The word "bastard" hung in the air like poison.

For a heartbeat, time seemed to freeze at the table. Su Wanyan’s hands, resting on the wooden surface, clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white and the table gave a faint, protesting creak. A visible tremor ran through her arms as she fought to contain the white-hot fury surging through her veins. Her gentle pediatrician demeanor cracked, revealing the protective fire burning underneath.

Across her, Mo Xingxue fared no better. The warmth that had lingered on her face from Su Wanyan’s earlier words vanished completely. Her entire presence turned glacial, as though someone had plunged her into the freezing depths of the Antarctic Ocean. Her phoenix eyes hardened into shards of ice, and the elegant line of her shoulders stiffened with controlled rage.

The live barrage erupted in collective outrage.

[HEY, FUCK YOU!] 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

[SHUT THE FUCK UP, BITCH!]

[Hey, isn’t that below the belt?]

[Shut your ahh up, bro.]

[Oh, that’s it! That is SO IT!]

[Fym "bastard"? You’re the ONLY bastard here, fucker!]

Mo Xingxue’s devoted fans, Su Wanyan’s growing supporters, and even casual viewers who had been enjoying the wholesome zoo date united in outrage. The comments flooded in so rapidly they blurred together into a storm of anger and disbelief.

Mo Fangyue took another casual step toward the stroller, but Su Wanyan moved like lightning. She rose to her full height, positioning herself firmly between the arrogant woman and the sleeping baby. Her voice remained deceptively gentle in tone, but every syllable dripped with quiet poison.

"If you’re not going to say sorry to your sister," Su Wanyan said, smiling, though the expression never reached her eyes, "then I kindly request that you get lost."

Mo Fangyue flinched, stepping back instinctively. "It’s not like I’m going to do anything to the bastard or anything," she muttered, wrinkling her nose as if she had stepped in something foul.

Su Wanyan’s jaw tightened.

"What really is your objective, Mo Fangyue?" Mo Xingxue asked. Her voice was controlled, but beneath the ice lay a storm—one wrong word and it would break.

Mo Fangyue finally looked at her older sister properly. The arrogant mask slipped away, replaced by raw seriousness. "Go back to the Mo estate."

Mo Xingxue stared at her for a long moment, then slowly shook her head. "No."

The single word seemed to snap something in Mo Fangyue. She stormed forward and slammed her left hand onto the table with a sharp crack. The sharp sound made several nearby patrons turn their heads. Su Wanyan jerked forward, ready to put distance between them, but Mo Xingxue gave her a small, firm shake of her head.

Su Wanyan froze mid-motion. She slowly lowered her hand and sat back down, though every muscle in her body remained coiled and ready.

"Why won’t you come back?!" Mo Fangyue demanded, her voice rising with open fury. Beneath the anger, Su Wanyan caught a faint but unmistakable hint of fragility, like thin glass cracking under pressure.

Mo Xingxue looked up at her younger sister, exhaustion etched deeply into her elegant features. "Father and Mother kicked me out of the house," she said, narrating the painful truth as though it belonged to someone else entirely.

"Therefore, it is improper to go back there and leech from them." Her hands rested neatly in her lap as she spoke, her posture straight and detached, like a statue carved from cold marble.

"So what if they kicked you out?" Mo Fangyue shot back, repeatedly patting her own chest. "I’m the next head of the Mo family, and I order you to return to the estate."

Mo Xingxue’s answer was immediate and unwavering. "No."

Mo Fangyue gritted her teeth and pointed sharply at the stroller. "Do you want her status to remain as a stain on the Mo family?!"

Mo Xingxue’s expression turned glacial.

"Do you not want her to grow up with the privilege she deserves?!" Mo Fangyue pressed again, her voice cracking more noticeably now as the fragility bled through.

Mo Xingxue froze.

Su Wanyan knew instantly that this conversation had crossed into territory not meant for public consumption. She turned to the cameraman with calm but undeniable authority. "Sorry, but could you turn the camera off for now?"

The cameraman hesitated, sensing potential viral drama, but Su Wanyan’s gentle yet firm pressure left him no choice. He packed up his equipment and left with her. Su Wanyan took the stroller handle and began pushing Mo Yan away from the table, giving the two sisters the privacy they desperately needed.

"Sorry, you two talk first," she said softly before walking away.

+-+-+-+-+-+

A short distance away, under the shade of a wide jacaranda tree, Su Wanyan stopped. She turned to the cameraman with genuine remorse. "Sorry for pressuring you earlier, sir," she said, bowing her head slightly.

