Chapter 94

When Bai Yiyi saw her son frozen in place because of that one sentence, she reached out and gently pinched his chubby cheek.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Even if you turn out to be a little fool, it’s alright. Mommy is here—Mommy will take care of you for the rest of your life.”

She said it without the slightest hesitation, as if the promise of “for the rest of your life” would never be a burden. From the ease in her eyes, it was clear she didn’t even consider it a weight.

An’an reached out to stop her from pinching his face, babbling as if trying to protest. He wasn’t a fool!

Holding her son in her arms, Bai Yiyi softly hummed a lullaby. She wore a simple white loungewear set, her black hair tied loosely in a low ponytail, looking gentle and homey.

Like a pure white gardenia—delicate, harmless, and serene.

An’an still wanted to argue that he wasn’t a fool, but Bai Yiyi’s voice was just too gentle. Before he knew it, his eyes had closed, and he drifted off to sleep.

Even as he fell asleep, his tiny hand was still tightly clutching one of Bai Yiyi’s fingers.

Once he was fast asleep, Bai Yiyi gently placed him in his crib, stretched her sore arms from carrying him, and stood up to head out.

Downstairs on the couch, her mother-in-law sat with an unpleasant expression. As soon as she saw Bai Yiyi coming down, she snapped:

“Do you even know what time it is? Were you planning to starve me to death?”

Even though they had a maid and a chef at home, Bai Yiyi still prepared the meals herself. Now being scolded like this, she didn’t show any reaction, just bowed her head and apologized.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I was putting An’an to sleep. I’ll start cooking right away.”

Just like her name, Bai Yiyi was gentle and harmless, like a small, defenseless animal.

She rolled up her sleeves, tied on her apron, and got busy in the kitchen. Soon enough, she brought out three dishes and a soup, even taking the initiative to serve a bowl of rice and place it before her mother-in-law.

“Mom, I heard Haozhan is coming back this afternoon. Is that true?”

Her mother-in-law shot her a glare and replied irritably:

“Where did you hear that? He’s so busy with work, how could he have time to come home? As his wife, you should be considerate and supportive, not making trouble for him here.”

Bai Yiyi’s smile faded slightly, but she still nodded gently.

“I understand, Mom.”

“That’s good. The doctor said An’an’s high fever caused some mental issues. Haozhan is our only son. For the sake of carrying on the family line, you two need to start thinking about a second child.”

Bai Yiyi could be patient about everything else, but on this matter, she didn’t intend to give in. She lowered her head and softly explained:

“Mom, An’an is still young and needs proper care. Let’s wait a little longer before thinking about a second child.”

“Wait? Wait until when? You can’t possibly plan to cling to that little fool for the rest of your life, can you?”

“Mom, An’an isn’t a fool. He’s just little. Let’s wait and see when he’s older, alright?”

Her mother-in-law looked even more displeased. After finishing her meal, she tossed down her chopsticks and went upstairs, leaving Bai Yiyi sitting alone in the dining room, having lost her appetite.

After tidying up the dining table and kitchen, she prepared the formula milk for when An’an would wake up, then finally went upstairs to his room.

The nursery was warm and inviting, clearly decorated with much love and care. Bai Yiyi pulled a bag from the closet and headed to the balcony.

Inside the bag was a bundle of yarn. With the weather turning cold soon, she planned to knit two warm sweaters for An’an herself.

She sat on the balcony, glancing into the room now and then. As soon as An’an woke up, she would know immediately.

Not long after she sat down, An’an, who had been sleeping in his crib, sat up. He looked around but didn’t see the familiar figure. His little mouth began to quiver, about to cry.

But before the tears could even form, Bai Yiyi had already rushed over, lifting him from the crib.

“Awake now, sweetie? You woke up and didn’t even cry today—what a good boy.”

Just one sentence made An’an swallow back the tears he’d been about to shed, forcing himself to curve his lips into a tiny smile.

“Yaa~”

“Hungry, are you?”

