22
A single mother and her son?
Hearing those words, Ye Wan’s heart tightened instantly.
She looked up, a trace of disbelief in her eyes, toward the handsome man with captivating peach-blossom eyes lounging on the sofa.
In the next moment, the file on Su Luzhu was tossed back into her arms.
A mischievous, “weird-uncle” grin spread across Li Yinchen’s handsome face.
“The kid’s about five or six years old—smart, adorable, well-behaved, and obedient. The kind that makes your heart ache, that makes you want to shower him with all your pocket money, and makes you worry every second if he’s being mistreated.”
Then, his smile faded.
“You have three days. Whoever finds him gets the year-end surprise bonus. Otherwise, all benefits are canceled.”
Standing behind Gu Shen, Ye Wan’s expression shifted between tension and oddness, but ultimately, she sighed in relief.
Only after leaving the president’s office did a light laugh escape her lips.
What had she been thinking just now?
Why would hearing “single mother” make her think of Ye Susu?
The world was so vast. Hundreds of new livestream rooms popped up every day, and Ye Susu wasn’t the only single mother out there.
As for Ye Xun, that child barely managed to string together ten words even after being prodded three times.
And “adorable and smart,” making viewers want to tip him? Please.
Every time she visited Ye Susu’s place and tried talking to Ye Xun, the kid would just ignore her, staring blankly at the floor. Who knew if he even understood what she was saying? Timid, shrinking—utterly unlikable.
“Ye Wan, draft an email to all teams. Tell them to keep an eye out on every platform for the child the boss mentioned. If they spot anything similar, even if they’re unsure, report it to me immediately. Better to be wrong than to miss it.”
“Yes, Mr. Zhou.”
Ye Wan smiled, though it felt forced.
“What about Su Luzhu…”
“Until we find the child, just push her as planned. But the boss isn’t satisfied. Figure out how to repackage her. If the numbers don’t improve significantly by next week, we’ll treat her as a regular streamer.”
Ye Wan’s face stiffened. It took her a moment to squeeze out a smile.
“Okay.”
Once everyone left, she pulled out her phone and quickly checked the livestream platform.
Only after confirming that “Sue-Sue-chan” hadn’t streamed for two days did she finally relax completely.
It wasn’t them.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
“I think we go this way… yeah, that’s right.”
Ye Susu walked along, looking around and sniffing the air.
This was her second time heading to the kindergarten, so she was starting to recognize the route.
Their place really was close to the kindergarten.
The real estate agent had said a 20-minute walk, but he’d overestimated.
Starting from the back gate of Sea Grape Court, passing by a subdistrict office and a traffic police station, then crossing two intersections—it took barely fifteen minutes before the kindergarten came faintly into view.
This school had only been an option thanks to Xia Ningmeng’s help—pulling strings to get the child enrolled.
The education quality was considered decent.
But after the incident at pickup yesterday, Ye Susu clearly wasn’t satisfied with this kindergarten.
If it weren’t for yesterday’s homework task still depending on the teacher’s approval and red stickers, she’d seriously consider letting the little one skip a few days of school to experience the joy of being free-range.
Thinking this, she rubbed her hands together with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
“Cub, you packed the craft homework from yesterday in your backpack, right?”
Ye Xun paused briefly, then nodded.
“Mmhmm, give it to the teacher properly.”
Seeing the kindergarten gate up ahead, Ye Susu turned around and gave the child a once-over.
His little hands were tucked into his pockets, his pant legs were neatly covering thick socks, and the footprints from yesterday had been wiped clean from his little white shoes. Satisfied, she patted his head.
“I’ll come pick you up this afternoon. If anyone bullies you again, I’ll bite them.”
Ye Susu boasted without hesitation.
As she spoke, she kept walking forward.
But soon, she felt a gentle tug on the hem of her coat.
Looking down, she saw the child’s short, fair fingers clutching the fabric.
“Mommy… let’s stop here.”
Ye Xun’s face was turned away, looking toward the kindergarten.
