Chapter 213: Chapter 213: Protecting Friends
The next morning, Yi Heng indeed went out to sea with Ai Jie.
Yi Kai and the twins had to accompany Tuanzi and the others.
Fortunately, everyone was in perfect harmony when it came to performing arts, so even without parents, they weren’t afraid.
Until noon, when everyone was preparing to pack up and go back for lunch and catch the tide, an unexpected visitor arrived.
At this time, several children were gathered in a circle, counting the loose change in the box.
Bit by bit, this is the true essence of performing arts.
"Hehe," Tuanzi’s chubby face showed a satisfied smile, "We’ve had quite a haul today too."
She raised her little paw, "High five!"
Gu Jiujiu quickly raised her hand and high-fived her.
Yi Kai hesitated for a moment, then high-fived and immediately showed an embarrassed smile. He rarely did such actions.
The twins also raised their hands, just then, a voice sounded from behind.
"Danbo, Feng Yi, I finally found you."
The short-haired siblings simultaneously froze and turned around to see a man with a somewhat handsome appearance and an exhausted expression standing not far away. Seeing them, his eyes filled with tears.
"Don’t you remember your dad?"
The man stepped forward, showing a wronged expression, "Well, your mom never lets me see you. I really miss you."
The barrage went wild.
[Is this Ai Jie’s ex-husband?]
[Seems like it, there were photos leaked before. I remember he’s the owner of a gaming company.]
[What does this mean? Ai Jie never let him see his own children? That’s too much! Even if divorced, with custody in her hands, she shouldn’t keep the dad from seeing his kids!]
[He seems so pitiful, tired, wronged, like he’s been looking for a long time.]
[Huh, how long did he really need to look? The show trended after the first episode, and he must have come immediately.]
[Anyway, Ai Jie is too much.]
[Look at the twins’ reaction.]
Faced with the man’s pitiful expression, the twins reacted by standing up, with the brother protecting the sister, showing vigilance.
Tuanzi quickly reacted, standing in front of them with her hands on her hips, "Who are you? Why are you saying such nonsense?"
Gu Chi and Gu Ran put their things aside, hurriedly ran over, and protected the kids.
Gu Chi smiled and said, "Sir, you’re scaring the children."
Shan Hao looked displeased, "I just want to see my children. Are you all like Ai Jie, not letting me see my kids?"
Gu Chi continued to smile, "There’s no such thing as not letting. I just see you scaring your children, so I am stepping up."
The young artist with astute instincts countered Shan Hao’s insinuating remarks about Ai Jie not allowing him to visit the children without hesitation.
Compared to a stranger, certainly, the beloved Mrs. Ai is more important to the siblings.
Taking advantage of the situation, Tuanzi turned to comfort the twins tightly huddled together, clearly uneasy.
"Don’t be afraid. As long as you don’t want to go with him, Miaomiao will protect you."
She patted her chest, "Miaomiao is a Little Heroine."
Gu Jiujiu also said, "We will protect you. Let’s wait for Mrs. Ai to come back together."
Yi Kai, who has always been forced to act mature, indeed developed a more mature mindset than his peers over time.
"Even if he’s your dad, taking you without your consent, we can call the police, and the officers will protect you as well."
The Little Heroine, the friends, and even the police brought a sense of security, allowing the siblings to calm down.
The more reserved brother patted his sister’s arm, poking out a small head and bravely said, "We can meet, but we won’t go with you."
Shan Hao showed a sorrowful yet angry expression, "If it weren’t for Ai Jie not letting me see you, you’d never be so distant from me. I’m fighting for custody of you, don’t worry, soon you’ll be with dad."
The twins, terrified, hugged each other tightly.
Tuanzi glared disgustedly at Shan Hao.
"All we hear is your side. Are you coming here on purpose when Mrs. Ai isn’t around? Your heart is black!"
Indeed, Shan Hao, who schemed to come while Ai Jie was away: "..."
He was fighting for custody, but due to previous infidelity during the marriage and gaining too much marital property, he had little legal ground, making it difficult for the court to award him custody.
Fortunately, after consulting those around him, he thought of another way.
Ai Jie is a female celebrity, and audiences are always harsher towards celebrities. By stepping out as a layperson claiming Ai Jie won’t let him and the kids meet and questioning her lifestyle affecting the kids, public opinion would surely lean towards him.
At that point, he could negotiate with Ai Jie whether she wanted her celebrity identity or the kids’ custody. If custody wasn’t granted to him, he could make this recently revived celebrity identity disappear once again.
This time, upon advice from a celebrity relative, he made himself appear disheveled and planned to show up when Ai Jie went out to sea, capitalizing on the time when the show’s live streaming traffic was at its peak to preoccupy public opinion.
The action was somewhat risky, but that relative examined the scenario for him.
First, with Ai Jie absent, the introverted twins wouldn’t speak much; what he said would define the narrative. People would believe him, sympathize with him, and resist Ai Jie. Real-life squalor and sorrow were much more effective than an online article. Secondly, other guests and the program team would surely want to smooth things over, avoiding trouble. Thirdly, he needed to take both kids away while Ai Jie wasn’t around; then he’d have more ways to gain custody.
But he never expected such a strong reaction from the twins, visibly unwelcoming towards him, and other guests were sticking their noses in.
Shan Hao said, "This is my family matter, stay out of it. I’m their father; I won’t harm them."
He beckoned to the children, "Danbo, Feng Yi, come over."
The twins shook their heads, hiding behind the adults, unwilling to go over. The fear on their faces dissuaded the viewers from criticizing their treatment towards their father.
Tuanzi scoffed disdainfully, "A so-called dad who never visits or pays child support after the divorce?"
Shan Hao’s expression changed, quickly freezing into anger again, "How does an outsider like you know I haven’t visited them?"
Tuanzi pointed at the twins, "Let them answer. After the divorce, how many times have you seen them?"
Before the brother could speak, the more lively sister said, "Just twice. Once was before the show when he claimed grandma was ill, asking us to visit her. In reality, grandma wasn’t sick; they wanted to lock us up, and it was mom who saved us!"
Shan Hao’s expression changed again.
Weren’t these two supposed to be consistently quiet due to being from a single-parent family? How come they’re so lively and eloquent?
Ai Fengyi said aggrievedly, "And the second time was three days ago, after kindergarten. Our aunt was late to pick us up, and he actually tried to take us away, but the teachers stopped him!"