Chapter 47

This sentence suddenly made Brother Li recall something he had previously overlooked. He had come across similar situations before—no matter how good-looking, well-behaved, and healthy a child like Gu Chen’s son was, at most, they would sell for twenty to thirty thousand yuan.

But Miss Su’s mother was in the hospital, and if she was only short by a few thousand yuan for medical expenses, there was no way she would resort to selling a child.

Ordinary children couldn’t bring in such a high price, but… Gu Chen’s son could.

The realization sent a cold sweat down Brother Li’s back. He had prided himself on being cautious and handling matters thoroughly for years, yet he had made such a fatal mistake.

Gu Chen, who had been resting with his eyes closed, also opened them and asked softly, “What’s going on?”

Brother Li tried his best to stay calm, but he couldn’t help cursing, “Damn it. Is your ex-girlfriend trying to cash in on both ends? She’s doing a livestream claiming you haven’t paid a cent in child support for all these years. Good thing I kept the bank records as proof.”

“If it weren’t for the fact that you signed a donation agreement back then, I would’ve made sure she ended up in jail!”

Even after venting his anger, Brother Li didn’t feel any better. He knew that even with evidence, it wouldn’t matter. The moment this news broke out, Gu Chen’s career would be completely ruined.

A rising traffic star’s future couldn’t even be compared to the reputation of an ordinary person.

Just then, his colleague sent over a few photos, saying someone had captured pictures of Gu Chen picking up the child. Others had analyzed his schedule and found that he had no work engagements in that area.

That could only mean one thing—he had specifically gone there to pick up the child!

This discovery sent the topic straight to the trending searches. Almost no fans were willing to accept this truth, flooding the comment sections of Gu Chen and his studio’s social media accounts with questions.

The situation was snowballing, growing more out of control. Any crisis response plans they had previously discussed were now completely useless. The PR team had never faced such a difficult case before.

If they hadn’t held that meeting earlier, they could have firmly denied everything and condemned it as a rumor.

But the problem was, everyone in the PR department knew the truth—Gu Chen did have a child.

“I shouldn’t have let you go there yourself,” Brother Li said, slamming his fist on the seat. Regret wouldn’t help now. He took a deep breath, suppressing all his emotions, and told his colleague to send him the link to the livestream.

He wanted to see just what else that woman could say.

In the heat of his anger, everything became clearer. Brother Li suddenly remembered that his assistant had mentioned this morning that Miss Su had asked for his help with the paperwork to leave the country—she wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Since Gu Chen had originally planned for her to do so, Brother Li hadn’t refused and had even called in favors to expedite the process.

But now, it was clear—this woman intended to take the money from both sides and then flee abroad. By the time they reacted, it would be too late to do anything.

Their last meeting had been relatively amicable, and from what Brother Li recalled, Su Ling hadn’t seemed like someone who would sacrifice everything for money. That was why Gu Chen, from the moment he heard the news until now, had refused to believe she could do such a thing.

Until Brother Li opened the livestream link—and saw an all-too-familiar face on his phone screen.

He had just seen her not long ago.

Brother Li couldn’t hold back another curse. From the background, it was clear that Su Ling was staying in a nice hotel.

She was spending Gu Chen’s money—only to stab him in the back.

Brother Li had been in the entertainment industry long enough to witness people throwing away their conscience for money, but he never thought something like this would happen to them.

He had assumed that even if Su Ling no longer had any feelings for Gu Chen, she would at least consider the well-being and future of the child she had raised.

“Brother Li, call the nanny at home. Make sure An An doesn’t use any electronic devices,” Gu Chen instructed.

Even in this crisis, Gu Chen remained calmer than Brother Li, immediately thinking of his child.

For him, this was the worst-case scenario unfolding before his eyes.

But at the same time, he felt a strange sense of relief. Thankfully, it was happening now—at a time when he didn’t have too many endorsements or advertisements. The financial losses due to contract breaches wouldn’t be too devastating.

After calculating his remaining assets and previous investments, he was certain he could still provide An An with a good life.

His own career and future were the least of his concerns. What worried him most was how An An would feel when he found out about all this.

“Brother Li, I’m really sorry… The promise I made to you before—I probably won’t be able to keep it.”

Gu Chen ran a hand over his face and smiled bitterly. He knew why Brother Li had brought up the year-end bonus before—it was his way of wishing they could get through this crisis safely.

