Chapter 99

From the moment Bai Yiyi left the house with her mother-in-law, her thoughts had been preoccupied with An’an. Even while shopping, she was clearly distracted and uneasy.

Huo Haozhan didn’t have much experience taking care of a child before, and even though there were nannies at home, it didn’t guarantee An’an would be well looked after.

What’s more, An’an’s development had always been slower than most children’s. If Huo Haozhan gave him something he shouldn’t eat, it could mean another trip to the hospital and more suffering.

The more she thought about it, the more anxious Bai Yiyi became. She couldn’t wait to get home and see how things were going.

She could understand her mother-in-law’s intention, but as a mother, she simply couldn’t relax.

Once Huo’s mother noticed what she was thinking, she didn’t drag her around any longer. They headed home early so she could still catch her usual lunchtime.

If it were her own daughter, she would’ve taken her straight out on a trip and dumped everything at home on Huo Haozhan, let him get a taste of the hardships of parenting.

But she was only a daughter-in-law. There were many things she couldn’t do too harshly. She still had to consider Bai Yiyi’s feelings and perspective.

When they walked in and heard An’an’s tearful little voice, Bai Yiyi’s heart broke immediately. She rushed over and scooped him into her arms without even glancing at Huo Haozhan.

Huo’s mother gave a sharp glare at Huo Haozhan standing there and said coldly and with disdain,
“You’re a grown man. How can you still not manage to take care of a child?”

Faced with the double disapproval of both his mother and wife, Huo Haozhan felt truly aggrieved. He’d been busy the whole morning, trying his best to look after An’an wherever he could.

After Bai Yiyi took over caring for An’an, Huo Haozhan let out a deep sigh of relief and collapsed on the sofa to rest.

When he held his head and thought things over carefully, he had to admit—he really hadn’t done a great job. An’an had cried twice, and then he’d patted him until he spit up milk.

The more he thought about it, the more guilty he felt. He was secretly grateful that An’an was still too young to speak—if he could complain, his mother wouldn’t have just stopped at scolding him.

An’an wasn’t particularly uncomfortable or upset. He just missed his mother after not seeing her for so long. Smelling her familiar scent, he sniffled and gave a little shiver.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. Mommy promises not to leave you at home alone again, okay?”

Whether An’an actually understood or not, he stopped crying as soon as she said this. After thinking it over seriously, he wrapped his arms around her neck and gave her a kiss.

The little devil who had tormented him all morning was suddenly the most obedient angel in front of Bai Yiyi. The more Huo Haozhan looked, the more stifled he felt.

Huo’s mother nudged him with her elbow and lowered her voice,
“Jealous?”

He was an adult, after all, so Huo Haozhan nodded honestly—he really was jealous.

Back when he hadn’t spent time with An’an, all he knew was that he had a son. But after spending some time together, he truly wanted to build a good relationship with him.

Especially when An’an snuggled up, wanting hugs and kisses—he wanted that kind of closeness more than ever.

“Ever since An’an came back from the hospital, Yiyi has handled everything herself. Even when he’s asleep, she stays by his side.”

With Bai Yiyi’s personality, she would never tell Huo Haozhan about all she’s done.
But Huo’s mother would.

If no one knows about your effort, then it might as well not exist at all.

Before, Huo Haozhan didn’t understand how tiring it was to take care of a child. With the help of nannies at home, he didn’t grasp what his mother had been trying to tell him.

But after experiencing the hardship of looking after little An’an today, her words finally hit home.

“Mom, don’t we have nannies at home…”

Huo Haozhan didn’t mean anything bad by it—he just felt Bai Yiyi worked too hard, cooking and caring for the child every day. They had several nannies at home who could help ease her burden.

His mother had taught him since young: if something can be done by the nanny, don’t snatch it for yourself. They pay the nannies every month—this was their job.

This one sentence made Huo’s mother once again sigh at how differently they thought.

“Come, follow me to the study.”

She used to scoff when her friends said that once you have a child, they’re your burden for life. She never believed it, even sneered at the idea.

Burden? They’re adults—what, are they supposed to cling to their moms forever? She could just pack up and go travel; there’s no way Huo Haozhan would follow her abroad.

But everything she’d experienced recently made her realize—those women might have had a point.

Even now, with Huo Haozhan married and raising a family of his own, whenever he needed her help, she couldn’t say no. She just had to grit her teeth and step in.

“Alright.”

