Chapter 95

A pitiful little dinosaur, so adorable it softened everyone’s heart—even Grandma Huo, who had initially worn a less-than-pleasant expression, relaxed a little, afraid that she might scare him into crying.

An An, looking deeply wronged, was rubbing the spot on his face where his father had just kissed him, as if he’d just been assaulted.

Huo Haozhan stood to the side and cleared his throat twice. Being so obviously disliked in front of others made him feel a little embarrassed.

But An An was just too cute, and Huo Haozhan couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh. On top of that, this was his own son—he had no choice but to accept it.

Su Xiaoyu, holding a cup of tea, took a leisurely sip and spoke with a gentle smile:

“Haozhan-ge, why does this little one seem distant from you? He’s not as lively as Nian Nian. Before I left home, Nian Nian was still asking if he could come with me.”

“Haozhan-ge, didn’t you promise Nian Nian last time you’d take him to the amusement park? He’s been thinking about it nonstop and pestering me every day.”

“I didn’t bring him today, and he cried for ages, saying he hated Mommy for liking Uncle.”

Huo Haozhan had no memory of this promise whatsoever. He couldn’t recall ever agreeing to such a thing.

Just as he was about to deny it, Su Xiaoyu spoke again:

“Oh right, I almost forgot—I didn’t mean to bring this up, but I met a well-known doctor overseas. He’s spent many years studying cases like An An’s, and he’s already helped two children recover.”

“If you have time, why not take An An to see him?”

Not long ago, An An had a high fever that nearly left him brain-damaged. This had always been a lingering pain in Bai Yiyi’s heart.

She constantly blamed herself for not taking better care of An An, and when it first happened, she suffered through several sleepless nights out of guilt.

She kept replaying the incident over and over, wishing she could go back to that day and change things.

“Really? Which doctor? Do we need to make an appointment in advance?”

At that moment, Bai Yiyi didn’t care that the woman in front of her was once her romantic rival. All she cared about was getting An An the help he needed.

Hearing this, Su Xiaoyu’s lips curled in a triumphant smile. She put on an understanding expression and patiently replied:

“Of course it’s true—how could I lie about something like this? Before I returned to China, I already scheduled an appointment with him. It’s just that…”

She paused here, clearly trying to build suspense.

No matter how clumsy the manipulation or acting, it couldn’t stand up to the overwhelming guilt and love Bai Yiyi felt for her son.

Even if she knew it was a trap, she would still walk right into it with open eyes. Anxiously, she pressed:

“Just that what?”

“Just that the doctor also has a child of his own to take care of, so you might need to travel overseas to see him.”

“That’s fine, no problem. I’ll take An An with me.”

Bai Yiyi was almost trembling with excitement. To her, any chance—no matter how slim—was worth trying.

But Grandma Huo frowned and interjected:

“What doctor? How come I’ve never heard of him? And you’re going to take An An there yourself? Do you speak a foreign language? Can you guarantee you’ll be able to communicate properly with the doctor abroad?”

“Have you ever been abroad? Do you have any experience? Do you know the procedures for getting treatment in a foreign hospital?”

“Can you guarantee that An An, who’s never even been on a plane, will make it there safely to see the doctor?”

Every word landed like a blow to Bai Yiyi’s heart, exposing all her weaknesses in front of everyone. She bit her lower lip and gently shook her head.

Bai Yiyi was just an ordinary girl from an ordinary family. She’d never left the country, and her foreign language skills were limited to what she’d learned for school exams—nowhere near fluent.

“If you haven’t figured anything out, what are you getting involved for? Rushing in without a plan will only lead to chaos!”

After scolding Bai Yiyi, Grandma Huo noticed An An in her arms staring at her with wide, innocent eyes—clearly frightened by her harsh tone.

With no sense of security, An An clung tightly to his mother’s arm. Bai Yiyi gently patted his back with her free hand.

This child had a timid nature and needed to be comforted at the slightest upset; otherwise, if he started crying, he’d be even harder to soothe.

