My College Teacher is My Children's Mom-Chapter 624: Dark Horse Movie

In the blink of an eye, the school vacation began.

That day, the movie officially debuted in major cinemas.

The presale box office was at one million...

Compared to the eight million I invested, this feels like it’s going to tank! Lin Feng thought. I wasn’t even thinking about how much profit to make. Breaking even would be best, but if not, I’ll just take it in stride. Investing in movies is inherently risky.

On the first day of its release, the entire family mobilized to show their support and see Little Bao’s acting skills.

As they watched, Zhang Yuxi was moved to tears, and Lin Feng felt a lump in his throat.

My goodness, this is such a tearjerker, he thought.

Laughing turned into crying, and crying turned back into laughter. It wasn’t just Zhang Yuxi who cried; others did too.

Little Bao didn’t cry. I know it’s all fake, and it was so hard to act that part. Thinking about it makes me feel tired too. I’m so amazing for actually finishing this job, she thought proudly.

"Daddy, is Little Bao awesome?"

"Awesome! As long as Little Bao wants to do something, she will definitely succeed."

Little Bao nodded vigorously.

As they left the cinema, many people were still crying, saying how touching the movie was. Lin Feng held Little Bao and took Zhang Yuxi’s hand, comforting her.

"Honey, don’t cry anymore!"

Little Bao playfully teased her mother, "Mommy’s crying. Shame on you, shame on you!"

Zhang Yuxi realized she could no longer look her daughter straight in the eye. I can’t even look at her. Her mind was filled with the image of her daughter looking so pitiable on screen. She hugged Little Bao tightly, her heart aching.

Although the first day’s box office was only a little over one million, the critical acclaim was overwhelming, with a platform rating that peaked at 9.1. It became the highest-rated movie of the holiday lineup.

Afterward, many netizens fervently recommended the movie, completely won over by a four-year-old’s performance. Word of mouth, coupled with the holiday being a peak time for outings, caused the box office to jump to five million on the second day. The cinemas, which had originally scheduled a run of only two days, extended it to the end of the vacation.

On the third day, the box office shot up to fifteen million, accompanied by a flood of rave reviews. Little Bao suddenly became a little celebrity; there was no one who didn’t know her name. From fifteen million on the third day, the box office soared to fifty million on the fourth and seventy million on the fifth. "My Home" had become a dark horse, the most tear-jerking movie of the holiday season.

As the box office continued to climb, Little Bao’s fame skyrocketed. But there are two sides to every story. While many lavished praise on Little Bao’s acting, others accused Lin Feng of being money-crazed, letting such a young child act in a movie and enter the corrupting influence of the entertainment industry.

In response, Lin Feng and his family offered no explanation. Sometimes, silence is the best defense.

The film was originally intended for adults, but soon parents started bringing their children to watch it. In the movie, Little Bao played the female lead, Xiao Bei. She was an optimistic and proactive girl who, even after her parents met with misfortune, strived to get back on her feet. She could also be willful, throw tantrums, and cry out for her mother in fear at night. While her situation was heart-wrenching, her strength and optimism profoundly moved the audience.

Many children were deeply affected after watching it. For parents, it had become an educational film, and they hoped their own children would learn from the movie’s heroine, Xiao Bei.

A week later, the box office reached three hundred million. Major cinemas added more showtimes, extending the run for half a month. The final box office was now projected to reach one billion. For a small, niche film with a heartwarming theme and a four-year-old protagonist, such results were already remarkable. By comparison, films by renowned directors had only amassed two hundred million.

Following this success, various product merchants came calling, wanting Little Bao for commercial endorsements. But none were as quick as Liu Bo.

The first product Little Bao endorsed was the Lin family’s children’s clothing brand. This move not only saved the family a sizable endorsement fee but also boosted product sales. In many people’s minds, one word came to mind: Brilliant!

Beyond that, Little Bao also endorsed children’s milk powder, kids’ scooters, and more. Advertisers and photographers all said that Little Bao’s expressiveness was excellent. Some things only needed to be explained once for her to understand. She was born for this line of work.

And just like that, Lin Feng became Little Bao’s agent, personally screening all advertising endorsements. Little Bao enjoyed the spotlight and didn’t find the work tiring at all.

But she was still a child, and she needed to go to school.

