“Yu Yuanyuan…” The cold and menacing aura surrounding Yu Jinxiao intensified the moment he perceived the “crisis” in front of him. His gaze, icy like a blade, locked onto the little girl.

“Ah, dirty… can’t touch,” Yu Yuanyuan obediently raised her hands high, cooperating right away.

Yu Jinxiao had initially planned to step out and ask a female waiter to take the little one to the restroom.

Neither he, Yu Mingxi, nor Yu Yingze were suitable to take the little girl to the men’s restroom. And taking her to the women’s restroom was, of course, out of the question.

As soon as Yu Jinxiao stepped outside, the waiter waiting at the door quickly fetched a young female staff member, following his instructions.

Working at such a high-end restaurant, one overhears all sorts of secrets and gossip that the general public wouldn’t know. But for the sake of their jobs and future prospects, they all learned to keep their mouths shut—what shouldn’t be said must never be repeated.

When the female waiter heard Yu Yuanyuan call Yu Jinxiao “Daddy,” she didn’t even flinch. She acted as though she hadn’t heard anything, maintaining the emotional detachment of a well-trained professional.

“Daddy, aren’t you taking me to wash up?” The little girl raised her sticky hands, her eyes wide as she watched Yu Jinxiao hand her over to the pretty lady beside them.

“Men can’t go into a girl’s restroom. Let this sister take you. Don’t be naughty,” Yu Jinxiao’s voice was cold, his expression even colder, his entire presence radiating “indifference.”

For some reason, though, the female waiter didn’t find this so-called “devil” of Jiangcheng as terrifying as the rumors claimed.

Even though he never made direct eye contact with them, the way he was purposely acting cold toward his “daughter” was oddly endearing.

Everyone has their own protective shell, and for Yu Jinxiao, showing no visible emotions was part of his armor.

“Sister, Yuanyuan’s paws are super dirty. Can you wash them clean?” The little girl looked at her sticky, red-stained hands with growing concern, worried that she might turn into a little dirt monster.

The waitress didn’t respond.

She had worked hard to get this job and had only been employed for a month. She wasn’t about to lose it by accidentally saying the wrong thing.

She knew all too well how difficult wealthy people could be.

In her short time here, she had dealt with countless unpleasant and demanding rich customers, and their children were often the worst.

The less she said, the fewer mistakes she could make. Pretending not to hear was the safest way to avoid trouble.

Huh? Why isn’t sister saying anything?

Yu Yuanyuan stared curiously at the women for a moment, her mind filling with little question marks.

Could it be that her voice was too quiet?

“Sis… Sister! Can… Can Yuanyuan’s paws… be! Washed! Clean!?” Taking a deep breath, Yuanyuan amplified her volume significantly.

The young waitress winced internally.

She had been trying so hard to stay out of it, yet this little one was determined to engage her in conversation!

“They can be cleaned, don’t worry,” the waitress replied with a forced, professional smile, keeping her words to a minimum.

Yuanyuan looked at her hands, still somewhat doubtful, but followed the server into the restroom.

As expected of a high-end restaurant, the restroom was spotless. The floors were so clean they reflected light, and the sink area was pristine, not a drop of water to be seen. Even the soap was a custom product from a luxury brand.

Since Yu Yuanyuan was too short to reach the sink, the server placed her on the countertop, crouching so she could wash her hands.

It was the first time the server had seen a rich family’s child get so dirty. Most wealthy parents taught their children good manners and cleanliness from a young age, and a mess like this would have likely earned them a scolding.

Yuanyuan’s hands were covered in sauce, and water alone wouldn’t suffice. The server pumped some soap into her tiny palms and gently scrubbed the little hands clean.

“Sister, this hand soap smells so nice!” Yuanyuan, always chatty, couldn’t keep quiet, “It smells like flowers!”

As she leaned forward to sniff her hands, a splash from the faucet hit her dress.

The waitress’s mind went blank, and two words popped into her head: “I’m doomed.”