Good Baby C43

Chapter 43

The moment he realized his feet had left the ground, An An kicked twice in panic. When he turned his head and saw an unfamiliar face, he was so terrified that he opened his mouth to scream—only to have it forcefully covered. No matter how hard his tiny teeth bit down, it was useless. Instead, the hand covering his mouth pressed down even harder.

No matter how clever and sharp-witted he usually was, the sheer difference in strength rendered him insignificant. A deep sense of helplessness and fear filled his heart.

“I’ll f..k your ancestors!”

The person holding An An had barely finished saying this when they were punched hard. However, Song Yushu still didn’t let go.

He hadn’t been involved in An An’s upbringing. Even though this was his biological son, he didn’t feel any particular attachment. In fact, he had less affection for An An than Miles did. As he forcefully pulled An An away, the child began crying in pain.

Song Yushu was gambling—gambling that as long as this man cared about An An, he wouldn’t dare to continue the struggle.

Miles quickly realized his intention and clenched his right fist, delivering a heavy punch to Song Yushu’s head. As someone who practiced combat regularly, Miles packed a lot of strength in his blows. His expression was fierce, and every move carried full force—he looked like he was out to kill Song Yushu.

Dizziness and nausea from the head trauma left Song Yushu too weak to hold onto An An any longer. The moment his grip loosened, An An fell into his father’s arms.

Like a little monkey, An An clung tightly to Miles’ arm. Only then did he dare to cry loudly.

“Waaah! Daddy! He was trying to steal me!”

Hearing An An’s cries, Miles’ heart ached. He gave Song Yushu another vicious kick before gently patting An An’s back, soothing him in a soft voice:

“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. Daddy’s here. As long as Daddy’s here, no one can take you away.”

By the time An An calmed down, Hu Shuli had already called the police. When the officers arrived, Song Yushu was lying unconscious on the ground.

“Who called the police?”

“My wife. This man is a child trafficker!”

Standing at nearly 1.9 meters tall, Miles held the child in his arms with a fierce expression, making it difficult for the police to tell who the real victim was.

Following protocol, they took everyone to the station. Throughout the entire process, Miles cooperated fully. The incident had frightened An An terribly, and he refused to leave his father’s arms.

It was only after crying himself to sleep that An An was finally transferred into Hu Shuli’s arms. Miles took off his jacket and draped it over him. The familiar scent made An An’s furrowed brows relax slightly.

Miles had never thought about competing with An An for Hu Shuli’s attention. In his heart, they were a family. He was Hu Shuli’s husband, and their existence did not conflict with each other.

At the park earlier, he had found it amusing to watch An An struggling to push the stroller on his own. He had deliberately pretended not to notice, letting An An keep pushing.

In reality, both of them had been watching An An the whole time. They had seen him hide behind a stroller and had also seen the man in black approach.

At first, Miles didn’t pay much attention, assuming the man was just another passerby. But when he saw him reach for An An, he reacted instantly.

That particular spot happened to be a surveillance blind spot. Fortunately, a nearby store had captured part of the incident on its security cameras. It showed the little boy struggling to push a stroller, and the man—who was now lying in a hospital bed—trying to snatch him away.

What followed was Miles’ furious attempt to stop him. Song Yushu had tried to exploit parental love to take the child, and Miles had responded with brute force.

Now, Song Yushu was in the hospital in serious condition. But after learning the full story, no one could help but say he deserved it.

If it weren’t for Miles’ regular training and constant vigilance over the child, recovering An An after being taken would have been nearly impossible. Human traffickers usually operated in groups, and countless children went missing each year, with only a handful ever found again.

It was just that Miles had hit a little too hard. The hospital reported that they weren’t sure when Song Yushu would regain consciousness.

That night, Miles took his wife and child home from the police station. Back at the house, Grandpa Hu and Huo Si had rushed over and were waiting anxiously. Seeing An An’s swollen, tear-streaked face, their hearts ached.

Hu Shuli carried An An upstairs while the remaining three men sat in the living room. Huo Si was the first to speak.

“That guy was really a trafficker?”

What kind of trafficker would be so brazen as to snatch a child with both parents present?

“No. It was Song Yushu.”

Miles took a bottle of soda from the fridge and drank half of it in one go. It was already late, but none of the three men felt sleepy.

“Him again.”

Just hearing his name made Grandpa Hu feel an inexplicable sense of unease, even fear.

