Chapter 19
Yun Chuman finished unpacking her luggage and went to the kitchen on the first floor.
She needed to check if the production team had prepared any ingredients for the guests; if not, she'd have to go out and buy some.
The kitchen was spacious and fully equipped, even including the currently popular air fryer.
Yun Chuman curiously looked around before opening the double-door refrigerator, which was filled to the brim with fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats.
A small basket hanging on the side of the refrigerator held various seasonings.
She glanced through them casually and smiled upon recognizing the familiar seasonings—she knew what to eat tonight!
The weather here was so nice; it would be a waste not to experience outdoor hot pot with Yun Juan and Yun Shu!
Having made up her mind, Yun Chuman prepared to call the two children back and also took three ice creams from the freezer.
She remembered seeing Yun Juan and Yun Shu playing hide-and-seek in the small garden in front of the kitchen when she first entered, so without thinking, she headed straight for the garden.
However, after searching extensively, the ice creams had started to melt, and she couldn't find the two children.
Yun Chuman was a little anxious. She hurried around to the back and finally spotted two chubby little figures by the pool.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu were squatting side by side by the pool, intently watching something.
Yun Chuman walked over curiously and gently patted their cheeks with ice cream. "Little Juan, Little Shu, what are you doing?"
The two children simultaneously trembled slightly. Then they turned around in unison and their eyes sparkled.
They had been running around outside for a long time; their chubby cheeks were rosy, with beads of sweat on their noses, and their soft hair clung to their little heads.
"Look how hot you become, have some ice cream."
Yun Chuman sat down next to them, opened the ice cream bag in her hand, and casually wiped their sweat.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu happily accepted the ice cream, then plopped down on the ground, and exclaimed in unison, "Thank you, Mommy!"
One big and two small sat happily on the ground by the pool, eating ice cream. The warm sunshine felt wonderful on their skin.
The two children had taken off their shoes and tossed them aside. Their four chubby little feet dangled and occasionally stomped on each other.
"Mommy, I want to play in the water..." Yun Shu said, munching on her ice cream while gazing longingly at the pool. Her short, chubby toes wiggled nimbly.
"Mommy, I want to play too! The water must be so refreshing," Yun Juan said, his eyes practically glued to the pool.
Hearing them say this, Yun Chuman suddenly became interested as well.
Swimming! Another new experience! She wanted to play too!
Her expression of longing and anticipation was even more pronounced than the two children's.
Only the private areas in the small villa had no cameras, while the rest of the house was practically 360 degrees without blind spots.
So, the scene of one adult and two children sitting side-by-side on the ground with their identical puppy-dog eyes fixed longingly on the pool was clearly visible to the viewers in the live stream. The chat instantly erupted with a barrage of "Let them swim!"
The production team was clearly prepared.
The moment this comment appeared, Xiao Xi rushed over from next door in a wheeled cart, pushing a pile of swimsuits. She stopped abruptly in front of Yun Chuman, Yun Juan, and Yun shu, then turned and ran back – a perfect tool.
But before leaving, she didn't forget to call out, "The pool water was just changed today, it's very clean, play without worry!"
The adult and two children stared blankly at her hurried departure and then turned in unison to look at the colorful swimsuits hanging on the cart, taking a long time to recover.
Yun Chuman blinked and asked, "Little Juan, Little Shu, do you think this means we should go swimming and have fun?"
Yun Juan pondered seriously for a moment with a straight face and nodded earnestly, "I think Elder Sister Xiao Xi means that."
Yun Shu spread her hands, shook her head helplessly, and said with a mature air, "Elder Sister Xiao Xi is so dishonest."
She paused and added very seriously, "Just like elder brother."
Yun Juan frowned at her, his face clearly saying, "Who are you talking about?"
Yun Shu guiltily turned her head away, not daring to even glance at Yun Juan, perfectly embodying the phrase "cowardly yet playful."
Yun Chuman watched with amusement. The occasional "plastic sibling" dynamic between the two children was quite amusing.
Yun Shu couldn't stand elder brother's gaze any longer. She jumped up, stretched out her arms, ran to Yun Chuman, grabbed her arm, and rubbed her cheek against her shoulder like a pitiful kitten. "Mommy, let's change into our swimsuits now, little Shu wants to play in the water."
