Chapter One: Asking for a Phone Number

"Actually, I've started wanting to change myself too. But who can help me close my eyes so I won't see you? I want to forget you—before autumn arrives, I won't think of you anymore. Autumn, please don't come, autumn, please don't come, I haven't forgotten you yet..."

On a pleasantly cool autumn weekend, Guolun Huang once again took his son, Tao Huang, to sing and bask in the sun at Zhongshan Park. Sitting on the lawn, playing his guitar, Guolun lost himself in a heartfelt rendition of "Don't Let Autumn Come."

Tao Huang, only four years old, was the most mischievous little chubby boy in his kindergarten. Listening to his father's restrained, emotional singing, Tao blinked his big, innocent eyes and asked, "Old Huang, are you missing my mom again?"

"Who are you calling Old Huang?" Guolun shot a glance at Tao, putting on his fatherly authority to scold him.

"Grandma said my mom went on a mission to Mars and won't be coming back, so you should stop thinking about her. The thing you should focus on now is finding me a new mom. Grandma said that if I help you find me a new mom, she'll buy me five ice cream cones every day—five!"

He waved his chubby little hand in front of Guolun, showing off; for Tao, having five ice cream cones a day was the greatest happiness imaginable.

"Eat, eat, eat, that's all you think about. You're about to turn into a ball, and you still want more," Guolun laughed, tapping Tao's plump, greedy little forehead.

"Dad, do you want that long-legged lady's phone number?"

"Which long-legged lady?"

"The pretty one by the fountain. I think she'd make a great new mom for me—I like long-haired, long-legged ladies."

Tao pointed Guolun toward a young woman in white standing near a small fountain not far away.

She was a delicate and lovely young woman, looking no more than twenty-two or twenty-three, with a fresh, elegant air—Tao's favorite type: tall and graceful.

"Stop trying to find yourself a new mom based on your kindergarten teacher Miss Li's standards, will you? Young ladies like that wouldn't be interested in your dad."

"How would you know if you don't try?" Tao, imitating his grandmother with the air of a miniature adult, rebuked Guolun with exasperation. "Stop being so slow and careless in everything you do. Your easygoing attitude worries both me and Grandma! Let me give you a push! I'll go ask for her number, and if I get it, you have to buy me an ice cream as a reward!"

Before Guolun could respond, Tao had already dashed energetically toward his "ice cream lady."

In less than two minutes, Guolun's phone rang—a call from an unfamiliar number starting with 186.

Witnessing the entire scene, Guolun could only smile wryly. Bracing himself, he answered the call and heard a gentle female voice: "Hello, are you Tao Huang's father?"

"Yes."

"Your son got lost in the park. He's with me now—by the little fountain on the west side of Zhongshan Park. Please come and pick him up."

"Thank you very much."

Packing away his guitar, Guolun sighed and slung the guitar case over his shoulder, heading toward the fountain and the girl in white.

He reached them in less than a minute, finding Tao already trying to cozy up to the stranger.

"How did you get here so fast!" Tao complained, squinting at Guolun, clearly annoyed that he hadn't been given enough time to bond with the lady.

The girl in white was a little surprised—the chubby boy's father had arrived so quickly.

Ruffling Tao's hair, the girl sized up the unremarkable man before her, who was carrying a guitar case.

Guolun was dressed neatly that day—a navy sweater over a crisp white shirt with the collar turned out from the V-neck, clean jeans, and brown leather casual shoes. This look gave a good first impression, though Guolun himself was quite ordinary—just a passable-looking man.

His single-lidded eyes held an apologetic smile that somehow inspired a sense of security.

"Are you... Tao's father?"

"Yes, thank you for looking after my troublesome son."

"Who's troublesome! Dad, I'm helping you play matchmaker!" Tao, undeterred, turned into a little cupid, pitching his father to the lady in white: "Sister Jing Zhao, this is my dad, Guolun Huang. He's thirty years old, owns a car and an apartment, has parents, and has a treasure like me. We used to have a mom, but she went on a mission to Mars, so we need a new mom. Do you want to be my new mom? If you think my dad's okay, you could give it a try. He's a music teacher at Experimental Middle School—not rich, but stable. We live in Zhongsheng Alley in Xidan, an old three-bedroom apartment, 81 square meters, worth 9.6 million..."

"That's enough, you're listing our assets now!" Guolun was mortified, pinching Tao's chubby arm to shut him up.

"I haven't finished yet, Sister Jing Zhao! My grandma was a high school teacher before she retired—she's really nice. My grandpa is pretty cool—he runs a cemetery and sells burial plots. Grandma said if anyone dates my dad, Grandpa will give her a free burial plot."

Jing Zhao nearly broke into a cold sweat.

