Chapter 2

The little girl’s hand holding his was soft and slightly damp.

Lu Fei froze for a moment—he’d never been touched by such a tiny hand before. So this was how soft a child’s hand could feel, almost like a ball of cotton.

The strange, unfamiliar sensation left him briefly dazed.

Yet within seconds, he snapped back to reality, stepping half a pace back with a stern expression, his handsome profile radiating wariness.

Seeing the timid look in the little girl’s eyes only irritated him further.

Today had already been exhausting enough. His only hope had been getting some decent sleep after wrapping up work, yet now he’d inexplicably gotten tangled up with some kid.

What annoyed him even more… was how much the child’s face resembled his father Lu Yu’s.  

He’d seen Lu Yu’s childhood photos before—this little girl’s nose and eyes were practically identical to young Lu Yu’s.  

If appearances could be written off as coincidence, then the mobile number she’d just recited undoubtedly strengthened his suspicions.  

That number belonged to Lu Yu’s private line.  

Without exaggeration, the number of people worldwide who knew the private contact details of Lu Group’s CEO could likely be counted on two hands.  

Lu Fei vaguely recalled that about three years ago, Lu Yu—who usually only appeared in financial news—had once made tabloid headlines when rumors surfaced of him attending a charity gala with some popular young actress.  

However, that scandal had been suppressed within days, and it was now nearly impossible to find any trace of it online.  

Besides, since his debut, he’d always kept his family background strictly confidential. No one in the industry even knew his parents’ identities or names. Rather than some scheme or trap, Lu Fei thought the probability of this child being his father’s illegitimate daughter was far higher.  

At this thought, the corner of his mouth twitched in bitter irony.  

Lu Yu was always swamped, constantly jet-setting around, completely absent throughout his upbringing. Busy as he was, he’d apparently still found time to father children outside.  

A Jiu quietly observed Lu Fei’s expression and reached his own conclusion.  

Seemed this kid… was most likely Fei-ge’s father’s illegitimate daughter.  

After some thought, A Jiu tentatively suggested, “How about I take care of the little one tonight? You’re under intense media scrutiny right now, Fei-ge. With family matters involved and so many people backstage, it’s best to handle this discreetly to avoid complications.”  

If private affairs landed him on trending searches again, Sang Wei-ge would absolutely lose it.  

Lu Fei remained silent, tacitly accepting this less-than-ideal arrangement.  

You You had been listening intently with her little ears perked up. Hearing she could stay with them tonight, her dejected expression instantly brightened with excitement.  

The tiny bundle wore what appeared to be a pink sleep dress, her chubby hands clutching a shark plushie tightly. With her overwhelmingly adorable appearance, she looked like a lost Disney princess—though currently appearing rather pitiful, her cautious gaze tugging at heartstrings.  

A Jiu found himself utterly charmed by You You’s micro-expressions, fingers itching to pinch the little dumpling’s cheeks.  

Lu Fei’s gaze held nothing but indifference as he turned away, seemingly unwilling to spare her another glance.  

Even A Jiu thought Fei-ge’s attitude bordered on cruel…  

Yet You You didn’t mind at all. Pattering after her brother on short little legs, she felt that in this world, simply being with her brother was the happiest thing possible.  

…  

Upon reaching the garage, Lu Fei strode directly to the car with his long legs, resting his head against the seatback and crossing his arms as he closed his eyes, preparing to nap.

This high-clearance commercial vehicle was like a small mountain to a toddler with a three-heads-tall stature.

You You instinctively stretched her arms toward Lu Fei, cooing in a milky voice, “Brother, carry me.”

Lu Fei had just closed his eyes when she disturbed him, frowning impatiently and immediately putting on his Bluetooth earphones.

The quick-witted A Jiu promptly picked up the little one, coaxing with a smile, “Come here, sweetheart. Brother will carry you to the back seat, okay? Don’t disturb Fei Ge’s rest. He’s very tired from the concert and needs to catch up on sleep.”

You You nodded understandingly and obediently sat in A Jiu’s arms.

…

The journey back to the apartment took over an hour.

Lu Fei hadn’t moved a muscle since putting on his earphones, so A Jiu assumed he was asleep and quietly played with the little girl.

“Is your name You You? Is that your full name or nickname?”

“It’s my full name.”

“Who gave you the name You You?”

“It was Mommy.”

“Did You You come to find your brother all by yourself?”

