The Man in the Snow

Evening fell, and lights began to dot the mountainside.

Ning Shixue hitched a ride back in Tang He’an’s car and immediately spotted a chubby little kid still stewing in anger.

Xie Yaoyao sat on the steps, arms crossed over his chest.
The moment he saw Ning Shixue get out of the car, his fair, bun-like little face filled with resentment.
Those big, dark eyes stared at him with silent accusation.

What are you doing here?
Ning Shixue felt inexplicably guilty.

Xie Yaoyao whimpered like a little puppy.
He wanted to know if Ning Shixue had found another baby, but he also didn’t want Ning Shixue to discover he was jealous.
He held it in until his little face started to flush.

Ning Shixue didn’t ask again.
He pulled several plushies from the car and placed them in Xie Yaoyao’s arms.
‘These are for you.’

Huh???

Xie Yaoyao’s little hands could barely hold them all.
Besides Black Soil Wolf, there was even an Ultraman Zero.
His little head spun.
It took him a moment to realize they were all for him.

Ning Shixue finally caught on.
He raised an eyebrow, a hint of mischief in his smile.
You weren’t jealous, were you? Because I didn’t take you out to play?

I was scared you get lost.
This time, it was Xie Yaoyao’s turn to feel guilty.
He forcibly turned his little head away.

After saying this, he felt it made perfect sense.
He was Sirius.
He had to show the bad stepdad the way!
Otherwise, how would the bad stepdad’s car find its way back?

He became all confident again.

Ji Xiao also got out of the car, clutching his little black pig.
When he saw Xie Yaoyao, his little face suddenly turned serious.

“…”

Oh no.
He forgot.

Xie Yaoyao had told him to take good care of Little Ning Gege, not to take him to dangerous places.
And he had taken Little Ning Gege to shoot guns.

Hugging his little black pig, he timidly went over to Xie Yaoyao to apologize.
‘Sorry, this little piggy for you.’

‘Is okay,’
Xie Yaoyao, successfully appeased, waved his hand generously, his voice milky.
You first time, take care baby, not skilled.

Unlike him, he was already a mature kid.

But Xie Yaoyao still hadn’t made peace with the little black pig.
He pattered over to Ning Shixue, took his hand with his little one, and tugged hard.
We, go fast.

Otherwise, the piggy might eat him.

This was way too scary.

Ning Shixue had spent half the afternoon playing with the little toy gun at the playground.
Now his right arm was starting to ache.

After dinner, he slumped weakly on the sofa again, listless.

It was already 8:30.
Xie Yaoyao and the others were lined up in front of the TV, ready to watch Forest Bunny Police.

The cartoon episodes were only fifteen minutes long.
During a commercial break, Xie Yaoyao suddenly ran up to the television.

His chubby little face pressed against the screen.
He looked like he was trying to crawl inside.
Ning Shixue had to remind him,
Xie Xingxing, move back a bit.

Yaoyao didi, what are you doing?
He Miao asked curiously.

Xie Yaoyao reluctantly moved his chubby face away and said pitifully,
My Big Daddy in TV.

The TV was showing a preview for a movie replay.
It was a period drama filmed six years ago.
Ning Shixue remembered it was supposedly Elder He’s final film, the box office champion of its year.

After this movie, the era of independent filmmakers from Elder He’s generation came to a roaring close.

Even all the music in the film was done in collaboration with masters from home and abroad.
Just listening to it evoked images of heavy snow sealing mountain passes, of gold and jade amidst blazing fire.

The male lead was the young Prince of Yanbei, around seventeen or eighteen, leading several thousand soldiers to guard the frontier.

Silver saddle, white horse, dashing and elegant.

Heavy snow covered the entire border town.
Yet as long as you heard the Prince of Yanbei’s war boots crunch through the snow, heard the flags snap in the cold wind, it seemed like all the soldiers and civilians could survive that pitch-black night.

But the male lead was also the film’s greatest antagonist.
He died for treason, refusing to bow his head and kneel towards the capital even in death.

Those dark, narrow phoenix eyes seemed to reflect the boundless, vast moonlight of the northern deserts.

[??? Baby, tell me again who your Big Daddy is?
You can’t just say things like that.]

[I admit Ning Shixue was wronged last night, he’s innocent.
But don’t try to ride on my ex-husband’s coattails!]

[I have a bold idea.
Could it really be Xie Zhaozhou?
Isn’t he part of the Xie family?]

[That was clarify years ago, okay?]

Ning Shixue’s eyes met those on the screen, and a shiver ran through him.

He suddenly realized something.
Avoiding the camera, he quickly opened a search bar and typed in Xie Zhaozhou’s name.

Instantly, a flood of news appeared.

Only then did he learn that Xie Zhaozhou was twenty-seven, six years older than him.
Around the same age as Xie Yaoyao, he had started learning opera with Liao Qingchi.
At fifteen, he filmed his first movie, playing the young version of the founder of the Liao school of opera.

