Chapter 42

June and July are the peak season for summer clothes. Today, Xu Yirou is shooting ten new summer outfits, all in this year's popular green, purple, and blue colors.

Xu Yirou changed her clothes and obediently sat in front of the makeup mirror to put on makeup.

There were also child models waiting in line to change their looks. The makeup artist worked quickly and finished the makeup in less than 20 minutes.

"OK, let's go film now."

Xu Yirou jumped off the chair, glanced at the bubble on Secretary Feng's phone where she was playing games, and her mouth widened instantly.

Xu Yirou wore a green gauze dress, and walked with an ethereal grace. Her thick, black hair was braided into a large braid with a light green ribbon, and small, round, white pearls were pinned in her hair. She looked fresh, lively, and cute, like a deer freely wandering in the mountains and forests.

Her face, lightly made up, was adorned with fine pearlescent shimmer, making her a truly dazzling little one.

She threw down her phone and rushed over in two strides, her round eyes darting left and right: "Meatball, you're even prettier than the little vine spirit!"

Xu Yirou recalled the little vine spirit she had just seen, and cupped her face in her hands, feeling flattered and overwhelmed.

Really?

"I don't lie to other children!"

"Rou Rou, why don't you go act too?" Bubble's dream of entering the entertainment industry never gave up. "I can be your manager, just like Sister Yunyun's mom was my mom's manager."

The clueless, naive newbie asked: "What's an agent?"

The photographer urged Xu Yirou to come over, but Bubble patted her chest and said, "No rush, I'll tell you my big plan when we get home."

"Go take some photos! This star makeup is so pretty, the photos will definitely make a lot of people swoon!"

Hearing this, the makeup artist smiled and said, "Would you like to have your makeup done too, little one?"

Bubble paused for a moment, then blinked excitedly, "Can I get my makeup done too, sister?"

Bubble perfectly inherited the best features of both parents; she's a little girl who would look good even in a burlap sack, perfectly meeting the requirements of a child model.

If she successfully recommends this little girl to become a child model, she will receive a referral bonus.

The makeup artist smiled and nodded: "Sure, just a moment."

Bubble waited patiently and expectantly on the sidelines.

Xu Yirou started shooting in a nearby photography studio.

The studio was stuffy and hot, and the lights made it even hotter. Xu Yirou had to replenish her water after each set of photos.

After repeating this several times, the cub felt the urge to urinate and barely managed to hold on until one set of photos was finished before rushing outside to find a toilet.

Unfortunately, the toilet on this floor was under renovation, and the little one rushed downstairs to use the toilet.

After finishing her business, Xu Yirou slowly came out of the restroom, only to see a scene that surprised her.

In a corner not far away, a tall, thin woman grabbed the famous girl's ear and scolded her harshly.

"Everyone else can take good photos, why can't you? It's just taking a picture, what's so tiring about it!"

"If you don't work hard, you won't earn money. How will you support your younger brother if you don't earn money? Do you want your brother to starve to death?"

The girl's eyes were brimming with tears from the pain, but she dared not dodge or resist. With a sob in her voice, she begged for mercy: "Mommy, my ear hurts so much, please stop pulling... I promise I'll work hard and earn money."

The woman angrily poked the girl's forehead with her slender fingers: "You deserve to feel more pain. If you don't feel pain, you won't learn your lesson. You keep complaining about being tired and going on strike every few days. What company would want to work with us like this!"

A red mark was quickly poked onto the girl's fair forehead.

The mean aunt is bullying the kids!

Xu Yirou, bursting with a sense of justice, couldn't stand it anymore.

"stop!"

She rushed out like a cannonball, angrily blocking the girl's way: "Auntie, how could you hit a little baby? It's shameful to bully a child!"

woman:?

The woman glanced around warily, and seeing no adults with her, she glared at her defiantly: "Who are you? What are you, little potato? I'm disciplining my daughter, what's it to you? Get lost!"

"I'm not a little potato, I'm chubby, and I'm four years old," the cub said in a soft, sweet voice. "I was just passing by!"

Judging from Xu Yirou's attire, the woman guessed that she was also a child model from Tongyu's family, and essentially a competitor of her daughter, so she gave her an even more unfriendly look.

She rolled her eyes impatiently and waved her hand dismissively, like shooing away flies: "Get out of here, or I'll teach you a lesson too."

Xu Yirou stood tall and proud: "I won't leave, Auntie. Hitting children is illegal, and the police will arrest you."

"And didn't your teachers teach you to be polite?"

Xu Yirou's eyes were clear and innocent, her brows furrowed slightly, and she looked hesitant: "Did you never go to kindergarten? Did you never receive a little red flower from the teacher to praise you?"

"Then you're really pathetic..."

"...What nonsense are you spouting!" Feeling offended, the woman pushed her away forcefully. "You snot-nosed brat, you dare threaten me with the police? Do you think I'm afraid?"

"What a stupid girl who doesn't know her own brain."

Xu Yirou fell heavily on her bottom, completely stunned.

The little girl standing nearby stared in fright, her face turning pale. She instinctively tried to help her, but the woman grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

"Stop right there! You think you can get away after hitting someone?"

