Chapter 107

Mother Huo gently rubbed his head to comfort him, assuring him that her little grandson could never become mentally ill. She then called the nanny to take An An away to look at some picture books.

Xiao An’an, who was happily playing with his toys, was a bit puzzled but didn’t go against his grandmother’s arrangement. He even waved goodbye to her.

The system didn’t remind the little one that his grandmother had misunderstood the situation. Instead, it was pleased with the outcome. In the original plot, Huo Haozhan’s handling of the situation was one of the major reasons for the tragic ending.

It’s reasonable for the little one to occasionally cause trouble for his father.

As soon as Huo Haozhan arrived home, he saw his mother standing at the door with a cold expression. His mind began racing, trying to figure out what he might have done wrong recently.

Before he could pinpoint any mistakes, Mother Huo had already instructed him to follow her upstairs.

Since childhood, Huo Haozhan knew that whenever his mother took him to the study, it meant he was in for a serious scolding in private.

Not daring to refuse, he silently followed his mother upstairs.

As soon as they entered the study, Huo Haozhan was met with a barrage of reprimands. Even though he didn’t understand what he had done wrong, he didn’t dare to talk back.

When Mother Huo finally paused to catch her breath, Huo Haozhan mustered the courage to ask, “Mom, what did I do wrong this time?”

His voice was weak, lacking any confidence.

“The matter with Xiaoyu, it’s one thing to tell Yiyi, but why did you say so much to An An?”

Just thinking about how An An had innocently told her he didn’t want to become mentally ill made Mother Huo furious. How could her son joke about such things?

Huo Haozhan couldn’t remember ever mentioning it to An An, but since it seemed unlikely to be anyone else, he simply lowered his head and accepted the scolding.

After the reprimand, Huo Haozhan felt a bit guilty towards his son, realizing he shouldn’t have talked about such things with him.

He asked where An An was and found out he was in the study reading. He went over to take the nanny’s place, holding An An in his arms as they looked at picture books together.

When An An was transferred to his father’s embrace, he just adjusted his position to sit more comfortably, leaning against his dad as if his arms were a chair.

Bai Yiyi’s work had recently become very busy, no longer just about shooting material.

With Mother Huo joining the studio, the once powerful woman who founded the Huo Group wasn’t satisfied with just a small influencer business. She created a food brand for Bai Yiyi.

Most of the products were items Bai Yiyi had made on her livestreams. Fans who previously could only drool over the screen were thrilled to learn they could now taste the food themselves, eagerly asking when it would be available for purchase.

The cooperative factory was personally negotiated by Mother Huo. With the Huo Group as a backing and her personal oversight, she ensured that the recipes would be faithfully reproduced.

The brand focused on all-natural health, with minimal preservatives and a short shelf life.

Initially, Bai Yiyi was worried this might affect sales, but the first batch sold out immediately upon release.

Having built her empire from scratch, Mother Huo was used to personally inspecting everything, big or small, before feeling assured.

Times were changing, and fewer people were concerned about shelf life, focusing more on healthy eating.

Using the lack of additives as an excuse to shorten the shelf life only garnered more consumer favor.

Moreover, they weren’t engaging in false advertising.

After successfully establishing a personal brand, both Bai Yiyi and Mother Huo became extremely busy. Even when they finished work and returned home, they were too exhausted to do much else.

Xiao An’an adapted well to this, with the nanny playing many games with him and allowing him to chat with the big turtle every day.

However, in the domestic setting, there’s a certain grievance when parents think you’re being wronged.

Mother Huo, having just started developing with Bai Yiyi, certainly couldn’t let them shift their focus back to family, undoing all their hard work.

But Huo Haozhan had been managing the company for many years and was already familiar with it, so there wasn’t much he needed to handle daily.

Thinking about his spacious office, he had his assistant hire an experienced childcare assistant and renovated his office.

After spending about a month arranging everything, one morning, while An An was still snugly asleep in bed, he was moved, bed and all, to the company.

When An An woke up, he squinted, sensing that the light seemed off. He sat up abruptly.

Looking around, he found the environment increasingly unfamiliar, and his mind began racing to figure out what was happening.

Before An An could start crying, he heard a very familiar voice nearby.

“An An.”

“Huh?”

Tears welled up in his eyes but were held back when he saw his dad, reaching out for a hug.

In work mode, Huo Haozhan wore a well-tailored black suit, looking both abstinent and aloof. He walked over and skillfully lifted An An from the crib.

