Fleeing in the evening was impractical. The neighborhood was filled with dogs, and that large, foolish man, Yue Qin, also roamed the area at night.

Kang rethought his escape route home.

He was incapable of dealing with the dogs in the neighborhood, nor could he confront the imposing figure of the giant.

The next morning, still groggy from the previous night's work with the large man, Kang woke up late.

Meanwhile, the large man, who had hardly slept the night before, seemed unusually energetic, refreshed, and sprightly as he washed up.

After finishing his morning routine, he called out to the person in the bathroom, "Honey, I'm off to work."

"Alright, be home early," came the reply.

He approached Kang, ruffled his hair, and bent down to speak softly, "Son, Daddy's going to work now. Don't tell Mommy about last night, okay? When I come home this afternoon, I'll bring you a toy car."

Kang gave him a brief glance. Brother, not only is your son a fool, but also mute. Even if he wanted to report you, he wouldn't be able to.

"Such a good boy!" The large man squeezed his son's hand. "Little man, remember our agreement. I'm going to work now, and you'll protect Mommy at home."

Kang's gaze turned to the woman in the bathroom, humming as she washed her face. Now, she truly needs protection. This woman is terrified of cockroaches, of insects, a coward through and through.

Kang's furrowed brow suddenly lifted. Of course!

He couldn't deal with the stray dogs, nor could he confront the large man, but dealing with this frail, delicate young woman should be no problem.

Kang narrowed his eyes, a plan forming in his mind.

Summer Sheng stepped out of the bathroom, where two dead cockroaches lay near the door.

She grabbed two tissues, carefully wrapped the bodies of the cockroaches, and threw them into the trash.

"Kang Kang, we're going to school," Summer said as she knelt in front of her son, adjusting his clothes with a gentle gaze.

Kang's mind was flooded with confusion. Where did the woman who used to retreat in terror at the sight of a cockroach go?

Yet, he could do nothing, still playing the fool, pretending to understand nothing.

Summer Sheng didn't mind her son's silence. She believed that, even if he didn't understand her words, he could still sense her emotions.

She exuded a warmth, as if bathed in soft sunlight, her tone filled with praise as she spoke, "The teacher complimented you yesterday, Kang Kang. She said you've made progress."

Kang wanted to roll his eyes. The teacher didn't say that at all—she mentioned that your son might have autism and suggested you check it out.

But he didn't voice his thoughts. Instead, he mentally plotted his escape route for when they went to school.

The first opportunity would be at the breakfast shop, where the morning rush made it extremely crowded.

As Summer was fumbling for money, Kang saw his chance. Silently, he slipped free from her hand and slowly made his way through the crowd.

He glanced back and saw the young mother still holding her buns. Without hesitation, he dashed toward a nearby alley that was relatively empty.

All he needed to do was duck into the alley and hide for a while. Once she left, he could hail a cab and return to his old life. There would be people who would help him find a way back into his real body, so he wouldn't have to pretend to be a fool anymore.

Kang felt as if every ounce of strength in his body was being drained, but he was almost there—just a few more steps. He was nearly at the edge of the street.

Suddenly, a middle-aged man approached, reaching out to lift him up. "Little one, don't run off."

Kang turned his head and saw the middle-aged man, his face full of urgency, as if he had lost his own child.

Wait... is this a child trafficking situation?

In this day and age, how could such things still happen?

Kang immediately sensed something was wrong. He had been kidnapped as a child and had fought tooth and nail to escape. Now, he struggled desperately once again.

At that moment, he saw the young mother on the other side, Summer Sheng, having already bought breakfast. She noticed her son was missing but didn't see the scene in the alley.

Kang didn't care about exposing himself anymore. He started calling out to her in incoherent babbles, hoping to draw her attention.

Though this young couple was poor and had many problems, he knew if he were kidnapped by this man, he might end up locked in a cellar again!

The middle-aged man carried him in the opposite direction, and Kang's gaze remained fixed on the alley entrance, where no one appeared.

No, even if the young woman showed up, it wouldn't matter.

With her fragile limbs and delicate frame, even if she ran fast enough to catch up, she'd be no match for this man. Kang knew the only way was to make noise and try to attract attention from others.

But it was early morning, and the alley was deserted. Even if someone glanced over, they saw only a child who couldn't speak clearly, and no one took action.

The middle-aged man grew irritated and snapped, "You little rascal, your father is busy rushing to work, and you're still acting up!"

With that, he slapped Kang hard on the back.

In that instant, Kang was reminded of the large man from yesterday. Though he appeared fierce, he never raised his voice at his son. In fact, even though he was poor and penny-pinching, he had refused to take a passenger's order when they insulted his son.

Kang thought to himself, if he were taken by this middle-aged man, he'd rather stay with this young couple and be their "foolish son!"

As the middle-aged man was about to put him on a truck, Kang knew once he was on that vehicle, escaping would be even harder. He struggled with all his might.

"You little brat!" the man snarled, slapping him across the face.

Kang had never been hit this hard in his life. The sting ignited his rage, and he wanted nothing more than to tear this man apart, but his body refused to move, leaving him seething with fury.

When he got back, he would definitely make this man pay!

Just as the middle-aged man was about to move forward, someone grabbed him by the collar. As he turned, a punch landed squarely on his nose, causing the man to lose his strength. The child he was holding slipped from his grip and fell toward the ground.

A hand quickly reached out and caught the child.

"You dare steal my child?!" Summer Sheng shouted, pulling her son back into her arms. Unable to contain her fury, she kicked the man several times.

Kang was stunned.

It was only then that Summer noticed the red handprint on her son's face. Her expression darkened as she quickly covered his eyes and, in a fit of rage, kicked the man again.

Kang forgot the pain for a moment. Was this really the same fragile woman who feared even cockroaches?

The young mother regained her composure, looking down at her son. She gently straightened his clothes and murmured, "Don't be scared, Kang Kang, mommy's here. The bad man has been taken care of."

Kang froze, unable to move. Had she really just knocked the man down with a single punch?

He must have been mistaken. No, she... she was even stronger than his most capable bodyguard, who could never have knocked a man of that size unconscious with one blow.

Kang's gaze toward Summer became filled with fear. His body stiffened, and he couldn't bring himself to move.

Was this the delicate woman the big guy had in mind as someone who needed to be protected by her son?