"Kids say the darndest things, sorry, Miss Zhao, he just talks nonsense," Guolun apologized, pinching Tao in warning. "If you don't stop, I won't buy you ice cream!"

Threatened thus, Tao quickly covered his mouth with his chubby hand.

Jing Zhao awkwardly made conversation with Guolun: "Your son is... really adorable."

"Sister Jing Zhao, since I'm so cute, will you consider being my new mom?"

Guolun hastily explained, "Please don't mind him—he's just a child."

"Ouch, Dad! Why are you pinching me? I'm helping you!"

Guolun spoke through gritted teeth, "I don't need your help. Say one more word and you won't get any ice cream—not from me, not from Grandma either."

This was too much for Tao to bear. He hurriedly mimed zipping his lips shut.

Jing Zhao kindly tried to comfort Tao: "Little Tao, I already have a boyfriend, so I can't be your new mom."

"That's okay. As long as Dad tries hard enough, I'm sure he can turn your boyfriend into your ex."

Tao's words left the two adults speechless.

Guolun wished he could crawl into his guitar case. He pulled his outspoken son behind him and apologized to Jing Zhao, "I'm so sorry, Miss Zhao, my son's too much. Sorry for the trouble—we'll be going now. Hope to see you again sometime."

In his haste, Guolun dragged Tao away, leaving Jing Zhao alone in the warm autumn breeze, quietly weathered by the encounter.

To prevent further embarrassment, Guolun didn’t go far before buying Tao an ice cream to buy his silence.

Happily licking his ice cream, Tao reminded Guolun, "Dad, don't forget to save Sister Jing Zhao's number. Call her out for dinner and a movie sometime. I could tell she was a little disappointed when she said she couldn't be my new mom, so I think she likes you. You've got a chance!"

"Enough with your nonsense. Where did you learn all this ridiculous talk?"

"From TV shows," Tao replied earnestly, still enjoying his ice cream. "Dad, you really need to hurry up and find me a new mom. Don't let any opportunities slip away. I really want a new mom."

"You just want the five ice creams Grandma promised you."

"I want the ice cream, and I want a new mom too," Tao said innocently. "Everyone in kindergarten has a mom—except me."

Those words struck a deep chord in Guolun. Stroking the prominent bump on Tao's head, he gently comforted him, "You have a mom—she just went on a mission to Mars."

"I know. Grandma said she won't be coming back. I want a new mom, one who can tell me stories every night."

"I can tell you stories. Don't I do that every night?"

Guolun did his best to show fatherly tenderness, but Tao dismissed him, "You? Your stories are all so boring—Winnie the Pooh, Cinderella, the Seven Dwarfs—over and over, I've heard them all. Just find me a new mom. I want to hear new stories."

A pang of sorrow rose in Guolun's heart. He knew that, as much as Tao loved snacks, his main motivation for wanting a new mom was not just the promise of more ice cream.

Deep down, the child truly longed for a new mother to grow up with him.

Tao's birth mother had passed away from illness when he was only seven months old. Since then, Guolun had been both father and mother, devoting all his time to his son.

His grandmother had also poured all her efforts into Tao, hoping he could have a happy, healthy childhood.

But no matter how much they gave, a mother's place could never be filled.

Most children from single-parent families are introverted, but Tao was outgoing—a mischievous, cheerful little foodie. Yet, at his core, he still lacked the sense of security that comes from a complete family. You could tell by how afraid he was of the dark, always needing someone with him at night.

It had been over three years since his wife passed, and Guolun had mostly healed from his grief. He too wanted to find a new mother for his son, to give Tao a complete family.

But he just never seemed to meet the right woman.

Guolun's family was well-off. His father, Han Huang, had entered the cemetery business early, leasing land in the suburbs and running a cemetery for over twenty years, amassing a considerable fortune.

Their family's assets were no less than a billion yuan, maybe closer to eight hundred million.

Though wealthy, they had their own prodigal son to worry about.

Guolun had an older brother, Guokun Huang, who studied film production at university and, after graduation, plunged into the film industry, aspiring to become China's next entertainment mogul.

To support his dream, their father had invested more than fifty million in his ventures, but hadn't seen any returns. Guokun's entrepreneurial dream was a bottomless pit—he started out making big movies for theatrical release and ended up producing online films barely sixty minutes long, losing more and more money, but never losing his zeal for spending the family fortune.

With his brother as a cautionary tale, Guolun dared not squander anything. He was a contented man, unlike his older brother who lived in dreams.

If he could just teach and live quietly, Guolun was satisfied.

What he wanted most now was for fate to send him a worthy partner—a gentle, kind new mother for Tao, someone to help him raise his son with love and joy. Then, his life would be complete.