“Why did you sleep in so late today, little lazybones?”

Even though Xiao An’an was in an unfamiliar place and his dad teased him, he didn’t throw a tantrum out of fear. Instead, he snuggled closer to his dad.

“Daddy…”

“Mm.”

The childcare assistant responsible for An An brought over food that had been kept warm: a bowl of lean meat porridge, two steamed dumplings, and a small bun.

An An leaned against his dad, staring out the large floor-to-ceiling window in a daze.

The system hadn’t fully buffered yet after starting up so quickly.

The aroma of the food successfully caught An An’s attention. After a glance, he leaned closer to his dad, looking up with eager eyes.

His big, watery eyes seemed to say ‘hungry’ on the left and ‘food’ on the right.

Huo Haozhan picked up the bowl of porridge, while the assistant helped An An wash his small hands, letting him hold the bun himself.

After eating, the assistant brought over some formula. An An, holding the bottle, sat more upright on his dad’s lap.

“Where’s mommy?”

“Mommy and grandma are both at work.”

“What about daddy?”

“Daddy has less work and can bring An An along.”

“Oh.”

An An nodded, half-understanding, and wriggled out of Huo Haozhan’s arms, pretending to be generous:

“Then daddy, you go work. I’ll be good.”

After saying this, he didn’t wait for a response and scurried over to the carpet filled with toys, eager to play, leaving Huo Haozhan shaking his head helplessly.

Clearly, An An wanted to play with the toys, but he shifted all the responsibility onto his dad.

The office had been under renovation for a month. Since money wasn’t an issue for Huo Haozhan, and he feared An An might get bored in a new environment, he had his assistant buy all the latest toys on the market.

After all, An An was the family’s precious little treasure. If he wasn’t happy here, Huo Haozhan would definitely get a scolding at home.

There were toys at home, but An An had grown tired of them. Seeing so many new ones here, he couldn’t contain his excitement.

An An could play quietly by himself, while Huo Haozhan sat processing work, occasionally updating his mom and Yiyi in the family chat that An An had woken up without fuss.

When Huo Haozhan first suggested bringing An An to the office, both Mother Huo and Bai Yiyi were skeptical.

After all, the impression Huo Haozhan had left on them was far from reliable.

But they couldn’t help but feel sorry for An An, thinking that if he only had the nanny for company without any family, he’d be lonely.

Huo Haozhan even told his mother how, when he was young, he envied those kids who had their parents around.

Parental companionship is an invaluable treasure that no amount of material wealth can replace.

Perhaps it was because people often yearn for what they don’t have. Back then, with the best material conditions provided by his mother, Huo Haozhan began to long for the warmth of a family he hadn’t experienced.

Regardless of the reason, Mother Huo couldn’t bear to see her little grandson suffer.

Since it was unclear what exactly he liked, they aimed for perfection, leaving no regrets for An An.

Tired from playing, Xiao An’an sat in the lap of a giant stuffed toy, pulling a small blanket over himself.

The blanket was fluffy, printed with An An’s favorite pink pig.

Having just woken up, he wasn’t very sleepy, but the warm sunlight streaming through the window felt incredibly comfortable.

When Huo Haozhan finished his work, he tiptoed over to check if An An had fallen asleep, planning to move him to a bed if he had.

As he approached, he saw An An blinking his large eyes, seemingly puzzled about his dad’s presence.

“What are you doing, daddy? Aren’t you working hard?”

“I came to see if you were asleep.”

“I’m not~”

Basking in the sun, Xiao An’an was adorable, his childish voice stretching out the words, melting Huo Haozhan’s heart.

“I’m about to handle a business deal. Can you stay in the office by yourself? The assistant auntie is here to take care of you, so you can ask her for anything you need.”

“Got it~ Go on, go on.”

An An waved his hand, slightly annoyed that his dad was blocking his sunlight, not realizing how hard it was to get some sun.

As Huo Haozhan left, his assistant, who had prepared the necessary documents for the deal, followed him, straightening the slightly wrinkled suit before exiting the office.

The business partner they were meeting was a friend they had collaborated with many times before. Privately, he and Huo Haozhan had a good relationship.

The secretary served tea, and the partner couldn’t help but bring up the recent viral incident online.

The incident had gained significant attention, so even someone like Mr. Li, who usually paid little heed to the entertainment industry and online trends, had heard about it.

