CHAPTER 2

After the troublemaker left, the nursery teacher in charge of the matter approached Shu Yanyan with guilt and said, "Ms. Shu... I'm really sorry. It's our negligence that caused this problem. On behalf of Qimingxing Nursery, I apologize to you and your child."

Shu Yanyan remained silent for a while before speaking, "It's okay."

"Although Yunmiao didn't mean it, the child was indeed pushed down. I didn't have a chance to ask earlier, but is the little boy okay?"

The teacher replied, "Don't worry, that kid is tough. He's completely fine, not a scratch. If the boy's mother comes back and tries to make trouble, the entire nursery can testify for you and Yunmiao!"

Shu Yanyan nodded. "Also, there's another matter..."

Teacher: "Hmm?"

Shu Yanyan's tone was serious. "I think it's necessary to emphasize to the nursery once again that Yunmiao is not a child from a single-parent family. Her other mother may not be with us temporarily, but both Yunmiao and I can feel her care and love for us."

"No matter what happens in the future, I hope the teachers won't bring up any comments that could cause misunderstandings."

The nursery teacher was stunned in place.

She couldn't understand how Shu Yanyan, who appeared to be a very petite Omega, could possess such a strong presence. After realizing it, she instinctively wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and nodded, promising, "I understand... I will convey it to everyone."

Shu Yanyan made a soft "Hmm" sound.

She turned to comfort little Yunmiao in her arms and asked gently, "Does Yunmiao want to go back to the classroom and continue classes with her friends?"

Little Yunmiao held onto her tightly and said, "Yunmiao wants to stay with Mommy..."

Shu Yanyan curved her lips, not forcing her, and smiled tenderly, "Alright, then this afternoon, will Yunmiao accompany Mommy to the mall for shopping?"

Little Yunmiao's eyes lit up, and she happily nodded, "Okay!"

Shu Yanyan politely bid farewell to the teacher, completed the registration, and left with her little daughter.

Inside the rented hover car, Shu Yanyan carefully adjusted Yunmiao's seatbelt.

Yunmiao looked at her with a pair of big eyes and suddenly asked, "Mommy... Does Mom really love us?"

The little girl only had a strong and gentle mommy by her side. As for her absent mother, she could only piece together fragments from Shu Yanyan's stories. The words Shu Yanyan had spoken in the office had stirred up her curiosity about her other mother.

Shu Yanyan paused for a moment, and then she beamed a bright smile at Yunmiao, saying, "Of course. Do you remember the stories Mommy told you? One day, three criminals broke into our house, and it was Mom's bravery that fought them off. Yunmiao and I were completely unharmed under Mom's protection!"

Yunmiao tilted her head and asked, "Then why isn't Mom with us?"

Shu Yanyan maintained the curve of her lips and replied, "Because your Mom has temporary other matters to attend to. She is also anxious and eager to come back to us, to personally hug Yunmiao."

Yunmiao lowered her head, contemplating as she looked ahead.

She had heard such explanations several times, and now they no longer satisfied her.

Shu Yanyan asked softly, "What are you thinking?"

Little Yunmiao looked at her and said, "That boy earlier, both his parents came... Even though his father stood behind and didn't say a word, Yunmiao still envies him." She raised her hands to support her little chin. "It would be great if Mom could come too. She doesn't even need to say anything, just standing beside Yunmiao would make me very happy."

Shu Yanyan was taken aback and then continued along with her words, "But how is that enough?" She pretended to be angry and started to fantasized the future with her little daughter. "Hmph, if she comes back, we'll send her out to deal with those bad guys! Make sure they never dare to bully anyone again!"

Yunmiao burst into laughter at her expression and then added another request, "And Mom should chase away that noisy little dog too! It barks so loudly, and Yunmiao gets scared."

"Don't worry, the little dog is a bionic machine and won't harm anyone." After comforting Yunmiao, Shu Yanyan nodded firmly. "Yes, let her protect Yunmiao and make that kid who snatched the egg roll apologize to everyone."

The worry in Yunmiao's brows and eyes had already been dispelled, replaced by a clear sky after the rain. "Let Mom make the most delicious snacks for Yunmiao!"

Shu Yanyan shook her head. "That won't do." She playfully flicked Yunmiao's little nose. "Hmph, Mommy's cooking is the most delicious. No one can compare to me in that aspect, not even her!"

Yunmiao beamed with joy. "Yes! Mommy's cooking is the best! Mom can help Mommy."

Shu Yanyan was finally satisfied. "Exactly, I'll do the cooking, and Yunmiao will do the eating. She can help by washing the dishes."

Mother and daughter laughed together, and the faint sadness in the car was completely replaced by joy.

After a while, the hover car stopped at the entrance of a large mall. Shu Yanyan held little Yunmiao's hand and began their shopping trip.

The shopping task was a bit heavy, but luckily, the unexpectedly well-behaved Yunmiao didn't add any burden to Shu Yanyan. On the contrary, she was quite helpful. Once all the items on the list were checked off, Shu Yanyan took Yunmiao to the mall's customer service department.

Among the items she purchased were two pieces of furniture, and she needed to communicate with the mall staff about the delivery to her home.

Next to the customer service department was a wall-sized screen displaying colorful cartoon images. Shu Yunmiao was captivated by the animation and walked up to the advertising wall, unable to take her eyes off it.

Shu Yanyan was busy conversing with the mall staff and occasionally glanced at Yunmiao's position. Seeing that Yunmiao was a bit far but still within her sight, she didn't call her back.

