Chapter 117.1

Two half-grown kids were glaring each other down, cheeks puffed up with anger as they stood on opposite sides. Neither of them looked like they were about to back off.

The fight had blown up out of nowhere, so the show staff didn’t even know what had happened.

Just before wrap, they’d still been getting along great. The teacher had even guided a talk about their parents, and each kid shared how they felt—family bonds were one of the show’s selling points, after all.

When filming ended, the two kids said they needed to use the restroom. They went in all friendly and smiley, but nobody knew what they’d said inside. They came out, and an argument broke out.

Yan Xiaoxia’s face was so red he looked like he might burst. “You have to apologize!!”

The little boy took a step back. His expression flickered, but he still dug in his heels. “No! I won’t! Everything I said was the truth! I’m not apologizing!!”

The crew had already wrapped, and there weren’t any cameras pointed at them. Yun Xiaoxu and another guest stepped in and pulled the two kids apart.

Yun Xiaoxu crouched down. “What’s going on? Why did you suddenly start fighting?”

Yan Xiaoxia was so mad he stamped his foot, then looked right past Yun Xiaoxu at the other kid. “He insulted people! He said that no matter how amazing your daddy is, he’s still just an omega! And he said other stuff too! What’s wrong with being an omega, huh? Is that something you get to say? I want him to apologize to Daddy!”

Everyone reacted at once. Even though prejudice around second genders had eased up compared to before, it was still a sensitive topic that people deliberately avoided bringing up. Public figures, especially, couldn’t just toss out opinions about it in public.

But a kid wouldn’t really understand that. At this age, he wouldn’t even have a real concept of second genders. The only reason he could say something like that was that a parent or relative had mentioned it before… and he’d picked it up.

In the middle of the shouting, both sets of parents arrived. The moment the little boy saw his mom and dad, his eyes went red with grievance. Usually at home and in kindergarten, he was the one getting soothed and praised. Today, he’d said something “casually” and got yelled at. Even though he knew he was wrong, he still refused to apologize, stubbornly snarling, “I’m not apologizing! He is an omega! Omegas can’t compare to alphas! They’re totally useless!”

The moment they heard that, the boy’s parents’ faces went straight dark. His father yanked him over, furious. “When have I ever taught you to talk like that?!”

The mother hurried to apologize to Jiang Zhihuo.

They were both public figures, and Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu had serious backing too. If Jiang Zhihuo’s side decided to press this, the couple would be the ones in the wrong, and it wouldn’t end well for them.

“I’m sorry. I honestly don’t know who put those ideas in his head. Kids say things without thinking… I’m really sorry.”

Jiang Zhihuo himself didn’t really care. If he’d truly been bothered by that kind of talk, he never would’ve gone public about being an omega in the first place.

But that was Jiang Zhihuo. Yan Mu couldn’t tolerate even a word of it. His face stayed dark the entire time.

Yan Xiaoxia came running over. Before Yan Mu could even open his mouth, he planted himself between the woman and Jiang Zhihuo, all fired up. “No. I don’t want your apology, Auntie!”

He swung his glare at the little boy. “I want Xiao Lin to apologize! My Daddy doesn’t care, but Papa and I do! Papa’s an adult, so he can’t stoop to arguing with a kid, but I’m a kid, so I can! I can cry, I can make a scene, I can refuse to wrap for the day! You have to apologize today! Right now, this second, immediately! Apologize to my Daddy!”

The couple didn’t want to let things get any bigger. Their kid running his mouth really was on them, so they hauled him over in front of Jiang Zhihuo. “Hurry up and apologize!”

The little boy’s eyes were already red. He wasn’t thinking that far ahead. Right now, all he felt was that his parents weren’t taking his side at all and were even forcing him to say sorry. He felt wronged to the point of suffocation.

Yan Xiaoxia frowned. “No being wronged. No crying. You’re recording a show right now, not at home. What you say represents your parents! You said omegas are no good; that’s basically your mom and dad saying omegas are no good. They’re celebrities. Have you even thought about what happens to them if other people find out?!”

The couple stared at Yan Xiaoxia, stunned. It was hard to believe those words came out of his mouth. What kind of upbringing did it take to raise a kid this clear-headed?

The little boy lifted his head. He’d never thought about what his offhand words “represented,” and he honestly didn’t even have that concept. But with Yan Xiaoxia saying it like that, tears started pooling in his eyes, only he didn’t dare let them fall. His parents gave him a shove in the back, and he felt their difficulty, so all he could do was pout and mumble, awkward and reluctant, “Sorry, Xiaoxia. I… I shouldn’t have said that about your Daddy.”

Yan Xiaoxia shot him a glare. “You’re not apologizing to me!”

So the little boy turned to Jiang Zhihuo instead. “Can you forgive me?”

“Okay.” Jiang Zhihuo didn’t bother arguing with a kid. Behind his back, he quietly pinched Yan Mu’s fingertips, half soothing, half coaxing, then looked at the boy and said, “I forgive you.”

Yan Mu still didn’t say a single word.

