Chapter 9

Chu Xiaoxiao looked down in disappointment and asked, "Is Dad not going?"

Seeing his eldest son's interest, Chu Jiadong smiled awkwardly at Chu Xiaoxiao and said, "Why don't you go play ball with your brother?"

Chu Jiadong had always indulged Chu Xiaoxiao's kindergarten antics. How could she have faced such ridicule? She immediately became so angry that she jumped up and down, shouting: "Daddy—"

Chu Xiaoxiao had previously seen Chu Jiadong shooting and dribbling. He would deliberately lower his skill level when playing with her.

When the two are alone together, Chu Xiaoyi often lowers his head to scroll through his phone, while Chu Jiadong anxiously rubs his hands beside him, making it difficult to find moments of communication

Security: "Are you Xiao Xiao's brother? This is the first time I have met you"

Chu Xiaoxiao ran to her father's feet, angrily saying: "You fight with him, you fight with him—"

Chu Xiaoyi was merely dribbling the ball to tease her. Seeing that she was genuinely a bit upset, he quickly said, "Alright, alright, I'll give it to you..."

Chu Jiadong is about to forget the last time his son called him, but when exactly was it? Could it have been the year they had an argument on the Hengdian film set? That seems to be the last time they met before this year's Spring Festival

Chu Xiaoyi provoked the younger one, which brought about the older one. Chu Jiadong was originally watching the siblings play with satisfaction, but he did not understand why Chu Xiaoxiao suddenly lost her temper and began to shout for him. He had no choice but to hurry over and ask: "What happened?"

Chu Xiaoyi let out a long breath; it turned out that the security guard had not failed to recognize him, but was diligently fulfilling his duty.

Chu Xiaoyi effortlessly controlled the ball and lazily remarked, "Calling him is useless; he cannot beat me."

Chu Xiaoxiao became familiar with the community as she entered. She had walked a short distance forward and turned back to see her elder brother still chatting with the security guard, urging him, "It's time to go."

Chu Xiaoxiao recently discovered that Chu Jiadong has been unusually silent. Ever since her stepbrother returned, her father has been behaving as if he is walking on eggshells. Every day, he either carefully puts on a smile or spends the entire day sulking in the kitchen cooking, completely lacking his former confidence. Her father and brother do not communicate directly; they always rely on others to convey messages between them.

Chu Xiaoyi, fearing further misunderstandings, hurriedly said: "It is my brother, it is Xiao Xiao's brother..."

Upon hearing these words, Chu Xiaoyi immediately guessed the content of the recent conversation between father and daughter, and fell into silence. He communicated the most with Chu Xiaoxiao and Xiao Bi at home, while maintaining a certain distance from his father, Chu Jiadong

Chu Xiaoxiao: "Nonsense, Dad doesn't love you!"

Chu Xiaoyi: Are you not my number one hater?

Chu Xiaoxiao felt somewhat annoyed, always thinking that her cheap brother had an impeccable sense of timing. If Chu Xiaoyi wanted to play ball, their father would definitely not participate again. Chu Jiadong was like an old beast wary of encroaching on others' territory; he rarely appeared in Chu Xiaoyi's activity area unless there were other people around, such as Chu Xiaoxiao, Xiao Bi, and so on.

Chu Xiaoxiao immediately urged her father to take revenge for her, claiming that her stepbrother was only taller and stronger than her, so what was there to be arrogant about? She hadn't even mocked his foreign language skills, yet he thought he was something special just because he had some soccer skills

Let's go together

Chu Xiaoyi: Very well, my reputation in the community is still not as great as my sister's, and I have already fallen to being known as "Xiao Xiao's brother"

Chu Xiaoyi suddenly heard this voice, and the ball in his hand almost slipped away. In his early years, he had won first place amidst the cheers of the girls, who would have thought that one day he would be booed by the opposite sex, truly a case of the wheel of fortune turning.

