Chapter 105

Huo Haozhan and his family usually kept a low profile and rarely appeared in the public eye—a habit passed down from Grandma Huo.

Back then, the story of how she decisively divorced her husband during pregnancy, started from scratch, and eventually made it onto the rich list had stirred much attention when first revealed.

But Grandma Huo never liked people talking about that failed marriage. She refused interviews that brought up questions about her ex-husband, and she didn’t want anyone’s sympathy over what she’d gone through.

When Huo Haozhan later inherited his mother’s company, he also adopted her attitude in handling such matters.

He hadn’t had much exposure to online rumors before, so when he saw—with no evidence whatsoever—people attacking and slandering his wife with malicious words and even suspecting that An’an might be some rich man’s illegitimate child, he was furious.

If it weren’t for the fact that Huo Haozhan was in good health and exercised regularly, his heart might not have withstood the rage—he could’ve passed out from sheer anger.

Forcing himself to stay calm, he stepped outside to contact the PR department of Yiyi’s studio, asking them to clarify things through the studio’s official Weibo account. He also got in touch with the legal team at his own company, instructing them to start collecting evidence of all the malicious comments online and to prepare for a lawsuit.

He wasn’t interested in apologies or compensation—he just wanted to clear his wife and child’s name.

Once everything was set in motion, Huo Haozhan went downstairs to get a glass of water and took the chance to send a few messages in a small private group chat within their circle.

Soon, several wealthy second-generation heirs in L City—those known for their high-profile behavior and who had fans familiar with their backgrounds—started speaking out:

“Don’t wanna play by the rules? Go inherit your family business then.”

> No no no, I’m not married, not even engaged. Single, okay?
“Where to tonight?”

> Single and unmarried.
“Midnight Booze:”

> I admit I’ve got an ex, but fiancée or wife? Nope. Not claiming that.
These were all children of well-known local entrepreneurs. Most of them had elder siblings already lined up to take over the family business, leaving them free to idle around.

Coincidentally, most of them were in their twenties—the exact age range speculated in the rumors.

It turned out someone claiming to be an insider had deliberately spread false news that these rich and powerful individuals were either married or engaged, all with the goal of tarnishing Bai Yiyi’s reputation, piling on the slander by painting her as a homewrecker.

With so many wealthy second-gens publicly clearing up such a “trivial” matter online, people started sensing something big was going down.

Huo Haozhan didn’t go to the office that day. After finishing his water, he went back upstairs and quietly took Bai Yiyi’s phone away.

Until the situation was resolved, he didn’t want her seeing any of this news.

Bai Yiyi had a strange personality—she held onto others’ malice for a long time.

She wasn’t dependent on electronics, especially lately when she had been busy brainstorming new video topics and occasionally playing with An’an. Her free time was always fully occupied.

Seeing the two similar faces pressed together, happily playing a game of flight chess, made Huo Haozhan hate those rumor-mongers even more.

That afternoon, Grandma Huo called Huo Haozhan into the study. From her serious expression, he could guess she’d seen the online gossip.

“What do you plan to do about this?”

She asked as soon as she sat down. Huo Haozhan honestly laid out everything he’d done and planned to do.

She nodded in approval, a flicker of praise in her eyes. After everything he’d been through, her son had finally grown up a bit.

In the past, he might’ve just brushed it off recklessly, saying people could say whatever they wanted.

“Let the company’s legal and PR departments help find the person behind all this. Don’t let a single one off the hook.”

Grandma Huo despised baseless, malicious speculation. When she was a divorced woman starting her business with a child, she’d endured the same treatment.

Back then, she was still on the rise. Even if she had a good idea who was behind it, she couldn’t afford to handle it—any delays could’ve cost her valuable deals.

Now that Bai Yiyi was going through the same thing, Grandma Huo saw a chance to make up for that old regret.

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll take care of it.”

“Yesterday, An’an saw someone picking seashells on the beach in a cartoon and told me he wants to do that too. I know someone who owns a private island with great scenery. Take the family on a little vacation.”