Once the apology was done and Jiang Zhihuo had given forgiveness, Yan Xiaoxia led the boy off to a corner and handed him a tissue. “Daddy said he forgives you, so that’s it, this is over. But you have to remember you can’t just say whatever. You’re a public figure’s kid. What you say affects your mom and dad. Today it was only an apology, but next time it might not be that simple. I believe you didn’t mean it today. Your parents definitely wouldn’t teach you that. They’re really awesome too.”

The little boy took the tissue and wiped his tears away.

Honestly, he hadn’t been trying to be nasty. It was just… everyone kept praising how amazing Yan Xiaoxia’s Papa and Daddy were, and he got a little jealous. His own mom and dad were amazing too, okay?

And when Yan Xiaoxia acknowledged his parents like that, the boy’s attitude softened completely. He grabbed Yan Xiaoxia’s hand, all earnest now. “Got it. I won’t talk carelessly anymore. From now on, you’re my big brother!”

Everyone nearby just stared, completely floored by how mature Yan Xiaoxia handled it.

First, he came down hard, no hesitation, standing up for his Daddy. Then he followed it up with something sweet, spelling out exactly what was wrong and digging straight to the real issue. A whole “kids say whatever” mess got smoothed over just like that… and he even gained a new little brother.

His emotional intelligence was seriously way too high, wasn’t it?

How do you even raise a kid like that?!

Just thinking about their own children, crying, throwing fits, rolling around, and refusing to cooperate, the parents there practically wanted to grab Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu on the spot and ask for tips.

There was still filming the next day, so that night, Yan Xiaoxia stayed at the hotel with his two dads.

They went out for a big dinner, and Jiang Zhihuo praised him with a smile. “Xiaoxia was amazing today, protecting Daddy. Daddy wants to reward you. What should I get you…”

Yan Xiaoxia speared a piece of meat and popped it into his mouth, refusing without a second thought. Then he leaned over against Yan Mu. “I don’t want a reward. That’s what I’m supposed to do. Xiaoxia wants to protect Daddy together with Papa!”

“…”

Kids’ fights really did fade fast. The director’s team said they wouldn’t include that segment in the final cut. After the other couple got home, they sent another apology and explained that no one in their family had actually said anything like that. Jiang Zhihuo replied politely, saying he truly didn’t mind.

Whether someone at home had taught him or not didn’t really matter anymore. The other side was being genuinely sincere, so of course Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu had no reason to kick up a fuss.

It was just that Yan Mu still felt annoyed, like the anger had nowhere to go. So while Yan Xiaoxia was off recording, Jiang Zhihuo could only step in himself and let Yan-ge blow off some steam.

The next day’s filming went smoothly, and in the blink of an eye, another week was gone.

The third filming location for Cute Kids Kindergarten was an old town.

According to the show’s plan, the first two episodes would reveal the parents’ identities. For the next few episodes, the parents had to participate more, filming extra family-bond moments, more of that warm “kids and parents together” stuff.

After they talked it over, the production team decided to start filming from the airport.

All the parents gathered there, and for a variety-show effect, they filmed one family at a time. When they finally found Yan Xiaoxia’s group, the three of them were in the middle of playing, an expressionless data analyst and a kid who barely came up to his waist were pushing a suitcase together… and sitting right on top of the suitcase was… Jiang Zhihuo?!

The three of them were having way too much fun. Jiang Zhihuo only realized what was happening when he turned around and saw a dense crowd of people behind him. He covered his face in pure embarrassment, jumped off the suitcase, and scooped Yan Xiaoxia up to plop him onto it instead.

Then he tried to bargain with the camera guy. “Sorry—uh, can we reshoot that part, and maybe don’t put the earlier one in the final cut?”

And of course… that was totally impossible.

It was way too good a clip!

Such perfect variety-show material!

The director team turned him down with zero good intentions.

Filming in the old town was even more fun than the first two episodes. The kids were already familiar with their little buddies, and with the parents joining in too, they loosened up a lot. The whole vibe was lively and buzzing.

While the show was still recording, the production team was also hyping it up online. They announced the five guests who’d be acting as the kindergarten teachers, then cut together clips from the first episode, going to the kids’ homes to pick them up, as a teaser pilot.

The first cute-kid family came on screen: a cozy, spacious flat. The timing the crew picked was perfect—sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, warm and comfortable. The little girl shyly took the guest teacher’s hand. “Hello, Teacher. I’m Yaoyao.”

[AHHHHH she’s way too cute!!]

[This home is so cozy—she’s literally a little princess!!]

[Hi Yaoyao!!]

[With a place this warm, her parents must really know how to live. I’m guessing artists!!]

[There’s even a piano—wait, is this that pianist couple?]

The second cute-kid family lived in a regular three-bedroom. Not fancy, but it felt warm, and there was a dedicated play area just for the kid. The child excitedly led the camera crew around, proudly showing off every room. The comments immediately started guessing it was a young couple, and after a round of debate, everyone basically settled on two film-and-TV celebrities who’d publicly announced their marriage a few years back.

Whether the guesses were right or not, the show team didn’t give any confirmation. The real answer would only come out after the main episode aired.