Moreover, one of the main figures involved was his good friend, so he couldn’t resist taking a closer look, even if just out of curiosity.

“How do you know my son is quite adorable?”

Before Mr. Li could tease Huo Haozhan, he was met with this puzzling question.

Wait, when did he ask about Huo Haozhan’s son’s cuteness?

“Yeah, I brought my son An An to the office. He even cheered me on, saying, ‘Go, daddy!'”

“I…”

Mr. Li barely got a word in before Huo Haozhan redirected the conversation back to his son.

“Hey, why is my son so clingy? He gets upset if he doesn’t see his dad for a while.”

“Xiao Liu, go bring An An over.”

After the secretary left, Mr. Li still couldn’t figure out why, in the midst of a business discussion, Huo Haozhan wanted to bring his son over.

The conversation’s rhythm was firmly in Huo Haozhan’s control, and Mr. Li forgot all about his initial questions.

Seeing Mr. Li’s confusion, Huo Haozhan reminded him:

“Aren’t you going to prepare something?”

“Huh? Prepare what?”

Business materials? That was the assistant’s job.

“A gift for meeting him.”

As they spoke, An An was brought over.

He loved wearing various animal onesies, and with the weather being just right, Huo Haozhan hadn’t changed him out of his little dinosaur onesie.

His fair skin and delicate features, especially those big, beautiful eyes, blinked innocently, making him undeniably cute. No wonder Huo Haozhan couldn’t stop talking about him.

“Daddy, hold me.”

An An reached out to his dad, feeling uncomfortable in the assistant’s arms, as if something was off.

Huo Haozhan held An An close, giving his friend a proud look.

He wasn’t really after anything valuable; he just wanted to show off his adorable little one.

“Come on, An An, say thank you to uncle.”

Mr. Li, only twenty-six, instinctively frowned at the word ‘uncle’ and countered:

“Why can’t it be ‘brother’?”

Amused by this, Huo Haozhan nodded without hesitation.

“Sure, that’s fine. But if An An calls you brother, you’ll have to call me uncle.”

Gaining a generational advantage over his friend? What a deal!

“Let’s just stick with uncle.”

The bracelet’s material was unknown, but An An played with the beads, his fair fingers gently rubbing them. After a while, he looked up and flashed a smile with his tiny teeth, saying, “Thank you, uncle.”

“You’re welcome.”

The more Mr. Li looked at An An, the more he felt it was a shame. They had grown up together, and he never imagined that the once mischievous Huo Haozhan would have such an angelic son.

With the gift-giving out of the way, they turned to business matters.

Having collaborated before, the contract was simply up for renewal, with new terms needing discussion due to the passage of time.

There were many details to negotiate, and the more An An listened, the sleepier he got, eventually dozing off in his dad’s arms.

Being friends, even business discussions couldn’t lead to a fallout. Any minor disputes over interests would see both sides making concessions for a harmonious outcome.

After the meeting, Huo Haozhan glanced at the little one sleeping soundly in his arms and politely declined Mr. Li’s invitation to join them for a meal.

“My son is asleep, so I think I’ll pass.”

“That’s fine.”

Their relationship had always been good, never marred by any unpleasantness, and they both knew what was appropriate and what wasn’t. Since Huo Haozhan made it clear it was because of his son, Mr. Li didn’t push further.

A meal with a business partner couldn’t possibly be more important than spending time with one’s beloved child.

Back in the office, it wasn’t long before An An woke up. Looking at his son’s drowsy expression, Huo Haozhan couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity. It suddenly struck him that An An’s current look was exactly how he himself used to look when he woke up after class.

“An An, do you miss Mommy? She just texted me saying she’s done with work. If you want to see her, we can video call.”

“Yes!”

Bai Yiyi had just finished her work, and An An, seeing his mother in a suit for the first time through the phone screen, was so shocked that his mouth hung open. After a moment, he covered his mouth and exclaimed, “Mommy, you look so cool!”

The sound of her grandson’s voice coming from her daughter-in-law’s phone caught Mother Huo’s attention as well. In such a formal setting, not only was Bai Yiyi in a suit, but so was Mother Huo, her hair neatly tied up, both looking sharp and stylish.

“Wow, Grandma looks cool too.”

Mother Huo loved hearing her grandson’s innocent remarks. Instead of letting him off the hook for his flattery, she playfully asked, “How cool?”

“Cooler than Daddy!”

