The Villa District of City S.
This is the largest affluent neighborhood in City S, home to a veritable who’s who of the city’s elite—residents here are either wealthy or influential, with the upper echelons of society from every field making their homes here.
His wife, Shen Lan, took Zheng Xiaofeng’s coat and, out of habit, felt inside the pocket, discovering two pieces of candy.
Shen Lan was quite surprised: “Did you buy these candies for Yueyue?”
Zheng Xiaofeng smiled, shook his head, and told Shen Lan about what had happened yesterday: “That little rascal named Yuyu is such a mischievous little thing. If she could come over to play, Yueyue might actually feel a bit better.”
Shen Lan glanced back at her daughter, who was sitting alone on the sofa watching TV, and sighed softly: “Yueyue doesn’t like going out, and she doesn’t want to play with other kids.”
Their daughter, Zheng Yue, had developmental delays. She was timid and introverted, and she stuttered. When she went out to play, the other children would tease her, calling her “Little Stutterer.”
Over time, Zheng Yue stopped wanting to go out.
Watching his daughter’s lonely, slender silhouette, Zheng Xiaofeng’s eyes welled up with tears.
He picked up the two candies, walked over to his daughter, crouched down, and smiled warmly. “Yueyue, Daddy’s home. I brought you some treats.”
Zheng Yue’s attention shifted to her father’s face, and she gave Zheng Xiaofeng a soft hug. “Da-daddy, you’re b-back. Welcome home. You… you must be tired.”
“It wasn’t hard at all.” Zheng Xiaofeng handed one piece of candy to Zheng Yue. “A little kid gave these to Daddy. Let’s each have one.”
Although Zheng Yue’s speech was still a bit slurred, she knew her father was a director who knew many people, and that he always brought her little gifts whenever he came home.
Father and daughter fed each other the candy. The taste was surprisingly good—a rich milky flavor mixed with a faint fruity aroma.
They just couldn’t quite figure out what fruit it was made from.
Zheng Yue licked her lips, still craving more: “Daddy, the candy is so… so good.”
“I… I want some more.”
Zheng Xiaofeng thought it was pretty tasty too—sweet without being cloying, perfect for someone like him who didn’t usually like sweets.
He wished he’d asked for a couple more.
“Yueyue, Daddy doesn’t have any left either.”
“Daddy, buy some.”
Zheng Xiaofeng thought for a moment, then smiled gently and suggested, “These candies were made by a little girl named Yuyu. Why don’t you go find her and ask her yourself, okay?”
Zheng Yue fell silent. She pressed her lips together and thought for a moment, then shyly shook her head.
No matter how much the couple encouraged her, the little girl still refused to speak up.
The recording of the show’s teaser was about to begin, but Li Zhi, who was still out of town and unable to return, instructed Xiao Lin to go find Yan Xingli to go over the details.
Although My Little Kid had no script and allowed guests to improvise freely, this was, after all, Yan Xingli’s first time filming a lifestyle reality show.
Many celebrities with polished public images had stumbled on reality shows, so Li Zhi had to plan ahead. She instructed Xiao Lin to take her plan to Yan Xingli.
Xiao Lin had the passcode to Yan Xingli’s electronic lock. After sending him a message, he was already on his way downstairs.
Xiao Lin deftly entered the code to open the door.
Click.
A dog darted out in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Lin felt a gust of wind brush past his feet. He turned around in a daze, and a scream suddenly rang in his ears.
“Holy shit.”
Yan Xingli clutched his head and screamed, “Are you hungry or something?!”
“Are you hungry or something? Get back here!”
The sky was falling—the patron’s kid had run off!
Yan Xingli, his hair still dripping wet, was fuming. He slipped on his slippers and gave chase. Kobayashi panicked too, grabbing his mask and hat, slamming the door shut, and running after them.
“Brother Xing! Your mask and hat!”
In the blink of an eye, the dog had vanished without a trace—not even a single hair to be found.
Yan Xingli was going crazy. That was the dog servant of a millionaire’s daughter—the fool of a son from a wealthy family! If he lost him, Yan Shanyi would have him killed.
“Eleme!”
“Eleme!!”
“Eleme! Eleme!”
Yan Shanyi and Xiao Lin shouted at the top of their lungs throughout the neighborhood.
Just then, a small electric scooter pulled up from behind. A delivery guy in a blue uniform asked, “Huh? Are you looking for me?”
Yan Xingli covered his face: “…No, no.”
Feeling as if they’d lost their own child, the two Ke Yun sisters searched the neighborhood back and forth. Since Yan Xingli’s status was too sensitive to let him go out freely, they left the search outside the complex to Xiao Lin.
Even when he was being scolded the worst, Yan Xingli never felt his life was so miserable—but searching the entire complex for Meituan was truly driving him mad.
Yan Xingli had no choice. He grabbed the Meituan toy and went downstairs, waved it around for the stray cats he usually fed, and began a full-scale manhunt for the runaway dog.
That evening, a plaintive, aggrieved bark came from outside the door. When he opened it, he found “Hungry Me,” battered and bruised, crouched at the entrance, flanked by a tattooed tough guy named “Little Li Hua” and a charmingly clumsy orange cat.
