Chapter 2 I Want Her to Serve Me (2)

"Mommy!"

Suddenly shaken awake as if she was falling off a cliff, Gan Yuan's body jolted from her dream.

Opening her eyes to stare at the somewhat yellowed ceiling above her, she was bewildered for a few seconds, unable to distinguish between reality and dreams.

The dream was too real, just like that night six years ago; even the sensation of him inside her felt like the truth.

Seconds later, she came back to herself, wiped her still-hot face with her hand, and glanced sidelong at her son by her bed.

The little guy was already over five years old, his features more profound and delicate than when he was born, his short hair neatly trimmed, his small face carved out of fine porcelain, and beneath his beautiful thick eyebrows were a pair of deep eyes like the night sky.

If one looked closely, it was even apparent that his pupils were tinged with a significant shade of blue-purple.

Those brows, that aura... he was increasingly resembling that guy.

Gan Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Isn't it said that sons resemble their mothers?

Could that guy's genes be so dominant?!

She reached out to ruffle the little guy's smooth short hair and sat up to give his delicate little face a smooch before throwing herself back onto the pillow.

"Sweet dreams, my good son, see you tonight!"

Pulling the blanket over her head, she closed her eyes, ready to go back to sleep, but a tender little hand quickly pulled the blanket from her head.

"Today, you have to meet a client."

These seven words, like a shot of adrenaline, woke Gan Yuan right up. She flung off the blanket and jumped out of bed, slipped on her shoes, and rushed into the bathroom.

Still adjusted to vacation time after a week off, she had forgotten she was supposed to start work early today had it not been for her son's reminder.

Grabbing the toothbrush her son had prepared with toothpaste for her, Gan Yuan peeked her head out from the bathroom, looking toward the little fellow opening the wardrobe door.

"Son, what time is it?"

Gan Tang, dressed in his kindergarten uniform, stood on tiptoe to get her uniform from the closet, "Half an hour, and you won't be late."

Making a funny face at her son, she went back to brushing her teeth. Lifting her head, she saw herself in the mirror, cheeks flushed, eyes misty.

Gan Yuan frowned, annoyed at her reflection, and cast a scornful look at herself in the mirror.

"Dreaming of him after six years, and such a spring dream at that, Gan Yuan, that's really something!"

With no time to dwell on this, she quickly finished her morning routine.

Ten minutes later, with her long hair pulled into a prim updo, black plastic glasses hiding her sharp eyes, the loose uniform concealing her graceful figure, and light, old-fashioned makeup—she was the epitome of plain and dull.

Gan Tang, sitting across from her, frowned as he watched her lift a cup of milk, "So ugly!"

Without looking up, she responded, "A son doesn't find his mother ugly."

The little wise guy scrunched up his beautiful eyebrows, "You won't be able to marry off looking like that!"

Her eyes and brows lifted lightly, "Then you'll provide for me!"

Gan Tang shrugged his shoulders, "I'm taking a day off tomorrow; we'll stick to the same story—I'll say my grandpa died."

Gan Yuan frowned into her cup of milk, "I remember your grandpa just died last month."

"That was granddad." The little fellow corrected her indifferently.

Gan Yuan set down her milk cup and stared at him, "Why are you taking a day off?"

"Don't want to go."

"Reason?"

She raised an eyebrow, a probing look in her eyes.

With a pout, the little guy said, "Arbor Day activities, boring!"

Gan Yuan showed a smile, put down her cup of milk, and spoke in a gentle voice, "It won't be that boring. You could enjoy nature, breathe some fresh air in the countryside—and if a parent could accompany you, I'd take a leave to go with you."

"I don't want to go," the little fellow stubbornly stated.

Observing the clean little face of the child across from her, Gan Yuan's eyes behind her glasses narrowed slightly. This little one matured earlier than most children. Quiet and composed, he inherited more from that man, very different from her character.

In the kindergarten, whenever parents were asked to participate in activities, he always found an excuse to be absent, citing boredom.

In truth, Gan Yuan knew exactly what he was concerned about—the not yet six-year-old had a pride beyond his years and did not want anyone to know that he didn't have a father.

Catching the subtle changes in her son's expression, Gan Yuan lifted the corners of her mouth, showing him a big smile, "How about Mommy finds a daddy to go with us?"

Across the table, the undisturbed little guy glanced at his watch, clearly unimpressed by the suggestion.

"You've got nine minutes left. If you don't want to be late, don't talk!"

Gan Yuan withdrew her gaze and continued with her sandwich, eyeing the little fellow across from her as the tips of her eyebrows lifted behind the lenses.

A sour face at the slightest disagreement—this temper most likely came from that man as well!

Finishing breakfast in three minutes, she hastily cleaned up the plates, throwing them into the sink before rushing out the door with her son.

After putting him in her second-hand Volkswagen and watching as his little form disappeared at the entrance to the kindergarten, she immediately started the car and drove to the hotel where she worked.