Chapter 3: Is He My Dad?

Yue Su suddenly put on a stern face. “I haven’t even gotten around to talking to you about skipping class!”

Yao Yao: “… I didn’t skip on purpose! I had a nightmare, and you didn’t care about me at all, Mom.”

“What nightmare?”

“I dreamt that you died, and I became a little beggar.”

Yue Su didn’t believe it. “You have your grandparents and your uncle, how could you ever become a little beggar?”

Yao Yao pouted, “I’m not lying! Mom, you can’t always be lazy; you need to go earn money.”

Yue Su didn’t take her words seriously.

She had been in the entertainment industry, had once been famous, but later realized she didn’t fit in with the circles.

Then she found out she was pregnant and decided to exit the industry to focus on raising the child.

With her parents’ help, she could indeed go back to work, but she didn’t want to.

She had savings, and a few small investments.

Though she wasn’t wealthy, her yearly dividends were enough to live comfortably.

On top of that, she owned two shops in Yan City, and the house she was living in was fully paid for, so why bother going out and suffering?

“You skipped class when you were in kindergarten. Now that’s lazy.” Yue Su didn’t hold back, tapping her on the head.

Yao Yao’s face was pale and tender, and the tap left a red mark. She looked up at Yue Su, glaring at her.

“Then can you find me a dad?”

“No.”

“Can I skip kindergarten tomorrow?”

“No.”

Yao Yao wasn’t satisfied: “Nothing is allowed! It’s almost vacation, and I’ve already gotten to know the other kids!”

Yue Su proudly said, “Your grandparents went back to South City. They’re not here to take care of you.”

Yao Yao was fuming, pouting like a little bun.

“Can’t you take care of me? You’re my real mom, after all!”

Yue Su curved her lips. “If I wasn’t your real mom, I’d already be treating you to stir-fried bamboo shoots and pork.”

She put on her sunglasses, picked up Yao Yao, and fastened her seatbelt in the backseat.

“Next time you sneak out from kindergarten, I’ll punish you by making you not eat McDonald’s fries for a whole year.”

Yao Yao sulked, lying lazily in her seat, as though the sky had fallen.

Back home, Yao Yao took off her shoes, climbed onto the couch, and swung her short legs.

She turned her head and saw Yue Su walking toward the balcony of their house.

Yue Su’s place was in the third ring of the city, a spacious three-bedroom apartment with a large balcony.

The balcony was filled with her flowers and plants, most of which were succulents.

“Mom, can you stop worrying about those succulents? Take care of my ‘succulent’ first! I’ve lost weight!”

Yue Su glanced at her, seeing the small button on her stomach straining.

“You haven’t lost weight. It’s just an illusion.”

Yao Yao pouted, huffing, “I’m going to tell Grandma.”

Yue Su pointed to the phone on the coffee table. “Go ahead.”

Yao Yao knew Yue Su’s password, so she picked up the phone.

When she opened WeChat, she saw a message from Teacher Xiaohua.

She bit her finger and tapped the chat box.

Since Yao Yao couldn’t type yet, she used voice input to send the message.

Yue Su: [Teacher Xiaohua, Yao Yao won’t be going to kindergarten for the next few days.]

Teacher Xiaohua: [Yao Yao’s mom, what’s the reason? I see she’s been getting along well with the other kids.]

This stumped Yao Yao. What reason could she give?

After a long pause, Yao Yao finally responded.

Yue Su: [Yao Yao’s dad is dead.]

Teacher Xiaohua: [?]

Yao Yao frowned, worried the teacher wouldn’t believe her, so she added something.

Yue Su: [Her new dad.]

Teacher Xiaohua: [???]

Yao Yao panicked.

Yue Su: [Teacher, please, my dad really died. Don’t make Yao Yao go to school.]

Teacher Xiaohua: [Yao Yao, did you send this message using your mom’s phone?]

Caught by Teacher Xiaohua, Yao Yao nearly dropped the phone, her face scrunched like a bun.

Oh no, this is bad!

Yue Su: [Teacher, I really am her mom. Please don’t tell her mom. Please!]

Teacher Xiaohua: [Alright, I’ll discuss it with your mom. If she agrees, then it’s fine.]