Right after she asked, An’an’s tummy gave a loud growl. Bai Yiyi held back a laugh, grabbed the bottle, and handed it to him.

An’an grabbed the bottle and started drinking hungrily. Watching his little cheeks puff up with every gulp, Bai Yiyi felt her heart overflow with happiness, the corners of her eyes full of tenderness.

An’an was still a month away from his first birthday, but that high fever had also affected his digestion.

After he finished the milk, Bai Yiyi picked him up and gently burped him like a newborn.

Seeing how lively An’an seemed today, she decided to take him downstairs to play in the garden.

They happened to run into her mother-in-law in the living room. She still didn’t have a kind expression, and just as Bai Yiyi was about to step outside, her mother-in-law called out from behind.

“Taking care of a child is what the nanny is for. Don’t waste all your time on that foolish son of yours. If you’d just have a healthy, energetic child sooner, Haozhan wouldn’t be so reluctant to come home.”

Bai Yiyi knew An’an was still too young to understand what his grandmother was saying, but she still covered his ears and quietly made her way to the backyard garden.

The courtyard was full of blooming roses. The fragrance was rich and heavy. As soon as they entered the garden, the air was thick with the floral scent.

An’an took a deep breath. After being kept in the darkness for so long, he absolutely adored the sunshine and the flowers. His plump, pale little face bloomed with a look of pure joy.

Even his fingers spread instinctively, as if he wanted to catch the sunlight in his palm and hold onto it tightly.

Seeing how much her son liked the flowers, Bai Yiyi carried him closer to the blooming ones.

The more flowers there were, the stronger the fragrance. Eventually, An’an was so overwhelmed by the scent that his little head drooped and he buried his face into her chest.

Feeling his little hand clutch her clothes tightly, Bai Yiyi bent down and kissed his ear, smiling as she teased:

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Weren’t you just enjoying the flowers?”

“Wuu-ah…”

An’an whimpered softly. He didn’t know how to explain himself and could only whimper like he was begging for mercy.

Bai Yiyi could clearly feel how tightly her son clung to her. Realizing just how dependent and attached he was to her only confirmed what she already believed.

Her sweet baby couldn’t possibly be a fool. What kind of little fool could be this clever?

An’an really did love his mother’s warm embrace—he wished he could cling to her forever. A child’s greed wasn’t annoying—it only made her want to laugh.

They hadn’t been in the garden long before An’an dozed off on Bai Yiyi’s shoulder again.

Hearing his steady breathing, Bai Yiyi softened her steps, ready to carry him back upstairs.

As she passed through the living room, her mother-in-law was still sitting there arranging flowers. Seeing Bai Yiyi walk in, she casually said:

“Haozhan will be back for dinner tonight. Make two of his favorite dishes.”

“Alright.”

Bai Yiyi nodded and agreed. After settling An’an back in his crib, she quickly went downstairs to look through the kitchen for ingredients.

Because Haozhan was coming back, her mother-in-law had specially ordered some expensive ingredients, the kind Bai Yiyi didn’t often use, so she was a little clumsy handling them.

Her mother-in-law stood at the kitchen door watching her, eyes sharp. Seeing her fumble around, she shot a look at the nearby chef.

“Madam, let me help you prepare the ingredients.”

“Oh, okay. Thank you.”

There were indeed some ingredients Bai Yiyi couldn’t manage on her own, so having someone willing to help was more than she could ask for.

She started working at 3:30 in the afternoon and kept at it until 5:30, finally preparing a sumptuous dinner.

Just as Bai Yiyi was about to sit down and rest for a moment, the sound of a car came from outside. Through the window and fence, she could see the vehicle—it looked very familiar.

Her mother-in-law, completely different from the sarcastic and passive-aggressive manner she usually showed Bai Yiyi, rushed out with a smile on her face.

“Haozhan, you’re finally back. It must’ve been tough working out there.”

