Chapter 106

Upon hearing that his mother planned to eat the whole family of crayfish, An An shrank back, nervously picking at his fingers, feeling that this might not be entirely right.

But then he remembered the pictures his mother had shown him of the cooked crayfish, and he couldn’t help but swallow a bit of drool, forcing himself to turn his head away.

So tragic. He would strive to let this family of four reunite in his stomach, sob sob.

When Bai Yiyi was preparing the crayfish, An An didn’t get too close. His mother had previously shown him pictures of oil burns and had drawn a line on the kitchen floor.

No matter how curious An An was, he would never cross that line, at most standing on tiptoe to peek.

【How did I not notice before that their family conditions aren’t ordinary?】

【I was too focused on An An before. Now that I look closely, An An and his mother’s clothes are all designer brands!】

【Did you see the little apron An An is wearing? I just looked it up, and a single apron costs six thousand yuan.】

【And the hair tie An An’s mom uses, if I’m not mistaken, it’s a gift from L brand for spending over five million a year.】

Once someone brought up this topic, netizens turned into Sherlock Holmes, eager to identify every brand of clothing they were wearing.

【Oh my, I’ve been virtually raising a little young master!】

【An An’s mom is really gentle. No matter what happens, I’ve never seen her lose her temper.】

【In the fifth video, there’s a scene where An An accidentally breaks a milk cup. An An’s mom handled it so well.】

【Turns out breaking things doesn’t have to result in scolding. Turns out you can have the right to dislike certain foods. Turns out you don’t have to be forced to eat something just because it’s nutritious.】

【As a mom, I’ve learned a lot from watching An An’s mom’s videos. My daughter isn’t as rebellious as she used to be. It really shows that parenting methods are important.】

Initially, people focused on how luxurious and expensive their items were, but gradually, more attention shifted to the content of the videos.

After Bai Yiyi finished preparing lunch, she checked the time and moved in front of the camera, holding An An’s little hand to say goodbye to the fans.

“Alright, it’s time for us to eat. An An, come say goodbye.”

“Goodbye, sisters. Love you all~”

Even before the livestream ended, An An eagerly dashed outside, clearly an impatient little foodie.

Bai Yiyi’s livestream had a lot of online fans and received many gifts. The previous incident’s popularity also attracted many curious onlookers.

The content of the livestream was very pleasant, and with Bai Yiyi’s gentle beauty and An An’s adorable nature, many people followed them just like that.

That unexpected incident didn’t have any negative impact on them; instead, it brought them more traffic, which Bai Yiyi skillfully converted into her fans.

Huo Haozhan and Mother Huo returned together. He had taken his wife and son on a trip for over half a month, but now Mother Huo needed to hand over some company matters to him.

When Huo Haozhan first joined the company, it was Mother Huo who guided him. Now, with some advice on the projects he was about to undertake, Huo Haozhan felt he gained a lot.

As soon as they entered, they were greeted by the aroma of food, and An An ran over to help them with their shoes.

“Thank you, Grandma.”

The fatigue from Mother Huo’s morning work seemed to vanish upon hearing her little grandson’s considerate words.

Huo Haozhan, feeling left out, cleared his throat, successfully drawing his son’s attention to himself.

An An glanced at his father in a suit, then quickly turned his gaze back to his grandmother, reaching out his hands.

“Daddy worked hard too.”

After casually acknowledging his father, An An shyly kissed his grandmother’s cheek, covering his face with his hands when he noticed her looking.

Both Mother Huo and Huo Haozhan enjoyed eating crayfish, and today Bai Yiyi prepared several flavors for them to indulge in.

Trying this food for the first time, little An An curiously picked up a crayfish, wanting to take a bite.

Unfortunately, he bit into a hard claw, which nudged his newly grown teeth.

An An quickly tossed the crayfish he bit into his father’s plate and shrank back.

Clearly, he had lost interest in this food and seemed a bit scared.

After Bai Yiyi set the table, she saw his reaction and smiled helplessly, reminding him:

“This is the shell. You have to peel it off before eating.”

An An nodded, half-understanding. Bai Yiyi peeled a crayfish beside him, dipped it in some sauce, and fed it to An An.

After tasting it, An An’s eyes lit up with surprise.

“Hmm?”

“Is it good?”

“Mm-hmm, it’s delicious.”

Seeing how tedious it was for his mother to peel the crayfish, An An waved at his father, chanting:

“Daddy, want Daddy.”

Having just taken off his suit jacket, Huo Haozhan looked helpless. He washed his hands and sat beside An An, starting to peel the crayfish for him.