In the kitchen, the cook had already started preparing lunch. The nanny helping Bai Yiyi care for An’an had finished making his baby food. Bai Yiyi took An’an to a sunny spot to feed him.

An’an opened his mouth wide, waiting for his mother to feed him like a little baby bird. His chubby face was full of satisfaction as he chewed.

To Bai Yiyi, watching her son eat so happily was the greatest affirmation of her cooking skills.

Upstairs in the study, Huo’s mother decided to have a serious conversation with her son.

Maybe the issues between her daughter-in-law and son weren’t just about Su Xiaoyu. She might only be one piece of a bigger problem.

“Haozhan, I really regret things now.”

“Mm? What’s wrong, Mom? Why bring this up all of a sudden?”

In Huo Haozhan’s memory, his mother would sometimes do things completely contrary to her usual nature. He was used to it by now.

But seeing her actually admit fault like this was rare—he’d never seen it before.

Despite giving his mother so much to worry about over the years, Huo Haozhan was still a filial son.

If anything, he would rather she never admitted any mistakes at all—even if she was wrong.

“I feel guilty. I got you the best teachers, but I never taught you anything about day-to-day life.”

Huo’s mother sat there with a sigh, looking like she had aged several years in an instant.

Life skills? Huo Haozhan didn’t think he lacked that. But seeing her like this, he didn’t dare talk back. He just sat quietly and listened.

“Do you know why I didn’t support you and Yiyi being together at first?”

“Because you liked Xiaoyu more?”

Huo Haozhan had only started distancing himself from Su Xiaoyu after his mom jokingly tried to match them up back in high school.

He wasn’t about to sacrifice his whole life just to please his mom’s preferences.

Even back then, clueless as he was, he knew he had absolutely no feelings for Su Xiaoyu.

Later, to avoid misunderstandings, he even kept his distance from her at school.

Huo’s mother had just been playing the part of the selfless, traditional mother. Now, after hearing that, she couldn’t help herself—she reached over and gave his ear a hard twist.

“Hey hey, Mom! That hurts!”

At this point, Huo Haozhan didn’t care about saving face. His ear was genuinely in pain.

Huo’s mother seriously suspected that he must have been switched at birth in the hospital. Otherwise, how could she have raised someone like this?

“I liked Xiaoyu because of your Aunt Su. Between a friend’s daughter and my own son—do you really think I can’t tell which one is more important?”

She had never imagined that, in her own son’s heart, she was a mother who couldn’t distinguish between closeness and distance.

“Why, Mom?”

Huo Haozhan covered his ears—his mother didn’t hold back at all when she pulled them. It hurt, really hurt, like she was trying to kill him.

“Have you ever considered reality? Didn’t you think that proposing to Yiyi, marrying her, and having a child all happened way too hastily?”

“Huh?”

Even though he was her own son, Madam Huo still felt he had been a lovestruck fool back then, doing everything on impulse, blinded by love and convinced that love could overcome all.

It’s fine to be carefree when dating, but marriage involves so much more to consider.

“Did you ever really understand Yiyi’s family? Do you know what kind of personality a child raised in a household like hers might have? Are you sure she could adapt to our way of life? Are you sure she wouldn’t be mocked for her background at social events?”

“Or did you think Yiyi would be happy being seen everywhere as someone who relies on her husband?”

He didn’t even need to think—just imagining that situation made Huo Haozhan instinctively shake his head. There was no way she’d be happy.

Not to mention, Yiyi had a strong sense of pride. If anyone really said that about her, she’d be devastated.

The things his mother brought up were indeed things he had never seriously considered.

He only had a vague understanding of Yiyi’s family—he knew her parents favored sons over daughters and treated her incompetent younger brother far better than they ever treated her.

After their marriage, Yiyi had little contact with them. Even at An’an’s first birthday banquet, her maternal grandparents didn’t show up.

So when Madam Huo asked those questions, Huo Haozhan couldn’t answer a single one.

“The fundamental reason I objected to your relationship back then was because I felt you hadn’t properly thought these things through.”

“Your father and I—our problems stemmed from the same place. We didn’t consider these issues before marriage. That’s why we kept clashing, why he cheated during our marriage, and still tried to blame it on me being too headstrong.”

Madam Huo rarely spoke ill of her ex-husband in front of her son. After all, it wasn’t the child’s fault—she had only herself to blame for being blind and impulsive.

But that didn’t mean she was going to cover up what that man had done.

