As soon as one saw the dissatisfied expression on Zarukel's face, it was almost possible to guess what the little guy was thinking. Unfortunately, Joshua didn't notice—or perhaps he did notice but didn't care.
At this moment, the production team finally had a chance to step in. The host cheerfully said, "Wow, looks like the kids' friendship has leveled up!"
Smiling, the host announced the earlier "eating contest results." The last person to finish eating would have to cook dinner—of course, with help from a parent—while the one who finished first would get to request any dish they liked from the cook.
Upon hearing that, Layla smiled and said, "Isn't that a bit unfair?"
It was obvious Zarukel was older than the other children.
The host chuckled, but Zarukel's cheerful voice rang out before she could say anything: "Really? Then, Joshua, you have to cook for me!"
After saying that, Zarukel thought momentarily, then emphasized, "Only for me, got it?!"
Cale couldn't help but tease off to the side, "So you're saying Joshua's only allowed to cook for you—what about the rest of us? You want us to starve?"
Zarukel didn't hesitate and nodded: "Exactly, go hungry."
Cale: "..." Honestly, he couldn't defend his nephew. If there weren't any complaints about Zarukel online, it was definitely because the Curtis family had intervened!
But Cale was wrong—viewers loved watching Zarukel cling to Joshua. The comment section exploded with excitement:
[Feels like even if Joshua served him a bug, Zarukel would still smile and eat it.]
[Oh my god, this dynamic hahaha!]
[I want a show where we see them all grown up!]
[Pfft, they're just little kids now. Do you think they'll even remember each other growing up?]
[Why do some people always have to be so negative?]
Meanwhile, Lily stood to the side, watching the two boys chatter away, her hands clenching into fists. She and Adonis should've been on a dating show instead—things would've been much smoother that way!
But Adonis was truly detached from worldly desires. If not for the sudden appearance of this child, he probably never would've agreed to participate in this kind of show. After all, Adonis was far too famous—shows like this did nothing to help his reputation!
[Lily, you need to come up with a strategy quickly! This program has only been filmed for a few days, and the first day is almost over—and you haven't even managed to say a single normal sentence to Adonis! Use your brain already!]
The system sounded a little angry. Who would've thought Adonis would instantly dislike Lily the moment she opened her mouth? It should've picked someone smarter from the start!
Lily could hear the disgust in the system's voice and trembled slightly from frustration but couldn't say anything in return. Thinking about how this mission was her only path to becoming more beautiful and talented, she could only grit her teeth and press on.
Afternoon came quickly. Adonis led Joshua into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Of course, Joshua could only sit off to the side—there was no way Adonis would let his precious dough ball near the stove.
But Joshua still remembered his task. His thinking was straightforward—if you lose, you have to accept the consequences.
"Papa, is there nothing I can cook?" Joshua asked softly.
Adonis turned his head and saw Joshua sitting correctly on the chair, hands and feet in order, his head tilted slightly as he looked at him, eyes filled with anticipation.
Adonis instinctively shielded his chest, then immediately reached out and picked Joshua up, rubbing the tip of his nose against the boy's chubby cheek while muttering nonstop, "How can you be this adorable, huh?"
Joshua didn't understand what he had done to earn the "adorable" title, but papa tickled him!
Joshua giggled: "Papa, tickles! Papa!"
Only then did Adonis kiss Joshua's cheek before setting him down and saying, "Joshua doesn't need to cook for anyone. Just stay here and cheer papa on."
Joshua nodded thoughtfully upon hearing that and immediately clung to Adonis's leg like a koala.
Adonis couldn't help but laugh again. His little one was too cute for words! He genuinely wanted to carry Joshua in one arm and cook with the other—if only that were possible!
[Haha Adonis truly has zero resistance when it comes to Joshua.]
[But look at Joshua! If I were Adonis, I wouldn't be able to resist either!]
[Mini idol is stealing my heart! Goodbye Adonis, I'll be in love with Joshua for a day!]
[But seriously, the way Adonis looks at Joshua is so sweet—I don't even know if I'm jealous of Joshua or jealous of Adonis, huhuhuhu.]
Just then, Lily's voice suddenly rang out: "Brother Adonis, do you need any help?"
Adonis looked over and saw her walking toward him with a friendly smile. "I can cook a few dishes. I just thought it might be tiring for you to do it alone. Let me help."
[Oh my god, Lily is an angel—how can someone be so understanding and sweet!]
[Right? She saw that Adonis might be tired and came to help. So kind!]
[She is my future wife!]
[Does no one else think they look good together?]
[Hey hey hey, some fans need to stay in their lane! They don't look good together, okay? Both idol and fan are just fame-hungry!]
[Hahaha, right? Adonis doesn't need her help—he's enjoying his time cooking with Joshua, haha.]
At this point, Lily hadn't had the chance to check the online comments. As soon as she finished speaking, she washed the potatoes. But Adonis's cold voice stopped her: "I don't need your help, Miss Lily. You can take a break or play with Lorna—she needs your company more."
The smile on Lily's face nearly froze. But it didn't stop there—Adonis continued, "Besides, Joshua doesn't like you. I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to talk to me."
Lily hadn't expected Adonis to be so direct. Her expression stiffened, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
[Hurry up and get close to the kid—apologize if you have to!] the system shouted in Lily's ear, clearly panicking. It didn't want her to miss any chance to get closer to Adonis.
Lily was unwilling—why should she have to apologize to that brat? She hadn't even done anything to him!
But for now, she could only follow the system's instructions in confusion.
She crouched down to face Joshua, forcing a stiff smile. "Little Joshua, can Auntie apologize? Look, Auntie's a nice person."