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

As soon as Tongtong's feet touched the floor of the entryway, she exploded like a lit firecracker.

She stumbled into the living room, carrying her small bucket still covered in mud and sand, the seafood inside rattling as she ran.

"Daddy, Tongtong wants to eat seafood! She wants to eat it now!" Her little face flushed red with excitement, and her eyes shone like two black pearls just pulled from the water.

She stood on tiptoe and held the bucket in front of Mo Ye. The clams and mussels inside were huddled together, with one occasionally sticking out a tentacle.

Mo Ye bent down to take the bucket, and with his other hand rubbed her little head.

"Okay, I'll make something delicious for Tongtong in a bit." His voice was gentle and resolute, as if he were making a promise that he would definitely keep.

Tongtong clenched her little fists and sprang up from the ground, her little tuft of hair tracing an arc in the air as she exclaimed in a crisp, bright voice, "Yay!"

Mo Ye carried the bucket into the kitchen and poured the seafood he had caught that day into a large vegetable washing basin.

Clams, mussels, razor clams, and a few small crabs were walking sideways at the bottom of the basin.

He turned on the tap, and clear water gushed into the basin, carrying away the mud and sand. The water's color gradually changed from a murky gray to clear.

He rinsed it several times until no more sand could be seen at the bottom of the basin before turning off the water.

Then he changed the water in the basin, put the cleaned seafood in, walked to the condiment cabinet, took out the bottle of peanut oil, unscrewed the cap, and dripped some onto the water.

Golden oil droplets slowly spread across the water's surface, resembling blooming flowers, gathering into a thin film that sealed the water's surface.

He Wanqing walked to the kitchen doorway at some point, leaned against the door frame, and watched him operate the equipment.

Her gaze fell on the layer of golden oil, and she couldn't help but ask, her voice tinged with curiosity, "Why is sesame oil poured on top?"

Mo Ye put the sesame oil bottle back in the cabinet, wiped his hands, turned around to look at her, a slight smile on his lips:

"If you pour sesame oil on them, they won't be able to breathe and will open their shells, which will speed up the process of expelling sand."

He Wanqing nodded thoughtfully, her gaze shifting from the oil stains to his face. Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of genuine admiration: "You know so much."

Mo Ye walked over, reached out and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen to the side of her face behind her ear, his fingertips gently gliding across her earlobe.

His voice was very soft, as if he were telling a secret that only she could hear: "I just knew a little bit before you did, but now you know too."

He Wanqing nodded, something gleaming slightly in her eyes.

Mo Ye turned around and took out the leftovers from lunch from the refrigerator.

Oysters, stir-fried eggs with chives, and a pot of soup simmering with various nutritious ingredients were all laid out on the stove, ready to be heated up.

He Wanqing looked at the leftovers from lunch, a faint blush rising on her face.

She pursed her lips, her voice tinged with a hint of guilt and hesitation: "How about... we don't eat yet?"

Mo Ye glanced at her, a mischievous smile playing on his lips: "Can't waste it."

He Wanqing nodded awkwardly and said nothing more.

Mo Ye quickly heated up the dishes and cooked the seafood. He stir-fried the clams and oysters with ginger and scallions, added chili peppers and fermented black beans, and the aroma filled the entire kitchen.

The razor clams are steamed with garlic and vermicelli. The vermicelli absorbs the fresh juices from the razor clams and becomes transparent and plump.

The mussels were simply blanched and then dipped in soy sauce, retaining their original flavor.

All the dishes were served, and the seafood was specially placed in front of Tongtong in a large, steaming bowl, its aroma filling the air.

Tongtong sat in her high chair, her chubby little hands already gloved with disposable gloves, her face beaming with "I can't wait!"

She picked up a small spoon, scooped up a clam. Before the shell was fully open, she pried it open with the spoon, pulled out the meat, and put it in her mouth.

After chewing a couple of times, her eyes narrowed into crescents, and she nodded her little head like a chick pecking at rice, her voice sweet and soft: "Not bad~ Delicious!"

Mo Ye gently patted her head: "Tongtong, eat more if you like it."

Tongtong nodded vigorously and scooped up another one. This time it was a clam, with meat that was plumper and juicier than clams. She chewed until her cheeks were bulging.

She didn't know if it was because she caught the seafood herself or because Mo Ye cooked it so well, but she felt that today's seafood was more delicious than any she had ever eaten before.

The three of them were full, and Tongtong's little belly was round and plump, like a small ball.

She slumped in the chair, patted her stomach, and let out a small, contented burp.

He Wanqing stood up and started clearing the dishes.

Mo Ye also stood up, and the two of them, one washing the dishes and the other wiping the plates, were so quiet in the kitchen that the only sounds were the running water from the tap and the clinking of the dishes.

"Let's go out for a walk to digest our food." Mo Ye wiped his hands and took off his apron to hang it up.

He Wanqing nodded, walked to the sofa, and picked Tongtong up from the chair.

The little girl ran off as soon as her feet touched the ground, ran into the bedroom, and picked up Tuantuan, who was sleeping in the cat bed.

The orange cat was woken up by the noise, squinted its eyes and meowed, its face saying, "What are you doing here again?"

Tongtong didn't care. She put Tuantuan on the ground, took out a cat leash from the drawer, and clumsily put it on.

Tuan Tuan stood still, its tail wagging slowly, like a resigned prisoner.

After digesting her food, Tongtong's eyes were completely closed. She leaned against He Wanqing's chest, her little mouth slightly open, her breathing long and even.

He Wanqing carried her into the bathroom, gave her a bath, dried her off, changed her into bunny pajamas, carried her into the children's room, put her on the crib, and pulled the blanket over her round little belly.

Tongtong turned over, hugged the little pink pig to her chest, smiled, and fell into a deep sleep.

He Wanqing left the children's room and gently closed the door behind her.

In the corridor, Mo Ye was sitting on the sofa, holding his phone. The light from the screen reflected on his face, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

He Wanqing walked over and sat down beside him, tilting her head to look at him softly, "What's wrong?"

Mo Ye put down his phone, rubbed his temples, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Time to take graduation photos."

He Wanqing paused for a moment, then gave a knowing "Oh," as if she had remembered something: "Haven't you taken your graduation photos yet? Why so late?"

Mo Ye nodded, leaned back on the sofa, and looked at the ceiling: "That's how it is at school; the schedule changes every year."

He reached out and brushed aside the stray hairs that were falling in front of his eyes. His hair was indeed a bit long, and his bangs had covered his eyebrows. They were a little itchy when they poked his eyes.

"I'm planning to get a haircut."

He Wanqing narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze sweeping over his face like an X-ray, her voice carrying a hint of scrutiny and wariness: "You're going to get a haircut?"