CHAPTER 417: CHAPTER 417: WAITING FOR MOM

Although the arrival of Yang Jun had sparked a bit of jealousy at home, all three children were well-behaved and knew that Yang Jun was still young, so they didn’t say much, especially Little Baby who loved having a younger brother so much she almost wished Yang Jun had come from Xu Xiuxiu’s womb. When Xu Xiuxiu had forcefully sent Little Baby off to bathe earlier, knowing that Yang Jun’s mother Hu Meitao would soon come to pick him up, Little Baby almost burst into tears. If Song Yuanhuan hadn’t held her and soothed her, telling her that Yang Jun’s home was right next door and that she could see him often, Little Baby might have cried her eyes out.

"Mama, Junjun’s Mama hasn’t come to pick up Junjun yet, so does that mean Junjun is staying overnight at our house?" Little Baby, after bathing and changing into her pajamas, bounced over to Xu Xiuxiu’s side and asked with visible excitement and anticipation in her eyes as she looked at Yang Jun sitting quietly next to Xu Xiuxiu.

How much this girl liked her little brother Yang Jun!

"You! Go to bed right now, do you hear me?" Xu Xiuxiu did not respond to her question and instead put on a fierce face to send Little Baby off to bed. However, before she could successfully hustle Little Baby into the bedroom, she turned back and carefully picked up Yang Jun, who was sitting on the sofa next to her: "Junjun, would you like to sleep over at Auntie’s house tonight? You can sleep with Little Baby sister. She will even tell you a story!" After all, Yang Jun was just over two years old and there were no concerns about boys and girls sharing a bed, but Xu Xiuxiu’s gentle coaxing didn’t seem to be working.

"Waiting for Mama," Yang Jun said, shaking his head firmly, obviously unwilling to give up until Hu Meitao arrived.

But it was already past the time Hu Meitao had promised to come for her child, and Xu Xiuxiu guessed that most likely Hu Meitao hadn’t come because of her husband’s condition, as it was difficult to get out once inside an intensive care unit! Now that it was bedtime, she had managed with motherly authority to get all three mischievous kids at home to wash up and try to send them to bed, but facing the well-behaved and quiet Yang Jun, she couldn’t bring herself to be harsh with him. Yang Jun was indeed being good, but also particularly stubborn, unwilling to yield even a bit to Xu Xiuxiu’s soft words.

In fact, based on his biological clock, Yang Jun should be very sleepy by now. Children do need a lot of sleep, and today he had only taken a little over a two-hour nap at noon. His little face and eyes were clearly drowsy, yet he was determined not to fall asleep, even occasionally glancing at the front door, closed shut, in the hope that his mother would appear, eliciting sympathy from Xu Xiuxiu.

"Junjun, be good! Your Mama is busy with something, let’s not wait for her, okay? You go sleep with your brother and sister, and before you know it, close your eyes, take a nap, and when you open them again, you might just see your Mama!" Xu Xiuxiu spoke to the little one in a soft and enticing voice.

"Right! Junjun, would you like to go to bed with your sister? Sister will tell you a story about The Little Mermaid," Little Baby chimed in next to them, giggling as she tried to persuade Yang Jun.

"Miss Mama." Yang Jun turned to look at Little Baby, then looked up at Xu Xiuxiu before speaking softly, his voice even taking on a plaintive tone: "Waiting for Mama." He firmly expressed his thoughts again at the end.

"..." Xu Xiuxiu fell silent, feeling distressed, truly heart-wrenched by Yang Jun’s pitiful little tender voice saying those two phrases: "Junjun, be good! Your Mama will come back to pick you up soon. Just go lie down on the little bed, close your eyes and rest for a little while, okay?" Xu Xiuxiu had no choice but to continue to softly coax him while holding Yang Jun.

It’s perfectly normal for a child to miss their mother, especially since Yang Jun is just over two years old, even a few months younger than Little Baby and Little Moon. A child of that age naturally depends on their parents, but the real problem is that Hu Meitao hasn’t come to pick him up either. It’s possible that the situation at the hospital isn’t great, otherwise she wouldn’t have failed to come pick him up at night as promised, yet she still hasn’t arrived.

Xu Xiuxiu, as an adult, could understand why Hu Meitao hadn’t come, but how could a child understand that? Yang Jun probably remembered Hu Meitao saying at noon that she would come to take him home in the evening, which is why he stubbornly refused to listen to anything Xu Xiuxiu said to try to persuade him.

"I want to wait for Mommy," Yang Jun insisted with a pout, but his milky voice now carried a sobbing tone.

Children as young as Yang Jun are especially insecure, and seeing his shy and quiet demeanor, it was evident that he was usually a sweet child who loved to cling to his mother. Having spent the entire day with Xu Xiuxiu and her family, his good behavior had exceeded her expectations. Xu Xiuxiu really had never encountered such a well-behaved child who made things so easy, especially after comparing him to her own three little troublemakers. So, seeing him now, quietly waiting for his mother without fussing or crying, his forsaken appearance made it truly hard for her to bear.

Hearing the tearful tone in his tender voice, Xu Xiuxiu knew he was on the brink of crying. She held him and soothed him for a good while. At the same time, she turned and glared fiercely at her three children, who had finished washing up but hadn’t gone to bed because Little Baby wanted to stay with Yang Jun.

"Yuanhuan, you take the three of them to bed first."

"Mhm." Song Yuanhuan nodded immediately upon receiving the order, bent down to scoop up Little Baby and Little Moon, then glanced sideways at Song Chengguang.

"..." Little Moon frowned helplessly—she would’ve gone back to her room to sleep on her own, resentfully muttering to herself. She took out her frustration with an annoyed punch to Song Yuanhuan’s arm: "I can walk by myself."

"Daddy, I want to stay with little brother a bit longer," protested Little Baby, somewhat unhappy. The little girl’s tone was full of irritation.

Song Yuanhuan carried the two children off to their room with authority, while Song Chengguang followed them into the twins’ bedroom. The young boy, Song Chengguang, felt that he hadn’t properly spent time with Little Baby all day and insisted on making the most of the bedtime story to spend some quality time with his sister.

No sooner had the three children entered the room than Yang Jun, cradled in Xu Xiuxiu’s arms, began to feel distressed. The child, who was already close to crying, let go of his restraint, leaning sadly into Xu Xiuxiu’s embrace, quietly sobbing, "Wuu, I miss Mommy..." He cried and shared his feelings, and it wasn’t long before his eyes resembled those of a teary bunny.

"Don’t cry, okay? Junjun’s mommy will be back soon to take Junjun home," Xu Xiuxiu comforted him as she walked around the living room, her voice soft and gentle.

Xu Xiuxiu’s voice was naturally slow and soft, and when soothing Yang Jun, she deliberately softened her tone even more. Her words unconsciously carried a calming and hypnotic effect, as Yang Jun clearly wanted to wait for Hu Meitao to pick him up, silently leaning against Xu Xiuxiu’s shoulder, his tears falling like precious pearls.