"It went quite smoothly."
Xu Qingqing heard Liang Mengsong bring up the topic of shooting variety shows, the very thing she didn't want to talk about.
Xu Qingqing recalled the director's pestering this morning, and the smile on her face faded.
Liang Mengsong thought she had found a good topic. Chatting with Xu Qingqing about raising children surely wouldn't go wrong.
Liang Mengsong flipped her hair and said with a smile, "Can you introduce a show for my daughter, Liang Qiutong? She's quite willing to perform on stage. I think it'd be great for her to develop in the entertainment industry."
"Ah?"
Hearing this, Xu Qingqing looked at Liang Mengsong in disbelief.
Liang Mengsong was the first person to ask her to help introduce a way into the entertainment industry.
Their family wasn't short of money. Why would she send her child into the cut - throat world of the entertainment industry?
If it weren't for Xu Yiyi really loving acting, she would never have sent Xu Yiyi into the entertainment industry!
"Xu Yiyi's agent takes care of all the job arrangements. I don't know much about this and have no connections in the entertainment industry."
Hearing Xu Qingqing's euphemistic words, Liang Mengsong still wasn't quite willing to give up.
Liang Mengsong continued to press, "Is Xu Yiyi's agent still accepting new artists?"
"No."
Xu Qingqing avoided Liang Mengsong's gaze. Seeing the two kids bouncing out of the kindergarten, she felt like a prisoner being released.
Xu Qingqing let out a sigh of relief and waved cheerfully, "Baby, Mom's here!"
"I have to take the kids home. Let's stop chatting today."
Xu Qingqing politely bid farewell to Liang Mengsong and then quickly slipped away.
Xu Yiyi and Xu An'an were overjoyed to see Xu Qingqing come back so early. They threw themselves into Xu Qingqing's arms.
"Mom, you came back so early this time! I thought you'd be gone for a few more days."
"Mom misses you too." Xu Qingqing took the schoolbags of Xu Yiyi and Xu An'an and held them in her hand.
Xu An'an clung to Xu Qingqing's neck like a sloth, smelling of the strawberry - scented children's cream, sweet and fragrant.
"Mom, I miss you too!"
The mother and two children happily walked towards the car. After Liang Mengsong picked up her daughter, Liang Qiutong, she dragged Liang Qiutong and quickly chased after Xu Qingqing, wanting to talk more about entering the entertainment industry.
Liang Qiutong stumbled through the crowd of adults, her tiny body dodging the adults' legs.
"Dad, slow down. I can't walk anymore!"
Even though Liang Qiutong pleaded with Liang Mengsong, Liang Mengsong ignored her plea and was determined to send her daughter into the world of fame and fortune.
"You fool. With the great connections of the Lu family, of course you should strive to climb up!"
"Dad will make connections for you right now. I'll ask Aunt Xu Qingqing to arrange for you to enter the entertainment industry and shoot variety shows to make money."
Just thinking about her daughter becoming a big star in the future made Liang Mengsong feel proud.
But Liang Qiutong was very resistant to this. She tightly pursed her lips and simply stopped walking.
"I don't want to act. I just want to draw!"
Liang Mengsong couldn't pull Liang Qiutong along and lost sight of Xu Qingqing. Her face instantly turned sour.
"What's the future in drawing! Can you make as much money from drawing as you can in the entertainment industry!"
After saying that, Liang Mengsong angrily let go of Liang Qiutong's hand and left on her own, leaving Liang Qiutong alone to face the dense forest of adults' legs.
"Dad, wait for me!"
Liang Mengsong was too lazy to listen to Liang Qiutong's cries. She sighed inwardly, admiring Xu Qingqing's shrewdness.
Sure enough, the rich knew how to send their children to where they could make money.
Xu Qingqing heard the conversation between Liang Mengsong and Liang Qiutong and quickened her pace, deliberately shaking off Liang Mengsong.
After getting in the car, Xu Qingqing couldn't help but feel angry at such a father.
Her daughter's interest clearly wasn't in this, but he forced her to squeeze into it for the sake of money. Wasn't this ruining the child?
On the way back, Xu Qingqing received a call from Amy.
"Xu Qingqing, tomorrow is the last episode of the variety show recording. I've already sent the program schedule to your email."
"Okay, I'll check it when I get home." Xu Qingqing nodded in agreement.
"Remember to prepare a backpack for Yiyi. There's an activity of swapping families in tomorrow's show."
Although Amy was Xu Yiyi's agent, she always put Xu Yiyi's physical and mental health first.
"Okay, I got it."
After driving home, Xu Qingqing let the two kids go play first. She cooked while reading the email Amy sent.
Tomorrow, not only would there be a family - swapping activity, but the director's team also prepared a sports meet between families.
Xu Qingqing sighed after browsing through all the schedules.
Wasn't this just like a kindergarten fun fair? Couldn't the director's team come up with something more innovative?
After turning off the computer, Xu Qingqing prepared an emergency backpack for Xu Yiyi, putting in a set of spare clothes, a water cup, toilet paper, wet wipes and other things.
Xu Qingqing carried the little blue backpack to the playroom and knocked on the door to get the attention of the two kids who were playing happily.
"Mom, is this for me?" Xu Yiyi ran over, his big, wet eyes curiously staring at the little blue backpack in Xu Qingqing's hand.
"Yes." Xu Qingqing pulled the drawstring of the backpack and helped Xu Yiyi put it on, adjusting the straps.
"How about it? Is it heavy?"
Xu Yiyi sensibly shook his head and acted coquettishly with Xu Qingqing.
"Mom, if another kid comes to our house, you can't be nicer to him than to me."
Hearing this, Xu Qingqing smiled slightly, exuding maternal tenderness all over.
Xu Qingqing tidied up the backpack, pinched Xu Yiyi's soft little face and patiently reasoned with him.
"What are you thinking about? How could Mom be nicer to other kids than to my own son?"
"But as a guest, Mom has to treat him well too. Right?"
Xu Yiyi nodded. Then he turned around and seriously looked at Xu An'an who was coming over.
"Sister, if it's a boy, you can't recognize him as your brother. You only have me as your brother."
"I know."
Xu An'an tightly hugged Xu Yiyi. Her fluffy eyebrows knitted together as she looked at Xu Qingqing pitifully.
"Mom, let's go pick up brother early tomorrow! Brother is so good. What if someone keeps him and doesn't return him?"
Xu Qingqing was tickled by the two kids' innocent voices. She was also happy about the deep sibling bond between them. She hugged the two kids into her arms.
"Don't worry. We'll pick up brother right after the recording."
"No one can take you away from me."
When Lu Chuanbai got home from work, he unlocked the door with his key. Smelling a slight burning smell from the kitchen, he quickly walked into the kitchen and turned off the gas stove.
"Where's Xu Qingqing?"
Lu Chuanbai muttered. Xu Qingqing had never forgotten to turn off the fire before.
Lu Chuanbai walked upstairs and saw the door of the game room wide open. The mother and two children were tightly hugging each other.
"What are you guys up to?"