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

Leslie Cheung nodded in agreement.

"Yes, we could consider releasing a collaboration single; it would definitely sweep the charts worldwide."

Dilraba clapped enthusiastically and said loudly.

"Brother Chen! That's amazing!"

Amidst the chorus of praise, Liu Yifei belatedly snapped out of her daze, clapped her hands, and forced a somewhat strained smile.

"Yes, it sounds great."

Her voice was very soft, almost drowned out by the cheers of the crowd.

No one noticed the desolation in Liu Yifei's eyes.

After playing around for a while, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

The night was deep and quiet, and all was still.

Xiao Chen lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

I drank too much tea at dinner and now I need to pee.

He tiptoed to his feet, groped his way out of the room, and headed to the bathroom on the other side of the yard.

He stopped in his tracks as soon as he stepped into the courtyard.

Under the moonlight, a slender figure sat alone in the pavilion, hugging her knees and staring blankly at the night sky.

It's Liu Yifei.

Xiao Chen walked over quietly.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?"

A cold voice rang out in the quiet night, causing the figure to flinch.

Liu Yifei turned around, saw it was him, and her eyes showed some panic.

"I...I can't sleep."

"oh."

Xiao Chen responded and didn't ask any more questions.

He didn't want to guess what the girl was thinking.

"It's chilly at night, go back to your room and sleep early."

After saying that, he went straight to the restroom.

When he came out of the bathroom and was about to go back to his room, he found Liu Yifei still sitting there, seemingly waiting for him.

As he approached, she stood up, twisting the hem of her dress, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

The moonlight outlined her beautiful profile and illuminated the hesitation and struggle in her eyes.

"Xiao Chen..."

She finally mustered her courage and spoke softly.

"Um?"

"So...when you look for a partner in the future, will you...be looking for a dazzling girl like Avril Lavigne?"

Her voice trembled slightly, like a small animal afraid of rejection cautiously reaching out its antennae.

Xiao Chen was stunned for a moment, then felt a bit dumbfounded.

He hadn't expected that she was staying up all night worrying about this.

Looking at her pale face, he suddenly found it both funny and heartbreaking.

He didn't answer directly, but leaned against a pillar in the pavilion, looking at her with a relaxed tone.

"That's not necessarily true."

Those four simple words instantly eased half of Liu Yifei's tense shoulders.

Xiao Chen continued.

"The girl I like, that's all that matters, nothing else matters."

His gaze was calm and serious, not like he was joking or just going through the motions.

"Family background, talent, fame... I have enough of those things."

"I don't need another person to add to my already wonderful life."

He said it casually, yet it revealed an innate and powerful self-confidence.

He looked at Liu Yifei's still lowered eyes and changed the subject.

"and,"

He paused, then softened his voice.

"You're actually quite dazzling too."

Liu Yifei suddenly raised her head and looked at him in disbelief.

I never expected Xiao Chen to say something like that.

For a moment, she couldn't tell whether Xiao Chen was comforting her or being serious.

Xiao Chen smiled, the moonlight falling into his eyes, shattering into a gentle galaxy.

Everyone has their own light; there's no need to envy others.

His voice was like an evening breeze, gently caressing the turbulent lake of her heart and smoothing out all the ripples.

Liu Yifei's eyes slowly reddened.

It turns out that even when she was feeling inferior and timid, she was still dazzling in his eyes.

Regardless of what Xiao Chen meant by those words, Liu Yifei's mood gradually calmed down.

The gloom that had been weighing on my heart was easily dispelled by his few words.

She sniffed, trying to hold back her tears, and gave him a bright smile.

"Thank you, Xiao Chen."

At that moment, she felt that this man was truly worth her risking everything to love.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

While everyone in the Mushroom House was still asleep, a commotion arose outside the courtyard.

"Teacher Xiao Chen! Is Teacher Xiao Chen home?"

A loud woman's voice came through, mixed with a boy's timid sobbing.

Xiao Chen was woken up by the noise, put on a coat, and went out of the room.

There stood a middle-aged woman in a floral shirt at the gate of the courtyard, smiling broadly as she held the hand of a chubby-faced little boy.

The boy was none other than Er Gouzi, the village's "troublemaker."

At this moment, Er Gouzi was no longer the arrogant and domineering person he had been a few days ago. He lowered his head and gripped the hem of his clothes tightly with both hands. When he saw Xiao Chen come out, he was so frightened that he shrank behind his grandmother.

Xiao Chen recognized the person who had come.

"Aunt Li? Er Gouzi? So early, is something the matter?"

When Aunt Li saw Xiao Chen, her smile widened. She pulled Er Gouzi out from behind her and pressed his head down.

"Quick, thank Brother Xiao Chen!"

Er Gouzi looked reluctant, but when he met Xiao Chen's ambiguous smile, he immediately shuddered and bowed.

"Thank you... thank you, Brother Xiao Chen."

Aunt Li said to Xiao Chen with a big smile.

"Teacher Xiao Chen, thank you so much! You're truly our family's savior!"

She pointed to the tricycle in the corner that hadn't been moved yet, piled high with exercise books.

"Ever since you started 'providing warmth' to this brat, he's been so well-behaved! He doesn't go anywhere every day, just stays home doing his homework, afraid I might accidentally call you over again!"

"Now, the kids in the village don't dare to misbehave anymore. Just hearing the name 'Xiao Chen' is more effective than hearing his dad take off his belt!"

Xiao Chen couldn't help but chuckle.

The practice books he left for Er Gouzi were specially collected from all over the country by his agent, Wang Jinhua. They covered all the "Huanggang Secret Papers" and the "Five-Year College Entrance Examination and Three-Year Simulation" essential versions from elementary to high school.

Let alone a child, even a PhD student would be a headache.

As she spoke, Aunt Li handed over a large basket she was carrying, which was filled with fresh vegetables, free-range eggs, and several tied-up old hens.

"Teacher Xiao Chen, these are vegetables we grew and raised ourselves. They're not worth much, but you must accept them! It's just a small token of our appreciation!"

Xiao Chen wanted to refuse, but looking at Aunt Li's simple and warm face, he swallowed the words of refusal that were on the tip of his tongue.

"Well... okay, thank you, ma'am. Perfect, this will be a nice extra lunch for everyone."

He accepted this heartfelt gift and planned to make a chicken stew with mushrooms and an egg custard for lunch—all fresh and delicious dishes.

After seeing off the grateful Aunt Li and the relieved Er Gouzi, the Mushroom House gradually became lively again.

A new day has begun.