Chapter 39

Hu Shuli’s grandmother didn’t know how big the child was now, so she made the hat purely based on intuition. When An An put it on, it was slightly too big, and it looked rather comical on his little uncle.

But seeing how happy this little ancestor was, the little uncle didn’t dare to say anything. He gently patted An An’s back, trying to lull him to sleep.

When the little uncle lowered his head, the hat tilted slightly. Even though An An was already drowsy, he forced himself to stay awake and adjusted the hat for him, even giving it a light pat as if reminding him to wear it properly.

After An An fell asleep, the nanny took him upstairs, and only then did the people in the room shift their attention to the little uncle.

That green hat looked incredibly cute on An An, but on a grown man like the little uncle, it was hard not to think of a certain implication.

Hu Shuli quickly went over and took the hat off, scolding An An for being mischievous. However, for some reason, she felt an odd sense of discomfort in her heart.

“An An is still young; it’s normal for him to be a little naughty.”

The little uncle took the initiative to defend An An, seeing it as nothing more than childish ignorance, without letting his thoughts wander like the others.

He had grown up with his fiancée since childhood, and their wedding date was already set—how could there possibly be any unexpected changes?

He had complete confidence in their relationship.

Even though this incident could be dismissed as a coincidence, the eldest uncle couldn’t shake off a feeling that something was off. He made a mental note to look into it properly once they returned to the country.

They hurried back home to celebrate the Spring Festival. Once again, the villa was left with only their immediate family. An An was reluctant when he realized they had left, but fortunately, the puppy had just reached the age where it could play with him. The novelty quickly distracted him, and he soon forgot about his uncle’s departure.

On New Year’s Eve, even the family’s cats and dogs wore festive red hats. After the reunion dinner, Hu Shuli’s grandmother called her via video chat.

She even told Hu Shuli that when she had time to return home, she would personally make dumplings for her.

Dumplings being mentioned in the Spring Festival Gala had always been ridiculed as a cliché, but for those wandering far from home, the longing was real.

Hu Shuli was afraid she wouldn’t be able to hold back her tears during the holiday, so she quickly scooped up An An, who was happily playing. The little one was caught off guard and still had a cat in his arms.

Great-grandmother was overjoyed to see him wearing the hat she made. Hu Shuli held An An’s little hand and had him greet her. With this little guy around, the atmosphere instantly became much more cheerful.

That night, they stayed up together to welcome the New Year. Eventually, An An fell asleep, and Hu Shuli held him in her arms. The cats and dogs didn’t make it to midnight either and slept soundly like An An.

Fireworks weren’t allowed in this area, so they could only watch them on the TV screen. As Hu Shuli sat there in a daze, her father’s voice came from beside her.

“Once we’re settled here, we should go back. We didn’t visit your mother this year—I wonder if she’s thinking about us.”

“Okay.”

Hu Shuli wasn’t naive. She had a vague idea of why her father had been in such a hurry to go abroad. Looking at his slumped shoulders and defeated posture now, her guilt reached a new peak.

“Dad, don’t worry. I won’t make the same mistake again when it comes to this matter. He’s just a man—I don’t need to give up everything for him.”

“I believe that as long as I am good enough, I will eventually meet the right person at the right time.”

The farther she was from everything, the more rational and clear-headed she became. Her success in her career had made her realize that love wasn’t everything—there were many other things she could do. Ultimately, it was all just a form of self-entertainment.

Seeing his daughter’s current state, Mr. Hu felt relieved. This was finally the daughter he knew—not someone who would lose herself over a relationship.

That night, Hu Shuli slept with An An in her arms. Looking at his peaceful and well-behaved face, she couldn’t resist lowering her head to gently kiss his cheek.

Half-asleep, An An seemed to find her breath ticklish and wrinkled his little brows, turning away. Then, as if he caught a familiar scent in the air, he hesitated before shyly inching back toward her.

The Spring Festival wasn’t a public holiday here, so the next day, Mr. Hu followed his daughter to work. Since they had just started, there were many things that required their personal attention, keeping them incredibly busy.

Meanwhile, An An was having a relaxed and carefree time at home. His latest favorite activity was using the Labrador as a pillow, hugging a kitten in his arms while watching cartoons.

At his age, he wasn’t allowed too much screen time. He could only watch for a short while each day, and no matter how pitiful he acted afterward, he couldn’t change the rules.

When the cartoons were over, he continued lying in the same position, basking in the warm sunlight. The cat was content, An An was satisfied, and the dog, though silent, wagged its tail happily.

