16: The little rascal’s mishaps continues
While the men in the room stood frozen in disbelief, a graceful and agile figure burst out of the bathroom, screaming in panic.
Ye Susu practically fled with her hands over her head.
Her wet, pale feet left a trail of watery footprints on the floor.
Her smooth, jet-black hair, now soaked like a drowned rat, clung awkwardly to her pale little face and the sides of her body, accentuating her petite and delicate figure.
As if chased by some monster, she panted heavily, patting her chest to calm her racing hear, trembling with a pitiful, shivering fear.
“Waaah! It sprayed right in my face!”
Li Yun, who prided himself on his worldly experience over the past thirty years, found himself at a loss of words at this moment.
He couldn’t make sense of a single thing the woman was saying.
But the moment she rushed out, he closed his eyes and turned his back, a gesture of gentlemanly courtesy.
Clearly, he hadn’t moved fast enough to avoid her sudden escape. Even with his eyes shut, his mind was filled with the brief, fleeting glimpse he’d caught earlier, how her pale white blouse, soaked through, clung to her body.
The stark contrast of black and white seared into his vision, sending a sharp throb through his temples.
“My apologies.”
His voice was deep and measure as he considered stepping out of the room first.
However—
“Waah…”
Before he could take a step, a woman’s faint, choked sobs reached him from behind.
Li Yun’s temple twitched.
He hadn’t seen anything.
Was this another one of her tricks?
Had she heard him talking to the child and deliberately screamed in the bathroom to lure him in?
How vulgar.
“Mommy…”
But then, Ye Xun’s anxious voice rang out at just the right moment.
“Waaah… cub…”
Soon, Ye Susu’s voice, slightly hoarse from crying, followed, punctuated by small, pitiful whimpers.
Li Yun’s expression shifted uncertainly.
He didn’t want to hear her say anything inappropriate in front of the child.
Just as he was about to ask her to calm down and have a proper talk with him, the sobbing behind him paused.
Almost immediately, a delicate voice, tinged with accusation, poured out a stream of grievances, sounding both aggrieved and pitiful.
“The moment I turned on that faucet, waaah… water just splooshed out from the ceiling above, spraying all over my head and face… it was awful…”
“Wah… my fur is all stuck to me now…”
Her voice hitched with sobs, trembling slightly, though she seemed to be forcing a semblance of composure.
“Thank goodness you didn’t come in, baby… it’s so scary in there…”
Li Yun’s eyebrow twitched.
What did she mean?
The waterfall-style showerhead in the bathroom?
Before he could figure it out, Ye Susu, still sniffing and sobbing, shuffled back towards the bathroom.
“Cub, play for a little longer… I-I need to go wash up again.”
Her steps were slow and reluctant, as if she were heading to the gallows.
Eyes still closed, Li Yun finally couldn’t hold back.
“Miss Ye, if you turn the knob in the center, you can switch from the waterfall shower to the regular showerhead.”
“…Eep, so cruel… it was actually a waterfall…”
“…”
As they spoke, the live-streaming phone lying face-down on the floor continued to buzz with notification.
[What sprayed all over her face? Don’t tell me it’s just the standard-ceiling mounted showerhead found in hotels!]
[Is this kid’s mom that clueless?]
[No, she seemed genuinely scared…]
[Wait, you goofballs, you’re all missing the point! She was showering, then suddenly ran out. Next, a man with a nice voice (key point: not her husband) rushed in, and then the man said ‘sorry’… Savor that. Savor it carefully!]
[Holy crap. Staring at this black screen right now, my feelings are complicated.]
[My own reaction feels more like I’m reading a spicy comic and getting a little too excited… should I send a tip? Urgent! Need answers!]
[Doesn’t anyone think the female lead here is acting a bit too calm? A man just saw her, and ‘I need to go wash up again’ is her line?]
[Not really, her tone sounded really wronged, on the verge of tears. Didn’t you hear it?]
[Something feels off here. Sending a tip first as a sign of respect.]
Meanwhile, Ye Xun was bundle of nerves throughout, completely forgetting about the phone.
He was frustrated with himself for being so inarticulate, not knowing how to comfort Ye Susu. He could only watch helplessly as she hugged his shoulders, trembling and went back inside.
