Chapter 1

“Turned it down? You just casually turned down an audition for a phenomenon-level Major IP with fifty million in investment? Young Master Lu, are you trying to drive me to an early grave?”

The moment Lu Fei stepped into the dressing room after his solo concert, he was met with the furious voice of his manager.

“I said I won’t act anymore.”

The young man who replied had a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, his handsome face still bearing the remnants of his stage makeup. His expression was cold, with an unmistakable impatience in his brow, instantly lowering the atmosphere in the backstage dressing room.

Watching Manager Sang nearly burst a blood vessel from anger, the large room fell dead silent. All the staff held their breath, as if afraid any accidental spark might ignite a firestorm that would burn them.

The assistant A Jiu forced a smile to mediate: “Brother Sang Wei, calm down. The concert just ended, and Brother Fei must be exhausted. At least let him catch his breath first.”

Sang Wei, seething with anger, even had pale lips: “What kind of attitude is this? Do you really think you can do whatever you want just because you’ve been popular for half a year? Fine, if you won’t cooperate, wait for the company executives to hold you accountable!”

…

Sang Wei left with a dark expression.

The backstage quickly returned to its usual bustling state.

Lu Fei nestled into a small sofa in the corner, his long legs barely fitting in the cramped space.

He glanced out the window, his eyes filled with exhaustion, exuding a heaviness that didn’t match his age.

A Jiu watched him, thinking Lu Fei’s current state was a far cry from the dazzling superstar who had just captivated thousands on stage.

The brief silence didn’t last long before a staff member hesitantly approached: “Brother Fei, there’s a child outside looking for you.”

A Jiu reacted quickly, doubting her ears: “A child? Looking for Brother Fei?”

Lu Fei’s dislike for children was well-known in the industry. He had a nervous disposition and hated noise, even refusing flights with children under ten. He was indifferent to child actors he worked with, earning him a reputation for being unkind and even getting him trending on social media for criticism.

Lu Fei seemed to process the information belatedly, pulling his gaze from the window and frowning: “Are you sure it’s not a mistake?”

The staff member looked troubled. If the child hadn’t seemed so pitifully lost, she wouldn’t have dared to disturb the resting Top Tier Star.

“Brother—”

“Brother…”

“Lu Fei!!!”

Just then, a little girl’s voice called out amidst the backstage clamor, her sweet voice tinged with obvious urgency.

Both Lu Fei and A Jiu instinctively searched for the source of the voice—

The backstage was crowded with staff bustling about, some carrying equipment, costumes, and props. The tiny figure was nearly swallowed by the crowd, standing on tiptoe as if searching for someone incredibly important.

The soft, childish voice piqued Lu Fei’s curiosity, and he inexplicably stood up to look.

At 187 cm tall, he towered over most people in the room and quickly spotted the little head hidden among the crowd.

The little girl struggled through the forest of adult legs, breaking through the crowd and toddling straight toward Lu Fei on her short legs. Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled as she spoke clearly in her baby voice: “Brother, Youyou finally found you!”

A Jiu: “???”

Locking eyes, Lu Fei: “…………”

The little girl was less than a meter tall, estimated to be three or four years old, with two tiny buns tied on her head. Her face was soft and delicate, dressed in a pink little dress, her chubby arms plump and round. Below, she wore pristine white little leather shoes, with a pair of Princess Socks revealing a section of her chubby, carrot-like legs. It was clear she had been raised well, likely from a well-off family.

But… upon closer inspection, one could see she was actually wearing a nightgown, clutching a blue shark plushie in her arms.

Lu Fei’s brows gradually furrowed.

Something wasn’t right…

Though she was a complete stranger, he found himself staring at her for a long time, an odd feeling stirring in his heart.

The simple-minded A Jiu, however, didn’t notice anything amiss. He just thought the little girl was adorable and even bore a slight resemblance to Fei Ge.

A Jiu crouched down and asked with a smile, “Little one, did you get separated from your family at the concert? Don’t be scared, big brother will help you contact the police.”

The little girl ignored him, instead plopping right next to Lu Fei and wrapping her arms tightly around his leg, earnestly declaring, “I came to find my brother! Lu Fei, my name is Lu Youyou, and I’m your little sister.”

“Uh, this…” Only then did A Jiu realize the situation might be more complicated than he thought. He lowered his voice, “Fei Ge, did your dad remarry?”

As Lu Fei’s personal assistant for over a year, A Jiu knew he came from a single-parent household, though the specifics were unclear. He only knew Lu Fei’s mother lived abroad, and he had been raised by his father.

Lu Fei looked stunned, taking a long moment before asking gravely, “Your name is… Lu Youyou? Who’s your mother?”

He hadn’t spoken to his father, Lu Yu, in two years. There had been no news of a remarriage, and whether there were other children out there—he really couldn’t say for sure.

At the mention of her mother, the little girl’s face lit up with pride. “My mom is Shi Ning, she’s a big star! And my dad is Lu Yu.”