“I’ll ask Yiyi about it later.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

Thinking about what had happened between them before, Grandma Huo felt it would be better for her to bring it up herself. Using An’an as an excuse, she figured Bai Yiyi wouldn’t refuse.

Downstairs, Bai Yiyi had already reached the end point in their game. An’an, pouting, flopped into her lap and wriggled around.

It used to be cute when he was little and curled up in her arms like a little caterpillar. But now that he’d grown, she wasn’t even sure she could still hold him properly.

“Alright, alright, one more game, okay?”

Bai Yiyi pinched his cheeks. They had agreed to only play once, but An’an’s silent caterpillar act clearly meant he was trying to wheedle another round. She saw right through his little scheme.

“Yay!”

An’an wriggled out of her arms and happily plopped down beside a stuffed toy. That’s when Grandma Huo came over and said:

“An’an, didn’t you tell Grandma you wanted to pick seashells on the beach?”

“Yes!”

An’an responded cheerfully, his eyes lighting up as he looked at Grandma, waiting for her to give the green light so he could launch into a string of flattery.

“Yiyi, since Haozhan isn’t too busy at work right now, why don’t you all go to the island for a vacation? The weather’s just right, and he can take An’an to pick seashells.”

A vacation? Bai Yiyi had never even considered such a thing.

Haozhan’s work was hectic, and An’an was still too young.

She had already mentally prepared herself to be tied down by her child for five or six years before she could think about living her own life. A holiday? That was a luxury she didn’t dare dream of.

But An’an had clearly picked up on the hint in Grandma’s words. Now that the decision was in Mommy’s hands, he quickly toddled back over, wrapped his arms around her neck, and gently swayed.

“Mommy, let’s go, please? An’an really wants to go.”

“Alright, alright. We’ll go.”

Because An’an was born prematurely, Bai Yiyi had always been especially doting on him. She simply couldn’t bear to say no to him.

With that settled, a nanny quickly came to help them pack. Grandma Huo even brought along two household assistants experienced in childcare to prevent Bai Yiyi and Huo Haozhan from getting overwhelmed in unfamiliar surroundings.

Everything was arranged swiftly, and on the third morning, they boarded the plane.

After takeoff, Huo Haozhan acted as if he had just remembered something and said apologetically:

“Yiyi, I think I forgot your phone. Maybe Mom can mail it over later?”

“Forget it. I don’t really need it anyway.”

On a family vacation with a kid, it was all about the experience. Even if she had her phone, Bai Yiyi would only use it to take photos. If anything else came up, she could just use Huo Haozhan’s phone.

Besides, asking Grandma to send it over would be a hassle.

Meanwhile, little An’an had closed his eyes and pretended to sleep. He didn’t know anything—except that, while sneaking around trying to bring along his hidden snacks before leaving, he’d seen Daddy take Mommy’s phone out of her bag.

When they arrived at the resort, the island villa’s butler had their luggage sent up to the room. After the boat ride, An’an’s little face had turned pale.

Even when faced with the beach he’d been dreaming of, An’an had no interest in running around. Curled up in his father’s arms, he was like an eggplant beaten by frost.

Seeing An’an’s reaction, the experienced housekeeper could more or less guess the reason.

A child raised inland taking their first boat trip often gets seasick—many children who came here as tourists had the same issue.

Usually, after a good night’s rest, those with strong constitutions would be back to normal the next day.

They arrived at the island in the afternoon, and since An’an wasn’t feeling well, he didn’t go out to play. Instead, they unpacked their luggage in the villa on the island.

By the time they were done, the sun was already setting. On the second floor of the villa, there was a large balcony. An’an sat gently swaying on the swing chair as the golden afterglow of the setting sun cast a layer of glittering light over the beach.

The villa wasn’t too close to the shore, so only the soft sound of waves could be heard. A breeze blew past, carrying the scent of the ocean.

After finishing up, Bai Yiyi and Huo Haozhan stepped out and saw An’an staring blankly toward the sea in the distance. They thought he was upset about not being able to play right away after arriving. Bai Yiyi walked over and gently ruffled his hair.