Everything that had happened so far matched up perfectly with what that fortune-teller had once predicted. Song Yushu was like an unkillable cockroach.

“There’s no way he’ll be out of the hospital in less than half a month.”

Miles flexed his wrist lightly. If they weren’t in this country, he wouldn’t have held back at all. He refused to let someone like Song Yushu ruin his life.

“Trying to snatch someone’s child—he should at least be locked up for a few days, right?”

For anyone else, that would be a certainty. But when it came to Song Yushu, no one dared to guarantee anything. The atmosphere in the room instantly turned tense. Huo Si lit a cigarette, held it between his fingers, and after a long pause, finally spoke.

“I think I know why he tried to take An An.”

This successfully caught both Grandpa Hu and Miles’ attention. Huo Si pulled out his phone and found a message his friend had sent him earlier.

Song Yushu had never been a decent person, and marriage hadn’t changed that. The label of “married” didn’t appeal to independent, successful single women. However, it did attract a certain kind of person—those in unhappy marriages who sought excitement elsewhere.

There are couples who openly agree to lead separate lives, and in those cases, there’s no issue. But the problem arises when some do it in secret, only to be discovered by their spouses—sometimes resulting in dramatic confrontations.

When Huo Si’s ex-fiancée heard about this, she was consumed by resentment and exposed a lot of secrets. Originally, Song Yushu was only struggling with business development, but internal issues began surfacing, leaving him overwhelmed.

Under such circumstances, he inevitably thought of his child. His attempt to take An An away in secret was likely a ploy to use the child as leverage in negotiations.

After all, it wasn’t just the Hu and Huo Si families—Miles’ prestigious family background was also a resource he could exploit.

After hearing the whole situation, Miles lit a cigarette but didn’t take a single puff. As it burned down to the end, he finally lowered his voice and said,

“If he can’t make it work domestically, he’ll probably consider going abroad, right?”

Smart people don’t need things spelled out. With just that, Old Mr. Hu and Huo Si understood his meaning and nodded slightly. Huo Si flicked his cigarette into the ashtray.

“I’ll handle this.”

That night, An An kept waking up in fear, his occasional cries tugging at Hu Shuli and Miles’ hearts. Eventually, they decided to bring him into their bedroom, letting him sleep between them.

The next morning, Hu Shuli personally dressed An An in a goose-yellow hoodie and overalls, planning to spend the day with him to help him feel better after the previous night’s ordeal.

Breakfast was xiaolongbao that Miles had made himself. His dumplings were uneven and misshapen, not exactly appealing to the eye.

An An stared at the small buns on his plate for a long time before finally clumsily picking up his chopsticks to eat.

“Dad, your dumplings are really good.”

Miles, who had been wondering if he lacked any culinary talent, suddenly felt hopeful upon hearing that. He was just about to say that he’d make them again tomorrow if An An liked them, when the boy added,

“But… don’t make them again next time.”

Even Tiantian shook her head at the ugly little dumplings. Still, An An frowned slightly but finished every bite—Mama had taught him not to waste food.

After breakfast, the nanny cleaned up while Hu Shuli and Miles played with An An in the toy room. Once they were sure he was in a good mood, they finally broached the topic of last night.

“An An, were you scared last night?”

Hu Shuli held his small hand as she asked. An An shook his head gently, put his toy aside, and looked into his mama’s eyes seriously as he answered,

“No, I wasn’t scared. Daddy is really strong! When I grow up, I want to be just as strong as Daddy so I can protect Mama.”

When An An saw the pain flash in his father’s eyes last night, he thought he was about to be taken away. He hadn’t expected Daddy to fight back and make that person let go.

Miles, clearly pleased by his son’s admiration, lifted his arm and flexed his muscles.

“Alright, I’ll teach you in the future.”

An An mimicked his father’s movements, wanting to check his own muscles, but all he saw were his thin, pale arms. Frustrated, he puffed up his cheeks and lowered his arms.

Hu Shuli and Miles both noticed this little gesture and couldn’t help but press their lips together in amusement.

Hearing their stifled laughter, An An felt even more indignant—he was practically a little pufferfish now.

“Hmph!”

Hu Shuli found him adorable, but more importantly, she felt relieved. An An’s bright and lively attitude reassured her that he hadn’t been deeply affected by what happened.

