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Xiao Tang Shen followed Xingyan Shen off the plane and then got into the vehicle arranged by the production team. After three hours of driving, the car entered a small town.
The town exuded an ancient charm, with cobblestone paths underfoot and houses on both sides built in traditional style. This town, located in City D, was originally a popular tourist spot, but the production crew had coordinated in advance to temporarily close off this particular street during filming. Despite the closure, the lively sounds from neighboring streets could still be clearly heard.
The car finally stopped in front of a standalone three-story courtyard house. Even before stepping out, Xiao Tang Shen could see through the window the crew and cameras already in filming mode.
Xingyan Shen carried two suitcases, one large and one small, walking ahead, while Xiao Tang Shen, with her backpack, followed at a leisurely pace.
Passing through the courtyard gate and about to enter the spacious living room, they were immediately greeted by numerous cats scattered throughout the shop, along with a young man and woman.
Compared to the few cats near the young man, the girl in the white dress was clearly more favored by the cats, with a dozen or so of various colors gathered around her.
The theme of this episode of “Adorable Pet Shop” was cats.
The shop owner was Yang Yue, a well-known host, with two assistants—a young man and a young woman.
To ensure authenticity, the show was broadcast live, and at this moment, the live stream was already underway. From the moment Xingyan Shen appeared on camera, the chat erupted with astonishment.
“Wow, the production actually invited Xingyan Shen to film!”
“Could the girl beside him be the daughter he secretly married and had?”
“The production team is amazing!”
“I feel sorry for Xingyan Shen’s fans—they’ve been kept in the dark about his secret marriage and child, and now he openly brings them on the show!”
Even Xingyan Shen’s fans were stunned, with only a small number stepping forward to defend him.
Yang Yue, the shop owner, was the first to greet them warmly, “Welcome, guests.”
Seeing Xingyan Shen and Xiao Tang Shen enter together, Yu Xia—the female assistant in the white dress—showed a flash of surprise but quickly recovered, smiling as she stood to welcome them: “Hello, welcome.”
The male assistant, Lu Yiming, a popular idol from a rising group in recent years, also smiled warmly as he approached, asking, “Would you like to play with the cats first or put your luggage in the inn?”
Though mentally prepared beforehand, Xingyan Shen still felt a shiver at the sight of so many cats. The thought of spending three days and nights here among them, having to stay alert at night for their custom cat passages, nearly made him want to turn and leave.
He didn’t hesitate to say, “We’d like to put our luggage in the room first.” Then he called to Xiao Tang Shen, “Let’s go!”
Unexpectedly, Xiao Tang Shen, having already changed her shoes and sanitized her hands, waved to him and said, “Uncle, you go ahead.”
Her words stunned Lu Yiming and Yu Xia.
The live chat paused briefly, then exploded with even fiercer comments.
“What does that mean?”
“She actually called him ‘uncle’!”
“No way, that’s impossible!”
“To those spreading rumors: just because they look alike doesn’t mean they’re father and daughter! Ever heard the saying ‘Nephew resembles uncle’?”
“Oh wow, this little niece is really pretty!”
“To clarify, the saying continues with ‘Niece resembles aunt,’ meaning it refers to nephews, not daughters looking like uncles!”
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“Fun fact: Xingyan Shen only has one half-sister from the same father, who is still a high school senior and underage. How could she have such a big child?”
“Finally someone mentions the age. His sister can’t have such a grown child, so how could Xingyan Shen?”
“Exactly! Which thirteen-year-old boy is a father? That would mean the girl got pregnant at twelve! Besides, Xingyan was studying abroad at twelve!”
“So what if he was twelve and studying abroad? People who fool around do it everywhere!”
“To the person above claiming that, you’re spreading baseless rumors and defamation!”
“Enough arguing—let’s wait for the real person’s response!”
...
Xingyan Shen couldn’t see the chat and only wanted to retreat to the room, but he was reluctant to leave Xiao Tang Shen alone here.
After hesitating, he finally resigned himself, changed shoes at the foyer, sanitized his hands, and sat on a chair away from the cats.
Realizing this was a hot topic, Yu Xia became the voice for the viewers, sitting down on the carpet beside Xiao Tang Shen.
“Hello, Xiao Tang, did you just call Teacher Shen ‘uncle’?” she asked.
Yang Yue and Lu Yiming also held their breath, waiting for an answer.
Smelling the faint scent on Yu Xia, Xiao Tang picked up a small black kitten that had been nuzzling her since she entered, gently moved it aside to create space, then replied, “Yes, he’s my uncle!”
