Yang Haoran’s heart stirred—this was promising. Suppressing his excitement, he comforted her, “Mom, how could this be embarrassing? Just think of it as us playing a fun role-playing game. I’ll be the master, and you’ll be my bitch. We’ll just go out for a stroll.”
“Hmph… Who knows how you’ll humiliate me then!”
Liu Ruoxi let out a cold snort, appearing unamused. Just as Yang Haoran thought it was hopeless, her cool voice came through:
“Fine! I’ll reluctantly agree to do this with you once, so you won’t lose your appetite over it. It’s not like it’s the first time anyway.”
She was clearly alluding to his joke during dinner, but Yang Haoran didn’t care now. Unable to contain his excitement, he pressed, “Really?”
“Mhm.”
This time, her soft “mhm” made his spirits soar with joy.
“Mom, do you remember what I said that night?”
“What?”
“Hehe… Mom, you have to wear pantyhose. I want to lead you around and introduce you to them—my sexy black-stocking-clad bitch.”
Yang Haoran couldn’t help but revel in the fantasy, causing Liu Ruoxi’s cheeks to burn even hotter. With weakened resolve, she scolded him, “Get out of here… You call this a game? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to.”
Her fierce words felt like a gentle breeze to him, only fueling his anticipation. He couldn’t wait to lead his mother around and humiliate her in public, savoring the intense thrill of domination.
Meeting her cold gaze, the blush on her cheeks betraying her attempts to hide it, Yang Haoran pretended to be obedient and nodded. Overjoyed by this unexpected victory, he then asked, “Mom, when will you give me the money?”
“How much do you want?”
“300,000. Is that okay, Mom?”
“You certainly know how to ask!”
Hearing the amount, Liu Ruoxi remained expressionless. “Go back and wait.”
Without explicitly agreeing or refusing, she shooed him out.
Yang Haoran returned to his room in high spirits, lying down to play on his phone. Soon enough, he received a bank notification—a string of zeros preceded by a three. If he hadn’t looked carefully, he might have thought it was three million.
His mood instantly brightened, and he hummed a cheerful tune. It was clear that his mother’s attitude toward him had softened significantly. In a normal mother-son relationship, getting 30,000 would have been a struggle, let alone 300,000.
Am I being kept by Mom?
The strange thought crossed his mind, but he chuckled softly to himself. He figured his mother must have noticed he’d spent his savings on something worthwhile and was replenishing his funds. Even if he squandered a few hundred thousand, it would be a drop in the bucket for her.
With money in his pocket, Yang Haoran felt emboldened. He opened WeChat and contacted Xiao Shaowan. After a brief chat, he transferred 30,000 yuan to her.
Xiao Shaowan: “What are you doing? I don’t want it.”
Seeing the pop-up message, Yang Haoran rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Before he could finish typing to explain it was three months’ worth of living expenses for her, the screen refreshed with another notification—she had returned the 30,000 yuan.
This left him utterly confused. He thought she was just being politely reluctant, but she genuinely didn’t want the money. Puzzled, he typed:
“Why don’t you want it? This was our agreement.”
Xiao Shaowan: “Before, you were keeping me, but that arrangement is over now. I’m choosing to stay with you willingly.”
Yang Haoran: “But you’ll need living expenses. Can’t you just accept it as support from me to my ‘daughter’?”
Xiao Shaowan: “I don’t want money to be part of our relationship anymore. I’ll always remember why you gave me money in the first place—it was too dirty. I want to keep things pure between us now.”
She added shortly after: “I still have over 20,000 yuan left from what you gave me before. It’s enough for me. I don’t need more.”
Yang Haoran: “Over 20,000? I didn’t realize you were so frugal. But money runs out eventually. If I don’t give you any, how will you support yourself? Will you work part-time? Or ask your mom for money?”
Yang Haoran: “I remember you saying your mom is exhausted. She shouldn’t have to work so hard—she deserves to enjoy life. So you should take this.”
Yang Haoran recalled the scene in the mall restroom, where Xiao Shaowan’s voice trembled as she counted out the exact amount her mother had saved for her: 43,221 yuan.
Perhaps at that moment, the light her mother fought to give her had finally broken through the mud and shone upon her.
A complex feeling washed over Yang Haoran. He initiated another transfer, this time for 50,000 yuan. After entering his password, he quickly typed:
“This isn’t for you. It’s for your mom. Consider it a gesture of my sincerity. I’ll visit her sometime soon.”
Xiao Shaowan: “She won’t accept it.”
Yang Haoran: “Then accept it on her behalf. Tell her to quit her job and enjoy life at home. This is an order from your master.”
After a long pause, Xiao Shaowan replied with a simple “Mhm.” Yang Haoran felt as if a weight had been lifted off his chest, and his mood lightened.
Mom, this money is disappearing way too fast. Next time, remember to only give me 30,000.
Yang Haoran chuckled to himself, amused by his own joke.
The night deepened, and the bright moonlight streamed through the window, casting a gentle glow on his handsome, sleeping face. It was like a soft caress—unhurried, tender, and soothing as water.