SFBF CH102.1

Just as the dressing room sank into silence once again, a sharp, piercing voice suddenly shattered the quiet. Immediately after, the dressing room door was thrown open with a heavy slam.

A child, not even reaching an adult’s waist in height, burst inside and shouted furiously at the adults following him: “I don’t care! I don’t want to film this show anymore! Go tell… tell my uncle!”

Following behind Xiao Miao were two people who looked like assistants—one older, one younger.

The younger staff member immediately put on a troubled expression: “This… Young Master Miao, please don’t be so willful. Mr. Xiao’s temper…”

“I don’t care! I just don’t want to stay here anymore!”

Five-year-old Xiao Miao paid no mind to the other people in the room and continued to throw a temper tantrum, kicking and screaming: “Why does that guy get to humiliate me?! He even said I can’t do it! How dare he say I can’t do it??! I don’t care, I’m not acting anymore! I want to go home!”

“Young Master.”

As the child wept uncontrollably and vented his rage, the adults behind him remained completely unmoved. The older man—who looked more like a butler—said with a expressionless face: “Have you forgotten? Before returning to the country, Mr. Xiao specifically instructed that he ‘hopes’ you can secure this role.”

The word “hopes” was deliberately emphasized.

There was no comfort or solace in the older man’s eyes as he looked at the little boy. There was only a stern reminder: “Don’t forget, Mr. Xiao strongly hopes you can use this opportunity to remain in China. If you go back now, Mr. Xiao will be very unhappy.”

Perhaps because his tone was far too grave, the screaming child choked back his voice. Though he kept crying, his expression turned deeply aggrieved and conflicted.

At that moment, the door was pushed open once more, and another child walked in.

This child looked slightly older than Xiao Miao. He was also followed by several adults. Seeing the tear tracks on Xiao Miao’s face, a look of blatant disdain flashed across his eyes. He turned to the adults behind him and complained: “I told you I didn’t want to come! My mom just had to force me here, hmph!”

A heavy snort expressed his dissatisfaction to the absolute extreme.

Judging by their clothes and styling, it wasn’t hard to tell that these were the kids who had cut in line ahead of Ao-zai earlier for Director Xia’s audition.

The child who entered second was named Yuan Heng, the young master of the Yuan Liquor Group—one of the primary sponsors of this new television series.

The adult following Yuan Heng wore a somewhat flattering smile as he soothed him: “Madam just wanted you to come over and have some fun, Young Master. If you don’t like it, we can head back right now.”

“Hmph.” Yuan Heng grumbled unhappily, “My mom didn’t even come to accompany me for the audition. What’s the fun in coming all by myself?”

“Yes, yes, of course,” the person beside him agreed subserviently.

The bow-and-scrape behavior of Yuan Heng’s entourage stood in stark contrast to the straight-backed, middle-aged man beside Xiao Miao. Remembering that Xiao Miao had gotten one more audition scene than he did on set, Yuan Heng tilted his head up and spoke with his nose practically pointing at the sky: “Then again, my mom just didn’t want me to be bored and sent me here to play. Unlike some people who are forced by their families to debut. How old are you anyway, having to go out and socialize already?”

“What did you say?!”

Xiao Miao, who had gone quiet just a moment ago, glared red-eyed at Yuan Heng.

Yuan Heng wasn’t afraid of him at all. He pulled a face and stuck out his tongue: “Do you think you’re so special just because you got one more audition scene than me? Don’t think I don’t know—your uncle trains you all the time, doesn’t he? Your uncle is a big actor, so he wants you to be a little actor. Aw, you’re so pitiable…”

“Say one more word and I’ll tear your mouth apart!” Xiao Miao hissed venomously. Unable to listen to another word, he lunged forward and got into a physical brawl with Yuan Heng.

In the corner, Shen Qing and Ao-zai: “…”

They exchanged a glance, their eyes both wide and round, before flashing each other an identical face of pure gossip-eating delight.

The two kids fighting over there were too small, and with so many adults around, they were quickly pulled apart.

Furious, Xiao Miao sobbed even louder, but he didn’t leave—he still had one more scene to perform shortly.

Yuan Heng, on the other hand, was carried off directly by his entourage—the young master was simply spoiled from his parents being away for long periods! Even though Film Emperor Xiao was in the entertainment industry—what old sayings called an “actor”—he had been in the industry for ten years and won awards in Hollywood. Who knew what kind of connections he held behind his back?

