My Childhood Friend Is Ma Jiaqi

I woke up one day to find I had transmigrated, taking on the identity of Lin Xuan, the clever kid from Happy Planet. On the show, I was Ma Jiaqi’s partner. Off-screen, I became the light that shone throughout his childhood.

I thought being a child star would be no more than a brief chapter in my life, but I threw myself into the entertainment industry. Drawing on memories from my past life and working hard in this one, I rose step by step from the nation’s little brother to an industry icon clutching a Best Actor trophy.

Years later, in a dim backstage corridor, I saw a group of seniors making things difficult for several young men. I stepped in front of them and smiled faintly. “Whatever the problem is, why not talk to me first?” At the time, I had no idea that the world I’d casually shielded was Ma Jiaqi’s entire world.

When #MaJiaqiAndLinXuanTheBestOfFriends# took the trending charts by storm, everyone finally realized that throughout Teens in Times’ rise, an invisible hand had always been clearing the way for them and giving them the roles that suited them best.

Ma Jiaqi put an arm around my shoulders and smiled proudly for the cameras. “Let me officially introduce him. This is my brother, the one I grew up sharing a pair of pants with. Aside from my bandmates, he’s my most important friend.”

[This is a story about protection, growing up, and meeting again at the top. Watch as two young men walk side by side along different paths, only to reunite beneath the most dazzling stars.]