I Lay Down and Played Dead—The Kid Folded First

“Let’s Go, Baby!” is the most popular parenting reality show in the country, but its ratings have been declining since last year.

The director made a decisive decision: this season would switch to a live-streaming format.

Featuring 24-hour multi-camera, segmented live streams, it aimed to authentically capture the guests’ child-rearing processes.

Promotion began half a year ago.
After the guest list was announced that evening, Weibo completely exploded.

The top comment had accumulated over a hundred thousand likes in the blink of an eye.

[??? Don’t be absurd.
Give yourself another chance.
Tell me who your show invited?]

The program team sought out Ning Shixue precisely for this effect.
After all, the entertainment industry hadn’t seen a celebrity quite like him in a long time.

Pure black reputation, without the red.

But the mere mention of his name equaled buzz.

With various marketing accounts fanning the flames, within less than half an hour, the hashtag #NingShixue Let’sGoBaby# shot to the top of the hot search, marked with a deep red “explosive” symbol.

Of course, the comments under the hot search were all bashing him.

Afraid he might not be able to hold back and would start arguing with the anti-fans again, Lu Li bombarded him with dozens of messages throughout the night.

– [Lu Li: Hold it in.
Don’t respond to anything, you hear me?
Otherwise, you’re finished!]
– [Lu Li: Do you still want to see Xie Hanzhou???
If you do, listen to my arrangements!]
– [Lu Li: ??? Where are you?
Ning Shixue?!]

Ning Shixue never saw them.
He had turned off his phone and gone to sleep before nine o’clock, completely oblivious.

Lu Li was so furious he nearly fainted, cursing Ning Shixue out at home in the middle of the night.

But fortunately, Ning Shixue didn’t cause any trouble.

The hype had been brewing all night.
Any further delay would only leave negative impact.
Early the next morning, the director’s team geared up and headed out separately to the four participating families for this round of recording.

The live stream channel opened promptly at eight o’clock.
When it went live, the bullet comments even lagged for a few seconds.

Then they flooded out frantically.

[No way, no way, does that troublemaker Ning Shixue really have the nerve to be on the same variety show as Ji Qing?]

[I thought his being married was fake.
Has he finally decided to let Brother Zhou go?]

[He must be doing this on purpose.
Qingqing’s participation in this show was confirmed right after the New Year, and now just before filming starts, Ning Shixue suddenly joins?
Can’t he function independently without Brother Zhou and Qingqing?]

The original host and the protagonist shou, Ji Qing, had been industry rivals since their debuts.

Back then, Xie Hanzhou starred in a historical fantasy drama called “Slaying the Whale.”
Ji Qing played his junior martial brother.

The male lead was a romantic philanderer, and the junior brother was gentle, obedient, and adhered strictly to sect rules, yet was willing to commit heinous crimes for the male lead.
Countless fans and viewers were utterly obsessed.

Then Ning Shixue suddenly appeared.

He originally tried to snatch the junior brother’s role but failed.
Instead, he played a malicious antagonist.
Whenever he appeared, the male lead and junior brother would either get injured or have misunderstandings.

Add to that his terrible acting, his lack of fame yet diva attitude, his physical altercation with a director, his obsessive pursuit of Xie Hanzhou, his public confessions to Xie Hanzhou during several variety shows and interviews, and his passive-aggressive digs at Ji Qing…
He was directly besieged by the fans of every actor in the production.

They nearly tore him to shreds.

Hiring him for this parenting show was also a risk that had everyone sweating bullets.

Welcome to Season 5 of ‘Let’s Go, Baby!’
the director said with a strained smile.
I wonder if our guests are awake yet.
Let’s go find Teacher Ning and his little one now.

The high-profile arranged marriage between powerful families hadn’t been officially announced to the media regarding marriage matters, but tabloid news had already spread.
The alliance between the Xie and Ning families was common knowledge.

It was just unclear who the other party was besides Ning Shixue.

[As long as it’s not Brother Zhou, it’s fine.
Ugh.jpg]

[Wait, I looked it up.
Old Master Xie is seriously ill and in his seventies, so definitely not him.
Xie Hanzhou’s elder brother passed away.
His parents aren’t divorced, so doesn’t that leave Xie Hanzhou’s uncle in the Xie family?
I heard he’s divorced with a son.]

[What a waste of that face.
If he hadn’t been such a troublemaker, he wouldn’t have had to marry some old man by now.]

[Waste what?
He’s just a plastic surgery monster.
Do people really think that’s his real face?]