A childish, slightly cool voice echoed in the narrow corridor.

The woman paused, and another meddlesome brat appeared. Taking advantage of his status as an adult, the woman decided not to pay him any attention.

"From today onwards, our cooperation with Tongyu will come to an end."

The woman whirled around: "What a joke! Who do you think you are?"

The moment she saw who it was, her arrogance vanished, her back stiffened, and she swallowed hard. "Mr. Xu, what brings you here..."

The young man in front of her was impeccably dressed in a suit, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his high-bridged nose. He had a refined and approachable demeanor, but a hint of coldness lurked beneath his calm eyes as he gazed at her with a half-smile.

Standing to Xu Yue's right was a boy who looked about five or six years old.

Her eyebrows and eyes were six-tenths similar to his, her lips were red and her teeth were white, and her face, full of baby fat, was fair and soft. Theoretically, it was a very cute face, but her eyes were extremely sharp and cold, like a wolf cub that had just turned one month old.

Xu Yirou's dulled pain receptors sensed the pain; her little bottom felt as if it had been smashed into eight pieces, both numb and sore.

Her large, grape-like eyes filled with moisture, and tears streamed down her face. Her pitiful, weak sobs reached the ears of the three of them.

Upon seeing the cub's appearance, Xu Yue's expression changed drastically, and he rushed over anxiously, asking, "Aunt Rou, is that you?"

Xu Yirou, clutching her bottom, shakily got up, her eyes wide and watery, looking pitiful: "You stinky brat..."

"Wow--"

"Waaaaaah, little people are dancing on my butt!"

Xu Yue didn't understand, but the cub was crying so hard it must be in a lot of pain. He quickly held Xu Yirou in his arms to comfort her and checked for any other injuries.

The woman panicked even more when she saw that the two clearly knew each other.

Who would have thought that an ordinary little girl would have a connection with the heir of the Xu's Dingsheng Group!

The woman felt a chill run down her spine.

"Mr. Xu, I..."

“Ms. Zhao Yun, I don’t have time to listen to your explanations. Just wait for the lawsuit.”

Xu Yue, known as the "smiling tiger," cut off the conversation with an expressionless face and an unusually cold tone: "Although Tongyu is just an insignificant little company under our Xu Group, we cannot tolerate the existence of scum like you who bullies children and tarnishes our group's image."

Zhao Yun's face was ashen as she tried to explain, "President Xu, I just made a mistake. It's hardly bullying. I can offer compensation and apologize..."

Xu Yue, holding the cub, sneered, glancing at the trembling girl: "What goes around comes around. Zhao Yun, you're incredibly cruel to your stepdaughter."

"You don't know there are cameras everywhere in the company, do you?"

One sentence dealt Zhao Yun a heavy blow. Her pupils suddenly contracted, her body swayed, and she barely managed to hold onto the wall for support.

If Xu Yue decides to pursue this matter, her husband, who is far away abroad, will definitely find out about her using her stepdaughter to make money and abusing her!

Thinking of that scene, Zhao Yun felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

Xu Yue resolutely carried Xu Yirou away, ignoring the woman's pleas and cries behind him.

Xu Yirou, who had stopped crying, was perched on Xu Yue's shoulder. Her little face was rosy, and she stared curiously at the boy who was about her age.

"Aunt Rou, I'll take you to the hospital now."

Xu Yue practically ran. This was the apple of the Xu family's eye, cherished and protected like a precious gem. If anything were to happen to him, Xu Qingyan would definitely twist his head off and use it as a football.

Xu Yirou struggled to her feet: "Don't go to the hospital, no!"

The cub in his arms struggled fiercely, and fearing further injury, Xu Yue had no choice but to put her down.

Xu Yirou ran back as soon as she landed.

"Aunt Rou, where are you going?" Xu Yue followed closely. "We need to go to the hospital for an X-ray. What if you've hurt yourself and gotten something wrong?"

"I'm going back to find Bubble."

"I don't want to go to the hospital, I'm fine." Xu Yirou limped along, clutching her bottom. "My bottom doesn't have little dancing figures anymore."

Xu Yue's heart skipped a beat when he saw this. How could this be considered normal?

Help! I can almost see Ah Yan chasing him with a big cleaver!

"Okay, okay, no need to go to the hospital." Unable to persuade this little devil, he could only go along with it for now: "Then can I carry you on my back? You're walking with a limp... it's really scary."

Hearing that she didn't need to go to the hospital, Xu Yirou stopped being stubborn and turned around to open her arms.

Xu Yue squatted down, and she quickly climbed up.

Xu Yue stood up, Xu Yirou's chubby little face pressed against his back, her clear gaze fixed on the unfamiliar boy.

Overwhelmed by curiosity, she couldn't resist poking his arm with her soft fingertips: "You little rascal, you have a son?"

?

Xu Yue laughed: "I don't even have a girlfriend, so where would I get a son?"

Besides, if he had a son like that, he'd probably go crazy.

"Is he your younger brother?"

"No, he's much older than me, he's my uncle."

Xu Yirou: ! !

