Su Wanru: "Why is your phone always off? Is something wrong?"
"What's going on? I'm so worried!"
...
Xu Muqing: "Where are you? Your phone has been unreachable. Weren't you with Tong Tong recording the show?"
"If you see this message, please call me back!"
...
Liu Kaichen: "Yifeng, your phone is off. Please call me back when you see this message."
After reading all the text messages, Tong Tong replied to them one by one: "Aunt Xu, it's Tong Tong. Dad's phone ran out of battery. We just got home after having a late-night snack outside. Dad is already asleep, so I'll have him call you tomorrow!"
Next, he replied to Su Wanru: "Aunt Su, it's Tong Tong. We're fine, nothing happened. Dad's phone ran out of battery, that's why he couldn't answer your call. Dad is asleep now, and I'll have him call you tomorrow."
Finally, he replied to Liu Kaichen: "Uncle, it's Tong Tong. Dad's asleep, I'll have him call you back tomorrow!"
Although he was young and rarely used a phone, his typing speed on the nine-key input method was no slower than an adult's.
His small fingers flew across the keyboard.
He sent text messages quickly and received replies just as fast.
Soon, a message from Xu Muqing came back: "Tong Tong, Aunt Xu understands. Go to bed early, goodnight!"
Su Wanru: "It's good that everything is fine. Tong Tong, why aren't you asleep yet? Don't you have to record the show tomorrow?"
"I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight, Aunt Su!"
"Goodnight, Aunt Xu!"
After replying to these two messages, he put down his phone and got back into bed.
The reason he didn't send a text or call his grandpa was that his grandpa would be asleep at this hour, and he wouldn't see the message. Calling would only wake him up!
As for Liu Kaichen, he was sleeping soundly and didn't react to the text message notification at all!
Tong Tong didn't bother with it either. Lying back in bed, he quickly fell asleep.
At 7:30 in the morning, Liu Yifeng was woken up by the urge to urinate.
After using the restroom, he saw he still had plenty of time and thought he'd sleep for another ten minutes.
At that moment, his phone started ringing. He picked it up and saw it was his dad calling.
Guessing that his dad must be worried because he couldn't reach him last night, he quickly answered the phone: "Hello, Dad!"
On the other end, Liu Chunsheng was relieved to hear his son's voice: "You rascal, why didn't you answer my calls last night? I thought something had happened!"
Liu Yifeng explained: "Dad, it was already past 9:30 PM after the recording. Director Wang and I went out for a late-night snack. We got back to the hotel after 11 PM, and that's when I realized my phone had run out of battery.
I wanted to call you, but it was too late, and I didn't want to disturb your rest. I was planning to call you today when your call came through."
After hearing Liu Yifeng's explanation, Liu Chunsheng was no longer angry: "Be more careful next time. Keep your phone charged at all times. You're away from home, and I wouldn't know if anything happened. I can only rest assured when I can reach you!"
"Yes, yes, Dad, I understand. I promise to keep my phone on 24 hours a day from now on.
But we're doing very well here, nothing will happen!"
"Still, you should be careful when you're out.
By the way, how was Tong Tong's performance yesterday?" Liu Chunsheng asked curiously.
Liu Yifeng smiled slightly: "More than just okay, it was perfect.
Even though your grandson is the youngest contestant, his performance was the most outstanding and he's very popular with everyone!"
After hearing his son's words, Liu Chunsheng's mood brightened: "Hahaha, I knew my grandson would be the best.
But don't put too much pressure on Tong Tong. He's still a child. It's great if he wins, but don't blame him if he doesn't, after all, he's just a child!"
He was afraid that Liu Yifeng, with his strong desire to win, might implicitly or explicitly pressure Tong Tong.
Liu Yifeng felt a bit helpless: "Dad, don't you know me? How could I pressure Tong Tong!
Oh, there's something I think I should tell you."
Hearing Liu Yifeng's tone become more serious, Liu Chunsheng also became serious: "What is it?"
Liu Yifeng turned to look at Tong Tong, who was still sleeping, and said slowly: "Tong Tong's mother is also in this show, acting as a special guest for other contestants!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Chunsheng immediately became nervous: "How could they end up in the same place? Won't Tong Tong be upset seeing his mother as a special guest for someone else?
You must comfort Tong Tong well and keep him happy. If necessary, we can withdraw from the show."
He wasn't worried about anything else, but he feared that Tong Tong might suffer emotional trauma seeing his own mother spending time with other contestants every day, trauma that time might not easily heal.
"Dad, don't worry, Tong Tong isn't that fragile.
He's acting calmly and strongly!"
Liu Yifeng's words made Liu Chunsheng feel heartbroken: "This child, the stronger he is, the more it shows he's been through a lot.
Otherwise, an ordinary child would be crying their eyes out seeing this.
I'm not good with words and can't comfort Tong Tong much. You are his father, you must always pay attention to his every move. If there's any emotional imbalance, you need to find a way to make him happy."
Even without Liu Chunsheng saying it, Liu Yifeng knew this. He nodded: "Dad, don't worry, I'll take good care of Tong Tong.
You take care of yourself when you're home alone. Buy whatever you want to eat, don't be stingy.
When Tong Tong's show is finished and I get back, I'll find a good place and build a big house for us!"
He had wanted to build a house for a long time, but he had been too busy recently and had put it off.
He had originally planned to finish building the house this year and celebrate the New Year in the new house, but now it seemed there wasn't enough time.
"Where do you have the money to build a house? Didn't you spend a lot on the house and car?"
"Don't worry about the money, Dad. Just wait to enjoy your old age!" Liu Yifeng didn't mention that he had invested in a property that had been demolished and would receive a substantial compensation once he completed the procedures.
Even if it wasn't fifty million, it would be at least thirty million. He felt excited just thinking about it.
"As long as you and Tong Tong are doing well, Dad is content with this life." Liu Chunsheng was already satisfied with his current life and didn't care much about whether they built a new house.
Liu Yifeng felt the same way: "Dad, my only wish is for you to be healthy and Tong Tong to be happy. I have no other desires."
"I'm in good health. Alright, it's good that you're fine. I have to go to the orchard soon, so I'll hang up!" Liu Chunsheng was about to hang up.
Liu Yifeng quickly said: "Dad, haven't you finished harvesting the fruits from the orchard yet?"
"The chestnuts are out. Only the oranges are left, and they should be harvested by tomorrow afternoon.
Can you come back if you have time? I still need to settle the payment with Liu Xincheng, and these fruits need to be transported to the warehouse. Then they'll need nutritional and growth agents. I'm afraid I can't manage it all by myself."
Just as Liu Yifeng was about to agree, he suddenly remembered that he had promised Director Wang yesterday to go to the film set with him tomorrow.
However, if the fruits weren't dealt with soon, they might rot.
The chestnuts were fine, but the oranges were particularly prone to spoiling.
After some thought, he decided he should go back tomorrow and also handle the demolition procedures, then arrange for vehicles to transport the fruits to the warehouse.