It wasn’t until the moment Ye Susu closed the door that he finally furrowed his little brows with worry. Is Mommy afraid of water? She seemed terrified of getting sprayed.
But he glanced at the uncle beside him, pursed his lips and stayed silent.
He had to save some face for Mommy.
It was Li Yun who, after frowning in thought for a moment, crouched down.
“Little one, your mother is a girl. When she’s in the bathroom, boys can’t just recklessly push the door open, especially… when there are other men around.”
Ye Xun was stunned for a second, but the next moment, his lips lost all color.
Li Yun comfortingly patted his head.
Some things, though harsh, had to be explained to the child.
The live stream instantly exploded.
[I knew it!]
[Baby… you…]
[The mom didn’t scream when she saw a strange man because she didn’t want to upset her child, right? She forced herself to stay calm, even though she must have been mortified but she was afraid of scaring the kid, so she said nothing. What a great mom!]
[So, what’s this man’s deal!? Wolf in sheep’s clothing or just a regular guy!?]
[Sherlock Holmes mode activated: He addressed her as ‘Miss [Surname],’ meaning they’ve probably met less than three times; it’s 8:30 PM, a man and woman staying together… Feels like a temporary cohabitation, but not a romantic relationship. I bet 800 silvers ‘seeds,’ he’s a tenant and she’s the landlord!]
[Both tenants, maybe? This mom seems to be in a tight spot—her storybooks and pencils are worn out. Definitely renting. This guy probably lives next door? Just a wild guess.]
[I’m bookmarking this live stream. Tomorrow’s Monday, will the kid be home or at school? Are they streaming at night? I need to get to the bottom of this, or I won’t be able to sleep!]
[Tipping 500 gold coins, hoping this stream is still alive later…]
On the other side, unaware that she had become the center of attention, Ye Susu nearly collapsed as soon as she re-entered the bathroom. She hastily grabbed the edge of the bathtub to steady herself.
In all her 99 lifetimes as a cat, she had never been sprayed in the face with as much water as she had tonight.
It was brutal!
Who could have imagined that such a beautiful, perfect house would contain such a cruel ‘cat-punishing water sprayer.’
Cats fear water.
In the past, whenever she misbehaved, her human would spray her face with a water gun.
And there was that one time she was straying, a human nearly drowned her by holding her head underwater… That feeling of suffocation made it hard to breath every time she remembered it.
Taking a shower was, without a doubt, her most hated activity across all 99 lives.
But now she was human, and she couldn’t avoid it.
The biggest aftereffect of today’s hotpot feast was the intense, lingering smell all over her body.
Even after being reborn as a human, her sense of smell remained, still far more acute than that of any ordinary person. The scent was overwhelming.
“Being a brilliant and beautiful cat on the verge of becoming a Great demon… hmp, I’m not scared… I’m really not scared…”
She swallowed hard and finally, following what that premium man had said, switched the showerhead and turned on the faucet.
This time, the water flow was much gentler, no longer pouring directly down on her head.
But—
“Owwwooo!”
Water was still so, so hateful… waaah…
…
Ten minutes later, Ye Susu, wrapped in a towel, emerged from the bathroom listlessly. Her whole body dropped, her eyes were red and her spirits were thoroughly dampened.
She felt like a thoroughly defeated cat.
But just as she was about to collapse, lightheaded, onto the soft, fluffy bed, a soft ding sounded in her ear.
[Current Child’s Mood: Happy→ Low.]
[If mood is not improved before 24:00, ‘Daily Task 2: Improve Mood’ will be considered a failure, resulting in a deduction of 1 Parenting Point.]
“Huh?”
Ye Susu struggled to roll over.
Why was his mood low now?
If later the little one had to endure a shower as cat-astrophically awful as hers, would his mood plunge straight into darkness?
Ye Susu shuddered. “Cub?”
She looked up but didn’t see the little figure in the room.
Her nose twitched.
She scrambled up and followed the little one’s scent, mingled with a faint trace of that premium catnip aroma, out of the room.
Sure enough, on the small living room sofa at the second-floor landing, she found little Ye Xun curled into a ball.
His small face was downcast, his gaze vacant, fixed on the floor.
