Shocking! A three-year-old brings his aloof mother to their door.

The thought made her ears burn slightly, and she quickly looked away, but couldn't help but steal another glance.

Inner thoughts: ( •̆ ᵕ •̆ )◞♡

Mo Ye opened his eyes at that moment, his eyes still hazy and watery from just waking up, and met her complex and unreadable gaze, which she hadn't had time to fully conceal.

"You're back?" His voice was a little hoarse, but tinged with amusement. "Did you get everything sorted out?"

He Wanqing was internally experiencing a turbulent "CEO's Forced Love" drama, but on the surface, she quickly managed her expression and regained her usual composure, not wanting to scare him.

She moved closer and sat down on the chair beside the bed, her tone steady, though a faint, unnatural blush still lingered on her cheeks:

"Yes, it's resolved."

She paused, then added softly, "It's all your fault, I didn't see her, all I could see was you."

Upon hearing this, Mo Ye's smile deepened, and a hint of ambiguity appeared on his pale face: "Saying such mushy things..." His tone was full of pleasure.

"Who, who's being cheesy! (づ◡ど)" He Wanqing's face flushed even more, and she suddenly stood up, her movements a little hasty:

"I...I'll go wash an apple for you."

She practically fled as she grabbed a bright red apple from the fruit plate and turned to walk towards the small sink in the ward.

Mo Ye looked at her slightly flustered back, his eyes filled with warmth.

Meeting her must have taken all the luck I'd accumulated in my entire life.

He hummed a muffled melody silently and reached for his phone on the bedside table.

The moment my fingertips touched the cool body of the device, the screen lit up, accompanied by a vibration—it was Jiang Hui's video call request.

Mo Ye glanced at the sink; the water was running, and He Wanqing was intently washing apples.

He pressed the answer button.

Jiang Hui's face immediately appeared on the screen, with the familiar living room of her home as the background.

Her brows were furrowed, and she began to speak in a series of sentences:

"You brat! Where's my granddaughter? It's already past seven o'clock, kindergarten let out a long time ago!"

Where's the video?

"Have you forgotten again? I knew you were an unreliable father..."

Before Mo Ye could explain, Jiang Hui abruptly stopped speaking.

She squinted, leaned closer to the screen, and finally saw clearly the environment her son was in—

White walls, blue curtains, he lay half-reclined on the hospital bed, his hand still covered with tape.

"You..." Jiang Hui's expression changed instantly, worry replacing her previous accusatory tone.

"Where are you? In a hospital? What happened to you? Huh?" The voice involuntarily rose in pitch.

Mo Ye felt a warmth in his heart and softened his voice to comfort her: "Mom, it's nothing, it's just an old ailment, acute gastroenteritis, it's much better now."

He turned slightly to the side, allowing the camera to glimpse the direction of the sink, his tone carrying a subtle hint of boasting:

"Your daughter-in-law is here taking care of me, so don't worry."

Hearing that it was just gastroenteritis, and with her "daughter-in-law" by her side, Jiang Hui's anxiety immediately subsided.

But soon, that worry turned into anger at his son's "disappointment":

"Old problem? Don't you know how to be careful? How old are you and you still can't control your eating? You must be eating random things!"

You glutton! Did you sneak some spicy food and iced drinks again?

Why are your sweet potatoes so big?

Mo Ye: "..." The topic changed too quickly.

Jiang Hui continues to criticize, expressing her frustration and disappointment:

"You! You're such a grown woman, and you still need to be worried about! Wanqing is so busy with work."

I also have to take care of you, this "idle" patient! What a pain! Can't you just give me a break?!

Mo Ye was both amused and exasperated: "Mom... I'm a patient now." Are you still my real mom? ( •̀∀•́ )

"The patient deserves to be scolded even more! Learn from this!" Jiang Hui said righteously.

Just then, He Wan finished washing the apples, wiped her hands with a tissue, and came out.

Looking up, I saw Mo Ye holding up his phone, a helpless yet indulgent smile on his face, whispering something to the screen.

That expression...that look in his eyes...

He Wanqing suddenly stopped.

A woman's sixth sense immediately went off – this was definitely not a call from an ordinary classmate or friend!

The smile was so gentle, the helplessness so familiar, it even carried a hint of... coquettishness.

???

Could it be... some "female best friend" she doesn't know?

College classmate?

Childhood sweethearts?

Or... netizens?

In just a few seconds, He Wanqing's mind was racing with countless possibilities, each one making her feel a little sour and stifled, as if being scratched by a tiny claw.

She didn't think about her mother-in-law at all.

Mo Ye was completely unaware of this and was still trying to reason with his mother.

Looking at the bright red, juicy apple in her hand, and then at Mo Ye smiling at his phone, He Wanqing suddenly found the apple particularly offensive.

She pursed her lips, walked a few steps to the bedside, and without even looking at the patient, raised her arm—

With a soft "thump," the freshly washed, perfect apple traced a beautiful parabola and landed precisely in the trash can in the corner.

eat?

Eat my ass!

She was fuming with anger, but her actions didn't stop. She suddenly leaned her little head close to the phone screen that Mo Ye was holding up, wanting to see which "vixen" it was!

Mo Ye was taken aback by her sudden action, his phone even shaking: "Wanqing? What's wrong?"

On the screen, Jiang Hui was about to continue "educating" her son when suddenly a magnified, exquisite, yet clearly sullen, beautiful face was zoomed in on.

Two pairs of eyes met unexpectedly, separated by a screen.

The air seemed to freeze for a second.

Jiang Hui: !!!

It's over! It's over!

Did your daughter-in-law hear everything you just said?

Did someone see me yelling at her husband?

My image of a kind and gentle mother-in-law!

Σ(っ°Д °;)っ

He Wanqing: !!!

Ah... Auntie?!

Is she Mo Ye's mother?!

I just threw an apple...

Did Auntie see it?

My image as a virtuous and gentle woman! Ahhh!

!!!∑(°Д°ノ)ノ

Both of them showed a flash of shock and embarrassment, which quickly turned into a calm expression.

Almost simultaneously, He Wanqing suddenly straightened up and quickly used her fingers to tidy up her not-so-messy sideburns;

On the screen, Jiang Hui subconsciously raised her hand, smoothed her hair, and gave an incredibly kind smile.

He Wanqing stood ramrod straight, her hands clasped awkwardly in front of her, her cheeks flushed, her voice tinged with obvious nervousness, yet she tried her best to remain composed:

"Hello, Auntie! I'm He Wanqing, Mo Ye's...girlfriend." The last three words were spoken softly and quickly.

Upon hearing the voice and seeing the girl's tense yet composed demeanor, Jiang Hui's heart melted; all traces of her previous "fierce" attitude vanished.

She leaned forward, almost as if she could pass right through the screen, and her smile instantly became ten times more natural, her voice so soft it seemed to melt away:

"Wanqing~ Oh my, she's even prettier in person than I imagined! Look at that face, that aura, she's much prettier than those celebrities on TV!"

Mo Ye stood silently to the side, holding up his phone, watching his mother's face change in an instant, his inner monologue: ...Here we go again, the classic double standard scene.

(꒪⌓꒪)

..........