The man waved his hands quickly. "No, no, it’s alright, Teacher Su." He laughed awkwardly, eyes darting around. "In fact, I should be the one apologizing."

Su Wanyan straightened and offered him a gentle smile. "Thank you for your understanding."

Moments later, PD Xu Cui’s voice came through the cameraman’s earpiece. The director had decided to wrap up the broadcast for Su Wanyan and Mo Xingxue’s segment since they had already completed their main activity.

The cameraman relayed the message. Su Wanyan nodded gratefully. "I see. We’ll wait for her first," she said softly, glancing back toward where Mo Xingxue and Mo Fangyue were still seated.

The man left to inform the rest of the staff. Su Wanyan remained under the tree’s cool shade, one hand resting protectively on the stroller handle. The afternoon light filtered through the purple blossoms above, casting soft lavender patterns across the ground.

A small, pitiful whimper rose from inside the stroller. Without hesitation, Su Wanyan bent down and scooped Mo Yan into her arms, cradling the warm little body securely against her chest. "What’s wrong, baby?" she whispered, rocking the infant gently against her chest.

Through Heart of Nurture, she sensed the baby’s anxiety—the unfamiliar surroundings and raised voices earlier had unsettled her. Su Wanyan hummed a soft, soothing lullaby under her breath, swaying side to side in a slow, rhythmic motion.

The afternoon light filtered through the leaves above, casting gentle patterns across her olive-green shirt and the baby’s pastel outfit. Mo Yan’s tiny hand clutched at her shirt, and gradually the whimpers faded.

People passing by couldn’t help but stare.

A tall, gentle-looking alpha with soft features and a heroic bearing, rocking an adorable baby with such tender care—it was a scene that drew eyes naturally. Humans are visual creatures, after all.

"Is she a celebrity?" someone murmured.

"Wow, what a gentle alpha," an omega whispered to her friend, already wondering if Su Wanyan had a partner.

Some married omegas glanced at their own alphas with pointed looks. "Look at her! She’s the same as you, but she’s actually taking care of her baby!" Their partners could only sigh—it wasn’t that they didn’t want to help, but holding a baby for too long still felt embarrassing in their eyes. "It’s omega work," some muttered under their breath.

While some married omegas simply lamented their own situations and felt a quiet pang of envy for whoever Su Wanyan’s omega might be.

Meanwhile, Su Wanyan remained completely unaware of the attention. All her focus was on the little bundle in her arms and one quiet thought repeating in her mind: Is Xuexue okay?

Just then, Su Wanyan felt a steady gaze on her. She looked down and saw that Mo Yan had woken up. There was still a hint of drowsiness in those clear, shiny eyes, but they remained wide open, fixed on Su Wanyan’s face.

"Hi, baby," Su Wanyan cooed softly.

Mo Yan blinked slowly. After a few seconds of quiet observation, during which Su Wanyan waited patiently with a warm smile, the baby’s lips curved into a wide, gummy smile.

Su Wanyan’s heart melted on the spot. She hugged the little one tighter and swayed more enthusiastically from side to side. "How can an angel exist in this world?!" she whisper-screamed, utterly signing her fate as a complete fool for this child.

Mo Yan snuggled deeper into Su Wanyan’s hold, as if she had found the safest, warmest place in the entire world. Su Wanyan’s mind spiraled internally—she was already mentally planning to give Mo Yan her entire fortune if the baby asked for it.

+-+-+-+-+-+

Meanwhile, back at the table, the Mo sisters sat in heavy silence.

Mo Fangyue eventually moved back and took the seat Su Wanyan had vacated. She looked at her older sister, exhaustion clear on her face. "Come back to the estate, sister," she said, voice drained of its earlier arrogance.

Mo Xingxue stared at her for a long moment, a complex mix of emotions flickering across her features. She sighed softly and opened her mouth to speak.

+-+-+-+-+-+

Unbeknownst to Su Wanyan, little Mo Yan, and the two Mo sisters still locked in their tense conversation, a storm was quietly brewing far beyond the zoo’s peaceful grounds.

Mo Fangyue’s sudden appearance on the live broadcast, her vicious words, and the abrupt end of the live had thrown the internet into chaos. Clips of the confrontation spread like wildfire across every major platform. Within minutes, the hot search rankings were completely dominated:

#MoXingxue

#MoXingxueFlustered

#MoXingxueIsWealthy

#MoXingxueKickedOut

#MoXingxueBoughtHerCareer

And the list continued to grow with every passing second.