Teacher Xiaohua: [Xiaohua teacher patted my poo, asking if I could eat it.]

Yue Su: [Yes, Teacher Xiaohua.]

Teacher Xiaohua: [….]

Yao Yao closed the chat with Teacher Xiaohua and saw a new message.

It was from one of Yue Su’s rare friends, Gu Nan.

Gu Nan and Yue Su had been college classmates. They hit it off from their first year, and their connection remained strong even after Yao Yao was born.

Yao Yao called Gu Nan “Godmother,” so she wasn’t at all shy around her.

Gu Nan was too lazy to type and usually communicated with Yue Su via voice messages.

Yao Yao already knew that Gu Nan had recommended a job to Yue Su, but she had refused it.

Gu Nan: [So, have you decided? The program has big backers, and the pay is good.]

Gu Nan: [This variety show is really great, niche, and the guests they invite all have good reputations. You could even bring Yao Yao along.]

Gu Nan: [It’s on a remote island, just think of it as a vacation.]

Gu Nan: [You’ve been resting for so long, if you don’t return, won’t that be a waste of your talent?]

Yao Yao heard this and immediately thought of the “island vacation” and how she could go with her mom.

Just as she didn’t want to go to kindergarten anymore.

Yue Su: [Okay, I agree.]

Gu Nan: [Got it. I’ll contact Director Liang right away.]

By the time Yue Su came back from the balcony, Yao Yao had already put down the phone and was sitting on her chair watching TV.

“Mom, I’m hungry!”

Yue Su picked up her phone. “I’ll order takeout.”

Yao Yao grabbed her hand. “I don’t want takeout. Let’s go out to eat.”

She shook Yue Su’s hand, acting cute, with her hair swaying like crazy on top of her head.

Yue Su fixed her hair.

“Then let’s go have barbecue.”

“Yay!”

Yao Yao jumped up, then hesitated, looking at Yue Su with a glimmer of expectation in her eyes.

“Can we go to catch a claw machine?”

Yue Su froze for a moment. She had taken her to play before, but since Yao Yao was always disappointed by her poor skills, they stopped going.

But today, Yao Yao suddenly wanted to go, which clearly had a reason behind it.

“Yao Yao, why do you want to go catch a claw machine?”

Yao Yao’s eyes flickered, her hands wringing together.

In the end, she deflated, her lips drooping.

“I saw him.”

Yue Su was stunned for a moment, her nose feeling a bit sour.

“What?”

Yao Yao looked up at her seriously: “Mom, is he my dad? A different dad from Qingyan’s.”

Yue Su had discovered her pregnancy years ago, feeling a mix of fear and shock.

She was scared that she wouldn’t be able to protect the baby, and also worried about being found out by the Fu family. That’s when Zhou Qingyan stepped in.

They had agreed to marry, with the plan to divorce after a year.

Zhou Qingyan only served as a decoy, and very few people knew they had registered their marriage. When they divorced, Yao Yao was only a month old.

Over the years, Zhou Qingyan had remained as her godfather, accompanying Yao Yao.

But whenever it came to the issue of Yao Yao’s biological father, the answer had always been “he’s dead.”

“Yao Yao, where did you see him?”

Yao Yao pointed to a drawer in the room. “There’s a phone in there.”

That phone was outdated, but Yue Su never threw it away. It had been locked in the drawer all this time.

She had secretly taken it out before and found it filled with many photos.

Photos of her and a man.

That’s why, when she saw him at the kindergarten gate, she immediately recognized him.

Her father was tall and strong, his embrace was completely different from her mother’s.

Yue Su knew Yao Yao was more mature for her age, different from most children.

Because of that maturity, Yao Yao had never asked the question “Why do other kids have dads and I don’t?”

She didn’t ask, and Yue Su never thought to bring it up.

“Baby, do you want a dad?”

Yao Yao thought about it seriously, holding Yue Su’s hand tightly. “I don’t really want one. I have Mama, and that’s enough for me.”

She wasn’t interested in having him accompany her while other children caught dolls; she had Mama!

Yue Su hugged her, feeling her heart soften.

Yue Su took Yao Yao to the mall. There was a famous charcoal-grilled meat restaurant there, and it was crowded. By the time they arrived, they needed to take a number and wait in line.

