Chapter 40

An’an’s crisp and clear “Eh?” instantly drew everyone’s attention, and they couldn’t help but smile.

After all, he still looked so young, his face full of innocent confusion, as if he didn’t understand anything at all. This only made the situation even more amusing.

Even Hu Shuli, who had been in a bad mood, relaxed slightly upon hearing An’an’s voice.

Mother Song, realizing she had become the subject of everyone’s amusement, immediately lost her smile. Ignoring the reminders Song Yushu had given her before they arrived, she opened her mouth and scolded:

“What’s wrong with you, child?”

In Mother Song’s mind, she was An’an’s grandmother. Even if Hu Shuli refused to acknowledge it, she was still an elder to the child, and he ought to respect her. Scolding him was only natural.

An’an’s small face instantly fell. He pouted, and tears began welling up in his eyes. He turned his head and buried it in the arms of the person holding him, whispering softly:

“An’an… scared…”

His tiny hands tightly clutched onto the fabric, clinging like a little koala. The assistant, encountering such an adorable human cub for the first time, gently patted his back in comfort.

Before this, though many in the family found it inappropriate for the ex-fiancée’s mother to visit the patient, they had remained polite for the sake of appearances, ensuring she was well received.

But now, Mother Song’s harsh words toward An’an made several people’s expressions turn cold. She had absolutely no sense of boundaries and an awful temper.

She was a stranger who had taken the initiative to approach a child not even a year old, only to scold him for a casual response. Anyone would find such behavior unacceptable.

Being well-mannered people, no one would say anything too harsh over such an incident. Instead, An’an’s eldest uncle walked over, picked the child up, and smiled at Mother Song:

“Our little one is still young and doesn’t understand much. If he offended you, I apologize. An’an, are you tired? Grandpa-uncle bought you a gift and left it upstairs. Want to go check it out together?”

“Okay~”

Though his words seemed apologetic on the surface, there wasn’t a single trace of rebuke in them—it was clearly just a formality.

An’an happily reached out his hands toward his grand-uncle. Before being carried into the elevator, he even playfully winked at Mother Song.

Mother Song, who had just begun to regret her impulsiveness, immediately felt her anger flare up again at the little one’s mischievous gesture.

“You little brat! You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Hu Shuli, who had remained silent up until now, finally couldn’t hold back. She was a mother, after all—there was no way she could just stand by and watch someone bully her child over and over again.

“That’s enough! Haven’t you caused enough trouble? I’ve been keeping quiet because I thought everything should end now. But please, you and your son need to stop pestering me again and again.”

“I heard Song Yushu is starting a business now? You wouldn’t want to see his career collapse before it even begins, would you?”

Hu Shuli was dressed in a light green qipao today, exuding an air of gentleness. But now, her face was slightly flushed with anger—anyone could see that she was truly enraged.

Grandfather, who had been sitting on the sofa, immediately understood who this woman was upon hearing Hu Shuli’s words. So did the other uncles and aunts.

They all knew about what had happened to Hu Shuli after she went missing. Now, seeing Mother Song in person, even if she was a guest, they could no longer maintain their previous politeness.

Song Yushu had originally accompanied his mother, but an urgent issue arose at his studio that required his immediate attention. Before leaving, he had repeatedly warned his mother not to behave as she had in the past.

Now left alone, facing so many people’s stares, Mother Song completely forgot her son’s reminders. All she could think about was Hu Shuli’s threat. Her face was full of panic as she snapped:

“What do you mean by that? You were with Yushu for years—how can you be so heartless? Do you even know how hard he’s worked for his studio? I advise you to apologize to me right now, or you can forget about ever stepping into our home again!”

Her words were practically an admission of her own identity.

Hu Shuli curled her lips into a mocking smile. How had she not realized before how ridiculous this family was?

Things had already reached this point, yet Mother Song still thought she wanted to be with Song Yushu?

Did she think her son was some highly sought-after prize? There were plenty of excellent men in the world.

“Don’t worry. I will never step into your house in this lifetime. There are many hardworking people out there—Song Yushu is nothing special. But I will say this: if you dare bully An’an again, I’ll make sure he never climbs up again.”

Hu Shuli’s cold expression sent a chill through Mother Song, making her suddenly panic. Only now did she realize that this was no longer the daughter-in-law she could manipulate at will.

“You… You’re simply…”

Mother Song fumbled for words but couldn’t come up with a fitting retort. In the end, she turned and stormed off. No one stopped her, letting her leave without a word.