He definitely wasn’t someone their family, which primarily ran a liquor business, could afford to offend!

The dressing room door closed again, leaving only Xiao Miao crying his eyes out.

Shen Qing had already guessed from their argument that this child was likely the nephew of a certain Film Emperor.

Speaking of which, he had actually inquired about who this Film Emperor was earlier—it was Xiao Hangying.

Shen Qing had never heard of him, but Lin Wanjue knew a little about his background:

• Debuted: At 18 years old
• Breakthrough: Won Best Actor in Television at age 20
• Peak Achievements: Secured a Grand Slam of Film Emperor awards and successfully broke into Hollywood
• Current Status: Only 30 years old this year

However, after heading to Hollywood three or four years ago, this Film Emperor Xiao had only played two supporting roles, after which he had no further works. Over the past two years, he had completely dropped off the radar.

The domestic entertainment industry had risen rapidly in recent years with fast turnover; high-quality male stars popped up like bamboo shoots after rain. Film Emperor Xiao clearly still had fans, and his past works were occasionally brought up, but because he remained abroad and no domestic paparazzi went overseas to follow him, his overall popularity was low.

It was a state where he wasn’t forgotten, but rarely remembered either.

Even Lin Wanjue had almost forgotten about him… They weren’t in the same company and had no connection, so why would he pay attention to a big Film Emperor?

Of course, the reason he was paying attention now was that the Film Emperor’s nephew had actually cut in line right in front of his own family’s young master!

Film Emperor Xiao’s fans claimed he was casual and unbothered, that he only focused on the craft itself without hype, marketing, or variety shows, which made him seem “vanished.”

Lin Wanjue had actually believed that before. He had thought that after winning the Grand Slam, the Film Emperor had already reached the pinnacle of life, so he had no desires regarding industry status and was truly honing his craft.

Who would have thought that this Film Emperor Xiao still reached his hands back into the country, using his network to pull strings for his nephew to get into the cast—and even cutting the line!

This almost drove Lin Wanjue mad with anger. A big Film Emperor like that wasn’t casual at all!

However, Shen Qing felt that since Film Emperor Xiao was still abroad, he might have simply sent his nephew for an audition. The line-cutting might have been arranged by someone else on their own initiative, and Film Emperor Xiao might not even know about it. Judging his character based solely on this was incomplete.

…That was only his opinion before, though.

After hearing the conversation between the nephew and the adults just now, it seemed Film Emperor Xiao held quite high expectations for this child…

Looking at the Film Emperor’s nephew who was weeping his heart out with immense grievance, Shen Qing didn’t even know what to say.

Of course, Shen Qing wouldn’t watch the drama openly. The child clearly cared a lot about saving face, so watching too intently wasn’t great. Shen Qing simply averted his eyes and raised a hand to block Ao-zai’s curious gaze. He gestured for Ao-zai to keep drawing.

Hiding behind Little Dad’s long-fingered, elegant hand, Ao-zai turned his head and blinked at Little Dad. He actually really wanted to ask what was wrong with dat little brother.

But Little Dad blinked back at him, and Ao-zai suddenly seemed to understand something. He chose not to ask. Lowering his head, he continued propping up his little hands to draw.

Just then, the director’s assistant who had come to coordinate with Shen Qing earlier ran over, signaling that they could go over to prepare.

“There’s still one child actor on set whose turn is ending soon. Mr. Shen, we can head over now.” The director’s assistant walked briskly, but spoke to Shen Qing with extreme courtesy.

Hearing this, Xiao Miao abruptly shot a look toward Shen Qing’s side—more accurately, at Ao-zai—his eyes filled with deep defensiveness and scrutiny.

The middle-aged man beside Xiao Miao walked over and said politely to the assistant: “Hello, comrade. Should our Xiao Miao head over as well?”

“Ah, well… If you’d like to come, follow me,” the young assistant said.

To be fair, for a five-year-old child, Xiao Miao’s performance was already quite good. He even seemed to have a solid foundation. But Director Xia felt it wasn’t right—it was always missing a certain flavor, which was why he hadn’t cast Xiao Miao.

Just earlier, when Director Xia felt Xiao Miao wasn’t suitable once again, the person following Xiao Miao had said something to Director Xia in private, securing one last audition scene for him.

…If this kept up, even the assistant director felt they were being a bit too thick-skinned. But seeing Xiao Miao with tears still on his face, thin and small in stature, the assistant felt he was quite pitiful too. Perhaps that was why Director Xia gave him another chance…

However, this time, they had to queue behind Mr. Shen and his group no matter what.

