An Bao was so startled by Mu Yunyi's fury that she gave a shudder, her little face going pale.
Mu Yunshang watched An Bao — such a tiny little bundle, curled up tight, big eyes brimming with unshed tears, lips pressed together, the very picture of someone desperately trying not to cry.
In that instant, Mu Yunshang's heart nearly melted.
What could a child so young possibly know?
Must have heard Yunyao's name from somewhere and gotten the wrong idea, I suppose?
Mu Yunshang felt a twinge of sympathy and pulled An Bao into his arms, turning to Mu Yunyi with undisguised displeasure: "Brother, what are you getting so worked up about for no reason? An Bao is your daughter, not your enemy. She's still young and doesn't know any better — just teach her properly…"
"She is not my daughter!!"
Mu Yunyi turned on Mu Yunshang in a rage, bellowed at him, then stormed off without a backward glance, leaving only a single order: "Throw her out! I don't want to see her in this house again!"
Mu Yunshang watched Mu Yunyi's retreating figure, thinking that his elder brother's temper seemed to be getting worse and worse lately—like a firecracker, ready to go off at the slightest spark.
Mu Yunshang shook his head and let out a sigh, then turned to comfort the little one nestled in his arms—docile as a kitten: "You must be An Bao? Don't be sad. Your dad has a bit of a temper, but he's not a bad person."
An Bao sniffled, her little nose flushed crimson. She looked up at Mu Yunshang, then reached out a small hand to wipe her tears before giving a solemn nod. "Big Uncle isn't bad," she said. "Big Uncle is a good person. Big Uncle has just been clung to by a gloom spirit, so An Bao can understand if his temper isn't very nice."
Mu Yunshang listened to the little milk dumpling speak with such solemn seriousness that he couldn't help but laugh.
Still being such a gloomy ghost?
The little dumpling couldn't have watched too many cartoons, could they?
Seeing that Mu Yunshang did not believe her, An Bao grew a little anxious and hastened to explain, "An Bao is a very, very capable Daoist! Even Master said that when it comes to An Bao... he is ashamed to admit he cannot compare!"
"Shame not-not-up?" Mu Yunshang blanked for a moment before finally piecing together what the little dumpling meant, and asked with a suppressed smile, "Do you mean 'ashamed of one's own inferiority'?"
"Ah, yes, yes, yes! You're truly the smartest one in this whole world of ice and snow!" The little bun gave Mu Yunshang a thumbs-up, his face radiating pure adoration.
Well... even if the little dumpling had ever set foot in kindergarten, they probably still wouldn't mangle an idiom this badly.
Mu Yunshang had clearly forgotten what An Bao had said at the very beginning. Now thoroughly amused, he nodded with a face full of smiles and praised, "Good, good, good—little An Bao is the best! Are you hungry, An Bao? Third Uncle will take you out to eat!"
An Bao opened his mouth to say he wasn't hungry, but…
"Gurgle, gurgle…"
The drumming sounds rumbling from that little belly made An Bao's cheeks flush bright crimson. After a long moment she finally stood up from Mu Yunshang's embrace, turned to him with a solemn bow, and declared in her soft, babyish voice with utmost gravity: "I am *just a little bit* hungry. Then I shall trouble Third Uncle."
The little dumpling was dressed in an oversized Daoist robe, the peach-wood sword strapped to her back standing taller than she did — a thoroughly lopsided sight.
On the hilt of the peach-wood sword, a colorful parrot stood there with haughty pride, preening its feathers.
And then there was An Bao — that pudgy little face pulled into such a grave, serious expression, impossibly cute in the most babyish way. The way An Bao spoke, so prim and bookish, so oddly literary for one so small, made it simply impossible to resist the urge to reach out and pinch those soft little cheeks, drinking in every last drop of that irresistible baby charm.
Mu Yunshang had spent years fighting his way through the entertainment industry and seen no shortage of child stars, yet truly, not a single one of them could fill his heart with such sheer delight just by being there—not the way this little milk bun could.
