Chapter Fifty-Nine: My Heart Skipped a Beat—Was It Love, or Just an Irregular Pulse? (Please add to your favorites and vote for recommendations!)

Wu Ming’s dissatisfaction with her son, Chen Antang, had simmered for years. It started when he majored in medicine at university, only to abandon the profession after graduation and take a job at an agency instead.

She could accept him becoming an agent—after all, most people in Rongdian made their living in the cultural industry, and if he managed to succeed, so much the better. Wu Ming had kept her peace. But being an agent meant dwelling in circles rife with drama, constantly surrounded by young, attractive women. Once his career took off, Chen Antang was rarely home, and his wife, left alone for long stretches, struggled to endure the gossip. The rumors led to frequent arguments.

As for Chen Antang, he felt he was fighting hard for their family, and his wife’s constant suspicion only fueled his frustration. In a fit of pique, he proposed divorce.

And then, they actually divorced.

His former wife, Liang Yin, was a doctor in the respiratory department of the same hospital, and her parents were Wu Ming’s colleagues of many years. The divorce left Wu Ming in an awkward position at work. Her husband, whose health had always been poor, passed away two years after the divorce, and whether the family’s rupture played a part, no one could say.

Chen Antang, busy with work, was rarely home. Whenever he did return, Wu Ming made a point to hold her tongue and keep the peace, cherishing the rare moments together.

But today, Chen Antang had finally set off the powder keg. Years of resentment erupted over today’s incident.

Only when the waiter began serving dishes did Wu Ming relent, settling beside Li Shixin.

Glancing at Chen Antang and his daughter, Chen Boshi—both standing forlornly on the banquet hall stage—Li Shixin beckoned them over. “Come, eat with us.”

The father and daughter looked at Wu Ming, who sat grim-faced at the table, and shook their heads in unison.

“Shixin, why bother with those two? Let them stay standing!” Wu Ming snapped.

“Calm down, it’s mealtime, everyone should eat.” Li Shixin waved his hand, stood, and brought Chen Antang and his daughter to the table.

Chen Antang sat awkwardly, while Chen Boshi sat upright, staring at her plate. Li Shixin chuckled, picked up his chopsticks, and served them both. “Here, Xiao Chen. I ordered pork skin especially for you—the rest of us can’t handle it anymore. With your injury, you need extra collagen to heal fast.”

“Here, Xiao Xiao Chen. This winter melon soup is for you—good for draining water and reducing swelling. Drink more, replenish your salt. Poor thing, your eyes are swollen like peaches from crying.”

“!!!”

(╯°Д°)╯︵┻━┻

It’s all your fault!

Suppressing the urge to flip the table, both father and daughter gritted their teeth and muttered, “Thank you, Uncle/Grandpa.”

“How’s the food? Is it tasty?” Li Shixin asked, watching them eat the pork skin and soup, grinning.

Don’t expect us to say it’s delicious!

Faced with Li Shixin’s soul-searching question, the pair lowered their heads together.

Seeing their identical reactions, Li Shixin laughed and reassured Wu Ming, “Look at them—such a good father and daughter. No need for such anger.”

“Hmph.” Wu Ming snorted, waving her hand. “Let’s not talk about it today.”

She rose, raising her teacup.

“Shixin, I’m happy today. Everyone’s here, and as the head of your fan club, I’d like to say a few words.”

“Go ahead!” Li Shixin led the applause that filled the small banquet hall.

“Shixin, honestly, at our age, we’re long past the days of chasing stars. Look at us—just a bunch of old bones. How much of these delicious dishes can we actually eat? Even eating is difficult now; our energy just isn’t there.”

Sighs echoed around the hall.

Life for the elderly truly was dismal.

Li Shixin felt this himself. Just today, he hadn’t ordered any chicken, duck, fish, or meat—the chicken was too tough, roast duck too greasy, fish too bony, and pork... well, with pork prices at thirty-six yuan a pound, he hadn’t dared to order it.