“You got married before you were truly ready to be a husband, let alone a father. And with someone like Yiyi on top of that—how could I possibly feel at ease?”

Yes, Madam Huo had her own selfish reasons at the time, but it wasn’t all just about her son.

She didn’t look down on kids from families like Yiyi’s. She just knew they often needed more love, were more emotionally sensitive—and that didn’t match well with someone as thick-skinned as Huo Haozhan.

He wasn’t the type to notice Yiyi’s subtle moods, nor could he comfort her when she needed it.

Things he’d always taken for granted—Yiyi might not be able to accept.

When two people with totally different living habits tried to be together, it was bound to require a long period of adjustment.

For example, Huo Haozhan had always assumed it was only natural for the nannies, who were paid, to take care of him.

But Yiyi felt guilty asking those older women to do chores, and always wanted to lend a hand.

There’s no right or wrong here—just a difference in mindset shaped by their upbringing.

“So I do feel guilty, guilty for never teaching you any of this.”

His mother laid out all the things he had never even thought to consider, making it impossible for Huo Haozhan to ignore. He sat there, deep in thought for a long time before finally asking,

“Mom, did you think I was just immature back then?”

“You still are.”

Even something as simple as dealing with Su Xiaoyu required her to step in. Even the changes in his own wife had to be pointed out by his mom before he noticed. Calling him immature was putting it nicely.

Madam Huo had no particular enjoyment in giving her daughter-in-law a hard time. She didn’t need to eat the meals Yiyi cooked.

But she’d noticed—when Yiyi didn’t have something to do, she got anxious and unsettled.

Or maybe it was her upbringing. Being needed made Yiyi feel happy.

And even if Madam Huo pointed it out, Yiyi probably wouldn’t listen. So she just let it be.

“Mom… am I really that useless?”

After piecing everything together, Huo Haozhan leaned back on the sofa, looked up at his mom, and gave a bitter smile.

Even something as simple as looking after An’an—Yiyi handled it effortlessly, while he’d spent the whole morning running around like a headless chicken, exhausting both himself and the kid.

“Yes. But if you start changing now, it’s not too late.”

Madam Huo had no concept of sugarcoating. She was used to being blunt—and besides, she felt there was no need to coddle a son like hers with soft words.

“I understand, Mom.”

“I was against the two of you being together, yes. But no matter what, you’re already married. Since you’ve made that commitment, be loyal to it. Be responsible for your partner. Carry the weight of being a father.”

Even now, Madam Huo didn’t pretend Yiyi was her ideal daughter-in-law.

But once they were married, she hoped they could build a harmonious relationship.

More than anything, Madam Huo—despite her indifferent appearance—didn’t really want her grandchild growing up in a single-parent home.

Especially since, judging by her daughter-in-law’s attitude, it looked like she was ready to dump everything on her if she helped out a few times!

Last time they fought, Yiyi even planned to leave An’an’s custody to her!

Madam Huo had kept her expression calm at the time, but inwardly she’d been shocked.

She was already at an age where she just wanted to enjoy life—arranging flowers, listening to opera, shopping with friends. The idea of raising a little kid again, even a sweet one like An’an, did not appeal to her.

If one parent was truly hopeless, or if the marriage was completely broken, then maybe a patched-together home wasn’t better than a single-parent one.

But clearly, that wasn’t the case with Huo Haozhan and Bai Yiyi.

As for whether anything had happened between Huo Haozhan and Su Xiaoyu, Madam Huo had a good sense of the truth. Most of what she’d said earlier had been just to help her daughter-in-law and little grandson vent their frustrations.

No matter how much effort she had poured into giving her son the best of everything over the years, he still didn’t become the man she had hoped for.

And deep down, what she least wanted to admit was that his father’s absence might have been the root cause.

She kept wondering—if she tried raising her grandson in a better environment, would the outcome be different?

“Mom, I always thought you didn’t like Yiyi.”

Huo Haozhan couldn’t help but sigh. Madam Huo responded by giving his other ear a hard twist.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Ow ow ow! Mom, Mom, I didn’t mean anything by it! Don’t worry—I’ll work on everything you said.”

After feeding An’an and changing his clothes, Bai Yiyi sat with him in the living room.

No one knew exactly when it started, but An’an had developed a deep love for animal-themed onesie pajamas. Once he put one on, he refused to take it off.

Bai Yiyi didn’t really like him wearing pajamas all day, so that morning she went to the mall to look for some animal-themed one-piece outfits suitable for going out.