His voice was so soft it was almost drowned out by the traffic.
Before, she’d always dropped him off at the previous traffic light. After crossing the last street, she’d wait at the intersection and let him walk to the kindergarten alone.
She’d never taken him all the way to the gate.
He used to not understand. He always thought Ye Susu was being mean.
But yesterday, she had unexpectedly walked him all the way to the gate in the morning, and then came again to pick him up at the gate in the evening. He’d been so happy. Yet, in the end, she ended up being scolded by the other child’s parents because of him.
“This afternoon… Mommy can come later too.”
Before, he always felt he waited so hard every day. Only yesterday did he finally understand why Ye Susu always came late.
Ye Xun thought this, lowered his gaze, and let go of the hem of her coat.
“I… I can walk there… myself.”
Even though Ye Susu pretended it was nothing, he… knew how sad it felt to be bullied.
He bit his lip, but then the corners of his mouth lifted just slightly.
It was okay.
He was a big kid now.
In a few more years, he could be like the big brother next door—going to school all by himself, not needing Mommy to walk with him even this short distance.
Thinking this made him feel a little better.
Maybe it was because he was always so clueless that those uncles and aunties didn’t like watching his livestream and ended up leaving.
Ye Xun’s little hands clenched tightly on his pant legs.
“Waaah, has my little one grown up and doesn’t need me anymore?”
But the next second, Ye Susu’s warm, soft voice flowed into his ears like a hot spring on a freezing day.
Ye Xun blinked, looking up.
He saw Ye Susu, bundled up as if terribly afraid of the cold. A thick, plaid scarf was wrapped several times around her neck, sealed tight. Her coat hood was up, showing only a small sliver of her face, which now looked like she was about to cry.
He stared for a moment, then reached up to touch his own little wool scarf around his neck—the same pattern as hers, bought new at the department store the other day.
Touching it, his mind drifted a little.
Wasn’t this what Xiao Pang called a “mother-and-child outfit”?
The thought made his little heart beat thump-thump-thump wildly.
Ye Susu leaned closer and patted his head. “Alright then, off you go, little one. Mommy will stand right here and watch you walk into the kindergarten. Be careful of cars on the road. Look left and right before you step off the curb.”
Even though she’d never been human, she had plenty of survival instincts.
As a little one, it was true he shouldn’t rely too much on his Mommy.
The little one was right.
She really should give him some space to stretch his little legs on his own.
Thinking this, Ye Susu squatted down, still fretting as she continued her litany.
“Play nicely with the other little ones. If you’re unhappy, come tell me about it, okay?” Ye Susu kept patting his head. “Eat lots of vegetables at lunch, don’t leave any. Otherwise, your tummy will hurt again tonight, and you’ll be stuck in the bathroom. Got it?”
“Also, Mommy secretly put some dried fish strips and little mouse buns in your backpack. Eat them if you get hungry, okay? And the kindergarten snacks, don’t bring them home. Eat them right there in the classroom. You need to eat a lot to grow as tall and strong as that uncle at home, understand?”
As she spoke, she gestured with her hand to indicate the height of the “man destined to become a litter-box cleaner”—which was, naturally, several heads taller than the little one.
After this series of instructions, Ye Susu checked the time it was getting late and straightened his clothes one last time.
“Go on. When you get to the classroom, don’t forget to say hello to your teacher.”
A little cat naturally had to pay respects to the leader. That was how you got taken care of.
Hearing this, a sparkle flashed in Ye Xun’s dark, grape-like eyes. Finally, he nodded.
He took a small step forward, then looked back.
Ye Susu stood where she was, smiling and waving at him.
He took two more steps forward, then looked back again.
Ye Susu’s expression turned a bit more serious. “Don’t look back while you’re walking. It’s too dangerous.”
The little cat really was lacking in survival experience.
This time, Ye Xun seemed genuinely subdued by her expression. He pursed his lips, nodded quickly, and finally stopped turning around. His small shoulders carrying his backpack, he took step after small step forward.