When his mom came over, An’an quickly shifted to the side, trying to make room for her.

But Huo Haozhan, completely oblivious, sat down in that very spot.

An’an frowned and shifted back toward his dad, then glanced at the now-tiny bit of free space—finally just plopped himself into his father’s lap.

Then he patted the wide open space next to him, gesturing for his mom to sit there.

As soon as Bai Yiyi sat down, An’an leaned his little head onto her shoulder.

Huo Haozhan pulled out his phone, planning to snap a picture to send to his mother.

An’an reacted immediately, flashing a peace sign with his little hand and revealing his tiny baby teeth in a smile.

“Oh, by the way, contact my studio and tell them to give everyone a week off.”

It was a rare chance to travel with An’an, and Bai Yiyi didn’t want to talk about work either—even though she was still in the midst of a career upswing.

She hadn’t received enough love from her parents growing up and didn’t want her child to go through the same thing.

“Got it. Leave it to me.”

The three of them sat on the swing chair watching the sunset, the atmosphere harmonious and full of warmth.

Online, the gossip surrounding the suddenly-viral influencer known as “An’an’s Mom” was starting to die down—until someone else emerged with claims that her private life was improper, even suggesting that no one really knew who the adorable An’an’s father was.

In her videos, “An’an’s Mom” mainly featured her child and delicious food. Fans who followed her were more drawn to An’an than to her herself.

Now, the rumors had even started to involve An’an. Many people were cutting together clips of his cute and funny appearances in her videos.

No one blamed the child—he was too young to understand anything—but it was a pity, they said, that he had a mother like her.

While Huo Haozhan and his little family were on vacation, company matters were temporarily handed over to his mother.

She had built the company from scratch and was intimately familiar with all its operations. She also took over handling the situation involving Bai Yiyi.

The studio’s official account was placed under her control.

All the evidence was preserved flawlessly. The official account released receipt after receipt, each one stamped with the public security bureau’s official seal in the bottom right corner.

This move pushed the public attention to a fever pitch. Those who had once spoken carelessly online were suddenly terrified, and even the ones who hadn’t said anything serious didn’t dare make another sound.

Even the companies behind the hired trolls were tracked down by Huo Haozhan’s mother, ensuring not a single one of them escaped accountability.

Such forceful action was bound to provoke backlash. Some people cried that their freedom of speech was being trampled, that they were merely expressing opinions, and the response was too harsh.

This opinion gained some traction—no one could guarantee they wouldn’t one day find themselves saying the wrong thing and becoming a target.

As for those random public criticisms, Huo Haozhan’s mother couldn’t care less. She treated them like hot air.

Of course people felt nothing when the knife hadn’t fallen on them. Easy to talk big when you’re not the one bleeding.

Once the cleanup was done, the studio’s official account posted the full, high-resolution photo from that day.

Huo Haozhan holding An’an, standing next to Bai Yiyi—they looked like a perfectly matched couple.

They also posted pictures of their marriage certificate and An’an’s birth certificate.

Just a simple family dinner outing had led to secretly taken photos combined with suggestive captions and online instigation that pushed Bai Yiyi to the top of trending topics under heavy criticism.

She had been unjustly humiliated, and even their child was called an illegitimate son—who could endure such slander?

After receiving confirmation from his mother that everything had been handled, Huo Haozhan requested access to the company’s official Weibo account and issued another clarification.

He also posted a few updates from his personal account, tearing into those who had accused Bai Yiyi of living promiscuously since high school—he didn’t hold back.

Then he posted a statement with the caption:

“How do I know she’s married and has a child? We studied together for half a year in high school and were college classmates. I know her better than any outsider.”

After that, he shared the post through the company’s official Weibo, shut off his phone, and went to retrieve the small bucket his son had asked for.

It was a private island, and tourists were few and far between, so the beach was rich in natural treasures. Every few meters, you could spot beautiful shells.