Watching her old friends sigh, Wu Ming pursed her lips, glanced at Li Shixin, and smiled. “It’s only at this age you realize how quickly life slips away. When we were young, seeing a handsome lad on the street made our hearts skip a beat—that’s how we knew we were smitten. Now, when we see a good-looking old man and our hearts skip, we have to lean against the wall and make sure it isn’t arrhythmia or a heart attack.”

Her words were meant as a jest, but not a single fan laughed.

“But Shixin, we’re happy to follow you. Why? Because you have that spirit! That refusal to give in to old age! When we see you, we’re happy. Even though you’re clearly old, you still live with the vigor of youth. So as long as you’re here, as long as you keep fighting in this industry, we’ll follow you, watch you, and support you! When you’re lively, we feel young too, as if we haven’t aged!”

Wu Ming finished, and her fellow fans responded with a roar.

“Well said!”

“Fo—” Old Liu Feng raised his fist and started to shout, but his dentures popped out mid-word.

That drew laughter from all.

Wu Ming raised her teacup, gesturing around the table. “So today, let’s toast with tea. Congratulations to Shixin for landing his first leading role, and may his fame rise ever higher! I’ll drink mine in one go! Those of us who are older, take smaller sips—don’t choke!”

Watching his mother drain her cup, Chen Antang fell into thought.

Though they’d come out to dine together, hardly anyone ate much. The atmosphere, however, was truly lively. This group had lived decades together, and the fan club had its roots in the old square dance team—wherever they went, they turned it into a seniors’ activity center.

With the aunties leading, they launched into several rounds of folk duets, Hebei opera, and impromptu poetry recitals, heating up the banquet hall.

While the others were busy performing, Li Shixin pulled Wu Ming aside.

Chen Antang’s disruption hadn’t bothered him, but the mention of Wu Ming’s spending had caught his attention.

When Li Shixin asked about the fan club’s expenses, Wu Ming glared fiercely at her son before replying, “Don’t listen to that heartless fool—where have I spent money?”

“Oh?” Li Shixin glanced at Chen Boshi, who was quietly eating her meal, and smiled. “Boshi, how much has your grandmother spent lately?”

“I—” Chen Boshi looked fearfully at her grandmother. “Grandma, should I know?”

“No, you shouldn’t.”

Seeing this, Li Shixin knew the expenses were far from trivial. He put on a stern face. “If you’re spending that much, then I don’t want the fan club anymore.”

“Don’t!” Wu Ming panicked at the threat, and finally told the truth. “Really, it hasn’t cost much. The club uniforms came from the group fund. The only extra expenses were for your photo shoot and personal website—altogether less than four thousand.”

Li Shixin had brought over seven thousand yuan to Rongdian, most of which was already spent on this meal. He made a mental note of the remaining amount.

He pondered briefly and said, “Wu Ming, cancel the website and photo shoot for now.”

“Why?” Wu Ming protested. “All the other fan clubs have these—just ask Boshi. All the celebrities do. Why not us?”

Li Shixin chuckled.

It wasn’t about the money; he simply felt his own path differed from other stars. Most of his loyal fans were elderly, who might not even use such platforms. Besides, he wasn’t building a steady base in a single field—he was living by the clock, and settling down as an actor in Rongdian could mean dying suddenly on the street before long.

It was better to use a single channel to draw fans of all ages and backgrounds together. Aside from Weibo, he couldn’t think of another suitable platform.

So making a website would be pointless.

As he pondered this, Chen Antang leaned over, “Mom, if you trust me, I can help with Uncle Li’s affairs.”

Wu Ming frowned, her distrust clear. Chen Antang coughed lightly. “Well, I am a professional agent. I can offer some guidance.”

Huh?

Chen Boshi, halfway through her meal, stared in shock as her father volunteered to join her grandmother’s team.

Chen Antang, not only are you a useless teammate—now you’re switching sides!