Huo Haozhan, who had just walked in with An An’s lunch, felt a slight pang in his heart upon hearing this. He cleared his throat to remind his son that he was back, hinting that some things were better left unsaid in front of him.

An An immediately shrank his head and waved goodbye to his mom and grandma.

After ending the video call, he set the phone aside and flashed a charming smile at his father as he approached.

“Hehe, thank you, Daddy!”

Huo Haozhan rolled his eyes dramatically and pinched An An’s nose lightly, feigning disdain. “You little flatterer, always knowing how to play to the crowd.”

An An didn’t understand what “playing to the crowd” meant, but anything he didn’t understand, he assumed was a compliment.

“Hungry.”

“Alright, let’s eat.”

Today’s lunch included boiled shrimp, and peeling shrimp was too much of a hassle for this little prince. So, Huo Haozhan diligently took care of everything for him.

Somewhere along the line, taking care of his son had become an ingrained habit for him.

After An An finished eating, he wiped his mouth clean and tugged on his father’s sleeve, signaling him to lean down. He leaned over and gave his dad a gentle kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you, Daddy~”

“Alright, Daddy’s going to eat now. You go look at your picture books for a while. There are some you haven’t seen yet.”

No matter how hard he tried to hide it, Huo Haozhan couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at his lips.

His son’s words seemed to give him endless energy. Even if he had to peel another basket of shrimp, he would do it with gusto!

“Okay.”

A soft, thick carpet lay before the large floor-to-ceiling windows, adorned with plush decorations. A small bookshelf nearby was filled with picture books suitable for An An’s age.

An An sat among the plush toys, engrossed in his books, while Huo Haozhan ate lunch in the adjacent room, separated by a glass wall.

Watching his son so focused, he couldn’t resist taking a photo with his phone and posting it online.

Ever since that incident, Huo Haozhan had become a full-fledged doting dad, eager to show off even when his little one learned a new word.

How do you know I’m married with a child: How do you know An An is quietly keeping me company at the office?

Given Bai Yiyi’s current entrepreneurial goals and stage, Huo Haozhan’s posts and public presence were also a form of support for her.

【This An An looks a bit suspicious. Did you swap the kid? Send him over, let me check.】

【I agree with the comment above. Please forward him to me after delivery!】

【This little one is already reading books. Who are you trying to outdo?】

【Waaah, Xiao An’an isn’t even two yet and is working hard. What’s my excuse for being lazy?】

【Before seeing An An’s efforts: content being a couch potato. After seeing An An’s efforts: nervously continuing to be a couch potato.】

【There must be something wrong with those books. Let me come over and check, Mr. Huo.】

【Who asked what An An is doing now? Who asked, who asked!!】

【I don’t get it. It’s just an ordinary kid. Why are you all so obsessed? Where’s your morality? Your bottom line? Where’s An An, waaah.】

If he had the time, Huo Haozhan would even pick a few comments to reply to.

Most of his followers were An An’s fans, always supportive, greatly satisfying this proud father’s vanity.

There’s nothing more rewarding than showing off his child here!

After lunch, Huo Haozhan coaxed An An into a nap, taking a picture of him sleeping in his arms and replying to a comment on his previous post.

【He’s sleeping in my arms.】

An An slept soundly in his crib, the dimmer light in the lounge aiding his rest.

Meanwhile, Huo Haozhan returned to his desk. There were still some details in the morning’s deal that needed his confirmation.

Although he and Mr. Li had been friends for years, it’s always best to settle business matters upfront to avoid any issues later that might strain their friendship.

On his first day bringing An An to the office, Huo Haozhan found it quite easy, even delighting in the thought of bringing him again the next day.

Both parties arrived home almost simultaneously, with An An insisting that his dad take him to see the big turtle, saying he missed it after a whole day.

As the nanny prepared food for the turtle, the familiar sound of a car engine outside caught An An’s curiosity.

Confirming that it was indeed Mommy and Grandma returning, the little one, who had just been trying to cozy up in his dad’s arms, suddenly dashed off on his short legs.

“Wow, I missed you guys so much.”

Bai Yiyi scooped An An into her arms, kissed his chubby cheek, and asked with a smile, “Can An An guess if Mommy missed you?”

An An scrunched up his little face, tentatively asking, “No?”

“Wrong guess, Mommy did miss An An.”

“Hehe, love Mommy.”

