"So... Mom’s confession failed, huh..." Ye Yuyin sat on Lin Muke’s bed, her previously swinging little legs coming to a stop as the words left her lips.
Before her, Lin Muke knelt on a soft cushion, nose still red. A tissue box sat beside her, ready for her to grab one at any moment.
Just moments ago, Lin Muke had recounted everything she discovered that morning to Yuyin.
When she described how Ye Huaixian protected her on the bus, little Yuyin’s eyes lit up—briefly. But the sharp little girl knew it couldn’t be that simple. Otherwise, why would Mom still struggle to hold back sadness while telling the story...
Yuyin’s tiny heart sank.
Then came the hardest part: Lin Muke’s repeated rejections. The first one? Understandable. Yuyin knew her dad well—Dad had always been brilliant in both heart and mind. Everyone has an off day. She tried hard to make excuses for him.
Until Lin Muke described holding him back after PE class... that confession where she threw away every shred of a girl’s shyness.
Result? Dad didn’t even glance back at Mom!
Little Yuyin fumed. She never knew Dad had been such a jerk when he was young! Sure, she was a devoted daddy’s girl—but hurting Mom was just wrong!
If Dad were here right now, she’d risk a scolding just to pummel Ye Huaixian with her tiny pink fists—to cheer Mom up!
Anger faded fast. A heavy gloom settled over them both. Lin Muke remained trapped in sorrow; even cheerful Yuyin grew quieter. She gently patted her mother’s head again.
*Mom’s only flaw,* Yuyin thought, *is bottling everything up. Without me, how long would she cry alone in her room? But the second she sees Dad... she’ll flash that gentle, smiling mask again.*
She feared her gentle Mom would get hurt. Worry pulled her here—to this time. Guided by memory, she found the old house where her grandparents (Lin Muke’s parents) once lived... now Lin Muke’s home.
She wanted to reunite Mom and Dad with her own hands.
But now... What’s wrong with you, silly Dad?!
Yuyin’s cute face scrunched up in protest. "Hmph! Jerk Dad! I’m not talking to you anymore!"
Yet little Yuyin had inherited her father’s sharp mind and calm. While Lin Muke drowned in sadness, Yuyin pulled herself together—comforting Mom while already analyzing silly Dad’s behavior.
A worry far beyond her years shadowed her small face. After deep thought, her eyes widened. She shouted:
"Mom! I know why Dad acted like that!"
Lin Muke froze, lifting her head to stare blankly at her daughter. Yuyin cupped her mother’s face, leaned close, and whispered into her ear like sharing a vital secret:
"Dad... must’ve been snatched up by a bad woman first!"
"A... a bad woman?"
Yuyin sat back and nodded firmly.
"Mm! And I know exactly who! Even though Dad and Mom are together, she still clings to him all the time!"
Lin Muke’s eyes widened.
"She... who is she?"
"Aunt Gu! She always brings me fancy snacks... but for Mom’s sake, I’ll give up snacks forever!"
—"Aunt Gu. Gu Qianqian!"