Seeing this only made Grandma Huo feel even more displeased with Bai Yiyi.

She knew Bai Yiyi didn’t have bad intentions, but she just couldn’t stand that ever-wronged look of hers—it made her feel like the villain.

Su Xiaoyu hadn’t expected Grandma Huo to bring up all these issues either. Her smile visibly faded as she tried to continue:

“When I was living overseas, that doctor was my neighbor. He told me about a lot of similar cases, and he’s helped many children recover. According to him, the younger the child, the better the chances of recovery.”

“What’s his name? I’ll have my assistant look into him.”

Huo Haozhan finally spoke. After saying this, he quickly turned to Bai Yiyi to explain, afraid she’d think he didn’t want to help his son.

“I’ll have my assistant do some background checks. If everything checks out, we’ll go together to take An An there—or we’ll try to bring the doctor here.”

Bai Yiyi nodded softly. Holding An An’s tiny hand, she felt the warmth that didn’t belong to her, and the anxiety that had been weighing on her heart began to ease.

As long as there was hope, that was enough. What parent would want their child to live as a fool forever? Even though she had already prepared herself to care for him for life, she’d still grasp at any hope of a cure.

Everyone in the room now had their eyes on Su Xiaoyu, waiting for her answer.

Even the little dinosaur in Bai Yiyi’s arms was staring at her.

Feeling the pressure of so many eyes on her, Su Xiaoyu took another sip of water before replying:

“Well… actually, I’m not entirely sure. I’ll contact Haozhan-ge again once things are confirmed.”

“I’ve been back in the country for a while now and haven’t been in touch with him, so I’m not sure about his recent schedule.”

She added this explanation as if to reassure them, but the more she spoke that way, the more it invited suspicion.

Huo Haozhan really didn’t want to be involved with Su Xiaoyu any more than necessary, not even for his son’s sake.

Just one sentence from her had earned him several discreet, angry glares from the little dinosaur—who clearly thought he was being sneaky.

That fierce little face was like a child who had just caught his dad cheating.

One sentence and his already tenuous relationship with his son had worsened. If things got any more complicated, winning his son’s affection would be even harder.

Grandma Huo seemed to sense his dilemma and stepped in to take over.

“Xiaoyu, I watched you grow up. If there’s any progress on this, just contact me directly. Haozhan is busy with work—he doesn’t have the time or energy to handle this.”

Huo Haozhan nodded quickly in agreement with his mother’s words.

“Yes, I’ve still got work to deal with at the company, so I’ll get going.”

He had originally planned to stay home with his wife and son today, but with a guest in the house, he felt uncomfortable no matter where he stood.

“Be careful on the road.”

Grandma Huo didn’t try to stop him. After he left, she casually found an excuse to send Bai Yiyi off to prepare some food for An An, then took Su Xiaoyu out to the garden in the back—clearly planning to get some answers about the doctor.

Even though she often urged Bai Yiyi to have a second child and didn’t seem particularly invested in An An, now that there was a chance he might recover, she couldn’t help but feel a spark of excitement.

The little dinosaur thought his outfit today looked amazing, and no matter what, he refused to change out of it. His chubby little hands kept tugging at his own tail.

Bai Yiyi didn’t want to go against the child’s wishes over such small matters, so she didn’t change his clothes. Instead, she placed An’an in the crib in the kitchen while she took ingredients out of the fridge to prepare his complementary food.

That bout of high fever had caused An’an to lag behind in development compared to normal children.

He was nearly a year old, yet still only drinking formula. It was only recently, after following the doctor’s advice, that they started adding complementary food in moderation.

Worried that An’an’s digestive system might not handle it well, Bai Yiyi made the food very fine, sifting it multiple times before mixing it into rice cereal.

An’an clumsily tried to feed himself with a small spoon.

Even though he was still very young, he already wanted to do things by himself.

Bai Yiyi gently wrapped his tiny hand in hers, correcting his improper grip.