The one-on-one formally began, and Chu Jiadong faced his son. At first, he was somewhat reserved, as if he were being cautious while accompanying Chu Xiaoxiao in playing basketball

Chu Xiaoyi experienced kindergarten-level basketball for the first time, and he found the scene quite amusing, unable to help but burst into laughter

As Chu Jiadong was about to respond, Chu Xiaoyi came out of his room. He saw the basketball in the little one's hand and felt that the ball was bigger than her small head, teasingly saying: "Oh, you can play basketball too?"

Ah? Chu Jiadong was quite surprised upon hearing this. He saw his son had already turned around and returned to the house, and he quietly probed, "... Is that alright?"

The two siblings entered the community through the access control, and Chu Xiaoxiao, as usual, politely replied: "Thank you"

Chu Xiaoyi: "... ..." After all this time, you still don't know!

Chu Xiaoyi passed the ball to the little one, deciding to see how she would play with it. Chu Xiaoxiao received the ball and began to bounce it seriously. Being small and lacking strength and skill, the basketball that initially bounced high gradually became lower, eventually seeming as if it could barely touch the ground, and she could no longer bounce it up.

The two siblings carried fruits home, and after taking a brief rest, they welcomed a new round of dinner. After the meal, Chu Xiaoxiao waited for her father, Chu Jiadong, to finish his work, and she took out the basketball from home, suggesting: "Dad, shall we go play ball?"

She does not understand why her elder brother brings up the Spring Festival Gala. Is it really something to be proud of that his performance on television is remembered?

Chu Xiaoyi: "Do you know who I am?"

This is the first time Chu Xiaoyi has called him "Dad" upon returning home

The security guard smiled and said, "I know."

Chu Xiaoyi still held a glimmer of hope and politely inquired of the security guard, "Have you watched the Spring Festival Gala?"

The security guard only exchanged pleasantries with the owner, and now he has dispelled his doubts, his attitude has improved significantly, and he responded cheerfully: "Look, it's been replayed these past few days!"

The sky of the capital is now a light blue-purple, mixed with a hint of golden glow, which is the last resonance of the setting sun. The three of them walk quietly on the road, with Chu Xiaoxiao positioned between her father and brother, feeling as if she were the Berlin Wall in a foreign language example, completely isolating the two sides.

Chu Xiaoyi dribbled the basketball all the way, seeking the feel of the game he once had, allowing the ball to produce a rhythmic bouncing sound. The outdoor court was empty in the winter, and Chu Xiaoyi skillfully handled the ball, passing it to Chu Xiaoxiao, and said with a smile, "What can you play?"

Chu Xiaoxiao, seeing that he was still showing off his skills, couldn't help but feel annoyed and said, "Do you still want to play with me!"

Chu Xiaoyi felt a bit bewildered by his popularity for the first time. He was often surrounded by people at the airport, yet in his own neighborhood, he seemed almost forgotten. If one were to say that his fan base consisted solely of young women, excluding the male security guards, it would seem somewhat unreasonable, especially since he had just appeared on the Spring Festival Gala a couple of days ago

Chu Xiaoyi's passing motion was very light, and Chu Xiaoxiao easily caught it. She hesitated a bit as she looked towards Chu Jiadong, unsure of how the three of them should play ball. Chu Jiadong comforted her, saying, "You all play for a while first, and Daddy will watch for a bit before joining in to play."

After Chu Xiaoyi finished speaking, he went back into the house to get his shoes. He did not want to appear petty and muttered, "What’s the problem? I don’t mind."

The security guard noticed the subtle expression on the other person's face and hesitated, saying, "Isn't it your brother?" He recalled that Chu Xiaoxiao's father did not seem to look like this, which is why he made a conjecture based on age and appearance. Could it be that he accidentally guessed wrong?