The director back then was Elder He himself.

The movie was a huge box office success after its release.
Everyone speculated whether he was a child of the Xie family.
But Xie Zhaozhou didn’t sign with Shengxing Entertainment.
He was registered under He Lin’s studio.
On the very night he was questioned, he issued a statement clarifying his relationship with the Xie family.

Then, at sixteen, he lost his singing voice and could no longer perform opera.
He then did something with He…? The media was full of praise, saying that before he was even twenty… In the following years, he won countless awards domestically and internationally, delivering textbook-level performances.
Even when he suddenly retired years ago, his name…

“…”

Ning Shixue finally understood why he had always seemed a bit familiar.

No wonder.

But Snow Ridge was already an eleven-year-old film.
Xie Zhaozhou had only been in his teens back then.
He wasn’t the gloomy person he was now.
Plus, he had lost over ten pounds for Snow Ridge, becoming gaunt, and then there was the movie makeup.

There was no way he could have recognized him.

Ning Shixue was completely stunned.
The original novel had never mentioned any of this.
He only knew that Xie Zhaozhou was introduced as the antagonist, the CEO of the Xie Group, irreconcilable with the scum gong.

But even the main antagonist, like him the cannon fodder, only existed to highlight the scum gong.

They wouldn’t waste much ink on him.

He couldn’t dwell on it now.
He had to stop Xie Yaoyao immediately.
Xie Zhaozhou definitely wouldn’t want to be mentioned on the variety show.

Luckily, the movie preview ended quickly.
He Lin was also sitting close to the kids.
He tossed a few little tangerines to them.
Xie Yaoyao was instantly distracted.

The bullet comments just thought it was a child talking nonsense.
And since Xie Zhaozhou had already retired from the industry, no one pursued the matter further.

–

Back in their room that night.

Ning Shixue took Xie Yaoyao’s little hand and said,
Kid, you can’t tell anyone who your Big Daddy is, understand?

Why?
Xie Yaoyao tilted his head in confusion.

But before Ning Shixue could explain, Xie Yaoyao suddenly nodded vigorously again.
He clenched his chubby little fist.
I know!
I will protect Big Daddy!

When he was one and a half, his mother passed away.
He didn’t remember what she looked like, or what her voice sounded like.
But his mother had left a recording on his smartwatch.

Every time he missed her, he would hide under the covers, prop his chubby face in his hands, and listen to it over and over.

In it, his mother told him that his daddy and mommy hadn’t been able to take care of him for long.
But his uncle had done so much for him.
When he grew up, he had to protect his uncle and not let bad people bully him.

There was a little black pig in their yard now.
If he exposed Big Daddy, Big Daddy would get caught too.

Xie Yaoyao sighed heavily.

Being a kid was so hard.

Ning Shixue had no idea how Xie Yaoyao had suddenly convinced himself.
But despite being a bit of a brat, Xie Yaoyao was still clever and reliable compared to other kids his age.
He felt a little reassured.

They went back, washed up, and Ning Shixue was already thinking about sleeping.
But He Miaomiao and the other little ones suddenly ran over.

Xie Yaoyao guiltily scratched his chubby cheek.

What are you all doing here?
Ning Shixue asked, puzzled.

Hm?
He Miao blinked.
Yaoyao didi said we can come listen to stories tonight.

Earlier, while watching cartoons, He Miao mentioned that her daddy told her Forest Bunny Police stories every night.
Tang Haohao also chimed in, saying his daddy told him Ultraman stories.
Even Ji Xiao nodded along.
He had a story machine; Ji Qing would turn on a bedtime story for him at night.

I like The Three Little Pigs,
he told Xie Yaoyao, hugging his little black pig plushie.

This made Xie Yaoyao incredibly envious.
He whined for a bit, then told a little lie.
My stepdad also can, tell me stories.

Afraid the other kids wouldn’t believe him, he even promised,
You all can come listen at night!

Xie Yaoyao lowered his little head, showing only a soft little cowlick, too guilty to meet Ning Shixue’s eyes.

‘Is that so,’
Ning Shixue’s peach blossom eyes curved, surprisingly not calling him out.
Instead, he told the other kids,
‘Come on up, then.
But after the story, you have to go back to sleep.’

Okay!
The little ones agreed quickly and, with Ning Shixue’s help, climbed onto the kang and burrowed under his covers, looking up expectantly.
Little Ning Gege, what story will you tell?

Ning Shixue: “…”

He had no idea either.

[Hehe, I want to hear wifey tell a story too.
I’m already lying down, just waiting for wifey to tuck me in.]

[!!! This is possible?
I want to lie down too! Peaceful.jpg]

Ning Shixue painfully raised a hand to rub his face.
Finally, he could only take Xie Yaoyao’s storybook and open it.
‘I’ll tell you the story of Forest Bunny Police.’