Then the third cute-kid family showed up, and the live comments froze. The screen went weirdly blank for three, four whole seconds before anyone even reacted.

On-screen, a shimmer of light drifted down from above, slowly stitching itself together into a black-haired girl. She blocked the crew with a voice that sounded half mechanical, half female. “I am Emma, an intelligent housekeeper currently in my trial phase. May I ask who you are?”

[?]

[Wowwwwwww?? What even is this—black tech?!]

[Wait, I’m allowed to see this?? This isn’t a movie set??]

[Hologram? AI? Intelligent housekeeper? I think I can already guess who this is.]

[Holy crap, what the hell—feels like I just got dropped into a sci-fi shoot!]

[What is this production value?! My god, it’s so good! An intelligent housekeeper… can normal people actually have one?!]

Turns out… at least for now, normal people couldn’t.

Seeing Emma was only the first shock. Once the camera got into the house, and especially when it caught Emma chatting with Yan Xiaoxia, the live comments completely blew up.

[So this is the “born with different starting points” gap?]

[Yan Xiaoxia?! Yan Xiaoxia is way too good at being born right!!]

[A three-story villa in the city center? A garden? A playground? Black tech? This isn’t a house, it’s a theme park.]

[AI can actually talk and interact?? Suddenly, my Little D¹[T/N: This might mean a smart assistant they have at home.] doesn’t feel that great anymore!!]

[I want one too! Yan Xiaoxia! Can I ask you for tips on reincarnation?!]

[This decor is insane—how is it both cozy and super high-tech??]

[Yeah… turns out my broke wallet and my lack of knowledge have limited my imagination.]

The promotional cut showed off all kinds of families, and every single kid had something that grabbed attention. Add in the guests’ existing popularity, and the audience’s expectations for Cute Kids Kindergarten shot straight through the roof.

Over on the other side, episode three finished filming. After a few days of rest, Saturday night at seven, the show officially premiered.

The family of three curled up on the couch. Emma read her owners’ state, adjusted herself into the same “sitting on the sofa” posture, and waited with them for the broadcast.

The whole vibe of the kids’ variety show was bright and light from the start. It opened with the guests getting into their cars and greeting the camera, then the five cars headed off to five different places.

At the beginning of the main episode, the kids’ parents still didn’t show their faces. After the camera did a quick sweep through each house, it only focused on the kids. The parents’ real identities were part of the hook, too—and sure enough, the comments immediately filled up with people guessing.

When the crew arrived at Jiang Zhihuo’s place, they got stopped on the spot by the artificial intelligence.

Part of this had already shown up in the teaser before, but even seeing it again now, viewers still felt shocked, like it didn’t even seem real.

The camera followed them into the living room. Yan Xiaoxia was packing up the stuff he needed to “go to school,” while the smart housekeeper, Emma, chatted with him.

Emma: “You’re going to record a show, so you can’t talk carelessly. And you need to be willing to share.”

Yan Xiaoxia: “I know. I brought a whole backpack of toys, so I can share them with the other kids.”

Emma paused for a beat. “Are you sure those are toys?”

Yan Xiaoxia tilted his head, and Emma switched tactics. “Will the other children really like your toys?”

Yan Xiaoxia blinked, confused. “They won’t? I think they’re really fun, though?”

Emma’s face went blank for a second.

The editing team clearly knew what they were doing; they deliberately stretched out Emma’s pause, then slapped the four words “really fun though” on screen in bold red cartoon font.

[So what toys did he bring?]

[So what kind of toys are other kids not gonna like, exactly?]

[Wait—so they’re not fun?]

[Kinda curious. Can’t wait for what comes next!]

But honestly, picking kids up for school was never the main event. The show’s called Cute Kids Kindergarten, and the real content only starts once they actually get into the kindergarten.

It wasn’t until they watched the full episode that Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu finally understood why the crew had looked so shocked when they went to pick Yan Xiaoxia up.

Once they entered the kindergarten, the five teachers first had all the kids do introductions, then everyone started sharing the toys they’d brought from home.

One of the taller kids lugged over a box and proudly showed off a model he’d only finished building two days ago. “This is my favorite model! I wanted to bring it and share it with everyone!”

All the other kids’ eyes lit up, and even the guests looked instantly interested.

[AHHH isn’t that LEGO?!]

[And it’s the limited edition one! I’ve never been able to buy it!]

[That set is crazy hard! The completion level on this is insane—mine’s only half done!]

[Yeah… kids of public figures really are different. The stuff they casually bring to ‘share’ is limited-edition models.]

[Did you get to the next part? Hahahaha, Yun Xiaoxu and the others’ eyes practically lit up. If there weren’t cameras, they totally would’ve pounced. What guy doesn’t love models?]

After all the kids and teachers crowded around for a good look, it was finally Yan Xiaoxia’s turn. He hugged his backpack like he was guarding a treasure, looking all secretive. “I want to share my toys with everyone, too!”

Since there’d been that earlier setup, everyone was locked in, waiting to see what he was about to pull out.

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  [T/N: This might mean a smart assistant they have at home.]