Miles didn’t face any repercussions for the incident, but Song Yushu, somehow, managed to prove his biological relationship with An An through legal maneuvering. He didn’t even have to step foot in a police station.

Not only that, but he even asserted his right to visitation as An An’s father. Fortunately, they had top-tier lawyers, and since An An had been raised by Hu Shuli and wasn’t yet three years old, his request was denied.

This completely enraged Miles. Originally, he had only intended to give Song Yushu a lesson. But now, he made a special call to his family, ensuring that when Song Yushu arrived overseas, he’d be “well taken care of.”

Song Yushu, on the other hand, felt that ever since Hu Shuli left him, nothing in his life had gone right. He even started to believe in the old superstition that she brought good fortune to her partner. That was why he was so desperate to get her back—to return everything to how it used to be.

Meanwhile, on the system’s data panel, the protagonist’s fate aura was visibly weakening, almost to the point of disappearing entirely.

Looking at the little one still struggling over where to place his next building block, the system could only sigh at the unpredictability of fate. Sometimes, a seemingly minor change could set everyone on an entirely different path.

The system had guided many hosts before, but this was the first time it had encountered someone like its little cub—someone who could flawlessly complete missions without even trying.

Back then, Huo Si had only forgiven his ex-fiancée because her elders personally came bearing gifts and apologies. But that didn’t mean he had truly let it go.

Now that he had an opportunity to stomp on Song Yushu, how could he possibly pass it up?

He found a few people to entice Song Yushu, telling him that the reason for his failures was simply that too many people in the country were jealous of him.

This statement struck a deep nerve in Song Yushu, who was already feeling dejected. In his mind, if it weren’t for those people deliberately targeting him, he would have succeeded long ago! He would have crushed them all beneath his feet!

Exchanging glances, the instigators continued to ply him with alcohol, coaxing him by saying that while those people might be strong in the country, they had no reach abroad.

If he went somewhere completely unfamiliar, with his business acumen, he’d surely rise to the top with ease.

Then, once he made a name for himself, he could return home and humiliate them all, making them regret ever standing in his way.

Drunk, Song Yushu’s eyes grew increasingly bright. It was clear that he had taken in everything those people said, even regarding them as his confidants. Eagerly, he asked which country would be the best for development.

After his company’s bankruptcy, information about him no longer spread as freely as before. Thinking himself clever, he deliberately chose a region that avoided the country where the Miles family resided.

Little did he know, the country he so carefully selected had extremely poor public security. More importantly, Miles’ mother’s family was the most powerful family there.

In China, Miles was absolutely a law-abiding citizen. But in that country, things were different.

Considering that Song Yushu was An’an’s biological father, Miles didn’t take his life. Instead, after his business venture failed, Miles had someone trick him into signing a contract, essentially selling himself into a black-market labor industry.

Each day, apart from sleeping and eating, he was allowed only eight hours of rest. The rest of the time, he was buried in endless work. The moment he opened his eyes, new tasks piled up in front of him, leaving him no spare energy to dwell on the past.

Among all the workers, he had the worst treatment, frequently bullied but too afraid to end it all. He had no choice but to endure and grind through each day.

Apart from Miles, Mr. Hu, and Huo Si, no one else in the family knew about this matter. Miles specifically reminded the other two not to tell anyone.

After all, what had he done wrong? He simply wanted his son to grow up in a completely healthy environment.

At that moment, Miles was helping Hu Shuli prepare for An’an’s third birthday party. They had deliberately chosen one of the Miles family’s castles abroad as the venue.

Using An’an’s current favorite cartoon character as the theme, they even invited performers dressed as the characters to celebrate with him. Sweetie and Sisi were also brought along.

At the party, An’an wore a tailored little suit, walking onto the stage hand-in-hand with his mother. Their close family members applauded warmly. Raising his chin slightly, An’an strode forward with what he thought was a gentlemanly posture, looking just like a proud little prince.

Hu Shuli wore a red qipao that day. She rarely dressed in such bright colors, yet due to her natural grace, she still exuded an air of elegance. Time seemed to have left no trace on her face.

Miles stood on the other side, waiting for An’an. As An’an approached, Miles squatted down and stretched out his arms.

Just moments ago, the little one had been acting all reserved. But now, he couldn’t hold back, letting go of his mother’s hand and running into Miles’ embrace. When Miles lifted him into the air, An’an squinted happily, his face full of joy.