After she left, Hu Shuli’s grandfather glanced at her and gestured for her to sit beside him, mentioning that her grandmother had just taken her medicine and was still asleep, so she might need some time to wake up.

Despite his age, Hu Shuli’s grandfather was still in good health. He looked like a lively old man.

Then he added, “And you, Lao Xiao, come here too. I suggest you look into your fiancée properly.”

Hu Shuli’s youngest uncle had just sat down on the sofa and picked up a piece of fruit when he heard this. His hands paused mid-motion.

“Dad, what do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. Do you not understand?”

Grandpa Hu had seen all kinds of people in his long life. From the beginning, he had found it strange that this man suddenly showed up, wanting to visit his sick wife for no apparent reason. Before this, there had been no real connection between them—certainly not one close enough to warrant a personal visit.

Since his youngest son valued his fiancée, Grandpa Hu hadn’t wanted to interfere in his affairs. So, although he found the situation odd, he hadn’t thought too deeply about it.

But now, looking at everything again—there was clearly something very wrong here!

“Dad, what are you thinking?”

The younger uncle was struggling to accept this reality. He forced himself to stay calm and ask, knowing that his father wouldn’t randomly tell him to investigate his own fiancée without reason. He must have had suspicions or theories.

He didn’t want to think too deeply about this matter, but that didn’t mean he was a fool.

“I remember… last year, An’an put a hat on you, didn’t he? I think that’s what this is about.”

After saying this, Grandpa Hu took a sip of tea. The timing of Lili and the others’ return had originally been set for later, but it was suddenly changed. How could an outsider have known about that in advance? And how did they just so happen to run into them?

When coincidences pile up, it only means one thing—it was intentional.

Hu Shuli’s expression turned complicated after hearing her grandfather’s words. She had never considered this possibility before.

The thought that her younger uncle’s fiancée might be involved with Song Yushu made her feel an inexplicable discomfort deep in her heart, along with a faint sense of nausea.

“Grandpa, I… I’ll go check on An’an upstairs.”

It wasn’t appropriate for a junior like her to stay and listen to this conversation. Even though she wasn’t much younger than her younger uncle, it was still improper.

“Mm, go ahead.”

Grandpa Hu waved his hand, intending to have a serious talk with his youngest son. The wedding date had already been set, yet his fiancée had postponed it again for an absurd reason. Now, with this issue resurfacing, things didn’t look right.

At the time, the younger uncle had simply thought she wasn’t ready for marriage yet and wanted to give her enough time to adjust.

But now, after his father’s reminder, all those past events suddenly seemed to make sense.

Sitting there, the younger uncle’s face darkened like ink. After a long silence, he slammed his fist hard against the couch.

…

Upstairs, there were indeed many gifts prepared for An’an.

The eldest Grand Uncle hadn’t missed An’an’s little gestures earlier, but human nature is protective—no matter what, he would always defend his own child in front of outsiders.

Once he closed the door, he placed An’an on the soft carpet, sat down in front of him, and asked,

“An’an, did you do that on purpose earlier?”

At this age, children tend to have strong learning abilities. They repeat what others say. But this was the first time the Grand Uncle had seen a child immediately respond when someone asked him to call someone ‘Grandma.’

“Zou Ye-Ye!”

An’an sat there, babbling unclearly as he called out, blinking his big innocent eyes at his Grand Uncle.

After staring for a while, as if he was getting tired, he tilted his head and continued to watch him, occasionally letting out a soft, childish call—“Zou Ye-Ye.”

“Alright, alright, you’re our family’s little ancestor now.”

The Grand Uncle decided not to press the matter further and took out the gifts. They were all popular children’s toys from the domestic market.

Since the housekeeper had already sanitized them, An’an could play with them right away.

Out of all the toys, An’an liked the building blocks the most. His Grand Uncle accompanied him, carefully stacking them one by one.

Every time a block was added, An’an would clap his little hands and enthusiastically praise—“Zou Ye-Ye, niiiice!”

Just then, Hu Shuli pushed open the door and walked in, sitting down on a nearby swing chair.

Seeing her, the eldest Grand Uncle left An’an to play on his own and walked over to sit beside her.

“You’ve really made up your mind about this?”

“Mm. Grand Uncle, my heart feels so chaotic. It’s like they’ll never leave me alone. Will I ever be able to get rid of them in this lifetime?”

A mistake she had made in her youth had yet to be resolved, and it would be a lie to say she wasn’t frustrated by it.