Hearing that it was time to audition, Ao-zai climbed up from the sofa and naturally packed up his little drawing board.

Just as he hugged his drawing board to his chest, the older boy who had been crying loudly earlier walked over and asked, “What are you doing?”

Ao-zai noticed the curiosity in the other’s eyes and answered: “Ao-zai is… drawing pictures!”

“Drawing? Why are you drawing?” Xiao Miao tilted his head, asking in confusion.

Ao-zai had already handed his drawing board to Grandma Zhang behind him. Hearing this question, he froze for a moment, the whole chubby, round little cub stalling like a frozen screen.

Ao-zai froze because it had been a very long time since anyone asked him why he was doing something. When he was at home, if he wanted to do something, he just did it directly. Even if conditions weren’t present, his Dads would quickly create the conditions for him.

So being asked why he was doing it out of nowhere made Ao-zai bewildered.

But thinking about it carefully, there wasn’t really a “why”!

“Because Ao-zai… likes it!”

Xiao Miao: “Likes it?…”

Xiao Miao wanted to ask more, but the pale, plump, soft little boy before him was already saying: “I have to go do da audition now. See you later!”

With that, he trotted off to hold the hand of the man beside him. The little dumpling even called the man “Little Dad.”

…Dad.

Xiao Miao’s lips twitched. Suddenly, he felt very envious of this chubby little cub. He wanted to call out “Dad” in public too. And the chubby cub had a Dad accompanying him to the audition.

He only had his uncle.

Xiao Miao took one last look at the chubby cub’s Dad. First, he thought this uncle was very tall. Although his own uncle wasn’t short either, the people following Xiao Miao were generally around 1.75 meters tall. Xiao Miao was used to looking up at a certain angle. Looking at this taller uncle, he had to tilt his head back much further.

Then, Xiao Miao saw the uncle’s face clearly.

Very fair and handsome.

At first glance, Xiao Miao thought this uncle was even better-looking than his own uncle…

Ao-zai’s audition went smoothly—even smoother than Little Dad had imagined.

Shen Qing hadn’t been too worried about Ao-zai’s performance, but when he learned that Xiao Miao, who had been specially coached by a Film Emperor, was deemed unsuitable, Shen Qing had felt a bit bewildered. He didn’t know what Director Xia’s casting criteria were, and he couldn’t rule out the possibility that Ao-zai might perform well yet fail to gain the director’s approval.

In the end, Ao-zai was smoothly accepted.

Xiao Miao, who had been waiting for the result on the side, immediately showed an expression of unwillingness and resentment upon hearing the outcome. He looked at Director Xia in disbelief. Then he glanced at the middle-aged man beside him, but his expression turned into sheer terror.

Director Xia walked over to explain to the middle-aged man following Xiao Miao. He felt that little Gu Ao had more natural charm, whereas Xiao Miao performed well, but possessed too much technique—most of the time, he didn’t even look like a five-year-old child anymore.

Hearing this explanation, the middle-aged man said nothing, merely nodding: “I will convey this truthfully to Mr. Xiao.”

Director Xia: “…”

Hesitating briefly, he still spoke up: “Film Emperor Xiao holds high standards for himself and wants his child to succeed, which we can all understand. However, Xiao Miao is only five years old. Whether he can take this path in the future remains unknown. I think it’s better not to push him too hard.”

The middle-aged man opposite him smiled—it looked almost like a sneer—but still said politely: “I will convey this point to Mr. Xiao as well.”

Director Xia: “…Sigh.”

Director Xia sighed. Earlier, he had already felt Xiao Miao wasn’t suited for acting; interacting with the child gave off the feeling that he was emotionally deeply repressed, rigid, and heavy in technique, making it hard to show genuine emotion. Meeting him again now, Director Xia only felt the repressed emotions on Xiao Miao had grown even heavier.

At the end of the day, Xiao Miao was Film Emperor Xiao’s nephew, and no one knew who his parents were. Their family affairs were ultimately none of his business. Even those accompanying Xiao Miao were merely people under Film Emperor Xiao; he couldn’t meet or talk to the Film Emperor himself, so there was no way to offer advice even if he wanted to.

On one hand, he felt it was a pity for Xiao Miao, unable to help feeling sorry for the child. But on the other hand, thinking about how he had just discovered an adorable little actor, Director Xia’s mood brightened instantly.