An’an had just started playing when he complained that Daddy hadn’t prepared buckets for him and Mommy to collect shells with—so Huo Haozhan had to walk back to fetch them.

On the beach, An’an gripped a little blue plastic shovel, digging earnestly for shells buried in the sand. His eyes sparkled with excitement.

Today he wore light blue overalls with a pale pink t-shirt underneath, and the overalls were decorated with adorable cartoon patterns.

Bai Yiyi, playing with him, wore a pure white dress that reached just below the knee, showing off her long, slender legs.

Her gentle and fresh features, combined with the sea breeze ruffling her dress, made the whole scene look like a painting.

Huo Haozhan approached, carrying a large bucket with two smaller ones inside. He couldn’t help snapping a picture of the moment from a distance.

When he got a new phone last time, he’d asked his assistant for the largest storage option—he didn’t want to run out of space for precious photos.

Anything that had to do with Yiyi and An’an, he couldn’t bring himself to delete. Every moment was a treasured memory.

His photography skills had improved dramatically over time, too.

He handed the smallest blue bucket to An’an, the medium pink one to Bai Yiyi, and carried the largest grey one himself.

Only An’an was genuinely interested in collecting shells—Bai Yiyi and Huo Haozhan were just there to accompany him.

Before long, An’an’s little bucket was already full. Without a second thought, he poured all the shells into his dad’s bucket, then politely said in his sweet little voice, “Thank you.”

Trash on the beach was picked up daily by island staff, so now only shells and small sea creatures remained.

“Waaah!!”

An’an’s frightened cry reached Bai Yiyi and Huo Haozhan’s ears. They rushed over, asking,

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

By then, An’an had recovered from the shock and reached out for his mom to carry him. Once she picked him up, he pointed at the shell he had just flung aside.

“Daddy, take it.”

Huo Haozhan walked over and picked it up—inside the shell was a tiny hermit crab, shrinking back as far as it could.

“It’s a hermit crab.”

“Wuu…”

An’an was still scared and asked his dad to take it farther away.

Once Dad had taken the hermit crab away and returned, An’an reached out again, wanting a hug.

Huo Haozhan loved holding his son in his arms. Anytime An’an reached out for a cuddle, he never refused—he would even give him a kiss once he was safely in his arms.

An’an, having been startled by the hermit crab, was still shaken. He didn’t dare dig for shells on his own anymore and clung to his father’s neck, becoming a little commander instead.

“Daddy, dig there!”

“Daddy, daddy.”

“Dig, dig, dig—dig hard!”

Holding his son with one arm and a shovel with the other, Huo Haozhan worked hard digging in the sand. Once he unearthed a shell and made sure there were no little critters hiding inside, he would hand it to An’an.

Bai Yiyi followed behind them, holding a bucket. Each time, An’an accurately tossed the shell into the bucket.

On their way home with half a bucket of shells, An’an suddenly had a burst of conscience and praised his dad:

“Wow, Daddy, you’re awesome! Love you, Daddy!”

Even someone as fit as Huo Haozhan was now sweating from his forehead and had sore arms. Hearing this praise from his son, he couldn’t help but smile, though he acted mock-annoyed:

“You little flatterer.”

An’an’s tiny eyebrows furrowed at once. He turned his head away with a soft snort, acting like he was about to cut ties on the spot.

“Okay, okay, don’t be mad. You’re not a little flatterer.”

An’an then reached up and pulled the cap off his dad’s head, putting it on his own. Thinking he looked super cool, he began bobbing his head around proudly.

At the villa, the chef had already prepared dinner. Most of the dishes were made from local, freshly caught seafood, simply processed and served straight to the table.

Not knowing An’an’s exact age, the chef played it safe and didn’t prepare any seafood for him, instead making a seafood porridge especially for the little one.

An’an held his spoon all on his own and ate quickly and cleanly without needing anyone to feed him.

After playing the entire day, An’an was sleepy by dinnertime—his eyelids were already battling each other at the table.

