At the dining table on the first floor, Mom had already prepared breakfast, and Dad was eating at the table.
The couple got along both harmoniously and awkwardly, without exchanging a single word, yet their interaction felt natural, just like always.
Having done that thing with her son last night, Liu Ruoxi felt guilty deep down and didn’t know what to say to her husband.
Yang Wenfu was still worried that his wife hadn’t forgiven him. As he ate his breakfast, he hesitated inwardly, unsure how to break the ice.
It wasn’t until Yang Haoran’s arrival that the atmosphere shifted.
“Haoran, you’re up. Come sit by Dad for breakfast. Your mom’s cooking tastes even better than usual today.”
The moment Yang Wenfu saw his son, it was like spotting a ray of hope. A smile lit up his face as he beckoned the boy over, not forgetting to praise his wife in the process.
Yang Haoran smoothly took a seat beside his dad. Mom brought over his breakfast. Liu Ruoxi glanced at her son, then at her beaming husband sitting across from him. A flicker of complex emotions crossed her eyes. In a neutral tone, she asked her son, “Where’s Yaoyao? Still not up?”
“Mom, Yaoyao just woke up. She was worn out from playing with her classmates yesterday, so she’s running a bit late today. She’ll be down soon.”
Despite Mom giving him the cold shoulder amid his infatuation, Yang Haoran still flashed a warm, eager smile as he replied—just like his dad.
“Mm. Finish up quickly and head to school.”
Liu Ruoxi gave a slight nod.
“Ruoxi, the company’s giving us time off for National Day in a few days. Since Yaoyao and Haoran’s schools will be on break too, how about the whole family goes on a trip together?” Yang Wenfu suggested to his wife. As he spoke, his gaze lingered on her face. When he saw her brows furrow slightly, his heart grew uneasy, fearing she might refuse.
He figured that his distant dynamic with her had given a third party an opening. He couldn’t just sit idly by. Maybe this National Day holiday was the perfect chance—a family trip to mend their marriage and get back on track.
Seeing the hopeful look in her husband’s eyes filled Liu Ruoxi with a mix of emotions. His humble attempts to please her stung her heart even as she noticed them. She couldn’t bring herself to refuse. With a nod, she said, “Mm, alright.”
Overjoyed at her agreement, Yang Wenfu quickly turned to his son beside him. “Hear that, Haoran? Your mom’s on board. We’ll go on a family trip over National Day. You’ve both been grinding away at school—Dad will take you out to unwind, see the mountains and rivers, take in the beauty of our homeland.”
His tone carried a booming pride, likely from the sheer happiness bubbling inside him.
“Oh… sure.”
Deep down, Yang Haoran was reluctant, but he forced a smile and laughed along with his dad.
A family trip meant he risked Mom and Dad patching up their broken marriage. He preferred things stayed as they were. Travel had a way of relaxing people—like emotional therapy or a relationship repair job.
But as the son, he had no grounds to refuse.
A sense of crisis welled up in him. He couldn’t let Mom and Dad go on this trip. He had to sabotage it somehow—or at least keep Mom from going.
As he ate his breakfast, his little brain worked overtime, brainstorming ideas. How could he stop it? Fake being sick so Mom stayed behind to care for him? It sounded promising, but Mom knew him too well. A simple cold wouldn’t fool her sharp eyes. Even if he forced a real cold right now, at this critical time, she’d suspect his ulterior motives. Sure, she might stay to nurse him if he was genuinely ill, but that would only make it harder to win her heart later.
He didn’t just want Mom’s body—he wanted her heart too, to possess her completely.
So what now? He couldn’t outright oppose it; that would backfire, and he had no good excuse if Dad asked why.
No direct confrontation, then. He’d have to work behind the scenes. Mom was the key breakthrough, but how to convince her to skip the trip? Yang Haoran’s mind raced, but it felt tricky. He rarely got close to her—not because he couldn’t try, but because she’d respond by smacking him.
The few times it had happened were when her slut persona took over, seducing him proactively, letting him push his luck. It was all so passive and frustrating. That’s why he’d buried his feelings for her all these years.
He’d once considered forcing the issue, like with Xiao Shaowan—she was his test subject, a way to refine his methods for taming Mom.
What was the difference between humans and animals, really? Animals could be trained, but people? Xiao Shaowan had given him his answer. Yet her slut persona only fueled his desires further. He didn’t just want to claim Mom; he wanted to capture her heart.
Lost in these drifting thoughts, he came up empty—until his dad’s voice snapped him back.
“Yaoyao, sleeping in today? Up so late?” Yang Wenfu spotted his daughter descending the stairs. In a great mood, he teased her like a typical doting father.
“Mm, Dad.”
Yang Mengyao saw her dad’s smiling face and mirrored it with a sweet one of her own, momentarily forgetting her troubles.
The family ate breakfast in apparent harmony, though each harbored their own thoughts.
After breakfast, Yang Haoran and Yaoyao left the neighborhood together, heading toward the bus stop.
“Yaoyao, how was hanging out with Xiao Shaowan yesterday? Have fun?”
“It was okay, I guess. But Shaowan… I don’t know how to put it, bro. Do you still like her?”
“Yeah, what’s up?” Yang Haoran stopped in his tracks, looking at Yaoyao with puzzlement.
Yang Mengyao pursed her lips, unsure if she should spill. Seeing her brother’s reaction, it seemed he still had feelings for Xiao Shaowan, which made her even more hesitant.
“What’s going on? Did something happen between you two yesterday?” Yang Haoran noticed her hesitant expression and grew curious.
“Um… Shaowan yesterday… yesterday…” The words seemed hard to say. Perhaps recalling the store clerk’s shocked stares from the day before, Yang Mengyao’s cheeks flushed, and her voice dropped. “Shaowan took me to a sex shop.”
“Huh?” Yang Haoran was surprised too. “Why’d she take you to a sex shop?”
