Shoutout to nyanmaru for the commission!
“Grandma!”
Tuntun jumped off the sofa and dashed towards Chu Lan like a little cannonball.
Chu Lan crouched down to hug him, gently stroking his small face with affection, “Don’t cry, my dear. Grandma is here now.”
Tuntun wrapped his arms around her neck, his voice filled with tears as he softly called out “Grandma,” melting Chu Lan’s heart.
Qiqi’s parents, who had been trying to quietly slip away, froze in place. Qiqi’s father’s back was drenched in cold sweat.
He was a newly appointed second-generation leader of his family’s business, and as luck would have it, their company happened to be a supplier for one of Tianlan Group’s electronic products. Naturally, he recognized the formidable woman before him, who, despite being over sixty, was still a force to be reckoned with.
Chu Lan was the legitimate daughter of a wealthy family. After marrying Cheng Hui, who also came from a powerful family, she didn’t just settle into the role of a rich housewife. Instead, she surpassed her cousins to take over Tianlan Group, where she worked for over thirty years. She was a distinguished entrepreneur who had even shaken hands with high-ranking officials.
“Chairwoman Chu…” Qiqi’s father tightened his grip on his child’s hand, unsure whether to remove his mask and hat or keep them on.
Taking them off might risk being recognized and harming his family’s business; keeping them on might still result in being recognized and being labeled as disrespectful, which could make things even worse.
At that moment, he deeply regretted those careless words he had said, which his son had overheard and repeated, when his wife shared some celebrity gossip with him.
Chu Lan could see the tension in him with just one glance. She had already looked into Qiqi’s family background on her way here, so she knew exactly what was making him nervous.
She was well aware of the advantages of using her influence; it made problem-solving much easier. However, today she was here to stand up for Tuntun, and with live stream viewers watching, she couldn’t afford to leave the impression of using her power to intimidate others.
So, even though she had brought four assistants for presence, she definitely wasn’t trying to “use her influence.”
Mm, definitely not.
She patted Tuntun’s back and let him go, then took his little hand and shielded him behind her. Only then did she stand up and look at Qiqi’s father, saying, “Today, I’m not here as Chairwoman Chu, but as a grandmother worried about her grandson being bullied.”
“I believe your child has hurt my grandson with his words, and I hope he can apologize to my grandson and promise not to do it again.”
“Yes, yes, you’re right,” Qiqi’s father quickly nodded and pulled his child out from behind him. “Qiqi, apologize to Tuntun.”
Chat Comments:
【???】
【Is this the same arrogant dad from earlier?】
【He was just fiercely protecting his kid, and now he’s throwing him under the bus. What a coward.】
【Chairwoman Chu’s presence is undeniable; who wouldn’t be intimidated?】
【Go, Grandma!】
【I have to say, Chairwoman Chu might be using her power a bit here.】
【Using power?? You call a reasonable demand after a child is bullied “using power”? I hope if your kid gets bullied in the future, you’ll just sit back and take it instead of “using power.”】
【Haters, don’t jump to conclusions. If Chairwoman Chu really got serious, you’d be on Tianlan Group’s legal team’s lawsuit list in no time.】
Adults know when to bend, but children aren’t so adaptable.
Qiqi, unwilling and reluctant, refused to apologize and kept hiding behind his father.
Seeing Chu Lan’s expression, Qiqi’s father turned to grab his son, his tone becoming stern: “Qiqi!”
Qiqi shuddered in fear and burst into tears again.
Qiqi’s father felt utterly humiliated, his face flushed red as he scolded louder, “Stop crying!”
“Sir,” Chu Lan interrupted, glancing at the filming camera, “for the sake of your child’s mental health, I suggest you avoid disciplining your child in front of others.”
Qiqi’s father immediately adjusted his attitude and motioned for his wife to take care of their son.
Chu Lan then said to him, “Issues with a child’s education should be addressed at home. As for the connection between blood ties and a parent’s love for their child, I hope you won’t make such narrow-minded assumptions.”
“The next time they have class, I hope your child will realize his mistake and sincerely apologize to my Tuntun.”
“And one more piece of advice.”
Chu Lan smiled at him, “It’s the father’s fault if the child isn’t taught properly. To a young child, parents are the ultimate authority, their invincible heroes. But some parents are bound to disappoint their children.”
“Perhaps you should start by apologizing to your own child, letting him know that parents aren’t always right, to prevent—” Chu Lan paused, glancing at Qiqi, “—warping his sense of right and wrong.”
Chu Lan had made it clear what everyone already understood—Qiqi’s words were actually things his father had said; the real narrow-minded and sharp-tongued one was Qiqi’s father.
She didn’t demand an apology from Qiqi’s father to Tuntun, sparing him some dignity.
But Qiqi’s father, now thoroughly exposed, felt deeply embarrassed. Thankfully, the mask helped to hide his expression somewhat.
“Yes… you’re right,” he said.
Chu Lan smiled, her expression now more genuine.
Tuntun, hiding behind his grandmother, watched as Qiqi’s tall father bowed his head in front of his grandmother, and immediately felt that his grandmother was super, super amazing!
She was even more powerful than the “super powerful” Qiqi’s father!
He grasped his grandmother’s hand and looked up at her with bright eyes, the fear in his eyes dissipating. He was no longer afraid.
Chu Lan then turned to Ms. Rainbow and said, “Ms. Rainbow, I’m sorry for the trouble. My child will skip today’s class. I’d like to ask for a leave.”
