Feeling him trembling in her arms, Jin Qiao gently patted his back, trying to help him relax.
“If you’re scared, I can have the driver take you home first.”
The moment Yu Siyi heard that his mother wanted to send him home, he immediately shook his head.
Jin Qiao saw that his eyes were turning red again, tears threatening to fall at any moment. Her heart instantly softened.
Without thinking, the word slipped out of her mouth.
“Okay, okay, don’t cry. Mommy will take you to eat something delicious. It’s okay, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Mommy’s here, isn’t she?”
The moment she finished speaking, even she froze for a second.
To be honest, when she’d first transmigrated into this world, she had been completely lost. Asking for a child had been nothing more than a casual joke.
And now she’d actually been assigned a son.
She still wasn’t sure how to define her role or identity.
But seeing how dependent this little guy seemed to be on her—and more importantly, how adorable he was—being his mother felt like a deal with nothing but benefits.
Looking at her son’s face, those genes were incredible.
That free husband she’d acquired must be ridiculously handsome too!
Most importantly, whenever Yu Siyi looked at her with those red-rimmed eyes, she felt like she’d do absolutely anything for him.
They entered a hot pot restaurant and booked a private room.
“Baby, is there anything you want to eat?” Jin Qiao asked, handing the menu to Yu Siyi beside her.
Yu Siyi shook his head and pushed the menu back toward her.
Understanding what he meant, Jin Qiao ordered several of her favorite dishes, planning to let him try them first and see what he liked.
Meanwhile, a bodyguard reported to Yu An that Jin Qiao had taken their son out for hot pot.
Yu An didn’t understand what was going on.
Still, he was busy preparing for a meeting. As long as Jin Qiao wasn’t having another episode and hurting their son, he couldn’t be bothered to care.
One of the advantages of hot pot was how quickly the food arrived.
Not long after ordering, they could start eating.
Jin Qiao skillfully prepared her dipping sauce.
Extra cilantro.
Extra chili.
Even more chili.
Sesame oil.
Perfect.
Just as she finished, she suddenly realized she’d forgotten something.
Oh right.
The kid.
“Can you eat spicy food?”
This was an extremely important question.
It directly affected whether they could frequently eat out together in the future.
Yu Siyi nodded.
Then thought about it.
And shook his head.
After a moment’s consideration, Jin Qiao asked,
“You can handle a little bit of spice, right?”
Yu Siyi nodded again.
After preparing a mild dipping sauce for him, Jin Qiao finally felt free to focus on eating.
The beef tripe was amazing.
One bite and her happiness level shot through the roof.
Yu Siyi watched his mother carefully.
Since he wasn’t tall enough, he stood on his chair and grabbed the chopsticks, attempting to cook meat for her.
When he successfully cooked a piece, he was delighted.
His tiny hand held the oversized serving chopsticks, which trembled slightly from the effort.
Concentrating hard, he picked up a piece of meat and carefully placed it into Jin Qiao’s bowl.
Jin Qiao quietly watched the whole process.
She had even lowered the heat a little earlier, worried that hot oil might splash onto his fair, delicate arms.
When she saw him not only manage to put the meat into the pot but also successfully cook it and serve it to her, she was completely moved.
This little thing was just too precious.
Finally unable to resist, she cupped his cheeks in both hands and squished them.
“You are amazing! You’re the cutest and best baby ever!”
Yu Siyi’s face instantly turned red.
Inspired by the praise, he grabbed the chopsticks again, ready to continue his great mission.
Jin Qiao laughed and quickly stopped him.
Instead, she cooked some meat and vegetables in the clear broth and placed them in his bowl.
“You just focus on eating for now. Mommy will handle this. Once you’re taller, you can help me then.”
The little boy lowered his head and stared at his tiny hands.
Mommy was right.
He should eat well and grow quickly until he was as tall as Dad.
Yu Siyi found hot pot fascinating.
The chefs at home had never made anything like this for him before.
One bite of meat.
Delicious!
As expected of Mommy!
After they were both stuffed full, Jin Qiao glanced at the time.
It was still early enough to go shopping and walk off their meal.
Still, she worried that Yu Siyi might feel uncomfortable in crowds.
“Do you want to look around a bit? Or go home?”
She decided to ask for his opinion.
He might be a child, but he still had his own thoughts.
Yu Siyi felt that he’d never come here alone with his mother before.
Being able to have a meal with her had already made him incredibly happy.
He’d assumed she would take him home afterward.
He’d even been feeling a little sad that their time together had passed so quickly.
But now she was saying they could go shopping too!
That meant he could spend even more time with Mommy.
Thinking of that, he nodded enthusiastically.
“Since we just ate, you’ll need to walk by yourself so the food can digest.”
When he nodded again, Jin Qiao took his little hand and led him out of the restaurant.
Back when they’d arrived at the hot pot restaurant, Jin Qiao had already spotted a clothing store she liked.
Now that they were done eating, she headed straight for it.
“Baby, do you think this would look good on Mommy?”
The moment she entered the store, every cell in her body seemed to come alive.
Excitedly, she picked out clothes, holding them against herself and occasionally asking Yu Siyi for his opinion.
Little Yu Siyi suddenly seemed possessed by the spirit of a domineering CEO.
He pulled a bank card from his pocket and handed it to a nearby sales associate.
Then he pointed at Jin Qiao and the pile of clothes she’d selected.
The saleswoman looked stunned before breaking into laughter.
This kid was way too adorable.
Squatting down, she teased him,
“Are you paying for big sister’s shopping?”
Yu Siyi shook his head.
The saleswoman looked confused.
But only for a moment.
Being experienced with children, she quickly guessed his meaning.
“Not big sister. Mommy, right?”
The moment she said that, Yu Siyi visibly relaxed.
He nodded repeatedly and pushed the card toward her again.
Fortunately, he’d remembered to bring it when he left home.
The money inside was made up of New Year’s red envelopes and holiday gifts from his grandfather, relatives, and father.
His father had deposited it all into the card and allowed him to keep it himself.
At this moment, little Yu Siyi was simply glad that he hadn’t spent his money recklessly.
Now he could use it to buy clothes for Mommy.
And that made him happy.
Just then, Jin Qiao emerged from the fitting room and witnessed her son handing over the card.
What a perfect son!
He was so young, yet he already knew that when shopping with a woman, you should pay the bill!
“SiSi, are you buying all these pretty clothes for Mommy?”
Blushing furiously, Yu Siyi nodded.
Then he quickly shoved the card into the saleswoman’s hands.
“Ma’am… then these…?”
The saleswoman looked helplessly toward Jin Qiao.
Jin Qiao smiled as she watched the child lower his head so far it looked like he wanted to bury it in the floor.
“Go ahead and ring them up.”
“By the way, I’m also buying all the clothes I picked out earlier, plus some others over there. Do you have enough money?”
Yu Siyi fell silent.
His little brain immediately began calculating how much money was actually on the card.
It should be enough…
Grandpa always gave him lots and lots of money.
Besides, now that Mommy had asked, he couldn’t exactly say no.
So he nodded heavily.
Definitely enough!
Watching the saleswoman take the clothes to the register, he still felt a little nervous.
But when the payment went through successfully, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Next time he saw Grandpa, he would definitely thank him properly.
Good thing Grandpa had given him so much money.
Otherwise, he really wouldn’t have been able to buy Mommy those dresses today.