Xiao Nian raised his hand. “Dad, I can wash vegetables.”

Xiao Heng also raised his hand. “I can calculate ingredient distribution.”

Shen Qingyu said, “You can wash vegetables too.”

Xiao Heng: “…”

The familiar grievance appeared on his tiny solemn face, and the bullet comments immediately recognised it.

【Xiao Heng has been demoted again.】

【From data analyst to vegetable washer.】

【Baby, adulthood is worse. Get used to it early.】

Lu Jingheng took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. The action was simple, but the camera seemed to understand its duty and zoomed in.

His forearms were strong, and his fingers were long and clean. Even in a village kitchen, he carried that cold, restrained pressure, like an unsheathed blade forced to chop vegetables.

Shen Qingyu glanced at him. “Don’t scare the vegetables.”

Lu Jingheng paused. “Vegetables don’t feel fear.”

“Neither do contracts, but you still terrify legal departments.”

Tang Mianmian, who had been tying an apron nearby, nearly laughed aloud.

The bullet comments went wild.

【HAHAHAHAHA】

【Shen Qingyu understands President Lu too well.】

【Don’t scare the vegetables!】

【Vegetables: trembling.】

【Legal departments: finally represented.】

Wen Xuci walked over with a basket of mushrooms. “Teacher Shen, what are you making?”

Shen Qingyu looked at the ingredients. “Steamed egg with shrimp. Something easy for the children.”

Wen Xuci smiled. “Good choice.”

Before he could say more, Lu Jingheng silently moved half a step closer to Shen Qingyu. The movement was not obvious, but it was obvious enough.

Wen Xuci noticed it. Shen Qingyu noticed it. The viewers noticed it.

Xiao Heng also noticed it.

He looked up from the vegetable basin. “Father, your position has shifted twelve centimetres.”

Lu Jingheng: “…”

Shen Qingyu closed his eyes.

Xiao Heng continued, “Is this related to Teacher Wen’s proximity?”

Wen Xuci lowered his head and laughed, while Tang Mianmian turned around and coughed.

Qin Zhao whispered to the camera, “I admire this child’s courage.”

The bullet comments covered the entire screen.

【Xiao Heng!!!!】

【Relationship commentator is online again.】

【Twelve centimetres HAHAHAHAHA.】

【Lu Jingheng: My son is becoming less useful.】

【No, very useful to us.】

【Wen Xuci is laughing. President Lu is colder.】

Shen Qingyu washed his hands slowly, then turned and looked at Lu Jingheng. “President Lu.”

Lu Jingheng looked at him.

“Peel shrimp.”

Lu Jingheng lowered his eyes. “Mm.”

The cold pressure vanished instantly, and he picked up the shrimp before beginning to peel them with the seriousness of someone handling confidential documents.

Xiao Heng observed him for two seconds before announcing, “Reassignment successful.”

Shen Qingyu: “…”

Lu Jingheng: “…”

Wen Xuci finally laughed out loud.

For a while, the shared kitchen was lively. The children stood on small stools to help wash vegetables, while the adults cut ingredients, lit stoves, and joked under the camera. The earlier tension over Room One seemed to have faded, but Shen Qingyu did not relax completely.

The protagonist halo would not stop after one failed attempt. It was patient, and it had twisted his life for years through coincidence after coincidence. A broken heater was only the beginning.

Half an hour later, the next incident came.

It happened near the long wooden table where the children were helping arrange ingredients.

Xiao Nian was carrying a small bowl of beaten egg toward Shen Qingyu. He walked very carefully, holding the bowl with both hands, while Xiao Heng followed beside him and reminded him to keep his steps stable.

“Brother, your centre of gravity is too far forward.”

Xiao Nian immediately straightened his back. “Is this better?”

“Moderately better.”

At that moment, Liu Xin walked past them with a tray.

The tray held several sauce dishes, and the kitchen was crowded. Cameras were moving, children were walking, and adults were speaking. It should have been ordinary chaos, but Shen Qingyu felt the air tighten.

The invisible page turned again.