Afraid he’d fall asleep before bathing, Bai Yiyi quickly tossed him into the bathtub while he was still half-conscious. Once he was washed clean and changed into pajamas, she dropped him into bed.

No coaxing needed. The moment An’an’s head hit the pillow, he was out like a light.

As Bai Yiyi walked out the door, she saw Huo Haozhan waiting in the hallway. It wasn’t clear how long he’d been standing there.

“What is it? Is something wrong?”

All day long, Huo Haozhan had been looking at her with a strange expression. Bai Yiyi had a vague sense that he had something he wanted to say.

The rumors online had already been cleared up. Those who had maliciously attacked them had apologized and deleted their posts. It wouldn’t affect them anymore.

Once everything was settled, Huo Haozhan finally dared to bring it up.

“We were photographed when we went out to eat last time? Why would anyone want to take pictures of us?”

Bai Yiyi didn’t make the connection at first and didn’t understand what one thing had to do with the other.

“You’re quite popular now, and doing really well. There are always people who can’t stand it and want to smear you.”

“It’s because of me?”

If Huo Haozhan hadn’t said that, Bai Yiyi would have assumed it was because of his identity.

After setting up her studio, Bai Yiyi only needed to prepare content. Publishing videos and managing their performance was handled by staff, so she didn’t have a clear sense of how famous she currently was.

“Mhm. You’re honestly really popular now.”

Huo Haozhan pulled out his phone and opened her profile page so she could see her follower count for herself.

“Wow, that many?”

It was all in the past now. Bai Yiyi at most found it surprising, but it didn’t leave a deep impression. She might forget about it by tomorrow.

“So you left my phone at home on purpose?”

“Yeah. I was worried seeing what people were saying would upset you.”

Bai Yiyi hadn’t seen the posts herself, but she could more or less guess. One of her strengths was that she had a clear understanding of her own temperament—and she took good advice when she heard it.

“Then I won’t bother paying attention to this anymore. What should we do with An’an tomorrow? He said he wants to build a castle on the beach with Daddy.”

“Come on, let’s go watch some tutorial videos so we don’t embarrass ourselves in front of him.”

Once the online drama settled down, fans of “An’an’s Mom” couldn’t help but wonder what was going on. The account had stopped updating, unlike before when new content came every three days.

Many people were worried that the incident had discouraged her and made her give up.

Some even traced the account back to “How Did You Know I’m Married with a Kid,” shocked to find out that a man who frequently appeared on financial news channels would use such a username in private.

But when they thought about the gentle and beautiful An’an’s mom, and the adorable, well-behaved An’an, they couldn’t blame him. They’d want to brag too.

【Hi, An’an’s Dad! Why haven’t you been posting? Is it because of what happened recently?】

【Wuwu, An’an, my An’an! How am I supposed to live without you?】

【Hi, An’an’s Dad, I’m having An’an withdrawal. Please mail him over so I can get a fix.】

【No updates… I feel like I’ve lost the will to live.】

【Who was it that spread those lies and caused all this misunderstanding? I swear, I just wanted to enjoy a cooking vlogger—how did it end up like this?!】

【Wuwu, I’m willing to give up 20 years of those rumor-mongers’ lives to bring An’an’s mom back. What am I supposed to do if I can’t see the son I’m raising in the cloud anymore?】

So many people were asking, and Bai Yiyi clearly didn’t intend to give up her career because of this, so Huo Haozhan decided to respond.

He pulled out his phone, selected a few photos, and posted them.

How Did You Know I’m Married with a Kid: Not quitting the internet—just traveling with An’an. We’ll resume updates when we get back.

After posting the photos, he even uploaded some fun videos he’d taken earlier.

The star of the video was An’an. After a few encounters, he was no longer scared of hermit crabs—he was even curious enough to approach them occasionally.

In the video, An’an was holding a hermit crab, staring into the camera with wide eyes, asking:

“Daddy, why do hermit crabs live in shells?”

“Because that’s their home.”

“Then why don’t you live in a shell, Daddy?”

“Oh, because shells aren’t Daddy’s home. But can Daddy visit?”