She loved her child deeply and didn’t want to raise someone who would be completely dependent on her.

As long as there was no danger and An’an wanted to try something, she would never stop him.

The little guy, tasting complementary food for the first time, smacked his lips after the first bite, seemingly savoring the unfamiliar flavor.

“Waa~”

“Is it yummy?”

Bai Yiyi asked with a smile. She was merely communicating in her own way, never actually expecting a response from An’an.

The doctor had said An’an’s long-lasting fever might allow for some intellectual development as he aged, perhaps becoming slightly more intelligent.

But his maximum potential intelligence was still limited. Even with the best care, he might only ever reach the mental level of a five-year-old.

The little dinosaur, very pleased with the complementary food, nodded seriously and tried to feed himself a second spoonful.

When Bai Yiyi saw An’an nod, she was stunned for a moment. She didn’t snap out of it until she saw him almost tipping over the bowl, at which point she hurried to steady it for him.

She wasn’t sure if An’an’s reaction just now was real or just a coincidence.

With this doubt in mind, Bai Yiyi asked again after he took a second spoonful:

“Is it yummy?”

The little dinosaur, clearly aware he’d already answered, replied with a perfunctory “mm” before digging into the next bite.

That response chilled the hope that had just sparked in Bai Yiyi’s heart. Still, she forced herself to smile.

She was probably just overthinking it. How could An’an possibly respond to her like that?

Trying rice cereal with fruit for the first time, An’an finished every last bite. Even though Bai Yiyi felt drained, for the sake of his health, she forced herself to play with him for a bit.

His digestive system wasn’t fully developed either, and the doctor had advised against sleeping right after eating—he needed at least half an hour.

After tiring himself out, An’an fell asleep in his mother’s arms. Bai Yiyi adjusted the stuffed toy he was holding.

She couldn’t even remember when she had bought him that stuffed animal, but ever since she could recall, An’an had clung to it every night to sleep.

The toy’s nose was already a bit worn out, but he still refused to replace it. Even an identical one wouldn’t do—without it, he couldn’t fall asleep.

From hope to disappointment, Bai Yiyi felt emotionally complicated and had no energy to do anything else.

So she simply stood on the balcony, staring into the distance, letting her mind go blank. It made her feel a little better.

Granny Huo had a long chat with Su Xiaoyu and finally found out the name of that doctor and the hospital where he currently worked.

They had someone look into it, and it turned out he was indeed a pediatrician, and had successfully treated several children with the same condition as An’an.

Say what you will about Su Xiaoyu—at least in this matter, she hadn’t lied.

Huo Haozhan came home at five in the evening. After confirming Su Xiaoyu had already left, he went straight to the room where An’an usually played.

The incident with the nanny had left a significant shadow in Bai Yiyi’s heart.

Even though they could now be certain the remaining nanny wouldn’t do something like that again, she still didn’t feel safe entrusting An’an to anyone else. She preferred to take care of him herself.

Even if An’an disappeared from her line of sight for just a moment, Bai Yiyi would start to panic.

Most importantly, judging by his behavior, An’an also seemed to prefer his mother’s company.

Bai Yiyi’s way of doing things didn’t sit well with Granny Huo in many aspects—she was nothing like the ideal daughter-in-law she had imagined. But in terms of patience, even Granny Huo had to admit admiration.

She could spend an entire afternoon playing dull puzzles with An’an without ever losing her temper.

When Huo Haozhan opened the door and walked in, he saw his son still wearing the same little dinosaur onesie from that morning, holding a toy car in his chubby hand, a satisfied smile on his pudgy little face.

Bai Yiyi was in home clothes, a soft, gentle smile on her lips as she played toy cars with An’an.

The sound of the door made both mother and son look up at the same time, and Huo Haozhan had the same thought as before—his arrival seemed to interrupt their peaceful, close bond.

An’an clutched the toy car tighter and hugged it to his chest, as if worried his dad would take it away again like last time.