Their continued presence had already severely impacted her life and had even affected her family members.

“Lili, when the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten. There’s no problem that can’t be solved—take it one step at a time.”

“You have your father, and you have us.”

The Grand Uncle couldn’t think of a perfect solution at the moment. Seeing how exhausted Lili looked, he could only remind her—no matter what happened, they would always be there to support her.

“Grand Uncle, just now I heard Grandpa say… my younger uncle’s fiancée…”

This was what had truly thrown Hu Shuli into turmoil. She never imagined that the seemingly kind older sister would betray her younger uncle.

The Grand Uncle’s expression darkened at the mention of this. He immediately recalled the master they had consulted before.

That master had said Song Yushu’s destiny was one where countless women would aid him, helping him achieve great success and reach the pinnacle of power.

But they had never expected that among those women… was his younger brother’s fiancée.

The Grand Uncle’s face grew even more unpleasant. Earlier, he had felt that An’an’s behavior toward his grandmother had been impolite. But now, he wished An’an had kicked that woman a few times.

“Lili, we kept thinking that if we couldn’t solve these problems, we should temporarily avoid them and wait for things to settle.”

“But looking at things now, we can’t avoid them anymore.”

The Grand Uncle sighed helplessly. He had never imagined that one situation could become so difficult to handle.

“I understand.”

Hu Shuli stood up and walked over to An’an, taking the building block he handed her and placing it on top of the tower.

If she couldn’t avoid it, then she could only face it head-on.

Not just for herself, but for the sake of her family—she absolutely could not back down.

After a while, a servant came over and said that Grandma had woken up.

Hu Shuli hurriedly took An’an along to check on her.

After the old lady’s fall, her complexion didn’t look great. The doctor said she needed proper rest and care.

“Grandma, look—this is An’an.”

The elderly woman lying in bed was worried that her current appearance might frighten An An when she saw him. Just as she was about to ask someone to take him out, An An reached out his tiny hand and gently patted the back of hers.

“Po~”

“You can’t call her ‘Grandma’.”

Hu Shuli reminded him from the side. An An puffed up his cheeks, seeming a little dissatisfied.

The elderly woman liked seeing children full of energy. She struggled to take out a box from the cabinet and handed it to Hu Shuli, smiling as she said,

“A meeting gift.”

Previously, she hadn’t been able to visit Shuli due to her poor health, so this was the first time she was seeing the little one. A meeting gift was a must.

An An reached out and hugged the box to his chest. He revealed two tiny baby teeth in a happy grin, let out a giggle, and then politely said thank you.

Mr. Hu left early to return home and finalize the details of the first birthday banquet, leaving Hu Shuli and An An behind so they could spend more time with the elderly woman.

Fortunately, she had been sent to the hospital in time, so her condition wasn’t too severe. Now, she could even sit in a wheelchair and go out for some fresh air.

That morning, Hu Shuli thought the sunlight was nice—not too harsh—so she asked her grandmother’s opinion before having the caregiver help her into a wheelchair.

An An sat in a stroller pushed by the assistant, while Hu Shuli pushed her grandmother’s wheelchair, taking a stroll in the backyard under the sun. In An An’s chubby little hands was a green tangerine.

Leaning against the back of the stroller, his entire focus was on the tangerine in his hands. His plump little face was full of seriousness as he carefully peeled it, bit by bit.

Just as he finished peeling, Hu Shuli was about to take a break. An An carefully split the tangerine apart, handed the biggest half to his great-grandmother, set aside a small piece for himself, and gave the rest to his mother.

After distributing the pieces, An An eagerly stuffed a peeled segment into his mouth without hesitation.

Since it had taken him so long to peel the tangerine, now that he could finally eat it, he was in a bit of a hurry.

An An was very well-behaved and rarely made Hu Shuli worry about such things. He knew that many foods couldn’t just be put straight into his mouth. Every time he ate something with his hands, he would always first use his newly grown front teeth to take a careful bite.

As soon as he bit through the outer skin of the tangerine segment, juice flowed into his mouth. Just as he was about to enjoy it, the intense sourness made his whole body jolt, and his little face scrunched up into a wrinkled mess.

His tiny hands waved wildly in the air, and the tangerine was flung away—who knew where it landed.

“Wahhh!”

“Mama, Mama!”

Seeing him like this, Hu Shuli felt both pity and amusement. She struggled to suppress the urge to smile, lowered her head, pinched his chubby cheeks, and picked up the baby bottle filled with water, handing it to him.