At this stage, An An’s crawling posture still hadn’t been corrected. The kitten seemed to notice this and stopped patiently teaching him as it had before. Instead, it resumed its elegant feline stride.

The nanny recently noticed that An An often stared at the cat in a daze, completely baffled about what was going on in his little head.

Hu Shuli, who knew her son well, learned about this from the nanny after work. When she looked at the cat’s changed posture, she quickly pieced things together.

It was likely that her son found the kitten’s walking style a bit too complex for now. Since he couldn’t imitate it yet, he could only stare blankly in fascination.

After hearing his daughter’s explanation, Mr. Hu also stood there watching for a long time. The more he observed, the more convinced he was that she was right.

After successfully learning to roll over and crawl from the kitten, An An had now set his sights on mastering the cat’s elegant walk—a new challenge that left Mr. Hu both amused and exasperated.

Think positively—perhaps this is what they mean by a model needing to win at the starting line.

Day by day, An’an was growing up. Under careful care, the frail constitution described in the original storyline never appeared. His chubby little arms looked especially pinchable.

The nanny bought him teething biscuits, and An’an would clutch one almost every day. If he held onto it for too long, he’d want to take a bite out of anything he saw.

Out of curiosity, Hu Shuli picked up one of the biscuits to try it. Even using great force, she couldn’t bite through it. She then pulled An’an onto her lap and gently pinched his cheeks.

Because this was his favorite mommy, An’an cooperated completely and opened his mouth wide.

Hu Shuli stared at the two tiny baby teeth that had just emerged in his mouth, unable to understand how something so small could be so sharp—sharp enough to chew through so many biscuits in a day.

“Do your teeth hurt?”

Understanding what his mommy asked, An’an decisively shook his head, then stretched out his hand toward her, opening and closing his fingers anxiously while wriggling slightly.

Hu Shuli had taken the biscuit from An’an’s hand before tasting it, and he hadn’t even had a chance to chew it yet. When he saw that Mommy didn’t eat it, he wanted it back.

Hu Shuli had read about this before—adults have bacteria in their mouths, so anything she had bitten couldn’t be given back to An’an. Instead, she took a new biscuit and placed it in his little palm.

An’an held onto the biscuit but didn’t eat it right away. Instead, he lifted his head, leaned in, and planted a kiss on his mommy’s cheek. Only after that did he happily squint his eyes and start gnawing on it.

Following the principle of not wasting food, Hu Shuli finished the biscuit she had taken a bite from. She found that the taste of the teething biscuit was even worse than compressed rations.

After finishing it, she carried An’an for a stroll in the garden. There was a spacious courtyard here, filled with flowers and plants.

Since he was little, An’an had loved looking at flowers, and that hadn’t changed. Mr. Hu often teased that he had raised a little flower addict, which would earn him a tiny clenched fist from An’an, giving him a determined punch.

An’an’s first birthday was approaching. A few days earlier, her father had discussed with Hu Shuli that once matters here were settled, they should return to their home country for a while. The butler had already arranged the general plans for the birthday banquet.

An’an was part of their family, and that fact wouldn’t change. It was necessary to announce his identity through this event.

As for the child’s father, just as they had discussed before, they would say he had passed away. Beyond that, Mr. Hu had no intention of explaining— the more they said, the more mistakes they could make.

Feeling a bit tired from carrying An’an, Hu Shuli found a place to sit and rest. An’an continued gnawing on his little biscuit, looking fiercely determined.

Labradors were indeed a great breed for companionship. While the house cat would run as far as possible whenever An’an wasn’t around, the little dog loved to stay by his side at all times.

No matter how much An’an messed with it, the dog remained good-natured and never held a grudge.

Hu Shuli freed a hand to gently pat the dog’s head. The spot she had chosen to rest was one of An’an’s favorite places—a large tree provided shade, and not far away, a potted flower had just bloomed.

Just as Hu Shuli was about to close her eyes for a short nap, the An’an in her arms suddenly trembled and, with a tearful voice, cried out:

“Ma… Mama…”

Hu Shuli’s eyes snapped open. Looking closely, she saw that An’an had even dropped his half-eaten biscuit in fear. His mouth hung open, and tears had already welled up.

“Hm? An’an, what’s wrong?”

Too busy crying for his mommy, the little one didn’t answer. Instead, Hu Shuli noticed his movements and discovered that a bug had fallen onto his clothes. She frowned, picked up a fallen leaf, and flicked the bug away.

