Chapter 2

Sheng Zexi wasn’t entirely sure why he suddenly told the nanny to place Nuo Nuo next to him, but it didn’t seem like a big deal. After all, Nuo Nuo was his daughter, and having her eat beside him was perfectly reasonable.

However, the little girl was evidently not pleased with this arrangement.

When Auntie Lu set her down, Nuo Nuo sat next to her father with a look of clear reluctance. Even as Auntie Lu coaxed her, “Nuo Nuo, be good, this is your daddy,” Nuo Nuo remained visibly resistant to Sheng Zexi.

Seeing his own daughter looking at him with unfamiliarity and outright rejection was clearly unsettling for Sheng Zexi. He wanted to establish his authority as her father, but it was obvious that Nuo Nuo did not see him as her daddy at all. Consequently, Sheng Zexi found himself at a loss. The little girl’s eyes were still red from crying, and if he were to scold her, the tears might flow like a floodgate had been opened, with no sign of stopping.

Sheng Zexi hadn’t spent much time with Nuo Nuo, but he had seen other children who were four or five years old, prone to tantrums and uncontrollable outbursts, leaving their families helpless.

He wasn’t sure if his daughter would turn out the same way, and he didn’t understand her current personality at all. However, he knew that not eating was definitely not right. He urged her, “Eat your meal.”

Nuo Nuo ignored him, swinging her legs and playing with her fingers, defiantly saying, “I won’t eat. I don’t want to eat.”

With Sheng Zexi’s strong presence nearby, Auntie Lu didn’t dare to breathe too loudly. She suspected Nuo Nuo wasn’t hungry because she’d had too many snacks earlier. Nervously, she coaxed the child, “Nuo Nuo, be good. If you finish your meal, we can play afterward.”

Nuo Nuo wasn’t completely unresponsive to Auntie Lu’s words. Under her coaxing, she finally opened her mouth and began to eat.

During the meal, Sheng Zexi noticed a significant issue: Nuo Nuo was extremely picky. She wouldn’t eat carrots or green vegetables and only took a few bites before wanting to play again.

Watching her pick at her food, Sheng Zexi couldn’t help but frown and ask Auntie Lu, “Why does she refuse to eat anything?”

Auntie Lu, not daring to look at Sheng Zexi, hesitated before explaining, “Miss is a bit picky with her food.”

Before Sheng Zexi could respond, his phone rang. He stepped out to take the call, and just as he finished, he heard Nuo Nuo crying again from the dining room.

He considered going in to check on her but decided against it, realizing it wouldn’t be helpful, especially with so much work still needing his attention.

When Xu Ai returned that evening, she learned Sheng Zexi was back. For her husband, who had been out of contact for nearly six months, Xu Ai felt no enthusiasm. In fact, the thought of his cold demeanor made her feel that his return was an inconvenience.

It would have been better if he had stayed abroad, serving as their money machine, she thought.

When Xu Ai saw Sheng Zexi, he was also observing her. She had changed a lot in the past six months. Always slender, she seemed even more graceful now, with a subtle fragrance and a captivating charm in her every move.

Feeling a bit warm, Sheng Zexi wanted to greet her but remembered they had argued before he left. He had informed her of his decision to leave, not seeking her consent, knowing she wouldn’t agree.

Since then, they hadn’t communicated—she hadn’t called, and neither had he.

Now, he began to worry if she might harbor resentment towards him.

Xu Ai wasn’t sure if she resented him but thought it would be fine if he never returned, leaving all his wealth to her and Nuo Nuo. But she knew that was unlikely—he would come back and eventually divorce her.

This thought stirred some bitterness in her, so she greeted him with a sarcastic remark.

“Oh, Mr. Sheng is back? I thought you might have died abroad.”

Xu Ai, the youngest daughter of the Xu family, would have remained carefree if she hadn’t known the novel’s plot, where the Xu family faced bankruptcy after her divorce. She might have continued being the pampered daughter and the Sheng family’s wife. Hence, her words often carried a hint of arrogance.

But her attitude towards Sheng Zexi hadn’t improved much.