As he spoke, An’an pointed at the hermit crab. The moment he turned to look at his dad, the crab reached out with its claw and pinched his finger—making him cry loudly on the spot.

From the video, it was clear that both An’an and Bai Yiyi were in great spirits—completely unaffected by the earlier incident.

Huo Haozhan also shared some scenic photos from the island where they were vacationing, especially of the sunsets, which were truly breathtaking.

They stayed there for about half a month before returning home. When it was time to leave, An’an was reluctant and only calmed down after pinky-promising with Dad that they’d come back when they had time.

After resting at home for a day, Bai Yiyi resumed work, preparing to record new content. Just as she was about to begin, she received a suggestion from her studio team.

They said that since she’d been on break for a while, she might as well do a livestream—focused on cooking. She wouldn’t need to interact with viewers too much, which made it beginner-friendly for someone like her.

After thinking it over, Bai Yiyi asked an assistant to help out.

An’an also trotted over excitedly to join the fun. Lately, his speech had become more fluent, and the adorable things he said were always amusing.

Bai Yiyi was a very gentle mother who knew how to affirm her child. Every time An’an asked a question, she always gave a thoughtful and satisfying answer.

Huo Haozhan left early in the morning for work, saying he’d be back for lunch. So that morning, Bai Yiyi planned to make crayfish, a dish both he and her mother-in-law loved.

She even specifically consulted the doctor who regularly examined An’an, and was told that eating a small amount of crayfish wouldn’t affect his health—as long as it wasn’t prepared to suit adult tastes.

Crayfish cooked for adults is usually too spicy for children, which could irritate their stomachs and cause pain.

The housekeeper had bought a batch of very fresh crayfish. When they were all dumped into the sink, they started scrambling everywhere.

As Bai Yiyi cleaned the crayfish, An’an stood beside her on tiptoe to watch. Maybe because of what happened before, he still had a lingering fear—his little hands were clasped neatly behind his back the whole time.

Bai Yiyi was skilled at preparing ingredients and moved efficiently, fully focused on the task at hand. Although the livestream was on, she had no intention of reading or replying to the comments.

Since getting married, Bai Yiyi had stayed at home. She had few friends and wasn’t good at socializing—she was, to put it simply, a bit socially anxious.

【Waaah, finally I get to see my baby boy again, I missed him so much!!】

【Finally, a livestream! Sending a big rocket for my boy!】

【If I send a big rocket, can An’an say “thank you, Auntie”?】

【Come on, she’s An’an’s mom—it’s totally normal for her to have a team helping with livestreams. Stop nitpicking! Honestly, we don’t care.】

【What? She has a team? That just makes me happier! They can film my boy looking even cuter, heehee.】

【Is her assistant there during the livestream? Can An’an say thank you to Auntie? I’ve already sent three rockets!!】

Even though Bai Yiyi didn’t plan to look at the comments, there was an assistant monitoring them. Seeing those high-value comments highlighted in flashy bubbles, she thought for a moment, then called An’an over.

“Huh?”

The assistant happened to be positioned right by the camera, so when An’an suddenly appeared up close, it got the viewers all excited.

The rocket was the most expensive gift on that short video platform—each one worth 5,200 yuan in real money.

“An’an, an Auntie sent you a gift. Do you want to say thank you?”

An’an stood there picking at his fingers for a bit, then smiled and revealed his tiny new teeth. In his soft little voice, he said:

“Thank you, Sister, for the gift to An’an. Love you!”

After saying that, he even blew a kiss to the camera.

Task complete, he went right back to watching his mom handle the crayfish.

It was the first time An’an had seen crayfish. He found them fascinating. When he got tired of standing, he leaned on the counter, curiously asking:

“Mama, if the crayfish is here, will its mama cry?”

Kids are naturally compassionate and empathetic, so this kind of question wasn’t surprising. Bai Yiyi thought carefully for a moment before replying:

“No, sweetie. Its mama and papa are both right here.”

“What about grandma?”

“Grandma’s here too.”