Sunlight fell on An’an’s soft hair, and the happiness radiating from his face made Hu Shuli’s eyes well up with emotion.

Seeing his favorite characters appear, An’an’s mouth fell open in astonishment, his eyes widening into perfect circles. Subconsciously, he covered his mouth and looked at his parents.

As the group of cartoon characters sang the birthday song, An’an clasped his hands together, made a wish with great seriousness, took a deep breath, and slowly blew out the candles.

The first slice of cake was handed to Hu Shuli, the second to his father, and only after that did An’an realize he hadn’t kept one for himself. As he pondered how to cut his own piece, Miles dipped a fingertip into the cake’s cream and playfully smeared it on An’an’s nose.

Lowering his eyes, An’an vaguely saw the smudge and, annoyed, scrunched up his face. He retaliated by scooping some cream with his little hand and smearing it back onto Miles’ handsome cheek, leaving a visible handprint.

Miles wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he laughed heartily, playfully trying to rub his cream-covered face against An’an.

Even at three years old, An’an still remembered his mother’s preferences well. He walked over and moved the strawberries from her cake onto his own plate. Taking a bite, he winced slightly at the sourness.

“Hiss…”

But remembering his mother’s lesson not to waste food, An’an made an effort to chew through it. His chubby little cheeks puffed up as he chewed, making him look extra adorable.

That night, Miles arranged for them to board a cruise ship to continue celebrating. The older family members, like Mr. Hu, chose not to join.

An’an lay there, enjoying the sea breeze while watching a stunning fireworks display.

They played until late before heading back. On the way home, An’an felt a bit cold and climbed onto Miles’ lap. He unbuttoned his father’s suit jacket by himself and burrowed inside.

With just a slight tilt of his head, Miles could see the little furry head nestled against his chest. He exchanged a knowing smile with Hu Shuli.

Every day with this little one felt just like the cake they had eaten that day—so sweet and rich that it seemed to melt right into their lives.

Miles’ parents adored An’an, especially his mother, who affectionately called him “the little spirit from China.” If not for An’an having to return for preschool, she would have gladly kept him by her side forever.

When it was time for them to return home, An’an’s grandmother even shed tears. Seeing this, An’an quickly ran over and kissed her forehead, speaking fluently in a foreign language, “I’ll come again next time, Grandma.”

The more well-behaved and adorable An’an was, the harder it was for his grandmother to part with him. Stroking his fluffy little head, she took out a gift she had prepared from her purse.

“Thank you, Grandma.”

On the way back, An’an seemed a little downcast. Feelings are mutual—Grandma loved him, and he loved Grandma. Separation wasn’t just difficult for adults; children felt it too.

“Do you miss Grandma?”

Hu Shuli hugged him as she asked. An’an nodded gently, and Miles, sitting beside them, seized the opportunity to record the moment.

Even though the current heir of the family was Miles’ older brother, his parents still held significant assets.

As a child who had been doted on by his parents from a young age, Miles had long mastered the art of subtly transferring valuable assets into his own hands.

Now that he had An’an, it was only natural for him to start gathering treasures into his son’s little vault as well.

In his view, “living off one’s parents” should start early—after all, a little tycoon should be nurtured from a young age.

Thanks to Miles’ persistent efforts, little An’an, at just three years old, already owned three estates. Judging by the way things were going, his future wealth was bound to be immense by the time he grew up.

Mr. Hu had already chosen a kindergarten for An An in advance. He placed great importance on the child’s education, though in a family like theirs, no matter how outstanding a child was, it was merely icing on the cake.

Even from a young age, An An’s intelligence was evident. After entering kindergarten, under the guidance of his teachers, his excellence gradually became more apparent.

Since Miles no longer needed to accompany An An all the time, he shifted his focus to following Hu Shuli around as her secretary—and enjoyed every moment of it.

After some time, Hu Shuli was still somewhat puzzled. She couldn’t be sure if Miles was truly willing to stay in this position. She even took the initiative to offer him a role where he could develop his career if he wanted.

But Miles immediately turned it down, frankly admitting that he simply enjoyed being by her side.

No matter how much time passed, certain memories remained etched in Hu Shuli’s mind.

Song Yushu had once told her that she couldn’t be too outstanding; otherwise, he would lose face in front of others.

Her ex-mother-in-law had told her that she couldn’t be too outstanding, or her husband wouldn’t like her. She had to be gentle, reserved, and know how to restrain her sharpness.