“Forget about that. Focus on dealing with this mess first,” Brother Li snapped.

It wasn’t about the money. The reason he had mentioned the bonus was because he had hoped Gu Chen would have the chance to give it out at the end of the year.

“Brother Li, I probably don’t need to go to that audition anymore. Tell the company to prepare for a press conference. I’ll publicly apologize.”

After all, he had been in the wrong from the start.

He had assumed he could keep this hidden, but reality had proved him wrong.

The truth was, he had no idea Su Ling was pregnant back then. And it was also true that he hadn’t paid a single cent in child support for all these years.

The best course of action now was to admit his mistake.

Maybe—just maybe—some people would see his sincerity and allow him to regain a bit of public favor.

“…Alright. I’ll get things ready.”

With all his years of experience in the entertainment industry, Brother Li knew this was the worst possible way to handle the crisis.

He couldn’t even begin to imagine what Gu Chen’s future would look like after this.

Everything he had worked so hard for would be completely wiped out, and a significant portion of his fans would turn from casual observers to haters. This particular group had terrifying combat power—even just thinking about it gave him a headache.

There were cases where people had survived desperate situations and made a comeback, but Gu Chen’s predicament was practically beyond saving.

Unless he could produce achievements so remarkable that people took notice, only then, when looking back at this situation, might others feel he had taken responsibility and shown accountability.

Carrying a bad reputation in the entertainment industry wasn’t the scariest thing—the scariest thing was fading into obscurity once the controversy died down.

Su Ling patiently waited for the live stream’s popularity to rise. Behind her, a large screen continuously looped sweet photos from their college days.

In the photos, Gu Chen looked young and inexperienced. Anyone who had seen his work could recognize that it was him.

The good news was that these photos served as solid proof, effectively dispelling the past rumors about him having had plastic surgery. The bad news? The only reason these photos even came to light was because “Sister-in-Law” had released their intimate past pictures.

【Is there anything I haven’t seen by now? Over the years, we’ve seen countless ways these “sister-in-laws” expose celebrities, but this is the first time I’ve seen one this intense!】

【To be honest, this “sister-in-law” doesn’t seem to have had a great life these past years. She was such a beautiful, youthful girl in the photos.】

【I heard she was even the campus belle back in college.】

【Gu Chen hasn’t cared about the child all these years, and she’s been raising him alone. Of course, she looks a little worn down now—it’s completely normal.】

【Never thought Gu Chen would be that kind of person. I always assumed celebrities made good money, so why wouldn’t he take care of his own child?】

【I can’t believe I used to like Gu Chen. This is so embarrassing.】

【I’ve been a fan since Gu Chen debuted as a trainee. Not long ago, I was still bragging to my friends about how I stan a celebrity who would never have a scandal.】

【Hey, sis, can you tell us in advance who you’re going to stan next?】

【Cough, sis, I’ll transfer you some money—just please don’t stan my idol, okay?】

The chat was already getting off-topic. Su Ling sat there with empty eyes—no one would have imagined that she was capable of doing something like this.

During the wait, Brother Li, who had been fuming earlier, gradually calmed down. He unscrewed a water bottle and handed it to Gu Chen. Trying to lighten the mood, he brought up a previous thought.

“Since we’ve been friends for so many years, if your son ever wants to enter the entertainment industry, how about letting me be his agent?”

“You know what kind of person I am—I guarantee I won’t get involved in any shady business.”

Brother Li was genuinely envious. That kid was so good-looking, smart, and full of charm. He had seen plenty of talented child stars, but none with the natural charisma of Gu Chen’s son.

Gu Chen, being in the industry, knew better than anyone how complicated things were. There were plenty of perverts who liked good-looking young boys, and he absolutely didn’t want his son to become one of their victims.

“Forget it, Brother Li. Just focus on squeezing every last bit out of me. My son is off-limits.”

“As if I could even squeeze anything out of you.”

Brother Li rolled his eyes in frustration. If they didn’t handle this situation well, they’d all be out of a job!

“Does she have any more evidence from your past?”

Now that the atmosphere in the car had loosened up a bit, Brother Li no longer seemed as tense. After all, he was a seasoned agent who had been in the industry for years—he had seen all kinds of crises.

If they panicked first, then they’d truly have no way out.

Gu Chen thought for a moment. Back in college, they had been an ordinary couple. There were far more intimate photos than just the ones being shown on the screen.

