Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  The show began on time.

  Tuan Tuan put down the snacks in his hand and leaped off the sofa. He ran across the room to watch Lin Nuan and Bai Xiaonian through the transparent glass.

  “What splendid weather we have today—it’s raining cats and dogs! Yet ’tis the season of harvest, so my wife took leave from work to return home and harvest the wheat. So this noon, at the hour of ” Wandering in New York”, Nuan Nuan and I will be accompanying you.”


  Once the show began, Bai Xiaonian began teasing her partner that took leave.

  “A good afternoon to everyone! In this misty and cold weather, thank goodness Nuan Nuan is here to accompany you. Not cold, but warm—warm like my name, like 999 cough syrup, heating you folks up.”


  Bai Xiaonian’s show was supposed to be a light-hearted and funny one. Lin Nuan got into the zone pretty fast. Her self-deprecating humor even elicited a few heartfelt laughs from the phone editors outside.

  Bai Xiaonian laughed out loud. “Woah! The advertisers must be very pleased to have their advertisement put on the show!”


  “Looks like this is the advertiser funding your show; I’m literally sacrificing myself to serve you,” Lin Nuan commented with a smirk in her eyes.

  Tuan Tuan stared at Lin Nuan without blinking. It was the first time he noticed that Lin Nuan had a funny side to her. He envied that Bai Xiaonian sitting beside her; he wished his mother would smile at him like that.

  Bai Xiaonian noticed Tuan Tuan standing at the door peeking inside, his tiny hand pressed up against the glass. He was so tiny and petite, his clear beautiful eyes following Lin Nuan wherever she went, melting people’s hearts at the sight of him.

  “Wow, there are already comments left from Wei Bo’s friends…” Bai Xiaonian quickly resumed her work mode and read out loud in a light, bright tone, “
And you, with your username “The Birdbrain Boss”, what’s your comment supposed to mean? Are you saying our show is low class? Nuan Nuan is without a doubt a ‘Ten’, but so am I… I’m half a ‘Ten’. Nuan Nuan, please do us some justice and kindly tell this classmate how sophisticated our show really is.”


  “Hmm….” Lin Nuan pretended to think deeply. “When I was entering the studio I overheard you chatting with my editor about me coming on the show. Ye Ye said that I must be out of my mind to come on a whimsical show like this, just to tear down my image.”


  “Well, Ye Ye… looks like you’ve lost your big raise for this month!” Bai Xiaonian joked as she laughed out loud.

  Behind the glass window, they saw Ye Ye stick out her tongue.

  “From how I see it, you should give me the big raise. After all, my image did get ruined after being on such a nonsensical show.”


  “May Goddess Nuan mind your cockiness—don’t lose yourself to money.” Bai Xiaonian and Lin Nuan continued to tease each other.

  Lin Nuan and Bai Xiaonian had a great rapport as partners, owing to the strong friendship they sustained over the years.

  The hour-long program finally came to an end. Lin Nuan said goodbye to their audience and made a date with them for the following evening at six, reminding them to listen to her own show. Afterward, Bai Xiaonian told her, “That kid… he stood at the door for almost an hour looking at you.”


  Lin Nuan looked up.

  As expected, Tuan Tuan was standing at the door, staring at her with his huge eyes.

  Lin Nuan removed her earpiece, got up and walked out of the room.

  Tuan Tuan looked up at Lin Nuan. He wanted to get closer to her, but he was still a bit apprehensive, so all he could do was offer a big sweet smile.

  In that instant, Lin Nuan felt sorry for the child who’d lost his mother—he was too young.

  Even though Lin Nuan wasn’t related to the Lin family by blood, she had truly been happy before she found out the truth.