After spending so much time together, if he still couldn’t understand what this little ancestor wanted, he’d be a fool.

Only when faced with more challenging tasks did An An know to call for Daddy.

Although it was a bit tiring, at least he could bond with little An An. Huo Haozhan was more than willing to serve this little ancestor.

To avoid putting too much strain on his stomach, Bai Yiyi only prepared a few crayfish for him, along with a bowl of steamed egg custard.

After finishing the crayfish, An An started eating the egg custard, mumbling a thank you with his mouth full.

“You’re welcome.”

Since Mother Huo didn’t plan to join them in the afternoon, but still had some unfinished business at the company, they discussed work matters at the table.

After eating, a housekeeper came to clean up the table and kitchen, while Bai Yiyi took An An upstairs for a nap.

The online buzz had gradually died down, but a week later, someone suddenly started spreading rumors online.

Claiming to be a childhood friend of Huo Haozhan, the person couldn’t bear to see so many people being deceived by their “couple goals” and decided to expose them.

They weren’t the fairy tale prince and princess but rather a malicious third party intruding on someone else’s relationship.

Huo Haozhan supposedly had a Childhood Sweetheart he grew up with. Their relationship was very good, and the Childhood Sweetheart often stayed at the Huo Family’s house. Huo Haozhan’s mother even joked about making her her daughter-in-law.

Everyone around them thought they would be together after high school graduation, but Bai Yiyi allegedly swooped in, framing the Childhood Sweetheart with a domestic abuser.

Later, Bai Yiyi successfully married Huo Haozhan, while the Childhood Sweetheart, due to pregnancy, was tied to the abuser.

To make their story more convincing, the whistleblower also revealed another shocking claim.

The lively and adorable An An, in reality, had become mentally challenged due to a high fever!

Their couple fans, upon seeing this revelation, and recalling how they had supported such a couple, quickly turned against them.

【Oh my god, this is a huge scandal!】

【No way, An An seems so smart. How could he be mentally challenged? I’m almost crying. I refuse to believe he’s a fool.】

【My poor son, hurry up and start another stream, and I’ll send you more rockets. Go get treated in the hospital.】

【I always felt something was off when people praised An An’s mom for being gentle. Now it seems she’s just a white lotus, right?】

【This is hilarious. How will they clarify this time? Are they going to say it’s all fake and there’s no Childhood Sweetheart?】

【So disgusting. How can they have the nerve to flaunt their love? I feel sorry for the Childhood Sweetheart. What did she do to deserve being tied to such a repulsive man?】

The previous incident hadn’t completely died down, and their aggressive handling of it left many dissatisfied. Now, with this new scandal, many were eager to jump in and stir the pot.

Initially, it was all speculation, but with Su Xiaoyu stepping forward and making ambiguous statements, public opinion completely shifted to her side.

While handling work in his office, Huo Haozhan was interrupted by his assistant, who rushed in without knocking.

“Mr. Huo, something’s wrong. There’s been an incident.”

“What happened?”

After the assistant explained the online situation, Huo Haozhan’s face darkened instantly. He took out his phone to browse the details.

The attacks were even more intense than last time, and no one doubted their validity.

Several people claiming to be their former classmates also came forward, confirming that Huo Haozhan did have a Childhood Sweetheart who was always with him, and their mothers were quite close.

Many netizens loved the childhood sweetheart trope, and there was even a trending topic about why childhood sweethearts lose to sudden arrivals, gaining significant traction.

All these factors combined pushed the topic to the top of the trending page.

Many netizens were betting on when the issue would be suppressed, given that one of the main figures was the current CEO of the Huo Group.

After reading everything, Huo Haozhan’s first concern was whether Yiyi had seen it. Just as he was about to call home, he noticed a new notification on his phone.

【Internet celebrity ‘An An’s Mom’ starts livestream to respond】

Without hesitation, Huo Haozhan clicked in, and there was Bai Yiyi on a video platform, starting a livestream.

The screen was filled with scrolling comments, all asking about the incident, with many hurling vicious curses, saying mistresses should die.

Bai Yiyi sat on a chair, holding a phone, showing the content of the livestream on the screen.

“There was no issue of intruding on someone else’s relationship. When Huo Zhan and I got together, we were both single.”

“Evidence? Shouldn’t you first provide evidence that we weren’t single at that time?”

“My mother-in-law did make such comments, but that was when they were three or four years old.”

“I framed her with a domestic abuser? No, I wasn’t even in the city at that time. If there’s any evidence proving it was me, please go ahead and sue me.”

“Is An An mentally challenged?”

