Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Without a father to grow up to, she vowed to do her best to fill up this void for Youyou.

Once she started working, no matter how busy she was or how late she worked, she would always set aside time to have dinner with him. Even if she had to apply for leave, she would rush back home to accompany Youyou for dinner before going back to the office to continue her work.

Although her actions had resulted in much dissatisfaction, she had never made an exception and came back every day for dinner.

If there was an emergency at work or an appointment she could not get out of, she would let him know and ‘beg to be excused’ beforehand. Even though the little boy would protest and express his disappointment, he would at most remind her, in an upset voice, to eat her meals on time and return home as soon as she could.

However, it was rare for her not to return home for an entire night!

That time before was the first.

Last night was the second.

Today was the third.

For two consecutive days, she had been unable to have dinner with him, and Yun Shishi felt extremely remorseful.

She raised her head and looked toward her apartment window; the lights were still on. Her heart was flooded with warmth, as well as a dull ache.

That little boy, did he specially leave the lights on to wait for her return?

Yun Shishi wanted to quickly head up to her unit, but the man in the car stopped her.

“Leaving just like this?”

He noticed that she was about to leave for her apartment just like that, and discontentment started to appear on his face.

“What do you still want?” She sulkily turned around to face him.

“Don’t you have anything else to say?” He looked at her deeply, his deep-set eyes faintly glimmering under the moonlight.

“I’m going home!” She turned around, walked up to the door, and opened it with her card. What he was left with was the sound of a door closing somewhere up the stairway.

He remained sitting in his car as he involuntarily broke into a smile. He raised his eyes a little to look at the only window on the tenth floor that still had indoor lights on. All of a sudden, a deep thought flashed across his eyes.

“Yun Shishi is my mother; Yun Tianyou’s mommy. I’ll protect her for the rest of my life. I won’t allow her to be harmed or wronged in any way, and I’ll definitely not let you hurt her.”

The youthful yet mature voice of the child resonated in his ears.

Youthful and mature. These two words were paradoxically congruous in that little boy.

Youthful was his voice, appearance, and especially his fragile body. He was only six; tenderness was retained on his face, and his voice was full of effeminacy.

Mature was his haughty vigor, his prudent way of speaking, and his calm disposition. He could not quite figure out exactly why a mature soul resided in such a small body.

He was mature to the point where it was surprising, even to him.

He got out of the car and took out a cigarette pack. He held a stick of it in his lips and lit it up.

Along with a faint sparkle, a scent unique to a cigarette spread in the night wind.

Yun Shishi opened the door and was welcomed by the soft lights from the living room. A grin subconsciously appeared on her face. She walked into the living room full of regrets and announced, “Youyou, mommy is back!”

She received no response to her call, however.

If it were in the past, she would hear rapid stomps from the study room, which would soon be followed by Youyou’s appearance in the hallway with a bright smile, as he threw himself into her embrace. He would make use of his cute face to snuggle in her arms, being just like a kitty acting coy.

Right now, it was eerily silent.

Had he gone to sleep?

She entered the study room with a puzzled look and saw the laptop screen and the fax machine still on, yet there was no sight of the little boy.

She exclaimed and rushed into the bedroom. She even dropped to the floor to peer under the bed. Was he playing hide and seek with her to give her a scare as punishment for not returning home for two days?