As soon as Little Bao heard she had to go to school, she pouted. "Daddy, I don’t want to go to school..." Her tone was just like an adult saying, "I don’t want to go to work."

Lin Feng held her in his arms. "Right now, school is your priority. Acting is just a supplementary activity."

Little Bao pouted. "But Daddy, I can make money and support myself now!"

"That’s different," Lin Feng said. "Even acting requires learning."

Little Bao resisted the idea of school, her expression indescribably aggrieved. She was only in middle kindergarten, so there wasn’t much academic pressure. However, the teachers were beginning to teach them new things. And because it was a prestigious school, the curriculum after middle kindergarten would cover a wide range of subjects, which greatly diminished Little Bao’s interest in attending. She was unhappy going to school every day. The couple tried all sorts of reasoning, but Little Bao remained uninterested. They couldn’t just stop sending their child to school because she didn’t like learning, could they?

However, one day, Little Bao’s attitude was noticeably better than before. Lin Feng was naturally curious but couldn’t ask directly.

"Little Bao seems very happy today. Can you share with Daddy?"

Little Bao tilted her head. The father and daughter had no secrets between them; even if they did, Little Bao couldn’t keep one.

She giggled. "Daddy, I have money, right?"

Hearing this, Lin Feng knew what she was getting at and nodded. Little Bao had previously saved more than six million, and her initial salary for filming "My Home" was supposed to be twenty thousand. But since Lin Feng had invested in the film in her name, a conservative estimate put her earnings in the millions. Hmm, by that calculation, our Little Bao is quite the little rich girl, he thought.

"Since I’m so rich, I don’t need to try so hard, right?" Little Bao said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Lin Feng frowned, feeling that this line of thinking was very unhealthy. He squatted down to face her. "Little Bao, your brothers and sisters all have money. Why do they still work so hard?"

Little Bao tilted her head. "Because my brothers and sisters are smart! They’re so amazing!" Her eyes couldn’t hide her disappointment. "But Little Bao isn’t!"

Lin Feng sighed. Perhaps I misunderstood her. It’s not that she doesn’t want to learn; maybe she’s tried many times but just can’t seem to succeed.

That day, Lin Feng took time off work to take Little Bao out and clear her mind. This conversation was different from their previous ones. He wanted to tell her that even if she wasn’t good at her studies, she was still an excellent child who could achieve many things.

The father and daughter talked for a long time. Lin Feng hoped Little Bao would see beyond money and find things she genuinely enjoyed and found meaningful.

"Daddy, I like being an actress. I like acting. Will you support me?"

"Of course. Daddy is very proud of you!" This was true, not just a perfunctory platitude. In that difficult filming environment, Little Bao had persevered through scenes that required over a dozen takes. He was truly proud.

Little Bao hugged Lin Feng happily. "Daddy, I’ll do more meaningful things in the future!"

Lin Feng smiled gently. "Good! How about Daddy and Little Bao look for meaningful things to do together?"

"Okay!" Little Bao nodded vigorously.

On the way back, she leaned on him dependently. "Daddy, Little Bao loves you so, so much!"

"Daddy loves you too!"

Lin Feng also reflected on himself. For a child like Little Bao, some principles might not be easy to grasp. She was only four, and the road of life was long. He would grow alongside her.

The theatrical run of "My Home" was extended, with its final showing scheduled for a month later, solidifying its status as a box office dark horse. This also meant Little Bao would earn even more money from the movie.

Online, some bored and troublemaking people started stirring the pot, calculating how much money Little Bao stood to make. The film’s box office was now projected to approach four billion, and Lin Feng had invested eight million in Little Bao’s name. Since he was the sole investor in the project, the final calculation meant... she was going to make a fortune.

Netizens quickly rebuked the trolls.

"Some people are just jealous. Their family’s villa alone is worth hundreds of millions. Are they short on money?"

"They live in a small manor, okay? All their children are successful and wealthy. Are the people who say he’s forcing his daughter to act idiots?"

"Back when the quadruplets were little and the family wasn’t as well-off, why didn’t he make them debut then? Have you idiots ever thought about that?"

"Didn’t you see the director’s interview? He said he was the one who personally sought out Little Bao!!!"

This kind of thing happened every day, and Lin Feng’s family had grown used to it.