French Bulldogs aren’t exactly the brightest to begin with, and now he’s completely withdrawn.
Once inside, Qianjin—who’d been waiting impatiently—immediately pounced on him without a word, chasing and pouncing on Eleme. The house was in an uproar, and Eleme let out pitiful howls.
As angry as she was, the little princess didn’t actually scratch him. The kitten knew Mom had spent a lot of dried fish to get him this little playmate, and breaking him would be a waste of Mom’s dried fish.
After all that commotion, Xiao Lin forgot why he’d come in the first place.
He arrived in high spirits and went home in a daze.
He woke up with a start in the middle of the night, his face etched with the panic of a working stiff: he hadn’t given Xing Ge the safety plan!
The day before the production crew arrived to install cameras and film the teaser, the house was thoroughly cleaned inside and out.
To make a good impression and highlight his inner love for life, Yan Xingli even went to the flower and bird market to buy a few potted plants for decoration.
The agreed-upon arrival time was 5 a.m., but after reviewing past episodes, it was clear the production team always showed up at least an hour early.
So Yan Xingli quietly got up at 3 a.m., racing against the clock in the bathroom to reduce puffiness, apply a face mask, and work out.
After all that effort, he achieved exactly the look he wanted.
Yan Xingli stroked his chin and flashed a confident smile at the mirror.
At 4 a.m., the doorbell rang.
Yan Xingli set down his tablet, hastily tousled his hair, yawned, and opened the door, feigning sleepiness.
A dark camera lens was the first thing to thrust its way inside.
The man in the frame looked as if he hadn’t woken up yet; his clear, moist eyes betrayed a sense of confusion. He rubbed his eyes and stepped aside to make room.
“You’re here pretty early. Come on in.”
With flawless, egg-like skin and a classic, striking, handsome Chinese face, he burst into the viewers’ field of vision.
The live chat fell silent for a moment, then surged back with a flood of comments.
[Whoa, he might be a dummy, but he’s seriously gorgeous…]
[Is the trend shifting from “dumb beauties” to “dumb hunks” now?]
[No wonder he stood out in that massive audition—he’s a total pretty boy. His acting is terrible, but his face is a real showstopper.]
Yan Xingli casually brushed her hair aside, oblivious to the cameraman’s suddenly gaping mouth.
“Please put on these shoe covers.”
“Please cooperate with the disinfection.”
The 6-foot-tall Da Hua appeared silently behind Yan Xingli.
Yan Xingli jumped and spun around abruptly: “When did you get here?”
A transformation this early in the morning could give someone a heart attack.
“Just now.”
Xiao Hua pulled a stack of blue shoe covers from her waistband and handed them to the staff: “Please put these on.”
The staff took it in stride, not feeling offended; the pandemic over the past two years had instilled good hygiene habits in everyone.
The staff took turns putting on the shoe covers, then looked around. “Teacher Yan, where’s the hand sanitizer?”
Yan Xingli paused. “Hold on, I’ll go get it.”
Xiao Hua strolled over to the person, removed the fisherman’s hat from her head, and tucked it into her belly. Suddenly, she opened her mouth wide and sprayed out a fine mist.
Colorless and odorless, it wasn’t the usual alcohol-based disinfectant spray.
“Disinfection complete. Welcome.”
“Next.”
The staff member who’d just been sprayed: o.o
Live stream viewers who’d witnessed the whole thing: ……
[That scared the crap out of me! I thought it was going to eat someone—what a gaping maw!]
【Whoa, is this a robot butler??】
As Yan Xingli moved, the camera gradually zoomed out, revealing the broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs hidden beneath her loose pajamas.
The cameraman followed Yan Xingli to the guest room to wake up the young guest, while other staff members were busy setting up cameras outside.
The moment the production crew’s camera started rolling, it captured the entire process of the young heiress’s mischief.
The kitten first leaped lightly onto the windowsill, licking its fur in a desperate attempt to cover its tracks. Its eyes darted around, and the dog sneakily extended its paw to touch a leaf. With a perfectly casual slip of the paw, it pushed the potted plant downward.
The cunning kitten nudged it bit by bit until, finally, everyone heard the shattering clatter of the ceramic pot shattering into pieces.
The mischievous silver-gray tabby didn’t run away after committing the crime. Instead, she crouched at the scene, staring blankly for a moment with an innocent expression before leisurely hopping away.
Yan Xingli, who had just come out with Yu Yu on a leash, stumbled upon the scene: “……”
His eyebrow twitched. “Miss Qianjin!”
Xiao Hua scurried over excitedly. “Oh, look how strong Miss Qianjin’s little paws are! That’s the power of a full-grown kitten—it’s not to be underestimated.”
“……”
Aren’t you supposed to be an emotionless robot? Is it appropriate for you to be such a sycophant?
Yan Xingli: “Your ‘strong little kitten’ made this mess. You clean it up.”
Without needing to be told, Xiao Hua—who treated Qianjin like a little deity—had already extended her whiskers: one to clear the ceramic shards, the other acting like a vacuum cleaner to sweep the floor, preventing tiny fragments from injuring Yuyu’s paws.