Only after both mother and child had left did the Cadillac parked at the kindergarten intersection finally step on the gas, heading slowly toward the elevated road.
On the way, Liu Zhen, in the front passenger seat, kept glancing back at the man sitting in the rear.
The usually aloof and commanding man was, today, a departure from his norm. Not only was he not wearing his usual impeccable custom-made suit, but he was dressed head-to-toe in casual clothes. And his expression was even darker than usual.
“Tall and… strong.”
Mhmm…
Liu Zhen silently turned back around.
“Boss, the appointment with Dr. Dong is scheduled for noon.”
“Good.”
The heavily emphasized word seemed almost squeezed out from between clenched teeth.
……
At the kindergarten gate, Ye Xun kept watching until Ye Susu’s back disappeared from view. Only then did he furrow his little brows, hug his backpack tighter, and walk into the ground-floor classroom.
“Xiao Ye! You came by yourself again today?”
“I heard from my mom, you really don’t have a dad! Now even your mom doesn’t want you anymore?”
Ye Xun didn’t even need to look back to recognize Xiao Pang’s voice.
Hearing this, he clenched his small fist in frustration.
Oh no… he hadn’t even said “Bye, Mommy” to Ye Susu just now…
How could he have forgotten?
Before, he used to say it to her every single day.
These past two days, she seemed to have become gentle, like other moms even better than before. He felt like he liked her even more now. So how could he have forgotten to tell her today?
He dejectedly stuffed his small backpack into the classroom cubby, ignoring the Xiao Pang beside him.
But then he remembered what Ye Susu had told him and finally turned to speak.
“Xiao Pang, I can’t give you my chicken at lunch today.”
“Why?! I saved my snack for you! I’ll trade you!”
Because Mommy told him to eat more so he could grow tall and strong later.
Thinking this, the corners of Ye Xun’s mouth couldn’t help but lift a little, but he quickly suppressed it.
“I don’t want your snack anymore.”
Mommy cooks for him every day now.
The egg custard she makes tastes better than the little buns at kindergarten.
“Huh? Didn’t you say there wasn’t much food at home, so you took it home to eat at night?”
“Not anymore. My Mommy made little mouse buns for me.”
Xiao Pang, clutching a toy airplane, immediately looked puzzled. “Little mouse buns? What are those?”
Ye Xun turned his back, carefully zipping up his backpack all the way.
“Nothing special.”
Xiao Pang let out a sad whine. “Why are you being so stingy? Tell me, and I’ll let you play with my Legos.”
“No need,” Ye Xun replied coolly, turning around. “I played with some at home yesterday too.”
Xiao Pang froze.
“Alright, everyone, settle down now.”
Soon after, the young substitute kindergarten teacher walked into the classroom, wearing a gentle smile.
“How did everyone do with the homework teacher assigned yesterday? Let’s sit properly and take turns sharing with the class, okay?”
“Yes, teacher!”
“Mmhmm, teacher!”
The children chattered and hopped back to their seats.
A few kids who were still sniffling after being dropped off by their parents were led to their seats by an assistant teacher and comforted with toys.
“If you change your mind, I can still help you with the homework later.”
Before leaving, Xiao Pang put his hands on his hips and gave a light huff.
Ye Xun squinted his dark grape-like eyes and silently presented him with a view of his back.
Xiao Pang’s face instantly puffed up like a steamed bun. “You don’t have a dad, and I was willing to let you copy my homework. If you don’t want it, fine!”
As they argued, the phone in Ye Xun’s backpack, which hadn’t been fully powered down, suddenly lit up with a barrage of comments.
[What’s happening? Did I finally get back into the little treasure’s room? Yay!]
[OMG, searched the room name 200 times! I finally heard the little treasure’s voice again!]
[WTF, was the platform glitching yesterday? I called customer service, and they told me everything was fine and suggested I watch other streamers instead. Pissed me off! I just want to watch the little baby! Anyone else? Didn’t hear the little treasure’s voice all night?!]