What was wrong?
Ye Susu was utterly baffled.
Hearing the noise, Ye Xun looked up and saw her. Noticing her pale face and red eyes, he immediately thought of his own mistake, making him feel even more gloomy and full of self-blame.
Tears instantly welled up in his eyes.
“Mommy… I-I’m sorry.”
His voice was very small.
Ye Susu was confused. “Hmm?”
Ye Xun sniffled. “I… I shouldn’t have pushed the door open and let Mommy… get seen. naked by the uncle…”
Ye Susu: “Huh?!”
Clearly frightened, Ye Xun continued, “I… I didn’t know. I only found out after listening to Uncle… that boys… shouldn’t watch girls… taking a bath…”
Ye Susu blinked.
Talk about failing a task over the most ridiculous reason!
“Silly, what’s the big deal?”
“If he saw me, next time I’ll just see. him. naked. too, okay?”
Ye Xun, caught mid-sob, froze.
And Li Yun, who had been secretly watching from the study, was also dumbfounded.
He had made the child cry and was at a loss, considering calling a parenting expert.
But now… it seemed unnecessary.
However, as he released his grip on the phone, he pressed a hand tightly against his throbbing temple.
This woman’s parenting method was completely wrong!
Meanwhile, outside the study, Ye Susu was beaming with delight.
[Child’s Mood Improved. Task Successful.]
Perfect~
And no one knew that the live stream from the long-forgotten phone in little Ye Xun’s pocket was experiencing a massive surge in followers.
Even a series of exclamation points floated across the screen.
[Baby’s Mom: I was seen naked, but it’s fine, I’ll just see him naked later to even the score… profit profit… (Wow, my mom!)]
[Impressive! Already followed!]
[Never expected that coming here for a cute baby would make me end up bowing down to this mom.]
[Oh no, oh no. I suddenly think this broke mom is kinda cool. That bandit logic totally hits my sweet spot!]
[Tipping 500 golden ‘seeds’, following!]
[Honestly, this parenting method is terrible, can you all stop being so clueless!]
[What if this kid really goes peeping on girls later? People tipping, use your brains a bit!]
[Opposed to this misleading parenting!]
Criticism quickly erupted in the comment section.
But soon, a small wave of dissenting voices began to surface.
[Having watched this live stream for six hours (including all the silent, black screen time in between), I want to say this kid is clearly insecure, okay? Didn’t you notice he barely said ten words all day?
A kid like this needs to build confidence most of all, not be criticized and negated.
My husband is an early childhood education researcher. Children aged 3-5 are at a stage of gradually understanding gender differences. They don’t need to feel it’s shameful. They just need to learn not to expose themselves in public and not to look at others’ bodies with ill intent.
Over-emphasizing his mistake with such an insecure child, repeatedly telling him he can’t look at girls, can easily cast a shadow over his future emotional life.]
[Agreed.]
[Standing by this long comment!]
While everyone was fiercely arguing, Ye Susu tilted her head and thought for a moment.
Calculating that there were still three hours left until midnight, she felt it still wasn’t secure enough and added another sentence.
“Cub, well, you pushed the door open without knowing, it wasn’t on purpose. So, it really doesn’t matter.”
“You and the Big & Tall uncle were both innocent. It was probably just… fate.”
“Next time, we’ll just be more careful, and it’ll be fine.”
Ye Susu patted his head.
“If you really feel sorry, how about Mommy punishes you with one thing, okay?”
Ye Xun bit his lip, his dark eyes flickering, and nodded silently.
He knew he was wrong.
Being punished would make him feel more at ease.
“Okay, then go take your bath,” Ye Susu said, clutching her chest with lingering fear. “Your punishment is to stand under that big waterfall and wash yourself clean. But remember, when the water hits your face, you must close your eyes. Otherwise, your eyes will hurt, and you’ll shed a lot of tears…”
Ye Xun blinked.
Meanwhile, Ye Susu felt even more brilliant the more she talked.
Sending the little one off to get drenched first was a good strategy. If his mood soured again because of the waterfall, she could still salvage the situation.
“After you come out, you’ll be rewarded with a little dried fish~”
[666, all you who just criticized her parenting methods, step up and take the L!]