She peeked out halfway, staring intently at Xu Cheye with eyes that seemed to have discovered a new continent.

The cub's gaze was so intense and undisguised that even a simpleton like Xu Cheye could sense it.

Xu Cheye frowned and glanced at her sideways.

Because of his expressionless face, which looked like a world-weary face, even a casual glance from him scared Xu Yirou into shrinking back.

"This little brother seems a bit fierce." The cub clung tightly to Xu Yue's back, muttering softly, thinking that only it could hear itself.

Xu Yue grinned and said, "Uncle, you really don't like little girls. Smile at them more when you see them."

Xu Cheye sneered: "You're quite the charmer when it comes to attracting girls, but why don't you ever bring a girlfriend home?"

"I call this a careful choice," Xu Yue said with a smile. "You're still young. You'll understand when you grow up."

Xu Cheye glanced at him dismissively: "Oh, you brat."

"..."

Damn.

Today is not a good day to go out, so I shouldn't have brought this kid along. By sheer coincidence, he overheard this derogatory nickname, and now I'll have even less face in front of him.

The three of them walked at a leisurely pace, even having the leisure to bicker. Secretary Feng was in an uproar.

"Meatball, my little grandma is gone!"

"Waaaaah, where are you, Meatball?"

While Bubble was putting on her makeup, Xu Yirou was nowhere to be seen when she turned around, making Bubble cry like a little kitten.

If Rou Rou doesn't come back, she won't live either; she'll commit suicide for Rou Rou. TAT

When Secretary Feng returned from a phone call, she discovered that her child was missing. She turned pale on the spot and was so frightened that she almost had a heart attack.

While calmly and collectedly reviewing the surveillance footage, I silently lit three incense sticks for myself.

Upon seeing the surveillance footage in the hallway outside the restroom, Zhao Yun shoved Xu Yirou hard, while Secretary Feng clenched her fists so tightly they cracked.

Seeing that it was the familiar Mr. Xu who had taken the young lady away, Secretary Feng felt like she had come back to life.

Guessing that President Xu was already on his way back with his men, Secretary Feng and Bubble were waiting at the door.

The two, one big and one small, craned their necks in anticipation.

Finally, Xu Yue and his two companions appeared unhurriedly as they came up the stairs around the corner.

Bubble: "Meatball!"

Xu Yirou couldn't wait to get off Xu Yue's back and limped away, crying out, "Bubble, waaaah!"

Bubble & Secretary Feng: !!!

Secretary Feng's vision went black, and her voice trembled uncontrollably: "Mr. Xu, what's wrong with Miss?"

"I was pushed down." Xu Yue did not shirk responsibility and solemnly stated, "I will take full responsibility for holding those involved accountable."

Bubble hadn't seen the surveillance video and didn't know that Xu Yirou had been pushed by Zhao Yun; she just assumed that Xu Yirou had fallen accidentally.

Bubble cried with guilt: "I promised Mom and Dad that I would protect Grandma, but I didn't do it. Waaah, I'm not a good granddaughter."

"It's not your fault." Xu Yirou sniffed, reflecting on herself, "It was me who ran around."

She won't drink water before going out anymore, so she won't have to run around looking for a toilet when she needs to pee QAQ

The two children hugged each other and cried bitterly.

Secretary Feng took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and braced herself to call Xu Qingyan to report the situation.

Xu Qingyan dropped everything he was doing and rushed over without saying a word.

When Xu Qingyan arrived, unlike usual when she would gently coax and soothe the cub's mother, she sternly hoisted the resisting and crying cub onto her shoulder and got into the car.

The car sped along, and the mother of the baby in the carriage cried uncontrollably, kicking her son with her short, white, radish-like legs.

"Bad Da Bao! Bad Da Bao!"

"You...you're not gentle, waaaaah!"

"You're being mean to me!"

Xu Qingyan's mind gradually calmed down; Secretary Feng's phone call had driven him crazy.

The cubs are as tender and fragile as flowers grown in a greenhouse, requiring him to carefully nurture them as they grow. He is more anxious than anyone else if his precious little princess gets hurt.

The cub's mother was throwing a tantrum and refused to go to the hospital, so in a moment of desperation, he disregarded everything else and forcibly packed her up and took her away.

Xu Qingyan realized that the cub's mother was frightened.

He softened his expression, gently placing his large hand on her damp cheek, and asked with lowered eyes, "Mom, did I hurt you just now?"

My stomach hurts—

Xu Qingyan carried her like a sack all the way, making her dizzy and causing her stomach to ache.

Xu Yirou lifted her shirt and saw a small red patch on her round, snow-white belly.

Xu Qingyan's eyes widened slightly, and he pursed his lips, overwhelmed by guilt.

It was so heavy that he could hardly breathe.

The baby's mother, her voice choked with emotion, said in a childish voice, "Baby, have you gone crazy? You're so mean to Mommy."

Her small figure was reflected in Xu Qingyan's heavy, dark eyes.

"No, no, it's okay... hiccup. You were sick and went crazy, you were mean to me, but Mommy doesn't blame you."

"Because you're my son."