CHAPTER 381: 366 XIAO ZHAO’S FAME SPREAD TO BEIJING

Zhao Chun stared at her, his gaze much steadier than before. After going through that incident, he had changed somewhat.

"You still haven’t said why you came to Beijing?"

That soft, slightly aggrieved tone—it was still the same old him.

Tian Sangsang smiled faintly. "Jinghuai’s mom... oh, she’s my mom now. She got sick, so we came back. Unless there’s some major transfer in the future, we’ll be staying here for good. It all happened so suddenly back then, I didn’t get a chance to tell you guys." She answered and, at the same time, explained why she left without saying goodbye before.

Zhao Chun nodded, signaling his forgiveness. "So are you going to stay at home now, supporting your husband and raising kids, becoming the ideal virtuous wife and good mother?"

Maybe so. She felt a bit lost. Tian Sangsang stifled a laugh, then gave a bitter one. "And what about you—what brought you to Beijing?"

"I took on a script and needed to film some scenes in a courtyard house here in Beijing."

Tian Sangsang looked at him with great interest. "Don’t tell me you’re shooting some four-generations-under-one-roof family drama?"

Zhao Chun’s eyes lit up, and he smiled slightly. "The movie’s actually called *Four Generations Under One Roof*."

"I can’t believe I guessed right!" Tian Sangsang laughed twice. "What’s the female lead like?" If it weren’t for her own restraints, she really would have loved to visit their film crew.

Zhao Chun tilted his head and squinted at her defensively. "Well, not like you, that’s for sure." He had considered Tian Sangsang, but being so close to the capital, he didn’t want to cause trouble for her. Having the Jiang Family’s daughter-in-law acting in movies—people would certainly talk.

As they chatted, the conversation started to awkwardly fizzle out. Tian Sangsang switched topics.

"Where are you staying in Beijing? You didn’t come here all by yourself, did you?"

Zhao Chun rubbed his nose. "My grandpa has a courtyard house here in Beijing. He let me stay there. Yao Yu and the others are here too, but since they have relatives around, they’re staying with them."

"Wow," Tian Sangsang raised an eyebrow and teased, "A bunch of rich kids, huh."

"What?" Zhao Chun scratched his head in confusion.

"Your grandpa’s quite generous."

Zhao Chun laughed and sighed. "My grandpa and my mom have been constantly asking why you and Jinghuai haven’t come over to visit. Turns out you two were back in Beijing. If you had gone over, he would’ve been even more generous."

Tian Sangsang was just joking; she wouldn’t dare actually accept such generosity.

Zhao Chun glanced around the living room, his gaze slightly dimming. "Where’s Yanyan? I don’t see him."

"He’s been learning piano recently, over at the cultural palace."

Zhao Chun was genuinely surprised, his eyes widening. "Learning piano at such a young age? Yanyan’s shooting for the stars, huh!" That phrase, "shooting for the stars," was one Zhao Chun had picked up from Tian Sangsang back in the day.

"His grandma’s idea." She smiled weakly.

Zhao Chun naturally noticed the perfunctory nature of her smile, but before he could say anything, the courtyard door opened.

Speak of the devil, and the devil appears—and sure enough, Ye Binyi and Elder Jiang’s voices could be heard from the courtyard.

Seeing them arrive, Tian Sangsang’s smile vanished as she lowered her head and moved to stand aside. How had she almost forgotten? A woman sitting alone in the living room with a man who wasn’t family—good thing her in-laws hadn’t caught them in the act.

Zhao Chun rose from the sofa and greeted warmly, "Uncle Jiang, Aunt Jiang! Long time no see!"

Ye Binyi smiled and sized him up. The young man was fair and clean-cut, exuding a scholarly charm that she found quite appealing. This was exactly the kind of gentle temperament she liked. Her biggest regret in life was probably only having one son. And worse, that son had joined the military instead of pursuing academics.

"So this is Zhao Chun! I saw you a few times as a kid. Back then, you were as adorable as my grandson—rosy-cheeked and so cute! And now you’ve grown into such a tall, handsome young man. Lots of girls must like you!"

Zhao Chun felt a bit flustered. Thinking of Ji Yao’er, his heart grew faintly heavy. What was the point of being liked by girls, anyway? It’d be better not to be liked. "Aunt, you’re as young as ever. You haven’t changed a bit since I last saw you as a kid."

All women love compliments, and Ye Binyi immediately beamed with joy.

"You should’ve told us in advance that you were coming! I’ll have Aunt Zhang prepare some extra dishes—you’re staying for lunch!"

Zhao Chun shook his head. "I just came to visit briefly and was planning to head off soon. Aunt, no need to go to any trouble."

"You rarely visit; how can you just drop by and leave? Jinghuai isn’t here, so let us host you instead. Oh, and this is my daughter-in-law, Tian Sangsang," Elder Jiang introduced, "You two are from the same generation—get to know each other."

"We already know each other." Zhao Chun kept it brief.

Tian Sangsang’s heart was practically in her throat.

Elder Jiang didn’t make much of it. Since Zhao Chun was friends with his son, it made sense that he’d know their daughter-in-law. Elder Jiang gestured for him to sit down. "Zhao Chun, how is your grandpa doing these days?"

"Grandpa’s doing well in every way."

Elder Jiang carefully took out some tea leaves and began making tea, his movements deliberate and serene. He looked down with an air of warmth. "I hear you’re working in the entertainment industry now. You’ve made quite a name for yourself. The future holds great promise for you."

"Uncle Jiang, you’re flattering me. It’s just some frivolous stuff—I get scolded by my grandpa all the time for it. Personally, I admire Jinghuai more. Protecting the country—that’s what it truly means to be a real man."

"You can’t put it that way. Everyone has different aspirations. You’re contributing to the country’s cultural front. Among the younger generation I know, you’re the only one daring enough to carve such a unique path."

Zhao Chun rubbed his nose. Somehow, the compliment felt a bit...

Elder Jiang continued, "Did you just finish shooting a movie? I’ve even heard about your reputation here in Beijing."

At that moment, Ye Binyi came out from the kitchen, carrying a plate of sliced kiwi and dragon fruit.

"Yes, yes! Zhao Chun, your reputation is huge. I think I heard about it too—what’s it called again? *Lushan Love*. We’re old now and don’t watch movies often, but even we’ve heard young people talking about it. Since this movie was directed by you, we’ll definitely go to the theater to support you!"

Elder Jiang glanced at Ye Binyi and added, "Yes, we rarely do anything this romantic anymore. Years ago, I wanted to watch movies, but didn’t have the chance. Now that I want to, my wife won’t let me. If only I hadn’t been so foolish back then, maybe things wouldn’t be so dreary now."

Tian Sangsang, watching the two congenial elders, hardly dared to breathe.

From the look of things, Hua Jun likely hadn’t mentioned anything about the movie to them. But if they did go watch it...

Zhao Chun felt equally awkward. He chuckled and said, "It’s just an experiment. I’m far from being a notable director—hardly someone who can claim to contribute to culture. But there is a genius author from our province. He’s young but wrote *Heroic Legend of the Condor Heroes* and recently followed that up with *The Return of the Condor Heroes*. He’s leagues ahead of me!"

If movies didn’t interest her, literature certainly did. Ye Binyi immediately said, "I’ve read those books. They’re indeed fresh and innovative. The students in our school are hooked—fans everywhere. Wait, Zhao Chun, you know this author?"

"Yes, he’s a student at our school."

Ye Binyi exclaimed in astonishment, "Still just a student? Truly impressive. He’s surpassed his predecessors by miles!"

"The younger generation is extraordinary," Elder Jiang remarked.