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nThe children took turns auditioning. They could see the process from above, but they couldn’t hear anything.

nThere were a few adults below, and the children took turns standing on the stage and introducing themselves to them. They would then talk about their strengths and could even perform to show their talent.

nThe time they spent on the stage varied. Some danced, and some sang, but all of them looked more or less nervous or scared.

nThey didn’t say anything when they returned to the waiting room, so those waiting didn’t know what was happening up there. Soon, it was Little Bei’s turn.

nMu Jingzhe told Little Bei not to be nervous. “We’ll just go back if you’re not selected. Little Bei, you can sing, dance, or do whatever you want.”

nLittle Bei had only learned to dance for a short time and hadn’t undergone professional singing training. Compared to the other children, she was at a disadvantage. Mu Jingzhe was afraid that she would feel too much pressure.

n“Okay, I’m not nervous.” Little Bei was really not nervous. She liked to go on stage and have everyone’s eyes on her.

nJust like that, Little Bei went on the stage. After introducing herself, she sang the alphabet song to show her talent.

nAs she sang, she improvised some movements on the spot, looking very relaxed.

nThe interviewers seemed pleased to watch such a cute child. After she was done with her performance, she was told that she may leave.

nLittle Bei knew that this was about shooting an advertisement, so she hesitated for a moment and didn’t go down. Instead, she said, “I heard that you guys are going to shoot an advertisement. I can also perform for an advertisement.”

n“How? Go ahead and show us.”

nLittle Bei rarely watched television, but she was familiar with the radio now, and there were many advertisements on it. Thus, she started mimicking them vividly.

nShe had tried mimicking the male and female voices in the advertisements, as well as the voices of the elderly.

nShe had a good memory and spoke with a lot of different expressions.

nThe director and advertiser’s attention was captivated. What an interesting child. She could even imitate people very well.

nLittle Bei’s imitation ability made everyone laugh. This enhanced and deepened their impression of her.

nLittle Bei was the child who was on stage the longest. Although the other four children couldn’t hear her performance on stage, they saw the smiles on the director and the advertiser’s faces.

nThe moment Little Bei returned, the four children looked over at her more cautiously than before.

nThey remembered Little Bei. They were from the city’s art school and had been on stage with Little Bei and her classmates yesterday.

nPreviously, when they’d heard that ten children from the county would be dancing with them, they had been very worried that the kids from the county would drag them down.

nIn the end, the costumes of the kids from the county weren’t inferior to theirs at all. Even though they were a tad timid, they didn’t make any mistakes on the stage.

nThey were filming an advertisement today, and Little Bei was actually among them. Furthermore, based on her performance, Little Bei was not inferior at all. In fact, she had performed even better than them.

nThis knowledge made them ignore Little Bei.

nOn the other hand, there was a little girl in red with short hair that reached her ears. She didn’t seem to care much about the result and couldn’t help but ask Little Bei, “Where did you buy your clothes? I heard from the people who came with you yesterday that your mother made them. Is your mother very good at making clothes?”

nShe liked Little Bei’s clothes and wanted a set.

nLittle Bei secretly glanced at Mu Jingzhe at the door and nodded. “Yes, she helped make all the clothes for the kids from our county. She’s very impressive.”

nLittle Bei didn’t say ‘Mommy’ and instead used ‘she’ as a substitute.

nThe short-haired girl was envious. “Your mother is amazing. My mother only knows how to buy stuff. Can I buy clothes from your mother too?”

nLittle Bei hesitated and didn’t answer. At that moment, a little girl wearing a dress who had been sitting quietly next to them couldn’t help but speak up.

n“She’s not your mother at all. I heard you call her ‘Auntie’ yesterday!”

nThe little girl in the strapless dress had just performed a dance. She was also cute, and the director and advertiser had seemed very fond of her.

nAt first, she had been very confident that she would shoot the advertisement. After doing so, she would be able to see herself on TV and show off to her classmates.

nIn the end, when Little Bei had auditioned, the adults had laughed even more happily. She felt like she had been defeated.

nStrapless Dress was outstanding and had received attention from a young age. Seeing that made her feel a little uncomfortable, so she couldn’t help but expose Little Bei’s lie. “Good children shouldn’t lie.”

