Chapter 50: Heart-to-Heart
A drama crew is responsible for the day-to-day operations during a television drama’s production. Their work covers everything from food, clothing, housing, and transportation.
From something as small as deciding what meals the crew eats, to something as large as arranging actors’ schedules and communicating with them—everything falls under their responsibility.
The protagonist’s father was a veteran drama crew staff member, someone who had worked on more than a dozen TV drama productions. He also knew many actors in the industry.
Because he constantly had to deal with people of all kinds of personalities, he had developed a sharp eye and a highly polished understanding of human nature.
During this period, he kept seeing his son’s name and presence appear in various places, which gave him a very direct feeling—
His son… had changed.
“Your mom said you did pretty well on this exam. So you’ve decided to start studying seriously?”
If he remembered correctly, his son used to be completely unmotivated—what one might even call a slacker. But now, not only was he studying seriously, he was also writing songs, poems, and even starting a company.
The change was too drastic. As someone who often worked on fantasy drama sets, he couldn’t help but entertain a somewhat absurd thought—
Was his son… replaced by an alien?
“Studying hard is just what you’re supposed to do, right?”
The boy frowned. “Even if studying doesn’t guarantee success, it lets you see a bigger world.”
He nodded, but his eyes never left his son.
Still felt… off.
“We haven’t played the ‘either-or guessing game’ in a while. I’ll ask, you answer.”
The boy’s heart sank.
Oh no. His father was suspicious.
If he answered something inconsistent with his past self, things would get troublesome.
His memories of the original owner were vague in many details. If he got exposed here, it would be awkward.
“Sweet or salty soy milk?”
“Salty!”
“Cats or dogs?”
“Cats.”
“Blue or white?”
“Blue.”
“Mature women or lolis?”
“Lolis.”
On the surface, he remained calm—but cold sweat had already soaked his back.
Fortunately, based on his memory, his answers should all be correct. Even guessing randomly would probably not go wrong, since his preferences were similar to the original owner’s.
“Not bad,” his father laughed. “Honestly, I didn’t even know the last answer myself. Now I do.”
So this is really my son.
He was overthinking it.
“You’ve changed quite a bit lately. I just wanted to liven the mood.”
He sighed, unsure what to talk about.
Deep down, he felt guilty.
Since his son was born, he had taken on the responsibility of being a father. That sense of responsibility drove him to work hard and provide a good life, but it also meant he rarely had time to accompany his child’s growth.
Now his son had changed so much—and he hadn’t even noticed.
That was clearly his failure as a father.
“Dad?”
The boy noticed the bitterness on his father’s face. “Are you going through a midlife crisis?”
“Brat!” he laughed helplessly. “I just feel like I don’t know you well enough. I didn’t even realize my own son had become this outstanding.”
He patted his son’s thin shoulder and frowned.
“You’re too skinny! You look good, but don’t go down the path of those pretty-boy idols. Tomorrow, come exercise with me.”
Thinking of this made him angry.
He had seen plenty of such “idol-type” actors in the industry—people who avoided effort, relied on stand-ins, and still demanded praise for being ‘dedicated’ even after minor injuries.
“That works too,” the boy muttered.
“Exercise is fine.”
A healthy body is the foundation of studying and working. If he wanted to study well, he couldn’t neglect his health.
His father was right about that.
“You also need to eat properly. You’re too thin. Your mom’s cooking isn’t that bad, right?”
The boy looked at his broad-shouldered father and felt a warm sensation in his heart.
An unexpected contrast.
In his past life, he had been completely alone. The concept of “family” had felt distant for a very long time.
But now… he had a family.
Although his mother looked unreliable on the surface, he knew she cared deeply. She even helped him manage company matters despite not understanding them.
As the saying goes (or at least attributed to Lu Xun):
“The meaning of parents is not to give children a comfortable and wealthy life, but to give them strength when they think of their parents.”
(Though Lu Xun supposedly said everything in memes, this one might actually be real.)
Perhaps because he had been too lonely in his past life, those memories never truly faded. In dreams, he always saw two people—and both of them were himself.
Maybe it was time to let go.
“Sleep early. Tomorrow you’re running with me at dawn!”
“I checked the weather forecast—there’s no sun tomorrow. It clearly says ‘rain’ on every page…”
“Rain or not, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?” his father knocked him on the head. “What weird style of speech is that?”
“Lu Xun style,” he muttered.
“Don’t make excuses.”
“If it rains, we can’t run. The day after tomorrow then.”
“Fine.”
His father paused, then asked:
“By the way, your class is going to film that variety show this week. You’re going too, right?”
“It’s voluntary. I rejected it.”
“Hm? That’s fine too,” his father said casually. “The director still asked about you though. Wanted to sign you, but I already refused.”
“Too many people are interested in you.”
The boy froze.
Too many people… interested in him?
He could sing, but acting? Absolutely not. He would probably ruin a whole drama with his performance.
“No thanks,” he quickly said. “Why do you think I’d want to go?”
“I remember you used to like Mu Nan a lot. You don’t like her anymore?”
The boy paused.
So the original owner liked mature women more than lolis.
And he had just answered wrong earlier…
(End of Chapter)
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