After watching for a while, Yunmiao finally realized that this animation was actually an advertisement.

And it happened to be an advertisement for a children's simulated electronic pet.

On the screen appeared an adorable floppy-eared bunny with no apparent flaws in its appearance. Its three-petal mouth moved, uttering a highly enticing slogan, "When Mommy and Daddy are not by your side, let me keep you company~"

Yunmiao was mesmerized, instinctively reaching out her hands as if to hold the little bunny directly in her arms.

Suddenly, a gentle laughter came from beside her.

Yunmiao snapped out of her trance and turned her head, only to find a big sister standing next to her. The big sister was quite tall, and Yunmiao had to strain her neck to look up, finally managing to see the other person's eyes.

Unfortunately, the big sister had a mask on her face, and Yunmiao couldn't see her appearance.

Perhaps afraid that Yunmiao would continue tilting her head back and fall, the big sister half-squatted down and reached out to support her. But even so, Yunmiao found herself having to look up to make eye contact with her.

The woman asked, "Where are your parents? Why are you alone here?"

Yunmiao glanced back at Shu Yanyan, who was busy registering information, and replied, "Mommy is over there."

Following her gaze, the woman vaguely saw Shu Yanyan's profile, partly obscured by her hair. A faint smile appeared on the woman's face, her eyes shining with a focused and attentive look that struck a chord in people's hearts.

The corners of the woman's lips, hidden beneath the mask, curled up slightly.

It turned out that encountering someone who shines brightly can truly uplift one's mood in an instant.

Quickly, the woman politely averted her gaze, and with lowered eyes, she looked at Yunmiao again. "Do you want to buy a bionic toy?"

On the screen wall, the target of the sales pitch changed to a Siamese cat licking its paw.

Yunmiao glanced at it and quickly turned her face away. "No, I don't want to buy it."

The woman seemed a bit puzzled. "You've been looking at it for a long time, so I thought you really wanted it."

Yunmiao held up her fingers and said, "I don't really want it, just a little bit. But it's very expensive... so I don't want it."

The woman burst into laughter, which surprised even herself. She had never expected to feel so relaxed in front of a stranger girl she had just met.

Yunmiao blushed at the woman's laughter, but luckily, the woman didn't continue teasing her. She stood up and placed something on top of Yunmiao's head. The slight weight pressed down her hair, and she struggled to look up, wanting to see what it was.

The woman smiled and bid her farewell. "It's for you. I hope you like it."

Before Yunmiao could respond, the big sister glanced once more in Shu Yanyan's direction and then turned to leave.

Yunmiao wanted to chase after her, but she hesitated because of the object on her head. With her neck stiffened, she didn't dare to move recklessly.

After a while, she fumbled and took off the thing the big sister had placed on her head.

In the next moment, Yunmiao's eyes widened. "Wow!"

Nestled in her palm was a chubby bird with snow-white feathers.

The chubby bird struggled in her grasp, flapping its wings discontentedly and commanded, "Human hatchling, you have one second to release this noble Divine Bird immediately!"

Although it appeared to be a genderless bird, the voice it emitted had a slightly mechanical and girlish tone.

Yunmiao had never expected the little bird to speak human language, and in her panic, she let go of it. The chubby bird actually flew up like a snow sparrow, flapping its wings. It circled around Yunmiao, recording her from her hair to her toes in a 360-degree scan.

Soon, the chubby bird came to a harsh realization and shouted in frustration, "I am indeed a bionic robot, but I am not a child's bionic toy! Even though I can connect to the Empire's Children Education Platform, is it really right to just throw me here to watch over children... Did someone make a mistake?!"

The chubby bird landed back on Yunmiao's head, trembling with anger as it pulled at its feathers.

Yunmiao looked up cautiously. "Little bird, are you okay?"

The chubby bird responded, "I am not called a little bird."

Yunmiao asked, "Then what should I call you?"

Clearing its throat, the chubby bird declared, "Listen carefully, from now on, you may address me as... the esteemed Divine Bird!"

Yunmiao smiled, squinting her eyes, and introduced herself, "I'm Shu Yunmiao! You can call me Yunmiao~"

The chubby bird scoffed, "Tsk~ That name doesn't sound impressive at all." It asked, "The Empire doesn't allow children under eight to appear in public places alone. Where is your guardian?"

Yunmiao looked towards the customer service area and realized that Shu Yanyan had already finished the registration and was walking towards her.

Little Yunmiao immediately went to meet her, pointing to the chubby bird on her head and showing off to Shu Yanyan, "Mommy, look at my head, there's a little bird!"

Shu Yanyan had noticed the unusual sight on her daughter.

Out of safety concerns, she waved her hand to shoo away the chubby bird and picked up Yunmiao, holding her protectively in her arms. The chubby bird started to circle around her, scanning for information.

Shu Yanyan asked Yunmiao, "Where did this little bird come from?"

While laughing, little Yunmiao reached out to grab the chubby bird, but her attention was divided as she answered, "It was given to me by a big sister!"

Shu Yanyan was surprised, "A big sister?"

She instinctively looked around.

Today was a workday, and there weren't many customers in the mall. According to Yunmiao's description, Shu Yanyan saw a tall lady with a hat in the north direction.

Strangely, even though it was just a back view, the woman gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity. She blinked for a moment, and when she looked again, the person had already disappeared around the corner.

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