Hurriedly, she hugged An’an, stood up, and gently patted his back, soothing him:

“It’s okay, it’s okay, the bug is gone.”

An’an had been so frightened that he didn’t dare open his eyes. Only when he heard this did he finally peek out cautiously, staring at the spot where he had seen the bug. After confirming it was truly gone, he let out a relieved sigh—but he still felt wronged.

He clung to his mommy’s neck, sobbing softly, thinking about that scary bug… and his unfinished teething biscuit.

At first, his crying was faint, but it gradually grew louder and louder until he was wailing again.

It wasn’t until the nanny brought over a bowl of meat porridge for him that his crying finally subsided at the scent of food—though his little mouth still puffed up, unsure whether he was angry or just sulking.

After being scared by the bug, An’an refused to go to the backyard for several days. No matter if it was his mommy, grandpa, or the nanny carrying him—whenever they walked in that direction, he would start pouting, on the verge of tears.

Feeling sorry for An’an, Hu Shuli learned from the nanny that he had even been crying at night. She couldn’t bear to leave him at home as before, so she started taking him to work with her every day.

Meanwhile, in their home country, Song Yushu had already started his own business. After leaving the impoverished rural village, he expanded into new ventures. With the help of several close female confidantes, his career was developing quite well.

Recently, he had managed to find out where Hu Shuli was living through one of these confidantes. Using a business trip as an excuse, he made his way there and waited for a long time, but he never caught sight of her.

His company back home was still in its early stages, and with so much work to do, plus being unfamiliar with this place, Song Yushu had no choice but to leave, though unwillingly.

Several days later, it finally dawned on Hu Shuli—her son had spoken his first words. That day, when he was frightened by the bug, he had called her “Mama.”

Realizing this, she lost all interest in her documents, pushing all her unfinished work onto Mr. Hu. She went off to find An’an, squatting down in front of him.

At that moment, An’an was still chewing on his teething biscuit, leaning against the window, staring at the bustling traffic below.

The moving little cars were incredibly captivating to the children. An’an was so fascinated that he temporarily ignored his favorite—his mother.

Hu Shuli reached out and picked him up, holding his wrist that was clutching a teething biscuit. An’an furrowed his tiny brows and thought for a long moment before tentatively offering the half-eaten biscuit to his mother.

The biscuit was covered in An’an’s saliva. Hu Shuli turned her head away. When An’an realized that his mother wasn’t actually interested in eating his biscuit, his furrowed brows relaxed.

“An’an, didn’t you call me ‘Mama’ last time? Why don’t you try again now?”

“Come, say it with me—Mama.”

Previously, since An’an had been slow to learn to roll over, and Hu Shuli was well aware that his premature birth put him at a disadvantage compared to other children, she never pressured him to keep up with his peers. She simply let things take their natural course, as long as he was healthy.

But now, she suddenly remembered this and really wanted to hear him call her “Mama” in his soft baby voice.

An’an’s big eyes flickered with confusion. He ground his teeth twice to ease his nervousness.

Hu Shuli was very patient, slowing down her speech even more. By the time An’an was nearly finished with his teething biscuit, he finally understood and began to follow her lead, calling out:

“Ma… Mama?”

“Yes! That’s right! Mama’s here. You’re calling for Mama.”

Seeing how happy his mother was, An’an continued calling out.

“Mama!”

“Yes.”

“Mama~”

“Mhm, Mama’s here.”

Having learned something new, An’an couldn’t stop repeating the word. Later that evening, while they were in the car heading home, Old Mr. Hu heard his little grandson babbling and leaned over, saying:

“What about Grandpa? An’an, say ‘Grandpa.’”

“Wai… bung~”

An’an was happy to oblige their small requests, trying his best to mimic the words. But his speech was still unclear, and the more he tried, the funnier it sounded.

His pronunciation was far from perfect, but at least it was understandable. Old Mr. Hu had no high expectations for An’an and was already very satisfied.

He was a reserved man and didn’t express much outwardly, but that night, he was so happy that he ate an extra bowl of rice.

After dinner, he even called several of Li Li’s uncles to brag about how his little grandson could now say “Grandpa.”

Hu Shuli saw how delighted her father was and didn’t say anything, just shaking her head with a helpless yet amused smile. If she hadn’t brought An’an back home, she might never have realized this playful side of her father.

Now that he had learned to talk, An’an was constantly chattering away. Even if no one understood him, he insisted on speaking.

