Chapter 20 – Dad, I miss you so much

Translator: ChuRen/ YuQiChen

The child who left Longfeng Entertainment was currently huffing and puffing as he climbed the mountain.

After getting off the plane, he messaged the SAP group chat, then immediately took a bus to Xi City, Wu County.

After the bus stopped, he still had to walk a stretch of mountain road to reach home.

Fortunately, the road had been well maintained over the past few years, so even though it was a long distance, it was quite smooth.

Yan Shu dragged his only suitcase up the winding path.

His home was halfway up the mountain, with a small courtyard containing a two-story house with a sloping roof made of blue tiles and white walls.

Most of the buildings in Xicheng were centered around “one-in” courtyards, with flexible layouts and diverse styles. Yan Shu’s home was of medium size.

The buildings on the mountain were widely spaced, with most residences at the foot of the mountain. Therefore, there were hardly any people around his house, and the nearest neighbor was at least half an hour away by mountain.

Yan Shu really liked this peaceful place. The courtyard he used to live in at Dayun wasn’t that big either, but his current small house made him feel warm and cozy.

As the sun set in the west, smoke rose from the chimneys.

Someone at home was already cooking.

Yan Shu suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia, a feeling from the original owner.

Entering the courtyard, the wheels of his suitcase collided with the stones on the ground, making a sharp noise.

The old lady sitting in the main room, arranging the tableware on the table, turned her head to look outside.

A smile suddenly bloomed on her wrinkled face.

“Is Shu-er back? Is it Shu-er?” She seemed uncertain, asking again after saying it.

Yan Shu nodded heavily, took a few steps forward, and held the old woman who was about to rush out, afraid she might fall.

“Grandma, it’s me, your grandson is back.” Yan Shu’s clear voice sounded as he gently held the old woman’s somewhat dry hand.

“Oh, it’s good to be home! How long has it been since you last came back? Grandma has missed you so much!” Zhou Huaixiu excitedly patted her grandson’s hand, her expression full of delight.

She then shouted into the house, “A-Jin! A-Lan! Come out and see who’s back!”

Yan Jin and Zhou Lan heard the call from outside the house and hurriedly came out while carrying dishes.

“Oh my! Isn’t this my eldest nephew? Come in and let me have a look? Oh dear! You’ve lost weight, haven’t eaten well outside, have you? It just so happens that your dad and I made braised pork and rib soup today. Let’s have a good meal together!”

Zhou Lan placed the dishes on the table and smiled as he hugged Yan Shu.

According to the original owner’s memories, this uncle was once an abandoned baby who was later picked up by Zhou Huaixiu. At that time, her own son was already five years old, and Zhou Huaixiu gave the baby a name, using her own surname, naming him Zhou Lan.

She treated Zhou Lan as her own son, adding another child to the family. Her own son also treated Zhou Lan like a younger brother.

In this way, Zhou Huaixiu single-handedly raised the two children. Even though Zhou Lan later learned about his origins, he did not separate from his elder brother and foster mother, maintaining the same closeness as before.

“Uncle Lan, long time no see,” Yan Shu politely responded.

Zhou Lan patted his nephew’s shoulder, “Don’t just call me, go and say hello to your dad as well. These past three years, your dad has missed you a lot. You never came back once, and he’s been silently worried about you.”

Moving aside, Zhou Lan turned back to the kitchen to continue cooking another dish.

At this moment, in the main room, the father and son were only separated by a wooden table, their gazes meeting, the long-suppressed longing bursting forth.

Yan Shu’s pupils contracted, and upon seeing the person in front of him, he could hardly believe his eyes.

Although the temperament and attire were different from his memories, this face was about 80% similar.

“Da-dad…” Yan Shu choked out, feeling a bit dazed, his eyes getting moist.

Is it you, dad? Have you come from Dayun to see me?

Although he knew it wasn’t the same person, his father who was far away in Dayun was long gone, but Yan Shu couldn’t control himself.

He rushed over and embraced the man in front of him, burying his head tightly in the man’s shoulder, the sincere words slipping out, “I miss you so much.”

In an instant, a hand lifted, gently stroking the back of Yan Shu’s head.

But the spoken words weren’t gentle, “Only after suffering outside do you run back home. You stubborn brat.”

Yan Shu looked up, his eyes still red, and hesitated, “…”

It was unbelievable, the way he spoke was so familiar, the tone of voice scolding him felt the same.

It had been many years since he heard his dad scold him. Yan Shu happily threw himself into the man’s arms again, rubbing his head against him.

Yan Jin: “?”

Was this still his stubborn son? He had never been affectionate with him before, and now he had learned to be coquettish?

It must have been really tough being bullied outside, right?

The harsh reality and indifferent society can really grind rebellious kids down.

Look, all the edges have been smoothed out.

“Here, eat more.”

At the dining table, Zhou Lan and Yan Jin took turns serving food into Yan Shu’s bowl.

Yan Shu happily ate, enjoying the delicious taste of typical rural dishes.

Yan Jin: “When you hugged me earlier, did you call me ‘Dad’?”

He actually heard it, but wanted to confirm again.

After all, his son had never addressed him like this before.

“Well… yes.” Yan Shu felt a bit embarrassed. He couldn’t tell him that in that moment, he thought he saw his deceased dad from Dayun.

“Oh wow, you never called him ‘Daddy¹Baba 爸爸‘ before, and you just went straight to calling me ‘Dad’?” Zhou Lan chuckled on the side, thinking that his nephew had changed quite a bit after going out for a trip.