“Have some water.”

The elderly woman, unwilling to believe it was that sour, took a taste herself. It was indeed sour, but not nearly as exaggerated as An An’s reaction.

Having her granddaughter and the little one with her, the elderly woman’s mood, which had been dampened by her hospital stay, unconsciously lightened a lot. Even during her follow-up checkups, the doctor said she was recovering well.

Maintaining a cheerful mood was far more effective than taking medicine.

After carefully reviewing the invitations, Mr. Hu sent them out. His business connections were all based in this city—it was impossible to avoid returning eventually.

Making this public within their social circle was the only way to ensure everyone knew An An was part of their family.

That’s why he took this matter so seriously. Whether it was his daughter or his grandson, they were both part of the Hu family and had nothing to do with that man.

Since neither a birth celebration nor a full-month banquet had been held when An An was born, this first birthday banquet was arranged with great extravagance.

Many people who received the invitations were confused—they hadn’t heard any news about a wedding.

Regardless of their thoughts, when the time came, they all arrived with well-prepared gifts.

The banquet was held at the city’s largest hotel, beautifully decorated for the occasion. Almost all of the elderly woman’s relatives attended.

Surprisingly, Hu Shuli’s unmarried uncle from the Huo family did not bring his fiancée with him today.

Before the banquet officially began, the venue became a networking hub, with people mostly discussing business and occasionally gossiping.

Since Hu Shuli hadn’t held a wedding, it meant the child’s surname was also Hu. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be the future heir.

After a long wait, the birthday banquet finally commenced. An An, dressed in a festively bright outfit, was carried into the hall by his grandfather.

He seemed to understand that he was the center of attention—his little chin was proudly lifted, making him look like an arrogant little peacock.

The banquet proceeded step by step until the highlight—Zhua Zhou, the traditional first birthday grabbing ceremony. An An was not greedy at all; he stuffed everything he deemed valuable into his clothes pockets.

Mr. Hu, watching from the side, twitched his forehead veins. No wonder An An had chosen this particular outfit today, out of all the fancy ones—this one looked rather ordinary.

The outfit wasn’t particularly stylish, but since An An was adorable, he looked good in anything.

The only advantage of this outfit was its large pockets, perfect for stuffing things inside—just as An An was doing now.

After pocketing everything he found valuable from the table, An An even gave his pockets a satisfied little pat before slowly crawling back.

It was the first time many people had seen such a greedy little child at a Zhua Zhou ceremony. But anyone with a brain knew better than to say anything negative on such an important occasion.

One after another, auspicious words were spoken—most praising the child, saying he would be capable and talented in the future.

Mr. Hu had initially been a little displeased, but after hearing all the well-wishes, he realized they had a point. His grandson truly was remarkable!

The first birthday banquet ended successfully. Mr. Hu and Hu Shuli carried An An as they bid farewell to several important guests.

By the time they were preparing to go home, the security guard mentioned that a man claiming to be the child’s father had been making a scene outside for a long time, but he was never let in.

Mr. Hu sneered and took his daughter and grandson home. He had anticipated such an incident in advance, so he had deliberately brought a large number of bodyguards.

After all, it was his little grandson’s first birthday—how could he let an ill-fated person ruin the mood?

No matter how strange Song Yushu was, as his nephews had said, Mr. Hu was never afraid of him. They were all mere mortals, not three-headed, six-armed beings.

On the way home, Mr. Hu asked Hu Shuli when she planned to go abroad.

Hu Shuli gently patted An’an’s back and thought for a while before speaking.

“Dad, I think… we shouldn’t leave this time.”

“Hm? Why?”

Mr. Hu didn’t understand why she suddenly changed her mind. He feared she still had lingering feelings for Song Yushu. If it weren’t for the fact that little An’an was already asleep, he would have reacted much more strongly.

“Hiding forever isn’t a solution. Besides, I don’t think I did anything wrong. Since I wasn’t at fault, why should I deliberately avoid this?”

Starting over abroad wasn’t a big deal, but what truly bothered Hu Shuli was the incompatibility with the new environment. The saying “people thrive best in their homeland” was true.

Many foreign customs and dietary habits were different from theirs. She felt guilty about making her father, at his age, adapt to a new environment just to follow her.

Moreover, after her grandmother fell seriously ill, Hu Shuli suddenly realized how fragile life was. No one could guarantee how much time the elderly had left.

She wanted to spend more time with her grandparents while they were still alive, rather than regretting it after they were gone.