But with Miles, he told her that he loved seeing his partner shine in her career—and he was proud to have such an accomplished woman by his side.

Every day spent with Miles and An An felt like a new rebirth for Hu Shuli.

While Hu Shuli was lost in her thoughts, Miles had already packed up her belongings out of habit, carrying her bag in his hand as he reminded her:

“Kindergarten is letting out soon. Don’t forget, we promised An An we’d pick him up.”

“Then let’s go.”

…

An An was very happy in kindergarten. The other kids weren’t as silly as he had imagined, and he had already made some great friends. They even planned to visit each other’s houses over the weekend.

From a distance, Hu Shuli could already see her son in his kindergarten uniform waving at her. As he ran, the short hairs on his watermelon-cut hairstyle bounced with each step.

“Mama!”

“Mmm, I’m here.”

No matter how much time passed, Hu Shuli still loved the feeling of holding An An in her arms. She gently kissed his forehead and asked,

“Did you have fun at kindergarten today?”

“Yes! But having Mama pick me up is even better!”

An An snuggled against his mother affectionately. On the side, Miles, who was carrying a small cake, shrugged his shoulders and put on an exaggeratedly disappointed expression.

“What a shame… looks like An An wasn’t looking forward to seeing Daddy at all.”

Having long been used to his dad’s little tricks, An An didn’t fall for it. Instead, he nodded seriously and agreed,

“That’s right. But I did look forward to Daddy’s little cake~”

This wasn’t even a lie—An An subconsciously swallowed his saliva as he spoke. He really loved the cakes from this shop; the cream was rich, and the fruit was always fresh.

“Now I’m even sadder. So, in An An’s eyes, it’s only about the cake, huh?”

An An didn’t bother responding. He simply stretched out his little hand and muttered softly,

“My cake, please.”

“Here, here.”

On the way home, An An couldn’t wait to open the cake, scooping up bite after bite with a small spoon while telling his mother all about his day at kindergarten.

Now that he was three years old, he seemed to be growing quickly. He used to speak in a slightly unclear way that required some guesswork, but now he could pronounce every word correctly.

Hu Shuli kept watching him in the car—his fine, wispy hair, the way his cheeks puffed out as he chewed. When An An finished eating, he leaned back in his seat, let out a little burp, and patted his belly with satisfaction.

Perhaps it was because he had grown up with two little pets by his side, but An An often unconsciously mimicked them.

Just like now—he looked exactly like that blue cat when it lazed around after a meal.

“An An, your little grand-uncle is getting married. Would you like to be the one to carry the rings for him at the wedding?”

Hu Shuli’s sudden question made An An pause.

He often heard Grandpa talk about how, when he was little, he had once “put a green hat” on his little grand-uncle. Now that the wedding was happening… was this really a place he could go?

If he went with Mama, would they still let him stay?

“Who is he marrying, Mama?”

“Your little grand-aunt, of course.”

“Uh?”

A trace of confusion flashed in An An’s eyes.

Even though he was smart, he still couldn’t quite grasp all the complicated family titles. Every time they met relatives, he needed his mother to whisper reminders.

“It’s someone your little grand-uncle met on a blind date. Not that one.”

Hu Shuli had been surprised when she first heard the news too. She had assumed that her uncle was too heartbroken over his ex-fiancée and would spend the rest of his life alone.

But unexpectedly, things took a turn—after darkness came light.

It was actually thanks to his ex-fiancée.

After Song Yushu disappeared abroad without a trace, for some reason, she tried to rekindle things with her uncle.

That scared him so much that he immediately asked Grandma to arrange a blind date for him.

The two hit it off quickly. Their life goals and values were well-aligned, so they set the wedding date without hesitation.

“Sure~”

An An agreed without any hesitation, and Hu Shuli immediately sent the confirmation to her uncle.

The wedding was scheduled right after An An’s kindergarten break.

At the ceremony, An An sat in the audience wearing a festive red sweater. While others marveled at the grand decorations and arrangements, he was completely focused on eating the little snacks.

After delivering the rings, it was time for the banquet. He ate with great seriousness, occasionally directing his father to pick out dishes for him.

Seeing how focused he was on his meal, Hu Shuli poured a cup of warm water and placed it beside him.

An An, still with puffed cheeks, nodded slightly to show he understood, then continued eating.

The system watched An An’s greedy little behavior, torn between amusement and exasperation.