[Perfect handling~ Using a bath as punishment for the kid. It achieves the goal of pointing out his mistake without leaving a psychological shadow.]
[This mom seems quite good, so why is the baby still insecure? Curious.]
[Ah, this live stream is addictive, can’t stop watching… Wanting to know more and more about this mother and son’s story…]
[He seems to have no dad, right?]
[Haven’t seen a dad all day, only a strange man who seems like a tenant. Single-parent family?]
[Tipping 666 gold coins! Little treasure, promise me you’ll live stream every day!]
As night fell, Ye Xun, having agreed to take a bath, walked into the bathroom with his towel.
He fumbled for a while before finally feeling the phone in his pants pocket.
His little face stiffened.
He only now realized he had forgotten. He had restarted the live stream after coming home, and with all the moving around, he’d kept the phone in his pocket without ever stopping it.
He pulled out the phone in a panic.
It had been a black screen. Were the uncles and aunties angry?
Could they have heard about his mistake earlier?
Would this embarrass Ye Susu?
He paced anxiously in the bathroom.
But finally, he saw the scrolling text still moving across the screen.
He couldn’t read the words, but he saw many emojis—smiling faces, thumbs-up, ‘666’…
“Phew…”
He let out a sigh of relief.
The uncles and aunties didn’t seem angry. They probably hadn’t heard anything bad earlier, right?
His little face flushed, Ye Xun stood in front of the bathtub, pointed the camera at the floor, and waved his hand beneath the lens.
[Oww, what does this mean? Is the baby saying hello?]
[Saying goodbye, right? He’s going to bathe. It’s almost 9 PM, little guy should be getting ready for bed.]
[Ah, what a shy little baby! Even saying goodbye is just a quiet little wave, not saying a word? 5555~ What kind of past must he have had?]
[Well, I should do my homework too. Little treasure, bye bye.]
[Bye bye, good night, sweet dreams~]
[Have beautiful dreams, muah~]
A stream of text floated past.
Ye Xun puffed his cheeks, staring at it for a long time, then dejectedly retracted his little hand, clenching it into a small fist.
There were so many words he didn’t recognize. He had no idea what the uncles and aunties were saying.
He let out a long, drawn-out sigh. Finally, after more ‘bye byes’ scrolled past, he tentatively tapped the screen a few times and successfully ended the live stream.
The moment the connection cut off, the follower count froze at 494, and the total tips amounted to 204.3 yuan.
Ye Xun’s gaze grew even dimmer.
He used to think this amount was a lot, but tonight, when trying on the children’s clothes Ye Susu had bought for him, he had secretly peeked at the price tags and discovered that a single piece cost over 300 yuan.
And today, Ye Susu had bought him seven or eight pieces in one go.
Ye Xun held up his little hands, trying to count on his fingers, but ended up losing track.
However, he knew one thing for sure: he had spent far more than he had earned.
Instantly, his small shoulders slumped dejectedly. He placed the phone on the bathroom counter, changed out of his clothes, and then trudged listlessly on his short little legs, wobbling as he stepped into the bathtub.
Turning on the showerhead, the water stream poured down, and his face immediately scrunched up like a steamed bun.
Live streaming was indeed difficult.
No wonder there were so few successful uncles and aunties.
He still had a long, long way to go!
…
On this winter night, the north wind whispered.
The standalone Begonia Garden house was exceptionally quiet, devoid of the eerie, howling wind sounds typical of old houses.
The high-tech fresh air and constant temperature system, along with the gentle floor heating, created an atmosphere as comfortable and warm as perpetual spring.
By 9:30 PM, in this unfamiliar room, mother and son were finally lying side by side in bed.
Ye Susu scratched her belly and fell asleep in a second, carefree and unconcerned.
But she was always alert. Before long, she opened her eyes again, checked that the little one hadn’t disappeared and was still lying obediently beside her, then drifted back into a reassured, drowsy sleep.
Little Ye Xun, fresh from his bath and smelling faintly fragrant, lay on the soft, bouncy large bed, the first he had ever experienced in his young life counting sheep with melancholy.
Surrounded by the sweet scent from his mommy, he finished counting the twenty little sheep taught at kindergarten, then worriedly started a second round.
