In the Years When I Was a Father-Chapter 157: Flirtatious Father of the Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role (End)

The next day, before the official meeting, Butler Song Yao had already arranged for the chef to prepare dinner with meticulous care—it could be said he’d put a lot of thought and effort into the menu. He appeared even more nervous than Qi Sheng. After all, this was the young man their little princess liked, and possibly her future lifelong partner. Song Yao took this meeting very seriously.
Qi Sheng sat leisurely on the sofa, watching the butler change into a suit specifically for the occasion. He couldn’t help but chuckle, “Dressing like that at home? Careful you don’t scare the kid off.”
Song Yao shook his head with a smile, then asked, “Sir, how much do you know about that young man? Is it really reliable for Miss to be with him?”
Qi Sheng thought for a moment about the information he had on Xiao Ge and said, “Lian Jing said he’s decent. We’ll see for ourselves in a bit.”
Still, seeing the butler’s concern, he shared a little more about Xiao Ge.
“From what I know, that kid had it rough growing up. His father died in a car accident when he was ten, and his mother left and remarried. After that, he lived with his grandparents, helping them sell vegetables at a stall while attending school.”
Song Yao sighed at the story but couldn’t help asking out of curiosity, “Are the grandparents still around? Should Miss make time to pay them a visit?”
Qi Sheng shook his head. “They passed away three years ago, one after the other. He’s pretty much alone now.”
Song Yao felt a bit sorry for him. Then Qi Sheng added, “His college entrance exam scores were excellent. He could’ve gone to one of our country’s top five universities. Unfortunately, his grandfather was diagnosed with cancer at the time, so he signed with a talent scout—now his agent—to pay for the medical bills.”
Just from a few simple sentences, Song Yao could picture the kind of hardship Xiao Ge had endured. For people their age, someone who was both academically successful and filial was rare—and Xiao Ge had both qualities. Song Yao hadn’t even met him yet, but his impression score had already soared.
When he previously searched for Xiao Ge online, he had worried about rumors labeling him a workaholic—someone who skipped family gatherings for his career. But now it made sense: the kid had no home to return to.
While the two men discussed the background of Qi Xinglin’s future husband, on the other side, Xiao Ge, who was still racking his brain about what gift to bring to please his future father-in-law, suddenly thought of asking about Qi Sheng’s standards for a son-in-law.
“Does President Qi have any particular standards when it comes to his daughter’s partner?”
Qi Xinglin had no idea what specific requirements her dad might have, but recalling how picky he had been when helping her choose a boyfriend in the past, she guessed, “He once said he considers things like character, appearance, personality, and family background. But no matter how good anyone else is, they’ll never be as good as you!”
Xiao Ge was used to hearing sweet words from his girlfriend, but he still felt a little anxious after hearing that.
In all other aspects, he believed he could hold his own. But when it came to family background… that was a tougher issue.
While adjusting his suit in front of the mirror, Xiao Ge couldn’t help but ask, “What if President Qi hands me a check and tells me to leave you—what would you do?”
He was just joking casually. After all, they had been together for a year and no one from the Qi family had opposed them. Half a year ago, when he worked with Editor-in-Chief Lian again, he hadn’t sensed any rejection either.
But Qi Xinglin perked up at once when she heard it. She hugged him from behind, briefly admiring his good looks, and then excitedly said, “Then you absolutely have to take it! Let’s start with a hundred million and use it as our wedding fund!”
Xiao Ge burst out laughing at her little gold-digger personality. “If President Qi heard you say that, he’d probably kick me out.”
Qi Xinglin giggled too. “Don’t worry, my dad wouldn’t! Don’t think I don’t know—he’s dying to marry me off. He probably wishes you’d marry me right this second!”
Qi Sheng, unaware that his dear daughter was plotting to sell him out again, did indeed want to marry her off soon. After all, if his daughter didn’t get married, where was his grandchild supposed to come from?
He even brought up that idea during his first serious conversation with his future son-in-law. At the time, Qi Xinglin had been barred from listening in, so when Xiao Ge stayed over that night, she snuck into his guest room, burning with curiosity.
