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

"Oh my god! Isn't that Xiao Chen, the child star who's been all the rage lately? He's so cute!"

"She's so beautiful in person! She looks like a glutinous rice ball!"

"He's alone? Isn't he afraid to go on such a big stage?"

"Isn't he a child actor? He can sing too?"

Whispers could be heard from the audience.

Xiao Chen stood on the stage, a faint smile always on his lips.

That composure beyond his years left everyone in awe.

Backstage, Ye Huimei and Wang Jinhua stared intently at the monitor, forgetting even to breathe.

Ye Huimei muttered incantations, seemingly praying to some deity for protection.

Wang Jinhua clenched her fists tightly, staring at Xiao Chen without blinking.

They were a million times more nervous than Xiao Chen himself, who was standing on the stage!

Just then, a melodious accompaniment began.

Xiao Chen raised the mini microphone that had been prepared for him and put it to his lips.

"The dark sky hangs low..."

With just one sentence, the entire noisy studio fell silent instantly.

What a pure voice that was!

Without a single impurity.

Clear and clean.

No one dared to breathe loudly, for fear of disturbing the little boy who was singing softly on stage.

"The bright stars are with me."

"The insect flies, the insect flies, who are you thinking of?"

Xiao Chen's voice is devoid of any technique, only the most simple and genuine narration.

But it was precisely this simplicity that carried an unspeakable sorrow, which resonated with everyone present.

offstage.

A middle-aged man with his daughter.

He was smiling as he told his daughter how handsome the little boy was, but as he listened, his smile froze.

His eyes involuntarily welled up with tears, and he instinctively tightened his grip on his daughter's hand.

An elderly woman silently took out a handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped the corner of her eye.

The song reminded her of her distant childhood, of her mother fanning her and humming songs in the courtyard on summer nights.

in front of the TV.

Countless families' chopsticks for their New Year's Eve dinners froze in mid-air.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the tiny figure on the television.

They had never heard this song before.

The lyrics are simple, and the melody is simple too.

When combined, they possess a magic that strikes straight to the soul.

Xiao Chen was still singing softly on the stage, his sweet, childlike voice like heavenly music.

"The stars in the sky weep, and the roses on the ground wither."

"The cold wind blows, the cold wind blows, but as long as you're with me."

The backstage area was in complete chaos, with all the actors who were about to go on stage crowding around the curtain on the side stage.

"My God! Is this child a prodigy? How can a three-year-old sing with such emotion?"

"Who wrote this song? It's so catchy!"

"The key is his voice; it's a perfect match for this song! He's got a natural talent!"

"Are you trying to kill us professional singers?!"

Teacher Zhao Lirong stood at the back of the crowd. She did not push forward, and her face showed a smile of relief and shock.

She knew this child was special.

On stage, the music ended, and the last note dissipated into the air.

Xiao Chen slowly opened his eyes.

The entire room fell silent.

A deathly silence.

A full three seconds later—

Whoosh—!!!

Thunderous applause instantly filled the entire studio!

Everyone stood up and applauded and cheered with all their might.

On the other hand, Xiao Chen on the stage simply gave a shy smile and bowed to the audience.

Before the host could even come on stage to give his introduction, he turned around, took short strides, and ran off the stage.

Xiao Chen knew that the length of the Spring Festival Gala programs was calculated in seconds.

He must complete all the actions within the allotted time and cannot delay the next program.

This is the most basic professional quality of an actor.

The host rushed onto the stage with a microphone, and watching Xiao Chen's disappearing figure, he was both amused and exasperated.

"Sigh...this child..."

He originally wanted to interview Xiao Chen for a bit and then introduce the next program, but now he could only shout at the audience.

"Let's thank our youngest performer tonight, Xiao Chen, once again for bringing us the song 'The Little Insects Fly'!"

The applause from the audience lasted for a long time.

……

As soon as Xiao Chen returned to the backstage passage, he was surrounded by two figures.

"Chenchen!"

"My darling!"

Ye Huimei cried uncontrollably, hugging and kissing her son.

"You...you're amazing..."

"Mom...Mom is so proud of you..."

Wang Jinhua didn't cry, but her violently trembling hands betrayed her inner turmoil.

"Good lad!"

"You've made Aunt Hua proud!"

Just then, a group of people gathered around.

"I'm Grandma Zhao, do you remember me? Come here, let Grandma give you a hug. Your singing voice has melted my heart."

"Hello, Xiao Chen. I'm singer Tian Zhen. May I ask if you wrote the song you just heard?"

"Xiao Chen, this is Ge You. You're quite something, kid! You're good at acting and singing, you'll be amazing in the future!"

The three of them were surrounded by a huge crowd of celebrities and staff.

The faces that would later become famous are now looking at the child with admiration.

Xiao Chen's current persona is that of a three-year-old child, so he politely greeted everyone one by one.

"Hello, Grandma Zhao."

"Hello, Aunt Tianzhen."

"Hello, Uncle Ge You."

His well-behaved yet slightly serious demeanor drew another round of laughter.

After dealing with everyone, Xiao Chen tugged at Ye Huimei's sleeve.

"Mom, I'm hungry. Shall we go home for Chinese New Year?"

This sentence works better than any excuse.

The crowd immediately made way for them.

"Take the kids home quickly, it's the Lunar New Year, you've worked so hard."

Happy New Year, Xiao Chen!

Wang Jinhua protected Xiao Chen and Ye Huimei, and they finally managed to squeeze out of the crowd.

"I'll take you home, then go back to the company to handle some follow-up matters."

As Wang Jinhua walked, she quickly made calculations.

After tonight, the name Xiao Chen will resound throughout the country.

She must act immediately to maximize the benefits brought by this wave of popularity.

Upon reaching the parking lot, Xiao Chen stopped and turned to look at Wang Jinhua.

"Aunt Hua."

Wang Jinhua lowered her head and looked at him.

"Um?"

Xiao Chen's voice was soft and sweet.

"Come to our house for the Chinese New Year."

"Mom made dumplings. There were some with cabbage and pork filling, and some with three kinds of seafood filling. They were so delicious."

Wang Jinhua was stunned.

Over the years, she has been working hard in Beijing on her own. During the Spring Festival, she either works overtime at the company or just buys some frozen dumplings.

She had long been used to this loneliness, and even felt that this was the norm in her life.

But now, just as she was about to fight for him, the child in front of her gently tugged at her clothes and asked if she wanted to go home and eat dumplings.

A surge of heat rushed to my eyes.

Wang Jinhua felt a lump in her throat, so she quickly turned her head away and blinked.

When she turned back, a slightly teasing smile was on her face.

"What? You're afraid I'll sell you out, so you're trying to bribe me with a meal of dumplings?"

Ye Huimei also walked over with a smile and affectionately took her arm.

"Jinhua, come on in. Everything at home is ready and waiting for you."

"We're worried about you being alone in Beijing."

Looking at the sincere faces of the mother and son, Wang Jinhua's heart melted completely.

She sniffed hard and reached out to ruffle Xiao Chen's soft hair.

"Alright, then I'll take my leave."

"Let's go eat dumplings!"