I became a movie star at the age of three; Dilraba and I are childhood sweethearts.

On the other side of the backstage, Jay Chou had just finished his performance.

He didn't even have time to wipe his sweat before grabbing his assistant and asking questions.

"Where's Xiao Chen? Where's my master? Is his performance over?"

The assistant looked distressed.

"Jay Chou, Chen Ge...it seems he's already gone."

Jay Chou's eyes widened instantly, and his iconic baseball cap almost flew off due to his excitement.

"Gone?"

"Impossible! I've had people watching all the exits the whole time, how could he possibly have left?"

He refused to believe it and went to the lounge that Xiao Chen had used before.

The door wasn't locked, so he pushed it open.

The room was empty except for a half-empty bottle of mineral water on the table.

The place is deserted.

Jay Chou was not giving up and started searching through the maze-like backstage area again.

He asked everyone he met.

"Have you seen Xiao Chen?"

"That one, the really handsome one!"

The answers received were all the same.

"I saw it, it was just here a moment ago."

"It seems like they went that way."

"No, I saw him go into the elevator with Sister Hua."

The clues were scattered and disorganized, but they all pointed to the same conclusion—the person had truly disappeared.

Jay Chou slumped against the wall like a deflated balloon.

His mind was filled with Xiao Chen's incredible magic tricks.

The coin vanished into thin air and reappeared on my wrist.

The watch and the coin were exchanged instantly without the wearer's awareness.

That wasn't an ordinary technique; it was practically magic!

As a seasoned magic enthusiast, he knew all too well how terrifyingly difficult it was.

He was eager to understand and learn this technique.

But his only master just slipped away like that.

"Xiao Chen..."

He gritted his teeth as he muttered the name, his eyes filled with resentment and determination.

"You can't escape me, I will find you!"

Just then, a female reporter holding a microphone and a driver carrying a camera came running over, panting.

That blocked him.

"Jay Chou!"

"Hello Jay Chou! I'm a reporter from CCTV's live broadcast studio. May I ask you a few questions?"

Jay Chou was extremely agitated at the moment and wanted to refuse.

But seeing that the camera was already pointed at him, he patiently nodded.

The female reporter immediately flashed a sweet smile and held the microphone to his lips.

"Jay Chou, your performance just now was absolutely fantastic!"

"The new year has arrived, a time for family reunions."

"What blessings would you like to share with television viewers across the country?"

This is a perfectly standard question.

However, Jay Chou's mind was still stuck on the matter of becoming an apprentice.

He looked at the camera and remained silent for two seconds.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the host, cameramen, and the entire nation.

He suddenly faced the camera and spoke clearly, word by word:

"Xiao Chen, I will definitely become your disciple!"

? ? ? ?

what's going on?

The female reporter was stunned, wondering if there was something wrong with her ears.

The cameraman's lens even shook slightly.

The director in the live broadcast room almost crushed the walkie-talkie in his hand.

No child?

Where are the promised New Year's greetings?

How did it turn into an online shouting game?

The target of the message was still Xiao Chen?!

After shouting, Jay Chou seemed to realize what he had said.

He cleared his throat, forced a slightly stiff smile, and then added.

"Ah... well, I also wish everyone a Happy New Year, all the best, and good health."

After saying that, he ignored the reporters' reactions and quickly walked away, pushing through the crowd.

The poor female reporter was left standing there, bewildered in the cold wind, trying desperately to salvage the live broadcast.

"Haha...it seems our Jaylen...is truly a man of strong emotions!"

"A very special New Year's greeting!"

That night, Weibo's servers underwent the most severe test since its inception.

#Jay Chou publicly calls on Xiao Chen to become his apprentice#

This topic exploded in a dramatic fashion.

Its popularity even surpassed that of #XiaoChenIsNotShortOfMoney#.

"???? Was I hallucinating while watching the live stream?"

"No! I saw it too! Jay Chou said in front of the whole country that he wanted to become Xiao Chen's apprentice! I was completely stunned!"

"So what exactly can Xiao Chen do? Not only can he act and sing, but he can also perform in skits. Now even Jay Chou wants to become his apprentice?"

"Just what kind of amazing guy is he?"

"This is hilarious! Is tonight's Spring Festival Gala a special for Xiao Chen?"

"It's him from beginning to end, the singing and dancing, the skits, and now they even mention him in other people's interviews!"

"He occupied eight out of the top ten trending topics!"

"Please, please let Xiao Chen start a class! There's so much I want to learn! I want to learn acting, I want to learn singing, I want to learn magic, and most of all, I want to learn how to look like him!"

On New Year's Eve, the internet became Xiao Chen's personal stage.

Discussions about him are everywhere.

Everyone online is talking about this 18-year-old boy who has already created countless miracles.

His name was imbued with even more legendary color on this night.

And at the center of this storm, the boy who was the subject of nationwide discussion was sitting in his car on his way home.

Outside the car window, the streets of Beijing were quiet.

Scattered fireworks bloomed in the distant sky, brilliant but fleeting.

Inside the car, the heating was on full blast.

Wang Jinhua held her phone, her face changing color repeatedly, sometimes turning pale and sometimes flushed.

"They've gone mad, they've all gone mad."

She muttered to herself, her fingers flying across the screen as she watched the trending topics and search results soar, her temples throbbing.

"Xiao Chen, look, Jay Chou... he really made a statement during the live stream!"

She handed the phone to Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen leaned back in his seat, his eyes closed, already asleep.

He only slowly opened his eyes after hearing Wang Jinhua's voice.

Those beautiful peach blossom eyes held no emotion, only the weariness and tranquility of the deep night.

He glanced at the glaring "explosive" word on the screen and gave a faint "hmm".

"Let him be."

Anyway, it didn't have much of an impact on him.

Looking at his calm profile, Wang Jinhua's anxiety subsided.

Yes, let it be.

Anyway, aren't there plenty of bizarre news stories about Xiao Chen already?

Oscar-winning actor.

Grammy winner.

Now, adding "Jay Chou's mentor" doesn't seem like such a big deal...

She shook her head with a wry smile and put her phone away.

The car slowly drove into a hutong (alleyway) and finally stopped in front of a quaint courtyard house.

Xiao Chen pushed open the car door and saw two large red lanterns hanging on the gate, emitting a warm light in the cool night.

The door creaked open.

A gentle woman wearing a thick cotton-padded coat and an apron stood at the door. When she saw him, a loving smile immediately bloomed on her face.

It is Ye Huimei.

"Chenchen, Sister Hua, you're back?"

Her voice was like the warmest fireplace on this winter night.

"Come in quickly, you must be freezing!"

"I cooked dumplings for you, they're still hot."

A rich aroma of food, accompanied by steam, wafted out from inside the door.

Xiao Chen looked at his mother's smiling face and smelled the familiar scent of home.

All the fatigue and noise of the journey were shut out at this moment.

He stepped forward and gently hugged his mother.

"Mom, we're back."

Outside, a vast ocean of public opinion is surging.

Inside the door was his haven.

One blink of an eye and a day has passed.

If you close your eyes and never open them again, a lifetime will have passed.

But as long as this home remains, as long as the light inside the door is still on, he will always have the chance to open his eyes to tomorrow.