Chapter 328


    Chapter 328 A Can Of Coke


    On the weekend, Yuliana promised Rowan she would take him to the arcade.


    Despite her busy work schedule, she managed to carve out time to spend the weekend with Rowan.


    In the morning. Yuliana took Rowan to see a newly released cartoon show. Later, after lunch, the two


    took at casual stroll as they headed to the arcade.


    Rowan loved all kinds of gaming machines in the arcade, from simple fishing games to adrenaline-


    pumping car racing and shooter games. While he could not possibly y every game in the arcade, he


    found himself standing beside yers and getting engrossed in their gamey. Watching others


    ying was far more exciting to him than ying the games himself, as he could observe and learn


    gaming strategies from the other yers.


    Every time Yuliana brought Rowan to the arcade, Rowan would spend hours engrossed in the enticing


    world of arcade gaming.


    Today was no different. Despite many efforts to convince Rowan to go home, he stubbornly refused to


    leave. In the end, Yuliana had no choice but to resort to physically dragging and carrying Rowan away


    from the grasp of the arcade.


    After getting in the car, Rowan sat in the safety chair in the backseat, whining and throwing a fit about


    leaving the arcade.


    Yuliana remained focused on driving, paying no heed to his pleas and cries.


    After a while, Rowan could not sit still.


    “Mommy…”


    Yuliana ignored Rowan.


    “Mommy…” Rowanmented.


    Yuliana gave no responses.


    Rowan was a little nervous when he continued to receive no responses. When he realized his tantrums


    did not work on his mom, Rowan felt a little uneasy. He quickly regained hisposure and mustered


    up the courage to apologize to his mother. “Mommy, I’m sorry. Please, answer me, won’t you?”


    Yuliana knew her son like the back of her hand. Rowan would quickly admit his mistakes, but he would


    soon repeat those mistakes.


    She slowly pulled over the car to the side of the road, turned to Rowan, and said, “Tell me. What have


    you done wrong?”


    Her voice held not a hint of anger, and her expression remained calm and collected.


    Rowan blinked, his eyes turning red as he fought back tears. His lips curled downward as if he was


    about to cry.


    Tears welled up in his eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. As expected, tears fell at the very


    next second.


    Rowan stretched out his little arms to Yuliana. “I’m sorry, Mommy. I was wrong. Can I have a hug?” he


    said, his voice sorrowful yet adorable.


    Yuliana’s heart melted at Rowan’s remorseful and endearing apology.


    She held back the urge to hold Rowan and handed him a tissue. “I’m driving now. I’ll give you a hug


    when we get home, okay? Now, take this and wipe off your tears.” Yuliana said.


    “Okay!” Rowan said excitedly.


    Rowan took the tissue, nodded heavily, and folded the piece of tissue into a square. Then, he slowly


    wiped the tears from his face.


    On the way home, Yuliana took Rowan to arge supermarket.


    She liked going to the supermarket. It was a ce that could bring her rxation.


    Rowan also enjoyed going on these trips to the supermarket. There were trolleys for children in there,


    and Rowan eagerly sat in a child-sized cart and had Yuliana push it back and forth along the aisles of


    the


    supermarket.


    “Mommy, I want that!” he eximed.


    Rowan got out of the cart and quickly picked up arge bag of potato chips and handed it to Yuliana.


    Yuliana was not entirely against Rowan having snacks. Rather, Yuliana had been cautious to let him


    indulge in too many unhealthy treats. Though it was normal for kids to crave snacks, she thought there


    was no harm for Rowan to consume in moderation, so long as she could control the number of snacks.


    Yuliana picked up a smaller bag of chips, offering it to Rowan. “You can have this,” she said.


    Rowanpared the sizes of the two bags of snacks. The bag of chips in Yuliana’s hand seemed


    much smaller.


    He raised his head, shook his little body, and said in a sweet voice, “Mommy, I want this.”


    “No. If you don’t want this bag of snacks that I chose for you, we will go home empty-handed,” Yuliana


    said. firmly.


    Despite her tendency to spoil Rowan with everything he wanted, and even the others would say she


    had spoiled Rowan too much, Yuliana firmly drew the line when it came to his health.


    Rowan also knew Yuliana’s temperament. He hesitated for a moment before putting back the bag of


    chips that was held in his hands andter tossed the smaller bag of chips into the shopping cart.