[Preach! You’re not alone. I scrolled through my follows dozens of times last night. Almost thought I was going senile and forgot to bookmark the baby’s room.]
[Seriously, what’s with this platform? What happened to ‘follow and never get lost’? So misleading!]
[If this happens again, I’m filing a complaint against this crappy platform! I was so worried about the little treasure being sad last night, I couldn’t sleep.]
[Hey, before you cuss, remember this is the little treasure’s room. Watch your language.]
[So sad I missed seeing the baby’s adorable little back doing morning exercises.]
[Wait, did you all hear that? Some brat is bullying our little beauty’s baby!]
[Asking for a friend online: What do you do when your virtually-raised baby gets bullied? I’m getting a bit angry here! What’s this kid saying? So, what if you have a dad?!]
[Unbelievable. So young and already extorting my virtually-raised baby’s chicken? Can I report this? Where’s customer service?!]
Comments flew by in a flurry.
Soon, the young female teacher’s voice rang out again.
“Does everyone remember the homework teacher assigned yesterday? Which brave little one wants to come up first and share their dad’s heroic deeds with the class?”
Instantly, the phone screen exploded.
A wave of “WTFs” flooded the chat.
[Am I forgetting things? Just now at the school gate, the mom said the homework was a craft.]
[Same question. I also remember it was a craft, nothing about a dad.]
[Oh boy, my temper’s flaring up again. Why would a kindergarten teacher assign such a topic? Doesn’t she know some families don’t have dads? Is she intentionally hurting my baby’s feelings?!]
[Speechless. No wonder the little one asked his mom yesterday if his dad was a bad person… Ah, it’s all because of this homework!]
[So, the little one didn’t tell his mom about this assignment? Anyone know what happened yesterday?]
[Ugh, “Dad’s heroic deeds”? How’s he supposed to answer that? I’m so anxious for him!]
[Is it because he knew he didn’t have a dad, and after being bullied by those idiotic parents yesterday, the little guy didn’t dare tell his mom the homework was about sharing stories about their dads with classmates? He was afraid his mom would be sad!]
[Wuwuwu, what’s the little one going to say when he goes up? I’m nervous!]
[Please, teacher, be a decent human being. Don’t call on my cloud baby’s name later.]
At the same time, Li Yun, who had just arrived at the conference room for a meeting, reached for the Bluetooth earpiece by his ear. His steps abruptly halted.
He pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen.
A quick scan of the text comments sent his heart racing like never before.
The kindergarten homework was about sharing stories about their dads? Not a craft assignment?
“Boss?”
Liu Zhen, following behind, stopped uncertainly.
Li Yun frowned and waved a hand. “Postpone the meeting by an hour.”
Liu Zhen looked puzzled. “…Yes.”
Li Yun turned and entered the nearest small conference room, closing the door behind him.
He sat at the round table, staring motionlessly at the dark screen.
The livestream connection was poor. The children’s voices came through faintly, sometimes clear, sometimes garbled, cutting in and out.
Even with the volume turned all the way up, it was hard to make out.
Clutching his phone, Li Yun who had removed his jacket felt a damp patch forming on the back of his blue dress shirt.
His brow was deeply furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line.
All ten of his fingers seemed restless, eventually intertwining and clenching together.
‘My dad… is a police officer.’
No, that wasn’t Ye Xun.
‘My dad… always likes to laugh…’
That wasn’t him either.
Li Yun stood up quickly in the conference room, walked over, and opened the nearby window, hoping for a better signal.
But scarcely a moment after opening it, he closed it again in frustration!
It was because the kindergarten had poor signal; nothing he did here could help.
He knew that all too well.
‘Alright, whose turn is next? Is there anyone else who wants to come up and share?’
The teacher’s voice was clearly much louder now.
Yet, like the barrage of comments flashing across his phone screen, Li Yun wished he could make this teacher shut up right now.
But fate had other plans.
In the next moment, the chattering voices of the children in the classroom came through the Bluetooth earpiece, choppy and fragmented.
‘Teacher, he hasn’t spoken yet!’