At the time, he had earnestly pursued Su Ling—writing her heartfelt letters, handcrafting gifts, each one tailored to her preferences. Those things tended to be kept for a long time.

Compared to the fact that he had a child, those things were trivial.

“Brother Li, maybe she doesn’t even need much evidence to prove she’s telling the truth.”

Su Ling only needed a paternity test to confirm that Gu Chen was, indeed, the child’s father.

If she wanted to go even further, she could lay out all the expenses of raising the child over the years and the hardships she endured. That alone would be enough to completely ruin Gu Chen.

Most women naturally have more empathy than men. They’re more likely to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, and they understand just how exhausting it is to care for a child between the ages of one and three.

“You’re right.”

Brother Li had fully regained his composure and was now rationally assessing the situation.

The number of viewers in the live stream continued to rise. With the growing engagement, Su Ling’s stream climbed up the rankings. Plus, with Gu Chen being so active in the industry this past year, even people who didn’t normally follow entertainment news would recognize his face.

【There are gold-digging “sister-in-laws” every year, but this year, there seem to be even more.】

【So, Gu Chen really hasn’t taken care of the child all these years?】

【Maybe he didn’t know the child existed? How was he supposed to take care of him?】

A rational fan of Gu Chen couldn’t help but defend him, but they were immediately swarmed by a barrage of counterarguments.

【Some fans really lose their brains the moment they start stanning someone. How could he not know? He didn’t know while he was in bed?】

【LOL, is he about to start playing the victim now?】

【There are always excuses for covering up scandals. She’s been raising the kid for three years without asking for anything. Now that she can’t endure it anymore and wants to expose the truth, isn’t that completely reasonable?】

Whether these were paid bots or just random viewers, their words left Gu Chen’s fans speechless. They didn’t dare to speak up anymore and instead began urging Gu Chen and his agency to respond as soon as possible.

If this was just a rumor, it needed to be clarified immediately. The longer they waited, the hotter the topic would become. By the time they wanted to clarify, it wouldn’t be as easy as it was today.

The studio remained silent, seemingly tacitly admitting that the matter was true. Many fans with a normal moral compass couldn’t accept that their idol was this kind of person and unfollowed him in droves.

Meanwhile, some die-hard fans of Gu Chen swore in the comment section that if this were true, then he absolutely must have been unaware of it.

Who hasn’t dated when they were young? Having a relationship before entering the entertainment industry is completely normal, isn’t it?

Unfortunately, no one else cared to listen to these arguments. They just assumed these fans were paid by the studio to whitewash Gu Chen’s image.

The flood of slanderous and abusive comments made even the most genuine fans afraid to speak up for him.

【What’s the point of just showing these photos? Where’s the child? Bring the child out for us to see!】

【I’ve been watching this since the stream started, and I haven’t seen a single picture of the child. Is this even real?】

【Ma’am, I think you should be aware that spreading falsehoods is illegal.】

【I heard Gu Chen was attending an audition today, so maybe he just hasn’t had time to respond?】

No matter what was said in the comments, Su Ling showed no intention of interacting. She remained silent the whole time.

It wasn’t until ten o’clock in the morning that she finally moved her dry lips.

The audience’s attention was entirely on her. When they saw her start to speak, even the flood of comments slowed down significantly.

“I’m Su Ling, Gu Chen’s first love from his university days.”

Su Ling introduced herself briefly. No one doubted her identity—after all, the photos were solid evidence. But what the audience really wanted to know was the truth about the child.

【I already knew that. What I want to hear is something else.】

【The child! Talk about the child already!】

【So he really never paid a single cent in child support all these years? And now he wants to take the child away?】

One of the viewers voiced the question that had been on everyone’s mind.

After all, the biggest controversy was that Gu Chen had completely ignored the child during the most difficult years. He hadn’t helped at all, not even financially. And now that the child was older, he wanted to come and claim him? That was shameless beyond belief.

“Mm, he really didn’t pay any child support.”

Gu Chen, holding his phone, darkened the moment he heard those words.

If he had known about this earlier, there was no way he would have just stood by and done nothing.

“But… maybe things aren’t as simple as you all think.”

After paying her mother’s medical bills, Su Ling had spoken with the doctor and learned that the local hospital wasn’t particularly skilled in this type of surgery. If she wanted to ensure success, transferring her mother abroad would be the best option.