An An, who had been playing on the other side, ran over with his little car, trying to squeeze into his mother’s arms, wrapping his arms around her neck, and seriously refuting:

“Not a fool, An An is smart!”

Bai Yiyi hugged An An, a gentle smile on her lips, and replied:

“Yes, not a fool.”

After answering, she signaled to the nanny standing by to take An An away.

Some things weren’t suitable for a child to hear.

After An An left, Bai Yiyi’s expression turned cold. Usually gentle and good-tempered, she couldn’t control her anger after being repeatedly slandered.

“I hope this kind of baseless rumor won’t happen again. Speaking with evidence is more convincing.”

“To the person claiming to be Huo Zhan’s friend, prepare to receive a court summons.”

After a brief clarification on the livestream platform, the Huo Family’s legal department got to work.

Those who thought there was no problem this time and dared to speak so confidently were shocked by their swift actions.

They thought it was just talk, but it turned out to be a real lawsuit?

What truly frightened these people wasn’t just the lawsuit itself; the Huo Family wasn’t short on money, and the lawsuit wasn’t about seeking financial compensation or a public apology. Their goal was to send them in.

If they couldn’t be sent in, they’d at least be detained for a few days, making sure they wouldn’t have an easy time.

Some things Bai Yiyi could only clarify, but Huo Haozhan, who was very keen on preserving their records, could provide evidence with dates.

It was true they were childhood sweethearts, but that applied to all the kids in their circle of similar age.

From kindergarten through high school, they attended the best schools arranged by their parents.

If there was any relationship, it was among a dozen kids. What kind of relationship could there be?

They indeed grew up together, but there was no ambiguity at all.

Huo Haozhan had previously tolerated Su Xiaoyu repeatedly, mostly out of respect for his mother’s relationship with Su Xiaoyu’s mother.

He had heard his mother mention many times how, during her entrepreneurial days, when everyone doubted her, only Su Xiaoyu’s mother was willing to lend her a start-up fund and introduce her to many contacts.

But this time, with Su Xiaoyu actively involved in this farce, claiming she no longer cared about the past, the labels of “mistress” and “scumbag” were firmly pinned on Bai Yiyi and Huo Haozhan.

Many people attacked Bai Yiyi for using such methods to ruin a girl’s life, calling her vicious.

If it weren’t for her appearance, things wouldn’t have escalated this far.

Huo Haozhan initially wanted to apologize to his mother, as the bond between the elders had been almost entirely eroded by Su Xiaoyu’s actions.

This time, he couldn’t let Su Xiaoyu off like before. If he didn’t retaliate, he’d start questioning if there was something unspeakable between him and Su Xiaoyu.

Before he could make the call, Aunt Su’s call came in first.

“Haozhan, are you busy right now?”

Given what Su Xiaoyu had done, it was hard for Huo Haozhan not to hold her family accountable. He let out a cold laugh before replying:

“Auntie, how could I be busy? I’m just dealing with the issue of Xiaoyu calling my wife a mistress.”

Even when faced with such direct confrontation, Aunt Su’s tone and attitude remained unchanged as she continued:

“Xiaoyu was wrong in that matter. Can we meet and discuss this properly?”

Aunt Su’s relationship with her husband wasn’t good either. It had been fine in the early years, but as they aged, her husband started having affairs and raising illegitimate children.

Fortunately, when the business was first established, the majority of the shares and assets were placed under Aunt Su’s name. She is the true power holder of the Su family.

“If you’re here to plead, let’s not waste our time.”

“No, don’t worry. I just want to discuss compensation with you.”

“Address.”

Huo Haozhan wasn’t interested in any other form of compensation. He wanted Su Xiaoyu to personally come forward, explain the truth, and apologize to him and Yiyi.

Aunt Su chose a teahouse. As soon as Huo Haozhan stepped inside, a server greeted him and led him to a private room on the second floor.

Upon entering, he realized Aunt Su had already been waiting for an unknown amount of time.

After he sat down, Aunt Su took a few sheets of white paper from her bag and handed them to him.

With just a glance, Huo Haozhan saw it was a psychiatric evaluation report. At the top, the patient’s name was Su Xiaoyu, and the diagnosis indicated she had a severe mental illness.

In the past, Huo Haozhan might have expressed some sympathy, but now he was just trying not to be sarcastic.

What was the purpose of showing him a psychiatric evaluation? To help Su Xiaoyu escape legal consequences?

“Haozhan, Auntie knows what Xiaoyu did was too much. It’s my fault for not teaching her well. But I still hope you won’t press charges against her, okay?”