nLittle Bei’s smile froze. She knew that good children shouldn’t lie, but everyone was accompanied by their mothers, and it would be strange if she was the only one calling Mu Jingzhe ‘Auntie’. Besides, she felt very proud to hear everyone praise Mu Jingzhe.

nShe couldn’t help but silently imply that she was her mother.

nSeeing that she wasn’t saying anything, the little girl snorted and asked, “Is she really your mother? If she’s not, that makes you a bad child.”

nLittle Bei panicked for a moment. “I’m not a bad child!”

nNo one liked bad children. Their father no longer wanted them. If Auntie found out that she was lying, she might not want them either.

nWas it because she was a bad child that Grandma and Eldest Aunt didn’t like her and her father didn’t want her?

nLittle Bei’s eyes were red. Then, she saw Mu Jingzhe looking over and felt even more despair.

nAuntie had heard their conversation. She had heard her lie and knew that she was a bad child. She wouldn’t like her anymore.

nTears instantly rolled down Little Bei’s cheeks. She gazed at Mu Jingzhe in panic and trepidation, and there was also a hint of prayer in her eyes.

nSilently, she begged, ‘Don’t leave me alone. Please don’t dislike me…’

nWhen Mu Jingzhe saw Little Bei crying and saw her gaze, her heart couldn’t help but ache. She couldn’t care less and quickly went forward to pick her up.

n“Don’t cry, Little Bei.”

nAs she comforted Little Bei, she looked at Strapless Dress and explained, “Little Bei is not a bad child. She’s very good and obedient. She called me ‘Auntie’ because we were practicing shooting a commercial. We used to do the same in the past. Sometimes, she would even call me ‘Aunt’ or ‘Sister’.”

nStrapless Dress thought about having to call a stranger ‘Dad’ or ‘Mom’ when filming an advertisement, so she didn’t suspect anything and even apologized obediently. “Then it was my fault. I’m sorry.”

n“Little Bei, say it’s alright.”

nAfter Little Bei said that, Mu Jingzhe stroked Strapless Dress’s head. “You apologize when you find out you’re in the wrong. You even know that you can’t lie. How obedient.”

nStrapless Dress straightened her back proudly.

nMu Jingzhe then carried Little Bei to the washroom and took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears and mucus.

n“Hush, hush.”

n“I’m sorry, Auntie. I lied. I said you were my mother.”

n“I heard you. Little Bei, it’s understandable, so it’s alright this time. However, we can’t lie on a whim in the future, alright?”

nIn the novel, Shao Bei was always acting and lying. Half of the words that came out of her mouth were lies. No one knew if she was telling the truth or lying, so she was often called a liar behind her back.

nHowever, right now, Little Bei was apologizing for telling such a lie.

n“Okay, I won’t lie again. Don’t dislike me.”

nLittle Bei grabbed Mu Jingzhe’s clothes gingerly.

nMu Jingzhe’s heart softened. “Little Bei, you’re still young, and it’s normal for you to want a mother. I won’t dislike you as long as you don’t lie on a whim in the future, especially by telling harmful lies. After all, you’re going to have to back up every lie you tell with countless more lies. It’s never going to end.

n“Lies are just like a snowball that gets bigger and bigger. In the end, you might get crushed by it. Little Bei, let’s not roll a snowball, alright?”

nAs they grew up, people would often be forced to lie or say things they didn’t mean. No one could speak the truth all the time.

nHowever, some lies couldn’t be told. This had to be made clear.

n“Okay.” Little Bei nodded obediently. “I’ll remember. I won’t lie on a whim anymore.”

nThis was the first time someone had taught Little Bei like this. What Zhao Lan used to call teaching was just hitting and scolding. It was not teaching at all.

nShao Dong and Shao Xi had also taught her some things, especially Shao Dong. He had taught her a lot, but not in this way.

nLittle Bei was a little afraid, but she liked this feeling.

nShe involuntarily hugged Mu Jingzhe. “Auntie, I won’t lie anymore. Please don’t dislike me.”

n“I don’t dislike you. Little Bei, you’re so obedient. I’ve always been fond of you.” Mu Jingzhe hugged her and rocked her.

nMu Jingzhe’s words encouraged Little Bei and made her say the words she had kept bottled up inside.

n“Then can I call you Mommy from now on?”

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