Yun Chuman silently thought, "She probably just wants to escape Yun Juan's gaze."
She didn't call her out on it, pinched Yun Shu's scrunched-up cheeks, stood up, and pushed the cart full of swimsuits into the house. As she ran, she happily called out "Little Juan, little Shu, hurry up!"
Yun Juan's eyes were fixed on Yun Chuman and Yun Shu, so the moment Yun Chuman ran out, he stood up and took off running too.
Suddenly, Yun Shu found herself surrounded by empty space. She stood there blankly, turning her head this way and that, wondering where mommy and elder brother were!
Hearing Yun Chuman's voice, she instinctively turned around. Seeing the two people go inside, she quickly ran after them. She widened her steps: "Mommy, elder brother! Wait for me!"
A gentle breeze rippled across the swimming pool, and the faint sounds of a family of three playfully bickering could be heard in the distance, filling the air with warmth and liveliness.
The viewers in the live stream felt a strange sense of healing seeing this scene.
—Waaah, I love this family so much! Just watching them makes all the fatigue I've accumulated disappear.
—The two kids are so much more lively than in the preview! I really want to know what happened in between.
—Seeing them reminds me of those days running in the sunset.
—Upstairs, compensate for my newly formed emotions! Anyway, Little Shu's dazed look just now was so cute.
—Am I the only one who thinks wearing swimsuits on a live stream is inappropriate? At least be mindful of the impact.
—Upstairs, are you out of your mind? Freedom of choice is important! Being pure is better than anything!
The production team had prepared a complete selection of swimsuits, in every size, style, and color imaginable.
There were no cameras in the changing room, so viewers could only hear Yun Chuman and Yun Juan & Yun Shu discussing which swimsuit to choose.
Just as the viewers were guessing, the changing room door creaked open. The viewers in the live stream held their breath, watching expectantly.
Yun Chuman emerged first, stretching out her arms towards one of the cameras in the room, smiling broadly, and said, "Ta-da! These are matching family outfits we finally found, aren't they nice looking!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Yun Juan & Yun Shu jumped out from behind her, striking the same pose.
The two children, chins slightly raised, proudly exclaimed in unison, "Look nice, right!"
The dark blue long-sleeved and long-legged one-piece swimsuits completely covered the three children, revealing only their strikingly similar faces and equally fair hands and feet.
Yun Chuman's shapely figure, though concealed by her one-piece swimsuit, didn't reveal a single curve.
However, the two children were a different story; their chubby bodies were completely exposed.
Short, chubby limbs, round little bellies, even their heads looked round and plump because of the swim caps.
They were quite good-looking, with long eyelashes and big eyes. Standing there, they resembled those round, roly-poly toys, making you want to give them a push.
The live stream chat went blank for a moment and then filled with ellipses.
—I'm not actually that surprised…
—I almost forgot Yun Chuman is a comedian…and she's still active in the parody video section.
—Who's crying their eyes out because they didn't see the pretty lady? Oh, it's me…
—Ultimately, it's the production team's fault. Couldn't they have prepared more styles of matching family outfits?
Seeing this comment, Xiao Xi clenched her fist and closed her eyes in regret. A miscalculation!
Little did she know that Yun Chuman's criteria for choosing swimsuits would be like this! Besides, they weren't even wearing truly matching family outfits; it was just that nine and a half out of ten of this type of one-piece swimsuits looked exactly the same!
Yun Chuman was completely unaware of this. Although she was eyeing on those pretty swimsuits, she wanted to try wearing matching outfits with her two children even more! She was quite envious of Yun Juan and Yun Shu wearing matching outfits every day.
The two children felt the same way.
Yun Shu's chubby little hands kept touching her swimsuit. Seeing that Yun Chuman was wearing the same one, she immediately beamed and patted her chubby little waist happily: "Mommy, this swimsuit is so pretty! I love it!"
"I like it too." Yun Juan was somewhat able to restrain himself, but his gaze kept darting between himself, Yun Chuman, and Yun Shu. He thought for a moment and suggested, "Mommy, let's take a picture!"