He would mutter to the cat while holding it, then say a few more words while cuddling the dog. Only when the cat and dog got so annoyed that they ran away would he finally sit quietly for a while, looking a little aggrieved.

The nanny who cared for An’an was an elderly Chinese woman who had settled here with her son. To her, An’an was like her own little grandson, and she adored him dearly.

Today, An’an wore a sweater paired with overalls. When the cat and dog, fed up with his chatter, fled, he threw himself into a plush toy’s embrace, leaving only his denim-clad bottom sticking out. The pose made him look just like a little frog.

Even after being abandoned by the animals, An’an soon forgot his grievance once he had something to eat. He then had the nanny carry him off to find the kitten to play with again.

Whenever something amusing happened at home, the nanny would tell Hu Shuli about it after work. Today, An’an’s sulking expression had been so adorable that she had even recorded a video and sent it to Hu Shuli’s phone.

Hu Shuli watched the video over and over before sharing it with her uncles and aunts from her maternal side, asking them to show it to her grandparents as well.

Oblivious to everything, An’an continued gnawing on his teething biscuit in a daze, unaware that, given his family background, his embarrassing moments would all be documented in high definition for years to come.

…

Hu Shuli was particularly skilled at negotiations, so most of the discussions in this country were entrusted to her. Old Mr. Hu wanted his daughter to shine in her area of expertise, so he left most of the related work to her.

During one of these negotiations, Hu Shuli met a man—a local who had just turned twenty-one but had already inherited his family business. People in this country seemed to mature much faster than those back home.

Since their companies had many opportunities for collaboration, Miles and Hu Shuli frequently interacted. Over time, they became very good friends.

As they got to know each other, they realized they shared many common interests and similar views on most matters.

Under these circumstances, Miles even learned some basic Chinese, including the idiom “相见恨晚” (xiāng jiàn hèn wǎn), meaning “regret not meeting sooner.” He felt it perfectly described their brief yet remarkable encounter.

Hu Shuli was the epitome of classical Chinese beauty. Her features were not strikingly bold but carried a delicate elegance, reminiscent of ink-wash paintings depicting misty Jiangnan landscapes.

Back when she was with Song Yushu, many things had been restricted by their circumstances. But now, things were different.

Here, she only had her father with her. Whatever she wanted to do, she had complete freedom.

If she wasn’t at home with An’an, she almost always wore qipaos. The custom-tailored garments accentuated her reserved and gentle beauty.

As Miles put it, her presence reminded him of a particular orchid he had once seen—just standing there, she exuded an indescribable aura.

No one dislikes such straightforward compliments. Even though Hu Shuli currently had no romantic inclinations, she couldn’t deny that hearing such praise brightened her mood.

Old Mr. Hu saw the admiration in the young man’s eyes when he looked at his daughter.

If this had been before, he would have been so furious that he might have wanted to fight the guy on the spot.

But now, things were different. After everything that had happened with that other man, Old Mr. Hu even found himself somewhat pleased with the idea.

Having spent only a short time abroad, Mr. Hu had, to some extent, assimilated new perspectives.

He no longer believed that a relationship must culminate in marriage to be considered successful. Instead, he had come to recognize the essence of marriage—viewed in a more pragmatic light, it was more akin to a union of assets.

Without the constraints of marriage, his daughter was entirely free and had the right to date whomever she pleased.

From time to time, they would go out together, and whenever An An acted up at home, missing his mother, Mr. Hu would take him out to play, ensuring the little one wouldn’t cause trouble.

An An never sensed that anything was amiss, nor did he realize that someone harbored ulterior motives toward his mother.

He simply mulled over the situation, thinking that even if his mother wasn’t around, having his grandpa by his side wasn’t so bad either.

“Ya~”

Watching his little grandson beam with joy over a simple balloon, Mr. Hu couldn’t help but laugh as well. He felt incredibly fortunate to have this child in his life.

He was well aware of everything that had transpired in the past. If it weren’t for this child’s existence, his daughter might not have found the resolve to escape that quagmire.

And now, if not for this little one keeping him company, he might not be enjoying such a carefree life.

Every day with An An was a source of happiness, bringing back memories of raising his own daughter. Watching An An grow little by little gave him a deep sense of fulfillment.

At that moment, he noticed a pigeon-feeding area in the square. He bought some feed and handed it to An An.

An An stared at the feed in his hands for a moment, then seriously contemplated tasting it.

Mr. Hu quickly grabbed his wrist to stop him and gently pinched his chubby cheek as a reminder:

“This isn’t for you to eat; it’s for the pigeons. Be good and don’t fool around.”