"Come on, let Third Uncle take you to eat!"
Mu Yunshang stepped forward and scooped up the little milk bun with one hand, laughing aloud as he spoke.
"It's Third Uncle."
"Alright, Third Uncle will take you out for a meal!"
Faced with the little dumpling's correction, Mu Yunshang offered no argument, simply going along with a cheerful laugh — utterly and hopelessly indulgent.
Mu Yunyi stood before the second-floor window, his entire bearing radiating an unmistakable aura that warned strangers to keep their distance.
Butler Li stood carefully behind him, gazing at the Young Master's cold and stern profile and his red, swollen forehead. Unable to help himself, he spoke in a hushed voice: "Young Master, should we have someone come and tend to the injury on your head?"
Mu Yunyi said nothing, only watching from above as An Bao was bundled into the back seat of the car by Mu Yunshang — smiling up at him sweetly — and found the sight somehow grating.
Since Little Milk Bun was sent here to get close to him, how did someone else manage to spirit her away before she'd even finished the task?
An Bao seemed to sense Mu Yunyi's gaze. She poked her little head out of the car window, waved at him cheerfully, and called out in a loud voice, "See you later, Big Uncle!"
Mu Yunyi's brow furrowed slightly. This little dumpling truly forgot the pain the moment the wound healed — just moments ago scared nearly to tears, and now all smiles again. Mu Yunshang really did know how to coax children.
At this thought, Mu Yunyi paid Butler Li no mind and went straight to calling Yang Li. "Look into it!" he ordered. "Find out exactly who sent that child!"
He paused, his gaze dropping to Mu Yunshang downstairs, who was laughing so hard it looked like his teeth might fall out, and added one more line: "That HIT endorsement — give it to Mu Yunshang's rival. Don't let him sit idle."
The "Lanyue" tea restaurant was one of the most luxurious dining establishments in all of Yangcheng.
Mu Yunshang stood there slack-jawed, watching the little dumpling sitting across from him single-handedly demolish the entire spread.
In just that brief span of time, they had already demolished ten plates of custard buns, twenty plates of shrimp dumplings, thirty plates of steamed spare ribs in black bean sauce, thirty plates of chicken feet in black bean sauce, ten plates of seafood rice noodle rolls…
Gazing at the stacked piles of empty plates, Mu Yunshang's eyes fell upon the little dumpling's round belly.
Such a tiny little thing — how on earth could they eat so much?
Where did it end up?
Just don't make yourself sick from eating it!
"L-little An Bao, have you eaten your fill?"
"Done eating!"
The little milk-bun set down her chopsticks, pulled out a napkin to dab her tiny mouth, and squinted her big round eyes into contented slits.
Mu Yunshang, upon hearing that the little dumpling had eaten her fill, finally let out a breath of relief. Before she could say anything more, the little dumpling spoke up again, swaying her head from side to side: "Master always says, don't dress too warmly and don't eat until you're stuffed — three parts cold and seven parts full is the very best!"
"Seventy percent full??"
Mu Yunshang stared at the little dumpling in stunned disbelief.
The little milk bun had eaten more than his entire week's worth of food combined — and was only seventy percent full?!
Probably frightened by Mu Yunshang's expression, An Bao couldn't help but scrunch her neck down and asked in a small, careful voice: "Third Uncle, please don't abandon An Bao. An Bao will... will eat less from now on, okay?"
"No, Third Uncle would never treat An Bao badly—if An Bao likes to eat, then eat more. Third Uncle has plenty of money!"
Mu Yunshang looked at An Bao's little face, so fraught with anxiety, and felt his heart clench with tenderness.
No one knows what this child must have gone through before…
I never thought Big Brother would turn out to be this kind of person! What a scumbag! Pfft!
Just at that moment, the door to the private room was suddenly shoved open, and a voice rang out: "Oh my god! Bombshell news!!! Top A-list Film Emperor Mu Yunshang has had a secret illegitimate daughter this whole time!!! Everyone come look!!!"