Seeing this little motion, Huo Haozhan felt a strange mix of amusement and helplessness. Regardless of everything else, how could he possibly steal toys from his own son?

The last time An’an thought he was taking his puzzle blocks—it had just been a misunderstanding.

Bai Yiyi picked up An’an and sat down on the swing chair nearby, casually grabbing a book from the shelf and placing it on An’an’s lap so he could flip through it with his little hands.

Then she looked up and asked Huo Haozhan:

“Why are you back again today?”

Even though this was technically his home too, the tone in Bai Yiyi’s question clearly implied that his return was a rare occurrence.

Which, truthfully, it was. But Huo Haozhan still felt a strange, hard-to-describe emotion stir inside him.

“I came to check on An’an. There’s no progress yet from the police. I had my assistant investigate the nanny and her relatives’ recent financial transactions—there haven’t been any unexplained large sums of money.”

If things remained as they seemed now, then perhaps what the nanny had confessed was true—that she held a grudge because the child was naughty, and deliberately tried to sabotage the father-son relationship.

Bai Yiyi held An’an in her arms, looked up to meet Huo Haozhan’s eyes, and asked:

“Do you believe that?”

Of course, Huo Haozhan didn’t.

One, because the child she was talking about was his own son—he was naturally biased. No matter how hard one tries, it’s impossible to be completely objective.

Two, An’an had just recently been diagnosed by doctors as likely to suffer long-term intellectual delays—possibly even becoming mentally disabled. How could a “fool” do something so calculated?

In the end, the nanny had simply gone too far—so far that even a child diagnosed as developmentally delayed had been provoked into speaking out.

“But we don’t have any evidence yet. So making her pay for it will be difficult.”

“It’s okay.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep digging into this. I won’t let An’an suffer unjustly.”

Hearing this, An’an waved his little hands happily in the air, looking incredibly pleased.

Even though someone had wrongly accused him, this little guy was still grinning like a fool.

Huo Haozhan didn’t dislike An’an for it. If anything, he felt even more sorry for him.

His anger toward the nanny—for intentionally slandering a little boy believed to be mentally delayed—reached a new level.

How could anyone bully a little fool like that?

If An’an hadn’t been pushed to the point of suddenly speaking out that day, Huo Haozhan would probably still be misunderstanding his son’s feelings, thinking he didn’t want him home—and might have left that very night.

Huo Haozhan squatted down in front of An’an and gently held his little hand, which was flipping through a book.

An’an’s body stiffened. His gaze shifted from his own hand to the large one holding it, then slowly followed the arm upward until he saw Huo Haozhan’s face.

Just a moment ago, his face had been bright with joy from playing with his mom—but now, it collapsed instantly. He turned his head away and buried it in his mother’s arms, pulling his hand back.

“This little fool… how come he never tattles when someone bullies him?”

Bai Yiyi didn’t like anyone speaking badly about her son—even if that person was An’an’s father.

Since An’an still had trouble speaking, it naturally fell to her, as his mother, to speak up for him.

“He’s still little. He couldn’t even talk until recently—how would he tell on someone?”

Huo Haozhan realized, belatedly, how dumb his question had been. He cleared his throat and sat down next to Bai Yiyi.

The little dinosaur feet that had been sprawled every which way now subtly curled in her direction.

Huo Haozhan wasn’t naive enough to think An’an was intentionally making room for him. All he felt was that his son seemed to dislike him even more than he’d imagined.

“Did I… do something to hurt him before?”

Compared to Huo Haozhan, Bai Yiyi, who had been with An’an every day, obviously understood this little dinosaur better.

Even though others often said An’an was just a silly little fool, Bai Yiyi never believed it—or perhaps, she just refused to see her son that way.

“An’an isn’t as silly as you think. He’s probably mad because he heard Miss Su say you were taking her son to the amusement park. From the moment he was born until now, you haven’t taken him out to play even once.”

If it were about herself, Bai Yiyi wouldn’t have cared that much. But when it came to her son, even the most easygoing person would get petty.

