CHAPTER 35

This toy store located on the commercial street was very upscale in terms of its exterior design and product positioning. Shu Yanyan's dessert shop was nearby, so she and her daughter often passed by it. However, for various reasons, they had never actually entered the store.

Now, following the Empress Dowager into the store, Shu Yanyan looked up and saw many parents with their children navigating through the sea of toys. A sour feeling surged in her heart for a moment.

When Yunmiao was with her, they rarely had such carefree moments.

Chu Yu held her hand. "What are you thinking about again?"

Shu Yanyan rubbed her nose. "It's nothing."

She looked at Yunmiao in the Empress Dowager's arms. The little girl had a smile on her face, even when being held, she couldn't stop twisting and looking around, clearly very interested in everything inside the store.

Shu Yanyan sighed softly. "I should have brought Yunmiao in to play earlier."

Chu Yu pinched her fingers upon hearing this. "Don't think about these things. Ultimately, everything is my fault. If I had always been by your side, everything would be more complete."

Shu Yanyan shook her head. "I don't... blame you."

"I know." Chu Yu winked at her. "Then, Yanyan, don't be sad about these things anymore, alright? Every time you feel sad, it only makes me feel more guilty."

Shu Yanyan was momentarily stunned, then nodded. "I, I understand."

Chu Yu smiled.

She pointed at the Empress Dowager ahead of them. "Mother should be very grateful to you for giving her this 'first-time' opportunity. Look how happy she is smiling. I rarely see my mother with this kind of smile anymore."

Shu Yanyan's mood improved significantly.

She stuck out her tongue. "Auntie really likes Yunmiao... I just hope she doesn't spoil Yunmiao."

"Well..." Chu Yu pondered. "It's probably difficult for us to interfere with how much the Empress Dowager spoils Yunmiao. But, I believe in Yunmiao. Even if she's spoiled, she won't turn bad."

"Don't worry, at least have confidence in Yunmiao. She's a well-behaved child you've raised."

Shu Yanyan nodded and replied, "Yes!"

Ahead of them, the Empress Dowager had already found a salesperson.

The salesperson was very enthusiastic, partially because of the relatively low-key but undoubtedly valuable accessories worn by the Empress Dowager. She actively introduced various toys and even strongly insisted that the Empress Dowager and Yunmiao must experience the new toys in their store.

The Empress Dowager was waiting to play with her well-behaved granddaughter, so how could she refuse? Holding Yunmiao, she took small steps and followed the salesperson towards the experiential area.

Chu Yu and Shu Yanyan exchanged a smile and quietly followed along.

Soon, the Empress Dowager and Yunmiao began playing, while they sat outside, chatting and waiting for the two to finish their trial experience.

The 3D Interstellar Journey, which the salesperson was promoting, took about ten minutes to experience. When they took off the virtual glasses, both the Empress Dowager and Yunmiao were extremely delighted.

The salesperson observed the expressions of the adults and cautiously asked, "Currently, we have a promotion in the store. Buying a 3D Interstellar Journey can enjoy a 9.7% discount. We rarely have promotions, so this discount is really worth it."

"Would you like me to arrange the latest model for your precious one directly?"

Yunmiao perked up her little ears and after hearing this, suddenly shouted, "No!"

Her voice was truly loud, even Chu Yu and Shu Yanyan, who were chatting about past events nearby, looked over at them.

Noticing Shu Yanyan's gaze, Yunmiao flashed her a smile.

She repeated, "Mommy, I don't want it, don't want it."

Both Shu Yanyan and Chu Yu were taken aback.

Chu Yu vaguely recalled the scene when she first saw Yunmiao on the Imperial Star.

It was at a shopping mall. Shu Yanyan was negotiating with a store clerk while Yunmiao stood alone in front of a television advertising wall. She was watching the advertisement for a lifelike robot displayed on the wall, her eyes filled with anticipation and longing.

Chu Yu couldn't help herself and approached her, asking if she wanted the toy mentioned in the advertisement.

But at that time, the child whose eyes were full of light said the same thing to her.

She said she didn't want it.

Yunmiao had always been very sensible.

Shu Yanyan had the bounty given by the Federation for killing star bandits, and combined with her own income from selling desserts, she wasn't particularly tight on money. However, she always kept in mind the need to save money to search for Shu Qing and to provide for Yunmiao's education in the future, which made her somewhat anxious in her daily life. Of course, she never mentioned any of this to Yunmiao. In fact, she was quite generous with Yunmiao, buying her toys as long as it didn't exceed her budget.

But every time she bought a toy, Shu Yanyan would subconsciously cut back on her own expenses.

After a few times, Yunmiao no longer dared to ask for anything. Some of the toys were even forcefully given to her by Shu Yanyan.

Over time, she seemed to develop a kind of conditioned reflex, rejecting any unnecessary entertainment items like toys with a shake of her head.

Being treated with such care and indulgence, Chu Yu finally understood the feeling Shu Yanyan had when she first entered the store.

But she took a deep breath, held Shu Yanyan's shoulder, and whispered, "Don't worry, Mother will handle it."

Shu Yanyan sat back on the sofa, looking at her with a mixture of belief and doubt.

Over there, the Empress Dowager also came back to her senses.

She held Yunmiao's hand and surprisingly said, "Yes, don't get it."