"Yes! It's the first time we've worn matching outfits. We should take a picture to remember it!"
Yun Chuman's eyes lit up. She excitedly led the two children to the poolside to take selfies.
She held up her old, slow-working phone, with Yun Juan and Yun Shu on either side of her and looking at the camera.
Yun Shu smiled brightly, her cheeks flushed with happiness. Her eyes curved into little crescents, and a small canine tooth peeked out from her lips, making her look adorable.
In contrast, Yun Juan's brows were furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line, and he stared stiffly at the camera, as if something within it hid something that made him wary.
Yun Chuman couldn't help but laugh at the scene on her phone. She turned and pinched Yun Juan's tense cheek, saying, "Little Juan, why don't you smile? Weren't you the one who suggested taking a picture? Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd been kidnapped by me and Little Shu."
Yun Juan awkwardly scratched his head, a hint of unease flashing across his face.
He rubbed his face vigorously and forced a stiff smile.
Yun Chuman noticed his forced smile, but found it strange. Yun Juan was clearly a child star; why was he so nervous in front of the camera?
Yun Juan noticed her gaze and subconsciously shifted his body slightly.
Yun Shu glanced at mommy and then at elder brother. Finally, she clenched her little fist as if making a decision. She gently tugged at Yun Chuman's sleeve, and when she looked over, she secretly waved.
Yun Chuman wanted to laugh at Yun Shu's furtive behavior and bent down to find out what she wanted to say.
Yun Shu leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Mom, I'll tell you a secret. Actually, elder brother is very uncomfortable in front of the camera. It's strange, he's fine when acting, but as soon as someone takes a picture, he forgets how to smile."
Yun Juan caught a glimpse of their interaction out of the corner of his eye. Even without hearing it, he could guess what Yun Shu was talking about. He frowned and disapproved, saying, "Little Shu, don't talk nonsense!"
Yun Shu puffed out her cheeks, looking aggrieved. She wasn't talking nonsense. Elder brother had told her this himself before.
Just now, mommy had been so worried about elder brother and he wouldn't tell her himself. Afraid mommy would be sad or dislike elder brother because of this, she secretly told her.
Yun Juan knew she meant well, but what if mommy misunderstood and thought he didn't want to act, and wouldn't let him go out to earn money? How would he support the family then!
Yun Chuman was surprised. As expected, she once again doubted whether Yun Juan liked acting.
However, before she could ask, Yun Juan explained, "I just think it's strange to be motionless during photoshoots! It's not like that when I'm moving during acting."
Seeing his anxiety, Yun Chuman felt it wasn't that simple.
But she knew that sometimes one can't press children for answers. Being too forceful wouldn't reveal their hidden thoughts and might even make them think they'd done something wrong.
She decided to observe the situation further and discuss it another time.
Seeing Yun Juan still with a stiff face, she patted his little head and comforted him with a smile, "Our little Juan is so handsome! Even with a stiff expression, the photos still look cute!"
Then, turning to Yun Shu, who still looked a bit aggrieved, she added, "Our little Shu is too, but you’ll be even cuter if you can smile."
Yun Juan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and happily curled the corners of his mouth.
Yun Shu's eyes brightened. She tilted her little head up, giving Yun Chuman a big smile.
Yun Chuman pinched their cheeks: "It's time for swimming. When the sun goes down, I won't let you play in the water anymore. It'll be too cold and you'll get sick." "
Upon hearing this, the two children immediately stood up and hurriedly ran towards the poolside with their short legs.
Yun Chuman smiled as she watched the two chubby figures disappear. Just as she was about to follow, she saw Yun Juan standing firmly at the poolside, his expression extremely serious and focused.
He professionally adjusted his swimming cap, then put on his goggles. With a puff of his cheeks, he clasped his hands together and stretched them upwards, then plunged into the water, creating a small splash.
At the same time, Yun Shu also entered the water, but the little girl's entry was slightly more graceful. She sat on the edge of the pool, first putting her two short legs in, then gliding in like a little fish, turning around, resting her arms on the edge of the pool, and then slowly putting on her goggles.
This resulted in Yun Juan splashing water all over Yun Shu's face.
