âThe child is afraid of strangers,â Li Qin said as she pulled her grandson into her embrace. This child was usually such a lively child, so she didnât understand why he suddenly refused to acknowledge this woman.
âAunty,â Mo Ye who had been standing quietly in the corner suddenly spoke and blinked curiously at Li Yumo, then at Shu Man. His fingers kept twisting around the corners of his clothes.
Li Qin and Li Ya both froze and looked at each other in dismay. She had not told the child to say that, so whyâ¦
âAnd this isâ¦?â Li Yumo asked as she looked at Ye Ye. This child seemed to be around the same age as Yuan Yuan and she had initially thought that they were twins but they didnât look alike at all. This childâs skin was darker and his eyes were smaller and he had single eyelids. He wasnât an ugly child but he wasnât blessed with looks that were as lovely as Yuan Yuanâs.
Li Qin looked a little embarrassed as she said, âHeâs myâ¦â she wanted to say that he was her grandson but she couldnât bring herself to say those words.
Li Ya quickly helped to defuse the situation and said, âHeâs also Yixuanâs child. He was adopted by the Mo family and his name is Ye Ye. Heâs around Yuan Yuanâs age.â
She smiled awkwardly after she spoke since this childâs birth had brought shame upon their familiar. She had also chosen to hide the truth when she made the introductions, afraid that the girlâs parents would not be able to accept this fact.
Then, Yuan Yuan squirmed out of Li Qinâs embrace and walked toward the young woman whom he thought looked very familiar.
He stared at her and after a while, he stretched out his hand and gently tapped her thigh.
âAuntyâ¦â Yuan Yuan said in a childlike voice. Then, he playfully made a funny face at her, as though he had already met her previously.
Shu Man almost spat out her tea.
She looked at him in surprise and confusion, unable to understand why this child who refused to talk earlier had run over to her side.
Li Qin and Li Ya both froze in shock and they couldnât understand why Yuan Yuan had suddenly approached Shu Man but refused to acknowledge Yumo.
âUhâ¦Hi kiddoâ¦â Shu Man, who had never held a child nor played with a child, smiled awkwardly at him and stretched out an arm to pinch his cheek. Then, she didnât know what else to do nor how she should communicate with such a young child.
Soon, the gates to the Mo mansion opened and the loud hum of a carâs engine could be heard.
Yuan Yuan ran out excitedly the moment he heard this noise and Mo Ye followed closely behind him. The two boys stood at the doorway and waved their hands at the black car that rolled into the driveway.
âPa paâ¦â Yuan Yuan shouted loudly. He would run out every day the moment he heard the sound of a car engine and already knew that his fatherâs car was black while his motherâs car was white.
Mo Yixuan stepped out of the car. He wore a black tweed jacket that was left unbuttoned to reveal a cream-colored knit sweater and a light grey scarf that he matched with black long trousers. He looked tall and professional while his outfit accentuated the length of his long legs.
He usually wore a business suit, so it seemed like he had specially made the effort to dress up today. His hair was already newly trimmed and his short, cropped hair made him look even more handsome and livelier, as though he was in his twenties.
Yuan Yuan ran over to the car and wrapped his arms around his fatherâs legs and looked up at his father who was much taller than him.