“It’s fine to call me ‘dad’, I am indeed Shu-er’s dad.” Yan Jin took a mouthful of rice, feeling so happy that it was about to overflow from his heart.

“Why not call him ‘dad²baba爸爸‘? You’ve never called him ‘Father³ba爸‘ in front of others either.” Zhou Lan felt the atmosphere was good and wanted to promote their father-son relationship a bit.

“Yes, I can call him that now.” Yan Shu put down his chopsticks obediently and said, “Dad⁴爸爸 baba.”

At the dining table, besides Yan Jin and Zhou Lan, even the old lady who had been silently watching was a bit surprised.

Their Shu-er had always been stubborn since he was young. His character became even more rebellious in his teenage years. When did he become so obedient?

One day, he suddenly said he didn’t want to go to school, wanting to work in Jing City instead.

The subsequent experience led to him being noticed by the Longfeng Entertainment manager, who signed Yan Shu as a trainee and then debuted him as a member of a boy band.

Yan Shu sent money home every six months, but Zhou Huaixiu felt it was unnecessary and wanted Yan Shu to use the money to buy something nice for himself. However, Yan Shu started being stubborn again, not listening, and they had no choice.

So, they ended up saving all the money Yan Shu sent, considering it as something saved for Yan Shu’s future.

Yan Jin used to be very against Yan Shu going to Jing City, but later he became more relaxed about it.

Let Yan Shu go out and explore. Rebellious teenagers will learn the hard way when they get hurt outside and realize the pain, then they’ll know to come home.

After dinner, Zhou Lan pulled Yan Shu aside to chat again.

He said seriously, “Regarding the things that have happened these days, besides your grandmother, your dad and I… we all know.”

Yan Shu widened his eyes, instantly understanding what Zhou Lan was talking about.

Zhou Lan ruffled Yan Shu’s hair, causing that stubborn strand to stand up again, “Kid, do you think your dad and uncle never go online at all?”

Yan Shu lowered his head, feeling a bit unsure.

“Let me tell you a secret, your dad is on Weibo, he has been following you all along. He saves all your singing and dancing videos. He even gets into arguments with those who criticize you. It’s just that he’s slow at typing due to his age. When someone says ten things, he can only reply with one… Don’t tell your dad about this, he doesn’t want me to say it, hahaha.”

Zhou Lan whispered softly in Yan Shu’s ear.

Yan Shu felt very touched after hearing this. In just one meal together, he understood that Yan Jin was also someone who didn’t easily express his love, keeping all that tenderness hidden in his heart.

In other words, his dad already knew he was coming back today.

No wonder when he saw him, he didn’t show any particular surprise and even prepared a table full of delicious dishes in advance.

Clearly, it was a meal specially made for Yan Shu returning to his hometown.

“Mom, big brother, spend time with Yan Shu tonight. I’ll head over first.”

After finishing up in the kitchen, Zhou Lan bid farewell to his family and left the courtyard.

Yan Shu came out of the bathroom and didn’t see Zhou Lan. He asked, “Grandma, where is Uncle Lan going so late? Doesn’t he stay at home?”

Zhou Huaixiu patiently explained, “Your dad and your uncle have spent the past two years building a homestay. They handled everything inside and out of the house themselves. It’s starting to make a profit now. Although there isn’t much business at the beginning, occasionally there are guests staying overnight on the mountain to catch the sunrise.”

“Your uncle often goes there to take care of things. It’s located near the top of the mountain, not far from our home. Tomorrow, I’ll take you up there to have a look.” Yan Jin walked over and continued to explain to his son.

Families like theirs, blessed with natural resources, were unwilling to leave their native land. They preferred to create a business in their hometown, promoting the area while being self-sufficient. This was something Yan Jin had wanted to do for a long time, and now it was finally starting to take off.

In the end, his son left the entertainment industry as well. Yan Jin had to let Yan Shu know that their family was not impoverished mountain folk. Even if they didn’t engage in the laborious work of being an artist, returning to their hometown would never lead to starvation. They could also use their own resources to help revitalise their hometown.

Yan Shu’s eyes were filled with admiration.

According to the original owner’s memories, he knew that Yan Jin was interested in architectural design and was skilled in some carpentry work. But he didn’t expect him and Uncle Lan to be so talented, building a homestay themselves and even knowing how to market it effectively.

Indeed, becoming wealthy with one’s own hardworking hands was one of the most fulfilling and happy things.

“You’ve had a tiring journey today, so rest early,” Yan Jin said dryly before heading back to his room.

Yan Shu could tell that his father hadn’t completely adapted to being around him in his current state. The original host had never been willing to call him “Dad”.

Since he was destined to never return to his original world, he would live here well, be a good son, a good grandson, fulfill his filial duties for the original owner, and also rediscover the beautiful memories of being with loved ones.

The news of Yan Shu leaving the entertainment industry only caused a stir online for three days. New hot topics quickly pushed the old ones down.

The enthusiasm of netizens for gossip also had its limits. After three days, it seemed like Yan Shu had never existed in this circle.

This was the cruel aspect of the entertainment industry.

However, some people didn’t want this matter to simply pass by unnoticed.

“Young Master, I’ve already found out Jia Chong’s whereabouts for you. He will be discussing business at the Golden Emperor Club tonight, and the potential cooperating party is Zongyu Media.”

At the end of filming, Wei Tingxiao, dressed in Republic of China attire, held the bouquet sent by the crew and answered on his Bluetooth earpiece, “Understood, book me a table in the adjacent room for them, and inform Zongyu Media as well. I intend to invest in their company, with the condition that…”

“They must refuse any and all cooperation with the Jia Group.”

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