Chu Xiaoyi had not played basketball for a long time, but as soon as he touched the ball, he regained his high school prowess, showcasing flashy dribbling skills and even throwing down a dunk for good measure. In high school, he had played in basketball tournaments and led his team to victory, earning first place. His impressive skills made him quite popular at school that day, attracting the attention of countless girls over the past three years.

However, Chu Xiaoyi's move was clean and swift. He skillfully intercepted and seized the ball, followed by a three-step layup, scoring directly. He revealed a provocative smile and said, "Dad, isn't this getting a bit boring now?"

Chu Xiaoyi did not inherit his parents' intelligence, but he possesses a strong athletic ability. When he first entered the industry, he was very dedicated to his action scenes, which is why Director Chen took notice of him at a glance. He could not help but demonstrate various difficult moves to his sister, showcasing his exquisite skills, as if he were wearing a sign on his face that read "This is Ryota Miyagi"

Chu Xiaoxiao spun around while dribbling the ball, resembling a little puppy trying to chase its own tail, twirling in place.

Chu Xiaoxiao decided to let Chu Jiadong suppress his elder brother's arrogance, so that he would understand the concept of there being people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens

Dad, could you please not come looking for me? Isn't it better for you to stay at home

Chu Jiadong stood beside the basketball hoop, indeed adopting the posture of a spectator. Chu Xiaoxiao had no choice but to run towards Chu Xiaoyi while holding the ball. It was her first time playing ball with her younger brother, and their coordination was not particularly harmonious.

Chu Jiadong gazed at the figure of his eldest son, lingering in place for a few seconds before silently catching up to him

Since Chu Xiaoyi has said so, Chu Jiadong has no reason to refuse. Chu Xiaoxiao successfully brought along her father and brother, and taking advantage of the last bit of daylight, they headed to the basketball court in the community

Chu Jiadong looked at the two siblings who were at odds with each other, and he suddenly felt overwhelmed, not knowing what to do. He believed that Chu Xiaoyi was teasing his sister without any malice, but Chu Xiaoxiao had always had a strong sense of self-esteem. Being completely overwhelmed, she naturally felt a sense of injustice in her heart

However, Chu Xiaoxiao was completely unable to appreciate his skills and found his showy demeanor quite annoying. She just wanted to play ball simply, but her overly enthusiastic brother insisted on dribbling the ball around, making it impossible for her to touch it, which left her feeling quite frustrated

Seeing her father in a disadvantaged position, Chu Xiaoxiao immediately became anxious and began to boo from the sidelines, shouting: "Chu Xiaoyi—no good! Chu Xiaoyi—no good!"

Chu Jiadong: "I just won't ... ... "

Upon hearing this, Chu Jiadong displayed a look of astonishment, yet Chu Xiaoyi, oblivious to the other party's distraction, had already taken the ball and run off.

Chu Xiaoyi obviously has not yet grasped the true essence of playing games with a girl. Bringing a girl along is not about showcasing one's own strength, but rather about ensuring that she feels cared for and happy during the game; otherwise, it will only lead to annoyance.

In the end, Chu Jiadong had no choice but to grit his teeth and take the field, engaging in a skills battle with his eldest son amidst the enthusiastic cheers of his youngest daughter

Chu Xiaoyi had no objections to this; he indeed lacked the patience to continue playing ball with Chu Xiaoxiao. The little one was fragile and could not be touched or bumped, which made him quite hesitant. His father was an adult male and could indeed play basketball, so at least they could exchange a few rounds.

Chu Xiaoxiao was provoked to anger by his laughter, and she forcefully slammed the basketball onto the ground, but the ball merely bounced weakly a few times, failing to reflect the fury within her. She is still too young to effectively control a standard basketball.

Chu Xiaoxiao used to play ball with her father. She noticed that Chu Jiadong had been feeling weak lately and decided to show some care for her old father. After all, she had been forced to spend time with her stepbrother these past two days and had not interacted with her father for a long time. She is a fair-minded child and wants to take care of everyone in the family