Chapter 59 — The Only One I Love Is You
Cheng Yishu quietly patted Lin Xiaowen’s hand, forcing a smile, and for the first time, he felt he might have the makings of a human trafficker.
Ranran’s fair face was sweetly smiling, her round eyes fixed on Cheng Yishu’s increasingly uneasy expression. In a soft voice, she asked, “Brother Yishu, are you proposing to me?”
“Cough...” Lin Xiaowen, caught completely off guard, nearly choked on her own saliva.
Cheng Yishu fared little better; his impossibly handsome face twisted into a comic expression worthy of a slapstick star. The situation was absurdly funny.
“Ranran, don’t say such nonsense. Mommy will take you to brush your teeth and wash your face, and then it’s time for bed, alright?”
“No, not until Brother Yishu answers my question!” Ranran pouted unhappily, refusing to let go, her eyes stubbornly fixed on Cheng Yishu.
“Uh... well—” Cheng Yishu’s heart was pounding as he wondered why this child wasn’t following his script, when Ranran flashed another mischievous smile.
“Does Brother Yishu not like Ranran?”
“Of course not! Brother Yishu likes Ranran very much!” Cheng Yishu replied with utmost seriousness.
“So does Brother Yishu like Ranran more, or does he like Xiaowen more?”
It was a loaded question! Cheng Yishu immediately sensed he couldn’t answer directly—this was clearly a trap. Could such a young child really ask this? Someone must have coached her!
“What does Ranran hope for? Would you rather I liked Xiaowen more, or Ranran more?” Cheng Yishu decided to turn the question back with a smiling gaze.
Unable to answer, Ranran scratched her head in confusion, lost for words.
“All right, what kind of question is that? Ranran, be good and go wash your face with Mommy!” Lin Xiaowen deliberately put on a stern face to halt the aimless, endless conversation.
“I want Brother Yishu to help me wash my face...”
“No, Brother Yishu has worked very hard today. Be good, Ranran...”
“No, no!” Ranran promptly climbed onto Cheng Yishu’s stomach, wrapping her arms around his neck and refusing to let go.
“Okay, okay, Brother Yishu will go with you to brush your teeth and wash your face, and then tell you a story before bed, how about that?”
‘And incidentally, find out who’s behind these questions...’ Cheng Yishu thought to himself.
“Yay, Brother Yishu is the best!”
Ranran danced with joy, smacked a kiss on Cheng Yishu’s cheek, and Cheng Yishu, triumphantly sticking his tongue out at Lin Xiaowen, carried Ranran off to the bathroom.
Putting Ranran to sleep had become second nature to Cheng Yishu. Lin Xiaowen, meanwhile, enjoyed her leisure, lounging on the sofa with her phone until Cheng Yishu tiptoed out of the bedroom. She straightened up, smiling at him.
“Asleep?”
“Asleep,” Cheng Yishu said, sitting beside her with a sense of accomplishment and letting out a gentle sigh.
“That little clever imp, I wonder if it’s inherited from you—so tight-lipped. If I hadn’t used a few tricks, I wouldn’t have gotten a word out!”
“What are you talking about? All mysterious!”
Lin Xiaowen nestled in his arms, gazing up at him.
Cheng Yishu smiled, proud. “Guess who taught Ranran to say those things tonight?”
Lin Xiaowen paused, then blurted out, “No one but Ningning would do that!”
“It’s much more than that!” Cheng Yishu hugged Lin Xiaowen tighter before continuing, “Ranran said Aunt Ningning told her: if I answer ‘I like Ranran more,’ she should press me further, asking if I don’t like Xiaowen enough; if I answer ‘I like Xiaowen more,’ then she should ask if I’ll gradually like Ranran less, until I have other children...”
“How could Ningning say such things to a child?” Lin Xiaowen grew anxious, sitting up at once.
“Don’t get upset yet...” Cheng Yishu also sat up, looking at her seriously. “Actually, I think your friend really has your and Ranran’s best interests at heart.”
Lin Xiaowen fell silent, and Cheng Yishu continued, “I understand Xu Ningning’s intentions—they’re genuine. So we shouldn’t blame her for saying those things to Ranran.”
Lin Xiaowen looked tenderly at Cheng Yishu, unsure what to say, while Cheng Yishu, relieved, drew her into his arms, touching his forehead to hers and speaking softly:
“The one I love is you, and I love Ranran too. You have no idea how much I cherish the warmth of our little home... Xiaowen, if you’re willing, would you wait for me? Wait until I have the means to terminate my contract with the company, and then we’ll start a small business together, living an ordinary life with Ranran. Would you?”
His voice was gentle and soft, but every word reached Lin Xiaowen’s ears. She was stunned for a moment before she slowly replied,
“Are you really willing to let all those years of effort go to waste? If you gave up so much just for me, I’d feel guilty for the rest of my life...”
Since Cheng Yishu became a trainee, he had never spoken to Lin Xiaowen of his hardships, but at some point, she had started searching for everything about him online. The honor and the starlight he’d fought so hard to gain—could he really just let it go?
Cheng Yishu gazed at the troubled Lin Xiaowen with a pampering smile and said,
“Honestly, entering the entertainment industry was never fully my own choice...”
At this, his eyes grew darker, and he paused before continuing,
“It’s not that I dislike the work, but this industry is exhausting—there’s no sense of security. No private space; every action is magnified, overanalyzed... If you have to live forever under that scrutiny, no one could ever truly be happy.”
Lin Xiaowen squeezed his hand, her gaze gentle. “I understand...”
“What do you understand?” Cheng Yishu was surprised by her answer, so he asked.
“I never chased celebrities, nor did I have any connection to the entertainment world, but lately I’ve been catching up... I’ve read lots of gossip news about your industry, learned about online harassment, moral pressure on celebrities, fan culture, and all that...”
“Wow, you’ve really done your homework?” Cheng Yishu laughed, his heart warmed by her effort.
Lin Xiaowen ignored his teasing, continuing earnestly, “No job is truly carefree or guarantees adoration from the masses... For celebrities, the glamorous image in public can never be offset by the hard work behind the scenes. So, I’d rather you be an ordinary, happy person than silently bear all that pain.”
Thinking of the rumors online about Cheng Yishu’s dark experiences and the malicious slander he endured at the start of his career, Lin Xiaowen’s eyes filled with pain and compassion, which flowed straight into Cheng Yishu’s heart.
“So, whether I’m a celebrity or just a regular person, you and Ranran will always be by my side, right?”
Cheng Yishu’s burning gaze grew misty with emotion, but Lin Xiaowen only pressed a light kiss to his forehead, serene and calm.
“The one I like has never been some big star—it’s only you.”