“Xiao Xiao, quick, tell me—what did you and my dad talk about? This is so unfair! It’s about me, so why wasn’t I allowed to hear it?”
Xiao Ge just smiled, pulled her into his arms, gave her a kiss, and tried to change the subject. “You should go back soon. Don’t let your dad find out.”
As expected, Qi Xinglin’s attention was immediately diverted. She pouted, “I’m not going back. I want to be with you.” Then her eyes lit up. “Or how about you come back with me?”
Xiao Ge didn’t dare go that far. Even though he had been acknowledged now, sneaking off with someone else’s precious daughter in their own backyard—no matter how you looked at it—was a move that deserved a beating. So, he quickly changed the topic with a few small stories to distract the person in his arms. Only after successfully persuading her to go back did he finally start considering what kind of proposal would both delight his silly sweetheart and make her feel proud.
The new session of the Magnolia Awards was held in June in Haishi. Over the past year, many drama series had become smash hits, and Love in Progress was undeniably one of the best among them.
The drama boasted a top-tier production team, with a smooth and tightly woven plot. On top of that, Xiao Ge starred as the male lead, drawing instant attention as soon as the show aired.
At first, viewers might have tuned in just for the leading actor and the production crew, but soon, they found themselves genuinely impressed.
Urban fashion dramas from Huaguo had long been criticized—viewers complained about outdated styling and melodramatic, heavily padded plots.
As a result, directors in Huaguo tended to prefer historical dramas, while modern ones mostly focused on family themes.
That Love in Progress could stand out as a contemporary urban fashion series proved it had truly won over the audience.
[The plot moves so fast, no dragging at all! Props to the production team and my Xiao!]
[Confirmed: This team is rich and extravagant. It’s the most stylish and eye-catching costume design I’ve ever seen in a drama. The female lead is really beautiful—although her acting is just so-so.]
[I absolutely can’t stop watching. It’s both fun and inspiring. Xiao’s acting is amazing!]
[The female lead is gorgeous, especially with her various fashion looks later on—stunning!]
…
Audiences were won over by the story and the male lead’s performance. Although a few voices noted the female lead’s acting was the weakest among the cast, her beauty made up for it. Plus, her strong presence later on as a wealthy heiress silenced most of the criticism.
Mainly because viewers didn’t even get the chance to complain.
Two episodes a day, eight per week—the viewers were hooked from the first week by the fast-paced storytelling. Not only was there no “bathroom break” moments, but there was also zero filler. Any dramatic misunderstandings or melodrama would get resolved by the second half of the episode, often with the male and female leads teaming up to push back. The male lead was all about passion, ambition, and loyalty; the female lead’s role was to look gorgeous, cheer him on, and deliver satisfying slap-downs. As for the supporting characters—even the villains—served primarily to add humor and move the plot forward.
The viewers were utterly addicted to the rollercoaster plot and fashionable aesthetics. No one expected that by the last day of the second week, they’d be hit with the finale preview, leaving fans who had begged the director not to ruin the ending or drag it out completely stunned.
Huh?! Why aren’t you following the usual formula this time?!
This love came too fast—like a tornado!
We’re not done watching yet!
Qi Sheng never intended to commercialize this drama. Since it was his daughter’s debut—and possibly only—appearance on screen, he wanted nothing but the best. There was absolutely no concern for maximizing profit.
Ironically, this focus on quality turned the drama into a model production, praised by multiple official media outlets and hailed as a benchmark for healthy development in the entertainment industry.
Except for the many behind-the-scenes staff who knew the truth, praise for Director Liu online reached levels that made him feel guilty. So when it came time to submit entries for the awards, he didn’t hesitate to nominate Xiao Ge for Best Actor.
Qi Xinglin also received a flood of compliments online for her beauty, thanks to this drama. Combined with the subtle guidance of the Qi Group’s PR team, her vanity was thoroughly satisfied.
Although she accompanied Xiao Ge to the award ceremony this time, her main goal was purely to show off her latest gown and jewelry.