The program team had invested heavily.
The guests invited this time were all of considerable stature.
Even Ji Qing, who had starred in several TV dramas, was already a top-tier heartthrob.

Only Ning Shixue was the exception.

After three years in the industry, he remained a D-list nobody.

But his sudden marriage, and to the Xie family at that, brought its own storm of controversy.
Consequently, the heat in his live stream room kept skyrocketing.
In less than ten minutes, it had become a trending topic on the platform.

The director’s team knocked and entered.

Xie Yaoyao didn’t sleep in.
The old butler was chasing after him, trying to feed him.
He puffed out his little cheeks, refusing to eat.
He either sat in his highchair tugging at his little socks or, when the old butler wasn’t looking, climbed down, picked up his toy airplane, and flew it around with ‘woosh’ sounds.

He almost bumped into the cameraman carrying the camera equipment.

As a soft, plump little ball came charging towards him, the cameraman quickly crouched down, aiming the lens at his face.

Xie Yaoyao wasn’t shy either.
He stared at the lens and blinked, his eyelashes impossibly long.

[Holy crap??? This is Ning Shixue’s kid?
How does he get to have a kid like this???]

[Even so, Ning Shixue is a stepdad, right?
It’s not like he gave birth.]

[Ahhh baby, let auntie give you a kiss!!!]

Xie Yaoyao only stared for a moment before picking up his toy airplane again and running off with more ‘wooshes.’
The old butler scrambled to catch up.

[Why is only the kid here?
Where’s Ning Shixue?]

[I paid 30 for VIP membership, not for him to hide and throw a tantrum without even showing his face.
Thank you.]

Young Master Ning is still asleep,
a servant hurriedly explained when someone from the director’s team asked.

[What time is it and he’s still sleeping???]

[Qingqing over there has already started reading English to the kids.
He really is just a stepdad, not even as good as an uncle.]

Ji Qing was twenty-two this year and unmarried.
The child he was bringing this time was his sister’s.

Ning Shixue was indeed still asleep.

He didn’t care how people online cursed him anyway.
He wasn’t on this show to get famous.

Besides, the show’s gimmick was authenticity.
The program team had promised they wouldn’t interfere with anything.
Apart from mandatory tasks, guests could do whatever they wanted.

The director was growing frantic.
After following Xie Yaoyao around for over an hour with the camera and Ning Shixue still hadn’t gotten up, he finally couldn’t take it anymore.
He sent a staff member upstairs to knock.

Teacher Ning?
the staff member called out nervously.

Everyone knew Ning Shixue was the little young master of the Ning Pharmaceutical family, arrogant and domineering.
Previously, when filming a variety show with Xie Hanzhou, he had sulked because the program’s vehicle was a bit bumpy, his face darkening even after the cameras started rolling.

The villa had excellent soundproofing, but Ning Shixue opened his eyes the moment someone came upstairs.

Those eyes were dark, cold, and clear, as if he hadn’t been asleep at all.
Only after realizing he was in his bedroom at the Xie residence did he rub his eyes.
He rubbed until the corners turned red and his eyes glistened with moisture.

The staff member waited outside the door for a few minutes.
Just as he was agonizing over whether to knock again, the bedroom door finally opened.

The bullet comments went silent for a few seconds, then instantly erupted.

[??? Who is this beauty?]

[What’s going on?
Isn’t this Ning Shixue’s live stream?
Did the program team invite another guest?]

[It’s that drama queen, no mistake.
I specifically exited and came back in, nearly crashed the app.
Puppy clinging to leg crying.jpg]

[Watch your language.
What Ning Shixue?
What drama queen?
This is clearly my wife whom I’ve never met.
Wolf-whistle.jpg]

Ning Shixue wore a white T-shirt with black jeans underneath.
The high-waisted jeans had cutouts, accentuating his extremely fair skin.
Small sections were cut out on both sides of the waist, revealing a slender, beautiful waistline and even pale dimples at the small of his back.

His complexion was still pale, carrying a sickly air.
Those eyes were striking, tinged with red.
But his under-eye area was full, and he was still dazed from sleep, his eyes brimming with moisture, making his beauty less intimidating.

The original host had worn heavy makeup since his debut.
This was the first time anyone had seen his real appearance.

Does the program team have a task?
Ning Shixue asked, puzzled.

The director looked somewhat awkward and whispered,
Even if there isn’t, Teacher Ning, you can’t stay in the bedroom the whole time.
You need to play with the child for a while.
And we agreed on a little interview.
You all need to pack your luggage later.

For the first episode of the variety show, it was customary to film at home for most of the day.
Then, in the evening, the program team would send vehicles to pick up the guests and take them to the official filming location.

