Zhao Youlin was in a foul mood. The cliche trope of her running into her ex when she went out had actually turned out true. However, the feeling instantly faded the moment she arrived home and saw her son hugging Sparta on the couch as they watched television together.
On the couch, her son’s and the pet’s ears perked up as soon as they heard the sound of the door opening. Both of them turned their heads around and looked in the direction of the entrance.
After they identified her, their equally big eyes sparkled as one. They slid down the couch and rushed over to Zhao Youlin.
“Mommy…” Joy buried himself in her arms and nuzzled against her. Meanwhile, Sparta followed closely behind him and kept wagging its tail to welcome its owner with glee.
When Zhao Youlin smelled her son’s faint milky scent, the slightest bit of displeasure left in her completely vanished.
Zhao Youlin lowered her head and kissed the little angel in her arms. She asked gently, “Joy, did you behave well when you were home alone? Did you brush your teeth and finish the bread and milk?”
Joy nodded proudly. He sounded like an adult, “Mommy, I’ve finished the breakfast you left for me. Moreover, I’ve also fed Sparta.”
Zhao Youlin could not resist Joy’s cutesy look when he raised his head. She lowered her head and kissed his forehead. She said, “Good boy, Joy.”
“Hehe!” Joy smiled contentedly when he received the compliment.
Sparta was behind him. When it saw its owner had been praised, it refused to be left out and whined several times. It looked at Zhao Youlin pitifully with its pair of big clear eyes. It looked extremely grief-stricken.
Zhao Youlin did not know if she should laugh or cry when she saw her precious two babes. She reached out to caress the puppy’s head and praised it, “Sparta, you kept Joy company and played with him at home. So, you’re also a good boy.”
Sparta seemed to understand what she said. It shuddered. It scampered happily to Zhao Youlin and ran around her.
Originally, Joy had also wanted to join them. But, when he caught sight of the hint of red on the back of Zhao Youlin’s hand, he exclaimed in shock, “Mommy… Mommy… You’re bleeding!”
Zhao Youlin froze. She lowered her head and looked at the wound that had stopped bleeding. She grumbled to herself. She was so angry that she had forgotten to bandage it before she returned home. Joy would be sad again when he saw this.
“T-This… Actually, this isn’t blood, Joy.”
“This isn’t blood?” Joy tilted his head and asked in puzzlement.
“Yes. This is just ketchup. I didn’t have my breakfast when I went out this morning. So, I accidentally got ketchup on my hand when I bought something to eat. I never noticed it. Joy, you’ve got sharp eyes. You spotted it at just a single glance.”
Children were very innocent especially when they fully trusted their parents.
Joy frowned and after thinking over it for some time, he nodded and said, “Oh, so it’s ketchup! Mommy, I also want to eat ketchup next time!”
Zhao Youlin heaved a sigh of relief when Joy calmed down. She said, “Sure. I’ll bring you to have some next time. Now, Joy, play with Sparta first. I need to wash my hands and change my clothes before coming back to play with you.”
“Mhm mhm…” Joy did not continue pestering Zhao Youlin. He turned around and ran toward his beloved pet.
After sending Joy away, Zhao Youlin brought out the first aid kit from her house and put a bandage on the back of her hand. Immediately after, she opened the document file to see what the detective had found.
After she took out the carbon paper from the inside and read the first page, Zhao Youlin… froze like a statue.