    Yuliana picked up several snacks for Rowan before making her way to the women’s hygiene aisle to


    grab a few sanitary items. Just then, she turned around, and Rowan was nowhere in sight.


    Nheless, Yuliana did not panic.


    This was not the first time Rowan had disappeared while they were shopping at the supermarket.


    Yuliana was frantically worried when it happened for the first time. After a few simr urrences, and


    knowing Rowan, she was a little less anxious.


    After finding no one in the nearby aisles, Yuliana pushed the shopping cart to the snacks and sweets


    section. Unsurprisingly, Rowan was found standing in front of the soda shelf, his head raised as he


    gazed intently at the cans of Coke.


    A man stood beside Rowan, holding a can of Coke in his hand, seemingly asking Rowan about


    something. Yuliana froze at the sight of that.


    Rowan followed Yuliana from behind and suddenly saw the cans of Coke on the shelves not far away.


    He walked toward the shelves.


    He was too short to reach the top shelf even if he stood on tiptoe.


    Just as Rowan looked around to ask for help, someone behind him asked, “Do you need help?”


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    Rowan turned around and saw a tall man standing behind him.


    Rowan nodded and asked in a sweet voice, “Mister, can you help me to take a can of Coke?”


    The man picked up red can. “This one?”


    Rowan shook his head. “I want the blue can.”


    The man took the blue canned Coke and asked, “This?”


    Rowan snatched it from the man while standing on tiptoe and tightly held the can of soda in his arms,


    afraid it would get taken away from him. He thanked the man and left to find his mother. However,


    when Rowan turned around, he saw Yuliana standing not far behind him.


    “Mommy!” Rowan shouted when he saw his mother and ran toward her in a few steps. Abruptly, he


    stopped in his tracks and hid the can of Coke behind him, just so Yuliana would not find out. He looked


    at his mother timidly.


    Yuliana withdrew her gaze from the man and looked at Rowan, who was almost a miniature version of


    the man. She walked to Rowan and stretched out her hand. “Give it to me,” she said.


    Rowan shook his head, refusing to hand over the can of Coke.


    Impatient, Yuliana yelled, “Rowan!”


    Rarely did she address her son by his full name, reserving it only for serious and exasperating


    moments. Whenever Rowan heard his full name, he could not help but feel a hint of fear. He would not


    even dare to use


    his tricks to charm her with his adorableness.


    Rowan held back his tears and handed Yuliana the Coke hidden behind him.


    Yuliana took it and put it back on the shelf. Then, she held Rowan with one hand, pushed the shopping


    cart with the other, and walked toward the cashier.


    Yuliana did not take another look at the man again.


    Christopher watched as the two walked away. It wasn’t until they were out of sight did he turn to look at


    the can of Coke that was put back into ce. He reached out and took the can of Coke off the shelf


    once again.


    After checking out at the cashier, Yuliana held Rowan’s hand with one hand while he was still sulking,


    and with her other hand, she carried the shopping bag as they made their way to the parking lot using


    the


    elevator.


    When there was no one else in the parking lot, Rowan grabbed Yuliana by the hand and pouted as he


    said, “You’re a bad Mommy. I don’t like you anymore!”


    With that, he snorted as he deliberately distanced himself from Yuliana.


    Yuliana was at a loss for what to do in response to her son’s behavior and even felt a twinge of


    sadness upon hearing such hurtful words from Rowan, even when it was just a tantrum.


    Since Rowan had learned to speak, not once had he uttered the words, “Mommy is a bad mother. I


    don’t like Mommy.” Even when Yuliana had been firm with him, Rowan would only resort to charming


    the former with his endearing demeanor and tears to refute.


    Yuliana quickly regained herposure and reflected on her actions. It was not true to say that she


    hadpletely prohibited Rowan from drinking Coke at all. If he really wanted to drink some, she


    would let him have a small sip.


    Yuliana found herself in an unusual mood earlier in the supermarket. She had neglected to show


    Rowan any respect in the presence of strangers. Looking back, she was regretful for being self-


    centered and inadvertently took no consideration of Rowan’s feelings.


    When they arrived at the underground parking lot, there was no one around. Rowan had to have been


    holding it in before erupting into a tantrum.