Ning Shixue didn’t think Xie Yaoyao wanted to play with him at all.

But he had slept enough.
Since the program team wanted an interview, he went to find Xie Yaoyao.

Xie Yaoyao was still in the playroom, kneeling on the floor with his little bottom in the air.
He held two toy monsters, making them fight.
His tender, pink lips were pursed, continuously making ‘da-da-da’ sound effects.

Ning Shixue bent down to call him.
Xie Yaoyao, come do the task.
Didn’t you want to go out and play?
This director uncle has a few questions for you.
After answering them, we can go.

Xie Yaoyao had volunteered for the parenting show, even more eagerly than the original host.
Before filming started, he would pester the butler every day, asking when he could record this show.

I not going,
he said now, reneging.
He pursed his lips and continued fiddling with the toy monsters.

If you don’t do it, you can’t go out to play,
Ning Shixue simply sat down on the nearby cashmere carpet, reasoning with him.
Didn’t you want to ride a train?

A flicker of hesitation appeared on Xie Yaoyao’s chubby little face.

What he imagined being on a variety show meant was playing however he wanted, not having to go home or sleep at night, being able to fight monsters on the show, and having lots of other kids to play with.

As for tasks…

He was still a baby.
Why should he have to do tasks?

You go for me,
Xie Yaoyao said, planting his hands on his hips.
His chubby little finger pointed at Ning Shixue as he issued a fierce command.

Ning Shixue slacked off.
‘I’m not going either.’

He picked up one of Xie Yaoyao’s toy monsters and found that pressing the top made it light up, and its tail would wag.

Unable to resist the itch, he pressed them all to light them up and turn them off.

In his original world, class disparity was severe.
He was born in the slums, with unknown parents, and grew up in an orphanage.
Just not starving to death was an achievement.
He had never played with things like this.

Xie Yaoyao waited for a bit.
He realized Ning Shixue really wasn’t going.
His chubby face grew more conflicted.

He wanted to go pull Ning Shixue up but didn’t want to put down the toy monster in his hand.
He accidentally stepped on his own sock and fell flat on his bottom.

The staff member patiently coaxed him.
Baby, you have to go with your daddy.

He not my daddy,
Xie Yaoyao finally pouted, his eyes starting to redden.
He threw the toy monster at Ning Shixue.
Not not not!

Ning Shixue didn’t dodge.
The toy monster hit his shoulder.

The bullet comments were gleeful.

[I knew it.
Ning Shixue and Xie Yaoyao don’t seem familiar at all.
Ning Shixue doesn’t even take care of the kid.]

[Could Ning Shixue be secretly abusing the child?]

[Why isn’t the director’s team starting the interview yet???]

The so-called interview segment was simply the director’s team selecting the top three most-liked comments and asking the guests on the spot.

If a guest performed poorly during this initial filming period, the questions would naturally be tricky.

Of course, they would still phrase things tactfully.
Their goal was exciting television, not making the guests hate them.

Teacher Ning,
seeing Xie Yaoyao truly unwilling, the director could only call Ning Shixue aside first to start the interview.
What difficulties have you encountered getting along with the child?

Ning Shixue’s beautiful face was full of bewilderment.
‘None.
We have a great relationship.’

Director: “…”

You call this a great relationship?

In the live stream shot, behind him was Xie Yaoyao, throwing a tantrum and making a scene non-stop.

[Still stubbornly denying it.]

[LOL, if his skin weren’t so thick, could he have kept clinging to Xie Hanzhou?
In that previous variety show, the disgust in Xie Hanzhou’s eyes was practically overflowing, and he still tried to grab his arm.]

Before the bullet comments finished criticizing, they saw Ning Shixue look up shyly, then open his mouth and say,
‘I’m not here to break up this family.
I’m here to join it.’

[????????]

[Got a strong dose of white lotus tea, thanks.]

[Whimpering, my delicate, white lotus wife.]

[The looks-obsessed fans need to chill.
What does he have besides a face?
He can’t even soothe a child.]

Xie Yaoyao’s tantrum grew louder.
His fair, soft cheeks began to flush, his eyes reddened, misted over with tears.
He rubbed his little bottom, then expertly prepared to lie down on the floor.

A little crying was still cute, but a child making a prolonged scene was torture on the ears.

Some viewers in the bullet comments also began expressing dissatisfaction.

[What’s going on?
Is he just going to cry until evening?]

[Isn’t this just a spoiled brat?]

