273 What Was Love?

Yun Tianyou said in an unfriendly manner, "How will you care for her? Don't you still have a fiancée? Mu Yazhe, let me tell you this; my mommy is a treasure to me. If you want to care for her, you should be legitimate! Are you taking marriage lightly? I don't know how mommy thinks, but I won't allow for an illegitimate relationship!"

He completely understood the concept of legitimacy despite his young age.

"You're not thinking that my mommy is a woman you can play with as you please, are you?" He folded his arms arrogantly, his eyes distant. "With me, Yun Tianyou, around, don't even think of bullying my mommy. Try it if you dare!"

He warned menacingly. One should not doubt his intention of not letting off lightly those who dared bully his mommy.

The conversation between the father and son resembled a negotiation. They were already in a state of war.

Mu Yazhe stated flatly, "I don't deny your capabilities for one bit when you said that you will protect your mommy, but when you grow up and have your own wife and kid, your mommy will be left alone again – has this ever crossed your mind? Can you bear to let this happen?"

He replied with conviction, "I will neither marry nor father a child. I will always accompany my mommy. Even in her old age, I will be by her side, and I won't ever leave her!"

The little boy's eyes were brimming with resolution as he spouted these words in earnest.

"Don't you wish to have a complete family?" Mu Yazhe squeezed his small hands and placed them in his palms. His lips curled into a smile as he continued, "With a daddy, a mommy, and an elder brother?"

Yun Tianyou indifferently pulled his hands away from the man's and slowly answered, "It's not enough to just have a complete family. While the family members seem loving, if they are divided at heart and are actually unable to love each other freely, then being together will simply be a suffering!"

He was stunned, for he did not expect the child to know so much.

"If there is a day when my mommy falls in love with a man, I can perhaps respect her wishes, but only on one condition: The man must love my mommy as much as she does! I may be unable to interfere with the matters of the heart, but this doesn't mean that I shall sit aside and do nothing! I won't let anyone hurt her."

Suddenly, Youyou looked him in the eye as he took a step closer. With his small finger poking at his heart, he proceeded to ask sternly, "I've said this much, so let me ask you in return; do you love my mother?"

His tender fingertip continued to poke at where his heart was, albeit without much strength.

Mu Yazhe instantly fell into silence.

Honestly speaking, he was unsure of it himself as well. Regarding Yun Shishi, what emotions did he harbor for her?

Love? What was love?

He did not understand emotions, nor did he know love.

For as long as he could remember, he was like a puppet. It was only when Little Yichen was born, and he caught a glimpse of the child's tender face, while swaddled in toddler's clothes, that he had a vague notion of his fatherly love for him.

He was slow-witted at love.

Toward Yichen, he wanted to shower him with utmost care and spoil him rotten. He wanted to provide him with the best in the world.

Now, toward Youyou, he did care for him and loved him dearly. The more he looked at him, the more he could not hold in that distinct but unfamiliar emotion in his heart.

Perhaps, this was a father's love.

This feeling of blood being thicker than water seemed to be merging into his body through the bloodstreams; it felt extremely prominent.

At the same time, he wanted to provide him with a family filled with warmth.

In this family, there was a daddy, there was a mommy, and there was also an elder brother. He hoped to make up for the six years that he was absent in this child's life to the greatest extent.

However, when this child pricked at his heart and questioned him, he was a little lost.