C9 She Wants to See Little Brother

After her tears subsided, Little Ruixin felt a bit embarrassed, burying her face in Lau Yunwan's embrace. Despite their best efforts, neither could coax her out. Finally, Yunwan took out her phone and used a clip of her youngest son's mishap on a reality show to catch Ruixin's attention.

She glanced at Ruixin, hiding a smile, and said, "This is your big brother, Chi Hann. When he was ten, your uncle had him work a summer job, and he even came back with an award for being the youngest actor."

"He wasn't too fond of being a star, so he focused on his studies for a few years. After you were born, he was worried about you getting sick and decided he wanted to become a doctor."

"But after you were taken away, your brother..."

She paused, then continued, "Your brother suddenly thought that if he appeared on TV more often, you might see him and come back."

The stubborn young boy didn't consider whether his little sister, barely over a year old at the time, would have access to a TV or remember him. He was determined to do what he believed was right.

With perseverance, he carved out his own niche in the world.

Yunwan's words left Little Ruixin staring at the phone screen, captivated by the bright yet slightly rebellious smile of the young boy. She had seen her brother on TV while at the neighbor's house.

She reached out to touch the screen and accidentally hit pause, freezing the young man's smile in that moment.

Seeing her daughter holding the phone tightly, her eyes locked on the screen, Yunwan asked, "Do you want to meet him, Xin?"

Hearing this, Little Ruixin, who usually took a moment to react, immediately looked up. Her big, blinking eyes conveyed just one thing—

Can I?

When she was bruised and battered, and the neighbor took her in to protect her, it was this very smile that brought her warmth and hope.

She wanted to meet him!

"Of course you can!"

If her daughter wanted something, there was nothing that couldn't be done!

Since her daughter had her phone, Yunwan asked her husband for his.

Chi Hann, who was working on problems in a small country inn, nearly dropped his pen when he received a video call from his dad!

Had he done something wrong?

No, he didn’t think so.

As the persistent ringtone continued, Chi Hann quickly reviewed his recent behavior—

He had been well-behaved during live streams, ignored negative comments without engaging; he cooperated with the scripted reality show despite it being unscripted initially; and he walked away from provocations by rivals without a word.

Even his manager thought he had turned over a new leaf, rewarding him with a high-calorie treat he usually wasn't allowed to eat to maintain his on-camera appearance.

Blueberry cupcakes.

Really?

With a trembling hand, he pressed the answer button. Seeing it was his mom, his skin instantly tightened.

Mixed doubles?

Could it be that his late-night indulgence in a twelve-inch blueberry cake was reported to his manager?

"When are you coming home, honey?"

The overly gentle tone gave Chi Hann goosebumps. Honey? Really?

"Mom, are you okay?"

When she wants to scold him, she usually calls him by his full name. No need to be so polite.

"Answer the question."

Ah, there it is—that tone that means business.

"Probably in about two weeks. I still have some variety shows to shoot here, and then there's a new movie project my uncle's working on that I'm interested in checking out."

Chi Hann scratched his head, propped his chin on his hand, and lazily asked, "Why? Does my dear mom miss her most handsome son?"

Lau Yunwan nodded, then tilted the camera down to focus on the little one who had been staring at the video call.

Adorable overload!