It was a pity, however, that her clumsy acting didn't fool Tong Tong.
Tong Tong watched her cry expressionlessly, making no move to wipe her tears, his coldness frightening.
Yun Duo'er hadn't expected that even with her tears flowing, Tong Tong would show no reaction. She felt a pang of hurt. "Tong Tong, do you hate your mother this much? I truly never intended to abandon you. I just wanted to earn enough money to bring you back and give you a better life!"
Tong Tong smiled slightly. "So, you do love me, right?"
Thinking Tong Tong had forgiven her, Yun Duo'er nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Mom loves you!"
But Tong Tong's next words revealed her true intentions. "If you truly love me, then announce to the world that I am your son, that you abandoned me for your career, that you are not a good mother, and that you promise to be a cooperative mother from now on!"
Yun Duo'er's expression turned distressed. "Tong Tong, it's not that I'm unwilling to do this. It's just that I signed a contract with the company. If they find out I have a child, they will immediately terminate my contract and demand astronomical liquidated damages! I don't have that kind of money."
Liu Yifeng, standing nearby, immediately said, "Whatever the penalty is, I'll pay it for you, as long as you're willing to quit the entertainment industry and be a mother to Tong Tong, fulfilling your responsibilities as a mother. As long as I have food, you won't starve!"
"Are you crazy? To make me give up my career for Tong Tong? That's no different from killing me! I don't understand, is my career in entertainment in conflict with my love for Tong Tong?" Yun Duo'er never cared about money.
What she cherished was the feeling of being adored by the masses and being the center of attention. Now, Liu Yifeng wanted her to abandon her career and become a full-time mother, even saying he would provide for her? Did he even look in the mirror to see if he was worthy of her?
"So, everything you just said was a lie to Tong Tong? That you love Tong Tong? I think you're just seeing how outstanding Tong Tong is now and are afraid that if he becomes successful, he won't acknowledge you as his mother. Is that why you've come here with these sickeningly hypocritical words?" Liu Yifeng asked sarcastically.
"Don't try to sow discord between us mother and son here. If I hadn't given birth to Tong Tong, would you have such a well-behaved, sensible, and intelligent son? I came here to tell Tong Tong that even though I can't acknowledge him publicly, I still love him. When the opportunity arises, I will definitely bring him to my side!" Yun Duo'er looked at Tong Tong displeasedly.
To her surprise, Tong Tong reacted with revulsion. "I don't want to come back to you. I want to live with Papa forever. You should leave; I don't want to see you anymore!"
Yun Duo'er hugged Tong Tong tightly, trying to soothe his emotions. "Tong Tong, Mom really loves you. You were born from my womb. Everything I'm doing is for our future life. I hope you can understand my good intentions! Truthfully, I've missed you a lot during this time. The reason I haven't contacted you is to avoid being caught. If our relationship were known, my acting career would be over!"
"If that's the case, then you should leave. We won't speak to each other anymore, nor will we meet privately. That way, no one will suspect our relationship. I have Papa, and that's enough!" Although Tong Tong was young, he was not foolish. His mother's visit and her sentimental words today weren't out of genuine longing for him. It was merely to lay the groundwork for him to acknowledge her later. This way, even if they met in the future, she could shamelessly pretend not to know him, making him believe that everything she did was for their future. But her plan had failed. He had already given her a chance. If she had announced their mother-son relationship, he would have forgiven her. But she had refused without a second thought, so he saw no reason to forgive her anymore. After all, his life didn't need her.
Yun Duo'er looked at Tong Tong with hurt. "Tong Tong, are you really that heartless? I am your biological mother!"
"Tong Tong does not have a mother like you. She gave birth to him but didn't provide him with the love he deserved. When he was sick and hospitalized, you were never by his side, nor did you participate in his life; you only held the title of mother. Of course, I am very grateful to you for giving birth to Tong Tong, allowing me to have such a wonderful son in my life. I won't let you have raised him in vain. In a couple of days, I will give you a sum of money as thanks for nurturing Tong Tong. However, I hope you will no longer disturb the peaceful lives of us father and son. Furthermore, you don't have to worry about your relationship with Tong Tong being discovered anymore, and you can continue in this profession forever," Liu Yifeng said, gently pulling Tong Tong closer, preventing Yun Duo'er from touching him.
Yun Duo'er straightened up, frowning displeasedly. "You want to buy out our mother-son bond with money? Is there a father in this world like you? I'm not lacking money, you know. I can agree not to bother you, but you must promise me one thing!"
Liu Yifeng knew the main event was about to begin, and this was likely Yun Duo'er's ultimate goal. "Speak, what is it?" He didn't agree immediately. Firstly, he didn't owe her anything, so refusing was within his rights. Secondly, if she asked for something outrageous, he couldn't agree. However, if it was within his capabilities, he would consider it.
Yun Duo'er remained silent. She walked to the bedside and looked at the pile of clothes on the bed and the discarded express packaging bag on the floor, which contained snacks. She glanced at the sender's information, which indicated a woman named Su Wanru. A cold laugh escaped her. "So that's why you're so eager to have Tong Tong distance himself from me. You've already found a stepmother for him, haven't you? Are you afraid my appearance will affect your relationship?"
"Don't spout nonsense here. We're just friends!" It was fine if she misunderstood him, but it wasn't good for the single Su Wanru to be unintentionally misunderstood.
"An explanation is a cover-up. How could I not know what you're thinking!" Yun Duo'er didn't believe him.
Seeing that she didn't believe him, Liu Yifeng stopped trying to explain. "Tell me, what do you want me to agree to so that you'll stop bothering Tong Tong's life!"
Seeing that Liu Yifeng had stopped explaining, Yun Duo'er knew her guess was correct. Initially, she had thought Liu Yifeng had some relationship with Xia Qianqian, as they were inseparable, making it hard not to misunderstand. But now, Su Wanru had appeared. Judging by the name, she was likely a beautiful woman. Indeed, when a man becomes wealthy, he attracts more women. Liu Yifeng could have as many women as he pleased, but she absolutely would not allow Tong Tong to call another woman 'Mom'. "Liu Yifeng, I am the only mother Tong Tong will ever have. If you dare to find a stepmother for him, I will take back Tong Tong's custody!"
"Oh, really? Then I'd like to see if you have the ability to take back his custody!" Liu Yifeng and Yun Duo'er were at odds. Since Yun Duo'er was determined to accuse him of finding another woman, he would let her do so. He wanted to see what she could do to him!
"You..." Yun Duo'er was taken aback that Liu Yifeng hadn't even offered a defense. It seemed her guess was correct, and she was both furious and indignant. Liu Yifeng met her gaze directly. "What 'you'? If you don't say what you want me to agree to soon, I'll have to escort you out. My son and I need to rest!"