An’an had been born prematurely and started his life in an incubator. Even as he grew a little older, he remained hospitalized.

Just when his body finally began recovering, he came down with a high fever that caused lasting issues.

Bai Yiyi treated him like a precious jewel. He barely had the chance to even leave the house.

Huo Haozhan thought back carefully. He really had never taken An’an out—not even for a walk in the park near their home.

“So petty, huh? Holding a grudge against his own dad.”

Huo Haozhan reached out again, trying to pull An’an closer, and finally managed to push the little dinosaur over the edge.

Tiny fists balled up and pounded hard on Huo Haozhan. Before he could react, An’an gave him a sharp kick.

Fists and feet flying, the boy launched a full combo attack on Huo Haozhan, leaving both him and Bai Yiyi dumbstruck.

When he was done, An’an held out his little fist to his mom. Bai Yiyi could tell he wanted her to blow on it to ease the pain.

Her brain hadn’t even caught up yet, but her body moved on reflex.

“You hit me, hurt your own hand, and now you want Mommy to blow on it? Have you no shame?” Huo Haozhan grumbled.

Why hadn’t he noticed before how full of tricks this little guy was?

An’an didn’t know how to respond, so he just leaned into his mom’s arms and pretended to fall asleep, acting like he knew nothing at all.

He’d worn himself out with the beating and needed a nap—and of course, Mommy had to hold him while he slept. Completely reasonable.

Curled up against Bai Yiyi’s chest, the little dinosaur felt completely fearless. He even wagged his “tail” smugly in front of Huo Haozhan, who angrily reached out and gave it a tug.

An’an felt the pull, glanced out of the corner of his eye to confirm it was his dad, and kicked him again without hesitation.

Bai Yiyi could feel that her son had put all his strength into that kick. She had to fight the urge to smile, turning her head quickly so she could pretend she hadn’t seen anything.

Seeing the gap growing wider between himself and both his wife and son, Huo Haozhan felt it was necessary to explain.

“I never agreed to take Su Xiaoyu’s kid to the amusement park.”

The little dinosaur pretending to be dead on her chest suddenly sat bolt upright.

“Hmm?”

Facing those big, dark eyes of his son, Huo Haozhan suddenly felt a surprising amount of pressure.

“Su Xiaoyu once told me her husband used to beat her and Niannian. When he got drunk, he even tried to sell Niannian. Because my mom and Su Xiaoyu’s mom have been friends since they were little, I occasionally went over to help.”

“That man… well, I was partially responsible for what happened back then.”

An’an was curious about this part. He tugged on his dad’s shirt, hoping to hear more, but judging by Huo Haozhan’s expression, he wasn’t planning to say much else.

“Yiyi, you know my mom’s always liked Su Xiaoyu since she was a kid. She used to invite her over to our house all the time. When she heard how her husband mistreated her, she asked me to help if I could.”

Bai Yiyi had always known her mother-in-law didn’t like her—because Su Xiaoyu had always been the daughter-in-law she’d envisioned. Bai Yiyi’s appearance had thrown all her plans into disarray.

So when she heard this, she wasn’t surprised. Her mother-in-law hadn’t really done anything else—asking her son to help a childhood friend who was being abused seemed reasonable.

The logic was sound. Bai Yiyi understood. But that didn’t mean it was easy to accept.

“Later, with my mom’s help, Su Xiaoyu finally divorced that man. The child stayed with her too. After the divorce, I never met with her privately again—much less promised to take her kid to the amusement park.”

After clearing that up, Huo Haozhan noticed Bai Yiyi rubbing her arm and reached over to take the little dinosaur from her arms.

This time, An’an only struggled a little, then went limp in his dad’s arms.

Holding that soft, chubby, milk-scented body gave Huo Haozhan such a warm, full feeling that he couldn’t resist nuzzling his nose into the boy’s hair.

An’an pushed his big head away in disgust, pinky finger sticking up high, trying to minimize contact as much as possible.

