Chapter 3Daddy, Gone Viral

She was right. Why would Aaron Brown ever look twice at me?

He was now the Aaron Brown, the award-winning actor whose live broadcast could attract over a million viewers in the first minute.

The live chat was already overflowing with sympathy for him having to appear on this show.

【His garbage agency is really pimping him out for views. Making him go on this trashy show… I still have PTSD from that screaming kid last season.】

【Some of these kids just throw things when they don’t get their way. Aaron, honey, make sure you hide your favorite guitar somewhere safe!】

【Oh god, the doorbell’s about to ring and my child-hating instincts are already kicking in.】

The camera followed Aaron as he moved. He was so tall that he completely blocked the cameraman’s view, leaving only a corner of a butter-yellow suitcase visible in the shot.

It was a matching parent-child set with the one I used for my makeup tools.

Aaron seemed to pause, lost in thought for a moment, before shaking his head with a self-deprecating smile.

He knelt down to talk to Finn.

“Hey there, little guy.”

His smile was warm and inviting, but this was Finn’s first time interacting with a stranger all by himself. He was a little scared.

His little mouth puckered, and his eyes welled up with tears.

The director, watching from the sidelines, started freaking out into his walkie-talkie.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! Is this kid gonna work out? Crying the second he’s on camera is going to kill our viewership!”

“If it gets bad, just keep the camera locked on Aaron’s face.”

But the cameraman didn’t seem to hear him. After a close-up on Aaron, he panned the camera directly onto Finn’s tear-streaked face.

The director was about to unleash a torrent of curses when he noticed the live chat’s tone had suddenly shifted.

【HOLY S***!!! Aaron, be honest, did you make a donation to a sperm bank a few years back?】

【OMG, what an adorable little marshmallow! He’s literally a miniature Aaron Brown.】

【Did he just make a little ‘maa’ sound? Was that for Mama? Baby, your auntie is right here!】

【This is the first time I’ve ever heard a baby cry without it being ear-splitting. I want one. Can someone just leave one on my doorstep?】

In the blink of an eye, the number of online viewers soared past ten million.

The director started to panic. Worried about offending Aaron, he had planned a series of simple, easy tasks. It was fine for the fans, but he was afraid it wouldn’t be enough to keep casual viewers interested.

“Should we… maybe increase the difficulty?” he mused.

The moment he spoke, I raised my eyebrow razor and made a sharp, throat-slitting gesture.

I was the station’s resident pushover, someone anyone could boss around. But when it came to my son, I would not yield an inch.

Finn was still sniffling softly, and Aaron, who had zero experience with kids, was completely overwhelmed. He grabbed his guitar from the side, hoping to distract him.

Even though Finn desperately wanted me, he sat attentively and listened to the entire song. He even provided ample emotional support, letting out happy little coos since he couldn’t speak.

But the moment the song ended, it was as if his main quest objective reloaded. He started whimpering again.

“Mama…”

Thankfully, the popcorn I had prepared was finally passed to Aaron. The instant the sweet kernel touched his tongue, Finn’s eyes lit up. After finishing one piece, he immediately started scheming for more.

He squeezed his eyes shut, and two perfect teardrops rolled down his cheeks. In front of the monitor, the entire crew melted into adoring smiles.

Aaron couldn’t help but laugh.

“Nope. Little guys can’t have too many sweets.”

He placed the popcorn bowl in a high cabinet.

Based on past experiences, everyone braced for a full-blown meltdown.

But Finn simply wiped his tears with the back of his hand and sat quietly on the sofa like a perfect little doll. His soft, pale skin and slightly pink nose made him look like a delicate, translucent shrimp dumpling.

The live chat went into a frenzy.

【This is officially the easiest parenting challenge in the show’s history. Can we get this kid a global tour?】

【As a professional babysitter, I can confirm this child is an angel. He doesn’t scream, and he doesn’t throw a fit when you take away his snacks.】

【Forget a smooth delivery, I want a smooth pickup. I’ll take this one!】

Aaron was completely smitten. He tried to ask for his name, but Finn didn’t know how to say his own name yet. All he could say was “Mama.”

I was busy arguing with the director about the appearance fee, not noticing the door had been left slightly ajar.

Finn spotted my pink sweater, toddled over, and hugged my leg, his voice sweet and clear.

“Mama!”

Three years ago, Aaron Brown, the man I’d ghosted, stared at me, his face a thundercloud.

“How old is he?”