The man stepped out of the car in a well-fitted black suit, wearing a faint smile as he gently shook his head and replied, “It’s alright. Things at the company haven’t been too busy lately.”

“That’s good, that’s good. I had Yiyi personally cook for you. Since you’re finally home, you need to nourish your body well.”

When they entered the living room, Bai Yiyi hadn’t even had a chance to take off her apron. After a whole afternoon of cooking, the scent of oil still clung faintly to her. Standing close, one could smell it.

She and Huo Haozhan, dressed in a tailored suit and radiating poise, didn’t even seem to belong in the same world.

During dinner, Huo Haozhan took the initiative to start a conversation, asking:

“How’s the child? Has he been good lately?”

The moment he brought it up, Huo’s mother seized the chance to bring up old topics again.

“If you ask me, now that the child is being looked after by a nanny, you two should hurry up and have a second one.”

Bai Yiyi clenched the chopsticks in her palm tightly at those words.

On this matter, Huo Haozhan actually shared the same view as Bai Yiyi. He lightly shook his head and declined, “The child’s still young. Let’s not talk about that for now.”

“You…”

Though she didn’t agree with her son’s refusal, Huo’s mother knew all too well that once her son made up his mind, no one could change it. So she could only frown and finish the meal in a sour mood.

Halfway through dinner, the nanny came downstairs carrying An’an, who was crying and fussing non-stop in her arms.

He struggled fiercely, every cell of his little body radiating resistance and dissatisfaction. His cries were so loud they made people’s heads ache.

It wasn’t often that Huo Haozhan came home. After a long day of work, the sound of his son’s crying only made him more irritable. His brow furrowed slightly, clearly showing he was in a foul mood.

Noticing this, his mother spoke before he could:

“What’s he crying for? Yiyi, hurry up and soothe the child. Haozhan finally came home—don’t make him upset.”

Bai Yiyi immediately put down her chopsticks and walked over, gently rocking An’an in her arms while explaining to Huo Haozhan:

“An’an is usually very well-behaved. I don’t know what’s gotten into him today.”

An’an, mouth wide open, had been crying loudly, but once in his mother’s arms, the crying gradually subsided. He extended a small finger and pointed toward the nanny who had been holding him earlier, and said in his childish voice:

“She… pinched… pinched me.”

Everyone present froze in place at those words, even the nanny. She hadn’t expected the little guy—previously thought to have brain damage from a fever—to suddenly start talking, and to open his mouth with an accusation.

The nanny reacted quickly, putting on a look of extreme grievance.

“I… I didn’t! How could I possibly do something like that?”

By now, Huo Haozhan had put down his chopsticks and walked over to Bai Yiyi. An’an was still crying, mouth wide and miserable, but now that the reason was known, it somehow didn’t seem quite so annoying anymore.

“An’an, did the nanny pinch you on purpose?”

An’an pouted and nodded, his lashes still wet with tears, looking like a pitiful little thing full of grievance.

Huo’s mother finally came to her senses too, staring coldly at the nanny.

“An’an’s still so young—could he lie? You pinched him so hard you made a ‘dumb’ kid talk!”

At that moment, An’an didn’t even bother denying that he wasn’t a dumb kid anymore. His fuzzy little head bobbed up and down like a chick pecking at rice.

“Mm-hmm.”

An’an wasn’t even a year old yet, and because of a recent high fever, the doctor had said the prolonged fever might affect his brain development and intelligence. The family had already accepted the fact that he’d speak later than most.

No one expected him to suddenly speak—especially not like this.

An’an sniffled and held back his tears. The nanny still refused to admit it and even went as far as to kneel in front of Bai Yiyi.

She knew her mistress was soft-hearted and kind. When she looked up again, her face was covered in tears.

“Madam, I swear I didn’t do anything to An’an. I raised him—how could I bear to hurt him?”

Usually quite soft-hearted, Bai Yiyi’s face was stern this time as she said:

“If I remember right, there are security cameras in both the nursery and this hallway. We can check and find out the truth. If An’an really wronged you, I’ll apologize to you.”