The salesperson felt a bit awkward after being rejected by two people in a row, but her excellent professionalism kept her maintaining a polite smile. "...Since that's the case, shall we look at other products? Our store has a wide range of toys, covering various price ranges..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she was suddenly interrupted by the Empress Dowager.

"That's not what I mean."

The noblewoman raised her hand and tidied up the stray hair near her ear. "One is not enough. Get me two of the latest models."

"Otherwise, when we return home, how can I play with my precious one?"

The salesperson took a while to react, and a smile immediately stretched from her cheeks to her ears. "Ah, yes, of course."

The Empress Dowager continued instructing, "By the way, I noticed that the game has some peripherals for this Interstellar Journey, right?"

"Count each item separately and arrange one for my precious one."

The salesperson was smiling so much that her glasses were no longer visible.

She took a deep breath and confirmed with the Empress Dowager, "Understood. These peripherals... there are a few limited editions among them. The prices, ahem, might be a bit high. If you add them all together, they won't be cheaper than the two machines."

"You, are you sure you want one of each peripheral?"

The Empress Dowager smiled at her.

"Believe me, even if I buy out your entire store, I can afford it."

The salesperson nodded vigorously. "Ah, yes, I believe you definitely have the means. I'm just confirming with you as a routine.

"Um, we have already placed the order for you here. Don't worry, we will reserve one of each limited edition for you."

The Empress Dowager was finally satisfied.

She raised her wrist, about to show her payment code to the salesperson when she turned her head and saw Chu Yu outside the experiential area.

The Empress Dowager's eyes widened, and she changed her mind. She sternly said to Chu Yu, "What are you standing there for? Go pay!"

Chu Yu, frightened by the sternness, couldn't utter a word and respectfully replied, "Yes, yes, understood."

She pulled Shu Yanyan up and said, "Mother, I'll give the payment account to the front desk. Buy whatever you want. You and Yunmiao can play with the toys here while I and Yanyan go to the dessert shop to handle some matters. After we finish everything, we'll come back to pick you and Yunmiao up."

The Empress Dowager raised her chin and graciously nodded. "Hmph, go ahead."

She reminded once again, "You better take good care of Yanyan and don't let her suffer any losses!"

Chu Yu nodded, "Don't worry, I will never let her be treated unfairly."

After saying that, the two of them waved goodbye to the Empress Dowager and Yunmiao and left together.

One minute later, the salesperson's AI reminded her that the payment for the order had been completed.

She gathered herself and continued to enthusiastically introduce to the Empress Dowager and Yunmiao, "Madam and little princess, shall we continue to the next destination?"

The Empress Dowager nodded.

She stood up and was about to leave with Yunmiao when she noticed that her precious one was pursing her lips, seeming a bit unhappy.

The Empress Dowager picked her up and asked, "What's wrong, baby?"

Yunmiao looked at her and suddenly whispered, "...I don't want toys."

The Empress Dowager asked, "Why? Tell Grandma!"

With Shu Yanyan not present, Yunmiao gained the courage to speak up.

She hugged the Empress Dowager's neck, as if sharing a secret, "They're very expensive."

She sighed, "Mommy already buys toys for Yunmiao, but every time after buying, Mommy... Mommy secretly saves money by herself. Yunmiao doesn't want Mommy to secretly save money."

Children are very sensitive, and many things that adults think they don't know, they actually remember in their hearts.

It's just that children are not good with words, making it difficult for them to accurately express their feelings. Yunmiao's words were unadorned, but they were sincere enough to move people.

Indeed, after listening, the Empress Dowager felt a surge of heartache.

She held back the soreness in her nose and said, "Silly child."

She explained, "Now that you and Yanyan are back with Grandma and your Mom, you don't have to worry about those things anymore. Didn't you see just now? Your mother paid for all these things. That unlucky person has plenty of money, and it seems like it's neverending."

Yunmiao seemed to understand but not fully, saying, "Um... really?"

The Empress Dowager nodded emphatically, "You can rest assured. If anyone dares to make your mommy even slightly unhappy, Grandma will personally teach them a lesson right in front of you!"

"Hahaha, but, cough, your mommy definitely won't suffer from saving money anymore, you can trust that."

Of course, there may be other troubles besides money...

The Empress Dowager admitted that this was something she couldn't guarantee. She knew Chu Yu, whom she had raised herself, and she couldn't be more familiar with this unlucky girl. It was easy to imagine how this kind and adorable little bunny, Shu Yanyan, would be "b*llied" in Chu Yu's hands.

What's even scarier is that with Chu Yu's scheming, the little bunny might not only endure being b*llied but also have to thank her for it.

Just thinking about it sends chills down one's spine!

Ahem, but such matters are not suitable to discuss with children.

Yunmiao was very obedient and nodded in the Empress Dowager's embrace.

"Mm, Yunmiao understands. Yunmiao believes in Grandma!"

The Empress Dowager planted a kiss on her face with a smack.

"Yunmiao is such a good girl!"

As she caressed Yunmiao in her arms, she took the opportunity to say to the nearby salesperson, "Let's go, let's continue shopping."

The salesperson didn't feel the slightest displeasure at being treated as a tool. Upon hearing the words, they stood straight in their place, brimming with respect, and said with an enthusiastic smile, "Yes! Please follow me, both of you!"

The Empress Dowager composed herself, resuming her dignified appearance, and led Yunmiao to the next experiential store to check in.

Playing with toys is so enjoyable! And it's even more enjoyable to spend the money of her unlucky daughter to play with her precious granddaughter!

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