Fortunately, after secretly live streaming all day, his nerves were frayed, and his little brain didn’t hold out for long before his consciousness began to blur.
His long, curly eyelashes fluttered once, twice, and finally rested on his lower lids.
With the last shred of his awareness, he carefully wiggled his little bottom, inching closer to Ye Susu’s arm until he was gently nestled against it. Only then did a tiny smile touch the corners of his mouth as he slowly drifted into dreamland.
One large figure, one small, feet touching, breathing long and even.
But this night, in the room next door, one person lay wide awake.
The child was playing next door.
The child was sleeping next door.
Was he used to the new bed?
Was he happy with the new home?
Was he still afraid of him?
Li Yun sat in his study all night.
The more he thought, the more awake he became.
On Monday morning, Ye Susu was awakened on schedule by the chirping birds outside the window. She tried to slip out of bed stealthily to avoid disturbing the little one, but the next second, she was startled by the frantic vibration of her phone.
[Second Aunt: Susu, in the past, you didn’t conduct yourself properly, having a child before marriage. We could say you were young then, and your mother didn’t teach you well. But what’s the situation now!? Have you learned nothing!? Now you’re cozying up to a rich man, moving into a villa with him, living together with the child? You’re that capable? Is this how you make a living? You’re bringing shame to our Ye family! Your cousin is getting married this year. If her mother-in-law hears about such things, she’ll think all the girls in our family are this shameless!]
[Third Uncle: You should come home. Your father is gone, but you can’t just do whatever you want! I’ll call your mother too. Let’s have a meal together this Saturday.]
Ye Susu was utterly bewildered.
Out of habit from the original owner’s memory, she scrolled through her social media feed and saw numerous strange posts from friends.
[Third Cousin: Pitiful people often have their own hateful flaws. Being tricked once can be called foolishness. Being tricked a second time is just willingly throwing yourself into the gutter! Anyone with a brain can think, where in the world are there free lunches? Do you think other people’s houses just fall from the sky? He lets you live there just because he says so? What does he want from you? That you didn’t go to college? Or that you have a child? In the end, you’re just stupid!]
[Younger Cousin: Tsk tsk, it really is better to be born a woman. Can move into a nice house without doing any work yourself. (Whispering: this post is hidden from parents and elders)]
[Second Cousin: Repost ‘Men Pretending to Be Tycoons to Scam Women’s Hearts, Bodies, and Money. Girls, be more careful!’]
This mass of family member notes made Ye Susu’s head spin.
Human family relations were simply maddening for a cat used to living alone.
But these words—cohabiting, tycoon, villa—were they referring to her?
Ye Susu stared wide-eyed.
What were these humans playing at?!
She puffed out a breath, blowing at the strands of hair on her forehead.
Extending a finger, she performed a series of operations, blocking each and every one of them!
Done, she finally smiled, squinting her eyes.
Peace at last.
Disturbing a cat’s sweet dreams first thing in the morning. What foolish humans.
Beside her, Ye Xun, rubbing his eyes with two tufts of hair sticking up, sat up groggily from the bed.
He opened his eyes, seemingly still a bit disoriented, but soon realized he was in the new home. The grape-like darkness of his eyes gradually cleared.
“Cub, I’ll go cook porridge and eggs. You go wash up first.”
Ye Susu said this as she slipped into the fluffy slippers purchased just yesterday.
She loved this texture the most, wishing she could make her whole body furry. Obviously, that wasn’t possible. After a moment’s thought, she regretfully wrapped a large pink fringed scarf around herself, her fingertips scratching at the tassels, then grinned happily.
After she left the room, Ye Xun peeked out with his little head, immediately got off the bed, and, barefoot, went straight to his schoolbag to retrieve the phone.
After the first time, the second time was already much more familiar.
Open the app, point the camera at the floor, start the live stream.
He looked at the screen, his little cheeks instantly pulling into a serious, earnest curve.
Mm, before going to kindergarten today, he’d live stream brushing his teeth and washing his face for the aunties and uncles.
Were they up early like him?
[Current Online Viewers: 1.]
[Received Tips: 200 Silver Coins.]
The moment the phone screen lit up, the first gift notification immediately appeared.
**