No one was more shocked than the two men standing nearby.

They knew that Yu Jinxiao had two sons. As for a daughter… well, she was supposed to have been long gone.

Gone, as in gone for good.

So how had this soft, chubby little girl suddenly appeared, calling Yu Jinxiao “Daddy”?

No one had any idea what was going on.

The most terrifying part? Yu Jinxiao acknowledged her, holding the little one in his arms with a helpless look on his face.

“Whoosh—”

A gust of sea wind blew in, causing the waves to crash noisily against the shore.

The adults snapped out of their daze. One of them, a man with a buzz cut, nervously asked, “Mr. Yu, what… what should we do now?”

Yu Jinxiao stared coldly at him. “What do you think?”

The question left the two men speechless.

Usually, reading their boss’s thoughts was second nature to them. But this situation? They had never encountered anything like it.

Sink him… or not… or maybe make him swim…

No, no, no—what was he even thinking? He’d let that little one lead him astray!

Yu Jinxiao didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he glanced up at the tiny figure clinging to him.

The harsh light from the flashlight illuminated the beach, but she stood just outside its beam, making it hard to see her clearly. Even so, her fair skin, as white as snow, and her bright, clear eyes seemed to cast a ray of light on the dark, desolate shore.

He had never seen such an adorable little bundle—soft, cute, and almost too precious for this world.

Could he really throw someone into the sea in front of her?

Just the thought made guilt well up inside him.

She was so small—what if it left her with emotional scars?

“Go back?” The man cautiously offered the suggestion, trying to gauge Yu Jinxiao’s reaction.

Yu Jinxiao didn’t object, his gaze calm and neutral.

The man silently exhaled in relief. He had guessed correctly.

It was a good thing he’d trusted his instincts—the vibe that the little girl exuded was clearly the right answer.

“Daddy, I want to go to the beach! Let me down!” The little girl squirmed in Yu Jinxiao’s arms, wriggling like a caterpillar as she waved her hands, trying to get to the ground.

Helpless, Yu Jinxiao put her down. As soon as her feet touched the sand, the little girl dashed over to the man kneeling on the ground.

The two men jumped in alarm, worried that the man might harm her. They quickly moved to shield her.

After all, when someone is pushed to their limits, they might do anything.

But to their surprise, the little girl was unexpectedly nimble. She ducked under their arms and crouched right in front of the kneeling man.

This was Yu Yuanyuan’s first proper look at him.

He wasn’t that old—probably around the same age as her dad. He was quite handsome too.

But he looked skinny and worn out, with dark circles under his eyes—the kind her dad said people get when they don’t sleep properly.

He looked tired, and there was a veil of despair and exhaustion in his eyes.

The little girl squatted there, staring at him for a long time. Then she suddenly looked up at Yu Jinxiao and asked, “Daddy, did Uncle do something bad? Why is he tied up?”

Yu Jinxiao didn’t answer.

Perhaps he was considering how to explain such an innocent question.

The adult world was full of complexities, often with a cruelty that defied explanation.

“Yes, Uncle did something wrong,” the man on his knees said, surprisingly not attacking the girl but instead letting out a pained, bitter laugh. “I made a very big mistake.”

Yu Yuanyuan pursed her lips, blinking her wide eyes. After a moment of thought, she raised a chubby finger and said, “If you made a mistake, can’t you just fix it?”