It couldn’t understand how this little cub—who was originally meant to be a bright and promising child—ended up becoming such a silly, food-loving sweetheart.

But… it had to admit…

He was kind of adorable.

Huo Si was already quite old, and not long after getting married, his wife became pregnant. When An An was taken by his mother to see the newborn, he lay there watching for a long time.

From the moment the little one was asleep to when she woke up, he kept staring. And when she opened her eyes, curiously looking at the world, An An was so startled that he jumped up and exclaimed:

“Dad! Dad! She can open her eyes!!”

When Miles came over to look, the baby even stretched out a hand, making An An’s eyes widen even more.

“Dad! Dad! She can move her hands! She can breathe too!”

“Look, look! She even sneezed!!”

An An’s reaction, like he had never seen anything like this before, made Miles both amused and exasperated. No matter how small a baby is, they’re still a person, of course, they can do these things.

His little great-uncle and little great-aunt were both very good-looking, and even as a newborn, their child already showed delicate features. The more An An looked, the more he liked her. If his little great-uncle hadn’t stopped him, he would have wanted to take the baby home.

On the way back, Hu Shuli noticed that An An was sulking and gently poked his cheek, asking:

“Who made you unhappy? Or are you feeling unwell?”

An An buried his head in his mother’s embrace and murmured in a muffled voice:

“Mama, I don’t think little great-uncle really likes me.”

Hearing this, Hu Shuli thought he might be feeling neglected now that his little great-uncle had his own child. She was racking her brain for a way to comfort him when she heard him continue:

“He wouldn’t let me hold his daughter…”

The grievance in An An’s voice left Hu Shuli momentarily stunned, but she still tried to explain to her son:

“That’s because she’s still too little and fragile. You’re also still young, so you can’t hold her.”

Seeing that even his mother wasn’t on his side, An An felt even more wronged. He sniffled and continued counting on his fingers:

“Little great-uncle wouldn’t let me kiss her either.”

“We have a lot of bacteria on us. While they don’t affect us, they could make her sick. You wouldn’t want to see the little baby feeling unwell, right?”

An An pouted so much that he could almost hang an oil pot from his lips. Unwilling to give up, he mentioned one last grievance.

“He also wouldn’t let me take her home.”

“That’s even more impossible, An An. Daddy and Mommy have to take care of you, and we don’t have the energy to care for another baby. Besides, she has her own parents. Just like how Daddy and Mommy couldn’t bear to part with you, her parents wouldn’t want to be separated from her either.”

Hu Shuli gently patted An An’s back to soothe him. None of the comforting words she had initially prepared were of any use. The concerns of her little troublemaker were completely different from what she had expected.

“Are you really sure I can’t take her home?”

An An looked up at his mother with puppy-dog eyes, feeling genuinely wronged.

Hu Shuli knew her son looked especially pitiful when he was like this, but there was simply no way to grant his wish. She could only gently nod her head.

“Mhm.”

Human babies were indeed adorable. Hu Shuli had also watched the little one for a long time. Looking at her little great-uncle’s child reminded her of An An when he was just born.

She had been too unkind to this little one during pregnancy, and after giving birth, she hadn’t taken good care of him. Even after bringing him home, her health prevented her from breastfeeding him.

Fortunately, An An still grew up very well. Otherwise, she would have felt guilty for a long time.

“Why are you looking at me like that, Mama~? Is it because An An is so handsome~?”

An An lifted his head proudly, his smug little expression making Hu Shuli chuckle and nod.

“Mhm.”

“When I was little, was I as cute as little great-uncle’s daughter?”

“You were even cuter.”

“Then how come I don’t remember it?”

“You saw yourself before, but you probably just don’t remember.”

“That makes sense! I don’t even remember what Grandma’s golden retriever is called.”

An An readily accepted the explanation, as he had encountered similar situations before.

Hu Shuli thought this matter was settled, but to her surprise, An An brought it up again over the weekend.

He was sitting on the swing with Tian Tian and Si Si, while Hu Shuli was discussing work with Miles.

After making sure they were about to wrap up, An An ran inside and brought them each a glass of water, placing one beside his mother’s right hand.

Hu Shuli closed her laptop, picked up the cup, and thanked him before asking:

“An An, is there something you want to tell Mama?”

“Yes! Mama, I want a little sister!”

Since he couldn’t bring other people’s babies home because their parents would be sad, then if it was his own family’s baby, with Mommy and Daddy at home, he could watch her every day!