Liu Xin’s elbow shifted slightly, and the tray tilted. A small dish of dark sauce slid toward Xiao Nian.

The sauce was not boiling hot, but it was warm enough to startle a child. If it splashed across Xiao Nian’s clothes, the bowl in his hands would fall; if the bowl shattered, the child could be frightened or cut. And on camera, it would be easy to say that Shen Qingyu had not watched his child, that Shen Qingyu had let his child wander around the kitchen, that Shen Qingyu had blamed the staff, and that Shen Qingyu had made a fuss.

Everything happened in less than a second.

Before anyone else could react, Shen Qingyu moved. He crossed the distance quickly and caught Xiao Nian’s shoulder with one hand, pulling him back, while his other hand caught the falling sauce dish by its edge.

The sauce spilled onto his fingers. It was not much, but it was enough to redden the skin.

The bowl in Xiao Nian’s hands shook.

Lu Jingheng’s expression changed. “Qingyu.”

The kitchen went silent.

Xiao Nian stared at Shen Qingyu’s hand, and then his eyes filled with tears. “Dad…”

Shen Qingyu placed the sauce dish back on the tray, his voice still calm. “I’m fine.”

Lu Jingheng was already beside him. He took Shen Qingyu’s wrist and carefully turned his hand over.

The sauce had reddened two fingers. It was not a serious burn, but the skin was clearly irritated.

Lu Jingheng’s face became terrifyingly cold, and the Enigma pressure almost broke loose.

Shen Qingyu pressed his thumb lightly against Lu Jingheng’s palm. “Don’t.”

With that one word, Lu Jingheng stopped, although his eyes remained dark.

The bullet comments had exploded.

【What happened???】

【The staff almost spilled sauce on Xiao Nian!】

【Shen Qingyu caught it so fast.】

【His hand is red!】

【Is he burned?】

【Why did the staff walk so close to the children with sauce?】

【Was that intentional?】

【Don’t jump to conclusions. The kitchen is crowded.】

【Replay! Replay! Her elbow moved weirdly.】

Liu Xin’s face was pale.

“I’m sorry, Teacher Shen. I didn’t mean to. The kitchen was too crowded, and Xiao Nian suddenly walked over—”

Shen Qingyu raised his eyes, and Liu Xin stopped.

His expression was not angry, which was worse.

He looked at her calmly and asked, “Are you saying my child caused this?”

Liu Xin’s lips trembled. “No, I didn’t mean that. I only meant…”

Shen Qingyu’s voice remained light. “Xiao Nian was walking in a straight line from the children’s table to me. You approached from behind with a tray of sauce. There are cameras from three angles in this kitchen. Would you like to check whose movement changed?”

The kitchen became even quieter.

The bullet comments froze, then surged.

【Three angles!】

【He noticed the cameras too.】

【Calm face-slap incoming.】

【Do not mess with a film emperor. Camera awareness is professional instinct.】

【Also a father protecting his child.】

Liu Xin’s face turned even whiter. “I really didn’t mean to…”

Shen Qingyu smiled faintly. “I didn’t say you meant to.”

The words were gentle, too gentle.

“But the first thing you did after almost spilling sauce on a child was not ask whether he was hurt. It was explain why you weren’t responsible.”

Liu Xin froze completely.

Xiao Nian clutched the bowl with red eyes, and Xiao Heng stepped forward to stand beside his brother, his little face expressionless.

“According to basic responsibility logic, apologising should precede self-defense when a child is involved.”

Qin Zhao whispered, “I need to start taking notes from this kid.”

Tang Mianmian’s expression was no longer amused. She looked directly at Liu Xin and said, “He’s right. You should apologise to the child first.”

Wen Xuci also said, “And to Teacher Shen. His hand was burned.”

Liu Xin’s eyes reddened.

The halo stirred, and a faint pressure tried to gather sympathy around her. She was a young staff member. It was an accident. She was frightened. She was being bullied by a powerful guest.

It was a familiar script, and Shen Qingyu felt it.

He almost wanted to laugh.

