In her perception, Tongtong was a very well-behaved child, patient with everyone.
However, his recent attitude towards Yun Duoer was inconsistent with his character.
Recalling yesterday’s events, it made her suspect if Liu Yifeng knew Yun Duoer and had a past grievance.
But with so many people present, it wasn't the time to ask such questions.
Yun Duoer was taken aback by Tongtong's words. Despite the slight embarrassment, she maintained a gentle demeanor, "I didn't expect you to be such a humorous child!" Tongtong, however, ignored her further.
"Sister Duoer, I'll go eat first. Call me if you need anything!" her assistant quickly intervened, diffusing the awkwardness.
Yun Duoer smiled and nodded, "Go ahead, I'm fine."
After the assistant left, Gao Yuan's assistant also arrived with her meal.
Liu Yifeng, looking at Gao Yuan's meager portion of rice and plain dishes, with only a few pieces of fish that looked edible, asked in surprise, "Miss Gao, you're eating so little?"
"As artists, we need to maintain our figure. Eating too much leads to weight gain, so we eat less. If we order too much and don't finish it, isn't that wasteful?
So, I always ask my assistant to control the portions when packing food. Right, Duoer?" Gao Yuan asked Yun Duoer.
Yun Duoer glanced at the variety of chicken, duck, fish, and vegetables on her plate, realizing that Gao Yuan was deliberately alluding to her.
If she didn't finish it, it would indeed be a waste.
Just as she was about to speak, Tongtong interjected, "Auntie Gao is right. Eat as much as you take. It's not good to throw away unfinished food. Auntie Yun, don't waste it!"
Yun Duoer's lips twitched a few times, and she finally managed a strained smile, "Sister Yuan and Tongtong are right. I can finish all of this. Actually, I have a very large appetite!"
With so many eyes watching, if she didn't respond this way, it would be equivalent to admitting she was a food waster.
As an artist, every action in public was scrutinized to gain favor, and any flaw could be amplified.
Furthermore, such a bad habit would be irreversible.
Inwardly, she was scolding her assistant profusely.
Why had her assistant brought her so much food? Little did she know, she had chosen the dishes herself, and the assistant was merely helping to carry them.
Usually, anything she couldn't finish was simply thrown in the trash.
Who would have thought that Gao Yuan, this woman, was so insidious. She knew this woman had invited her to sit here with ill intentions, and indeed, she had dug a pit for her so quickly.
"Tongtong, you're so capable. Could you recite ancient poems at the age of one?" Gao Yuan asked while eating.
Yun Duoer, who was sulking over her meal, immediately perked up her ears.
She also wanted to know when Tongtong had become so intelligent!
Tongtong shook his head, "I couldn't even walk at one year old, and I couldn't speak very clearly!"
"Then when did you start speaking and understand so much?" Gao Yuan pressed.
"I don't remember. Auntie, why are you asking this?" Tongtong ultimately didn't tell the truth.
He knew his Mama must be very curious, but he didn't want to tell her!
Gao Yuan smiled slightly, "I was just asking casually. It's fine if Tongtong doesn't remember!
However, with such a cute and well-behaved child like you, how could your mother bear to abandon you?" Gao Yuan expressed her bewilderment.
Yun Duoer, who was picking up a piece of food, suddenly dropped it, and it rolled onto the table.
This action immediately drew the attention of Xia Qianqian and Gao Yuan.
She hastily explained, "Sorry, my hand just cramped!"
"Duoer, what kind of heartless woman would abandon her own child?" Gao Yuan asked.
Liu Yifeng didn't know if Gao Yuan was asking intentionally, but he found it very ironic.
As the child's biological mother, she was being asked to judge herself from an outsider's perspective. She wanted to see how she would respond.
Yun Duoer was also taken aback, but quickly recovered and said nonchalantly, "Only the person involved can truly explain why they abandoned their child. Perhaps they had some difficult circumstances, or perhaps they were simply heartless. It's not for me to judge.
After all, the child is right here. Discussing someone's mother is also impolite."
Unexpectedly, Tongtong immediately said, "Auntie Yun, it's okay. I also want to hear how you would describe my mother!"
Yun Duoer knew Tongtong was doing this on purpose. Looking at his innocent and guileless smile, she realized for the first time that this child's cunning far surpassed her perception of him as a simple child.
Their voices were neither too loud nor too soft, but because she and Gao Yuan were seated together, most people's attention was focused on them.
Many people overheard their conversation.
Everyone was waiting for her to judge herself. If she said something nice, she would surely be scolded, and if she said something negative, it wouldn't make sense for her to scold herself.
But she couldn't remain silent. She forced a smile and then said, "I believe, regardless of the reason, a mother should never abandon her child!"
"Exactly! Moreover, Tongtong is such an intelligent and sensible child. How could his mother bear to give up such a good child? I suspect she fell in love with someone else and abandoned the child for another man!" a woman sitting behind Yun Duoer chimed in.
Many others echoed her sentiments, all condemning Tongtong's mother, making Yun Duoer feel like she was sitting on pins and needles.
Liu Yifeng looked at Yun Duoer's expression and felt an immense sense of satisfaction.
He also believed that if he were to reveal to everyone that Yun Duoer was indeed the child's biological mother, Yun Duoer might not be able to leave here unscathed.
However, he had no intention of doing so, mainly because she had given birth to Tongtong for him.
For that reason alone, he could never do anything to put her in such a desperate situation.
But if someone else discovered it, it would be a different story. Moreover, he believed that letting go was far more freeing than harboring hatred.
He didn't want Tongtong to live with hatred towards his mother forever, only to make Tongtong see his mother's true colors and stop thinking about her.
Just as everyone was criticizing Tongtong's mother, Gao Yuan's words made Yun Duoer's heart leap into her throat, almost making her unable to sit still.
"Huh, Duoer, don't you think Tongtong looks a bit like you? Especially his mouth and face shape, they're almost identical!"
After hearing Gao Yuan's words, Xia Qianqian took a serious look at the two opposite her and found it to be true, exclaiming in surprise, "It really is! Tongtong looks a bit like senior Yun!"
Yun Duoer dared not show any panic, fearing that someone would notice, and instead put on a pleasantly surprised expression, "Really? That means Tongtong and I have a good connection.
If I have a child in the future, I'll have one according to Tongtong's standards.
Indeed, beautiful people all look alike!"
She had to admit, her reply was perfect, preventing anyone from suspecting she was the child's mother.
It not only praised Tongtong but also complimented herself, showcasing her high emotional intelligence.
Liu Yifeng couldn't help but admire her reaction speed. Anyone with a weaker mental fortitude would have likely panicked.
Her panic would have been a giveaway, but with her beautiful and witty words, she had turned a dangerous situation into safety.
"Tongtong is such a handsome boy, I like him too.
Coincidentally, I have a new drama that's in pre-production, and we're looking for a suitable child actor.
This child's age setting is similar to Tongtong's, so I'd like to invite Tongtong to participate in this role. I wonder if Tongtong's father would be interested?" This was the main reason she was sitting here.