Not only did Su Xiaoyu frequently visit the Huo family, but in Huo Haozhan’s memory, he often went to the Su family to play when he was young, and Aunt Su would take care of him when his mother was on business trips.

But now, he couldn’t bring himself to give Su Xiaoyu another chance after all the excessive things she had done.

After all, Huo Haozhan didn’t want his wife to lose faith in him.

Aunt Su had once taken care of him, but that couldn’t compare to the importance of a lifelong partner.

“I will publicly announce Xiaoyu’s mental illness online, clarify those matters as her mother, and restore your reputation.”

“Also, I plan to take Xiaoyu abroad for treatment. I’m considering selling the shares and real estate of the domestic company.”

“If you’re interested, I’ll sell them to you at fifty percent of the market price and help you take over smoothly.”

“I will also bring Xiaoyu to apologize to you and your family.”

“From now on, she will no longer disturb your lives.”

After saying all this, Aunt Su felt a bit thirsty. She took a sip of tea from the table to moisten her throat before continuing:

“I have no ill intentions. I’m just asking you, as a mother, to give my child another chance.”

The Su family’s industry was on par with the Huo family, providing key components for the Huo family’s main products. The two families had collaborated extensively before.

Aunt Su’s offer of fifty percent was worth billions, a temptation no businessman could easily resist.

Regaining his composure from his initial anger, Huo Haozhan considered the benefits and softened his tone.

“Mental illness? How come I never heard of this before? Aunt Su, to be honest, my son almost ended up with severe burns, and it was related to Miss Su.”

Sensing the change in his tone, Aunt Su’s strong facade crumbled, her shoulders slumped, and she seemed to age instantly, a bitter smile on her lips as she replied:

“It’s my fault for not raising her well. I’m not a qualified mother.”

The hospital confirmed that her mental state had been deteriorating for a long time, yet she never noticed.

She simply thought her child’s personality had changed drastically as she grew older.

“I just hope to quickly sell my assets, convert them to cash, and take Xiaoyu abroad for treatment.”

“I know this puts you in a difficult position. You have three days to discuss it with your wife.”

“If you think this isn’t enough… I can go down to forty percent.”

Even ten percent of the market value was substantial, and her concession was significant, but still, Huo Haozhan didn’t immediately agree.

After all, his initial intention was to send Su Xiaoyu directly to prison.

With little interest in staying at the office to work, Huo Haozhan decided to head home.

At home, Bai Yiyi was drawing with An An, seemingly unaffected by the previous incident.

Bai Yiyi’s ability to respond via live stream had already surprised Huo Haozhan. He always thought of her as a little white rabbit needing protection, but now she seemed capable of standing on her own.

“What is An An drawing?”

When he was just a few steps away, Huo Haozhan asked.

“Drawing Daddy!”

Hearing this, Huo Haozhan’s interest piqued instantly, and he hurried over to take a look.

But when he saw a man with only three strands of hair on his head drawn on the paper, his smile froze.

After Bai Yiyi finished the drawing with An An, she noticed that Huo Haozhan had something to discuss, so she asked the nanny to take An An upstairs to play.

“What’s wrong?”

Huo Haozhan recounted everything Aunt Su had said today. After listening, Bai Yiyi felt a complex mix of emotions.

After everything that had happened, she could clearly feel that their relationship was no longer as strong as it once was.

Bai Yiyi’s personality had gradually changed. She no longer put everything on hold for Huo Haozhan and wasn’t willing to compromise her own will.

However, she couldn’t bear to see her mother-in-law in a difficult position.

Her mother-in-law played a significant role in her personality change, patiently teaching her how to handle things, and Bai Yiyi remembered these lessons well.

So now, Bai Yiyi didn’t want to use her mother-in-law’s teachings to hurt her mother-in-law’s friend.

“Is half the market price a lot?”

When Huo Haozhan mentioned a rough figure, Bai Yiyi was stunned. It was more money than she could earn in a lifetime.

“If you don’t want to accept the settlement, we won’t. I’ve already had the lawyer gather enough evidence to send her to prison.”

Money was important, but for the somewhat romantic-minded Huo Haozhan, his wife and child were more important. He could always earn more money in the future.

“But that’s billions.”

Bai Yiyi instinctively retorted, even suspecting something might be wrong with Huo Haozhan.

“If you’re willing to accept the settlement, consider that money as compensation for your emotional distress. During the transfer process, everything will be in your name, and I’ll manage it for you.”

From any perspective, Bai Yiyi seemed to have no reason to refuse, given how much Aunt Su was offering.

“Okay.”

After deciding to accept, Bai Yiyi felt a weight lifted from her shoulders.

Agreeing to the settlement seemed beneficial for everyone.

