Chapter 24
The photoshoot began at sunset the following afternoon. Upon arriving at the location, Ming Huai was surprised to see Xu Zhuoyan there once more. He had been slightly drunk last night; they had chatted until ten before retiring to their respective rooms. Now, reflecting on it, he realized there were still some questions he ought to have asked.
This time, it was a solo cover feature for Ming Huai. The shooting process remained as rigorous and meticulous as this magazine always demanded. Although Ming Huai possessed an excellent sense of the camera and flawless features from every angle, they still kept calling for “one more take” repeatedly.
The shoot continued until 8:30 PM, moving from outdoors to indoors, though all scenes revolved around the same building.
Due to filming requirements, this small area had been cleared of bystanders early on. Ming Huai sat on a tall wooden stool, one foot planted firmly on the ground while the other leg bent slightly, resting on the crossbar. He held a glass in his hand; the soft lighting bathed him, lending his entire presence a gentle warmth.
As soon as the session ended, the first thing Ming Huai did was head to the restroom. Every drop of water in that glass earlier had been genuinely consumed. The photographer kept saying something felt off, prompting Ming Huai to drink three or four glasses of water while cycling through different poses and expressions.
After wrapping up, the crew had already arranged a place for dinner. Ming Huai tidied himself up slightly before heading there with everyone else, assigned to ride in a car alone. Earlier, he had noticed Xu Zhuoyan chatting with the photographer before both climbed into the same vehicle. Ming Huai guessed that Xu Zhuoyan’s so-called “business matters” were likely related to this magazine shoot—or perhaps there was no business at all.
That evening, the key figures gathered in the same private dining room. Ming Huai was seated beside Xu Zhuoyan. The table buzzed with lively exchanges, and everyone seemed to enjoy the meal—until someone suddenly brought up the relationship between Ming Huai and Xu Zhuoyan. The atmosphere instantly cooled, though another guest quickly smoothed things over, and no one mentioned the topic again.
On the day of their return journey, Ming Huai sent several photos to Ji Tingqian. They were taken inside an indoor hot spring: Ming Huai stood bare-chested in the pool, his hair slightly damp, his cheeks flushed from the steam, and his eyes veiled with a misty haze caused by the heat—an undeniably alluring sight.
Ming Huai typed swiftly on his phone, claiming these were pictures from the day’s photoshoot. Yet whether they were truly professional shots or something more private remained unclear; likewise, it was impossible to tell if his pose and expression had been intentional or spontaneous.
While waiting on standby, Ming Huai passed the time chatting with Ji Tingqian. Seeing Ji’s utterly serious reply after viewing the photos made Ming Huai chuckle, and whatever thoughts crossed his mind immediately showed on his face.
Seeing Ming Huai like this, Tang Lili asked from the side, “Brother Ming Huai, what’s got you so happy?”
“Huh?” Only then did Ming Huai realize he had been too obvious. He pressed his lips together with a smile and said, “It’s a secret.”
Tang Lili sighed dramatically, “Oh, Brother Ming Huai, you’ve changed. I’m going to tell Sister Lan.”
With that, she turned and walked laughing toward Mi Wei. Mi Wei was rummaging through Tang Lili’s backpack looking for wet wipes when suddenly a plane ticket slipped out. Before Tang Lili could reach them, Mi Wei picked it up, glanced at it, and realized it was Ming Huai’s ticket.
Slowly, Mi Wei’s brows furrowed, a hint of confusion clouding her eyes as she double-checked the airline ticket. It truly belonged to Ming Huai. Just then, Tang Lili approached her side. At first, Tang Lili couldn’t make out what had captured Mi Wei’s attention so completely and asked, “What are you looking at so intently?”
“This…” Mi Wei lifted her face, her expression marked by obvious bewilderment, and held the ticket out toward Tang Lili.
Tang Lili expected something significant, only to find it was merely Ming Huai’s ticket. She took it from Mi Wei, accepted the backpack, and tucked the ticket inside. Looking up, she noticed Mi Wei still wore that stunned expression and chuckled softly, “What’s gotten into you?”
Mi Wei’s lips trembled slightly. Helpless against the surge of curiosity typical for a girl her age, she glanced sideways at Ming Huai, who stood nearby wearing a baseball cap and scrolling through his phone. In a hushed voice, she asked, “Sister Lili, does Brother Ming Huai’s surname happen to be Ji?”
“Hmm, what’s wrong?” Tang Lili had been surprised when she first found out, but upon second thought, it wasn’t a big deal. Ming Huai had simply dropped his surname; plenty of people in the entertainment industry change their names after debuting. You can’t expect someone named Li Fugui to keep that name forever, can you?
Mi Wei shook her head and said, “Nothing, I’m just a bit surprised.”
Tang Lili didn’t think much of it. Smiling, she picked up her bag, walked over to Ming Huai, and handed him a bottle of water from inside.
When they landed, it was still just past six in the afternoon back home. Ming Huai asked Yu Bin to drive him straight to his house, then sent a WeChat red packet to each of his assistants, explaining that he was heading home to spend time with his child and wouldn’t be joining them for dinner.
In fact, Auntie Chen had prepared everything long in advance. When Ming Huai was in Country R, he had casually mentioned craving hot pot, and Auntie Chen had remembered it. The hot pot base was her own creation, stir-fried from scratch using her exclusive recipe, and it was incredibly delicious.
Since Dudu was still too young to handle spicy food, the other side of the pot was a clear broth. The striking contrast between the red and white broths was visually appealing. Naturally, Ming Huai focused on the spicy side, but it wasn’t long before Auntie Chen scolded him.
Auntie Chen added some lettuce and Chinese cabbage into the clear broth, saying, “Don’t eat too much spicy food; have some vegetables from the clear broth as well.”
“Alright, alright,” Ming Huai agreed verbally, only to immediately drop several portions of shrimp paste into the spicy pot. Then, using a slotted spoon, he fished out some thinly sliced beef rolls from the clear broth for Dudu, followed by some freshly cooked lamb slices for Auntie Chen. As he served them, he said, “You should eat too, Auntie. Dudu can use a spoon and chopsticks now, so there’s no need to worry about him.”
“Yes!” Dudu’s cheeks puffed out as he gripped his chopsticks with his chubby little hands. “Grandma Chen, eat more!”
With that, he actually climbed up from his chair, attempting to mimic Ming Huai by serving food to the two adults at the table. This startled Auntie Chen, who quickly scooped him back down. Her smile couldn’t have been any wider as she spoke with affectionate exasperation, “Oh, you little rascal, don’t go climbing around like that. Grandma Chen knows you’re a good boy. Thank you.”
As they continued eating, Ming Huai suddenly remembered something. He pressed his lips together before finally speaking up. “Auntie Chen, in a few days, I’d like to invite a friend over for dinner. It might be a bit of trouble for you to prepare a few dishes he likes.”
“No trouble at all, no trouble at all,” Auntie Chen replied casually. “Just let me know when the time comes.”
At that moment, Dudu, standing nearby, suddenly spoke up, asking innocently, “Dad, is it Uncle Ji?”
“Uncle Ji?!” Auntie Chen’s face registered a hint of surprise. She turned her questioning gaze toward Ming Huai. “Do you mean Mr. Ji?”
Ming Huai nodded stiffly, forcing himself to reply, “Yes.”