Volume 1, Chapter 109: Little thing, your temper is growing.

Huo Lindong finished preparing the meal and came to call them, but upon entering the room, he sensed a somber atmosphere.

"What's wrong?" he asked Wan Sandao.

After seeing off the staff and sending out red envelopes to the group, Wan Sandao lowered his voice and told Huo Lindong, "When Sister Se was auditing Ye Sheng's assets, she discovered that Huo Mingting had transferred properties and shares to Ye Sheng during their marriage."

Huo Lindong walked toward Ye Sheng and saw her brows tightly furrowed.

"Brother Lin," Ye Sheng whispered.

Huo Lindong acknowledged her, his eyebrows slightly raised. "What is it? Are you embarrassed to accept them?"

Ye Sheng remained silent. It wasn't so much embarrassment as it was surprise and disbelief.

"Since they were gifted to you during the marriage, just accept them," Huo Lindong said, standing before her with a steady, calm voice. "For the simple fact that you bore an heir for the Huo family, you deserve even more. There is no need to feel awkward."

He reached out and gently tapped her furrowed brow. Ye Sheng's expression softened.

"Okay."

***

Huo Mingting was bathing Huo Cong in the tub. Having not seen each other for several days, father and son both missed one another dearly. Huo Mingting scrubbed Huo Cong for a while, and when he touched his ticklish spots, the boy giggled uncontrollably.

Huo Mingting laughed along with him. In his eyes, the custody battle was a complete joke. He had no intention of marrying Qin Minshu, and he certainly wasn't going to hand over custody of Huo Cong to Ye Sheng. To him, there was only one path: he and Ye Sheng returning to their previous status, remarrying, and jointly shouldering the responsibility of raising their child. Anything else was out of the question.

However, Huo Mingting could tell that after spending the last few days with Ye Sheng, the boy, nourished by maternal love, was different than before. He was much softer and more adorable.

Huo Mingting pulled his son onto his lap and asked, "Have you been living well with Mom these past few days?"

Huo Cong, who never lied, nodded.

"Then..." Huo Mingting cleared his throat, "do you prefer living with Mom, or with Dad?"

Huo Cong whipped his head up, his little brows knitting together. "I don't like that question."

Refusing to answer, Huo Cong looked at his father with a stern little face. "Are you two fighting for my custody?"

"..."

Huo Mingting knew his son was bright, but for such a young child to be this sharp was almost supernatural. "Who told you about the custody matter?" Huo Mingting frowned. "Did your mother talk to you about it?"

Huo Cong shook his head. "She didn't mention it to me." He looked at Huo Mingting again. "And she would never ask me such an idiotic question."

Huo Mingting: "?"

Huo Cong climbed out of Huo Mingting's lap, walked under the showerhead to rinse off by himself, wrapped himself in a small bath towel, and walked out without even giving his old man a glance.

Huo Mingting: "..."

That tight-lipped expression and the aloof, arrogant back were exactly like Ye Sheng. Truly, bad company corrupts good character—the little thing's temper was growing.

Huo Mingting put on his bathrobe, went out, scooped his son back into his arms, and tugged at his little ear. "No throwing tantrums. Talk to me properly." He thought to himself: If I can't handle your mother, can't I at least handle you?

Huo Cong replied, "Then you talk properly too, and stop asking... those kinds of questions."

"Fine, I won't ask." Huo Mingting conceded, then asked, "Then how did you know about the custody issue?"

Huo Cong looked calm. "Many of my classmates' parents are divorced. They fight over custody until they're at each other's throats, and some even make a scene at school." He paused, looking at him with cool seriousness. "Don't do that. It’s embarrassing."

"..."

In that instant, Huo Mingting was completely stunned; he had actually seen the shadow of Ninth Uncle Huo Lindong in his son's eyes. Was it because Huo Cong had been spending so much time with him lately? Children mimic what they see, and whoever they spend a lot of time with, they tend to resemble.

Huo Mingting didn't dwell on it, merely assuming his authoritative fatherly posture and tapping his son on the forehead. "Is that any way to talk?"

Huo Cong lowered his head and pursed his lips. "I’ve discussed it with Huo Xiaobei. If you two fight for my custody, I'll tell the judge I don't want to live with either of you. Grandpa and Grandma won't ignore me anyway. Once I turn eighteen, I'll live on my own."

Hearing this, Huo Mingting’s heart ached, and he pulled his son closer. "Why are you so heavy-hearted at such a young age?"

As he scolded his son, he thought of himself. When he was a child, his parents fought and threatened divorce several times, asking him who he would choose to live with. He had felt the exact same way back then—choose neither of them, don't want me, I'll live by myself.

When he married Ye Sheng, Huo Mingting never imagined they would divorce, nor did he intend for his child to experience these things... yet he had still failed. His own parents had been deadlocked for years without ever resorting to divorce, yet he and Ye Sheng had actually gone through with it.

Huo Cong’s mouth twisted further, full of stubbornness and grievance.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Huo Mingting kissed his son's face, coaxing him, and shifted the topic. "Then tell me, what is your mother's current relationship status? Is she... getting along well with Xiaobei's father?"

"What relationship status?" Huo Cong looked up, his black-and-white eyes wide. "They get along very well. But Ye Sheng told me she is single right now."

Huo Mingting didn't care about the fact that Huo Cong called Ye Sheng by her full name; his mind was completely blown by that last sentence.

"What did you say?" Huo Mingting’s eyes lit up. "Ye Sheng told you she is still single?"