“Yes! You You saw brother’s concert poster outside the subway station. It had the address, and You You asked a passing sister…”

The toddler’s sweet, milky voice was tender, but her words were surprisingly logical.

A Jiu had initially just found the little one adorable and couldn’t resist playing with her. But their conversation lasted over ten minutes, and the more they talked, the more shocked he became.

So You You was claiming she had traveled back from six years in the future?!

The story was so fantastical that A Jiu kept questioning her. From complete disbelief at first, he gradually became confused as he saw the earnestness on You You’s little face.

Was this child poisoned by time-travel dramas, or was there really some anti-scientific phenomenon at play?

A Jiu’s materialistic worldview, shaped by nine years of compulsory education, was on the verge of collapse!

What he didn’t know was that the supposedly napping Top Tier Star had long turned off his earphones and was listening intently to every word of this absurd conversation between the big guy and the little one.

When A Jiu asked what advanced technology existed six years in the future…

Lu Fei yanked off his earphones, unable to take it anymore—

He looked at A Jiu like he was an idiot: “Are you stupid? You’re actually engrossed in a story made up by a three-year-old?”

You You, feeling wronged, pouted with a mix of anger and hurt: “You You didn’t make up any story!”

Lu Fei scoffed coldly: “Oh really? Then tell us how you time-traveled. Did you take a time-travel bus or a spaceship??”

You You’s little face froze in confusion. She thought hard for a long moment but couldn’t come up with an answer.

She truly didn’t know how she had traveled through time.

Before the time travel, many things had happened at home.

Daddy suddenly got very sick and had to stay in the ICU for half a month…

Before traveling, she had a fever. Mommy and brothers all went to the hospital, leaving only the nanny to take care of her.

The nanny said You You couldn’t go see Daddy until she got better, but she dreamed that Daddy had died…

The concept of “died” wasn’t entirely clear in the mind of a three-year-old.

But children growing up in later years had access to various information channels, including highly realistic holographic movies. Though adults had never explained it to her, she vaguely understood that “died” meant a living person disappearing from life and never coming back.

She woke up crying from the nightmare, terrified of never seeing Daddy again, and ran out alone to find him.

The sky outside was pitch black, and heavy rain poured down as she ran. Stumbling and falling, she looked up to find the world around her had changed.

Night turned to day, rain gave way to sunshine, and even the buildings looked different.

Fortunately, her sharp eyes spotted her brother on a poster.

He was still the same brother she knew.

Though perhaps… a little thinner, a little younger.

The child’s silent, tongue-tied expression only confirmed Lu Fei’s suspicion—she had been caught in a lie and couldn’t keep up the act.

Lu Fei clicked his tongue, his disdain for A Jiu’s intelligence growing stronger.

Time travel?

Laughable.

Out of all the scripts he’d encountered, time-travel dramas were the ones he cared about the least.

Not long ago, he’d been offered a time-travel script, but he fell asleep before finishing the first page.

Still, kids didn’t learn to lie on their own—someone had to teach them.

To raise a child who could spin lies so effortlessly at such a young age… Well, that was just typical of Lu Yu, the epitome of a neglectful father.

Getting back to the apartment went smoothly. A Jiu was extra cautious, making sure no lurking paparazzi or obsessive fans had followed them.

But once inside, things got a little awkward…

An eighteen-year-old Top Tier Star with zero life experience and a twenty-four-year-old perpetually single guy who’d never even dated—Lu Fei and A Jiu exchanged glances, both feeling the strangeness of suddenly having a child in the spacious, empty apartment.

You You, however, was tactful.

She could tell her brother didn’t like her much. The fact that he’d brought her home at all was already a stretch. Sitting quietly in a corner of the sofa, she stayed silent.

Lu Fei quickly adjusted his mindset—this wasn’t his daughter, just a temporary responsibility, not even an obligation, let alone a duty.

Soon, he went about his usual routine and headed straight for the shower.

A Jiu, as usual, ordered takeout and used the waiting time to handle some work on his tablet.

Lu Fei only ate fitness meals—bland chicken breast, broccoli, endives, and carrots. He finished in under five minutes and retreated to his room.

A Jiu patiently ate with You You, though his lack of experience meant he wasn’t sure what was suitable for a three-year-old, so he ordered her something similar to his own meal.

You You wasn’t picky. She ate a steamed egg and gnawed on some sweet and sour spare ribs.

The ribs were a bit tough. Gripping them with her chubby little hands, she tried her best but barely made a dent after much effort.

After going hungry for a full day and night, You You still didn’t eat her fill.

