Chapter 182: Chapter 182: Rumors Before Filming

"Hi there, classmate. My name is Dong Dongdong. Are you new? Can I be friends with you?"

The chubby boy’s forwardness was rather baffling.

Nan Yi frowned.

Seeing that the child meant no harm, Nan Zhi slowed her pace as well.

Only the family of this little chubby boy named Dong Dongdong seemed to see through their child’s ploy, their expressions instantly turning so awkward they looked like they wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

Sure enough.

The next second, meeting Nan Yi’s confused gaze, Dong Dongdong grinned and revealed his true request:

"Since we’re friends, can you share some of the food in your backpack with me? Just a little bit! Really, just a tiny bit is fine!"

As he spoke, he took a deep sniff, his chubby face filled with an intoxicated expression.

"Such a sweet, fragrant smell!"

Nan Yi’s little mouth immediately pressed into a tight line!

Nan Zhi was even more surprised.

There were leftover fried sugar cakes from breakfast, so Nan Zhi had packed them in a thermal lunch box for Nan Yi to eat at kindergarten.

She hadn’t expected this little guy, Dong Dongdong, to have such a keen sense of smell that he could catch such a faint scent!

"No."

Nan Yi’s expression was cool and sullen as he flatly rejected the boy’s request!

Nan Zhi rubbed her nose, walked over to Nan Yi’s side, and nodded at the disappointed Dong Dongdong’s family members behind him.

"I’m sorry. I fried the sugar cakes myself, so my son treasures them."

But she didn’t force Nan Yi to share.

She just hoped to ease the tension and not make things awkward on the very first day of kindergarten.

Fortunately, the other parents weren’t unreasonable.

They apologized profusely.

"Not at all, it’s our child who’s too gluttonous. We’re really sorry."

With that, they quickly grabbed the eagerly staring Dong Dongdong and dragged him away.

Even then, Dong Dongdong didn’t forget to crane his neck for a last, longing look.

"The sugar cakes..."

"Stupid."

Nan Yi’s expression grew even more sullen!

Nan Zhi patted his head.

"Alright now, don’t be upset."

Nan Yi’s lips turned down in a pout.

"Mommy, do I have to be classmates with idiots like him from now on?"

Nan Zhi: "..."

She wanted to try and reason with him.

But before she could speak, Nan Yi let out a long sigh.

"Okay, I get it."

He gave Nan Zhi a resigned wave and trudged heavily toward the kindergarten.

Nan Zhi stood at the entrance, watching for a while longer.

She waited until Nan Yi’s small figure was completely swallowed by the crowd of children entering the school.

Ever since returning from the Otherworld, she and Nan Yi had been practically inseparable.

Being apart for a few hours occasionally was very different from the feeling of now having to be separated for most of the day, every day.

It wasn’t as freeing as she had imagined; instead, she felt a little lost.

But Nan Zhi knew.

’Letting go is a required course for every parent.’

So she quickly adjusted her mood and turned to the side of the road.

She didn’t hail a taxi to go home. Instead, she walked up to a silver-gray Porsche and KNOCK KNOCK KNOCKED on the rear passenger window.

After about ten seconds, the window rolled down, revealing Lu Shixu’s face.

Annoyance flickered across his features.

But it was quickly masked by his feigned composure.

"What a coincidence,"

he said.

Nan Zhi eyed him with a half-smile.

"Is it?"

’So coincidental that you were waiting at the kindergarten entrance even before we arrived?’

Lu Shixu probably felt his excuse was lame, too, so he clamped his mouth shut and said no more.

Nor did he make promises like, "It won’t happen again."

Nan Zhi knew him well; she knew what he was thinking.

She couldn’t be bothered with a pointless argument, and besides, she wasn’t angry.

"Thank you for taking care of Nan Yi’s kindergarten admission."

Nan Zhi’s tone was quite pleasant.

It was no longer sharp and prickly like before, as if she couldn’t be happy unless she poked at Lu Shixu.

This surprised Lu Shixu, leaving him feeling both startled and flattered.

He was stunned for a good few seconds.

Then, he spoke:

"How about we have lunch..."

’Still the same old Lu Shixu, give him an inch and he’ll take a mile.’

Nan Zhi resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"It’s getting late. I’m going home."

Nan Zhi acted as if she hadn’t heard Lu Shixu’s words.

She tossed out this sentence, walked around Lu Shixu’s car, and hailed a taxi.

Once in the car, she quickly put Lu Shixu out of her mind and started thinking about learning to drive.

To pick Yiyi up and drop him off at school, always relying on taxis or bothering Xu Li was inconvenient.

As for the agency providing a car and driver...

With Nan Zhi’s current fame, that wouldn’t be difficult.

The problem was that Nan Zhi and Xu Li had teamed up to reject all jobs arranged by the agency. As a result, she was now in a cold war-like stalemate with the company.

Forget a car and driver; they hadn’t even assigned Nan Zhi an assistant, something even newly signed junior artists had.

Fortunately, Nan Zhi was used to doing things herself.

She didn’t take the agency’s so-called methods of controlling her to heart at all.

As soon as she got home, she immediately searched for driving schools near her, paid and registered online, and specifically chose the more expensive accelerated course.

So, for the next period, aside from studying for the written test, Nan Zhi spent her time practicing at the driving school.

At this rate, she estimated she could get her driver’s license by next month.

But before that, they first welcomed the filming of the third installment of "Cub Observation Diary"!

Speaking of which, things had not been quiet for anyone during the half-month break in between.

First, rumors leaked that there would be a guest star in this installment—

Fans of various A-list celebrities were thrilled by the prospect of seeing their idols with a cub. They flooded the show’s official account to recommend them, while major marketing accounts and gossip bloggers churned out leaks.

Onlookers weren’t surprised by this feverish scene. After all, "Cub Observation Diary"’s popularity was plain to see. Everyone wanted a piece of the action; it would be stranger if they didn’t.

The only ones hurt by this were the loyal viewers of "Cub Observation Diary." After the last installment at Nan Family’s Small Restaurant, they had grown accustomed to the chemistry of Nan Zhi’s group of four. The idea of adding one more person felt awkward, and they didn’t care if it was a top-tier celebrity or a superstar!

But then, to make matters worse, news broke that Fu Chao might be quitting the show!

Forget the audience, even the small group chat for Nan Zhi’s foursome exploded...

Well, it was mainly Qi Pei’er who was blowing up.

She @’d Fu Chao in the group chat, asking him if it was true.

But Fu Chao was slow to respond, which seemed like a tacit admission.

This angered Qi Pei’er so much that she threatened to kick him out of the group!

Of course, she didn’t end up kicking him out.

Qi Pei’er was always all bark and no bite.

Amidst all this turbulence, the filming for the third installment officially began!

As usual, it started with the pre-filming meeting and the drawing of identity cards.

Nan Zhi put her driving lessons on hold.

As for Nan Yi’s kindergarten, that had all been arranged before he enrolled.

With two previous experiences under their belts, they expertly packed light and were driven by Xu Li to the hotel where the main production crew was gathering.

"Why are we all meeting at a hotel? And it’s near the airport? Don’t tell me we’re filming in another city this time?"

The moment Qi Pei’er arrived, she voiced the question on every guest’s mind.

The director, Xu Lin, wasn’t surprised that his intentions were guessed so quickly. Still, he kept them in suspense, saying:

"Don’t be impatient. We’ll talk once everyone is here."

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