Seeing her grandson snuggling up to Bai Yiyi, Mother Huo put on a stern face and asked, “What about Grandma?”

“Love Grandma too!”

Though they were back, there was still work to be done. Worried that An An would fall asleep if they returned too late, they decided to handle the remaining tasks via video conference at home.

Bai Yiyi and Mother Huo went upstairs to the study, while Huo Haozhan took An An to feed the turtle. Sitting there in the chair, admiring the sunset, Huo Haozhan couldn’t help but ask, “An An, who’s the most important person in your heart?”

He didn’t necessarily need to rank them, but he was simply curious.

When he was young, he used to hate it when relatives asked if he liked his dad or mom more when his father occasionally picked him up for the holidays.

But now, as an adult, he couldn’t resist asking his son.

“Mommy and Grandma!”

An An answered crisply, without hesitation.

Huo Haozhan had already prepared himself mentally, so he wasn’t too disappointed by the answer. He continued, “Who’s the second most important?”

An An patted his own chest and answered earnestly, “An An!”

It’s reasonable for a child to consider themselves important, nothing to argue with. Patiently, Huo Haozhan asked, “Who’s the third most important?”

The first two didn’t include him, but surely the third spot was his?

An An pointed at the big turtle basking by the shore and replied with a giggle, “Big Turtle!”

“And the fourth?”

“Little Turtle.”

By this point, Huo Haozhan was starting to suppress his temper, a vein throbbing on his forehead. The words “fifth” were almost squeezed out through his teeth.

“Um, let me think…”

An An thought for a while and, finding nothing more important than his dad, finally conceded, “It’s Daddy.”

This outcome was just within Huo Haozhan’s acceptable range. Seeing An An’s face bathed in the glow of the setting sun, he silently made a decision.

No matter what, he couldn’t agree to buy An An any more pets!

Huo Haozhan was self-aware enough to know that if they got any more pets, his standing would continue to drop, and even a dog might outrank him.

After that first day, Huo Haozhan began bringing An An to the office regularly. Occasionally, when he missed his son too much, he’d even arrange for a small child’s chair next to him during meetings.

He even had a custom-made little suit tailored for An An, making the adorable child look even more charming.

With Mother Huo’s help, Bai Yiyi’s career took off, expanding rapidly. She opened her own brand stores on major shopping platforms.

Occasional updates and live streams often featured An An, and guessing the price of his outfits became a favorite pastime for many online fans.

Mother Huo helped Bai Yiyi set up a very professional studio, recruiting many talented employees.

Once the team was stable and capable of handling issues independently, she returned to her retirement life.

Though the time spent together wasn’t particularly long, Bai Yiyi felt she learned a lot from being around Mother Huo.

The visible support was evident, but what truly benefited Bai Yiyi for life were the subtle changes she experienced.

Mother Huo understood well how one’s original family could affect them, potentially for a lifetime.

Bai Yiyi was both self-deprecating and sensitive, proud yet timid, with a strong sense of pride and face-saving. She was eager to repay kindness tenfold and was very nostalgic.

These weren’t exactly flaws, but they did affect her in various aspects of her daily life.

Through her own methods, Mother Huo was diligently helping Bai Yiyi change these less favorable habits.

Even if progress was slow, as long as she could see change, it was worth it.

Later, even without her mother-in-law by her side, Bai Yiyi would subconsciously follow the methods taught to her.

In the studio, there was a colleague named Xiao Chu, a university classmate of Bai Yiyi’s. After Bai Yiyi became famous, many classmates heard about it and came to apply, hoping she’d offer them a favor for old times’ sake.

In the past, Bai Yiyi wouldn’t have known how to refuse, but later, when handling this, she recalled her mother-in-law’s advice. She simply stated that everything had to go through the proper channels and then hung up.

Bai Yiyi had always found it hard to say no, but once she did, it wasn’t as difficult as she’d imagined.

Half a year passed, and after such a long period of busyness, Bai Yiyi finally had a few days off.

If given a choice, An An would definitely prefer his mom, choosing to stay home rather than accompany his dad to work.

Huo Haozhan understood completely. He always had a very clear and definite understanding of his place in his son’s heart.

If An An didn’t want to go to the office, that was fine. He could still come home after work to hug his son.

As the company president, occasionally skipping work was perfectly reasonable.

That day, Huo Haozhan left work half an hour early, eager to get home and help An An feed his beloved big turtle. But when he opened the door and found the house empty, he was momentarily stunned.