Again?

It wanted to turn him into the aggressive one again?

He lowered his eyes to Xiao Nian. The child was trying very hard not to cry, but his small mouth had already tightened.

Shen Qingyu’s gaze softened. “Xiao Nian.”

Xiao Nian looked up. “Dad…”

“Were you scared?”

Xiao Nian nodded.

Shen Qingyu took the bowl from his hands and handed it to Lu Jingheng before crouching down.

“You did nothing wrong. You walked carefully. You held the bowl properly. You listened to Xiao Heng’s reminder. This was not your fault.”

Xiao Nian’s tears fell at once. “But Dad’s hand…”

“It’s just a little red.”

“But it hurts.”

Shen Qingyu paused, then smiled. “A little.”

Xiao Nian reached out carefully and blew on his fingers, his cheeks still wet. “Then I’ll blow. It won’t hurt.”

The kitchen fell silent, and even the bullet comments slowed.

【I’m crying.】

【Xiao Nian is so soft.】

【Shen Qingyu first told him it wasn’t his fault.】

【He knows what children need to hear.】

【Because no one told him that when he was sixteen.】

【Stop, that hurt.】

Xiao Heng stood beside them, his lips pressed together. After a moment, he also leaned forward and blew once at Shen Qingyu’s fingers before saying seriously, “The actual medical effect is limited, but emotional comfort may be significant.”

Shen Qingyu laughed softly. “Very significant.”

Lu Jingheng looked at the three of them. His expression did not soften, but his eyes did.

Then he turned to the staff. “First-aid kit.”

It was only two words, with no anger and no raised voice, but the staff immediately ran.

Liu Xin stood frozen in place, her eyes red.

Director Zhou entered the kitchen himself, his face cold. “Liu Xin, apologise.”

Liu Xin looked up sharply. “Director Zhou, I really didn’t—”

Director Zhou interrupted her. “I said apologise.”

The halo pushed, and her tears fell.

“I’m sorry,” Liu Xin said, her voice trembling. “Xiao Nian, I’m sorry. Teacher Shen, I’m sorry.”

Shen Qingyu looked at her. “Accepted.”

Everyone was stunned, and even Liu Xin looked surprised.

Shen Qingyu stood up. “But acceptance of apology does not mean no review is needed.”

His voice was calm.

“Director Zhou, please check the footage. If it was accidental, then improve kitchen movement rules. If it was not…”

He smiled faintly.

“Then the programme team should explain why a staff member carrying warm sauce walked behind a child and blamed him first.”

Director Zhou nodded immediately. “I will check.”

The bullet comments exploded with approval.

【This is the correct way!】

【He didn’t scream, didn’t use privilege, didn’t demand punishment immediately.】

【He asked for footage and rules.】

【That’s a parent.】

【That’s a film emperor who knows cameras.】

【That’s someone who has been framed before and knows how to leave no gap.】

The halo recoiled. It was not broken, but it had been forced back, because Shen Qingyu had refused every role it prepared for him. He did not become hysterical. He did not become cruel. He did not make the child feel guilty. He did not allow the staff member to become the victim, and he did not even let Lu Jingheng’s anger take over.

He simply named the problem clearly and precisely in front of everyone.

Lu Jingheng took the first-aid kit from the staff and began treating Shen Qingyu’s fingers. His movements were careful, almost too careful.

Shen Qingyu looked at him. “It’s not serious.”

Lu Jingheng did not raise his head. “It is red.”

“That is not a medical category.”

“It is my category.”

Shen Qingyu: “…”

Xiao Heng nodded. “Father’s classification system is emotionally biased.”

Lu Jingheng said, “Correct.”

Shen Qingyu could not help laughing.

The atmosphere finally loosened, though not completely, because every person in that kitchen had seen it: when something happened to the twins, Shen Qingyu’s calmness did not disappear. It sharpened.

And when Shen Qingyu sharpened, it was impossible to mistake him for vicious.

A vicious person attacked, but Shen Qingyu protected.

There was a difference, and the camera had captured all of it.