It was as if An’an knew how cute he was—after changing into his new clothes, he winked at his mom, making her laugh out loud.

After finishing their talk in the study, Madam Huo gave her son a little time to sort out his emotions before coming out.

Like most parents in the country, she was still stingy when it came to openly talking about love.

He also didn’t teach his son that if you like the jasmine for its beauty, you can’t complain about the trouble of fertilizing and caring for it.

When the chef brought lunch to the table, it was just around the time Grandma Huo was used to eating. She sat down and called Bai Yiyi over, handing An’an to the nanny to look after for a while.

As soon as An’an was in the nanny’s arms, it was as if she had grown thorns—he wriggled and fussed, his eyes fixed on his dad the whole time.

Huo Haozhan had taken care of him all morning. It should’ve been exhausting, but when he saw An’an acting like that, he couldn’t help himself and went over to pick him up again.

Seeing this, Grandma Huo looked a little surprised and asked,
“You’re not eating?”

“I can eat while holding him—it’s the same.”

What mattered most was that Huo Haozhan couldn’t bear to see his son looking so pitiful.

After listening to his mother’s teachings, he felt deeply guilty toward Bai Yiyi and An’an and was eager to make up for it in whatever small ways he could, even if it meant tiring himself out.

Since Huo Haozhan was willing, of course Bai Yiyi and Grandma Huo didn’t try to stop him.

All An’an wanted was to sit with them. He wasn’t fussy; sitting on his dad’s lap, he stared at the food, silently drooling.

His swallowing was very noticeable. After a long while, he finally became aware that his dad, mom, and grandma were all stifling their laughter. He grabbed his dad’s shirt and buried his head in his chest, leaving only the back of his head showing.

The little guy’s sulking didn’t have the effect he hoped. Instead, it made everyone smile even more.

After lunch, An’an still clung to his dad and didn’t want to let go.

Huo Haozhan, who hadn’t gotten enough rest, wanted nothing more than a proper nap. But every time he looked down and saw his son wide awake and full of energy, he knew there was no way he’d get to sleep any time soon.

An’an gently pushed at his dad’s shoulder, as if urging him to do something.

Huo Haozhan immediately remembered that before they got back, he’d promised An’an they’d feed the turtle together. So he took An’an to the backyard and had the nanny prepare the turtle’s food.

The fruit was cut into small pieces and placed on a plate. An’an picked one up and tossed it toward the turtle sunbathing nearby.

The big turtle looked like it had a good temperament—its movements were slow and lazy as it ate. In contrast, the little turtles in the pond were paddling quickly, swimming about energetically.

The warm sunshine poured down on them. Huo Haozhan lowered his head and breathed in the scent of his son. Though he couldn’t nap, his mood wasn’t too bad.

Not long after, he heard footsteps behind him and instinctively turned to look.

It was Bai Yiyi.

She was holding a small child’s jacket and handed it to him.

“An’an can’t be exposed to the wind. If he’s coming outside, he needs to wear something warmer.”

It was a minor thing, but all these little details added up and took a lot of care and effort.

After being awakened by his mother’s words, all the things Bai Yiyi had done—things he had once brushed aside—suddenly became crystal clear.

“These past few months… it’s been hard on you, taking care of An’an.”

“It’s not that bad. I didn’t feel like it was hard.”

When An’an saw his mom, he instinctively shifted over to make room for her. That small gesture warmed Bai Yiyi’s heart.

Because of this sweet, lovable little one, she felt like everything she’d done was worth it.

An’an excitedly invited his mom to help feed the big turtle with him, waving his little hands in the air. Bai Yiyi picked up a piece of fruit and tossed it beside the turtle.

The arowanas in the house had been kept by Grandma Huo long before Bai Yiyi married into the family. But now, because of this big turtle, they had been moved to another villa.

Bai Yiyi used to think the same way Huo Haozhan did—she thought her mother-in-law didn’t like her, or An’an.

But now it seemed that Grandma Huo, having grown older, just didn’t know how to communicate well with the younger generation.

An’an held the small fruit plate tightly and fed the turtle with great seriousness. Taking the chance, Huo Haozhan chatted with Bai Yiyi.

After being reminded by his mother, he clearly realized the things he had overlooked and just how much those neglected efforts might have affected Bai Yiyi.

He had always selfishly believed that whatever he did was right, but had never tried to see things from her perspective or consider her feelings.

