Going home for the New Year during the winter break, I encountered a cool school girl on the high-sp

The video call connected quickly, and the first thing that appeared on the screen was Liu Xiuying's concerned face.

The moment she saw her son, a joyful smile instantly bloomed on her face.

"Xiao Chen, how have you been lately? Is work tiring?"

Liu Xiuying spoke first, her eyes filled with heartache.

She knew how busy Chen Chen had been lately.

I never knew I dared to call him.

Chen Chen quickly responded with a smile:

"Mom, I'm doing fine. Work is a bit busy, but I'm not tired."

Our studio's comics are doing very well; now we're even getting offers from businesses to collaborate on merchandise. The samples are already out, and they look amazing! Look, these are our sample plush toys.”

As he spoke, Chen Chen picked up a sample doll that was placed next to him and showed it to the camera.

"Wow, it's so beautiful! This is all your hard work. My son is so accomplished!"

Liu Xiuying didn't know what was so interesting about this thing.

But he still gave a thumbs-up to the camera, his eyes full of pride.

Lin Muxi also leaned in front of the camera and sweetly called out:
"Hello, Auntie. Chen Chen is working very hard here and taking good care of me, so you don't need to worry."

Liu Xiuying smiled and said:

"Xiaoxi, you've worked hard too. Look after Chen Chen and keep each other company."

Chen Chen nodded, as if suddenly remembering something, and then said:

"By the way, Mom, where's Yuanyuan? She's about to take the college entrance exam, I want to chat with her for a bit."

After hearing this, Liu Xiuying looked around off-camera for a while and said:
"She was just here a moment ago, but she's probably gone upstairs again now. I'll call her."

After saying that, Liu Xiuying turned slightly and shouted loudly upstairs, "Yuanyuan, your brother and sister-in-law are calling!"

A short while later, a series of hurried footsteps were heard coming from the stairs, and then a young girl with a ponytail appeared in the frame in a flurry.

Her round face was rosy, and her eyes were bright and sparkling, full of excitement and joy. She was Chen Chen's younger sister, Yuanyuan.

"Brother, sister-in-law, you finally called me! I've missed you so much!"

As soon as Yuanyuan appeared, she couldn't wait to speak, her voice clear and cheerful.

Chen Chen looked at his sister, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, his face full of doting affection, and said with a smile:
"Yuanyuan, have you been behaving well lately? How's your college entrance exam preparation going?"

Yuanyuan wrinkled her nose and said playfully:
"Of course I've been obedient! I'm almost fully prepared for the college entrance exam, just waiting to take it!"

"That's amazing! No wonder she's my sister!"

Chen Chen gave a thumbs-up and praised,

"Remember, don't put too much pressure on yourself. It's okay if you don't do well on the test. I'll take care of you from now on."

"Know it!"

Yuan Yuan responded, then her gaze fell on the doll in Chen Chen's hand, her eyes suddenly shining like stars.
"Wow, bro, this doll is so cute! Can I see it?"

Chen Chen smiled and twirled the doll in front of the camera to show it to Yuan Yuan, saying:

"These are some of the merchandise our studio makes. Aren't they beautiful? Once they start mass production, I'll send you tons and tons of them."

"That's awesome! Thank you, bro!"

Yuanyuan was so happy she danced around, "I'm going to put it by my bedside so I can see it every day."

Lin Muxi smiled and said to Yuanyuan:

"Yuanyuan, if you like it, I'll bring you to visit the studio after you finish your college entrance exam. There are lots of fun things there."

"Really? Sister-in-law, that's so kind of you! I really want to go!"

Yuanyuan clapped her hands excitedly, her face full of anticipation.

Liu Xiuying watched the children chatting happily, a happy smile always on her face.

She said softly:
"You guys, no matter what, you must always be happy. Xiao Chen and Xiao Xi, don't overwork yourselves while you're working outside, take more rest when you have time. Yuan Yuan, take a good rest these few days and be in the best condition to face the college entrance examination."

"Okay, Mom."

Chen Chen and Lin Muxi responded in unison.

Yuanyuan nodded obediently:
"Don't worry, Mom, I will."

"Where's Dad?"

They've been talking about the video for so long, but they haven't seen Chen Jianwen. Chen Chen couldn't help but ask.

Liu Xiuying paused for a moment, then a smile appeared on her face as she explained:
"Your dad was just talking about you. He was so happy to hear you called. But then someone in the village needed him urgently, so he rushed out. He'll probably be back in a bit."

Chen Chen felt a little disappointed after hearing this. He had originally wanted to take advantage of this video call to have a good chat with his father and share the achievements of his studio.

"Mom, when will Dad be back? I'd really like to talk to him."

Looking at her son's expectant eyes, Liu Xiuying comforted him:
"Almost there, almost there. You know your dad, he's a warm-hearted person and handles things very efficiently. Why don't you two continue chatting, and I'll call him over as soon as he gets back?"

Lin Muxi gently patted Chen Chen's arm and whispered:

"Don't worry, Uncle will be back soon. We'll share the good news about the studio with him later."

Chen Chen nodded, forced a smile, and started chatting with his mother again.

Liu Xiuying inquired about the specifics of the collaboration on comic book merchandise with great interest, her eyes filled with curiosity and concern.

Chen Chen patiently answered all the questions and enthusiastically introduced the upcoming plans.

Just then, footsteps sounded in the distance. Liu Xiuying's eyes lit up, and she turned and called out in that direction:
"Old Chen, you're finally back! Your son and daughter-in-law are waiting to video chat with you!"

Immediately afterwards, Chen Jianwen's slightly tired but smiling face appeared in front of the camera.

"Oh dear, son, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Something came up in the village and I was delayed for a while."

Chen Jianwen's voice was somewhat cheerful, but his eyes revealed his longing for his son.

Chen Chen looked at his father, his heart filled with warmth, and quickly said:

"Dad, I feel like something's missing when you're not here. Our studio's comics are really popular right now, and businesses are asking us to make merchandise. We're making a lot of money!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jianwen's face immediately lit up with a gratified smile, and his eyes narrowed into slits with laughter.

He gave a thumbs-up without hesitation, his voice filled with pride:
“Great! I knew my son was going to be successful! The tourism projects in our village are also progressing smoothly. I believe that the village will be transformed in no time.”

Upon hearing his father's words, Chen Chen's smile deepened, and he quickly responded with a smile:
"Yes, it's all good news!"

Lin Muxi and Liu Xiuying, who were standing nearby, nodded in agreement, their faces beaming with joy.

At this moment, Chen Yuanyuan also stepped in front of the camera and said confidently:

"Looks like everyone's waiting for me to share good news! I'll definitely give it my all and get good grades. I'm going to go study now!" (End of Chapter)