Feeling guilty, A Jiu offered to order more, but You You waved her tiny hand in polite refusal. She didn’t want to trouble this kind brother further.

A Jiu figured it was late, and kids shouldn’t go to bed too full.

He rummaged through the fridge and found some unexpired skim milk, asking the little one if she wanted some.

You You nodded, quietly clutching the milk and drinking it in big gulps.

…

Lu Fei never came out of his room again.

The little one remained on the living room sofa, well-behaved and silent, though her eyes kept darting toward the master bedroom door, as if hoping he might reappear.

A Jiu patted her head in silent reassurance.

“You You, it’s very late. Time for bed.”

He carried her to the guest room. No one had ever stayed there before—though it had a bed and mattress, they were more for show and weren’t very comfortable, a bit too firm.

But the little one seemed content, not complaining at all. She clung tightly to the shark plushie she’d brought with her, clearly uneasy in the unfamiliar surroundings.

A Jiu had originally planned to stay with her for a while, but was called away by a phone call from Sang Wei.

You You hugged her little shark plush tightly and asked in a tiny voice, “Dudu, do you think Mommy and Daddy will still remember You You?”

Dudu was just an ordinary plush pillow, so only silence answered her.

The little girl was actually very scared and lonely. She feared that her parents might not recognize her just like Lu Fei did, leaving her truly alone in this unfamiliar world with only Dudu by her side.

But after running around for a full day and night, she was utterly exhausted and unknowingly drifted into sleep.

…

You You had a dream.

In her dream, she first returned to the world before her transmigration. She dreamed that her father had truly passed away, and the whole family was crying.

Then she dreamed of this current world, dreaming of Dudu—who could suddenly talk now.

The voice of the little shark Dudu was sweet and soft, like a gentle older sister.

Dudu showed her a holographic movie, the most popular kind from the future, where the scenes appeared as if real people were standing right in front of her, incredibly vivid and lifelike.

The holographic movie played out the script of this world.

In this world, her second brother Lu Fei would participate in a dating show called “Hello, Lover,” where he would meet the female lead of this world, Ye Fanxing.

Lu Fei was the female lead’s scumbag first love. The two met when their agencies forced them into a fake CP relationship, which later developed into a real romance.

During their relationship, Lu Fei maintained a public image as the perfect, virtuous boyfriend. Yet years later, he was exposed for cheating.

Hated and reviled by the female lead’s fans, his image collapsed, and he became the most notorious scumbag top-tier star in the entertainment industry.

Later, his career plummeted, and he eventually became addicted to drugs, leading to a complete online ban. Before taking his own life, he even left a suicide note saying he had never been loved and shouldn’t have been born into this world.

…

You You woke up in terror from the nightmare.

By the time she opened her eyes, it was already 8:30 in the morning.

The little girl rubbed her sleepy eyes with her soft fists, and only when A Jiu looked closely did he notice her red-rimmed eyes.

A Jiu was startled. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

You You sat motionless on the edge of the bed, her big eyes unblinking, with a few strands of soft hair sticking up adorably on her forehead like a dazed little penguin. She didn’t snap out of it for a long while.

A Jiu guessed, “Did you have a nightmare?”

You You nodded her little head, her absent expression heartbreaking.

A Jiu patted her head gently. “Don’t be scared, dreams aren’t real. Are you hungry, You You? Want to get up and have breakfast?”

A Jiu was far more attentive than Lu Fei. Remembering that the child hadn’t eaten well the night before, he had gone out early to buy some soft, warm breakfast, thinking she could eat as soon as she woke up.

You You was still a bit dazed and murmured, “Dreams… aren’t real?”

A Jiu smiled. “Of course not. Don’t be afraid, You You. Be brave.”

He had no idea what the poor little girl had gone through overnight, assuming only that it was normal for a child her age to have nightmares in an unfamiliar environment.

But You You felt that the dream had been so real—as if she had witnessed everything her brother went through with her own eyes.

She had watched helplessly as her brother went from being adored by millions… to being despised by all.

Though she didn’t fully understand the complicated adult world in the dream, her only thought was that her brother was a good person—not the scumbag everyone hated, and he shouldn’t have ended up like that.

She clenched her little fists and said in a milky voice, “Yes, You You must be brave.”

She wanted to protect her brother and couldn’t let those bad things happen to him.

Even if her brother in this world didn’t like her as much as before, You You didn’t mind. As long as she liked her brother, that was enough.