1.7

Under the hundreds of thousands of comments, speculations about who Yin Yin might like filled the screen, leaving Su Mo anxious as he read through them.

Scrolling through the comments, Su Mo saw only names of other men. The fans' theories were well-reasoned, and if he didn't know he was already married to Yin Yin with a child, he might have been convinced.

Seeing that his own name wasn't mentioned, Su Mo was unsure whether to feel disappointed or relieved.

Just then, he came across a comment with a photo attached.

[Could it be this person?] The accompanying picture showed a man in a baseball cap holding a thermos for Yin Yin, and they appeared quite close.

Su Mo's heart skipped a beat when he recognized himself in the photo. At the time, Yin Yin had been more than four months pregnant, suffering from severe morning sickness and poor appetite. He had prepared some dishes for her, and this scene, captured by a camera, had unexpectedly made its way into the public eye.

Fortunately, since only the back of the man and the thermos were visible, it was interpreted as an assistant or a similar figure, so the comment was quickly buried under others.

Su Mo then checked the second and third trending searches.

For the first time, Shenghuang Entertainment, Yin Yin's agency, had issued a comprehensive clarification of the rumors, addressing all the gossip in one sweep. This was a novel approach in the entertainment industry.

Some netizens joked that Shenghuang Entertainment was too frugal with its public relations budget.

What surprised Su Mo was that the rumor involving him and Yin Yin wasn't addressed in the clarification. Was it leaked, or was it because he had retired from the entertainment industry?

Back then, a scandal involving him and Yin Yin had circulated, occurring on the night they stayed in a hotel together. However, the news had quickly faded as he retired from the industry, so it hadn't drawn much attention.

Su Mo focused on the detailed information about other male celebrities rumored to be involved with Yin Yin. He noted that one netizen had posted, [It seems the scandal between the goddess and Su Mo is the only one not clarified?]

Someone quickly commented, "Su Mo? Oh, he's retired from the industry. Maybe it's not necessary to address his involvement."

This comment successfully cleared up some confusion among those who were unsure.

Su Mo sighed in relief. Fortunately, he wasn't exposed, and he knew Yin Yin preferred to keep their relationship private.

With a softer expression, Su Mo's fingers skimmed across the screen, returning to Yin Yin's Weibo post. His gaze lingered on the post, his eyes growing gentler.

<<<<<

In the bathroom, Yin Yin had removed Dudu's dirty clothes. He stood naked, his skin as white as snow but slightly thin. Yin Yin preferred children to be chubby.

Dudu blinked his round eyes, looking innocent and a bit shy, his cheeks flushed. Even though he was only three, he felt embarrassed standing naked while his mother helped him bathe.

Since this year, he had been bathing by himself, though he still needed help with putting on clothes due to his short arms.

Yin Yin found his shyness adorable and almost laughed. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Your hands are injured. How can you wash them yourself? Be a good boy and let mom do it for you. No arguments."

Yin Yin's tone was firm, trying to convince him with a bit of toughness.

-------

Sure enough, the little guy didn't dare to move.

He shuffled into the bathtub with his short legs and sat down obediently.

He lowered his head, his eyelashes drooping, and his fair little face flushed red like a ripe apple.

Yin Yin started by washing his hair. The little curls became wet and drooped, making him look like a soggy duckling.

She lathered some shower gel and used a bath ball to scrub his body.

"Raise your hands."

"Stand up."

"Turn around."

Su Yuanjin followed his mother's instructions, doing exactly as she said.

"All done." After rinsing him clean, Yin Yin wrapped him in a large bath towel and carried him to the bed.

She glanced at the still, quiet, and well-behaved little guy in her arms, catching a glimpse of his expression of despair.

Oh, how adorable.

Unable to resist, Yin Yin gave him a kiss, making a "muhaa" sound.

The little guy snapped out of his daze, his eyes widening slightly before he looked down in embarrassment.

Su Yuanjin thought, No one can see me.

Though many three-year-olds still have others bathe them, Su Yuanjin, despite his youth, was precocious due to his high IQ.

Once Yin Yin finished dressing Su Yuanjin, he finally showed an expression of "I'm finally free."

Even though it was a bit embarrassing, Su Yuanjin felt very happy because it was the first time his mother had bathed him.

Yin Yin then took out the medicine box.

"Open your palms."

Su Yuanjin obediently spread out his hands. The dirt and gravel were gone, revealing a series of bloody scratches.

It might not have seemed like much on an adult, but on a child's delicate palm, it looked rather severe.

Yin Yin felt a pang of distress as she opened the iodine bottle and took out a cotton swab.

"This will sting a bit, so bear with it. If it hurts too much, it's okay to cry out," she said gently, applying the iodine to the wounds.

As soon as the cotton swab touched his skin, Su Yuanjin inhaled sharply.

It hurt.

Though Yin Yin wasn't around often, Su Yuanjin had been well protected by Su Mo and Aunt Zhang, so he had never experienced such pain before.

He focused on his mother instead of the pain.

He noticed how beautiful she was and how pleasant she smelled.

No wonder Dad loves Mom so much. I love her too.

Remembering his mother's words in the car about liking him, Su Yuanjin's mouth curled up in a secret smile.

He could tell she was applying the medicine gently, as if she was trying not to hurt him.

Despite the pain, Su Yuanjin felt happy.

It would be wonderful if Mom could always be with him in the future. No, just coming back more often would be nice. He wouldn't be greedy.

After applying the medicine, Aunt Zhang had prepared the meal, and the family of three sat down to eat together.

Su Mo and Dudu, who seldom had meals with Yin Yin, were both very happy.

After lunch, Yin Yin took Su Yuanjin for a nap.

Since Su Yuanjin's room had only a small bed, Yin Yin brought him to her and Su Mo's room.

When Su Mo opened the door, he saw the two of them, one big and one small, sleeping soundly on the large bed.

Su Yuanjin was nestled at the innermost side, Yin Yin was in the middle, and there was still space left on the edge.

Was that space meant for him?

Su Mo wasn't sure.

Over the past three years, Yin Yin had returned less often, and they had shared the bed even less.

Just as Su Mo was about to leave, Yin Yin opened her eyes, looked at him blankly, then gently patted the space beside her, her meaning clear.

(End of this chapter)