Lu Fei’s expression grew even more bewildered. After a long pause, he suddenly relaxed.

So, she was a scammer. That explained it.

His face turned indifferent as he prepared to walk away, instructing A Jiu, “Call the police. She’s trying to pull a scam.”

How ridiculous—scammers these days couldn’t even get their stories straight. His parents had been divorced for ten years.

Youyou panicked, toddling after him on her short legs, her chubby hands desperately clutching his pants, refusing to let go. “I’m not scamming! Youyou really is your sister! Don’t you recognize me, brother? I’m not a liar! Dad’s phone number is 186…”

The little dumpling anxiously recited the phone numbers of her parents and brothers, leaving Lu Fei utterly dumbfounded.

Unbelievable. Had a fraud ring forced a child to memorize such long strings of numbers? They were certainly thorough.

Lu Fei’s look of utter distrust wounded the little girl deeply.

Just a day ago, three-year-old Youyou had suddenly arrived in this world.

This city was the Yanjing she had grown up in, but clever Youyou could sense something was different.

From a passerby, she learned the current year was a full six years earlier than the one she knew!

Though young, she attended kindergarten and was sharp as a tack, always topping her class in arithmetic.

Plus, she had once watched a time-travel drama her mother starred in when she was younger, giving her some understanding of the concept of crossing through time.

She was born three years later, so to her current brother… she had never existed.

…

You You looked at her brother’s skeptical gaze, her eyelashes fluttering as she trembled, on the verge of tears from sheer frustration.

How could she make her brother believe she wasn’t a little liar?

She racked her brain for a moment before suddenly perking up, raising her chubby little hand excitedly to show the Children’s Smart Watch on her wrist: “You You has a watch! There are photos inside, lots and lots of pictures together!”

Lu Fei took a closer look. On the child’s soft, pale wrist was a silver-pink Children’s Smart Watch. The design was quite unique, the material seemed lightweight, and it looked expensive.

But when he took the watch and fiddled with it for a while, it didn’t respond at all.

The little dumpling drooped her head dejectedly and mumbled weakly, “But the watch is out of battery… You You can’t prove she’s not a liar anymore.”

Lu Fei stared at her with a complicated expression. She was so tiny, barely reaching his thigh, and her pitiful look was hard to ignore.

Was this why scammers loved using kids?

A Jiu, however, brightened up as he examined the watch repeatedly, exclaiming in surprise, “This kid’s smartwatch actually looks pretty high-end! It’s way lighter than the ones my nieces and nephews have, and the material must be expensive—I don’t even recognize the brand. Maybe it’s some privately developed product?”

The little dumpling murmured weakly, “Big Brother Lu Yan gave this to You You for her birthday. He said this watch is still in development, and You You is the only one in the whole world who has it!”

Hearing her suddenly mention their eldest brother, Lu Fei was stunned.

Developing a smartwatch… that did sound like something his brother would do.

Hadn’t their eldest brother recently co-founded an electronics tech company with a few classmates?

Holding the watch, Lu Fei wondered if it was just his imagination, but the more he looked at the little girl, the more her features vaguely resembled Lu Yu’s. Could it be that his father had actually fathered another child outside in recent years?

If that were the case, calling the police obviously wasn’t the best solution.

Lu Fei said sternly, “Didn’t she say there were photos? Let’s charge her watch first.”

A Jiu immediately started searching for a charger. Human nature being what it is, he was curious whether this little girl was actually related to Fei Ge.

What should have been a simple task turned out to be anything but—they couldn’t find a compatible charger at all.

A Jiu tried every model he could find, but none worked.

You You trailed behind them like a little shadow, explaining in her sweet, childish voice, “It doesn’t charge like that. It has a Charging Cradle. Big Brother Lu Yan said when it runs out of battery, you just put it inside, and after two hours, it’s ready to use again!”

Lu Fei: “…”

Was this some new scam tactic? Inventing a high-tech watch and spinning an outrageous story to swindle people?

A Jiu also realized how late it was. Looking at the pitiful little girl, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. “Maybe we should have the driver take Fei Ge back to rest first, and I’ll try to figure something out…”

Though, realistically, what could a mere assistant do? A child with no clear origin—calling the police was the only option.

The little dumpling’s eyes were red. After a day of setbacks and Lu Fei’s attitude toward her, she was slowly realizing that in this world, she wasn’t welcome—she was an abandoned, homeless little girl…

After finally finding her brother, he no longer recognized her.  

If she continued searching for her parents and other brothers, would the outcome be any different?  

In this unfamiliar world, no one knew her.  

You You was actually very afraid. She felt her brother wasn’t the same as before—he had become fierce. But if she didn’t speak up now, he would leave her behind.  

So she mustered her courage, her chubby little hand carefully grasping the boy’s fingers hanging by his side and giving them a gentle tug. “Brother, can you take You You home first? You You really has nowhere else to go.”