"Bad elder brother!" Yun Shu shook her little head, wiping the water off her face.
Yun Juan, unusually playful, stuck out his tongue.
Yun Chuman stared blankly. Her heart skipped a beat. The two children had just jumped in?
She stumbled to the edge of the pool, intending to pull them back.
But then she saw Yun Juan swimming towards the middle of the pool with a perfect breaststroke. Yun Shu was close behind.
However, the little girl was using a doggy paddle, her head constantly above the water, her legs... With her hands and feet splashing around in the water, she was quite fast and caught up with the little boy in no time.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu were playing a game of chase in the pool, laughing and joking.
Yun Chuman silently withdrew her playful hand.
So, she was the only one who couldn't swim. Yun Juan and Yun Shu had so many skills. it really made her look useless!
However, her dejected mood only lasted a second, because when Yun Juan and Yun Shu saw that she hadn't gotten into the pool for a while, stopped playing, and waved to her, beckoning, "Mommy, come play!" "
Upon hearing this, Yun Chuman immediately cheered up again, but her behavior was still relatively restrained; she didn't plunge into the water like Yun Juan.
Mainly because she couldn't swim and subconsciously felt a fear of water.
So Yun Chuman ultimately chose the same entry method as Yun Shu, cautiously gliding in, gripping the edge of the pool tightly with both hands, and instinctively holding her breath when she felt the water pressure.
Fortunately, the pool wasn't deep, only waist-deep. The moment her feet touched the ground, she relaxed completely, even feeling a sense of rebirth.
The two children splashed towards her from the other side of the pool.
Yun Shu reached her first, proudly tilting her chin up, saying, "Elder Brother's breaststroke is useless. He doesn't swim fast at all."
"But it looks good."
Yun Juan followed closely behind, splashing out of the water. Expressionless, he spoke, "Little Shu, little dog."
Yun Shu wrinkled her nose. After a long while, she managed to squeeze out, "Then...then elder brother is a little frog!"
"Croak, croak~"
Yun Juan challenged, "That's still better than a puppy. I dare to croak like a frog, but does Little Shu dare to bark like a dog?"
"I...I...Hmph!" Yun Shu puffed out her cheeks angrily. She didn't dare! Dog weren't good at all; otherwise, why would people who broke their pinkies promise become little dog? Elder Brother was bullying her!
Yun Chuman pressed her back tightly against the edge of the pool, not daring to move.
She watched their bickering with amusement. She noticed that although Yun Juan didn't say much, he often managed to leave Yun Shu speechless with anger.
Moreover, she really couldn't understand how a frog was better than a puppy. Children's thought path was so strange.
Yun Chuman smiled and pinched Yun Shu's puffed-out cheek: "If you ask me, you're both amazing because you can both swim, except me." "
Yun Juan and Yun Shu paused for a moment upon hearing this, then looked at each other warily. Almost simultaneously, they each grabbed Yun Chu Man's arms, saying in unison, "Mommy, little Juan/ little Shu will teach you!"
Yun Chuman: !!!
The two children pulled her step by step to the middle of the pool, forcing her back off the pool wall. Yun Chuman immediately felt insecure. Her body stiffened.
"Mommy, I'll teach you the breaststroke. It's not only easy to learn, but the form is also beautiful," Yun Juan said seriously.
"Mommy, don't listen to elder brother! The doggy paddle is easier to learn; you don't even need to hold your breath. It's fast!" "Yun Shu wrinkled her nose.
The two children kicked the water with their short legs and bobbed up and down on the surface. Yun Chuman watched with trepidation, afraid they would lose their footing and sink.
"I..." Yun Chuman frowned, torn between the two. She actually really wanted to learn both.
But unfortunately, she didn't even have a chance to speak. Yun Juan and Yun Shu had already grabbed her arms and started arguing.
"Learn the doggy paddle!"
"Learn the breaststroke!"
"Stop!"
Seeing the two children about to start arguing, Yun Chuman quickly raised her voice to stop them.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu stopped arguing and looked at her together.
Yun Chuman frowned: "Don't argue! How can you argue over such a small thing?"