“Huh?”

“Wa-bung, fai!”

An An had been just about to shove the food into his mouth when his grandpa held his hand firmly, making it impossible to reach. Frustrated, he stomped his little foot in the air to vent his anger.

The reason Mr. Hu thought of letting his grandson participate in this activity was simple—he had seen a little girl in a princess dress taking photos while feeding pigeons.

His own grandson was so adorable that it would be a shame not to capture a few pictures.

He hadn’t anticipated that while other children found joy in feeding pigeons, his little troublemaker found joy in feeding himself instead.

And now, since he wasn’t allowed to eat it, he was throwing a tantrum.

“An An, this is food for pigeons. Little kids shouldn’t eat it—if you do, your tummy will hurt. Understand?”

Holding his little hand, Mr. Hu patiently explained. After a moment, An An’s frustration subsided. Though still pouting, he reluctantly handed the feed to the pigeons.

“There, our An An is the best.”

An An didn’t respond, but he lifted his chin high like a proud little rooster.

Realizing that he wouldn’t get a taste, he finally gave up and focused on feeding the pigeons. Seeing them gather around him to eat, he squinted his eyes happily, his wide grin revealing the two tiny baby teeth he had just grown.

Mr. Hu had never been particularly fond of taking photos, but after having a grandson, everything changed.

Capturing An An’s growth through photos had become a cherished hobby. He even set aside a room in their villa solely for displaying pictures of An An.

Each year, as An An grew older, he planned to dedicate another room. By the time An An grew up and looked back at these pictures, he would surely find them meaningful.

Once they had run out of pigeon feed, the sun had begun to set. Mr. Hu decided to take his grandson home.

They had already booked their flight back to China for next week, as there were still details of An An’s first birthday banquet to finalize. They had to be there in advance and couldn’t afford to arrive at the last minute.

An An could now eat quite a bit of solid food. At his insistence, his small dining table was finally moved next to the main dining table.

Whenever the chef prepared an especially lavish meal, Mr. Hu and Hu Shuli couldn’t help but feel guilty seeing the little one staring longingly at the dishes, swallowing his saliva.

That evening at dinner, Hu Shuli brought up something—earlier that afternoon, when she had gone out with Miles, he had mentioned that he planned to visit the day after tomorrow. He was curious about the little An An that she often talked about.

“Sounds good.”

To Mr. Hu, this was excellent news. As long as it wasn’t that man, he was more than happy to accept any potential son-in-law.

If he weren’t worried about seeming too eager and making others think less of his daughter, he would have already tried to play matchmaker.

Now that things had progressed to the point where Miles wanted to meet An An, Mr. Hu felt like they were basically ready to settle down together.

“Let’s clean the house properly tomorrow. Also, An An—I remember there’s a new outfit in your wardrobe.”

Just as An An finished his small bowl of porridge, his grandpa scooped him up, seemingly ready to try on the new clothes.

Being so little, An An had no say in the matter. He simply waved his tiny hands in the air, seemingly pleading for his mother’s help.

Hu Shuli saw this and didn’t intervene, only shaking her head helplessly.

Miles had chosen to visit not just because it was a non-working day, but also because he had an urgent matter to discuss with her father.

Watching An’an was just a secondary reason—it was simply a more pleasant excuse.

Seeing the look on her father’s face now, it was obvious that he had misunderstood. Not only did Hu Shuli not stop him, but she also deliberately wanted to see what expression he would have when he learned the truth.

Upstairs, An’an was like a little doll, being tossed around from one side to another. At first, he didn’t mind and let his grandpa do as he pleased, but once he started to get impatient, the moment the old man touched him, he would scowl and firmly slap his hand away.

This fierce little expression made Mr. Hu freeze for a moment. Then, as he came back to his senses, he lowered his head and gave An’an a quick kiss.

The little one, who had only been slightly annoyed before, immediately pulled a long face after being kissed. When Hu Shuli walked in, An’an didn’t hesitate to pout and start crying.

An’an was no longer like before, where he wouldn’t make a sound no matter how much he was teased. After crying a couple of times in his mother’s arms, he reached out his tiny hand and pointed a chubby finger at his grandpa, mumbling indistinctly:

“Grandpa, fai!”

“Really, fai!”

Little An’an seemed afraid that his mother wouldn’t believe him, so he repeated it again. His pouty little face looked extra aggrieved.

Hu Shuli carried him outside, asking as she walked, “Where exactly is Grandpa bad?”

