Chà Chà Novel

Heng Yu was a standout role, but he didn’t have that many scenes. If things went smoothly, filming would wrap in a little over a month. Su Nuo’s paycheck wasn’t anything crazy either. But he knew this movie was going to be a box office hit, so he’d invested two million yuan of his own, which was why signing the contract took a while.

Borrow money to act, then sit back and collect the profits.

All of Su Nuo’s spending notifications were linked to Fu Baihan’s phone number. Not to control him, but because Fu Baihan worried he’d get scammed by those “friends” he used to hang out with. Even with Xi Zhou keeping an eye on him, his kid still sometimes got treated like an easy mark.

Fu Baihan never forced him to choose certain kinds of friends. He just quietly steered him away from people who weren’t good at heart.

When it came to raising a kid, Fu Baihan had picked up quite a lot of experience.

Seeing that the kid had spent two million, Fu Baihan wondered: since he wasn’t allowed to buy the production, did the kid just buy it himself? But… was a film production really that cheap?

His phone rang. When Fu Baihan answered, he heard the kid’s excited voice. “Brother, I passed the audition, and I signed the contract right away!”

Fu Baihan kept his eyes down, signing documents, and played along with a surprised tone. “That smoothly?”

“Yep! I have a feeling once this movie’s done, I’m going to be famous. You’ll be a big star’s brother soon.”

Fu Baihan chuckled. “What an honor. Then does the big star have time to have dinner with me tonight?”

“Let me check my schedule… I guess I can squeeze you in.”

“Send me your location. I’ll have the driver come pick you up,” Fu Baihan said.

“Okay. There’s a dessert shop across from the bus stop. I’ll wait in there.” Su Nuo sounded cheerful.

Passing the audition and getting the director’s approval still thrilled him, even though he’d been through it before. He just hadn’t shown it earlier. Around the people he was close to, there was no need to hide how he felt.

“Wait at the bus stop.” Fu Baihan coldly crushed his plan. “Otherwise, it’s veggie salad for you when you get home.”

Since Fu Baihan had been so lenient lately, the kid kept hopping back and forth right along the edge of his rules. He’d clearly had way too much sugar this week, and any more would affect his health.

Su Nuo believed he’d really do it. Even if he snuck off, Fu Baihan would catch him and drag him home to eat boiled vegetables under supervision.

“I’m telling Auntie,” Su Nuo muttered.

“Little tattletale. Nobody’s going to save you on this one, understand?” Fu Baihan didn’t care.

When it came to tattling to the parents, Fu Baihan’s position was that he was the real “parent” here, and how to raise the kid was his call.

Even Fu Mingyuan could only scold him a little. He couldn’t change Fu Baihan’s decisions.

Walking into the Fu Group building again, Su Nuo thought, how is this any different from clocking in for work?

The difference was that other people worked for the boss, and he goofed off right in front of the boss.

“Nuonuo!” By the front desk, Ji Xinghui spotted him and immediately came over, all smiles.

“Your brother’s being way too harsh. He won’t let me in, and he’s holding up my contract… Sweet Nuonuo, take me upstairs and put in a good word for me.” Ji Xinghui pressed his hands together, pleading.

Su Nuo figured Fu Baihan was treating Ji Xinghui like this because of the time he’d gone out with him and gotten drunk. He rubbed his nose. “Star-ge, why don’t you wait a little longer? I’m scared my brother will beat me up too.”

Fu Baihan had only lectured him a bit last time, but there was always the chance that seeing Ji Xinghui would bring the whole thing back up.

“Sweet Nuonuo, please save me, I’m begging you!” Ji Xinghui put an arm around him and walked him toward the elevator. “Your brother would never hit you. At most he’d hit me.”

“…Ahem.”

Well, at least you know yourself.

Su Nuo called out to the receptionist. “I’m taking him up. It’s fine.”

Obviously Fu Baihan had put Ji Xinghui on the visitor blacklist so he couldn’t get in. But this wasn’t the first time. Practice makes perfect. Su Nuo took him straight up to beg for forgiveness.

His brother didn’t have many friends to begin with. Ji Xinghui was good enough to keep around.

“Nuonuo, you knock.” The tall Ji Xinghui hid behind Su Nuo, sneaking around like a guilty puppy, and gave him a little push.

Su Nuo: “…”

He really wanted to take a picture and show all of Ji Xinghui’s little lovers that President Ji had this side to him.

The secretary had already given Fu Baihan a heads-up, so he knew exactly what was going on with the two of them shoving each other outside the door. The kid cracked the door open. “Brother, are you busy?”

“Come in,” Fu Baihan said.

“What a coincidence, I ran into Star-ge downstairs. He needs to talk to you.” Su Nuo pushed the door open and brought Ji Xinghui in.

Ji Xinghui begged for mercy. “Baihan, I know I messed up. I really didn’t mean to. Would I ever hurt our Nuonuo?”

Fu Baihan scoffed. “Who do you owe an apology to?”

Ji Xinghui: “…” Not even a mother hen is this protective of her chick.

He obediently bowed his head to Su Nuo. “Nuonuo, forgive me. I promise I’ll never take you anywhere sketchy again.”

Su Nuo glanced at Fu Baihan. Seeing that he wasn’t really angry, Su Nuo helped out. “Brother, I drank on my own. Don’t blame Star-ge.”

“So now you two are on the same team.” Fu Baihan’s lips curved as he looked at the kid. “Am I being too controlling?”

Su Nuo hurried over and started massaging his shoulders. “No, no, you’re just doing it for my own good.”

Now that he’d been buttered up, Fu Baihan’s expression softened. “Spend less time with him.”

Ji Xinghui: “Ahem, um, so I booked a restaurant tonight. Want to come to dinner? Nuonuo likes the steak there, right?”

He was used to being shameless. He wasn’t going to get awkward just because Fu Baihan threw a couple of jabs at him.

Fu Baihan wasn’t just his friend, he was also his financial backer. He really couldn’t afford to offend him.

Luckily, he knew exactly who this guy’s weak spot was.

To deal with this ultimate brother-obsessed man, you had to win over the little brother first.

In the end, the three of them went to dinner together. Su Nuo had his head down, sipping cream soup, while Fu Baihan swapped out the steak in front of him and gave him a plate that was already cut. Ji Xinghui felt his teeth ache just watching.

“Baihan, Nuonuo’s eighteen this year, right?” he asked.

Su Nuo looked up at him, confused. “Yeah, why?”

Fu Baihan put down his knife. “Ignore him.”

“You make me think Nuonuo’s eight.” Ji Xinghui sighed. “I don’t even do this for my girlfriends.”

That plural “girlfriends” sure said a lot.

“You have so many girlfriends none of them are special. My kid, I only have one.” Fu Baihan smiled. “Don’t treat your playboy lifestyle like something to brag about. You’ll be a bad influence on Nuonuo.”

“Fine. I’m more worried Nuonuo will pick up bad habits from you. What if he can never find a wife?” Ji Xinghui was genuinely worried about Su Nuo’s future.

Honestly, who could anyone ever hand over this precious treasure to that would put Fu Baihan’s mind at ease?

Other families had a wicked mother-in-law. In Su Nuo’s family, the big brother was scarier than any mother-in-law…