1.6

Yin Yin remained silent.

Su Mo lifted her chin and got into the car. Yin Yin then removed her mask.

Yin Yin was undeniably beautiful, but her delicate features were marred by tear stains, and her eyes were red with tears streaming down her face, making her look extraordinarily vulnerable.

Su Mo felt a pang of distress and pulled her into his arms.

"What's wrong?" After being married for several years, Su Mo had always known Yin Yin as strong and resilient. Seeing her cry so intensely left him bewildered.

"Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry. Please stop crying," Su Mo comforted her gently.

Seeing his mother cry, Su Yuanjin's face crumpled with worry.

Yin Yin clutched Su Mo's shirt, raised her tear-streaked face, and choked on her sobs. "Su Mo, I've hurt Dudu the most. If I hadn't been so busy filming and only come home once in so long, if I had visited his kindergarten even once, he wouldn't feel like a child without a mother."

Turning to embrace Su Yuanjin, Yin Yin rested her face on his head. "Dudu, it's mom's fault. I'm sorry. I promise I'll never neglect you again."

Yin Yin's guilt was genuine. While she had calmly and assertively defended Su Yuanjin at the kindergarten, she couldn't hold back her tears once in the car.

Su Yuanjin, understanding now, raised his slightly dirty face and asked in a small, anxious voice, "Mom, is Dudu a bad kid?"

Yin Yin shook her head and gently touched his face. "Of course not. Dudu is the most well-behaved and sensible child."

Su Yuanjin's eyes brightened. "Then mom won't hate Dudu, right?"

Yin Yin's heart ached, and she pulled him closer. "How could Mommy hate Dudu? You're my child, and I love you very much."

Hearing that his mother not only didn't hate him but loved him, Su Yuanjin felt happier than if he had received a mountain of candy.

"Dudu loves Mommy too," Su Yuanjin said, his eyes sparkling like hidden stars. He gathered his courage, puffed out his chest, tilted his head back, and kissed Yin Yin on the cheek, looking at her nervously for her reaction.

Yin Yin was surprised by the soft, warm touch on her cheek. After recovering, she bent down and kissed Su Yuanjin back.

Su Yuanjin beamed, his dimples appearing at the corners of his smile.

"Mom, don't cry," Su Yuanjin said softly.

"Okay, no more crying," Yin Yin replied.

Snuggling in his mother's arms, Su Yuanjin smiled contentedly, feeling like a little mouse who had found a treasure. He was overjoyed to realize he wasn't a bad boy and that his mother loved him.

As Su Mo watched the tender moment between mother and son, his eyes softened, reflecting the gentle breeze of spring.

He was pleasantly surprised by Yin Yin's words. Would she be able to spend more time with Dudu in the future? Would she come home more often?

The thought made Su Mo happy. As he drove home, he felt lighter and more content.

The melancholy that had clouded the 25-year-old's face finally began to lift.

--------

The car soon arrived at Jing'an Garden. Aunt Zhang, the nanny, was waiting at the door and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the family of three returning in good spirits.

"Oh, Dudu rolled on the ground?" Aunt Zhang immediately noticed the dirty Su Yuanjin in Yin Yin's arms. "Come here, Grandma Zhang will take you to get cleaned up."

"No need, Aunt Zhang, I'll bathe Dudu myself," Yin Yin said casually.

Everyone was taken aback. From the time Dudu was born until now, at three years old, Yin Yin had never given him a bath.

Su Yuanjin's eyes widened in surprise.

Ignoring their astonishment, Yin Yin carried Dudu directly to the bathroom.

Once there, Yin Yin set the little guy down and started filling the bathtub with hot water. Just as she was about to step out to get clothes, she nearly bumped into Su Mo.

Su Mo quickly caught her, feeling the delicate curve of her body through his hands. As soon as Yin Yin steadied herself, he let go and said, "I'll bring Dudu's clothes."

"Okay," Yin Yin agreed, taking the yellow clothes and turning to leave. She suddenly remembered something and said to Su Mo, "I need to tell you something."

"Go ahead."

"Today, the paparazzi reported a scandal involving me and Liang Sheng, but I have nothing to do with him. I've already clarified it. You can check it out."

With that, Yin Yin didn't keep Dudu waiting and went straight to the bathroom.

Su Mo stood there, momentarily dazed, his handsome face showing a fleeting look of surprise before he began to process her words.

Did Yin Yin actually clarify this to him? Over the four years of their marriage, Yin Yin had been involved in numerous scandals, but Su Mo had never asked, and she had never explained or sought public clarification. Now, she was explaining.

Did this mean she was starting to consider him?

With this thought, Su Mo's brows lifted into a subtle smile.

He quickly reached for his phone, only to find it had been off. He plugged it in to charge and, once it was on a few minutes later, saw that Yin Yin had called him twice. Checking the timing, he realized she must have called while he was on his way to the kindergarten.

He felt a pang of annoyance at missing her call but was relieved she was back.

Rushing to Weibo, he saw that the hot search rankings were dominated by news about Yin Yin:

1. #What to Do if the Person You Like Misunderstands You?#

2. #Actress Yin Yin Clarifies Scandal#

3. #A Look Back at Actress Yin Yin's Scandals Over the Years#

Yin Yin had taken over the top three hot searches.

Su Mo clicked on the first post, which was a Weibo update Yin Yin had posted two hours ago: "It's tough when the person you like misunderstands you. It's hard for someone dedicated to their work."

The mention of "the person you like" made Su Mo's heart skip a beat.

Fans had immediately grasped that Yin Yin was addressing rumors about her and Liang Sheng:

[I would say the goddess has nothing to do with this person. They were just discussing a script. Someone must be seeking attention. I wonder if the paparazzi was tipped off.]

[Wait, does the goddess have someone she likes? Who is it? Step forward. I won't let you steal her away.]

[Is this the first time the goddess has clarified a scandal publicly since her debut? I think something extraordinary is happening.]

[So who does the goddess like?]

(End of this chapter)