Coincidentally, at that moment, the mysterious person who had contacted her before called again. They wanted her to go live on a certain date and expose Gu Chen.

Even if Su Ling was slow, she could see that someone was deliberately targeting Gu Chen.

But when forced to choose between her mother’s life and this situation, there was no hesitation—she had to save her mother.

Now that her mother’s condition had stabilized, she wanted to squeeze out whatever value she had left.

Su Ling had never been into celebrity fandoms, but she had heard a thing or two from her peers.

For example, if a pop star was exposed for dating, to their fans, it was a complete collapse.

Most of a pop star’s fanbase consists of “girlfriend fans,” except for those in idol-style “growth” fandoms.

Girlfriend fans see the celebrity as their fantasy boyfriend, so their possessiveness is completely natural.

Even among regular fans, fights could get vicious. But now, with a real “wife” in the mix—and a child—it was game over.

Su Ling used to hate how she was just an ordinary person, powerless to help her mother when she needed it most. She could only watch as her mother suffered.

But now, she was grateful that she was just another nameless face in the crowd.

She could do whatever she wanted.

Gu Chen, however, was a top-tier pop star. He had to be careful with every move he made.

Taking a deep breath, Su Ling curved her lips into a smug smile. She unlocked her phone, and pre-prepared images appeared in the livestream.

“Look, back in university, Gu Chen was so easy to manipulate. He was like a little puppy, wagging his tail whenever I so much as glanced at him.”

“Too bad he wasn’t rich back then. No matter how hard he worked part-time, he couldn’t afford the gifts I wanted. This necklace he bought was so cheap that no one even wants it on second-hand platforms. Tsk.”

As she spoke, she casually picked up a silver necklace.

Several viewers who owned the same necklace immediately checked the price—2,688 yuan, a solid silver piece.

Her unfriendly remarks made many people realize something was off.

What kind of victim acted so smug?

Some of Gu Chen’s haters wished they could reach through the screen and cover her mouth. She was better off just sitting there silently, looking pitiful.

“At the time, he said he’d work hard to earn money and support me. Support me? With his part-time salary of less than 2,000 yuan a month? I had no interest in struggling with him.”

“His outfits looked decent, so I thought maybe his parents were just testing him. Maybe he was secretly a rich heir pretending to be poor.”

“He said it wasn’t the right time to have kids, but I didn’t believe him. If I gave birth to his heir, tsk, even if my family was struggling, he’d have no choice but to marry me.”

Su Ling casually tossed the necklace aside, treating it like trash.

“I was afraid he’d force me to get an abortion, so I told him his cooking was terrible and broke up with him. I planned to come back and find him once the child was older.”

“I thought I could become a wealthy socialite wife, but it turns out all those designer labels on his clothes were fake! They were all knockoffs. No money, yet he still pretended to be rich.”

“If it weren’t for the fact that I became infertile after the abortion, would I have kept something like that?”

“I was so scared back then. I didn’t even meet him face-to-face—I just ran straight to the hospital overnight to get it done.”

She casually picked up a medical diagnosis from when she went to the hospital, stating that the doctor had deemed her unfit for an abortion. After letting the viewers see it clearly, she set it aside.

“Alright, I’ve recently found a rich businessman overseas and have already booked my flight. I don’t want that kid at all, so let Gu Chen take him instead.”

“So stupid. I dressed the kid in secondhand clothes that nobody wanted, fed him whatever, and got six million from Gu Chen. That’s enough for me to live it up abroad.”

“Thanks to your idol’s generosity.”

After saying that, Su Ling reached out and turned off the livestream. She crouched down, packed the necklace back into its box, stuffed it into her bag, zipped up her backpack, and walked out.

Her mother had already been transferred to a hospital abroad, and she had arranged her departure flight in advance with the help of Brother Li’s assistant. Now, she was just in time to catch it.

She had already packed everything beforehand, so she just had to take her bags and leave. After going downstairs and getting into the pre-booked car, she instructed the driver to take her directly to the airport.

There wasn’t much she could do. Having a mother like her was her child’s misfortune.

Knowing full well that she could ruin Gu Chen’s career, Su Ling chose to tarnish her own reputation to minimize the damage.

Gu Chen had indeed been a responsible man in the past, but she couldn’t gamble on whether he had remained the same after all these years. She could only hope that he would be a little kinder to An An in the future, considering that she had helped him solve part of his problem.