Mr. Hu was silent for a while after hearing his daughter’s words, then he lightly nodded in agreement.

“That’s fine.”

“Dad, let’s take An’an to visit Mom another day.”

“Mm.”

An’an’s pockets were still stuffed with the items he had collected. The weight pressed against him, making his sleep particularly sound.

Inside the system space, the system carefully examined the current situation. Although An’an was still just a little one who ate and slept in cycles, the progress of the storyline tasks showed no signs of lagging.

The main plot had long deviated from its original course. The inappropriate relationship between the youngest uncle’s fiancée and Song Yushu had been exposed, and the annulment of the engagement would be announced soon.

Without the fiancée as leverage, Song Yushu had no way to use her to infiltrate and sabotage the Huo family’s business before attempting a takeover. Hu Shuli was also unwilling to make any more compromises for his career.

Mr. Hu had already done him a favor by not interfering in his business ventures, let alone offering any help.

On An’an’s first birthday, Song Yushu didn’t get to see him as he had hoped—he didn’t even get the chance to meet Hu Shuli.

Even though he had made a name for himself as a promising young man, he was still far from being on the same level as the powerful Hu family.

The more Song Yushu learned about this elite circle, the more he regretted his past decisions. If he had another chance, he would never have taken Hu Shuli so lightly.

Back then, she had been young and naive, with little experience in dealing with human deceit. Mr. Hu hadn’t allowed her to date, which made her even easier to deceive—not because she was easy prey, as he had once thought.

Initially, Song Yushu didn’t have any real feelings for Hu Shuli; she was merely a tool to be used. His goal had always been clear—he knew exactly what he wanted.

But after everything that had happened, his mindset had changed. His unwillingness to accept defeat deepened his emotions for Hu Shuli.

They already had a smart and adorable child together. Song Yushu knew very well that most women had soft hearts. He was convinced that if he could win over the child first, Hu Shuli would eventually compromise.

Once she gave in, no matter how much Mr. Hu opposed him, he would have to reluctantly accept the situation—for the sake of his only daughter.

…

As soon as Mr. Hu decided they would stay in the country, he immediately started making arrangements.

He had already announced Hu Shuli as his successor back then, and her impressive track record had earned her their support.

However, since she had been away for so many years, Mr. Hu felt she should first stay by his side for a while, gaining experience and proving herself before taking over.

Hu Shuli fully agreed with her father’s approach. She was not someone who sought an easy life—she was willing to take things one step at a time.

As for An’an, she had initially planned to leave him at home under the care of a nanny. But later, her grandmother volunteered to take care of him.

After all, there wasn’t much to keep her busy at home, and they had no shortage of nannies and childcare specialists.

Rather than calling it babysitting, it was more about wanting to spend time with their great-grandson.

Hu Shuli asked An’an for his opinion. Once he agreed, she packed up all his things and sent him over.

Although An’an had never been one to throw tantrums, Hu Shuli still reminded him not to disturb his great-grandmother, not wanting to cause trouble.

An’an nodded obediently, holding onto his favorite stuffed toy.

Coincidentally, Hu Shuli’s eldest aunt had been feeling bored at home recently. Her sons had all grown up but remained unmarried, leaving her envious whenever she saw others with grandchildren. She was more than happy to help take care of An’an.

The little boy was warmly welcomed into the household. His great-grandparents adored him—he was clever, well-behaved, and his only real flaw was his love for food.

Having An’an around seemed to make them feel younger.

Among everyone in the family, only his youngest great-uncle had a complicated expression when looking at him.

During a visit abroad, An’an had once placed a symbolic “green hat” on his head—a memory he still hadn’t lived down.

His heart was indeed complicated, but that didn’t stop him from doting on An An. Every time he got off work, he would make a point to bring this little guy a small gift. Seeing An An grin happily made him feel at ease.

As the youngest uncle, he wasn’t married yet and had no children of his own. He had seen his friends’ kids before—most of them were mischievous and noisy, giving him headaches.

By comparison, An An was like a little angel.

Hu Shuli would come over when she wasn’t busy after work. Seeing An An being pampered like a little prince, she turned her head, sat beside her grandmother, and deliberately put on a dissatisfied expression, complaining,

“Ever since An An came along, Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle don’t love me anymore.”

An An, who was sitting nearby holding the big orange that his little uncle had bought for him, had sharp ears and immediately heard this. He hurriedly carried the orange over to his mother.

“For you, Mama!”