Xiao Hua’s tentacles were long; when they brushed against a staff member blocking the way, they would gently nudge their pant leg: “Hello, please step aside.”
The staff member, slightly startled, hurriedly moved out of the way.
All the ceramic shards ended up in Xiao Hua’s belly.
The live chat exploded with comments: [Is there a link to this robot? I’m totally interested!]
[This robot looks a bit clumsy, but I didn’t expect it to be so agile!]
Ordinary rich kids might be a bit clumsy, but Yan Xingli simply moved all the plants into her own bedroom and replaced the living room windowsills with catnip. Catnip helps cats expel hairballs and aids digestion, plus it looks lovely and lush.
There are five guest groups participating in My Little One. This show isn’t a traditional parenting variety show, and Yan Xingli’s group is the youngest.
Of the other four groups, three consist of adult mother-son or father-son pairs, while the remaining one features a teenager and his father.
As soon as the promotional posters were released the day before yesterday, the audience got a clear picture of the guest lineup. Aside from Yan Xingli’s highly controversial pair, the other four groups also garnered significant attention.
The teaser for one group of guests lasted less than half an hour. Qi Youyu knew she was accompanying her uncle to work to earn money, so she behaved exceptionally well—getting up, dressing herself, brushing her teeth, washing her face, and tidying herself up neatly.
The grandfather and granddaughter were interviewed separately in different rooms.
All questions from the production team were kept strictly confidential beforehand. Based on the content of teaser clips from previous seasons, Yan Xingli guessed they would likely be questions testing their chemistry.
Yan Xingli compiled a list of potential questions and went over them with Yu Yu yesterday to ensure no one would suspect anything fishy.
The segment began with the standard self-introductions. When the staff asked why they were participating in the show, Qi Youyu’s eyes sparkled:
“To help my uncle make money. He’s so poor—he has to support me, plus all the cats and dogs.”
It’s no secret in the industry that Yan Xingli signed an unequal contract with his agency. While the spacious apartment he currently lives in isn’t bad, its location and amenities are far below what an artist of his caliber should be living in.
Everyone present understood this all too well, but netizens, unaware of the inside story,y began making snide remarks in the live chat, mocking Yan Xingli for using his child’s voice to play the victim.
“Yuyu, what a cute name! Who named you?”
“My grandma did. She really wanted to eat fish, but she couldn’t.”
“Is it because your grandma is too old to eat fish?”
“No, she’s not old. My grandma is only 120 years old,” Qi Youyu said, counting on her fingers. “My mom is even younger—she’s just turned 60.”
【??】
【Hahahahahaha】
【To a three-year-old, this isn’t lying—it’s simply not knowing what they’re saying, having absolutely no concept of age.】
The only female staff member present was interviewing Yu Yu. She spoke gently: “I see. So, do you go to preschool, Yu Yu?”
“Mm-hmm.” Qi Youyu answered honestly, “My mom and dad aren’t home very often, so I go to kindergarten.”
“Does Youyu like going to kindergarten?”
“Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t.” The child furrowed his brow, looking deeply aggrieved. “The kids at kindergarten are too childish. They just want to play; they don’t like to study.”
Implicitly, this meant the child was quite passionate about learning, so the staff member immediately asked if Yu Yu could write her own name.
“I can.”
The little girl was brimming with confidence. She took the paper and pen handed to her by the staff member and bent her head to draw.
OO Yu.
[Hahahaha, you call that writing!]
[You know what? That circle really is a circle.]
Seeing the staff member staring at the two circles, seemingly at a loss for words,
the child’s little face flushed slightly. She puffed out her chest and explained, “Because I’m still little, I can’t write too many characters—it would tire out my little hands. When I grow up, I’ll be able to write lots of characters.”
The staff member asked again, “So what does Yu Yu do when she’s home alone?”
“I like to invent little toys.”
“Can you show Auntie your little inventions?”
Qi Youyu folded her arms behind her back and replied with a helpless shrug, “I didn’t bring them. They’re all at home.”
Unfriendly comments immediately started flooding the live chat.
【What could a three-year-old possibly invent… At most, folding a paper airplane.】
【 You can tell this kid loves to show off. 】
[I actually think it’s pretty genuine. Kids really are like that—they catch you off guard, cute and innocent.]
Her uncle had told her not to tell anyone that Xiao Hua was her invention, nor to show the “Xiao Yu” account to anyone. Feeling guilty, Yu Yu pulled a handful of candy out of her pocket.
“Sisters, here’s some candy I made myself.”
“This is my little invention.”
That seemed to smooth things over. The staff couldn’t refuse such a kind gesture, and since it wasn’t a valuable gift and didn’t violate any rules, they accepted it.
The candy tasted different from anything they’d had before—it was like milk candy, yet also like fruit candy, though they couldn’t quite pinpoint which fruit it was.
In the interview room next door, Yan Xingli appeared relaxed and casual, yet he remained clear-headed and vigilant with every question—an atmosphere completely opposite to that in Yu Yu’s interview room.