His wife's pregnancy bump disappeared, and Mr. Huo was going crazy missing her.

Qiao Mucheng pouted, "I added him last time, but Uncle Huo rejected me again."

Qiao Muxin sighed: "I met a handsome uncle at the aquarium last time. I really hope our future father will be that handsome too."

Qiao Muyue slapped her forehead: "Looking good doesn't fill your stomach. The important thing is that Mom has to be satisfied with herself."

"But Mom doesn't go on blind dates, how is she going to find us a new dad?"

While his younger siblings chattered away, Qiao Mucheng quietly held his phone and requested to add "Uncle Huo" as a friend again.

"What are you three playing?"

When Qiao Mian came out of the kitchen carrying a plate, she saw three little heads huddled together in the living room, chirping about something.

Upon hearing their mother's voice, the three little ones immediately stood up, lined up, and nervously twisted their fingers.

Qiao Mian saw that Qiao Mucheng was holding a mobile phone and assumed that the children had been playing games, so she didn't pay any attention and invited them to come and eat.

Qiao Mucheng looked down at his phone, realized he hadn't accepted the friend request yet, pursed his lips, and put his phone back in his pocket.

After the meal, Qiao Mian did not go out to deliver takeout as usual.

She helped the children make the hand-drawn posters assigned by their kindergarten teachers.

While drawing stars in the night sky with watercolors, Qiao Muxin suddenly looked at her and asked, "Mom, did Dad really turn into a star in the sky?"

One sentence stumped Qiao Mian.

When the children were younger, she could always brush off the topic of "father."

But now that the children are maturing, she doesn't know what excuse to make up.

"Qiao Muxin!"

Seeing his mother's worried expression, Qiao Mucheng glared at his younger sister, "Why do you have to bring up that scumbag dad and ruin your mood?"

Qiao Muyue snorted, "That's right, don't mention your scumbag father."

After being scolded by her brothers, Qiao Muxin snuggled into her mother's arms, looking aggrieved. "Mommy, is Daddy a big bad guy?"

Qiao Mian was very surprised when she heard the children call him "scumbag dad" and "big bad guy".

She had always avoided talking about her children's father in front of them, but she never expected that the children's concept of their father would be so negative.

It's her fault for not guiding the children properly. Her conflict with Huo Yanbei shouldn't have affected the children.

Qiao Mian thought for a moment, then pulled the three little ones into her arms and said earnestly, "Your father isn't a bad guy. He just went to a very far place and doesn't live with us anymore."

Qiao Mucheng: "Going to a very far place, do you mean heaven?"

Qiao Muxin let out a disappointed "Ah," and said, "Then Daddy has become a star in the sky..."

Qiao Muyue grabbed Qiao Mian's sleeve and asked, "Mom, how did Dad die?"

Qiao Mian was horrified and immediately explained, "He didn't turn into a star..."

Qiao Mucheng: "If Dad isn't dead, why doesn't he come looking for us?"

"Mom, Dad abandoned us, that's why he's afraid to come looking for us, right?"

The children bombarded me with questions, one after another.

Qiao Mian was finding it hard to keep up.

After a long pause, he explained again, "Dad didn't abandon you; he just started living his own life..."

Qiao Mucheng's mind raced, and he understood. "So, Dad married another woman? Is he married?"

Qiao Muyue asked, "Does Dad have his own children too?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Muxin shook her mother's hand, "Is it because Daddy's children are more well-behaved than us that Daddy doesn't come looking for us, right?"

Qiao Mian was speechless for a moment when asked the question.

The more I explain, the more confused I get.

I felt extremely upset.

The fact that the children asked this question shows that they have a lot of expectations for the missing role of "father".

Qiao Mian hugged the children tightly, her heart aching. "Dad has his own life, we don't need him. Mom will always be with you..."

Qiao Mucheng looked up at her with his little face, "Since we don't need a dad anymore, when are you going to find us a new dad?"

Qiao Muyue chimed in, "Yes, Mom, can we have a new dad?"

"..."

Children's minds are so simple.

One second they're wondering why their dad isn't coming to see them, the next they want a new dad to take his place.

Helpless and curious, she asked, "So what kind of new dad do you want?"

Qiao Mucheng: "Rich."

Qiao Muyue: "A warm-hearted man."

Qiao Mian couldn't help but smile, then turned to look at her daughter.

Qiao Muxin's eyes sparkled: "I want a new dad like... that uncle I met at the aquarium last time. He's so handsome! I want a new dad that handsome."

"..."

The smile on Qiao Mian's lips gradually faded.

The daughter was referring to Huo Yanbei...

Looking at the children's expectant faces, she gently reassured them, "Okay, but finding a new dad isn't easy. We need to take our time, okay?"

After saying that, fearing that the children would keep asking her about "Dad," she got up and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

Qiao Mucheng winked smugly at his younger siblings, "See? Mom agreed to find us a new dad..."

Just as I finished speaking, my phone rang.

He looked down and saw a notification pop up on his WeChat screen that his friend request had been accepted.

……

hospital.

VIP ward.

Huo Yanbei sat on the sofa, holding a laptop, and was dealing with work matters.

The phone that was next to me rang.

He picked it up, clicked on it, and saw that it was a friend request from "Salty Fish Who Doesn't Like Cake".

Huo Yanbei was slightly taken aback.

It's Qiao Mian again...

Last time, she took the initiative to add him, but he refused.

This time, they added him again...

This proactiveness is unlike her usual style.

Normally, when she sees him, she's either nervous or tries to avoid him at all costs.

It's quite novel that I proactively added him on WeChat twice.

After staring at the friend request for a long time, he clicked "accept".

Upon arriving at the chat interface, I waited for a while, but the other party still hadn't sent any messages. Feeling like I was being played, I threw my phone aside with a sullen face.

"Yan Bei".

At this moment, Song Man walked over and sat down next to him.

Huo Yanbei put away his phone, placed his laptop on the coffee table, turned to look at her, and asked, "Why aren't you lying down and resting?"

Song Man affectionately took his arm. "I've been in the hospital for several days and have had all sorts of tests done. I'm feeling much better now. I'd like to be discharged and go home, is that okay?"

Huo Yanbei thought for two seconds and replied, "Okay."

Song Man leaned on his shoulder. "I miss my daughter. Let's go home now, okay?"