Chapter 3

Toward the wary little bean sprout Nian Nian, he suddenly dashed forward on his short legs like a flying ball toward the village chief. Because of the force, he almost stumbled when stopping, but the chief steadied him and picked him up. Mei Lan rubbed the little one’s head and smiled. “Did you miss Village Chief Auntie?” “Mm~” Nian Nian nodded hard. “Missed you so much.” Since coming from the apocalypse to this place, Village Chief Mei had treated him very well. At first she had even suggested taking him in to care for him, but in the end he hadn’t agreed. Because Village Chief Auntie had her own child and family, he didn’t want to disturb her, Nian Nian thought. “Auntie missed Nian Nian too. I specially brought candy to find you.” “Wow~” Mei Lan pulled out a handful of White Rabbit milk candies from her pocket and placed them in Nian Nian’s palm. Then she looked at the filming team and asked curiously, “Director Zhang, why are you all gathered here?” Director Zhang, who had just been thinking of starting Plan B if no one came, and the assistant director stepped forward. They explained everything that had just happened, smiling at Mei Lan. “Village Chief Mei, we hope to sign the contract today. Would you be able to go with us to the township office?” Mei Lan trusted the directors, since she had been the first to support their filming in Huahua Village. But Nian Nian’s situation was special—he was still just a child—so she had to think carefully. “Will Nian Nian only film here in Huahua Village, or will he also go to other locations later?” she asked. “If the contract is signed, then Nian Nian will need to participate in all scheduled recordings,” the assistant director explained. “Please rest assured, this is already our second time filming this type of variety show. We’ll take good care of him. If anything happens, the director team will take full responsibility.” Mei Lan frowned, about to speak, when the little bean sprout in her arms held up a peeled White Rabbit candy to her lips. “Village Chief Auntie, eat~” Nian Nian’s big eyes curved into crescent moons. “White Rabbit, sweet sweet.” Mei Lan’s expression softened instantly, her frown smoothing away. “Auntie already ate one at home. Nian Nian should eat this one.” She turned the candy back to him and coaxed, “Eat it quickly, or the little bees will smell it and come.” Nian Nian feared bees, so he swallowed the candy in one bite. The sweetness made his eyes sparkle. “So delicious~” Nian Nian mumbled. “Thank you, Village Chief Auntie.” “You’re welcome, Nian Nian.” Mei Lan set the little bean sprout on a tree stump, squatted down, and asked seriously, “Do you really want to join the variety show? Filming means meeting many strangers and going to unfamiliar places, not just Huahua Village. Aren’t you afraid?” Nian Nian truly wasn’t afraid. In the apocalypse, people awakened skills, their bodies even sprouting wings sometimes. Animals mutated into strange forms. Though his memories of that world were fading, he wasn’t afraid of what the chief described. But leaving Huahua Village, he would miss everyone—the grandmas and grandpas, the aunts and uncles who cared for him, the fluffy cats and dogs, and even the little sapling he checked on every day. The White Rabbit candy didn’t taste quite as sweet anymore. Nian Nian cupped his face in his hands and looked at the wildflowers by the grass. “Nian Nian, what’s wrong?” Mei Lan noticed his change in mood. “Village Chief Auntie.” As the candy melted, Nian Nian whispered, “I don’t want to leave you all.” Mei Lan’s heart grew complicated. On one hand, the payment from the program was generous. It could improve Nian Nian’s life, ensure his schooling, and more. On the other hand, she worried. The show’s guests were little celebrities seen only on TV. The gap between them and Nian Nian might make him sad or afraid. And if he left Huahua Village to film elsewhere, what if something happened? Seeing her hesitation, the assistant director and Director Zhang quickly explained, “It’s fine. We use a mix of live and recorded sessions. After each filming, the children get several days of rest. If Nian Nian wants to return, we’ll send him back to Huahua Village until the next shoot.” Nian Nian lifted his face, like a wilted flower blooming again. “Yes, Village Chief Mei, don’t worry. We screen all the children’s backgrounds before inviting them. The ones chosen for our show all have good temperaments. And our filming locations are safe, with professional staff accompanying us. There won’t be any accidents.” Listening, Nian Nian thought carefully. Resting at home between shoots sounded tempting. He asked, “How long will it be?” “We’ll film six episodes. For live sessions, it’s four days filming, three days rest. For recorded sessions, three days filming, four days rest.” Nian Nian looked at Village Chief Auntie, then at the wildflowers, and finally threw himself into Mei Lan’s arms, murmuring, “Village Chief Auntie, I want to go. Nian Nian will earn money and repay you all.” “Do you really want to go?” Nian Nian nodded, his young face full of determination. “Yes!” “Alright. Auntie respects your