“And also—An’an was raised by me. What does it have to do with you?”

The nanny’s face turned pale in an instant. Just from her reaction now, it was clear what the truth was—even without checking the footage.

Huo Haozhan took his son into his arms, a bit clumsy in his movements, gently patting his back.

An’an had stopped crying, but his body still trembled slightly from the earlier crying fit. Huo Haozhan’s face grew colder as he noticed and ordered:

“Butler, check the footage.”

“Yes, sir.”

The surveillance cameras had originally been installed so Huo Haozhan could watch his son while at work. Several cameras were placed to capture all angles of little An’an, so checking them now was easy.

The footage showed An’an waking up and struggling to crawl out of the crib. Before he could get far, the nanny walked in and picked him up.

As soon as she stepped out of the nursery, she pinched his chubby thigh.

Still groggy from sleep and unable to grasp the situation, An’an began wailing from the pain and was carried downstairs.

All the way down, he struggled violently, clearly trying to escape from her arms. Kicking and squirming, his resistance only made the nanny’s face darker. Then she pinched him again—this time harder—causing him to cry even more loudly.

Bai Yiyi had already rushed over and snatched An’an back into her arms, holding him tightly as tears streamed down her face.

Even Huo’s mother looked ugly at this point. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She stepped forward and slapped the nanny hard across the face.

“You actually dared to lay hands on a child?”

A woman who had spent half her life committed to the word “elegance” was now so furious she resorted to hitting someone. After the slap, seeing the nanny on her knees bawling with messy hair, no one spared her any sympathy.

“Why would you deliberately hurt my son?”

Huo Haozhan was the first to question her. The nanny glanced at Bai Yiyi before sobbing:

“The young master usually doesn’t behave—he cries all the time and even pulls my hair… so, so I…”

Before she could even finish the sentence, Bai Yiyi interrupted sharply:

“That’s nonsense! An’an is very well-behaved—he’s never pulled anyone’s hair!”

Even now, she still wanted to blame it on An’an.

Huo Haozhan looked at Bai Yiyi, then at the little An’an in her arms. At that moment, An’an was timidly shrinking his hand into his sleeve.

His flustered, angry little expression, coupled with the still-drying tear streaks on his face, made him look utterly innocent.

Though Huo’s mother normally didn’t care much for Bai Yiyi, and had grown cold toward this grandson after the fever incident, that didn’t mean she could just watch someone bully her grandson without doing anything.

“My grandson would never do something like that. Haozhan, call the police.”

When the nanny heard the word “police,” she finally panicked. The butler dialed the emergency number and also had the surveillance footage from that period copied as evidence.

An’an’s thigh still throbbed with pain. He sniffled softly, hugging his mother and whimpering like a little animal that had been bullied badly but didn’t know how to fight back.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. Mommy’s here, baby. It’s Mommy’s fault. Mommy didn’t take good care of you.”

An’an reached out with the back of his hand to gently wipe away his mother’s tears. The tears from the pain came uncontrollably.

But besides feeling upset, he was also quite happy that after just two pinches, Mommy was this worried about him.

Before the police took the nanny away, she kept begging them to let her go, but both Grandma Huo and Bai Yiyi insisted on getting to the bottom of the matter.

A hired nanny in the home intentionally abusing a child—this was a very serious issue.

The nanny reheated the food, but Bai Yiyi still held An’an during the meal. It looked a bit inconvenient, but she simply couldn’t bear to put him down.

After finishing his meal as fast as possible, Huo Haozhan took An’an over. Sitting on his father’s lap, An’an nestled quietly into his embrace. He didn’t cry or fuss—he just kept staring at his mother.

An’an had perfectly inherited the best features of both parents. Even though he wasn’t even one year old yet, his facial features were already delicate and beautiful.

Sitting obediently in Huo Haozhan’s arms, he looked like a little porcelain doll.

