Yibo's brows furrowed in innocent confusion as he stared up at the woman before him.
"Auntie? But you said she was going to be my mama?" he asked, his lips unconsciously pouting as he looked down at the floor, trying to hide the disappointment that was slowly building inside him.
His little face, which usually wore a bright and cheeky expression, now looked unsure, almost as if he didn't know what to feel.
The scene did not go unnoticed by Madam Xiao.
Her sharp eyes quickly shifted towards the older man who had made the introduction.
With a narrowing of her eyes, she sent him a pointed look that seemed to say he had made a mistake.
Realizing what had just happened, the alpha immediately began scolding himself in his mind.
He couldn't believe he had slipped up in front of the child.
His hand automatically went to the back of his head as he scratched it, feeling embarrassed by his little mistake. His face turned slightly red as he tried to think of a way to fix what he had said.
To defend himself, he thought back to why he had said "auntie" in the first place.
The truth was, he wasn't sure how his soon-to-be bride would feel about being introduced as Yibo's mama.
He wasn't even sure how the madam's own son, Zhan, would react to such a thing. After all, while he knew that Zhan had most likely been informed about his engagement to Madam Xiao, it still didn't feel right to say something that might make things awkward between them.
"Auntie…" Yixian muttered to himself, a slight chuckle escaping his lips as he scolded himself. He hadn't meant to confuse Yibo.
Madam Xiao, however, didn't seem to be angry, but rather more focused on calming down little Yibo, who had started to pout even more after hearing the word auntie.
"Yibo… little one," she called gently, her voice soft and reassuring, as though she were trying to comfort him.
Yibo, still unsure of the situation, hesitated for a moment.
He looked up slowly, his eyes meeting the madam's gaze.
Her eyes, warm and kind, met his, and there was something in the way she looked at him that made him feel both comforted and confused at the same time.
It was the look a mother might give her child when she was trying to calm them down.
But Yibo's small face twisted with further confusion. He wasn't sure what to think of her expression.
Was she upset with him?
Or was she simply trying to soothe him and make him feel better?
The uncertainty made his brows furrow even more as he tried to figure it out. His small mind raced, wondering why she was acting this way.
His young heart still didn't fully understand the situation. He was used to being the center of attention, but now, in this new environment, everything felt a little different.
"You're not going to be my mama?" he asked, his voice filled with innocent confusion, as if he couldn't quite understand why things didn't add up.
"I will be your mama, little one," she said softly, her tone gentle, as she reassured him with a smile.
"But papa said you're auntie, not mama," he replied, his brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of what his papa had told him earlier.
"Your papa is being silly, little one. Of course, I will be your mama," she said with a soft chuckle, bending down a little to meet his eyes and make sure he felt safe with her words.
"Really?" Yibo asked, his voice rising in disbelief, wanting to be absolutely sure that what she said was true.
"Yes, Yibo," she affirmed with a calm nod as she gave him another warm smile.
"You will be Yibo's mama? And he..." Yibo's attention shifted to the older boy standing next to him, his curiosity piqued by the boy's presence. He looked at the older boy, who was now also watching Yibo with a mixture of interest and curiosity, as if he too was waiting for some kind of confirmation. Yibo pointed to him, asking, "He will be my gege?"
"Yes, little one," she said, giving the older boy another nod. "He will be your gege."
Yibo blinked, looking back and forth between the two of them, trying to take it all in.
His small face lit up with a mix of excitement and understanding, his little mind trying to connect all the new pieces.
"You want Yibo?" Yibo then asked, turning back to the older boy with a more serious look, almost as if he needed to hear it from him directly.
"Yes," Zhan answered, nodding his head slowly, his gaze never leaving Yibo's, confirming with just a simple word that he was happy with what had been decided.
Yibo turned back to face the older boy more fully now, eyes wide with renewed enthusiasm, eager to know if everything was really going the way he wanted.
"Do you want Yibo to be your didi?" he asked, his words coming out in a rush as if he had to ask before he forgot.
"Hmm," Zhan replied, nodding again with a soft smile that showed he was being patient with Yibo's excitement, but his answer was firm and clear.
"Really?" Yibo asked, his voice full of happiness and disbelief, as if he had to double-check to make sure it was true, the excitement clear in his eyes.
Zhan nodded once more, his smile widening just a little, a quiet confirmation that he was serious.
Yibo's face lit up in a way that only a child's could, his eyes sparkling with joy as he processed all the reassurances he had gotten.
It was like a sudden flood of warmth spread through him, and the comfort of the answers made everything feel better, like a puzzle falling perfectly into place.
He had been full of questions and doubts, but now it all seemed so simple, and that made him feel safe. It was as if he could finally relax, knowing that everything was the way he wanted it to be.
He smiled up at them both, satisfied, content, and filled with a kind of innocent happiness.