‘Ye… classmate… Teacher, let him come up.’
‘He’s sitting in the back row, teacher… You skipped him.’
Li Yun’s hands involuntarily clenched.
But then, an eerie silence fell in his earpiece.
On the phone screen, the livestream duration ticked away, second by second—clearly, the connection was still active.
So… the child was silent?
This child didn’t know how to describe his father.
Because he had never seen his father.
The color instantly drained from Li Yun’s face. He turned and rushed out of the conference room, his long legs even knocking over a nearby chair.
“Liu Zhen, have the driver ready at the parking lot now.”
He spoke as he loosened his tie, heading toward the elevator.
“Boss, where to?”
Liu Zhen was also taken aback.
“To the kindergarten!”
Li Yun growled.
The Bluetooth earpiece remained filled with that terrible silence.
Damn it, he should never have trusted the nonsense from those psychologists and parenting “experts.”
He should have appeared before that child and told him, “I am your father!”
Told him, “You do have a father!”
Told him, “This father of yours never abandoned you!”
Damn it all!
He jabbed the elevator button fiercely, restless as a trapped beast.
Yet, at the moment the elevator doors opened, a soft, young, almost ethereal little voice timidly sounded from the Bluetooth earpiece.
‘My daddy… I’ve never seen him…’
Li Yun trembled all over.
Liu Zhen turned to look at him, bewildered.
‘I used to think… maybe the grandpa fairy who sent me to Mommy forgot to give me a daddy…’
The elevator doors opened, but Li Yun’s body froze, unable to move.
‘But… Mommy says I do have a daddy, and he’s a good person… he just… accidentally forgot about me…’
Li Yun slowly closed his dark eyes, his chest heaving as he took a deep breath.
Liu Zhen inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine.
‘I was watching TV yesterday, and they said thunder might mean someone is transcending a tribulation… so I suddenly thought, could my daddy be transcending a tribulation too?’
‘Thunder passes quickly… maybe one day, he’ll step on clouds of thunder and come to Mommy and me… like a rainbow.’
The gentle voice, soft as a breeze, swept through the man’s Bluetooth earpiece.
The rage that had just colored Li Yun’s face receded like a tide.
Opening his dark eyes, they were filled with an unstoppable tenderness and a faint tremor.
“B-boss, the elevator’s here.”
Li Yun tilted his head, pressed a hand over his Bluetooth earpiece, and signaled Liu Zhen to be quiet.
Liu Zhen blinked.
In the next moment, he heard the man’s voice, now sounding much lighter.
“Let’s proceed with the meeting. We’ll go to the kindergarten at four for pickup.”
“Also, have Zhang Chen continue monitoring Ye Susu’s shop.”
Li Yun’s brows and eyes relaxed.
That woman… didn’t seem so bad after all.
At the very least, she had raised the child well.
Li Yun pressed his thin lips together.
“From now on, cover her monthly losses from my personal account.”
Liu Zhen scratched his head.
Changed his mind just like that?
The boss was usually unwavering once he decided on something. How strange.
“Yes, sir.”
Li Yun removed his earpiece and glanced at the barrage of comments on his phone, the corners of his thin lips lifting almost imperceptibly.
[So jealous, why isn’t such a sensible little one mine?]
[I really want to steal him away.]
[Tricking me into wanting a son again.]
[Even raising a cloud baby like this… This godmother feels so gratified.]
[Sigh, originally, just seeing the little one was enough to make me content. But now, I want to see the child’s dad appear too. What do I do? Can this livestream turn into a drama series? I’m also looking forward to the day when the dad arrives ‘on thunder clouds’!]
[No! What thunder clouds? This dad better work hard and earn his son a villa first. Otherwise, I don’t approve of this match!]
[At the very least, those clouds should be made of gold. How else could they be worthy of such an adorable baby?]
Li Yun put away his phone and walked into the conference room in high spirits.
Before sitting down, he swept his gaze over the senior executives present.
“Everyone, let’s set a small target for the first quarter. Let’s earn a billion first.”
