The richest man's parents were kidnapped, and his adorable son captivated the entire family.

The certificate reads: "Awarded to children with autism in recognition of the extraordinary emotional depth and uniqueness expressed in their artwork."

Dr. Lin handed the certificate to Xingxing, who silently accepted it.

“Star, you should say thank you,” Mengmeng whispered, seeing that Star hadn’t said anything. “Like we practiced.”

Xingxing glanced at Mengmeng beside her, then seemed to remember something. Finally, she took a deep breath and, in an almost inaudible voice, said towards Dr. Lin, "Thank...thank you."

After saying that, Xingxing stopped looking at the person in front of her and quickly turned around and hid behind Mengmeng.

But for those present who knew Xingxing, those two words carried the weight of a speech; Xingxing had truly undergone a significant transformation, which everyone could see.

Dr. Lin's voice trembled with emotion as she recalled all the tragic events that had befallen the child. She couldn't help but say with emotion, "You're welcome, Xingxing. You deserve it."

Mengmeng turned around and gave Xingxing an encouraging smile.

That evening, Gu Yinshen returned as promised, and Mengmeng seemed very happy, telling her father about everything that had happened recently.

After dinner, he took his two children to the study and brought out a beautiful picture book.

“Star, I have an idea,” the man said, his gaze falling on Star as he carefully chose his words. “If you’d like, we can hire a teacher to come and teach you to draw every week. There won’t be any exhibitions or competitions, just because you enjoy it. What do you think?”

Xingxing stared at Van Gogh's "Starry Night" on the cover of the art book, his eyes sparkling. He looked at Mengmeng, as if asking a question, and the latter was nodding vigorously to encourage him.

No one spoke, seemingly waiting for Xingxing to make her own decision.

“...Okay.” Xingxing finally answered softly.

Gu Yinshen breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief, but a smile of satisfaction appeared on her face. She reached out to ruffle Xingxing's hair, but stopped herself in time.

Xingxing is probably not ready for this kind of physical contact yet, so let's wait and see.

"Then it's settled." Gu Yinshen said softly with a smile.

After we finished talking about the matter.

It was late at night, and the two children were sleeping on the floor in Xingxing's room.

Mengmeng excitedly flipped through the sketchbook Gu Yinshen brought, while Xingxing focused intently on drawing something in her sketchbook.

"What are you drawing?" Mengmeng couldn't help but ask curiously after seeing Xingxing's actions.

Xingxing turned the notebook around to show her.

The painting depicts two children wearing crowns standing under a cherry blossom tree, surrounded by a shimmering moon and stars. At the top, in crooked handwriting, are the words: "Mengmeng and Xingxing, best friends."

When Mengmeng saw the drawing of herself, her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

This is the first time Xingxing has expressed her emotions in words, and also the first time she has taken the initiative to call someone a "friend".

"We'll always be best friends," Mengmeng solemnly promised, "Pinky promise!"

Xingxing nodded without hesitation, then extended her little finger, completing this solemn ceremony.

Moonlight streamed through the window, gently enveloping the two small figures and witnessing their pure and innocent friendship.

Under the cherry blossom tree, a new painting is quietly drying under the starlight. In the painting, two children are holding hands, and behind them are countless moons of different shapes, each radiating a unique light that illuminates their path.

But soon, a small problem appeared in their lives.

The morning the paint box went missing, the sunlight was particularly glaring.

Mengmeng hid behind the curtains, watching Xingxing walk into the studio as usual, then stand frozen in front of the empty drawing table. His gaze swept over every corner of the table, his fingers unconsciously scratching his arm, his eyes seemingly searching for something.

However, the star's behavior is a precursor to an anxiety attack.

"My... paint?" Xingxing's voice was as soft as a falling leaf, but Mengmeng, hiding in the corridor, heard it clearly.

She clutched the box of high-quality watercolor paints tightly in her pocket, her palms sweating.

This was a special reward Dr. Lin gave to Xingxing yesterday because he won the "Most Promising Award" at the city's special children's art exhibition.

In the studio, Xingxing's breathing became more and more rapid. He squatted down to check each drawer, his movements becoming increasingly frantic.

When he realized the paint was really gone, he shoved the easel to the ground and let out a heart-wrenching scream.

"Xingxing!" Dr. Lin rushed over upon hearing the sound and tried to hold the out-of-control boy, but Xingxing struggled violently, tears streaming down his face.

He kept repeating, his voice terribly hoarse, as if he were truly heartbroken: "Give it back to me...give it back to me..."

Mengmeng's heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand. She had never seen Xingxing so devastated, not even when the painting was destroyed last time.

That box of paints was clearly more than just paints to him; it was a symbol of recognition and being valued.

"I'll go find Mengmeng..." Dr. Lin said hastily after realizing her attempts to comfort her were ineffective, "Maybe she knows..."

Upon hearing her name, Mengmeng snapped back to reality like a startled rabbit. She ran haphazardly to the backyard and hid in the thicket behind the cherry blossom tree.

The little girl was in such a hurry that her knees were scratched painfully by tree branches, but she didn't care about that; she only felt a tightness in her chest that made her feel like she was about to explode.

She pulled out the box of paint that had caused the trouble; the paper was already crumpled up from her crumpling.

Yesterday's awards ceremony scenes are still vivid in my mind: everyone's eyes were focused on Xingxing, reporters were scrambling to photograph his paintings, and even his father kept his arm around Xingxing's shoulder...

"Where's Mengmeng? Mengmeng's drawing is also great!" She clearly heard a child ask that question at the time.

But the adults just smiled and said, "Mengmeng is a healthy child; this is an exhibition for children with special needs."

Do healthy children not need praise?

Mengmeng buried her face in her knees, tears streaming down her face silently. She knew this was wrong; Xingxing was her good friend, and she should be happy for him... but why did she feel so sad?

Mengmeng didn't know why she did such a thing.

But I just can't control myself.

"Mengmeng?" Xie Yumin's gentle voice came from outside the bushes, "Baby, are you in there?"

Mengmeng held her breath and remained motionless, worried that the other party would discover her.

“Xingxing is very sad,” Xie Yumin continued softly, without forcibly pushing aside the bushes. “He can’t find new paints to paint the surprise he wanted to give you today.”

A surprise? A gift for myself?

Upon hearing this, Mengmeng instinctively raised her head, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, looking utterly pitiful.

“Come out, baby,” Xie Yumin’s voice was full of understanding, and her face was filled with a gentle smile. “Sometimes even good friends get jealous, that’s normal.”