The two children looked at each other and spoke almost simultaneously:
"Younger sister, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said the doggy paddle isn't pretty."
"Elder Brother, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said the breaststroke is too slow." "
Yun Juan and Yun Shu both paused for a moment after saying that, and then burst out laughing. They treaded water to swim towards each other and hugged tightly in the water.
"That's more like it."
Yun Chuman nodded in satisfaction and acted mysteriously, "Actually, I just learned to swim, do you want to see?"
Yun Juan and Yun Shu frowned simultaneously, still hugging each other, cheek to cheek, and said in unison, "Mommy, it's wrong to lie to a child."
Yun Chuman paused and coughed guiltily, "I'm telling the truth. You can see for yourselves."
After saying that, she took a deep breath, stood up straight, tilted her head slightly back to look at the sky, then closed her eyes and fell backward without hesitation, splashing water everywhere.
"Mom!"
Yun Juan and Yun Shu were startled to see Yun Chuman sink into the water.
However, the next second, Yun Chuman floated to the surface. She tried to relax her entire body, lying flat and letting her body rise and fall.
She had read in a book before that a person can float on water when their lungs are full of air and sink when they exhale.
But that was just the principle; in practice, it's not that strict. Natural breathing was enough.
She took a deep breath, causing her slightly sunken body to rise again, feeling relaxed. "See?" she exclaimed. "This is the new swimming method I learned! Isn't it great! Floating and swimming while enjoying the scenery, it's not tiring at all!"
"Wow!"
Yun Juan and Yun Shu exclaimed simultaneously, their eyes sparkling.
They let go of each other, stopped treading water, and leaned back together, imitating Yun Chuman's movements, floating in the water.
"So comfortable," Yun Juan said, squinting her eyes in enjoyment.
"Easier than doggy paddling!" Yun Shu said with a grin, splashing the water around her with her chubby little hands.
One big and two small floated side by side on the surface, like salted fish drifting with the current.
But the pool water was completely still and the three "salted fish" barely moved an inch.
The viewers who had just entered the live stream were startled, thinking some major crime had occurred.
—What's going on? I came in and saw my two little ones floating on the water.
—Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter! Yun Chuman, you're something else!
—Oh no, will my two little ones become comedic figures too?
—But seriously, it looks so comfortable! I want to try it too.
—Just came from Mo Yingdi's side, and here they're all lounging around like salted fish and all inexplicably in sync. I’m dying of laughter! No wonder they're this episode's partners.
—Suddenly I'm really looking forward to Mo Yingdi and Yun Chuman meeting! A paradise for those who appreciate good looks! And the two of them definitely have a lot to talk about.
—Um…while I really like a family of three, please don't try to ride on their popularity like this.
—Yun Chuman's fans, have you forgotten that your elder sister is a single mother? What have something to talk about…
—Upstair, are you guys fans of Mo Yingdi? You've ruined the atmosphere.
—Seriously, fans, can you stop being so self-righteous? Even if your actor wants to be Little Juan and Little Shu's dad, we don't agree!
—So what if she's a single mother! Single mothers are even more admirable! That's not a reason for you to attack her.
This was the first conflict in Yun Chuman's livestream and it even trended on social media, but it didn't last long.
Most of Mo Rongwen's fans were rational. These extreme fans were a minority. They had no advantage in arguments and quickly lost. In the end, a small number of Yun Chuman's fans and Yun Juan and Yun Shu's "mom fans" won a decisive victory.
"Why is it over already? Mo Yingdi's fans are so weak."
The director of "Every Family Has Its Own Affairs," Li Rufei sighed slightly as he watched the live stream comments subside.
He didn't care whether trending on social media was good or bad; he was happy as long as it attracted attention.
He had confidently moved the live stream ahead of schedule because the pilot episode had received a good response.
But who would have thought that the other two groups of guests wouldn't even have as much drama as Yun Chuman and Mo Yingdi's group, who hadn't even met yet!
The sweet little flower had chosen Mo Yingdi in the previous episode, thinking that since they both owned pets, they would definitely have common ground. However, Mo Yingdi was afraid of snakes and insects and had already run away.