“No need for an apology, just a clear explanation will do. I don’t want to see her.”

“That works.”

Soon, Mother Huo also learned of the news. Hearing that Su Xiaoyu had a mental illness, she remained silent for a long time.

Previously, she only thought Xiaoyu’s personality was too extreme and her methods were not straightforward, never considering she might have a mental illness.

Knowing this, many past events suddenly made sense.

Her good friend decided to sell all her assets to take her daughter abroad for treatment, which shocked Mother Huo. After finishing a cup of herbal tea, she held Bai Yiyi’s hand and said softly:

“You’ve been through a lot.”

It was clear to Mother Huo that Bai Yiyi’s willingness to compromise had its reasons.

Understanding this made her feel even more touched.

“It’s not a hardship, Mom. I’m actually quite happy to suddenly have such a large sum of money.”

“Our family has even more.”

The Su family’s early assets were under Aunt Su’s name, but later ones were joint marital property, leaving little after division.

The Huo family was different. Mother Huo had built it after her divorce, with no ties to her ex-husband.

Mother Huo was deeply moved. From the start, when Huo Haozhan introduced her to his wife, she could see Bai Yiyi was a simple and stubborn child, easily satisfied.

Now, saying she was tempted by the money was just to ease her guilt.

The friend who spread rumors online was also found by Huo Haozhan. It was Xiao Gu.

When he casually wished Xiao Gu and Su Xiaoyu a happy future, it turned out to be true. He had secretly loved Su Xiaoyu for years without confessing.

Later, during one of Su Xiaoyu’s episodes, she asked Xiao Gu to help spread rumors. Despite knowing the content was full of holes, he agreed.

While Su Xiaoyu was spared due to Aunt Su, there was no need to be lenient with Xiao Gu.

After spreading such rumors, Huo Haozhan felt their childhood friendship was over. With no comparable company, under his deliberate targeting, the Gu family soon filed for bankruptcy.

Huo Haozhan kept his promise. As Aunt Su prepared the transfer procedures, everything was put in Bai Yiyi’s name.

With a bit of a romantic streak, Huo Haozhan constantly took measures to prevent himself from straying, even fearing he might bully Bai Yiyi in the future. Like a hamster, he stored things for her.

Ensuring that even without him, she could still live well.

Mother Huo had already changed her view of Bai Yiyi, and after this incident, she treated Bai Yiyi as her own daughter.

A strong woman who had built the Huo family from scratch, she joined Bai Yiyi’s studio, starting her second entrepreneurial journey.

Before leaving the country, Aunt Su fulfilled her promise by posting the psychiatric evaluation on Su Xiaoyu’s former account.

Then, as Su Xiaoyu’s mother and a friend of Mother Huo, she clarified everything online, restoring their innocence.

Aunt Su still cherished her years-long friendship with Mother Huo, and since she was about to take Xiaoyu abroad, likely never to return, she candidly explained all of Xiaoyu’s past mistakes.

Having relations with an abusive man was because she originally wanted Huo Haozhan.

There was no interference in relationships; they had never been together.

Aunt Su wasn’t shy about mentioning her daughter’s past mistakes, even after making so many concessions and compensations, she still felt guilty towards her friend.

After handling everything, Aunt Su took Su Xiaoyu abroad.

And there was Nian Nian, the child bullied into mild autism. Aunt Su knew she was getting older, and with a mentally ill daughter to care for, she couldn’t manage such a large child.

So she found a good family, a couple in their thirties without children, who had always wanted to adopt.

Before leaving, Aunt Su gave Nian Nian’s adoptive parents a million, hoping they would raise him well, and left him a billion, accessible only when he turned eighteen.

Xiao An’an, pretending to read seriously, was puzzled. The system uncle had told him something different. As he was pondering, the system appeared to clarify.

“Su Xiaoyu is an ordinary human; her brain can’t handle the pressure of memories from three lifetimes.”

Experiencing too much isn’t good for ordinary people, often resulting in cases like Su Xiaoyu’s, becoming a mental illness patient.

“Oh.”

An An shrank back a bit, scared, and silently turned a page in his picture book.

He made a firm decision in his heart: he must not become mentally ill! That aunt looked way too scary, boo.

Mother Huo had just finished handling matters in the studio and was about to go downstairs to arrange flowers and relax. The nanny had already prepared the materials.

Upon coming down, she saw the little one sitting on the carpet, reading seriously. She walked over and curiously asked:

“An An, what did Daddy tell you last night?”

Still mulling over that matter and not quite catching on, An An instinctively replied:

“Not to become mentally ill, wah.”