On New Year's Eve, every household was deep in the mood for the New Year. Wherever they were, they would set aside serious matters and enjoy the once-per-year feeling of ushering in the new year.

Ye Lingchen even gave Miyako a rare day-off, much to her surprise.

Boom!

Bang!

That was the iconic sound of the New Year.

Just hearing the sound of firecrackers sparked joy in every household.

From the first bang onward, crackling sounds came non-stop and continued to ring incessantly in the wee morning. There were plenty of people who were roused up from their slumber, but in the face of the upcoming Lunar New Year, many people were more than happy to wake up from their dreams. They opened their eyes early in the morning and looked at a new world, a new year, and a new atmosphere.

Ye Lingchen stood by the window and looked out to the community. Needless to say, the atmosphere outside was surely beaming. Children's laughter had already begun filling the residential area in the early morning.

At that point, the sky was not fully bright yet. Zhang Yunxi was in the hall, packing the clothes she had decided to bring home. At the same time, there were many gifts she wanted to bring home too.

The television was switched on in the hall and the programs broadcasted on it were inextricably linked to the New Year and how to celebrate it.

Zhang Yunxi had been busy and only managed to rest the day before. That night was New Year's Eve, and she had no choice but to go back.

"Lingchen, can you take a look at this again? Will Auntie like this dress? If not, I'll exchange it for a different one." Zhang Yunxi took out a piece of clothing and showed it to Ye Lingchen.

"This is the third time you've asked me. Don't worry, as long as the gift is from you, my parents will definitely be happy," Ye Lingchen said helplessly.

"Still, this is the first present I'll give to Uncle and Auntie. It can't be in bad taste." Zhang Yunxi felt all sweet in her heart and insisted.

"If you leave the labels on the clothes, they definitely won't think that you're tactless," Ye Lingchen said with a smile.

Zhang Yunxi usually saved a lot of money, but when it came to the gifts, she was more than willing to spend on them. One set of clothes there cost more than 10,000RMB.

"It's not very polite to give a gift with the labels on." Zhang Yunxi stuck out her tongue, then asked hesitantly, "What if your parents think I'm an overspender? "

Ye Lingchen was speechless and decided not to speak at all.

Zhang Yunxi did not nag anymore as they had a flight to catch that day. Besides, visiting relatives was a must when returning to the hometown—their schedules were full.

It was inevitable that there were numerous little errands that they had to do after being out for so long. Even though it was a holiday, it felt much more stressful than work.

At that point, a conversation between the two hosts was heard from the television.

"What's the one thing everyone looks forward to in the new year?"

"The year-end holiday, year-end bonus, family reunion, and all kinds of delicious food."

"Hahaha, yes, of course! But there's another thing… The Spring Festival Gala!"

"Yes, the Spring Festival Gala happens only once a year and it's always very exciting. As the saying goes, a New Year without the Spring Festival Gala is not incomplete. The Spring Festival Gala has become an indispensable part of the New Year."

"I believe many people are like the both of us and are really excited for the Spring Festival Gala. Will there be any of your favorite idols or programs? We've specifically listed the list of programs. Brace yourselves, everybody!"

Zhang Yunxi turned around as she was packing up her things and her brow frowned suddenly. In her shock and bewilderment, she asked, "Lingchen, why is Singer Y's name not in the list?"

"What's wrong?" Ye Lingchen walked over slowly and was stunned when he saw the television.

The program schedule came out three days ago, but it had changed from then. The song written by Singer Y to be sung by Chen Xiaoyan had disappeared! Was it canceled?!

"How could this be?" Zhang Yunxi bit her lip. She knew that Singer Y was Ye Lingchen himself.

Could it be an error? After a second look at the television channel, it was undoubtedly a reliable channel that could not possibly have made such a minute mistake.

Then, the host was heard saying, "I believe everyone has discovered that the program list has changed a bit from the previous announcement. This is because, just yesterday, the famous singer Hyun-Min Kim from the Stick Nation has confirmed his presence in the Spring Festival Gala. He'll be performing his song and dance 'Chicken Pretty' on the show. As a singer from the Stick Nation, Hyun-Min Kim's reputation is considered a flourishing name in China who may be regarded as capturing the hearts of thousands of girls. His participation indicates that the friendship between China and the Stick Nation will continue further. This arrangement from the Spring Festival Gala is a very meaningful one!"

"That's right. This is a blend of cultures! However, since there's the addition of a song and dance from the Stick Nation, the list of programs has also changed. We only have so much time and it is with great regret that we delete some of the programs."

"The Stick Nation's song and dance takes up a significant amount of time, so if you compare it to the previous performance list, you'll notice that a total of two programs have been removed. One is a song sung by Chen Xiaoyan, another is a sketch by Guo Dongshan. The former is a rookie in the music world partnering with the enigmatic Singer Y, while the other is a veteran who performs annually in the Spring Festival Gala."

WTF?

Did they remove it just like that?

Why in the bloody hell did they call and invite Ye Lingchen over then?

Ye Lingchen's brows twitched abruptly and a sharp light flashed in his eyes. The list had been finalized earlier on. Singer Y and Chen Xiaoyan were considered a classic collaboration, eliciting screams from many netizens who looked forward to it.

"What does this mean? Are they playing us for fools!" Zhang Yunxi was also thoroughly incensed. "And Guo Dongshan is a veteran of the Spring Festival Gala. He brought so much joy to everyone. Without his sketches, what's the meaning of the Spring Festival Gala?"

"Let's see if there's anything else the host wants to say." Ye Lingchen's tone was very calm.

"Every program in the Spring Festival Gala must strive for perfection. One of the two deleted programs is the latest and hottest singer collaboration, while the other is a classic skit that forms the backbone of the show. The director is obviously very reluctant to ax them."

"Though this must be conceded as a very regrettable outcome, it is nonetheless a rare opportunity for both country's cultures to share the same stage. The director wants to usher in a new era, and I believe that the canceled programs can accept it with peace of mind. After all, this Spring Festival Gala will be different."

Different, my foot!

Usher in a new era? Such a brazen person was almost unheard of!

Why must one invite a foreigner to come to the Spring Festival Gala in one's own country? It even seemed to be treated as something to be proud of. Was there any pride in removing one's own brethren from the program list?

Did their brain short-circuit? Did they enjoy licking foreigners' boots so much? It was the Stick Nation!

Was their show better?

Ye Lingchen's originally happy mood instantly turned gloomy and he felt extremely unhappy.

After taking a deep breath, he took out his phone and searched for Hyun-Min Kim. Never before had he heard about that Stick Nation superstar.

In an instant, a lot of information came out. As a newbie from the Stick Nation making his debut, he was a singer, actor, king of dance, and more. From the photos, one could sense a strong inexperienced quality in him.

In particular, his face was clearly covered in a layer of cosmetics, causing one to wonder what his gender was without reading his introduction.

Ye Lingchen's face became even uglier after looking at the guy's works.

'This is what you call a motherf*cking dance?!'