An’an, who had just been tired from all the playing and was ready to nap, immediately perked up upon hearing his mother’s question. He forced himself to stay awake and started listing things one by one.

He couldn’t say many words yet, and there were some things he didn’t know how to explain to his mother. Aside from a few words Hu Shuli could understand, she had to rely on guessing for the rest.

An’an was practically using up all the words he knew just to lodge his complaint. If he didn’t know how to describe something, he’d just mumble vaguely.

“Oh, so that’s how it is. Grandpa really is too bad.”

“Next time, let’s not play with Grandpa anymore, okay?”

The little guy, who had been so energetic while complaining just now, suddenly looked at his mother with a nervous expression. In truth, he was only a little mad at the moment.

Hu Shuli had already guessed that this little ancestor would definitely hesitate once she said that. That’s why she dared to say it on purpose, putting on a serious expression as she continued:

“Grandpa is way too bad! How could he bully our An’an like that?”

An’an wholeheartedly agreed with this, so he nodded his head.

“So we’ll never play with Grandpa again!”

An’an had just been about to nod again when he suddenly forced himself to stop. He frowned and shook his head lightly.

“Bo.”

“Hmm?”

“No.”

An’an was so anxious that he enunciated his words extra clearly, afraid that his mother would misunderstand.

Hu Shuli couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore.

“Grandpa didn’t spoil you for nothing. How about tonight, we stay mad at Grandpa and ignore him, okay? And right now, little An’an should go to sleep.”

“Okay~”

An’an answered crisply.

Hu Shuli lowered her head and kissed his forehead. After giving him a bath, she tucked him into his little bed.

Snuggled under the blanket, only An’an’s little head was exposed. He used the last of his vocabulary to say goodnight to his mother.

“Goodnight.”

When Hu Shuli closed the door and walked out, she saw her father standing in the hallway, arms crossed and face stern.

“Did you tell my grandson bad things about me?” he demanded.

Since he had come over just in time, and Hu Shuli still found An’an’s reaction amusing, she told him the whole story.

Mr. Hu chuckled in satisfaction after hearing it. He knew he hadn’t misjudged his little grandson.

…

They had originally arranged a meeting with Miles, but plans never keep up with change.

Suddenly, a call came from Hu Shuli’s maternal grandmother’s home in China, saying that her grandmother had accidentally taken a fall, and the situation was quite serious.

They hadn’t told her earlier to avoid worrying them, but now that her grandmother had been discharged and returned home, she had been missing Lili and wanted to ask if they could come back for a visit.

To Hu Shuli, her grandmother was important. Without even thinking, she canceled her plans with Miles, let others at the company handle the matter, and returned to China with her father.

As soon as they arrived, without even adjusting to the time difference, they rushed straight to her grandmother’s house.

Of course, An’an was brought along. He had slept a long time on the plane, so he wasn’t very sleepy and looked quite energetic.

When they reached her grandmother’s home, Hu Shuli was about to head straight to her grandmother’s room from memory. However, she unexpectedly spotted someone in the living room—someone she least wanted to see.

Her face immediately darkened.

“What are you doing here?”

Her aunt-in-law hadn’t yet figured out the situation and took the initiative to introduce them, saying they were friends of her younger brother-in-law’s fiancée, here to visit her mother-in-law.

Although she also felt that a male friend of her brother-in-law’s fiancée visiting her mother-in-law seemed strange, they had brought gifts, so it felt inappropriate to drive them away.

Since they were at her grandmother’s house, Hu Shuli didn’t want to make a scene, nor did she want to disturb her grandmother’s rest. So she said nothing, just sat there with a cold face.

When Madam Song saw the assistant carrying An’an, she recalled what her son had told her before coming and immediately put on a look of fondness for children, approaching with a warm smile and taking An’an’s little hand.

She assumed that a child this young wouldn’t remember much, so it didn’t matter what she said now.

“Oh my, what a cute child! At this age, he must be learning to talk, right?”

Hu Shuli’s face remained cold as she gave a brief “Mm.” She didn’t want to make a fuss in her grandmother’s house, let alone disturb her grandmother’s rest.

Madam Song, hearing confirmation, beamed as she prepared to “teach” An’an. Just as her son had said, as long as An’an acknowledged her as his grandmother, Hu Shuli would have no choice but to compromise.

“Come on, little An’an, right? Say this with me—”

“Grandma.”

An’an, feeling uneasy around this person, kept trying to retract his little hand. But when he heard her say that, he instinctively responded in his sweet little voice.

“Eh!”