Chapter Four: So He’s Actually Obsessed with His Little Sister

Su Wanning’s expression sharpened. She dropped what she was holding and dashed upstairs. Bursting into the bedroom, she found her son lying in bed, brows furrowed in pain, his little face pale as paper.

“Did you call the doctor? What happened? What did you give him to eat?”

The servant, puzzled by her anxiety yet careful in her reply, said, “We called, the doctor prescribed medicine. Young Master hasn’t eaten anything since lunch with you—he hasn’t even had water.”

While checking her son’s pulse, Su Wanning’s mind raced at these words. She had examined him that morning and found nothing that could cause such symptoms—most likely, he’d eaten something he shouldn’t have.

Their lunch was identical, except for that unsightly cake…

Su Wanning frowned, gazing at her son on the sickbed. No wonder he’d looked so awkward when offering her the cake—there must have been something inside. Why was he always scheming to prank her?

Rubbing her chin in reflection, Su Wanning realized her son was no easy mark.

At that moment, the boy on the bed groaned and opened his eyes. Su Wanning immediately composed herself and began fussing over him.

“You’re awake? Are you still feeling unwell anywhere? Take your medicine and you’ll get better.”

She reached out, disregarding her son’s look of annoyance, and stroked his head.

“My poor darling, your pain is my pain!”

She finished with a show of deep distress, covering her mouth to feign a couple of sobs.

The room fell silent. Everyone watched her performance in quiet disbelief. Under her son’s steady gaze, Su Wanning, fighting her own embarrassment, finally lowered her hand.

“Um… Sui Sui, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, may I?”

“No.”

Her words were cut off by her son’s cold, flat refusal.

“Oh, just listen. The show ‘Mommy, Charge Forward’ has invited us! I want to take you and your little sister—”

“Forget it! Don’t even think about using us!”

Unlike the innocent Qin Nian, Qin Sui was perfectly clear about what was going on. She could never put one over on him. The first season of “Mommy, Charge Forward” had been a hit, leading to a second season. Now he knew exactly why Su Wanning was acting so strangely today.

So, it was all just to use him and his sister for the show.

Though rebuffed, Su Wanning was unwilling to give up. She went downstairs, gathered all the gifts she’d bought, and laid them out on the carpet like treasures.

“These are all gifts I bought for you today. Look, this is a limited edition figure—it cost me five figures—cough, cough. And all these books are yours. If you’ll agree to be on the show, I’ll buy you as many of these as you want, is that all right?”

Even as an adult, Su Wanning felt tempted by the array of sparkling gifts spread across the floor. But Qin Sui simply lay back, closed his eyes, and said coldly, “I don’t want them.”

Su Wanning took a deep breath. Outwardly calm, inwardly, she was almost frantic. These gifts had nearly emptied her bank account—giving her all, yet not earning even a smile.

She was thoroughly disgruntled.

Just as she was about to return everything to the store, her son suddenly opened his eyes.

“Wait. I might consider it.”

Su Wanning stopped in her tracks, her face lighting up with joy.

“Really? That’s wonderful!”

“But I have conditions.”

Of course it wasn’t going to be that simple.

“My little ancestor, name your terms. I’ll agree to anything, no matter what it is!” Su Wanning stood beside the bed, arms crossed.

“Starting tomorrow, you have to pick me and my sister up from school yourself. No sunglasses, no mask, no hat. Also, until the show ends, you must be very nice to us, and you’re not allowed to refuse anything my sister asks.”

So he was a doting brother after all.

Su Wanning suddenly felt she’d found her son’s weakness.

She’d already planned to “turn over a new leaf,” and these demands weren’t excessive. So, delighted, she planted a kiss on Qin Sui’s cheek and agreed repeatedly.

“No problem! They’re all yours!”

Though it cost her almost everything, at least she’d managed to win over both her children. After her bath, Su Wanning drifted off to sleep in bliss, unaware that her son in the next room was sitting at his computer, quietly preparing a “surprise” for her.

The following morning, a new trending topic exploded online:

#TopStarSuWanningToAppearAtInternationalKindergarten!#

Netizens were in an uproar, especially since just the day before, rumors of her mistreating children had been trending.

[Ugh, obviously bought the trending spot to save her reputation. No way someone like her would pick up her kids herself!]

[Stop trying to whitewash yourself—leave the entertainment industry!]

[How thick is a female celebrity’s skin? Thicker than a city wall!]

[It’s all hype. I don’t believe she’ll actually go!]

When Qin Sui came downstairs, he expected to see Su Wanning back to her usual self. Instead, she was sitting at the dining table with a beaming smile, personally feeding his little sister breakfast.

After breakfast, true to her word, she cheerfully took both children out, without sunglasses and even without makeup, and delivered them to kindergarten.

She was back punctually to pick them up in the afternoon and took them to the snack street.

This was the feeling! Only the fresh exhaust of city traffic could make her forget the ugly numbers on her bank statement!

Qin Nian had never been to such a place before. Holding Su Wanning’s hand, her big, dark eyes sparkled with wonder at everything.

Every time Su Wanning looked at Qin Nian, she felt a surge of affection. When she saw the little girl transfixed by the cotton candy stand, unable to move away, she didn’t hesitate.

“I’ll take this one and that one…the biggest ones you’ve got!”

She stuffed the cotton candy into her daughter’s hands. “Eat up! I’ll go buy you candied hawthorn over there. Whatever you want, just say the word. Tonight, we’ll sample every delicacy—don’t worry about saving me money!”

Qin Nian didn’t even know what candied hawthorn was. She just ate her cotton candy, her face alight with happiness.

Beside them, Qin Sui’s feelings were complicated.

“Hey, doesn’t that woman look familiar?”

“Yeah, isn’t that Su Wanning? Wasn’t she just trending this morning? She actually showed up?”