The woman had been gently holding him in her arms, but then she felt a distinct dampness against the collar of her gown.
Frowning slightly, she pulled the boy in her arms back a little.
"Mateo, what are you hiding in your arms? Why is it all wet?" Her gaze fell on the bulging front of her son's suit jacket.
"I... I..."
His fair little face flushed bright red. Stammering, he took a half-step back, looking so guilty that even his beautiful little curls seemed to droop.
"Take it out."
The man's voice sounded again.
Shiny leather shoes took a step forward, and a shadow instantly enveloped Mateo, as well as Bella in his arms.
Mateo lowered his head, his eyes instantly turning red.
Knowing he couldn't hide it anymore, he tremblingly loosened his grip and slowly pulled the soaking wet, dripping Bella out from his suit.
Having absorbed so much water, Bella looked rather miserable.
Her dress clung tightly to her body, its color darkened by the water, the heavy fabric sagging downwards.
Her hair, which used to hang smoothly, was now plastered to her cheeks and neck in clumps, with water droplets slowly dripping from the ends.
"I... I found her in the pool." Mateo sniffled, his voice thick with tears.
"She was drowning, so I saved her."
"Good job, sweetheart. But does this doll belong to anyone?"
The woman wiped her damp suit and looked at the soaking Bella, her tone gentle.
"Could another child have accidentally dropped it in the swimming pool? Should we first..."
"She's mine."
Mateo completely ignored his mother's gentle persuasion. His timid little face instantly tightened, and a stubborn light shone in his azure eyes.
He tightened his arms, his tiny body trembling slightly from the sheer force.
"I got her, so she's mine. Mine."
"Mine."
He repeated the word.
Seeing this, the woman showed a hint of exasperation.
She cast a helpless glance at the man behind her before turning back, trying to reason with him again:
"Baby, listen to Mommy. We can't just take other people's things.
If the owner of this doll is hiding in a corner crying right now, wouldn't that be pitiful? We should..."
"She's not pitiful."
Mateo abruptly interrupted the woman. He looked down at Bella in his arms, a bizarre flash of tenderness crossing his eyes.
"She's only not pitiful if she stays with me."
As soon as he said this, the surrounding air seemed to drop a few degrees.
"She is mine."
These words weren't loud, carrying only a child's crisp clarity, yet they acted like an invisible barrier, instantly cutting off the surrounding noise.
Mateo froze, the words just on the tip of his tongue ready to retort,
when under everyone's astonished gazes, a boy of about six or seven walked over unhurriedly.
He wore a perfectly tailored little gray tailcoat with an exquisite dark blue bow tie at the collar, and his black leather shoes were spotless.
Unlike Mateo's angelic, delicate curls, this boy had soft, neat black hair, and his onyx-like eyes were quietly staring at Bella in Mateo's arms.
As he approached, the originally noisy chatter around them seemed to quiet down automatically.
An innate nobility.
Not a pretentious posture, but just by standing there, he exuded a composure that made people feel, "This child is of extraordinary status."
Bella's gaze stopped on his face. This face... it was so familiar.
The boy stood in front of Mateo, his pitch-black eyes glued to Bella.
He didn't shout; he merely extended his hand flatly, palm up, his tone too icy for a child:
"Give her back to me."
Mateo seemed provoked by this imposing manner. He took a sharp step back, hugged Bella tighter, and let out a low growl like a small beast:
"I found her!"
"I found her in the water! Nobody wanted her, so she's mine!"
Hearing Mateo's roar, a flash of hostility crossed the black-haired boy's eyes.
He tilted his head slightly, letting his gaze linger on Mateo for a second before returning to Bella's face. His tone was as flat as if stating a fact:
"Just because you found her doesn't mean she is yours."
"Bella has always been mine."
"Apologies for the interruption."
Just as the atmosphere reached a stalemate, a butler wearing a black suit and white gloves hurried over.
He first bowed politely to the crowd, then took out a few carefully laminated photos from his breast pocket.
"This is our young master's doll, which accidentally fell into the pool."
The butler said this while showing the photos to the blond boy and his parents.
In the photo, the little black-haired, black-eyed gentleman was sitting quietly on a swing, tightly holding the doll in a pink dress in his arms.
The Bella in the photo seemed to have eyes even brighter than now, looking like a meticulously cared-for priceless treasure.
After showing the photos, the butler nodded slightly to Mateo, his tone softening a bit. "If you like dolls, the Ye family will gladly send you another one. It's just that this particular one..."
He hesitated for a moment, lowered his voice, and added with a complex expression, "This was left behind by our young master's mother."
Hearing the words "Ye family," the woman's heart trembled, instantly realizing that the black-haired boy before her was actually the only son of the host of this grand banquet.
Rumors about Madam Ye had always been the biggest taboo in their social circles.
It was rumored that Madam Ye was once the most radiant and stunning presence in high society, bright, flamboyant, and unapologetically sharp.
She had once seen her from afar; her features were strikingly gorgeous. When she smiled, it was a breathtaking sight that could steal all the splendor even in a garden full of spring blooms, drawing everyone's gaze toward her.
What a pity... such a beautiful life cut short.
With the truth right in front of them, she hurriedly crouched down and tried to coax her son:
"Baby, be a good boy and listen to Mommy. This doll belongs to this older brother. Mommy will take you to buy a new one, how about we buy ten?"
"No! I want this one! She is mine!"
Mateo not only refused to let go but shoved it against his belly, refusing to yield.
The man, who had been standing silently by the side, finally darkened his face completely upon seeing his son lose his composure like this.
His already cold voice carried an irrepressible anger:
"Tan Yanli! Let go!"
Hearing this, Bella finally understood:
The cute little blond boy was Tan Yanli.
The little black-haired gentleman was... Ye Jinzhi?
Oh my god, they were already at each other's throats at such a young age?