choice. Let’s go now to the township office to sign the contract.” Director Zhang nearly clapped with joy. “Thank you, Village Chief Mei, thank you.” Mei Lan smiled. “Thank Nian Nian instead. He’s your little lucky star.” “Yes, yes, we’ll take good care of him. Don’t worry.” “Let’s go. We’ll sign the contract at the township office.” Infected by everyone’s smiles, Nian Nian beamed too. “Let’s go, let’s go~” … Aside from Director Zhang, the assistant director, and the young assistant, the rest stayed behind to check the cameras at the village’s end and prepare tomorrow’s filming site. Five people drove to the township office, thirteen kilometers from Huahua Village. On the way, Nian Nian curled his little fist and fell asleep leaning against Mei Lan. His peaceful, angelic sleeping face looked just like a cartoon baby angel. From the rearview mirror, the assistant director glanced back and lowered her voice. “Village Chief Mei, how long has Nian Nian been living alone?” “About two weeks.” Mei Lan, already a mother, spoke with heartache. “Nian Nian is such a good child. His whole family was kind. These two weeks, many people wanted to take him in, but he refused. He said he wanted to stay with his uncles, aunts, and grandmas.” “We couldn’t force him. If we carried him away, he would cry nonstop. So we just made sure to care for him at meals and check on him at night, leaving only after he was asleep.” Even though the village was safe, every night many villagers came to check on Nian Nian, waiting until he slept before locking the door and leaving. Huahua Village was located in South China, where traditional burials were still common. Just a week after the seventh-day memorial of the Xu family, many villagers—including Village Chief Mei—were willing to adopt Nian Nian. But Nian Nian himself refused. He always curled up into a small ball and stubbornly said he didn’t want to be anyone’s burden. Even though no one thought of him that way, his mind couldn’t be changed. According to regulations, if no one adopted him, he would have to be sent to a welfare home. But everyone was reluctant to let him go, and they didn’t feel at ease sending him away. Village Chief Mei also explained the situation to the authorities and kept showing Nian Nian through her actions that she didn’t see him as a burden, that they were all willing to raise him. The young assistant listening nearby almost had tears in her eyes. Director Zhang, who had been silent, said, “Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of Nian Nian.” “Yes. If anything happens to him, you can call me,” Mei Lan replied. “Alright.” Twenty minutes later, the car arrived at the township office building. Mei Lan was hesitating about how to wake the little cub when Nian Nian woke up on his own. He rubbed his eyes, yawned, and then Mei Lan carried him out of the car. Seeing the township office’s building with its unique ethnic style, Nian Nian exclaimed in wonder. “Nian Nian, do you think it’s pretty here?” “Pretty~” “In the future, when you go with us to other places to film, you’ll see many beautiful sights.” Nian Nian smiled, showing his white baby teeth and the dimples on his cheeks. Seeing such a soft, obedient child, the young assistant beside him felt her heart melt. The five of them went smoothly up to the third floor. The office staff in the hallway greeted Mei Lan with a smile. “Sister Mei, here to handle something?” “Yes.” “You’re lucky. You came just in time. If you were later, the secretary would have gone to the city.” Mei Lan smiled. “Just caught him.” After some polite words, they went to the office at the end of the corridor. The whole process went smoothly. Nian Nian held his contract tightly, already thinking that when he got home, he would hide it in his little cabinet. When leaving, the secretary gave Nian Nian a box of milk and a handful of candies. On the way downstairs, Nian Nian wanted to give the milk—so precious to him—to Village Chief Auntie. But by accident, he touched his clothes. In an instant, his white shirt was stained with red ink from the official seal, the mark glaringly obvious. Nian Nian stopped, staring at the red stain, feeling sad. This was his cleanest, newest shirt. He had wanted to wear it tomorrow for the show. But now it was dirty. The young assistant squatted down and asked softly, “Nian Nian, what’s wrong?” The others also stopped. “I…” Nian Nian tugged at his shirt with clean fingers, showing the red mark, looking timid. “It’s dirty. Nian Nian… Nian Nian doesn’t have any clean clothes left.” At the corner of the hallway, his words seemed to make everything fall silent. The assistant director squatted down, gently stroking his curls. “It’s okay. We’ll wash it clean when we get back, alright? And we’ll provide clothes for you to wear on the show. They’re free for our little guests. What color do you like?” Director Zhang looked surprised, then smiled. “Yes, yes, we have every color!” Nian Nian seemed shy. “Really?” The young assistant grinned. “Earthlings don’t lie to earthlings!” Nian Nian thought for a moment, then divided the candies the secretary had given him among everyone. When he handed one to the