[The other guests have already finished packing.
When will Ning Shixue finally set off?
Even though there are still a few hours, I feel it’s unlikely.
Don’t tell me everyone has to wait for him tonight?]

If you don’t help me, I tell Big Daddy,
Xie Yaoyao threatened Ning Shixue with a tearful, milky voice.
This my house!
Make Big Daddy kick you out!

Ning Shixue didn’t make a sound.
His entire person was excessively pale, his black hair seemingly damp with cold sweat.
He lifted a hand to press against his chest, his brow also furrowing slightly.

Before Xie Yaoyao’s tears could even fall, Ning Shixue suddenly, preemptively, slowly collapsed onto the floor.

Then folded his hands over his chest.

Ning Shixue: At peace.jpg

[??? What is he doing?]

[Holy crap, I heard he had heart problems before.
Did he get so angry he had an attack?]

The bullet comments were all startled.

Until Ning Shixue, while Xie Yaoyao wasn’t looking, subtly shifted to lie on the most comfortable spot of the cashmere carpet.

The director’s team was also confused, but Ning Shixue didn’t seem to be suffering from a sudden illness.
The director gestured for the cameraman to move the camera closer.

It恰好 captured the tear streaming from the corner of Ning Shixue’s eye, tracing a path down his cool, pale skin, instantly reddening the outer corner.

[For the first time, I find this little troublemaker so beautiful.]

[Is Xie Hanzhou incompetent or something???
How could he resist this? doge]

[Unwanted wives can be sent to me.
I’ll pay for shipping. wink]

[??? No one cares about Ning Shixue’s husband?
Even if he’s old, he’s still a VP of the Xie Group, okay?
I’ll eliminate you all later, the wife is mine. (just kidding)]

Xie Yaoyao stared blankly at Ning Shixue.

Ning Shixue’s tears flowed even more profusely.
He rolled over, curled up, and continued weeping.
His slightly long hair was disheveled and stuck to his cheeks.
The whole person was pale, stunning, and exceptionally fragile.

Like a delicate doll that had been shattered.

Xie Yaoyao’s tears were held back in his eyes.
He never imagined that Ning Shixue, this bad stepdad who used to always scold him, sneer at him, and call him ‘little fatty,’ would actually cry.

He was just soft and plump, not fat and chubby.

What wrong with you?
Xie Yaoyao crawled over to Ning Shixue on his hands and knees.
His milky voice became inexplicably cautious.

Ning Shixue let his tears flow, murmuring,
‘I’m so pitiful.’

Xie Yaoyao’s eyes were confused.

You know, I left my mama when I was little,
Ning Shixue imitated his accent.
‘You said you’d make Big Daddy kick me out.
Then I won’t have a home anymore.’
Then covered his face and continued whimpering.

Xie Yaoyao patted him helplessly, grabbed his finger, only for Ning Shixue to pull away like a petulant child.

You also hit me,
Ning Shixue picked up the toy monster and threw it at Xie Yaoyao’s chubby little foot.
‘It hurts so much.’

Xie Yaoyao’s fair, soft face was so conflicted it puffed up.
Children have strong empathy, and with so many people watching, even a young child would feel embarrassed.

Then… then I not let Big Daddy kick you out,
he had no choice but to squat beside Ning Shixue.
He pointed at his little suitcase.
We go pack bags, take you out to play.

His little suitcase had already been retrieved by the old butler and was placed by the door.

Really?
Ning Shixue sounded skeptical.

Xie Yaoyao slapped his little chest heroically.
‘Big Daddy buy companies, have money, can afford two babies.’
After saying that, he felt it wasn’t enough.
He counted on his fingers, drawing big promises for his Big Daddy.
‘Even ten, can afford!’

Ning Shixue: “…”

You’re oddly kind.

Xie Yaoyao said nervously,
‘You not allowed, cry anymore.’

[Well, well.
A path I never anticipated has opened up.]

[Who told me Ning Shixue couldn’t act?!
He clearly acts so well!!!]

[I’m dying of laughter.
So not dodging and getting hit earlier was just setting up a scam?]

[Baby: Don’t steal my scene!]

The staff nearby also breathed a sigh of relief.
It would have been troublesome if he really cried until evening.
The director deliberately teased Xie Yaoyao,
Can we uncles and aunties join too?

Can oh,
Xie Yaoyao said, completely forgetting he had been about to cry.
He nodded his little head, agreeing to everything.

He wasn’t just any Xie Yaoyao now; he was an inflated Xie Yaoyao!

The bullet comments wept with envy.

[Psst, Boss Yao, do you still need babies?
The twenty-something kind that can eat, sleep, and doesn’t cry.]