The Heartless Omega: I Only Want My Daughter - Chapter 15

Pei Zhiyun had previously cautioned Wen Ying not to speak recklessly on the show, as the recording equipment would capture everything. She had covered many points, but she hadn’t expected Wen Ying to whisper such a direct, sensitive question.

It seemed she hadn’t planned thoroughly enough.

Once today’s recording ended and the microphones were removed, she would have to explain things to Wen Ying in much greater detail.

Pei Zhiyun screwed the cap back onto the mineral water, held it in her left hand, and leaned over to stroke Little Doubao’s head. “Mommy scared you just now, I’m sorry,” she said softly.

Little Doubao gave a little giggle and shook her head while nestled in Wen Ying’s arms. “It’s okay. But Mommy, my tummy is a little bit hungry.”

They had been traveling since they left the house this morning, eating only on the go. Since getting off the plane, Little Doubao had only had some bread and crackers.

Pei Zhiyun glanced at her watch: 6:42 PM. It was almost seven, and two groups of guests had yet to arrive. The production crew had announced that everyone would eat together once all the guests were present. Looking at the time, it would likely be 8:00 PM before they had a meal.

She couldn’t let Little Doubao stay hungry that long.

Pei Zhiyun handed the water to Wen Ying and whispered instructions: “Sit here with Little Doubao. Don’t go anywhere. I’m going to get her some bread.”

“Alright,” Wen Ying said, looking her in the eye with a serious expression.

Yet, for some reason, Pei Zhiyun felt that leaving the two of them alone here was not a wise move. She couldn’t feel at ease. After hesitating, she decided to have them come along to get the food. She only felt comfortable when they were right by her side.

Pei Zhiyun leaned down and took Little Doubao from Wen Ying’s arms.

Li Dai, sitting nearby, noticed the family of three getting up and instinctively sat straighter. “Teacher Pei, what’s wrong?” she asked with concern. Xu Yi also looked over.

Pei Zhiyun adjusted her hold on the child and turned to explain: “Little Doubao is hungry. I’m taking her to have some bread to tide her over.”

“Oh, I see. Go ahead then.” Li Dai leaned back against her chair and asked her own daughter if she was hungry; Li Yan shook her head and said no.

The bags the three had brought were with He Huan and the assistant, who were standing behind the production crew. Pei Zhiyun led Wen Ying over to them.

Seeing Pei Zhiyun approaching, He Huan stepped forward. “Teacher Pei, is something the matter?” she asked through her mask.

“Doubao is hungry; we’re going to get her something to eat.”

“Follow me.”

He Huan led them to where the luggage was temporarily stored. To avoid damaging the interior of the historic building, the crew had placed everything in the corridors or the courtyard. Their suitcases were lined up along the hallway.

Upon reaching the luggage, Pei Zhiyun set Little Doubao on the ground. She unzipped a black backpack and pulled out a small loaf of bread. There was also milk in the bag, but as she reached for it, she remembered the show’s dairy sponsor. Consuming a different brand on camera would be a breach of contract. She let go of the milk and zipped the bag back up.

The bread was only about the size of a palm. Little Doubao held the wrapper and ate it bite by tiny bite, taking quite a while to finish.

By 7:30 PM, the sky had gradually darkened, and the final two groups of guests still hadn’t arrived.

Bright floodlights were turned on in the courtyard, attracting swarms of insects that fluttered around the beams. Occasionally, several would fly directly in front of the guests’ faces. Xu Yi, who was terrified of moths and bugs, had wrapped herself in a sun-protection jacket for safety, but she couldn’t stop the insects from flying near her. Every time one appeared, she would jump up and run away, filling the courtyard with her screams.

Seeing this, Li Dai kindly asked the crew for an insect repellent lamp to place on the table. The number of bugs around them decreased significantly.

Just before 8:00 PM, the final two families arrived together. The three families already present stood up to greet them.

“Sorry, so sorry! We were delayed for too long on the road. Truly sorry, everyone!” Even before the people were visible, the sounds of apology drifted in from outside.

Li Dai laughed. “That must be Gao Nianke. A singer’s voice is always so loud and piercing.”

“Likely so,” Pei Zhiyun replied.

“Sorry everyone, truly sorry!”

The cameramen stepped back to make room as a crowd of people bustled in with their suitcases. The first to approach was the one who had been apologizing: Gao Nianke, a popular domestic pop singer and a major contributor to television soundtracks (OSTs). Her wife, Song Mu, was also a famous pop singer and OST specialist. One was known for sweet songs, the other for heart-wrenching ballads.

Since their marriage, netizens often joked that one wife sang songs to make you die of sweetness while the other sang to make you die of heartbreak, showing no mercy to listeners. Pei Zhiyun had starred in many dramas where the opening, ending, or insert themes were sung by this pair, but she rarely saw them outside of major awards galas.

They had been married for eight years and had two children: Gao Yu, six, and Gao Lin, four.

Following behind them was another couple. The woman was Lu Zhou, a first-class national actress. Last year, she had delivered a brilliant performance as the Empress in a large-scale historical drama, earning her the Best Supporting Actress trophy this year. Her fame had skyrocketed after the win, leading the production team to invite her to the show. Her husband, Sheng Feng, was a well-known screenwriter in the industry. They had met through a project and had been married for ten years, with one son, Lu Ming. However, there had been persistent rumors in the industry about marital discord between them though no one knew the truth.

Finally, all five families were gathered. The atmosphere became lively as everyone greeted one another. Even those who hadn’t met before knew each other’s names, and the conversation flowed easily.

