Wang Xiangxiang was surprised that her little brother would take the initiative to chat with that shameless man, and he didn’t show the slightest sign of shyness, which was unusual since her brother rarely talked to strangers.
What surprised her even more was the man’s attitude. He talked to the child as if he were coaxing him, his enigmatic face always wearing a smile. Her brother must have been duped by that face to strike up a conversation so proactively.
Watching her chatty little brother, Wang Xiangxiang’s expression softened, and the corners of her mouth lifted unconsciously.
She heard her little brother continue, "Uncle, you’re really handsome."
Wang Xiangxiang’s smile twitched, and her body involuntarily shuddered. See, she was right; her brother really had been tricked by that man’s face.
Her reaction did not escape Chu Lian, who noticed her scoffing smile. Did she think he was ugly?
He subconsciously touched his face; he was quite confident in his looks.
He replied earnestly to the little child, "You’re very pretty too."
He didn’t say this just to flatter the child; the little one truly was pretty, with fair skin and bright, sparkling eyes. It was the first time he had seen such a beautiful little child.
He glanced over at the spoiled woman again out of the corner of his eye – it seemed the little one bore some resemblance to her.
The journey was boring, and he rather liked the little tyke, so he decided to engage further in conversation.
"Uncle, I’m three years old this year."
"And what’s your name?"
"My name is Fufu, the ’fu’ from prosperity."
At this, Chu Lian furrowed his brow; calling him Fufu was one thing, but to emphasize it as the ’fu’ from prosperity—it reminded him all too much of the name Li Fugui, which made him feel inexplicably awkward.
Despite the awkwardness, he still complimented, "Fufu is a really nice name."
The little child laughed, seemingly very fond of the uncle, "Then what’s your name, uncle?"
It was then that Wang Xiangxiang spoke up, "Fufu, how can you be so impolite, asking an elder’s name like that?"
"Oh," the little one pouted, his disappointment rendering him silent.
Seeing the child a bit downhearted, Chu Lian spoke up directly, "My name is Chu Lian, ’Lian’ as in connection."
When the little one heard the uncle tell him his name, he instantly shifted from disappointment to excitement, declaring, "The ’Lian’ for connection, I can write that!"
"You’re that talented?" Chu Lian truly hadn’t expected a three-year-old to already be writing; surely, the spoiled woman must have taught him.
"Yeah, I know lots of words now."
"Is that so? Whose child are you?"
At this question, the little one went silent, instead leaning his small head close to Chu Lian’s ear, "Uncle, I’m going to tell you a secret, okay?"
Startled by the little one’s actions, Chu Lian’s eyes widened. The child was going to share a secret with him—could it be something that the spoiled woman shouldn’t hear? He nodded to indicate he was listening.
In a hushed tone, the little one whispered into Chu Lian’s ear, "Do you see that sister over there? She’s my mom."
After finishing, the little one sat back down with a radiant smile, but Chu Lian went pale. The little one was the spoiled woman’s child?
This unexpected revelation was hard for him to digest. She had a child without being married? How shameless of her. And who in the world was the father of the child?