“Besides, even if I were going to an amusement park, it’d be with my own precious son.”

“Right, An’an?”

The little dinosaur said nothing, clutching his tail, but the slight twitch at the corners of his lips—despite his best efforts to hide it—made it obvious he was very pleased by that answer.

“I’ll talk to Mom about this. Now that Su Xiaoyu’s divorced, even just to avoid gossip, we shouldn’t be interacting like before.”

Huo Haozhan hadn’t known the real issue before, which was why he’d unknowingly done things that hurt his wife and son.

But now that he did understand, if he continued to act clueless, he’d be nothing but a jerk.

Besides, his mom had only asked him to help because of her long-standing friendship with Su Xiaoyu’s mom, and out of pity for Su Xiaoyu’s miserable marriage. She wasn’t someone who couldn’t tell right from wrong.

“Why are you suddenly telling me all this today?”

In the past, every time Bai Yiyi had wanted to ask, she didn’t know where to start. Taking care of a child like An’an had already consumed most of her energy. Over time, she’d lost the heart to bring it up at all.

Compared to an adult like Huo Haozhan, it was only natural that her young child would need more of her care.

Huo Haozhan squeezed An’an’s little hand and glanced at his wife. An’an took the opportunity to punch him in the chin with his free hand.

Bai Yiyi burst out laughing at An’an’s completely unhesitating and decisive move—and finally understood.

“You’re afraid An’an will hold a grudge?”

“And afraid you will.”

Before that high fever, things between them had been pretty good. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have gotten married in the first place.

Now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, there wasn’t much resentment left in their hearts.

The little dinosaur was at that age when he was full of energy and couldn’t sit still. It wasn’t long before he wriggled out of Huo Haozhan’s arms and went off to play.

The playroom floor was covered in thick carpet, so there was no need to worry about An’an catching a chill while crawling around. All the sharp edges of the furniture had been child-proofed, so he could play freely and happily here.

The little dinosaur lay on the floor working on a puzzle, fitting the pieces in one by one. Every time he placed one correctly, he would clap his hands to praise himself.

An’an was well cared for—his tiny hands were pale and fair, forming a sharp contrast with the bright puzzle pieces.

Having learned his lesson from last time, Huo Haozhan sat down beside An’an this time and quietly kept him company.

When An’an got tired of playing and saw that half the puzzle was still undone, he generously pushed it toward his father, who had been watching the whole time, then decisively turned and crawled toward his mother.

He’d always been looked after by his mother and was very close and dependent on her—practically like a piece of clingy candy that couldn’t be shaken off.

Worried that Huo Haozhan might not understand what An’an meant and might upset the little one again, Bai Yiyi picked An’an up and gently reminded him:

“An’an wants you to finish the puzzle.”

“Oh, right.”

The puzzle, which was a bit challenging for a toddler, was nothing to an adult like Huo Haozhan. He quickly completed it and even handed it to An’an for inspection, wanting him to confirm there were no problems.

Unexpectedly, An’an just clung tightly to his mother’s clothes, buried his head in her arms, and kicked the air angrily.

He hated adults who liked to show off in front of him the most!

“He’s probably hungry.”

Kids should eat small, frequent meals. Normally by this time, An’an would’ve had some formula. They were running a bit late today.

“Let Daddy hold you for a bit, and Mommy will go get your food ready, okay?”

The little dinosaur reluctantly sprawled on his daddy’s shoulder. Even though it wasn’t Huo Haozhan’s first time holding him, he was still nervous, carefully wrapping An’an in his arms.

He was afraid of holding too tightly and hurting him, but also scared of holding too loosely and dropping him. Just fretting over this was enough to make sweat bead on his forehead.

Going downstairs, he was even more cautious, terrified the little guy would sucker punch him again if he wasn’t paying attention.

It wouldn’t matter much if he fell, but if he dropped the little ancestor in his arms, there’d be hell to pay.