Huo Haozhan had previously been reluctant to come home. Part of the reason was that after a long day of work, he didn’t want to deal with a crying baby and the complaints of his wife and mother.

Every time he tried to hold his son, the boy would start crying. Huo Haozhan had thought it was because An’an didn’t like him.

But after what happened today, he realized there might have been a hidden reason.

And come to think of it, how could a little guy just barely up to his knee already understand liking or disliking?

Maybe the crying was just because he was held uncomfortably or because something hurt.

Now, sitting quietly in his arms, blinking those big eyes—he looked rather adorable.

An’an had been staring at his mother the whole time. Perhaps because his father had been looking at him too long, he noticed and tilted his head to glance at him too.

When their eyes met, Huo Haozhan’s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively held his breath.

His brain whirred, recalling how he had checked his reflection in the car window before getting out. There shouldn’t be anything wrong with his appearance.

An’an looked at him for a moment, furrowed his little brow, then quickly turned his attention back to his mother.

Just as Bai Yiyi put down her bowl and chopsticks, the little one who had been leaning against his father eagerly sat up straight, reached out to his mother, wiggled his bottom, and kicked his feet in excitement.

“Waah—ya~”

Huo Haozhan carefully supported him, worried he might fall, and handed him over.

Sitting there, he watched Bai Yiyi expertly hold their son and help tidy up his clothes.

“Sweetie, are you hungry?”

Speaking softly, Bai Yiyi stood up with An’an in her arms and headed to the kitchen. Holding him with one arm, she reached into the cupboard with the other to grab a bottle.

At this point, Huo Haozhan couldn’t sit still anymore and quickly walked over.

“You’re going to make formula for An’an?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Let me do it.”

“Okay.”

The kettle was boiling. When Bai Yiyi saw Huo Haozhan touch the baby bottle without washing his hands, she immediately frowned.

Huo Haozhan placed the bottle on the counter and poured boiling water into it once it was ready. Just as he was about to open the formula tin, Bai Yiyi finally spoke.

“Forget it. I’ll do it myself.”

Those words made Huo Haozhan instinctively look up. Bai Yiyi’s expression clearly showed her disapproval, and little An’an, nestled in her arms, was frowning too.

An’an clutched his mother’s clothes, unsure how to express himself.

One big, one small—both doing their best to show their disapproval of him.

“What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?”

At that moment, Grandma Huo, having finished her meal, came over. She had watched the whole scene unfold. Seeing her daughter-in-law’s troubled expression, she took the initiative to explain:

“Before making formula, you have to wash your hands. The bottle needs to be sterilized. Use water that’s around 40 degrees Celsius.”

“Oh, got it.”

Huo Haozhan was always confident in business, but when it came to childcare, he was clearly a rookie.

He washed his hands properly, emptied the bottle, then humbly asked his mother how to sterilize it. Following her instructions, he went through the process again.

Finally, the formula was ready. Just as he was about to hand the bottle to An’an, Bai Yiyi took it to inspect.

“Wait a bit. There’s too much foam. An’an might spit up if he drinks it now.”

Huo Haozhan looked down and saw that, indeed, there was a lot of foam around the rim of the bottle.

He had never realized there was so much to learn about making formula. Something as small as foam—which he’d never paid attention to—could make a baby spit up.

An’an’s stomach was already growling. He placed his little hands over it, as if trying to muffle the sound, his tiny lips pursed in visible discomfort.

In the past, Huo Haozhan never cared about these little things. But now, watching An’an silently endure his hunger with a pitiful expression, he couldn’t help but feel guilty.

He hadn’t spent much time with his child and hadn’t formed a strong emotional bond yet.

But that didn’t mean he felt nothing for this child who shared his blood.

After waiting for the foam to settle, Huo Haozhan finally moved the bottle to An’an’s mouth, only for Bai Yiyi to turn away with An’an in her arms.

“What’s wrong?”