While they were talking, Xiao Miao was already staring at the chubby little cub across from him.

Shen Qing noticed the child’s gaze and stepped sideways, blocking Ao-zai from view. He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but he felt the Film Emperor’s nephew was looking at his little cub with eyes full of venom?

In truth, setting aside the child’s gaze and expression, he was quite delicate and cute. It was just… a look like that was hard to imagine coming from a five-year-old child. It was the kind of look that would make an adult feel a chill down their spine.

Shen Qing didn’t want Ao-zai to feel this malice, which was why he shielded the cub.

At that moment, however, Xiao Miao ran straight over, stopping right in front of Ao-zai and staring at him fixedly.

“Why were you drawing earlier?”

Xiao Miao was taller than Ao-zai, and he looked down at the chubby cub with a condescending gaze.

Since he ran straight over, Shen Qing couldn’t block him anymore, nor was it appropriate for him to do anything to a five-year-old child.

Ao-zai, on the other hand, didn’t notice the other’s gaze or attitude. When Xiao Miao asked, Ao-zai answered: “Because Ao-zai… likes it! …Huh? I already answered dis question, why are you asking again, little brother?”

Ao-zai’s big eyes darted back and forth, examining the older boy across from him carefully, deeply suspecting whether his memory was a bit poor.

• Xiao Miao looked at Ao-zai from a high-and-mighty perspective.
• Ao-zai looked at Xiao Miao with a hint of confusion and pity.

Even though Xiao Miao was looking down on Ao-zai, for a moment, neither of the two children backed down in presence.

Xiao Miao: “…”

Xiao Miao was so angry his face turned red: “Impossible! Your drawing must have something to do with the audition… Tell the truth, did you pass the audition because of your drawing?”

Ao-zai opened his eyes wide, even more confused: “Huh?”

A child’s train of thought could be wild and erratic, and even the obviously precocious Xiao Miao was no exception. He viewed drawing directly as the secret code to passing the audition, because right before the audition, this little brother was drawing—in Xiao Miao’s eyes, that was a completely bizarre scenario.

In his family, his uncle didn’t allow him to do anything unrelated to learning acting. If he drew, it was only because he needed to play a character who painted.

Xiao Miao was convinced that the chubby cub had cheated using some method, which was why he ran over to argue.

Ao-zai, however, was not having it. His radar for sensing malice activated again, and Ao-zai said: “Ao-zai passing da audition has nothing to do with drawing!”

At this time, little Ao-zai didn’t know the word “cheat” yet, but he understood one principle: he had never done anything dishonorable like that.

Never one to stand by and take a hit, Ao-zai added: “My Gege said dat success has its own reasons for success. Don’t always think about relying on outside help… And don’t see someone else succeed and think dey relied on some outside help!”

Ao-zai spoke in a loud, clear little voice: “My Gege said dat if you fail, it must be dat you yourself are… um, not good enough yet!”

“Your Gege?”

Listening dumbfounded as a little child lectured him in a proper, serious tone, Xiao Miao finally realized he was being lectured. Refusing to accept it, he asked, “Who is your Gege?”

Ao-zai: “My Gege is… my Gege!”

Xiao Miao: “…”

For a second, Xiao Miao suspected this kid was playing dumb with him. He wanted to say more, but the middle-aged man behind him reminded him: “Young Master, we should leave.”

Hearing this, Xiao Miao instinctively straightened his back.

His uncle had said that even in failure, one must walk off the stage with dignity and not lose face. And he had already begged for several chances here. Even Xiao Miao himself felt he was being shameless.

Yet the thought of the punishment his uncle would inflict on him after returning because he failed the audition… The expression of grievance and resentment on Xiao Miao’s face deepened, and he left almost in a fit of rage.

Their conversation had also attracted the attention of Director Xia and the others. After Xiao Miao and his group left, Director Xia asked, “What drawing?”

After inquiring further, he learned that before the audition, Ao-zai had been painting with his little oil pastels—purely because Ao-zai liked to paint.

Combined with the child’s lively and cute appearance, the staff on set were instantly melted by the mere thought of little Ao-zai painting.

Truly, one was anxious and determined to win the role at all costs despite being a young cub; the other was just playing at everything he did, playing with utter seriousness.

The feelings these two children gave off, as well as their adults, were completely different.

Of course, they weren’t judging Xiao Miao as bad. At the end of the day, how a child performed and the feeling they gave off were directly related to family education and environment.