As a meeting gift for his son.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth, revealing a gentle smile.
But all the senior executives felt a chill run down their spines.
Meanwhile, nearing noon, Ye Susu who should have been preparing the day’s meal was anxiously rubbing her hands together.
“Boss Lady, why didn’t you open yesterday?”
The trio, who had come early to snag the “sofa” seats, had slipped out at 11 AM while their boss was away.
“Yeah, we were heartbroken. Thought we’d get to taste your cooking last night, what a shame…”
Xiao Chen couldn’t help but chime in.
As they spoke, their mouths watered, recalling the flavors of yesterday’s lunch: the fish congee, the steamed egg custard.
When they’d eaten it yesterday, they had thought it tasted good—the boss lady’s skills were quite impressive, not at all inferior to the neighboring shops. But it hadn’t reached a level of being shocking or unforgettable.
After all, most of their attention had been on the boss lady’s cute looks and adorable voice.
But last night, after finding the shop closed, they had gone to their usual pickled fish restaurant for dinner and immediately felt a stark contrast.
The pickled fish dish they usually found flavorful, the moment it hit their tongues, felt somewhat off. A burst of MSG and artificial spices erupted in their mouths, even overpowering the fish’s natural freshness.
Chewing more carefully, they actually felt the fish wasn’t that fresh. This bowl of fish, which the three of them would normally compete to finish, ended up with a third left untouched.
And when they walked out of the pickled fish restaurant, thinking back to the fish congee and shrimp egg custard from lunch… they instantly felt hungry again.
Too bad… “Meow Meow Private Kitchen” never opened last night.
“Ah, thought about it all last night, plus all morning. Finally made it to noon.”
The young man with acne sniffled as he spoke.
Hearing this, the other two nodded in silent agreement.
Ye Susu walked another circle around the shop, a bit nervous as she scratched her head.
“I don’t operate at night.”
“I have a little one at home to take care of.”
She still didn’t know if the homework she and the little one did together would get that red sticker.
No news yet, it was driving this kitty crazy.
“L-little… little one?”
The trio stared blankly at Ye Susu’s youthful, girlish appearance.
Finally, Xiao Chen snapped out of it first. “Uh… a little… puppy that the boss lady is raising?”
The acne-covered youth also spoke up dazedly, “Or a kitten…”
Ye Susu tilted her head, about to say no, when a pleasant notification sound chimed in her ear.
[Ding, Yesterday’s Task 2—Little One’s Homework—Complete!]
[Little One has received a red sticker.]
[Reward: Parenting Points +1.]
“Perfect!”
Ye Susu clenched her fist and swung it, enthusiastically swatting the three small paper balls on the counter to the floor.
Then she kicked them into the corner with her foot.
Lifting her head, her soft, delicate face glowing in the sunlight from the window, she gave the trio a sweet smile.
“My little one got praised by the teacher today, so you all get a 20% discount.”
“Oh, right, who wanted grilled fish yesterday? I’ll learn how to make it right now.”
The trio felt as if struck by lightning.
“Homework? Teacher?”
“No, it can’t be real. Must be a teacher training a dog where to pee, right?”
“Or maybe teaching a kitten how to bury its poop?”
The boss lady, this cute girl… married with a child? No!
All three heard the sound of their glass hearts shattering into pieces.
And Ye Susu’s second sentence, flashing through their numb brains, delivered another heavy blow.
“Feel like I just heard something unbelievable.”
“Grilled fish? Learn it now?”
“Wait, so today’s theme isn’t ‘cute girl streamer,’ but ‘goofy comedy streamer’?”
The three huddled their heads together, muttering in distress.
But before heading into the kitchen, Ye Susu walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out a cookbook.
Glancing back at the trio, she clicked her tongue and shook her head.
“Human males are so strange…”
“Thank the ancestors the little one’s dad still hasn’t shown up.”
As she grinned, the prompt for today’s task chimed in her ear.
**
Susu: I never even got a red sticker back in my day, meow chirp chirp!