The little girl didn’t cry; instead, she was concerned about Old Master Yu.

All the temper tantrums and tears he had imagined never materialized.

“You little rascal, you sure know how to play the part,” Old Master Yu frowned, feeling the situation had taken a strange turn. The entire time, he had been on guard, while the little girl was on an entirely different wavelength.

Yuanyuan scratched her head, confused.

Play the part? What did that mean?

Her eyes drifted to the toy box, and suddenly, she seemed to understand. She quickly gathered up all the blocks and put them back into the box.

“Grandpa, I packed them all away!” she announced cheerfully.

Wait, kid, that’s not the kind of ‘play the part’ I meant!

Old Master Yu took a deep breath, exhaling with a sigh that sounded like a frustrated dragon. He felt unexpectedly tired.

After all, he was dealing with a three-year-old. No matter how sharp she was, she couldn’t possibly understand everything.

His overly cautious stance now made him feel like a joke.

With a huff, Old Master Yu shot a glance at the little girl, who was looking up at him expectantly, clearly waiting for praise. He said nothing, grabbed his coat, and prepared to leave.

What a waste of time.

After all that effort, it seemed his suspicions had been unfounded. She was just a child. Even if she had some clever tricks, there was only so much she could do.

As he headed for the door, Yuanyuan quickly followed, clutching her plush lion toy.

“Grandpa, are you leaving already?” she asked, her big, innocent eyes tracking his every step.

At the entrance to the estate, Yuanyuan stopped, knowing she wasn’t allowed outside. She bent over slightly, peeking out from the gate as Old Master Yu approached the car.

The driver was already waiting. Old Master Yu had no intention of acknowledging the child he hadn’t officially accepted as family. But the intense, hopeful gaze that followed him was impossible to ignore. Against his better judgment, he glanced back.

That single glance shattered his resolve.

Standing by a wall of pink-blooming roses, Yuanyuan peered out from behind the gate, her eyes wide with silent pleading, as if wishing he wouldn’t go.

Old Master Yu frowned.

It was a weekday, and both his grandsons were at school. Yu Jinxiao was always busy with work, likely returning late. And though there were plenty of staff in the house, they all had their tasks to complete.

Before he arrived, there probably hadn’t been anyone available to play with this little girl.

Finally, someone had played with her, and now…

She would go back to being alone.

What is wrong with Yu Jinxiao?

If he had adopted her, he should take proper care of her. The child was old enough for kindergarten, wasn’t she?

At least there, she would have other kids to play with. Leaving her alone at home all day seemed cruel.

“Hey, get back inside and don’t run around. There are cars on the road,” Old Master Yu barked, his face stern. He pulled open the car door, but before he could step in, a small hand tugged at the hem of his coat.

Yuanyuan stood there, holding out a pink building block. “Grandpa, will you come play with me again next time?” she asked sweetly.

For a moment, his heart—steady and unshakable for so many years—stumbled, thudding as though it had been tossed onto a massage chair.

She actually invited me to play!?

Old Master Yu was stunned, his eyes widening in disbelief.

He had three sons and four grandchildren. Normally, all of the children were afraid of him, whispering behind his back that he was too strict.

Whenever the family gathered, the children would greet him politely, then quickly scurry away to avoid him. Not a single one ever asked him to play with them.

To keep his grandchildren entertained, he had even had a small playground built in his garden. And yet…

They never came to play, leaving his old heart completely shattered.

But now…

This little girl had actually asked him to play.

An unfamiliar warmth spread from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making him feel lightheaded.

Before he knew what he was doing, Old Master Yu had closed the car door and told the driver to go ahead without him. He found himself being led back into the house, hand-in-hand with a happy little girl.