"And also, if my dad calls during this time asking what I'm doing, do you know what to say?" Wen Wenlan subconsciously changed the subject.
"Young Master, wouldn't that be a bit problematic?" Wei Si asked with difficulty. "If you keep lying, what happens if Third Master Wen comes to catch you directly?"
"He can catch me when he catches me," Wen Wenlan sneered. "My dad has too much free time every day."
He had told his father more than once that he had no interest in managing the Wen Group. With his uncle around, wouldn't it be better for them to leisurely hold their shares and travel the world?
Why insist on finding trouble for himself?
After the imperial garden family banquet last time, he had tried to reason with his father. His father had calmed down for a while. Before he could even rejoice, he received a call from his father, who subtly implied that acting had no future and that he should go back to work at Wen's with him, secretly cultivating his own trusted aides.
It was a headache, a real headache. Heaven knew how much he disliked management. Even his own studio was managed by a professional team he hired.
Even more absurd was that his father said he was of age and it was time for him to get married and form an alliance. He just wanted to establish himself on the path of acting and then marry Yan Huanxi. What kind of damn alliance, let it go to hell.
"Actually, Young Master, your father did call me once."
Hearing this, Wen Wenlan involuntarily sat up straighter, looking at Wei Si in front of him with displeasure and worry: "When?"
"It was yesterday, after you finished filming the last scene."
Wei Si knew his artist's temper, so he had accompanied Wen Wenlan for most of the time when he joined the crew.
Last night, while filming a night scene, Wen Wenlan's phone rang.
At first, he didn't want to answer, but the person on the other end of the phone seemed to imply, "If you don't answer, I'll keep calling until your phone breaks today."
Helplessly, he picked it up.
Contact Name: Father.
Wen Wenlan had said that as his agent, he had the right to answer any calls marked "Father" without telling him.
After he finished the call that day, he went to do other things and then forgot about it.
"Alright, I get it. You don't need to tell me the content of the call," Wen Wenlan interrupted Wei Si's recollection. "Just take me back to Mingshan Apartment. I need to read scripts for a while, so don't disturb me."
"Okay."
Upon reaching the entrance of Mingshan Apartment, Wen Wenlan said he wanted to get out of the car.
Wei Si knew that this was when he needed to think about the script's plot, so he let him out.
The weather was cloudy.
Wen Wenlan walked along the path with appreciation, occasionally stopping by some flowers and trees.
"Who!"
He suddenly heard a sound and looked sharply towards the bluestone path behind him.
When he saw who it was, the expression on his face stiffened: "It's you."
"Uh..." Fang Miaomiao also showed a hint of embarrassment upon seeing Wen Wenlan.
"Brother Wenlan."
"An'an? What are you two doing here?"
"Dad said the office wasn't much fun, so he let me and Mom come home." Wen Yan'an's voice was soft. "Mom said it wasn't far from home, so we got out at the main entrance and walked here."
"I didn't see you at the main entrance." Wen Wenlan's gaze towards Fang Miaomiao held a trace of displeasure and disdain.
This woman was really cunning. She saw him get out of the car and followed suit, even using Yan An to cover for her.
His uncle was good in every way, except that his judgment was a bit off. How could he have fallen for such a fickle woman?
"We've been here for a while." Wen Yan'an pointed to the bluestone path behind them. "We just saw a lost puppy over there, so we took it to the property management office and are only coming now."
Wen Yan'an's words felt like countless slaps to Wen Wenlan's face, silent but painful.
He had thought that Fang Miaomiao, upon seeing him, had deliberately found an excuse to bring Yan An to approach him, just to have a word with him.
"Alright, say goodbye to Brother Wenlan, we need to go home. The sun is getting stronger," Fang Miaomiao said to Wen Yan'an with a smile, as if she hadn't noticed Wen Wenlan's gaze.
"Goodbye, Brother Wenlan."
"An'an, goodbye."
"Miaomiao..." Wen Wenlan watched Fang Miaomiao leave without looking back, suddenly at a loss for words.
He had a faint feeling that his thoughts from the imperial garden last time were correct. Fang Miaomiao seemed to have really changed. Her gaze was no longer solely fixed on him, and they seemed like strangers who occasionally met.
"Mom, can we really get a puppy tomorrow?"
"If you want to raise one, go ahead," Fang Miaomiao wasn't particularly interested in raising pets. Raising one child was already a great merit for her. "But let's agree on this first, you'll have to take care of them yourself, I won't be involved."
"Mhm, mhm." Wen Yan'an nodded vigorously. "But, what about Dad?"
"Leave your dad to me."
"Mom is so amazing."
Fang Miaomiao dotingly stroked Wen Yan'an's small head.
Upon returning home, Fang Miaomiao slumped onto the sofa: "So tired."
"Mom, you rest. An'an will get you some water."
After saying that, Wen Yan'an poured Fang Miaomiao a cup of warm water: "Mom, drink water."
"Thank you, my little An'an."
Fang Miaomiao took the water and took a sip. It was warm.
This made her feel a warmth in her heart. What an obedient and kind child.
"Mom, when can we go adopt a kitten tomorrow?" Wen Yan'an sat next to Fang Miaomiao, asking excitedly.
"Tomorrow..." Fang Miaomiao flipped through the weather. "How about the morning? It's too hot in the afternoon, and going out will be tiring."
"Mhm, mhm, whenever Mom says we go, we go."
"Tsk." Fang Miaomiao unceremoniously stroked Wen Yan'an's smooth face. "You little thing, how did you suddenly become so eloquent?"
Completely different from the quiet child she had met before.
"It's what they say on TV."
TV had said that you should treat people you like seriously, listen to them carefully, answer without being perfunctory, and also be sweet-mouthed, so the person you like will like you more and more.
He wanted his mother to like him more and more.
"Putting knowledge into practice," Fang Miaomiao said, giving him a thumbs-up while constantly swiping on her phone screen.
Her hand paused: "An'an, how about this place?"
"Are there only stray cats here?"
"More or less. But if you don't like it, we can change to another place."
"Mom, why are there stray cats?"
Fang Miaomiao paused: "Perhaps their owners were irresponsible, or maybe due to various reasons, they couldn't take their cats with them, and had nowhere to put them, so they ultimately abandoned them."