scenes and more natural interactions)
Although this is the first time the program adopts such a method, it will become more and more popular later on. This will be very helpful to actors in promoting their popularity.
Qiao Moyu wants to increase her visibility as soon as possible, and this would be a good springboard.
Just when five minutes was left before the show, her phone finally rang.
Upon seeing Sister Wu's number, she immediately answered, "Sister Wu, how was it?"
"It was a success," Sister Wu replied in slight annoyance. I just confirmed it with the program team's directory. That's the report, but–"
The manager seemed to want to say more, but was hesitant. Qiao Moyu couldn't help but feel puzzled. "But what?"
"I think there's also another female guest attending named Qiao Ruohuan." Sister Wu knew of Qiao Moyu's awkward relationship with this woman. She continued, "Moreover, I heard that this program will be inviting two mystery male guests, although the list has yet to be confirmed. However, after seeing Qiao Ruohuan's name, I can roughly guess that one of them should be Xing Yichen."
Qiao Moyu took a deep breath. Why was it different from what was mentioned in the book?
However, no matter who the other party was, she will definitely participate!
"Sis Wu, it's alright, I will be careful." Qiao Moyu said.
Sis Wu agreed, "Alright, tomorrow morning, there will be a team announcement from the program."
After hanging up, Qiao Moyu's lips curved into a smile. She will definitely succeed and help the original owner fulfill her wish. She will also raise Luo Luo and not lose him. Qiao Moyu plans to create her own world within this foreign world!
At this moment, Ye Peicheng's cell phone rang in another private dressing room.
He pressed the button and answered, "Hello."
"Peicheng, I am Jiang Zian! Remember when I contacted your agent a few days ago?" The middle-aged man's voice sounded through the phone. "For the first episode of 'I'm Not just an Actor' can you be one of the mystery male guests? It won't take up too much of your time…"
Ye Peicheng frowned slightly. "I've never participated in entertainment programs before."
"This isn't an entertainment program either, because the theme of the first episode is charity …" Jiang Zian said, "I don't know if your agent has explained it to you yet, but the time for this shoot doesn't conflict with your 'Light Before Dawn'."
Hearing the word 'charity', Ye Peicheng couldn't help but recall the scene where he asked Qiao Moyu in the alley that day if she thought she was doing charity work by not charging those clients.
He recalled the bright sunlight that day and those pleasant feelings.
He asked, "Which guests are attending?"
"Currently, the female guests are Qiao Ruohuan, Qin Qian, and Qiao Moyu. The male guests are Zhou Yunchuan and Wang Kunming. We're still deciding whether the last female guest to attend will either be Xing Wanshuang or Zhu Yun, since we're still awaiting their manager's response. The other mystery male guest was confirmed to be Xing Yichen. Peicheng, there will be a large number of guests this time. If you are willing to join, we will be very excited!"
Ye Peicheng gently caressed his phone with his fingers. He slowly walked out of the dressing room and raised his eyes, upon which he noticed Qiao Moyu under the light.
She was wearing a plain long skirt and stood quietly in the deserted corridor. Her beautiful face was covered by a layer of a pure and bright glow. It was as if the whole world had quieted down because of her presence.
Ye Peicheng anwered indifferently, "Alright, I will participate."