Yun Duo'er could tell he was trying to provoke her. With a smile that didn't reach her eyes, she said, "It's good that you know. But children aren't easy to take care of, so be careful!"
Xia Qianqian, listening to their conversation, felt as though there was animosity between them.
Just as she was about to speak, Yun Duo'er's assistant's voice rang out, "Sister Yun Duo, didn't you say your earring fell in the recording studio? Let's go look for it quickly!"
Yun Duo'er then headed towards the recording studio. At this moment, Tong Tong suddenly called out to her, "Auntie, are you looking for this?"
At some point, Tong Tong had an earring in his hand, identical to the one Yun Duo'er was wearing in her right ear.
The assistant's eyes lit up with surprise, "Oh, how did this child get it?"
Saying that, she reached out to take it, but Tong Tong dodged her.
The assistant's expression instantly turned cold, "What do you mean by this? Do you want some reward? Haven't your teachers ever taught you about honesty and integrity?"
"Didn't your teacher teach you to say thank you when someone finds something for you?" Tong Tong's round, big eyes were full of innocence.
The assistant was momentarily embarrassed and didn't know what to say.
Yun Duo'er immediately smiled gently, "Thank you, little one. Can you return the earring to Auntie?"
Tong Tong met her gaze. His clear, bright eyes were like a curved knife, disrupting Yun Duo'er's heart.
Yun Duo'er's eyes grew guilty, and her hand movements froze in mid-air.
"Tong Tong, give it to her. We still need to find Uncle Wang!" Liu Yifeng found this woman irritating and didn't want to waste any more time or words on her.
Tong Tong obediently placed the earring in Yun Duo'er's hand and said, "Auntie, you should be more careful next time. It's okay to lose an earring, but it's not good to lose other things."
Yun Duo'er was stunned for a moment. Seeing the person who seemed fine walking away with Liu Yifeng, she felt that Tong Tong's words seemed to have a deeper meaning.
Lose other things? What did that mean?
"Sister Duo'er, what are you thinking about?" the assistant asked softly, seeing Yun Duo'er lost in thought.
Yun Duo'er snapped back to reality and immediately resumed her approachable demeanor, "Nothing. Help me put on the earring!"
She handed the earring to the assistant. As the assistant put it on, they started discussing Tong Tong.
"Sister Duo'er, how can this little boy talk like an adult? He left me, an adult, speechless. No wonder he could participate in such a show and perform so well. I wonder who his mother is, to be able to abandon such an excellent son. Just like that, as if he was nothing."
Tong Tong being abandoned by his mother was no longer a secret at the entire television station. Although she wasn't in the audience or participating in the recording, many people outside were talking about it. The assistant was extremely curious upon hearing this, finding it hard to believe that someone could abandon such a remarkable son. If it were her son, she wouldn't do such a thing under any circumstances. If it was because the father's family was poor, she could have divorced and taken her son with her. Why would she be so foolish as to abandon her son?
Yun Duo'er, suppressing her displeasure, said, "Why does it seem like everyone is blaming the child's mother for abandoning him? What if there were unavoidable reasons?"
The assistant immediately retorted, "Although I'm not married and don't have children, I believe that as a mother, regardless of the reason, you shouldn't abandon your child. It's a sign of irresponsibility."
"Since you're not a mother and don't have children, what right do you have to criticize others here? When you encounter the same predicament, I'll see if you can still speak with such confidence," Yun Duo'er said, walking away without looking back.
She left behind a bewildered assistant. She hadn't said anything wrong, had she? Why did Sister Duo'er seem so angry? If one didn't know better, one would think she was the child's mother! Otherwise, why would she speak up for such an irresponsible woman? Of course, this thought only flashed through her mind. How could such a fantastical notion be true! If it were true, the child wouldn't have been so calm upon seeing Sister Duo'er, calling her "Auntie" with every word. He would have rushed over and called her "Mom" long ago.
At the same time, the incident Yun Duo'er had just experienced, coupled with the assistant's words, strengthened her desire to see Tong Tong eliminated from the competition. If she looked at Tong Tong any longer, she might go crazy. Every time she saw him, it was a constant reminder that she was a bad mother who abandoned her child for her dreams. She didn't want to hear any more condemnation. She immediately sent a text message to Sister Jin.
"No matter what, help me find a way to get the child eliminated!"
Sister Jin replied as usual, "I'll do my best!" She couldn't guarantee such a thing. It primarily depended on whether the company's boss was willing to intervene and persuade the television station.
Meanwhile, as Liu Yifeng was taking Tong Tong to Director Wang's lounge, Xia Qianqian asked a question, "Mr. Liu, did you have a past with Yun Duo'er?"
Liu Yifeng paused, "Why do you ask?"
"When you were talking, your words were barbed, as if you didn't respect each other," Xia Qianqian explained.
Liu Yifeng raised an eyebrow. Was his demeanor that obvious? However, he denied it, "No, I don't know her at all. I was just unhappy because her assistant was so unreasonable!"
This explanation was plausible, so Xia Qianqian didn't suspect anything. She nodded and said no more.
After a short while, they arrived at Director Wang's lounge, but Director Wang was not there. Just as Liu Yifeng was about to call to inquire, Director Wang rushed over, "Did you wait long? I was just called to edit some footage and was delayed."
"No, we just arrived!" Liu Yifeng replied.
"Then let's go. This is just the right time for supper. It will get more crowded later!" Director Wang picked up the car keys from the table and led the way out.
Liu Yifeng was the last to leave. Seeing that the door was not locked, he asked curiously, "Director Wang, don't you need to lock the door?"
Director Wang shook his head, "No need. That's my temporary resting place. There's nothing valuable, nor any confidential documents. I can't be bothered to lock it. Usually, if any disciple is tired and wants to rest, they can go in and rest. But don't worry, I've specifically instructed them during this period not to go to my place to rest unless they are extremely tired, so as not to occupy your spots."