The entire award ceremony was a joyful experience—except for the moment when Qi Xinglin saw Chu Yi win Best Supporting Actress. But that brief displeasure vanished quickly, because when the Best Actor and Best Actress awards were announced, Qi Xinglin, completely unprepared, received a love confession from a certain someone.
Five years later.
Qi Sheng was walking his four-year-old grandson to kindergarten.
The little guy waddled along beside Qi Sheng on his chubby, pale little legs, moving step by step, occasionally casting pitiful glances at the grandpa holding his hand.
“Grandpa, carry me!”
No one knew who the little one took after, but he firmly refused to tire himself out if he could avoid it. He latched onto Qi Sheng’s calf, determined to root himself to his grandfather’s leg.
“Grandpa, Grandpa… Grandpa, you’re the best.” Yep, his ability to act cute was top-tier—he could even outdo his own mother!
Qi Sheng initially tried to resist, but was ultimately overwhelmed by this adorable little creature and had no choice but to pick him up.
“You’re four already and still want Grandpa to carry you. Aren’t you ashamed?”
The little boy wrapped his arms around Qi Sheng’s neck and sweetly shook his head, “Not ashamed. Qiqi is still a baby.”
Well, Qi Sheng couldn’t stand that shameless cuteness and resigned himself to carrying him to school.
But Qi Sheng wasn’t too worried about spoiling the kid. Though he liked to be pampered and avoid effort, he always obediently learned everything taught to him. It seemed he had perfectly inherited his straight-A student father’s academic genes.
Qi Sheng believed heaven must have noticed how hard he was working, raising his daughter’s child at his age, and had gifted him a sweet and easy-to-care-for baby in return.
Actually, when it came to child-rearing, Xiao Ge never intended to trouble his father-in-law too much. He did his best to make time for his child, although there were times he still had to travel for filming.
As a young man, Xiao Ge didn’t want to give up his career so soon and tried to balance work and family.
At first, he’d hoped his wife, now a mother, would take on more of the childcare duties. But later, he changed his mind.
It all started when he was organizing his childhood photos. Qi Xinglin had known that his early years were tough, but didn’t know the exact details—until she saw a family photo of him as a scrawny little boy with his grandparents.
Having just become a mother, Qi Xinglin was suddenly overwhelmed with maternal instinct. Looking at her husband as a pitiful little child triggered an intense protective urge.
“Hubby, don’t worry. I won’t let our Little Xiao go through what you did. I’m going to make sure he’s the happiest child in the world! He’s going to live like a prince, get whatever he wants, and grow up chubby and fair!”
Xiao Ge: …Huh? Why does this not sound like raising a son?
He had a sneaking suspicion his wife was raising a spoiled little playboy in the making. With a tight chest and a sigh, he quietly decided it was better to ask his father-in-law for help watching the child.
Now, Qi Xinglin was widely regarded online as the ultimate real-life winner: wealthy family background, beautiful looks, a handsome and loving husband…
Netizens secretly speculated that she must have saved the galaxy in her past life. She had so many “auras” that even if she did absolutely nothing, she remained a hot topic online.
Her whole “I’m not in the spotlight, yet the spotlight never forgets me” vibe made her feel extremely pleased with herself.
Of course, the netizens had no idea how smug she actually was behind the scenes. But during a random discussion of beauties in the entertainment industry, Qi Xinglin was unexpectedly included. Coincidentally, she was even compared to Chu Yi.
After thorough fan analysis, the final verdict was: let’s remove Qi Xinglin from the list. Including her was just too unfair to all the hardworking stars in the entertainment world!
When Qi Xinglin saw the gossip post, she laughed for a long time. Although she no longer compared herself to Chu Yi, it still felt great to come out on top.
Twenty years later, the once soft and adorable dumpling had grown into a new generation of overbearing CEOs. Qi Sheng had long since stopped worrying—he’d been living the good life for six years now, drinking tea, tending flowers, and playing with his grandkids.
Compared to his relaxed and easy-going retirement, Qi Xinglin once again became the focus of online discussion.
A good family background, stunning looks, a handsome and considerate husband, and now a son who was a domineering CEO?
Clearly, Qi Xinglin must have saved the universe in her past life!
A true winner in life!