Just as Jin Qiao carried the little young master into the house moments ago, all the servants—including Aunt Wu—were stunned beyond belief.
It truly was something they never thought they’d live to see.
Only after hearing Jin Qiao’s instructions did Aunt Wu snap back to her senses and quickly hurry over with the medicine kit.
The moment she saw the red marks on the young master’s arm, her heart tightened involuntarily.
Then she looked at Jin Qiao suspiciously, clearly confused.
Jin Qiao rummaged through the medicine box for the ointment she needed, gently sprayed it onto the tiny arm, then carefully spread it evenly with her palm.
Yu Siyi felt as if he were floating.
He couldn’t believe the gentle person treating his wounds right now was his mother.
“Doesn’t it hurt? Don’t you know how to say something?”
Jin Qiao’s tone was calm and unreadable, making it impossible to tell what she was really thinking.
Yu Siyi still said nothing.
He only stared at Jin Qiao without blinking, afraid that the gentle woman before him would turn back into the mother who only looked at him with disgust.
Jin Qiao recalled that in the original story, Yu Siyi could speak when he appeared later on.
So it wasn’t that he couldn’t talk—he simply didn’t want to.
After applying the medicine, Jin Qiao packed everything away. When Yu Siyi realized his mother had let go of his hand, his chest suddenly ached with disappointment.
“Oh right, Aunt Wu. That teacher named Lin Yu who tutors the young master—I don’t want her coming here anymore.”
Aunt Wu replied awkwardly,
“Madam, the teachers were all arranged by Sir.”
“Then just inform her she doesn’t need to come anymore. If Sir has any objections, tell him to talk to me.”
Hearing that, Jin Qiao stopped making things difficult for Aunt Wu. She turned to Yu Siyi, who still sat motionless on the sofa, and asked,
“I’m firing your teacher. Do you have any objections?”
Yu Siyi was still immersed in his own world. Hearing Jin Qiao’s question, he silently shook his head.
He didn’t care about other people at all. Besides, during lessons, that teacher often tried to pry into things about his father.
After getting the answer she wanted, Jin Qiao went straight upstairs to her room.
Watching his mother walk away, Yu Siyi felt unbearably wronged. He stretched out his arms toward Aunt Wu, asking to be held.
Aunt Wu picked him up and sighed inwardly.
The young master was so obedient and adorable—she truly didn’t understand how Madam could ever say such hurtful things to him.
Back in her room, Jin Qiao began rummaging through cabinets and drawers.
According to the classic rich-family trope, whether it was a black card or not didn’t matter. A CEO-type husband would definitely give his wife a card at some point.
The real question was where the original owner had hidden it.
After persistent searching and trying hard to recall the plot, Jin Qiao finally found the shiny card inside one of the handbags.
Spending a little of his money shouldn’t be a problem, right?
If she stayed trapped in this house any longer, she felt like she’d grow mold.
So Jin Qiao decisively changed into a stylish outfit, grabbed her bag, and prepared to go on a shopping spree.
When she walked into the living room, she found little Yu Siyi sitting there alone, head lowered, hugging a doll while lost in thought.
Jin Qiao suddenly had the overwhelming urge to pinch his soft little cheeks.
She walked over, crouched down to meet his eyes, and gently asked,
“I’m going out. Do you want to come with me? I’ll take you shopping.”
Yu Siyi lowered his head silently.
Jin Qiao didn’t want to force him. She stood up and called toward Aunt Wu in the kitchen,
“No need to prepare dinner for me tonight. I’m eating outside.”
Just as she was about to leave, she felt someone tugging at her pant leg.
Looking down, she saw the little cutie with reddened eyes, tears swirling in them.
Jin Qiao admitted it—her heart softened instantly.
This was way too unfair!
Without hesitation, she scooped him up into her arms and comforted him, pulling a tissue from the coffee table to wipe away his tears.
“What’s wrong? You want to come with me, don’t you? Hurry and wipe your tears. I’ll reluctantly bring you along then.”