assistant director, his soft child voice said, “Thank you, Auntie. I like them all~” … Back in the village, with this big problem solved, Director Zhang was smiling even as he walked. Mei Lan was busy with work, and at the village entrance she was called away by the party secretary. Before leaving, she whispered some words to Nian Nian, reminded the three to take good care of him, and then left. The performance at the village entrance had already ended, and the villagers had gone home. The assistant director picked Nian Nian up and said gently, “Nian Nian, during filming you’ll live in another house.” They had arranged this half a month ago: five pairs of guests, each assigned to one of five houses. The conditions varied, but even the worst was better than Nian Nian’s stone house. In her arms, Nian Nian was obedient. “Okay~” His soft child voice made her stroke his curls again. The young assistant, feeling envious, also wanted to hug this angelic child. Then she remembered something and said, “Nian Nian’s partner…” The assistant director pressed her lips together. Originally, they had paired Movie Emperor Xie with a five-and-a-half-year-old child, obedient but lively, to prevent conflicts between partners. Because a five-year-old’s mind is more mature than a three-year-old’s, they usually know how to adapt. But now that child wasn’t coming. Time was short, and they had no better choice. They would have to communicate with both sides before the show began. Thinking of this, the assistant director glanced at the shop by the village entrance. “Nian Nian, what do you like to eat?” Nian Nian patted his round belly. “I’m not hungry. My tummy is full.” “Then shall we go see the crew?” Distracted by the word “crew,” Nian Nian asked innocently, “Saw? Why do we need to see saws?” Director Zhang was on the phone nearby, and the two women laughed. The young assistant corrected him. “Not saws, crew. Nian Nian, the crew is our big group filming together. There you can rest, eat, and watch TV.” After a few hours together, Nian Nian was no longer as shy as before. He exclaimed, “So amazing~” “In the afternoon you should meet your partner at the crew.” Nian Nian understood what “partner” meant. In the apocalypse, this word was very common. Many people who awakened abilities would form teams and become partners. Thinking about it, this was his first time having a partner. Even though he was no longer in the dangerous apocalypse, the thought still made him happy. “I’ll do my best!” “Hm?” “Nian Nian will help his partner!” The assistant director carried him toward the crew, smiling. “Good. Your partner is also very excited to meet you. Nian Nian’s partner is someone very impressive…” … Elsewhere. Inside a luxurious villa, the fireplace burned and the fragrance of tea lingered. A man with bold blue hair sat on the carpet playing video games, while another older man sat on a single sofa. Feng Hua nagged, “Didn’t you say you wanted to go? Tomorrow’s filming starts, yet you’re still playing games? I asked around—everyone else has already arrived.” Xie Hanshan. Twenty-five years old, professionally trained, famous since youth. At eighteen he won the Sheng Ying Award for Best Actor, setting the record as the youngest film emperor in the industry. Since entering the film world, his name and face had appeared at every major film festival without exception. For years he relied on skill alone, never building a fake persona, rejecting shady rules, and never using social media for publicity. But in the past year and a half, he hadn’t filmed anything, almost half-retired. No matter how anxious fans became, he didn’t join any projects. He traveled, gamed, and did extreme sports, living freely. His agent Feng Hua sipped tea. “I’ve talked myself hoarse. At least respond.” On the giant 85-inch screen, two game characters fought. Soon, the blue-haired one won with overwhelming health. The speakers announced victory in a mechanical female voice. Xie Hanshan set down the controller. His sharp features looked even colder in the dim light. His bone structure was perfect for film, a natural movie face. His narrow eyes glanced over, giving the dangerous feeling of a wolf lurking in the night. His long fingers easily opened a can. His voice was lazy. “Mm.” Feng Hua sighed like a weary father. Xie Hanshan toyed with a gray cigarette box, lit one with a vintage lighter, but didn’t smoke. “What time is the flight?” “Two o’clock.” “There’s still time,” Xie Hanshan said. “No need to prepare anything.” “I had things ready, but the crew said filming requires confiscation, so I didn’t bring them.” Feng Hua explained. “Remember not to keep a stern face. Don’t scare the child. Be gentle!” “I’m scary?” Xie Hanshan raised an eyebrow. “If that kid is noisy and annoying, I’ll leave anytime.” “You haven’t even met your partner yet, and you’re saying this? If you’re on the show, you must restrain yourself. At this age, kids can be noisy but they’re cute. If you meet a well-behaved one, you might like them.” Xie Hanshan extinguished the flame, his expression indifferent, as if saying that meeting a well-behaved child of that age was nearly impossible.