“Auntie, sorry, I really didn’t want to lie to you. Sorry… but I really didn’t know what to do. “Mommy she, Mommy she is really too scary… Why aren’t you Baby’s mother instead…”
The child choking on his words made Pei Ge regret why she had not carried out the pretense fully. That way, the child would not notice that she knew the truth and be so depressed.
“Stop crying; auntie isn’t blaming you at all and, in fact, likes you a lot. Regardless of the situation, I’d still tell your father about your… mother’s problem.”
She told the child gently as the pity in her for him grew exponentially. Meanwhile, her impression of Ji Ziming and Qiao Jingyun worsened, especially so for the latter.
They were the child’s parents, but they did otherwise!
One neither inquired nor cared about him—truly an incompetent father, and the other did not have any concern for the child and was merely using him.
Furthermore… from what this adorable child had said thus far, it seemed that that woman… had been abusing him!
The moment she thought of this, she sounded serious.
“Boy, tell auntie honestly; your… mother, is she maltreating you?”
The weeping child suddenly turned silent at her question.
“…”
She understood what his silence meant.
“Can you tell me about it? I really want to help you.”
He eventually spoke after much persuasion from her.
“I…”
However, even though the child spoke, it was clear from his voice that he was hesitant to reveal things.
“M-My mommy… seems to hate me.”
When the child said that, he sounded heartbroken to the core as his voice was filled with bitterness.
“Why is that so? Why do you think she hates you?”
She asked that despite it being clear that Qiao Jingyun had no love for her son.
That woman was the child’s mother, though!
From how he spoke of his mother, that woman’s dislike for him was clear to see! If not, it wouldn’t be so apparent to the child.
“Am I not adorable and obedient enough, so my mother hates me?”
Her heart ached for the child when she heard him stifle his tears as he muttered that question.
“No, you’re just fine. You’re very cute and everybody loves you.”
Hearing that, the child grew agitated.
“Liar! My mother hates me! She’d rather have that sister at the orphanage than me…”
She frowned at that.
“…Sister at the orphanage?”
She did not remember Qiao Jingyun being a charitable person, much less to be willing to share her love with orphans.
“Yes… She wouldn’t let me tell daddy, though…”
The child confessed to her in a pitiable voice. “Last time, she brought that sister to our house to play. I don’t like that sister because she often bullies me… and mommy always sides with her…”
Her frown deepened as confusion filled her mind upon hearing that.
Although she was not close to that woman, she still knew her personality somewhat.
That woman was nothing close to kind, let alone help out an orphan.
With how badly that woman was treating her son and how well she was treating an orphan, it was absolutely baffling.
“…Does your mother hate your father a lot?”
She could only think from this perspective.
Since that woman did not marry Ji Ziming, she must hate the man, which resulted in her treating their child badly.
“No! My mother really loves daddy. She always tells me to work hard in making daddy like me, or else she’ll abandon me…”
‘
His words made her even more confused.
Since that woman did not hate the child’s father, why did she treat him badly?
This was honestly too baffling!
“Then, tell me why you fell from upstairs last time.”
The boy proceeded to narrate what had happened that day.
She realized at that point how evil the boy’s mother was and how much… she hated her adorable child!
Not only did she push him down to prevent Qu Jingwan from marrying into Ji family, she even…
That woman, she clearly wanted to kill her son!
Why, though? Why did she try to kill him?
Without the boy, she would be unable to marry into the Ji family…
Why…
That girl at the orphanage… and her still loving Ji Ziming…
Her mind was filled with this issue related to Qiao Jingyun. An idea slowly began to take shape in her mind, but…
“Mommy, be my mother, will you? My daddy loves you a lot and I only want you to be my mother!”
Just as she was pondering on this confounding issue, she was pulled back to reality by the child’s request.
“…”
She was shocked, speechless, by his request.
“Mommy, be my mother, will you? I don’t want that auntie with her fake smile to be my mother!”
“Boy… I can’t be your mother. Plus, you’re mistaken; your father doesn’t like this auntie.”
Pei Ge did not know what to say to the child and sighed softly.
“Don’t want. Mommy, mommy, is it because you don’t want me to be your kid?”
“This auntie here really likes you a lot, but I truly can’t be your mother—”
Before she could finish explaining herself, the child had an outburst.
“Hmph! Mommy is the worst! Mommy just doesn’t like me! Baby doesn’t want to talk to you anymore…”
As the child exclaimed that, he switched off the walkie-talkie.
She was completely stunned when only the buzzing remained on the other end.
“Baby?”