The more An An thought about it, the more he felt his idea was brilliant. Once the thought popped into his head, he couldn’t wait to hear his parents’ opinions.

“Why do you want a little sister?”

Hu Shuli was a little puzzled. She had discussed this matter with Miles before, and they had agreed not to have any more children.

Part of the reason was concern for the impact of childbirth on her body, but the biggest reason was An An.

Love cannot be split evenly, and no matter how hard one tries, absolute fairness is difficult to achieve.

If they favored An An, it would be unfair to the new child. If they favored the younger child, it would be unfair to An An. And given how sensitive and perceptive An An was, he would probably hide away somewhere and quietly feel hurt.

Just the thought of that scenario made Hu Shuli’s heart ache, so she had never considered having another child.

A child has no say in their birth. They come into this world because of their parents’ choices. Hu Shuli understood the responsibility behind bringing a child into the world, so she had thought it through carefully before discussing it with Miles.

An An climbed into his mother’s lap, wrapped his arms around her neck, and rocked gently, acting spoiled. Every time he did this, Hu Shuli found it hard to resist.

“Mama, little sisters are so cute. I want one too!”

“But if you had a little sister, Daddy and Mommy would have to share some of the love that’s meant for you with her. Would you still want one then?”

Hu Shuli knew very well how much An An cared about them, so she deliberately said those words to scare him. She was sure that after hearing them, this little guy would definitely regret his request.

An An sat there thinking for a long time before finally leaning into his mother’s embrace and saying in his soft, childlike voice:

“I believe Mama wouldn’t do that~ Daddy wouldn’t either~”

“Daddy and Mommy have lots and lots of love. They won’t take away the love meant for me. Instead, even more love will appear for my little sister.”

He was still young, and his logic wasn’t as clear as an adult’s, but An An had already learned to use metaphors to express his thoughts.

“Daddy wouldn’t ask me to share half of my little cake with my sister. He would buy a new one so that we could each have our own.”

“And if I have a little sister, that means I’ll be a big brother! Don’t worry, Mama, I’ll act like a proper big brother!”

An An patted his chest confidently. When he grew up, he wanted to be a real man like his dad—super strong and amazing! He would protect both Mama and his little sister, just like Daddy.

Hu Shuli exchanged a glance with Miles. Children saw things from a completely different perspective than adults, but when they thought about it, his words did make some sense.

“Mama, raise a little sister for me, okay? I really want one.”

His little great-uncle probably didn’t trust him, because every time his mother took him to see his little cousin, he wasn’t allowed to hold her. Even though he repeatedly promised that he would hold her tightly and never drop her, his little great-uncle still wouldn’t let him.

Instead, he kept making empty promises, saying, “When she’s a bit older, then you can.” But by the time she got older, she’d be too big for him to carry!

Hu Shuli gently tapped his head, planning to change the subject.

“Have you finished your homework?”

“Not yet. Mama, let me finish my homework first, then I’ll come back and talk to you again.”

An An hadn’t even thought about that before, but now that his mother had reminded him, he suddenly felt like if he didn’t finish his homework, it would be like ants crawling all over him.

He hurriedly dashed back into the house, with Tian Tian and Si Si following closely behind.

Hu Shuli shook her head helplessly and went back to work. She didn’t take An An’s words too seriously. Sure, what he said made sense, but that perspective made it easier for her to accept, but Hu Shuli was still afraid she wouldn’t be able to go through with it.

As for Miles, he had even less inclination. Beyond worrying about An An feeling left out, he was also afraid that Hu Shuli would end up like her mother—leaving shortly after giving birth.

Compared to a child he had never even imagined, he cared far more about Hu Shuli’s health.

Besides, they already had little An An. To Miles, that was his son—there was no blood relation, but their bond was just as deep.

After finishing his homework, An An hadn’t forgotten about the matter. He ran downstairs to find his mother, afraid that if he was too slow, he might end up forgetting about it himself.

“Mama, I finished my homework. Can I have a little sister now?”

Hu Shuli beckoned him over and pulled him into her arms, explaining gently,

“An An, but having a little sister is very painful.”

She knew An An cared about her deeply, so she planned to use this to persuade him. Sure enough, his attention immediately shifted. His smile faded, replaced by a cautious, worried expression as he asked,

“Mama, was it very painful when you had me too?”