Flash Marriage: He is a Wife-pampering Addict

Chapter 1372: Tongtong misses her mom

Bai Yiyi was still bent over, with one foot wearing a slipper and the other still clad in a boot.

She froze completely, motionless.

Something slipped from her eyes, catching her off guard, and dripped onto Tongtong’s neck.

“Mommy, don’t cry.”

Tongtong felt a sudden warmth on her neck and immediately lifted her small face. Seeing Bai Yiyi’s tears, her lips quivered as she freed one hand from holding her and raised it high to wipe her mother’s tears.

“Tongtong.”

Bai Yiyi forced herself to hold back her tears. Ignoring the fact that she hadn’t changed one shoe yet, she crouched down and hugged Tongtong tightly.

“Mommy, don’t cry.”

Tongtong said softly, nestled in her embrace.

Bai Yiyi’s emotions surged like a tide; she strained to push out a smile. “Tongtong, Mommy isn’t crying. Mommy is happy. Did Tongtong miss Mommy a lot?”

Tongtong raised her head from her embrace and nodded firmly. “Tongtong missed Mommy.”

After speaking, she pursed her lips and lovingly lifted her hand again to wipe Bai Yiyi’s tears.

Bai Yiyi didn’t move, gazing at Tongtong with eyes full of gentle maternal love and the longing she’d felt these past few days.

Tongtong’s pale little hand moved gently and cautiously as she wiped away her tears.

A few steps away, behind them.

Gu Kai stood tall and steady, his calm gaze fixed on the mother and daughter holding each other.

Watching Tongtong wipe Bai Yiyi’s tears, he took in her maternal longing for Tongtong, her guilt, and other complex emotions he couldn’t quite grasp.

His fingers, hanging by his side, curled slightly before finally clenching into fists.

Aware of his presence, Bai Yiyi looked up, her gaze calm as it met his.

Their eyes locked.

What she thought would be a peaceful moment suddenly sent ripples that turned into waves, like an electric current surging through her, throwing her heartbeat into uncontrollable chaos.

Bai Yiyi instinctively bit her lip.

Gu Kai’s gaze deepened, the dark hues in his eyes like ink, obscure and inscrutable.

Ultimately, it was Bai Yiyi who broke eye contact first. The tide of emotion in Gu Kai’s eyes slowly receded. He stepped forward, bent down, and pulled Tongtong out of Bai Yiyi’s arms.

“Tongtong, let Mommy change her shoes.”

Tongtong looked down and finally noticed that Mommy hadn’t yet changed one shoe. She withdrew her hand from Daddy’s grip, crouched down, and said, “Mommy, Tongtong will help.”

As she spoke, she reached out her hand to help Bai Yiyi change her shoes.

Bai Yiyi’s emotions churned like a spilled jar of spices—rich, bittersweet, and complex.

She could be indifferent to Gu Kai, but in front of Tongtong, she could never learn to feign detachment, nor could she harden her heart against Tongtong.

During the days without her, Bai Yiyi had missed Tongtong every single second and minute.

Listening to Tongtong’s voice over and over again, crying uncontrollably each time.

She finally understood that the pain of being separated from her child was worse than carving out her heart.

She had overestimated herself, thinking she could endure this agony, that she could really give Tongtong back to Gu Kai to repay her parents’ debt.

But when Gu Kai said he would find Tongtong a stepmother to make her forget Bai Yiyi, she couldn’t help herself and ran back.

When Tongtong finished helping her change her shoes, Bai Yiyi swiftly wiped away her tears before Tongtong could lift her face and greeted her with a gentle smile.

Seeing her mother smile, Tongtong beamed brightly with a sunny grin. “Missed Mommy.”

“Mommy missed Tongtong too.”

Bai Yiyi picked up Tongtong and carried her, following Gu Kai to the sofa to sit down.

“When did you get back?”

Gu Kai’s voice emerged, deep and unexpectedly husky.

The tone startled Bai Yiyi’s heart, making it skip a beat. She lifted her head to look at him again. This time, she noticed he had lost weight.

By calculation, it had been twenty days since they last saw each other, after he met Li En and disappeared following a single text message.

One vanishing act for ten days.

Consider it even.

Thinking of this, her lips curled into a self-mocking smile, her tone icy: “I came here straight after getting off the plane.”

In truth, she had landed late last night.

During those days, she had been staying in a small town. Last night, when she arrived at the airport, it was already midnight. She booked the earliest flight back to G City.

After landing at midnight, she didn’t go anywhere and stayed at the airport until morning.

Gu Kai didn’t miss the exhaustion faintly etched in her expression. Hearing her words, his brows furrowed slightly as he turned to the housekeeper busy tidying up in the dining room. “Auntie, prepare another breakfast.”

“No need. I already had breakfast before coming here.”

Bai Yiyi’s refusal came out immediately and without hesitation.

Gu Kai’s handsome face shifted.

Flickering anger surfaced but quickly disappeared.

He stood up. “I’ll take you home to rest first. I have surgery this morning. After you’ve had a nap, we can talk at noon.”

Bai Yiyi stood and rejected him stiffly. “No need to trouble yourself. I’ve booked a hotel, so I’ll head there for some rest.”

“Mommy, don’t go.”

Seeing both her parents stand as if they were about to leave, Tongtong grew immediately flustered.

Hearing Tongtong’s plea, Bai Yiyi’s heart ached. She bent down and picked her up.

“You go to the hospital. I’ll take Tongtong back to the hotel. Don’t worry; I won’t secretly take her away.”

Bai Yiyi felt that, given their situation, it was necessary to clarify that her return wasn’t a plan to escape with Tongtong.

“Hotels aren’t safe. Since you’ve come back, don’t leave G City anymore. Let Tongtong live with you like before. Anyway, you’ve already paid ten years of rent. You can live there peacefully.”

“Gu Kai.”

Bai Yiyi interrupted him angrily.

Gu Kai raised his brows in slight surprise.

“I know you gave that money back to my mother, and she’s already handed it to me.”

She spoke while putting Tongtong back onto the sofa. “Tongtong, wait here for a moment.”

She opened her bag, pulled out a stack of cash, and placed it on the coffee table. Ignoring Gu Kai’s instantly darkened expression, she said indifferently, “This is for rent from the last stretch of time. From now on, I’ll find another place to rent. If you’re willing to let Tongtong stay with me, I won’t refuse.”

Gu Kai dropped his gaze to the money on the table, forcibly suppressing the anger surging within him and straining to control his temper. “Come on, I’ll take you to Ranran’s house. She has plenty of guest rooms. You can stay there for now. It’s not for you—it’s for Tongtong. Once you find a new place, you can move out.”

“My luggage is at the hotel.”

Bai Yiyi still wanted to refuse. In the past, she had considered Ranran a close friend. But after learning that Ranran’s mother had been involved in the events of that year, and hearing her mother admit to harboring resentment toward Gu Kai and Wen Ran’s mother, Bai Yiyi felt she was unworthy of being Ranran’s friend.

Gu Kai frowned, stepped forward, picked up Tongtong, and said in a tone so domineering that it left no room for refusal, “Then let’s go to the hotel for your luggage first and then to Ranran’s house.”

After speaking, he carried Tongtong and strode toward the entryway.