Yu Siyi tugged at her clothes again. Confused, Jin Qiao watched as he pointed toward his room.
“You want to go back and get something?”
Yu Siyi hadn’t expected his mother to understand him from just that simple gesture. Usually, even Aunt Wu would guess wrong several times.
He nodded and ran back to his room.
He returned quickly. Jin Qiao didn’t think much of it and simply held his hand as they walked toward the door.
“Aunt Wu, I’m taking Sisi out to eat with me. No need to prepare dinner for either of us.”
The words startled Aunt Wu so much that she hurriedly wiped her hands clean and rushed out.
“Madam, you—please don’t—”
But by the time she came out, Jin Qiao had already left with Yu Siyi.
Helpless, Aunt Wu could only call Yu An to report the situation.
Hearing the news, Yu An frowned slightly, unable to understand what this woman was trying to do.
She had never been this affectionate with Yu Siyi before.
But hearing that Yu Siyi himself had insisted on going with her, Yu An could only arrange for several bodyguards to secretly follow them.
As long as that woman didn’t do anything to hurt his son, he wouldn’t interfere with her either.
Thinking this, his gaze drifted to the photo on his desk.
It was a family picture of three people.
At the time, Yu Siyi had just been born. Jin Qiao had wanted to take artistic photos of the baby, but in the end he insisted the whole family take one together.
That was how this photograph came to exist.
Thinking of it now, he viciously poked the smiling Jin Qiao in the photo with his finger.
“Xiao Li, take us to Jinda.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Jin Qiao settled Yu Siyi into the child safety seat and carefully fastened his seatbelt before finally getting into the car herself.
Jinda was the largest and most prosperous shopping mall in A City. Even from the villa, it took half an hour by car to get there.
The silence inside the car made the driver extremely nervous.
In all his years working for the Yu family, this was the first time he had ever seen Madam voluntarily take the young master out. The whole thing felt so strange that it made him uneasy.
After arriving at Jinda, the driver opened the car door for Jin Qiao and, as usual, said,
“Madam, same as before—I’ll wait nearby. Just call me before you’re ready to go home.”
Jin Qiao nodded, then crouched down to ask Yu Siyi,
“Can you walk by yourself?”
Yu Siyi actually wanted his mother to keep carrying him.
But he was worried she would get tired from holding him too long.
At the same time, the unfamiliar surroundings terrified him.
Torn between the two feelings, he unconsciously squeezed the little rabbit plushie in his hands tighter and tighter.
Seeing the conflicted expression wrinkle up his adorable little face, Jin Qiao found it amusing.
This kid might not talk, but his expressions were incredibly rich.
“So, shall we set off? Want to hold my hand?”
She stood up, laughter hidden in her voice, deliberately teasing the cute little boy.
Yu Siyi felt as though he had been floating among the clouds all day, emotions rising and falling.
But at any moment, he feared he could once again be dragged back into that dark whirlpool.
Seeing him lower his head without responding, Jin Qiao spoke again.
“You don’t want to hold my hand?”
There was a trace of grievance in her tone.
Hearing his mother sound hurt, Yu Siyi quickly raised his head and shook it frantically like a rattling drum, trying to express that he absolutely did want to hold her hand.
The smile on Jin Qiao’s face deepened.
She took Yu Siyi’s hand and led him into the shopping mall.
Hotpot! Barbecue! Malatang! Luosifen! And all the delicious foods I can’t remember right now—I’m coming for you!
The moment they entered the mall, the sight of a stunningly beautiful woman holding hands with an equally gorgeous little boy instantly drew countless stares from passersby.
Jin Qiao couldn’t care less.
But little Yu Siyi nervously edged closer and closer to her until he practically hid behind her back.
Sensing his discomfort, Jin Qiao sighed and bent down to pick him up.
Now she completely understood.
This child was utterly unfamiliar with the outside world.
It looked like he had hardly ever been taken out before.
The moment his mother lifted him into her arms, Yu Siyi tightly wrapped his arms around her neck and buried himself against her chest like a tiny ostrich.