Knowing he wasn’t well-versed in these matters, Huo Haozhan didn’t get angry and patiently asked.

“It’s cold now. Needs reheating.”

“Oh, okay.”

After all the fussing, An’an finally got to drink his milk. Holding the bottle, he eagerly gulped it down.

Grandma Huo watched nearby. Once An’an finished, she commented:

“This is the first time I’ve seen An’an drink so greedily.”

Who was to blame?

Huo Haozhan’s face flushed with embarrassment. He lowered his head, unable to look Bai Yiyi or An’an in the eye.

Since An’an had napped earlier and just had formula, he was full of energy. Bai Yiyi took him to the playroom.

Back in the living room, only Grandma Huo and Huo Haozhan remained. He broke the silence:

“Mom, I think we really need to investigate the nanny properly. Every time I came home before, whenever I tried to hold An’an, he would cry. I think that same nanny was taking care of him back then.”

Even if he hadn’t said it, Grandma Huo was already determined to get to the bottom of this.

If that woman dared to secretly pinch An’an today, tomorrow she might poison their food!

“Is that why you stopped coming home?”

Grandma Huo picked up on the deeper meaning of his words and asked. When she saw the embarrassed look on her son’s face, her expression softened.

“Yeah. Every time I held An’an, he’d cry. When he cried, Yiyi would get upset. So I figured I’d just stay at the office and not bother them.”

She didn’t quite know how to respond to that, and it took her a while before she said:

“An’an was frightened today. Go upstairs and be with them. I’ll go to bed.”

“Okay. You rest early, Mom.”

When Huo Haozhan got upstairs, he pushed the door open gently.

The room was carpeted thickly, and Bai Yiyi, dressed in home clothes, was sitting on the floor.

An’an was nestled in her arms, holding a brightly colored puzzle piece in his hand, frowning in concentration as he tried to figure out where it should go.

The sound of the door opening successfully caught their attention. Both the adult and the child looked up at the same time.

Still under a year old, little An’an now bore a stronger resemblance to Bai Yiyi in appearance. Especially when the two were together, no one would ever doubt their blood relation.

“Yah~”

An’an gave only a glance before quickly turning his focus back to the puzzle. Thinking he had found a good spot to place it, he immediately fit the piece in.

Afterward, he turned and gave his mom what he thought was a very modest little smile.

Bai Yiyi leaned over and kissed him, and An’an covered the spot where she had kissed him, grinning shyly.

Mother and son were getting along beautifully. Standing at the door, Huo Haozhan suddenly felt like he didn’t belong there. He gave a discreet cough to announce his presence.

Just moments ago, An’an had been all smiles, but the instant he heard the cough, his little face dropped.

By the time Bai Yiyi noticed something was off and looked down, he had already put on a pitiful and aggrieved expression, even sniffled exaggeratedly.

Huo Haozhan took the initiative to walk in then, sat on the other side, and helped An’an place the puzzle piece correctly before handing it back to him.

He’d originally intended to use this as a way to bond with his son—but the only thing he saw was An’an’s eyes widening in disbelief.

“Waaa—boohoo!”

An’an clutched at his mother’s clothes, burying his head in her chest as he let out soft sobs.

While gently patting An’an’s back to soothe him, Bai Yiyi shot Huo Haozhan a fierce glare and hissed through clenched teeth, “That’s An’an’s toy.”

It was only then that Huo Haozhan realized he’d once again screwed things up. He rubbed his brow in frustration and set the toy aside.

“I just wanted to ease the tension between us. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

There was nothing wrong with trying to ease their relationship—but not like that. His approach was practically adding fuel to the fire. What child would like a dad who snatched their toys?

As Bai Yiyi continued to soothe him, An’an at some point fell asleep. She gently laid him in the crib.

Turning off the harsh overhead lights, she left only the soft yellow glow of the strip light near the crib.

When she reached the doorway and saw that Huo Haozhan was still standing there, she decided to talk to him about the nanny issue.