Before boarding the plane, Su Ling took out her phone and sent Gu Chen one last message.

[An An doesn’t like eating carrots, broccoli, or spinach. He has a mild seafood allergy, but he loves eating it—best not to let him see any. He likes overalls, and his clothes must have pockets. He likes keeping his hands in them. He’s also not a morning person—he gets cranky if he wakes up too early, but he’ll calm down if you soothe him.]

[He prefers light-colored clothes and is very neat. He won’t stain his clothes with anything hard to clean. He hopes that when I come back from work for the New Year, I’ll buy him a skateboard. If possible, I hope you can help him fulfill that wish.]

[Once I leave the country, I’ll cancel this phone number and all my contacts. I won’t reach out to you again. The livestream today wasn’t my choice—someone is deliberately targeting you.]

[Back then, they contacted me and offered me five million to take An An and destroy you.]

[At the time, I had no other choice. I’m very sorry.]

[If possible, I hope that for the sake of what I did today, you’ll be good to An An.]

[If An An ever asks about me, just tell him that I went abroad to get married, started a new family, and had another child. Tell him not to bring me up again—I’d find it annoying.]

[Don’t say it’s for his own good. Say it’s for mine. That way, he’ll accept it. He’s very sensitive and insecure—please don’t resent him. Just spend more time with him.]

[This is a photo of An An when he was sick at two years old. For now, don’t let anyone see An An. Release this photo and say he’s your son. In two months, take another picture to show that you’re raising him well.]

[Goodbye.]

When she typed those last two words, Su Ling felt as if all the strength had drained from her body. She gripped her phone tightly, and even breathing felt painful.

Just then, the airport announcement called for her flight. She turned off her phone and headed toward the boarding gate.

Someone seemed to recognize her, whispering among themselves. Su Ling didn’t avoid them—she even raised her chin proudly and strode forward like a victorious general.

As people tried to take her picture, she deliberately adjusted her posture for a better angle.

Most of what she had said earlier was false, but as long as there was no evidence to prove otherwise, everyone would believe it was the truth. Now, she was adding the final, irrefutable proof to her lie.

Life is full of responsibilities, and she had done her duty as a daughter.

Now, as an ordinary mother, she wanted to give her son—whom she would never see again—one last gift.

—

In the car, Brother Li and Gu Chen were still in shock from the entire livestream. Before this, they had already braced themselves for the worst, never expecting such a dramatic turn of events.

Although the fact that Gu Chen had dated someone in the past and had a child had been exposed, this outcome was far better than before.

Dating in the past wasn’t really a big deal. At his age, if he hadn’t dated at least once, people might even start questioning if there was something wrong with him.

What had been most damning about the previous accusations was that Gu Chen had supposedly ignored and neglected his child for years.

When they first learned that Su Ling was going to livestream an accusation, Gu Chen had prepared himself to face it head-on. But now, he was left completely stunned.

“Was she really that terrible back then? I never would’ve guessed. You were actually that easy to fool back in the day?”

Su Ling’s livestream had instantly flipped Gu Chen’s image from that of a heartless, neglectful deadbeat father into that of a completely unaware victim—utterly innocent.

If there was any flaw in his image, it was just that he had dated someone in college.

As long as his company’s PR team did their job right, glossing over a past college relationship would be easy.

The child was never Gu Chen’s choice—he hadn’t even known about him until recently, when he was extorted for money.

And now that he knew, he had complied with the financial demands and was even willing to take the child in himself.

On top of that, Su Ling had also spared An An from an awkward situation.

The reason this child was born was because his mother hoped to marry into a wealthy family. When her plans fell through, she never treated him well.

Brother Li could already imagine that many people would now feel sorry for this innocent little one.

A crisis that seemed destined to send them home to farm sweet potatoes had been quietly defused by the person involved.

If it weren’t for his current position, Brother Li would have given Su Ling a big thumbs-up. Having navigated the entertainment industry for so many years, he had never seen such masterful crisis management.

At this moment, he opened Weibo, and sure enough, the public opinion had completely shifted.

