Pay close attention to the screenwriter credits, this is key, circle it, it’s on the exam!
Wen Dongrong might as well have said it that bluntly.
Wen Dongrong’s bold display finally caught Chen Ru’s attention.
Chen Ru didn’t enjoy binge-watching dramas, but when the third episode of The Princess’s New Clothes aired and she saw the production company was Tianjiao Films, she suddenly realised: Wen Dongrong probably wasn’t asking her to focus on the show’s content, but something else.
Wen Dongrong had watched the first two episodes yesterday and was now engrossed in the third, finding the plot seamless and captivating.
Though Chen Ru hadn’t watched the earlier episodes, she could follow the third episode easily, as the character relationships were clear, good dramas are like that, you can jump in without missing much.
When Chen Ru saw the screenwriter credits listing Zhang Guangzhen and Wen Ying, she wasn’t particularly surprised.
Wen Ying’s work as a screenwriter wasn’t hidden from the family like her novel publishing or lawsuits. Chen Ru had even run into Wen Ying at Tianjiao when handling a loan for them. The only surprise was how quickly Wen Ying’s scripted drama had aired.
After the episode ended, Wen Dongrong studied his wife’s expression.
If Chen Ru got angry, Wen Dongrong would have to play the peacemaker, after all, he wasn’t taking those 1,000 yuan monthly tributes from Blackheart Cotton for nothing.
Yet Chen Ru said nothing and simply got up to return to her room.
A little later, Wen Dongrong tiptoed to the bedroom door and peeked in. Chen Ru was still memorising vocabulary, seemingly unaffected.
Just that?
Wen Dongrong retreated to the sofa, sinking into thought.
This reaction wasn’t what he’d expected, nor what Wen Ying had anticipated.
The father and daughter huddled together, whispering for a while, and concluded: this might be the calm before the storm!
If she was angry, they could soothe her; if she was happy, they could celebrate with her. But no reaction at all was rather frightening, and neither knew when the storm might hit.
What now?
Wen Dongrong was at a loss, “Just wait, I guess. Behave yourself lately and don’t upset your mum.”
“You should take your own advice…”
The plastic father-daughter duo shifted blame, neither admitting they were the unstable factor in family harmony, and parted on bad terms.
In the bedroom, Chen Ru appeared to be memorising vocabulary, but her English book hadn’t turned a page in ages.
No mood to study.
Angry?
Not really.
But she did need time to process.
First business, then publishing a novel and fighting lawsuits, and now working as a screenwriter, Chen Ru needed time to accept Wen Ying’s changes.
If she weren’t a mother who could never mistake her child, Chen Ru might have wondered if she’d gotten a different daughter.
In just over a year, it was as if the previous decade of mediocrity had been storing energy for this year’s explosion.
Last year, Chen Ru thought she deserved an outstanding daughter, at least surpassing her and Wen Dongrong. Now, she wondered if her daughter was too outstanding, and whether she, as a mother, was still fit to discipline her.
If she didn’t manage her, that girl would keep dropping bombshells, ordinary parents could hardly handle such shocks.
But if she did manage her, with what? Wen Ying’s adolescence was vastly different from Chen Ru’s own. The things Wen Ying was experiencing were beyond Chen Ru’s own experiences, she could no longer guide Wen Ying as someone who’d been there.
What was right, what was wrong, what was best for Wen Ying’s growth, it surpassed Chen Ru’s understanding!
Chen Ru messaged Wu Chunqin about her troubles, and Wu Chunqin still advised her to let things be.
Some children’s excellence comes from parental nurturing, with the family as a safety net, but a rare few break free from their origins, like the so-called poor kids who make it to top universities despite their parents toiling in the fields. Those cases can’t be replicated, Wen Ying is one of those, you and Old Wen are blessed!
Being blessed was something Chen Ru couldn’t argue with.
But to lie back and enjoy life just because her child was successful, giving up her own striving in her prime, Chen Ru couldn’t do that.
When Chen Ru expressed her stance, Wu Chunqin replied with admiration, “Old friend, I’m proud of you, truly, I love this drive of yours, it’s so my style. Let me say a bit more, for your kid, besides letting things be, you need to focus on the big picture and let go of the small stuff. As long as it’s not stealing or breaking the law, don’t waste energy on it.”
“Let things be, focus on the big picture, let go of the small stuff” was Wu Chunqin’s eight-word mantra for Chen Ru.
Chen Ru put down her phone and rubbed her temples.
Different life experiences gave Chen Ru and Wu Chunqin different perspectives. She could consider Wu Chunqin’s views but couldn’t fully follow her advice.
“Let things be, focus on the big picture, let go of the small stuff” was fine, but what counted as big or small differed between Chen Ru and Wu Chunqin.
For example, Wu Chunqin thought schoolyard-to-wedding romances were romantic, but Chen Ru firmly believed the door to puppy love must stay shut!
Thinking alone led nowhere, so Chen Ru put her earphones back in.
Better study first, the exam’s next month.
Since she realised she couldn’t guide her daughter’s life right now, she had to push forward with all her effort!
Most viewers of The Princess’s New Clothes were drawn by its idol drama aesthetics and cast, but Chen Ru, a fake fan who’d only watched one episode, was doing something more aligned with the show’s core: The Princess’s New Clothes is actually a coming-of-age story, an inspirational drama, and viewers waiting for the leads to get together are bound to be disappointed!
…
On Sunday, the storm at Wen Ying’s house didn’t arrive. Wen Ying dutifully went to Xie Qian’s place to do practice questions, while Wen Dongrong cleaned the kitchen grease stains three times over.
On Monday, the storm still didn’t come. Wen Ying went to school, Wen Dongrong went to work, resisting the urge to brag to Old Li.
Wen Ying’s role as a screenwriter for The Princess’s New Clothes wasn’t as big a deal as her being the author of Teen Idol. Most people don’t notice the production team when watching a show, viewers only check the credits if there’s an unfamiliar newcomer, like Yun Chen, who played the male lead this time!
At school on Monday, Wen Ying didn’t hear anyone talking about the screenwriter, but plenty of girls were discussing Yun Chen. The girls in her class crowded around Li Mengjiao, asking about him. Li Mengjiao was a bit overwhelmed, quietly complaining to Wen Ying, “Yun Chen’s blown up like this, and he doesn’t even know, haha!”
Yun Chen found out soon enough.
While at the mall, a young girl recognised him, and soon a crowd of girls surrounded him. Bystanders, not knowing what was happening, joined in the screaming. Yun Chen ended up hiding in the men’s restroom and called Yuan Fenghui, who quickly sent people to rescue him. With the mall’s security, Yun Chen barely escaped.
Looking shaken, dishevelled, and dazed as if he’d lost track of time, Yun Chen made Yuan Fenghui inwardly delighted, though her face remained stern, “C18 City’s three-day average ratings are out, know how much they are? Never mind, that data’s too dull for you. I’ve arranged for a photoshoot tomorrow, and the day after, a portal site executive wants to meet you all.”