Yu Xia was taken aback by Xiao Tang’s evasive reaction.
Xiao Tang then added seriously, “My real uncle!”
Following instructions from Zhou Ya, Xiao Tang was to clarify on the show the false rumors about Xingyan Shen’s secret marriage and daughter.
Lu Yiming, who had recently seen related topics, instinctively asked, “Then, your mother is...?”
“My mother’s name is Shen Xinyi. She’s my uncle’s sister.”
As expected, everyone was baffled, and the chat filled with questions.
“Who is Shen Xinyi?”
“Xingyan Shen has a sister? Why have we never heard of her?”
“Is she a biological sister?”
Because Shen Xinyi’s accident happened nineteen years ago, when the internet was not as developed, few knew about it. After so many years, who would remember someone unrelated to their own lives?
But Xiao Tang did not intend to say more.
Zhou Ya had advised her that rather than exposing everything on the show, it was better to let the public gradually uncover the truth on their own, which would sustain interest longer.
At that moment, movement came from the entrance—three more guest groups with their children arrived.
The three guest groups consisted of two women and one man.
The male guest was Gu Kai, famed for his fantastic action scenes. Though not as popular as Xingyan Shen, he was a well-known and beloved actor. He brought along his eight-year-old son.
One female guest was Yan Li, a veteran actress, who came with her daughter, the same age as Xiao Tang.
The other was Xu Yue, just twenty-one and one of the rising young stars. She had no children, so the little boy beside her was her seven-year-old nephew.
With all guests present, Yang Yue cleared her throat and began explaining the day’s first game.
Since the theme was “Double Cuteness,” there were two highlights: parents caring for their children, and children playing happily with pets, creating emotional relief and companionship for the audience.
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Accordingly, the shop was divided into two areas.
The production team modeled it after some cat cafés: one large area with cats, the other without. Adults could choose to accompany their children in the cat area or remain in the no-cat zone, sipping coffee or tea while watching their children play through transparent glass.
The first day’s game task for the four children was to pick up and hold a cat for at least ten seconds without parental help, earning one point per successful attempt.
Points could be exchanged with the shop owner for toys or food the cats liked, which would play a significant role in later competitions.
Yang Yue solemnly reminded everyone: “Each cat has a different personality. If a cat shows signs of rejection, children must not force interaction. Violations will result in a one-point deduction.”
Though said, to ensure safety during filming, all cats were carefully selected for their gentle and friendly nature.
Lu Yiming and Yu Xia served as both supervisors and helpers for the children.
Yu Xia was a well-known pet influencer, famous for her cute pet videos.
Her warm and approachable appearance meant the three children immediately sought her out for cat toys or treats as the game began.
The only child who didn’t approach Yu Xia was Xiao Tang.
Nor did she seek out Lu Yiming or pet other cats. She sat quietly in a corner on the carpet, still holding the small black kitten, gently stroking its head.
The kitten seemed genuinely fond of Xiao Tang.
Even though the other three children had opened cat treats and catnip, which irresistibly attracted the cats, this kitten ignored them all, purring contentedly while kneading as Xiao Tang stroked it without any special technique.
“Xiao Tang, if you only hold one cat, you won’t score many points,” Yu Xia approached with a friendly smile. “I have some cat treats that the cats love. Would you like some? Food is a great way to bond with cats.”
Yu Xia wasn’t cheating; early games allowed each child to request three cat treats as props.
“No,” Xiao Tang refused without hesitation.
Yu Xia was surprised.
Her usual tactic was always effective with people wanting to pet cats.
Realizing Xiao Tang was not like ordinary children and hard to win over, Yu Xia decided not to persist.
Just as she was about to leave, she noticed Xiao Tang’s gaze was fixed on her.
But when Yu Xia looked back, Xiao Tang suddenly turned her eyes outside.
“Is it here?” Xiao Tang seemed to think.
Yu Xia instinctively followed her gaze and held her breath.
Earlier at the airport, Xiao Tang had briefly seen this strange man with hair standing like needles, who now brazenly walked into the courtyard.
He wore an excessively colorful outfit and looked around seriously as if searching for something.
Soon, he noticed Yu Xia’s gaze and slowly lifted his head.
At the moment their eyes met, the man’s oversized mouth stretched into a huge grin, his head notably larger than an average person’s by two or three times.
The eerie and horrifying sight left Yu Xia frozen in place.