Ms. Rainbow quickly responded, “Of course, of course. We’ll reschedule Tuntun’s class. It was my fault for not handling the conflict between the children well. I apologize.”
Ms. Rainbow bowed deeply, and the head of the developmental center also followed suit, bowing in apology.
Chu Lan nodded, “I hope you will continue to improve.”
As the true wrongdoers, Qiqi’s parents looked even more embarrassed.
Chu Lan then put on her sunglasses, took Tuntun’s small hand, and said, “Say goodbye to your friends, and let’s go home.”
Tuntun waved at Cola and Grape behind Ms. Rainbow, giving them a small smile.
Cola and Grape waved back, “Goodbye, Tuntun.”
Four assistants led the way, and Xu Youyou took Tuntun’s small backpack and water bottle from the teacher and followed behind, escorting the grandmother and grandson out of the office.
Chat Comments:
【Grandma is so cool! She’s both beautiful and proud!】
【And every word is so insightful, so cultured!】
【Every parent should take Grandma’s advice to Qiqi’s dad to heart.】
【From today, I’m a die-hard fan of Grandma!】
【Grandma is so gentle. She stopped Qiqi’s dad because she thought it was wrong to scold children in front of others; otherwise, it looked like Qiqi’s dad was about to hit him.】
【Your grandma is truly amazing!】
【So Qiqi is the troublemaker, and our Tuntun isn’t. The difference in family education is crystal clear.】
【If my parents had Chu Lan’s wisdom back then, our relationship wouldn’t be so strained.】
“Daddy!”
The viewers were fiercely debating family education in the chat when suddenly a high-pitched child’s voice interrupted.
They saw Tuntun release his grandmother’s hand and dart off like a little cannonball.
At the other end of the corridor, Ye Yunqing was walking quickly towards him, scooping him up and holding him tightly against his chest.
Cheng Jingyao stepped forward, wrapping Ye Yunqing and the child in a tight embrace, binding the three of them together as a family.
Chat Comments:
【Ahhhh! They love him so much!】
【I’m tearing up! Tuntun must have been longing to see his dad. His eyes lit up the moment he saw him.】
【Qingqing’s eyes are red; you can tell he really cares about the child.】
【President Yao is maxing out on boyfriend points, hugging both his wife and child at once!】
The corridor wasn’t a place for conversation, so Ye Yunqing and his husband, holding their child, prepared to leave. To avoid revealing their location, they paused the livestream.
On the way to the parking lot, Xu Youyou recounted what had happened, specifically mentioning how a staff member had stopped her from interrupting Qiqi’s speech.
Cheng Jingyao’s face darkened. Right in front of the staff, he took out his phone, called the variety show producer from Pineapple Video, and put the call on speaker.
“I understand you want dramatic effects for the show, but I care more about my son’s feelings. I don’t want something like this to happen again.”
The producer on the other end repeatedly apologized, while the staff member who had stopped Xu Youyou turned pale.
The camera crew was equally silent, until the team leader nervously asked, “President Cheng, will you… will you still broadcast today?”
“Broadcast? Why not?” Chu Lan responded.
She pinched Tuntun’s cheek with a smile and said, “Let’s go, Grandma will take you out to play. Let them see just how precious our Tuntun is.”
Cheng Jingyao and Ye Yunqing exchanged a glance: Alright, we’ll leave it to Mom.
So, the production team followed Chu Lan to a Tianlan Group shopping mall, where they resumed the livestream.
Soon, viewers across the internet witnessed Chu Lan ordering the mall to clear out as she took Tuntun on a shopping spree through the toy store, children’s clothing store, jewelry store, and even bought him a go-kart, saying she would build a track in the garden at home for him to race.
Chat Comments:
【I’m so jealous!】
【Grandma, look at me! I’ll be your grandson!】
【I remember someone once said the Cheng and Chu families’ elders would never accept Tuntun. How’s that face feeling now?】
The haters… they were left speechless with envy.
The family went to a private restaurant where the average meal costs in the four-figure range for lunch, preparing to end the stream.
Before ending the livestream, Chu Lan looked into the camera and said, “At 3:30 PM, everyone is welcome to watch our Tuntun drive his go-kart.”
Chat Comments:
【So, has the go-kart track already been built?】
【Is this the power of money? (Hands trembling while typing)】
Of course not.
Chu Lan had merely reserved a go-kart track and was planning to take Tuntun to try out his new car.
At noon, the production team, who had finally understood the true meaning of “wealthy beyond measure,” was arranged to rest at a five-star hotel owned by the Shiyao Group.
Except for the staff member who had stopped Xu Youyou—he had already been called back by the producer.
In the hotel suite, Tuntun took a bath with his dad, changed into comfortable pajamas, and lay down between his two dads.
He looked at one dad, then at the other, and giggled softly.
Ye Yunqing’s heart melted into a puddle as he held Tuntun’s little hand and kissed his cheek.
Tuntun blinked, his eyelashes fluttering up and down, up and down, and after a while, as if gathering courage, he tugged on Ye Yunqing’s clothes and softly, with a hint of uncertainty, asked, “Daddy, will you have your own baby?”
Ye Yunqing felt a sharp pain in his heart, realizing that Qiqi’s words had affected Tuntun.
They hadn’t intended to keep Tuntun’s background a secret from him.
Because at the beginning, Tuntun didn’t actually call them “Dad.”