An An wobbled as he walked, startling his little granduncle. Hu Shuli was momentarily stunned when she took the orange from her son, then suddenly realized—he had learned to walk on his own!

“Thank you, An An.”

“Bo-thank you!”

Hu Shuli had only been joking with her grandmother. How could she possibly compete with her own child for affection?

Seeing the people she loved cherish her child, just as they once cherished her, filled her with joy.

But it seemed like little An An always noticed her emotions the fastest and would patiently comfort her.

Thinking back on everything, Hu Shuli had many regrets—like not listening to her father and insisting on volunteering to teach in the countryside, or being deceived by Song Yushu’s sweet words, ignoring all the harsh realities.

She regretted being blinded by love and enduring so much hardship for a man who wasn’t worth it.

But the one thing she never regretted was giving birth to An An. With this little treasure in her life, every day was filled with joy.

Right now, An An was still eyeing the orange. Though he had given it away generously just a moment ago, his expression revealed a hint of reluctance.

He swallowed discreetly, turned his head away, and shut his eyes tightly as if that would stop his cravings.

Until today, Hu Shuli had only heard of “quenching thirst by imagining plums”—but she’d never heard of “not looking at plums to avoid thirst.”

She handed the orange back and exchanged a glance with her younger uncle.

Having grown up together, they shared an unspoken understanding. Her younger uncle pretended not to notice anything and waved at An An, saying,

“Come here, Granduncle will peel it for you.”

An An happily toddled back, handing the orange over before crouching down to wait, occasionally sucking in his saliva.

As he waited, he counted his fingers—not that he could actually count properly, but it didn’t stop him from pretending. He seemed to be thinking about how to divide the orange once it was peeled.

Hu Shuli didn’t know how to describe her emotions at that moment. She knew An An loved her, but she hadn’t expected him to love her this much.

Just because of her casual remark, he had been so anxious that he had managed to walk—and quite fast, too!

Unfortunately, the next day, it seemed An An had completely forgotten how to walk. No matter how his granduncle or his mother encouraged him, his little face was full of confusion, as if he had never walked before.

Perhaps because they spent too much time trying to teach him, the little guy started to get impatient.

But Hu Shuli wasn’t in a hurry. An An’s premature birth had always been a worry for her, so no matter what happened, she kept reminding herself to be patient. It was okay to take things slow—better to wait until his body developed properly.

Lately, her great-grandmother’s condition had worsened, and she had been sent back to the hospital. Since then, An An had mostly been in the care of his younger granduncle, who wasn’t busy with work and had recently become addicted to babysitting, even pushing most of his tasks onto his assistant.

That day, the younger granduncle decided to take An An to the mall to look at kids’ jackets.

Before taking care of An An, he had never thought of himself as a shopaholic. But now, he wished he could dress the little guy in the best-looking clothes in the world.

At the mall, he carried An An in a textbook-perfect posture. An An, aware that they were shopping for his clothes, would occasionally voice his opinions.

When they got tired, the younger granduncle found a café to rest. An An sat on a soft leather sofa, staring at a cake and drooling.

Suddenly, a woman sat down across from them.

The younger granduncle had been watching An An drool, fully aware that he couldn’t let the little rascal eat any café desserts.

Just then, the woman spoke.

“Hos, I know I was wrong. We grew up together—do you really have to be this ruthless?”

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Hos lifted his head to glance at her, his eyes flashing with a moment of disgust.

“Sorry, but I don’t want a fiancée who spends the night at a hotel with a ‘just a friend.'”

Fortunately, he had managed to suppress that scandal before it spread, or else he would have been utterly humiliated.

The woman’s face turned slightly awkward at his words. Just then, the waiter brought over their coffee. She accepted it and handed it to Hos.

“I just wanted to apologize.”

As she spoke, her hand trembled, and the coffee accidentally spilled onto Hos’s shirt. He instinctively stood up.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“I didn’t mean to! Let me help you clean up.”

She grabbed some napkins to help, but Hos immediately stepped away. Every time she moved forward, he took a step back, making it clear he wanted nothing to do with her.

Meanwhile, little An An still hadn’t figured out what was going on.

Just then, Song Yushu pushed open the café door and walked in.

The moment An An spotted the person he didn’t like, he immediately slid off the sofa and shuffled his way toward his younger granduncle.

As he ran, he kept mumbling,

“Me, Uncle, and Mama! Uncle!”

Notes:

—Zhua Zhou (抓周) is a Chinese first-birthday tradition where a child picks an item, symbolizing their future interests or career.