“I tried coming back a few times to hold An’an, but he always cried. After a while, I just stopped wanting to come home.”

“Was the nanny watching him every time you tried?”

“Yeah.”

Huo Haozhan remembered this clearly. After An’an cried in front of him, the nanny would always report it to Bai Yiyi, making her blame him.

Caring for a child involved so many little things, and sometimes a crying fit would push Bai Yiyi to the brink. Huo Haozhan didn’t want to be another source of stress for her.

Eventually, to avoid making Bai Yiyi angry all the time, he gradually distanced himself from An’an.

“I thought… you didn’t want to hold An’an because the doctor said he might become mentally disabled after his high fever.”

Bai Yiyi only voiced this deep-seated thought after they were alone in the bedroom with the door shut.

She had indeed resented him at the time. After all, no one wanted to see what had happened. An’an was just a little guy who couldn’t even speak yet—how could any of it be his fault?

Huo Haozhan had never imagined Bai Yiyi would think that of him. He wanted nothing more than to swear on the spot to clear it up.

No matter what, An’an was his own flesh and blood.

And with their family’s means, even if An’an really turned out to have developmental issues, they could still provide him a good life.

“That nanny… there’s something seriously wrong with her.”

Bai Yiyi couldn’t understand what that woman had to gain by driving a wedge between father and son. If she got caught, she’d be fired. From any angle, it wasn’t worth the risk.

“She’s already been taken to the police station. Tomorrow I’ll have my assistant look into her finances—see if there are any suspicious transactions.”

In this kind of situation, unless it was about money, Huo Haozhan couldn’t think of any other possible motive.

Once they trace the money, they’d probably be able to figure out who was really behind it all.

After realizing he had misunderstood both his wife and child, Huo Haozhan messaged his assistant that night, saying he wouldn’t be going to the office the next day—he wanted to stay home and spend time with his family.

His wife was easier to win over. But his son? That was a whole different challenge.

The next morning, when Bai Yiyi came downstairs, she saw a woman in a dress sitting in the living room, chatting with her mother-in-law.

From the creases at the corners of her mother-in-law’s eyes, Bai Yiyi could tell she was in a very good mood.

Bai Yiyi had always known her mother-in-law wasn’t fond of her.

Beyond her average family background, the bigger reason was the woman sitting there now.

The young miss of the Su family, Su Xiaoyu, had grown up as childhood friends with Huo Haozhan. Her mother and Bai Yiyi’s mother-in-law had also been close friends since they were kids.

Bai Yiyi was just about to head into the kitchen to cook like usual when, passing by the living room, she saw her mother-in-law wave her over.

“This is Haozhan’s wife. Can’t you see we have a guest? Why don’t you bring the child out to say hello?”

“Oh, by the way, Xiaoyu, I heard you got married abroad too and have a kid. How old now? Why didn’t you bring them over for me to meet?”

Su Xiaoyu’s expression stiffened almost visibly. Bai Yiyi didn’t quite understand her mother-in-law’s intentions but still nodded and went upstairs.

At that moment, Huo Haozhan also came downstairs and sat awkwardly on a single-seater sofa. Just as he was about to find an excuse to sneak away, he saw An’an being carried down.

It was obvious An’an had just woken up—he was still in his dinosaur onesie, rubbing at his eyes.

Once Bai Yiyi came downstairs, Huo Haozhan silently shifted seats to sit next to her.

An’an’s groggy, adorable look made Bai Yiyi smile. She couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss his cheek, and An’an gave a dazed little laugh, his expression showing a hint of bashfulness.

Huo Haozhan, moved by the moment, leaned in and snuck a kiss too when An’an wasn’t looking.

An’an’s smile froze.

He rubbed his eyes hard, and after confirming he hadn’t imagined it, his little mouth began to quiver. Tears welled up in his eyes.

After a sniffle, he buried his face in his mother’s arms. His soft whimpers echoed in everyone’s ears.