【I looked this up, and this screenshot matches a product that was released during Gu Chen’s university years. If an ordinary student worked part-time, it would have taken them a long time to afford it.】

【Oh my god, how could someone do this? Forget that Gu Chen is a celebrity—even an average person’s love shouldn’t be trampled on like this!】

【That poor child… after spending so many years with his mother, who knows what kind of life he had?】

【Thankfully, Gu Chen has taken him in. Even after being manipulated, he’s still willing to raise the child. I hope he treats the little one well.】

【Listening to her description was suffocating. So is this the real reason Gu Chen hasn’t dated anyone for so many years?】

When Brother Li saw this comment, he couldn’t help but chuckle. That definitely wasn’t the reason. If people saw Gu Chen’s daily schedule, they’d understand.

Between filming in production teams, shooting various advertisements, attending classes, handling social engagements, and undergoing training for certain roles, his time was completely booked. Where would he have the spare time for romance?

“Honestly, Gu Chen, were you really… this devoted back then?”

Brother Li had originally wanted to call him a “simp,” but considering he had managed this artist for years, he chose a more flattering term instead.

Gu Chen gently shook his head. He didn’t want to bring up the past between him and Su Ling.

Back then, they had truly loved each other, and Su Ling was someone worthy of love.

She had never done any of those awful things. Their breakup had only happened because they both knew there was no future for them together.

At that moment, Gu Chen’s phone vibrated. A series of messages from Su Ling appeared on the screen. He read through them one by one, over and over again.

In the attached photo, An An looked much younger than he did now, his face pale with illness. Because he was so thin, his large eyes seemed even more striking—almost unnervingly so.

Even so, it was clear that he was a beautiful child.

“Is Su Ling really just an ordinary person? She seems to understand PR better than people in the entertainment industry. Send me the photo—I’ll post it on Weibo.”

Gu Chen selected the image and shared it, then re-read Su Ling’s messages multiple times.

She had once told him that the child was raised by his grandmother, so she didn’t know An An well.

But in those densely packed words, Gu Chen saw the deep love hidden within them.

She was just an ordinary office worker, unfamiliar with the entertainment industry’s backstabbing and unwritten rules. The only thing that could have driven her to handle things so thoroughly was one simple truth—

At that moment, she was a mother.

Brother Li was equally impressed by Su Ling’s actions, but since he wasn’t directly involved, his emotions weren’t as complex. His mind was focused entirely on strategizing how to turn this unexpected event to their advantage.

He even pulled out his laptop and started a video conference right there in the car.

Meanwhile, Gu Chen took out his personal phone and texted the nanny, asking if it was a good time to video call An An. He was curious about what the little one was doing.

A response came quickly, followed by a video call invitation. Gu Chen answered it.

On the screen, the little one sat on the carpet, playing with toys.

An An was carefully stacking pink building blocks, concentrating as he built them higher and higher.

The curtains beside him were drawn open, and today’s sunlight was especially warm, casting a glow on his slightly curly hair. Dust particles floated in the air, barely visible through the phone’s camera.

Gu Chen didn’t speak or ask the nanny to bring the phone closer. He simply watched quietly.

After what felt like a long time, An An finally finished his tower and belatedly noticed that the phone had been pointed at him the entire time.

The nanny had stepped away to prepare a mid-morning snack, leaving An An alone for a moment. Young children get hungry much faster than adults, so after making sure there was nothing dangerous around him, she had left him unattended for a short while.

Curious, An An scooted closer to the phone and crouched down, propping his chin on his hands as he stared into the camera.

He looked left, then right. When he confirmed that the nanny wasn’t nearby, he reached out and poked the screen.

Gu Chen instinctively touched his own finger to the screen, aligning it with An An’s tiny fingertip.

“Baby?”

Startled by the familiar voice, An An yanked his hand back, tucking both hands into his chest as he pretended to be well-behaved.

His eyes darted around the room, searching for the source of the voice. After a long while, when he still couldn’t find where it was coming from, confusion crossed his small face.

“Eh?”

“Baby, it’s Daddy.”

From this angle, Gu Chen could see every minute expression on An An’s face, including the tiny look of disappointment when he couldn’t find him.

“Baby, can you see where Daddy is?”

Curiosity sparked in Gu Chen’s voice—he genuinely wanted to know if An An could figure out that he was inside the phone.

This question immediately triggered An An’s competitive streak.

He scanned the entire room again but still couldn’t find Gu Chen. Frustrated, he put his hands on his hips and huffed, his tiny face slightly flushed from the effort. After a long pause, he pouted and, in a defiant little voice, declared—

“Daddy, if you don’t come out… fai!”

“Hmph, fai!”