Gao Nianke’s main motivation for joining the show was Pei Zhiyun. Now that she saw her in person, her eyes were practically glued to her goddess, stealing glances at every opportunity.

She’s so beautiful! She’s even more stunning in person! Gao Nianke screamed inwardly. Goddess, goddess! She is exactly the goddess of my dreams!

Beside her, Song Mu noticed the poorly hidden gaze. She raised her hand and delivered a hard, sharp smack to Gao Nianke’s back. “Your goddess is right there. Aren’t you going to say hello?”

Gao Nianke let out a cry of pain. She reached back to rub the spot, gritting her teeth. “Her wife is right there! What am I supposed to do, go hug her?!”

Only then did Song Mu look at Wen Ying standing behind Pei Zhiyun. She couldn’t help but size her up. When she had seen the promotional photos, she thought Wen Ying was photogenic enough to be called a beauty even among non-celebrities. To her surprise, the real person was even better—her features were exquisite, and her eyes were strikingly beautiful. She looked very well-matched with Goddess Pei.

Wen Ying had been watching Pei Zhiyun greet the others when she felt a gaze on her. She turned her head casually and met Song Mu’s eyes. She gave a faint smile and a small nod of acknowledgment.

Caught staring, Song Mu’s cheeks flushed hot. she quickly looked down and nodded back. “Hello, hello.” It was a classic “social death” moment for her.

Meanwhile, Pei Zhiyun was greeting Lu Zhou. Little Xu Guo was causing quite a commotion nearby; by the time Xu Yi finished managing him and came over, the greetings were already concluded.

After a long day of travel, the group was finally together. For this shoot, there were sixteen people in total, including adults and children. The adults stood in the back while the children were lined up in the front, making the frame look quite full.

The director walked over with a megaphone. He tested the sound before formally announcing: “Welcome, big friends and little friends, to the recording site of the second season of Mommy and Me. On behalf of the entire crew, I welcome you all.”

“Yay! Welcome, welcome!” The guests clapped and cheered, and the children followed suit.

The director clapped along with a smile. “The recording for the new season officially begins now. Our theme for this season is ‘Maternal Love and Parent-Child Interaction.’ I hope all the mothers and guardians have a wonderful time, and that the children enjoy the filming process.”

“Thank you, Director!” Everyone bowed together, though Xu Jianghao and Sheng Feng looked a bit awkward. After all, the theme was “Mommy.”

Director: “It’s late now. For our first day, we’ve prepared a very sumptuous dinner. You may now head out to eat!”

“Yay! Finally, food!” Li Yan shouted excitedly, only to realize everyone was looking at her. Embarrassed, she buried her face in Zhang Yiwan’s arms. Zhang Yiwan laughed and stroked her head.

As the segment ended, everyone gathered their things to head to dinner. Wen Ying carried the backpacks for the two of them and Little Doubao’s small bag. Since the suitcases were difficult to carry, the staff helped move them.

Pei Zhiyun held Little Doubao, glancing back at Wen Ying as they followed the group out of the ancestral hall. It was pitch black outside, making it impossible to see the path. The crew handed each person a flashlight. Since Pei Zhiyun’s hands were full, she gave hers to Wen Ying.

Wen Ying took it and used her right hand to light the way. After walking a bit, a protruding brick was hidden in the shadows. Pei Zhiyun didn’t notice it and stumbled violently.

Wen Ying quickly reached out to steady her arm, her heart skipping a beat from the fright. “Are you okay?” she asked, gripping her arm tightly.

Pei Zhiyun was also startled. Her first priority was checking on Little Doubao. The child’s wide eyes showed she was clearly scared too, but she asked, “Mommy, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Mommy just wasn’t watching the road,” Pei Zhiyun said softly, pulling the child a bit closer.

For the rest of the walk, Wen Ying held the flashlight in her right hand while using her left to gently support Pei Zhiyun’s arm, worried she might trip again.

The dining area was a short distance from the ancestral hall. They walked for about ten minutes, the air filled with the sounds of chatter. They arrived at a beautifully decorated farmhouse courtyard filled with flowers and plants. Five small wooden tables were set out in the center, with steaming hot food already served.

Pei Zhiyun and Wen Ying were the second family to arrive (Gao Nianke’s family was first). Following the order they had stood in at the hall, the singers’ family sat at the far right. The two groups nodded in greeting.

Pei Zhiyun led Wen Ying to the table on the far left. The third family to enter was Xu Yi’s. She led Xu Jianghao and Xu Guo to the center table. As soon as he sat down, Xu Guo picked up his chopsticks and began eating; neither of his parents stopped him.

Gao Nianke was momentarily stunned by the lack of manners but acted as if nothing had happened, pouring a glass of warm water for each of her daughters.

The fourth family was Lu Zhou and Sheng Feng. They took the table next to Pei Zhiyun. As soon as she sat down, Lu Zhou couldn’t help but shake Pei Zhiyun’s hand again. “You’re so beautiful, Teacher Pei—even better than on screen. I finally get to see the real you today!”

“Thank you, thank you, Teacher Lu,” Pei Zhiyun replied, bowing her head slightly in embarrassment at the repeated praise. Lu Zhou had been complimenting her since they first met, and Pei Zhiyun could only keep saying “thank you.”

Finally, Li Dai and Zhang Yiwan arrived. Seeing only one table left, they quickly sat down with their child. After waiting all afternoon, everyone’s stomachs were growling.

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