Sheng Zexi felt a twinge of guilt initially, but her words left him speechless. As he looked at her, noticing her elegant outfit and faint floral scent, he said, “I’ll be working domestically from now on.”

“So, I won’t be leaving again.”

Xu Ai scoffed, “You might as well leave. You’re just in the way here.”

Sheng Zexi: …

Not wanting to argue, Sheng Zexi replied coldly, “I’m heading to my room,” and walked away.

Before Sheng Zexi left, they had argued, leading to separate bedrooms. Xu Ai continued to sleep in the master bedroom, while Sheng Zexi moved to another room.

Seeing him retreat to his room, Xu Ai felt relieved and slightly proud of her earlier confrontation.

In her mind, their divorce was inevitable. Since they were going to part ways, sharing a room was unnecessary. Sheng Zexi, though possibly indifferent to her, still had physical needs, and his strict hygiene habits suggested he wouldn’t have anyone else. According to the novel, their divorce wasn’t due to his infidelity but her foolish entanglements with others, leading to Sheng Zexi’s decision to end their marriage.

Men weren’t reliable, focusing on making money was more important.

Yawning, Xu Ai headed downstairs. Nuo Nuo was playing with her toys, and despite being exhausted from a long day, Xu Ai couldn’t refuse her daughter’s plea to play together. She felt guilty for not spending enough time with Nuo Nuo during the day, so she played with her for a while.

A few days after her father’s return, Nuo Nuo finally understood who he was.

In her little world, Auntie Lu and her mother were her closest people. One day, as she played on the sofa, Sheng Zexi, realizing his daughter needed his attention, decided to hold her.

Sheng Zexi, being tall and not one for unnecessary words, directly picked up Nuo Nuo when he wanted to hold her. However, his unfamiliar scent made the little girl uncomfortable. Struggling in his arms and unable to break free, her eyes quickly reddened, and soon, she burst into loud tears.

In the past few days, Sheng Zexi had been witnessing the little girl cry frequently. Nuo Nuo was a crybaby who would cry at the slightest provocation—falling, being told to eat instead of play, or not finding her toy.

Moments ago, Sheng Zexi had found Nuo Nuo playing by herself and thought she looked adorable. Having not held her since he returned, he had acted on impulse and picked her up, only to find her crying loudly in his arms.

Feeling a bit helpless and not understanding why the child cried so much, Sheng Zexi turned to Auntie Lu, who had been watching over Nuo Nuo, and asked, “Why does she cry so much?”

Sheng Zexi’s naturally cold demeanor made him appear even more intimidating as he spoke. Auntie Lu, somewhat frightened, quickly explained, “Miss is just a two-year-old child. It’s normal for her to cry.”

Normal?

Sheng Zexi felt something was off but couldn’t pinpoint what it was. His arms stiffened as he listened to the loud crying, looking at the bawling child. Instinctively, he handed Nuo Nuo back to Auntie Lu, his tone firm, “You calm her down.”

Then, like a fleeing beast, he quickly strode away.

After Sheng Zexi left, Auntie Lu held Nuo Nuo and gently patted her back, softly scolding, “Nuo Nuo, that’s your daddy. You must let him hold you, or he won’t like you in the future.”

Nuo Nuo, being so young, only understood that she laughed when happy and cried when upset. As Auntie Lu spoke, she looked at her with a confused expression.

Auntie Lu sighed, feeling helpless.

Nuo Nuo was just over two years old. What could she understand? But Mr. Sheng was so intimidating that Auntie Lu truly hoped Nuo Nuo wouldn’t misbehave in front of him. What if Mr. Sheng thought she wasn’t taking good care of the child and fired her?

Auntie Lu felt powerless with Nuo Nuo and feared Sheng Zexi.

After leaving, Sheng Zexi headed to the company. Once there, he immersed himself in his work. After finishing a meeting and returning to his office, the image of Nuo Nuo’s crying face unexpectedly flashed through his mind.

Unable to shake the image of the crying child, he impulsively searched online: “Is it normal for a two-year-old to cry a lot?”

The result: Yes, it was normal.

It was simply a way for her to express her needs.

Since it was normal, Sheng Zexi decided not to worry about it and returned to his work.