“That time, when Miss Su called you over, I really didn’t know anything about it. In another half a month, once I’ve arranged things at the company, let’s go abroad together and get An’an checked. Is that okay?”

“Okay.”

Bai Yiyi was sure that if it were just her alone, she wouldn’t be able to handle the process of getting treatment abroad. If Huo Haozhan was willing to go with her, that would be ideal.

After feeding the turtle, An’an started getting sleepy. He yawned and buried his head in his dad’s chest.

Maybe the midday sun was too harsh, because he even tugged lightly at his dad’s shirt to block it out.

Seeing that An’an was drowsy, Bai Yiyi mouthed to Huo Haozhan, “He’s sleepy,” afraid any sound would scare off the drowsiness.

Huo Haozhan walked with him for a bit in the backyard. The warm sun and his broad embrace soon lulled An’an to sleep.

Bai Yiyi reached out to take An’an from him, but Huo Haozhan refused. He personally carried him to the crib. Too lazy to return to the bedroom, he just laid his head on the table beside the crib to rest a bit.

A one-year-old baby isn’t that heavy, but holding one for a long time can still be tiring.

As he massaged his sore arms, Huo Haozhan suddenly remembered how, back in college, Bai Yiyi used to be someone who couldn’t even open a bottle cap.

But now she could carry An’an all day without a problem.

Thinking back to all those memories, he drifted off into a light nap.

Resting on the table wasn’t exactly comfortable—at least not for someone like Huo Haozhan.

Not long after he fell asleep, he heard a small rustling sound. When he turned his head, he saw An’an had just woken up and hadn’t even opened his eyes fully. He pouted and was about to cry.

Imitating Bai Yiyi, Huo Haozhan quickly picked him up before he could cry. It was like flipping a switch.

An’an opened his eyes, glanced at him, and—though clearly a bit disappointed to see it was Dad—held it in, rubbed his little face on his dad’s clothes like he was wiping away imaginary tears.

“Awake now, little An’an? Are you hungry?”

An’an nodded, and his stomach grumbled right on cue.

Downstairs, the nanny had already prepared rice cereal, still warm. Huo Haozhan picked up the spoon, ready to feed his son bit by bit.

Just then, Bai Yiyi came down the stairs and, seeing this, couldn’t help but correct him:

“If An’an can do something himself, just let him do it.”

Raising a child isn’t the same as serving one—Bai Yiyi always kept that distinction clear.

She loved how An’an was plump and healthy under her care, but she had no intention of raising him to be a helpless, spoiled child.

“Can he do it? Won’t he burn himself?”

After Huo Haozhan asked, Bai Yiyi squatted down in front of An’an and said gently:

“Be careful, okay? It’s hot, understand?”

“Ah~”

An’an grabbed the little plastic spoon and slowly fed himself. His movements were a bit clumsy, but not a drop spilled.

After finishing his rice noodles, little An’an, with his round belly, wanted to play with his mom for a while. As soon as he reached out his hand, Bai Yiyi practically couldn’t wait to scoop him up.

On the second floor, there was a toy room filled with all kinds of toys An’an liked. The room was carpeted with soft rugs, so he could crawl around as much as he wanted.

Taking this opportunity, Huo Haozhan was finally able to get a short break.

An’an’s favorite toys were puzzles, so Bai Yiyi had bought him all kinds of different ones. He almost never played with the same puzzle twice.

All these toys had one thing in common: their bright and vivid colors. When An’an’s pale, chubby little hands grasped them, the contrast was striking.

After playing for about an hour, An’an crawled to the door by himself and started shouting “Wawa” at the top of his lungs.

When Bai Yiyi heard him call out like that, she was momentarily stunned, not understanding what he meant. It wasn’t until Huo Haozhan appeared that she realized he was calling for “Dad.”

Huo Haozhan came over and picked An’an up in his arms, unable to help feeling a bit relieved that he hadn’t realized things too late.

Thankfully, An’an was still very young and didn’t hold grudges. Just a little kindness was enough for him to warm up and get close.

Huo Haozhan had barely held him for ten minutes when he sensed something off. Looking down, he saw An’an smiling at him innocently.

Bai Yiyi, standing nearby, reminded him:

“He probably needs a diaper change. Can you handle it? Or maybe I should do it?”

With An’an’s big watery eyes watching him, how could he say something as damaging to his image as a father as “I can’t”?

“I’ll have the nanny teach me. I’m sure I can do it.”

