Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  Xuxu left the house in bright-colored clothes that morning. When it was time to knock off, she carried her bag and left the office together with her colleagues.

  She didn’t bid goodbye to Yan Rusheng.

  Xuxu left the office after estimating the traveling time she required during peak traffic hours. She arrived at the theatre just in time for admission.

  With the admission ticket on her hand, and instead of entering the theatre together with the crowd, she went backstage to visit the kids from the orphanage. They were in the midst of putting on makeup and preparing to take center stage later.

  According to Matron Huang, the performers that night were mostly children from various welfare organizations, along with a few famous celebrities. A charity auction will also take place.

  All organizations who will perform will receive a donation of 10,000 yuan.

  Xuxu found her way to the makeup room for Tiny Stars Orphanage. Before she could even open the door, she could already hear laughter and giggles coming from the room.

  Without her realizing it, the corners of her mouth slightly curled up. She opened the door with a gentle push, and instead of going in, she stood at the door to gaze at the little fellows.

  She found little Huanhuan among the crowd. The little girl stood out with her red princess dress and her neatly braided hair. On her forehead was a star-shaped tattoo, too. She simply looked adorable with her chubby face.

  This little girl was turning 4 soon. She hadn’t seen her for several days, and she seemed to have grown taller. Do kids at this age grow especially fast?

  Xuxu leaned against the door frame. She fixed her eyes on little Huanhuan’s face as she was lost in her own thoughts.

  “Xu……” Matron Huang was about to call out to her when she happened to turn around and caught sight of Xuxu.

  Xuxu immediately placed her index finger against her lips. “Shhh!”


  Even though the children knew that she was coming, she still wanted to create an element of a surprise for them.

  She made an eye signal to Matron Huang and then closed the door.

  “Matron, why isn’t Sister Xuxu here yet?”


  “She will definitely be here. Perhaps you’ll be able to spot her when you go on the stage later.”


  “Really?”


  There was a long pause……

  Xuxu leaned across the door and overheard the conversation between the matron and the children. The children’s clear and innocent voices were infectious that Xuxu’s lips broke into a mischievous smile without her knowing.

  With the admission ticket in her hand, she entered the dimly lit theatre. She found her seat number and sat down.

  It amazed her that the huge theater was packed with an audience to the brim.

  She sat at the second raw, almost near the stage. She had forked out a hefty price just to get a good seat so she could surprise the children with her presence when they take the stage.

  When the event organizer drew the curtain open, it had signaled the start of the performance.

  Hope Primary School, a school located in a remote village, was the first to perform. They were all girls and stood in two rows as they sang their local folk song.

  The girls’ age were ranged from 5 to over 10 years old. Their voices resembled the melodious chirping of the mountainous lark, so pure and crystal clear.

  Xuxu patiently watched every performance from her seat……

  The kitchen to his

  was tiny, and Yan Rusheng’s towering figure made it appear cramped. He stood in front of the stove holding a pot cover with one hand and sampling the double-boiled soup with a spoon using the other hand.

  He was pleased with the taste. He shifted his gaze to the laptop beside him. “The taste is just right. Do I need to turn off the fire?”


  A beautiful lady appeared on the laptop screen. She was dressed in silky purple pajamas and leaned lazily on her bed headboard. When she heard Yan Rusheng’s query, she knitted her eyebrows and affectionately chided him, “Stupid son. Be more patient. You need to double-boil the soup longer to make it tastier.”