My online dating circle has millions of followers, why would she put a collar on me?

"Mom, what are you daydreaming about?"

The little boy ran over, grabbed her hand, and looked up at her.

His eyes were bright, as bright as two stars, and her face was reflected in his pupils.

"I'm hungry, when are we eating?"

Su Xiaoyue opened her mouth, as if to say something, but it felt like something was blocking her throat.

She mechanically squatted down, looked at the little boy's face, reached out, and touched his cheek with her fingertips.

The skin is warm, soft, and real.

"What did you call me?"

Her voice was very soft, so soft that it seemed as if a breath could dissipate it.

"Mom."

The little boy tilted his head and looked at her, a hint of confusion in his expression.

"Mom, are you still half asleep? Weren't you sleeping just now?"

mom.

Su Xiaoyue's heart skipped a beat at that moment.

She stood up and looked down at the clothes she was wearing.

A light pink loungewear set, made of cotton, soft and comfortable.

Her gaze swept across the living room and she saw a photo frame next to the TV cabinet, containing a group photo.

She walked over and picked up the photo frame.

The photo shows a family of three.

She smiled very gently.

A man stood to her right, half a head taller than her, wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and smiling brightly.

The little boy stood between the two men, each holding one of their hands, and smiled, revealing his two missing front teeth.

Su Xiaoyue's gaze fell on the man's face.

At that moment, everything she couldn't remember came rushing back like a flood bursting its banks.

Jiang Yi.

The man in the photo is Jiang Yi.

Her hands were trembling, the photo frame swayed slightly in her palm, and the warm yellow light from the living room reflected off the glass, making her eyes sting.

"Mom, why do you keep looking at Dad's pictures?"

The little boy ran over again, stood on tiptoe, and peered at the group photo.

"Won't Dad be back soon?"

Su Xiaoyue squatted down, put the photo frame down, and cupped the little boy's face in her hands.

The more I looked at that face, the more it resembled Jiang Yi.

Especially those eyes—the shape, color, and even the curve of the corners when they smile—are as if they were carved from the same mold.

"What's your name?" Her voice trembled.

The little boy blinked, his expression changing from confusion to worry.

"Mom, are you really sick? My name is Jiang Zhiyi. Dad gave me this name, and you said it sounded really nice."

Jiang Zhiyi.

Jiang in Jiang Yi. Yi in Zhi Yi.

Su Xiaoyue's eyes reddened.

Why does every detail feel so real, as if she's truly living here, rather than dreaming?

But she couldn't bear to wake up.

"Zhiyi," she called softly, her voice hoarse and trembling with tears, "What kind of person is your father?"

Jiang Zhiyi tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said in a serious tone:

"Dad is very busy and comes home very late every day."

But every time he comes back, he brings me delicious food and kisses my mom, which makes her smile.

He paused for a moment, wrinkled his little nose, and said, "Sometimes when Dad comes home too late, Mom gets angry and won't talk to him."

Dad kept circling around Mom like a little puppy; it was so funny.

As Su Xiaoyue listened, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a smile.

"and then?"

"Then Mom stopped being angry."

Jiang Zhiyi shrugged, her expression carrying a helplessness beyond her years.

"Mom is always faking her anger; I can always tell."

But Dad couldn't tell. He always got really nervous, apologizing and apologizing, and then Mom would laugh, and Dad would know Mom wasn't angry anymore.

Su Xiaoyue lowered her head, tears silently sliding down her cheeks, landing on her knees and her clenched fingers.

"Mom, why are you crying?"

Jiang Zhiyi reached out her small hand and clumsily wiped away the tears on her face.

"Did Zhiyi say something wrong? Mom, don't cry..."

No, you didn't say anything wrong.

Su Xiaoyue hugged him tightly, so tightly that she could feel his small heartbeat through the thin T-shirt, strong, real, and vibrant.

"Mom is just... so happy."

"Why cry when you're happy?"

Jiang Zhiyi's muffled voice came from her arms.

"I cried because I was so happy."

Su Xiaoyue buried her face in his soft hair and took a deep breath.

The scent of a child, a mixture of sunshine, laundry detergent, and a hint of sweat—a clean, warm scent that makes you want to stay there forever.

Then she heard the sound of the door lock turning.

Her body suddenly stiffened.

The door opened.

Jiang Yi stood at the door.

He was wearing a dark gray suit, his tie hanging loosely around his neck, and the top two buttons of his shirt collar were undone, revealing a section of his collarbone.

His hair was a bit messy, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he had just escaped from a long, exhausting meeting.

But his eyes lit up the moment he saw her.

That kind of brightness is not the sudden burst of light when a light bulb is switched on, but rather the slow, warm, and tentative light of a match being struck in the dark.

"Honey, what are you standing there for?"

His voice was hoarse, carrying a kind of unguarded weariness and coquettishness that he only showed in front of her.

"I'm so tired, let me give you a kiss."

Su Xiaoyue stood still, motionless.

She watched as Jiang Yi took off his suit jacket, casually draped it over the coat rack in the entryway, then kicked off his leather shoes and walked towards her in slippers. His steps were slow, even somewhat hesitant, but each step carried a sense of certainty, as if he were returning home.

Then he stood in front of her, reached out, put his arm around her waist, and pulled her into his embrace.

Su Xiaoyue's body was as stiff as a stone.

His chest was warm; she could feel his body temperature and heartbeat through the fabric of his shirt.

His chin rested on the top of her head, his stubble pricking her scalp, causing a slight sting, but the sting was real, tangible, and undeniable.

"miss you."

His voice came down from above her head, muffled, as if through a thick layer of water.

"I had a four-hour meeting today, listening to that client ramble on and on about nothing, it was so annoying. But seeing you when I got back made me feel alive again."

Su Xiaoyue's hand hung in mid-air, unsure of where to put it.

Her reason told her:

This is a dream.

But her body wouldn't listen to reason.

Her hand slowly, very slowly, landed on his back, her fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt tightly.

It was as if if I let go, the person in front of me would disappear.

"husband!"