While waiting, Yao Yao couldn’t sit still and ran toward the balloons in the crowd, their squeaky sounds following her.

They were hosting an event here, and the crowd was gathered. Yue Su couldn’t take her eyes off the lively, bouncing little girl.

“Mama, a balloon! I want a balloon, please!”

The balloons weren’t for sale; you could get one by scanning a QR code.

Yue Su took out her phone to open WeChat and saw a message from Gu Nan.

However, Yao Yao kept urging her, so she didn’t have time to open the message and had to first get her a balloon.

After getting the balloon, Yue Su noticed it had a portrait printed on it, and her expression stiffened.

At that moment, a scream came from not far away.

“Ahhh, Titi! Titi is here!”

“Jiang Wanti, I love you!”

“Titi, look here!”

Only then did Yue Su realize this was an offline event for a jewelry brand, and they had invited the popular actress Jiang Wanti.

Yue Su was very familiar with the name Jiang Wanti.

Back in that snowy night, when she stood frozen at the bottom of the Whale Industries building, it was this woman who had appeared in front of her.

The marriage alliance between the Fu and Yue families had long been made public.

Later, someone dug up that Jiang Wanti was the daughter of the Yue family, and she was also Fu Xijin’s fiancée.

When reporters asked her about it, Jiang Wanti never denied it.

When this news broke, with the support of both the Fu and Yue families, Jiang Wanti rose to the peak of her career, gaining a large fanbase.

Interestingly, when Jiang Wanti was 20, she gave birth to a daughter, who was already seven years old.

Jiang Wanti had never hidden her child and openly brought her daughter into the spotlight.

Her daughter was the very same child that Fu Xijin had personally gone to pick up.

Many people speculated that this child was actually Fu Xijin’s biological daughter.

As for why they hadn’t married yet, the rumors were endless.

“Mama, I’ll carry you. Let’s go.”

The crowd was too large, and Yue Su was worried Yao Yao might get stepped on.

Whether it was Jiang Wanti or Fu Xijin, they were no longer part of her life, and there was no connection.

They went upstairs, and soon their number was called.

After enjoying the meal, Yue Su and Yao Yao came out reeking of grilled meat.

They went downstairs to buy a couple of coins, but since Yao Yao wasn’t very good at it, they only won two ugly dolls.

Yao Yao insisted on carrying them herself, so Yue Su hung them on her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Yue Su noticed the balloon again. She said, “Throw the balloon away.”

Yao Yao loved the flower-shaped balloon and held onto it tightly.

“I want it!”

“Fine, then carry it yourself.”

Yao Yao swayed back and forth, with the ugly dolls dangling from her, as she carried the balloon, which was even bigger than her.

Yue Su took out the car keys, when suddenly Yao Yao shouted, “Uncle!”

Yue Su looked up, and to her surprise, it was Han Si again.

She thought it was just a coincidence that she had bumped into Jiang Wanti earlier, but now it seemed like fate.

Han Si subconsciously turned his head to glance, and Fu Xijin was still in the car.

He smiled and nodded, his round face full of friendliness.

“Yao Yao, we meet again.”

Yao Yao tiptoed, trying to see if Fu Xijin was there.

Then she heard Yue Su’s cold voice: “Yao Yao, let’s go.”

“Okay. Goodbye, Uncle. I have to go home now!”

“Goodbye, little grilled meat.”

The smell of grilled meat lingered on her.

Yue Su carried her into the car and fastened her seatbelt.

When she turned around, she saw Jiang Wanti walking toward them.

Yue Su immediately averted her gaze, not planning to engage with her.

However, Jiang Wanti stopped right in front of her.

“Yue Su, it’s really you. I thought I had mistaken someone earlier.”

Yue Su had once appeared on a variety show with Jiang Wanti, but they weren’t close.

Their only interactions had been because of Fu Xijin.

When Fu Xijin’s engagement with Jiang Wanti had hit the news, Yue Su had become a joke. She was seen as the third party, and everyone had labeled her the “other woman.”

To the public, Jiang Wanti was Fu Xijin’s legitimate fiancée, and Yue Su was the one causing trouble.