Sensing his dad’s nervousness, An’an reached out and idly tugged at his ear.

He might be little, but he wasn’t dumb—if he kicked now and they both fell, he’d be the one getting hurt too.

Downstairs, Bai Yiyi was still preparing An’an’s baby food. After finishing up and checking the time, she realized it was already a bit late and rushed off to apologize to her mother-in-law.

“Mom, dinner might be a bit late today.”

Huo’s mother called Huo Haozhan over to sit beside her. Glancing coldly toward the kitchen where Bai Yiyi was, she said with a frosty tone:

“We have a chef at home. If you don’t have time to cook dinner next time, just give the chef a heads-up. What, are you trying to starve me?”

“There’s a chef in the house—don’t reduce yourself to such a worthless state.”

Bai Yiyi was flustered by the scolding, her face flushed as she went to the other kitchen to call the chef.

Seeing this, Huo Haozhan was worried she might go off and feel wronged on her own somewhere. He wanted to check on her, but he still had a kid in his arms.

After a moment’s thought, he just stuffed the little one into his mother’s arms.

When he entered the kitchen, Bai Yiyi’s eyes were indeed red. When she saw him, she turned her head away, trying to hide her disheveled state.

Even though she felt terribly wronged from hunger, she still continued preparing the baby food for An’an without pausing.

“Mom didn’t mean to scold you specifically—she’s just like that. She has a very strict sense of time, and she’s got a pretty severe case of OCD. It’s only gotten a little better with help from a therapist.”

Even Huo Haozhan didn’t really understand why. After all these years living together as a family, he figured minor flaws like that could be tolerated.

Besides, compared to how serious it used to be, she was much better now. At least it didn’t interfere with normal life anymore.

He remembered back in middle school, he overslept one day and messed up his mother’s schedule. She had a complete meltdown, pulling at her hair and screaming like a lunatic in the living room.

Later, with help from a therapist, it never got that extreme again.

Like with dinner—if the planned mealtime was missed, she would get furious and lash out with harsh words just to vent her frustration.

After listening to Huo Haozhan’s explanation, Bai Yiyi was a little stunned. When she came to, she asked:

“So… what you’re saying is, Mom just needs to eat at the scheduled time, and it doesn’t matter who cooks?”

She had been scolded many times over late meals and had always assumed it was because her mother-in-law didn’t like her and was deliberately making things difficult.

But now, it seemed like the truth might be quite different from what she thought.

“Yeah.”

After getting this answer, Bai Yiyi felt conflicted. Her movements slowed noticeably as she continued preparing An’an’s food.

Back in the living room, when Huo’s mother was suddenly handed the little dinosaur, her body instantly stiffened.

She wasn’t the only one nervous—An’an was, too. Especially when he saw his grandma’s stern expression, he sat tensely, picking at his fingers.

After a while, the wait dragged on and An’an got a little bored. He squirmed and let out a babyish “Waa~” in his milky voice.

The sound drew Huo’s mother’s attention, and the little guy nodded in satisfaction. She glared at him, and An’an’s little face immediately fell.

A bit dumb, perhaps, but he was good at reading faces. Just tagging along behind future siblings might actually work out for him.

Tired of sitting, the little dinosaur leaned into his grandma’s arms, as if terrified she’d scold him. He even shut his eyes in an exaggerated display.

Even when Huo’s mother poked his chubby cheek, An’an’s long lashes quivered but his eyes stayed shut. His shameless “dead pig doesn’t fear boiling water” act left her both amused and exasperated.

“Open your eyes. I’m not going to scold you.”

As soon as she said it, the little dinosaur curiously looked up at her, blinking his big, innocent eyes.

Huo’s mother hadn’t even had the chance to say anything else when Huo Haozhan suddenly burst out of the kitchen, phone in hand, hurrying outside.

Bai Yiyi followed closely behind, her face pale. Her hand hovered mid-air as if wanting to stop him, but in the end, she let it fall.

The whole sudden development left An’an staring wide-eyed in shock.