‘A long time ago, there was a group of little bunnies living in the forest.
Their job, every day, was to follow the lop-eared bunny officer and catch bad guys.
Their arch-enemy was Black Soil Wolf…’

Ning Shixue’s voice was a bit cool, but clear and crisp, a very clean youthful tone.

The story was quite long.
The little ones stared at him intently.
But halfway through, Ning Shixue nearly hypnotized himself.

‘The little bunnies rewarded good and punished evil.
They caught one, two, three… fifteen, twenty-eight, thirty-seven… one hundred bad guys,’
Ning Shixue counted to one hundred with his eyes closed.
Then he said,
‘And then, the little bunnies’ daddy went to sleep.’

“…”

The little ones were dumbfounded.
How could it end like that?

[I give up. Only you would do this. Thumbs up.jpg]

[Master of procrastination.]

[You know what? Counting made me sleepy. I’m starting to feel like sleeping now. doge]

You lying,
Xie Yaoyao said, his face full of suspicion.
Forest Bunny Police wasn’t like that at all.

Ning Shixue’s eyes were innocent.
He spread the storybook open and pushed it towards the little ones.
‘What did I lie about?
You count for yourselves.
Isn’t this exactly twelve words?
And then the little bunnies’ daddy went to sleep—isn’t that also exactly twelve words?’

Xie Yaoyao actually counted.
He lay on the book, poking with his short, pale little fingers, counting one by one.

Then his soft little face went blank.

Why was it like this?

It really was twelve words.

He Miao could recognize a few characters.
She also leaned over to look.
She couldn’t read all of them, but the line Ning Shixue pointed to definitely didn’t have the words ‘went to sleep.’

She tilted her head, confused.

She didn’t think Little Ning Gege would lie.
But the book really did say that.
Oh well, whatever Little Ning Gege said was right.
She nodded firmly.
‘The story is just like that.’

After saying this, she couldn’t help hugging Ning Shixue.

Little Ning Gege couldn’t even read.
He was just too pitiful.
When she got back, she would ask her daddy for help.
They should send Little Ning Gege to kindergarten too, in her class.

Ning Shixue had no idea he had become a pitiful little fool in the kids’ eyes.

He had successfully tricked Xie Yaoyao and the others.

Then you sleep,
Xie Yaoyao said, lifting his soft, chubby little hand to pat Ning Shixue’s pillow for him.

Ning Shixue lay down.
Ji Xiao and Tang Haohao tucked him in.
He Miao didn’t forget to remind him,
Little Ning Gege, you can’t let your belly button show when you sleep.

He Lin and Tang He’an, who had come to pick up their kids, felt a pang of sorrow.
Why didn’t they get this kind of treatment?

The more effort you put in, the more unfortunate you were?

Did this world ultimately belong to the salted fish?

–

The kids had taken such good care of him that Ning Shixue slept soundly all night.
When he woke up, it was their last day in this small village.
Today’s task was still swapping dads.

Because the kids had gone to find their own dads last night, the program team wanted to edit an official version of the show and felt they still didn’t have enough footage.
They needed to film for half a day more.

The kids were all used to this task now.
No one cried today.

Ning Shixue planned to take Ji Xiao to catch small fish at the edge of the village.
Tang Haohao went with He Lin to the village head’s house.

Tang He’an and Ji Qing stayed in the yard with their swapped kids.

Ji Qing didn’t dare go out.
Who knew what might happen outside?
He was terrified, afraid Xie Yaoyao might get hurt while in his care.

The Xie family definitely wouldn’t let him off easily.

Tang He’an had originally wanted to take He Miao to a movie, but He Miao wanted to play with Xie Yaoyao, so they didn’t go out either.

Before leaving, Xie Yaoyao waved at Ning Shixue.
You not, miss me too much.

Ning Shixue: “…”

Who was going to miss who?

They would be back by noon.
Xie Yaoyao decided to stay and play with He Miao at the courtyard entrance.

A mature star would give directions in advance.

At the edge of the village, there was an old grandma selling small fish.
Ning Shixue squatted nearby, watching Ji Xiao play.
Then he suddenly spotted a little chubby fish.
He scooped it up, intending to take it back for Xie Yaoyao.

Even though Xie Yaoyao didn’t admit to being chubby.
He thought he was just soft.

Little Ning Gege, this one for you,
Ji Xiao carefully handed over a small black fish he had caught, and then gave Ning Shixue a beautiful little goldfish with a tail like gauze.

Ning Shixue paused for a moment, then his eyes curved.
Thank you, Xiaoxiao.

Ji Xiao had caught a small fish for everyone.

It was already 12:30 PM when they headed back.
Ning Shixue had just reached the alley entrance.

Then he heard heart-wrenching sobs.