Yu Yaoyao walked to the closet and opened it. Rows of clothes lined the inside of the closet. Both the mother and son looked at Shen Yichong in gratitude, as did the viewers watching the live broadcast:

【I am envious, but my sis deserves it~】

【Mr. Shen is so warm-hearted. Did he buy it himself in the morning? What styles did he choose? 】

Shen Yichong ushered Yu Yaoyao into the bathroom to change while he helped Shen Rui choose an outfit. It was evident that he wanted to go and change with his mother. Pouting, the kid stretched up his arms so Shen Yichong could slip a new hoodie over him. It was blue and light, just like the sky. He was still unhappy when he was made to put on a pair of linen plaid pants.

When he was finished, he turned to the mirror and tried to tame one unruly curl which still stood upright on his head. He thought of something and smiled brightly. “Dad, if I get a little brother, can I help him change clothes?” he asked eagerly.

Shen Yichongs hands, which were arranging the cuffs on Shen Rui’s sleeves, paused momentarily. He smiled fondly at his child. “Of course!” he said, “If you have a little brother or a sister, they will be your responsibility.”

Little Bun’s face filled with joy at these words and he jumped around the room, doing a happy dance. Yu Yaoyao emerged from the bathroom, garbed in a lemon-yellow, beach-style suspender dress with a knitted, beige outer. The kid ran to her and tailed her as she got her things ready. “Dad, where is the hot pack?” he asked, joking about the hot pack incident not so long ago.

*

The viewers laughed at the broadcast, remembering the hilarity of the incident a while ago. But some people didn’t share the same humor. Some had a deep-seated hatred towards all things associated with Yu Yaoyao.

Ling Shuang belonged to the latter category. She was following the live stream in her laptop in her study, seething in anger. She never imagined Shen Yichong smiling so warmly ever in her life, much less on a variety show. She couldn’t understand how he had become so smitten with Yu Yaoyao. Five years ago, when they had gotten married, he couldn’t even look her straight in the eye, much less exist in the same room. He used to be out, working all the time so he didn’t need to come home and spend time with her! Until they had a baby, he was rarely seen at home at all.

It was very obvious that Shen Yicong’s affectionate gaze towards Yu Yaoyao wasn’t a show. He really did love her. The three of them gave off a happy aura that she loathed. She watched as they exited the hotel and walked towards the beach. The entire time Shen Yichong held Yu Yaoyao’s hands and dropped a kiss on her cheek when Shen Rui wasn’t looking. Ling Shuang was appalled! He wasn’t like that before.

“She is definitely more straightforward and spontaneous than she was before,” said Chen Jiao, who glanced at the video next to Ling Shuang, “Her acting skill has improved a lot, as well.”

Ling Shuang bit her lips. “But how?” she exclaimed, “Even if she has become a better person now, how can she be forgiven for all the mistakes she committed before? I don’t understand how brother Shen had forgotten and forgiven his five years of resentment.” She took a deep breath. “Brother Chen, you told me that if I audition for ‘At That Time’, Shen would be there as well, right?”

“Of course,” obliged Chen Jiao, “He is the main investor, he will definitely be there.”

Ling Shuang smiled. “Thank you,” she said, “If I ever meet Yu Yaoyao, I will defeat her in acting with my superior skills.”

*

Meanwhile, Shen Yichong and Yu Yaoyao were also conversing on the same subject. “If you want to play the female lead in one of our dramas, I will have Ni Yi send you the script,” he said, “Our company has the right to decide on three female leads for three dramas that we are producing. But I wouldn’t recommend considering some dramas, the ones focused on the theme of youth as well as the traditional imperial setting. You have done something similar before, so the public will fixate your acting on these two personae only. I feel that you can try different characters to play, which will help you be more versatile in your acting career.” Shen Yichong was keen on helping her get more diverse roles so that she could play anything in the future.

Yu Yaoyao also was playful and eager to try new things, and she sure as hell didn’t want to be stuck in one type of role. “It does make sense,” she said, “I will consider your suggestion.”

They walked along the coastline, on the shimmering sand. Their footprints side by side. Shen Rui bent down to pick shells from the shore. Everything appeared soothing and tranquil. However, in the next moment, Ni Yi rushed to Yu Yaoyao and handed her the cellphone. “Sis, Director Qi Hang’s has called,” he said, panting from running all the way, “He wants to ask your views on marriage and whether it is better for married women to be independent and strong, or meek and subdued. He also hopes that you will create a short audition video clip on the character’s reaction when she finds out that her husband has been cheating on her.”

Along with the director, the viewers of the live broadcast also keenly awaited to watch Yu Yaoyao’s audition.