Chapter 196

Ji Ruochu woke up as the moon rose above the willow branches.

"Mom and Dad?"

The half-awake Ji Ruochu was startled for a moment, seeing the two people sitting to her left and right, almost thinking she had slept and dreamed.

It turned out her parents had brought rocking chairs to the courtyard at some point and were lounging comfortably.

"The young lady is awake!" Her father immediately jumped up. "Thirsty? I made some honey lemon water for you, heard the youngsters these days love drinking it."

Saying so, he poured a cup of the chilled fruit tea from the thermos on the small tea table and handed it to his daughter.

"Mm, tasty." Ji Ruochu took a sip, and the slightly cool fruit tea instantly refreshed her. She smiled and took a few more sips.

"Don't drink too much, you just woke up and should have something warm," Ling Chujin disagreed a little. "Go wash your face, and then you can eat."

...

"Young lady, what are your plans next?" At the dining table, Ji Mochen used the serving chopsticks to put some meat onto his daughter's plate and asked.

Ji Ruochu blinked, looking at her parents' eager gazes, took a bite of the meat, and then said leisurely:

"I have a two-month vacation, so I'm thinking of taking on a variety show."

"Sure, I'll get in touch with your Uncle Qin later. I heard him complaining the other day about being overwhelmed with so many resources coming his way, he was having a hard time picking."

Yes, in the end, Ji Mochen's former manager had been brought over, along with his assistant Li Yi and the previous team.

As for the reason...

Well, they had thought that once Ji Mochen terminated his contract, Brother Qin would finally be free, but then every time something came up, everyone still sought him out.

Plus, Ji Mochen as an old client had brought him too much, so after much thought, Brother Qin felt his old bones could hold on a little longer.

Thus, the arrangements for both father and daughter's work in the entertainment industry were handled by him. From the brand endorsements for Ji Ruochu's daily accessories to script reviews, Brother Qin basically vetted everything.

After his initial review, only a few quality options would reach Ji Ruochu's hands, greatly increasing efficiency. As for the ones rejected, Brother Qin could use them as favors, recommending more suitable candidates to the directors.

Brother Qin: Don't ask, it's about building goodwill for these two ancestors.

It was precisely for this reason that although Ji Mochen and his daughter appeared on screen less often in recent years, their appearances were very memorable. While their fan numbers didn't surge, they remained steadily at a formidable level.

Gradually, Brother Qin also felt this way of retirement wasn't bad. At least Ji Mochen, this ticking time bomb, wouldn't suddenly explode—until the variety show Brain Battle aired.

Although Ji Ruochu's previous works had also performed strongly, they still fell short compared to this variety show earlier this year, hence Brother Qin's earlier comment about his eyes being "strained from picking."

As the family was discussing this, Brother Qin's call came in. Ji Mochen put down his chopsticks and put it on speakerphone.

"Is Ruochu back?" Brother Qin's voice came from the other end.

"Uncle Qin," Ji Ruochu responded.

"Ah!" Brother Qin happily replied, then got to the main point, "Ruochu, I've gotten too many drama and variety show offers recently. I've selected a few and sent them to your email inbox. By the way, how long is your vacation this time?"

"Two months."

"Alright, take your time picking. Let me know once you've decided."

...

After the main business, Brother Qin hung up. Ji Mochen couldn't help but purse his lips—it seemed that unless it affected his own daughter's rest, this manager wouldn't even call him anymore.

As the old man grumbled in his heart, Ji Ruochu, already quite full, had taken the tablet from Ling Chujin and opened her email to carefully consider the options.

Seeing this, Ji Mochen didn't urge her on. Instead, he put on gloves and started peeling shrimp for his daughter, placing the succulent shrimp meat into a sauce dish after de-shelling.

Just as Ji Ruochu was about to say she didn't want any more, Ling Chujin had already swiftly picked up a shrimp with her chopsticks and brought it to Ji Ruochu's mouth.

Ji Ruochu, already quite full: ...

Well, might as well eat it.

"Speaking of variety shows, I remember the director of that locked-room mystery show reached out to me before. I don't know if your Uncle Qin included that option for you," Ji Mochen said as he peeled the shrimp.

Beside him, Ling Chujin also joined the conversation, "I know about that variety show. It's quite popular and interesting."

But the next second, Ji Ruochu shook her head, "No, I don't feel like using my brain lately. Let's go for something more relaxing."

The couple nodded in agreement—that's right, she should rest well.

"Then don't take any. We don't rely on this for a living anyway. Just treat it as a pastime. If you get tired, just rest at home. I'll plan a nutritious meal for you to recharge properly," her father said.

"But that's so boring!" Ji Ruochu said, then turned the tablet towards her parents with a smile. "Let's take this one instead."

"A child's independent living... what?" Her father was instantly alarmed. "You're moving out to live alone, young lady?" Thud.

The chopsticks holding the shrimp fell, and in just a second, the smiles on the couple's faces turned to bitterness.

The aggrieved couple exchanged a glance, instantly tearing up: Wah wah wah... so their daughter still found them too clingy.

Ji Ruochu looked exasperated, "No, I mean we should take this varie—"

"It's okay, kids grow up and don't like living with their parents anymore," Ling Chujin said dejectedly. "Don't worry, young lady. We're not clueless old folks. We'll start packing right away and move out."

"..."

"Ah? Move out today? But I haven't made imperial crab for you yet, young lady. Can we do it tomorrow?" Her father looked like the world was ending.

"It's fine, we can buy a place in the neighboring district. We'll come over to cook for you and then leave."

"..."

Ji Ruochu rubbed her aching head, marveling at her parents' flair for the dramatic, then cut them off:

"Tsk, what are you two going on about? I'm not living alone—"

Pushing the two "I'll leave right away" drama queens back into their chairs, Ji Ruochu repeated word by word:

"I got us—the three of us!—a variety show."

Huh?

The couple, eyes already brimming with tears, suddenly stopped: What does that mean?

"An observational variety show. I'll record my part first, then you two will record in the studio. There will also be special segments where we record together as a family."

...

After some explanation, the couple still wasn't convinced, double-checking with her again:

"So you really don't find us annoying?"

"You really don't want to live alone?"

"I don't find you annoying, and I don't want to live alone."

The dramatic couple instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

"I knew it, our young lady is the best in the world. How could she find us annoying?" one of them said, consoling themselves.

After calming themselves down, they finally looked at the tablet to study the recording arrangements for the show.