She had no choice but to participate in the lottery. The production team packed her and her pets up and sent them to the director's house. Who knew that once she arrived, she would be forced to participate in a cheesy pickup line competition with the director's "plastic siblings"?
Sweet little flower was in agony. In the end, she took her little white snake out of its cage and held it in her hands, which finally made the two "plastic siblings" retreat.
The live stream chat for this group was basically flooded with Sweet Flower's fans, who were simultaneously cursing the director's two sons for their ulterior motives and expressing sympathy for their idol.
Casual viewers who had initially wanted to watch the drama quickly left, causing the live stream's viewership to plummet.
The situation was similar for another group.
The childless couple had initially chosen Sweet Flower, thinking she was unique and they could get along, but unfortunately, they ended up being sent to Yun Xinxin's house.
The other members of the richest family, apart from appearing briefly during breakfast in the preview, were nowhere to be seen, so only Yun Xinxin received them.
Yun Xinxin enthusiastically showed them around the villa, explaining the origins of each antique in detail.
The DINK couple, forcing themselves to stay awake, looked like sleepy students trying to concentrate in class. Their eyes were bloodshot.
The viewers in the live stream were practically dozing off. Occasionally, someone would find Yun Xinxin strange, only to be met with a barrage of insults from her fans.
The dull atmosphere and tendency to erupt into arguments resulted in the lowest viewership for this group.
Li Rufei sighed again, clasping his hands together in a silent prayer: "I hope that when Yun Chuman and Mo Rongwen meet tomorrow, they can bring some excitement to the show. Please, please!"
The assistant didn't have time to complain about his director.
He fervently joined in the prayer. He was willing to trade the Director Li’s last ten strands for a single trending topic for the show—please, please, don't let it be canceled! He didn't want to lose his job!
The highly anticipated Yun Chuman was taking her two children for a bath.
After swimming—or rather, after soaking in the water—the family of three enjoyed a hot pot meal in the gazebo of the small garden, admiring the scenery. The meal left everyone—one adult and two children—completely stuffed.
After playing and eating their fill, it was time for the two children to sleep. They took a bath and went to their bedroom.
The production crew had prepared a huge bed for them. Yun Juan and Yun Shu loved it at first sight, happily rolling around on it in their dinosaur pajamas.
"It's so soft!" Yun Shu exclaimed, burying her face in the pillow.
"So many people could lie down on this," Yun Juan said, looking around, trying to figure out how many people could fit.
Yun Chuman entered the room and saw this scene. She smiled and said, "You like it? If you do, we'll buy one when we get back."
The two children's eyes lit up, but they quickly shook their heads. Their house was too small and couldn't fit such a big bed.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu patted the bed with their chubby little hands, saying, "Mommy, come to sleep!"
Yun Chuman turned off the light and pounced on the two children, tickling them.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu giggled, trying to curl up into a ball, but Yun Chuman stopped them.
One big and two small, played around for a while before stopping. They were both covered in a thin layer of sweat and felt warm like little heaters.
Yun Chuman laid in the middle, with Yun Juan and Yun Shu close on either side of her. She stretched out her arms and hugged them both, happily thinking that she had finally achieved her goal of having them both on her arms!
The bed was so big, yet the three of them were squeezed together, taking up only a small portion of the middle space.
A small shadow could vaguely be made out in the live stream, and someone couldn't help but sigh.
—It's time to envy Yun Chuman again.
—I also want a Yun Juan and Yun Shu-branded pillow, sob sob.
—No wonder the two little ones don't want a big bed; it's completely useless.
The next day, Yun Chuman woke up early as usual and tiptoed out of the bedroom.
After she finished a set of radio calisthenics on the first floor, the production team told her that Mo Yingdi had already set off and would arrive in the afternoon.
Yun Chuman searched for the location of the gallery hosting the competition on her phone and found it wasn't far. She decided to take Yun Juan and Yun Shu there that morning to register on-site and try some of the city's local delicacies.
Author's Note:
【Yun Family Diary】
Yun Juan: Although Mom is good at floating, next time I'll teach her the breaststroke!
Yun Shu: Although Mom is good at floating, next time I'll teach her the doggy paddle!
Yun Chuman: Today is another lazy day! QAQ