Bai Yiyi was still a bit skeptical, but since it was rare for Huo Haozhan to take the initiative with An’an, she didn’t say anything discouraging. She just followed along out of concern.

On the way there, An’an kept waving at his mom, motioning for her to step back, and saying they could play together again once Dad finished changing his diaper.

After all, he stank—he wanted to stink up Dad.

Raising a child was incredibly meticulous work, and Huo Haozhan was starting to understand why, even with a nanny, Bai Yiyi still insisted on doing so much herself.

If it were him, he’d probably feel the same—only when he did things himself could he really feel at ease.

Watching him awkwardly tend to the child, Grandma Huo could see that although his movements were clumsy, he wasn’t like his own father, who had deliberately botched things just to shirk responsibility.

Someone who had long been wondering if she’d regret her decisions suddenly got a much clearer answer in that moment.

No regrets—she had no regrets about taking the child away from that man.

Huo Haozhan might still have a lot of room to grow, but compared to the countless bad habits of the other man, he was already far better.

“An’an! You’re usually so fragrant—how come you smell so bad now?!”

Grandma Huo heard his mildly distressed voice and couldn’t help laughing. Seeing Bai Yiyi still watching nervously, she pulled her downstairs.

“Sometimes, you need to try letting him handle these things.”

“I know, Mom.”

Since things had eased between Bai Yiyi and Grandma Huo, she had come to vaguely realize that, in this household, the grandma might actually be more dependable than her husband.

The two of them sat together in the gazebo for afternoon tea while Huo Haozhan, gritting his teeth, changed An’an’s clothes.

After finally cleaning him up, fresh and fragrant, the little one hadn’t even played for long before he was already looking for his mom again.

When handing An’an back to Bai Yiyi, Huo Haozhan stood there feeling, for a second, like he was a disposable tool—used and tossed aside.

“I’ve made plans to go on a trip with some friends. You two behave at home and don’t stir up any trouble. I’ll be back next month.”

At dinner that night, Grandma Huo announced the news. She had originally planned to go earlier, but everything at home had delayed her until now.

“That’s great, Mom. Have fun.”

Bai Yiyi smiled and responded. Huo Haozhan was also happy that his mom had her own life.

The only one not so thrilled was little An’an. He pouted a few times and looked like he was about to cry.

Though he held back the tears, his eyes were brimming, and the pitiful look on his face made Grandma Huo hesitate to leave.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back in just over two weeks. If Daddy bullies you at home, remember to call Grandma. I’ll come back and deal with him.”

An’an nodded with teary eyes, his tiny voice letting out a couple of whimpers. The whole night he looked like a wilted eggplant after the first autumn frost, downcast and lifeless.

After Grandma Huo left, Bai Yiyi no longer cooked meals at regular hours like before.

To help mend their relationship—and with no one else at home—when Huo Haozhan heard from a friend that a new Korean BBQ place had opened downtown, he thought it’d be a good idea to take Bai Yiyi out for a meal.

Worried that Bai Yiyi wouldn’t feel at ease leaving An’an at home, he even made sure to bring the kid along.

He had gained enough parenting experience by now, so bringing the child to dinner wasn’t a problem.

The BBQ place was new, but business was already booming. Friends who’d been there said the food was great.

Back in college, he and Bai Yiyi had eaten their way through every BBQ joint near campus.

Before coming, Huo Haozhan had already asked his assistant to book a private room and confirm the menu—all dishes Bai Yiyi liked.

As for himself, he planned to finish off whatever she couldn’t eat, so nothing would go to waste and he’d get full too.

Since An’an couldn’t eat BBQ, Huo Haozhan brought a bottle for him.

Once they arrived, the waitstaff quickly brought over the dishes. An’an had his own child seat set up right next to them.

The aroma of food filled the air, and An’an slurped several times, happily swinging his feet in the air.

Huo Haozhan picked up the tongs and placed meat on the grill. The sizzling sound and spreading fragrance soon followed. An’an swallowed again, his eyes shining even brighter.

“Wow~”

His soft baby voice carried a touch of awe, and for once, Huo Haozhan felt like he’d regained a bit of dignity as a father.

Once the meat was done, he put some on Bai Yiyi’s plate. An’an, his tiny hand on the table, looked at his empty plate, then at Dad—sitting up as straight as possible and blinking his big eyes, gazing intently at him.

His small body was brimming with excitement. Even if he couldn’t talk yet, anyone could see exactly what he was trying to say:

Is it my turn now? Is it my turn now?