Chapter 3: First-Ranked Guardian

The last leaf of autumn drifted to the ground, and everything around fell into an unbelievable silence. The large house was cold and devoid of any trace of life.

A lot had happened recently. This place was originally arranged by the company as a secure residence, and he never considered it home. Now that trouble had arisen, he naturally didn’t plan to stay here.

He placed the keys on the shoe cabinet by the door, ready to head out. But as he lowered his gaze, he saw the small flower that had been casually placed there as well.

A small white wildflower—some of its petals had already fallen off, looking a bit pitiful, just like that dirty little dumpling.

Oh, so this was the “surprise” that little dumpling had said she was giving him.

He recalled how the moment she stepped through the door, her eyes sparkled as she held up the little flower and immediately called him “Daddy.” Thinking of that, and still feeling slightly bewildered from the morning’s events, Yu Mozhi let out a light chuckle.

The sooner she finds her family and goes home, the better. She shouldn’t be wandering around like this. Who knows what kind of people she might run into next time.

As that thought passed through his mind, his phone suddenly rang.

At the Police Station

Yu Mozhi stared in disbelief at the little dumpling sitting on the bench in the hallway, her wide eyes gazing longingly at him. He frowned and asked the officer standing before him, “Are you sure she’s Yu Jingxing’s kid?”

“Yes,” the officer replied. “The child came to us herself and completed an identity verification. The final data matched with Mr. Yu Jingxing’s record. Since the mother is unknown and Mr. Yu Jingxing has passed away, she has no guardian. According to protocol, you are the first-ranked guardian, which is why we contacted you.”

The lower half of Yu Mozhi’s face was hidden behind a mask, but he still looked thoroughly incredulous upon hearing all this.

He had grown up in poverty, with parents who were extremely biased and never spent a single ounce of care on him. All their attention had gone to his so-called older brother, who turned out to be utterly useless—drinking, gambling, whoring—he did it all.

Yu Mozhi had raised himself the hard way. When his family wouldn’t give him any living expenses, he worked odd jobs. When he didn’t have money to eat, he went to nearby construction sites to labor and saved up for tuition. He earned scholarships, and the moment he had a chance, he completely severed ties with his family. It had been over a decade since he’d had any contact with them. They were long estranged, so the idea of him becoming the guardian of this three-year-old was absurd.

He frowned, about to speak, but the officer—clearly already won over by Little Mianmian’s cuteness—leaned in and whispered a few words, gently, as if afraid the little girl would overhear.

“When we had someone help the little girl change clothes earlier, we noticed a number of old bruises on her body. After checking past records, we found that Yu Jingxing had been reported multiple times by neighbors for abusing the child. After his death, one of the neighbors tried to adopt her, but something must have gone wrong—she ran away from their place and somehow found her way to you.”

The rest wasn’t explicitly said, but it was clear: this child had taken Yu Mozhi as her father. If she were abandoned again, it would cause severe trauma to her mental and emotional health. Of course, the case was special—it was an exception. It did seem strange to ask a man who lived alone to suddenly take in a relative’s child. And if he rejected her outright, it could harm the child further.

Still, with no other relatives qualified for guardianship and not meeting the requirements for adoption by an orphanage, the police were stuck in a tough position.

Yu Mozhi lifted his eyelids and glanced over at the little dumpling.

She was still clutching the corner of her oversized clothes, eyes sparkling with anticipation. The moment she saw him look over, she lit up with excitement. Her long, curled eyelashes fluttered, her little carrot-like legs swung back and forth, and her chubby cheeks were full of innocence. In her sweet, soft baby voice, she called out, “Daddy!”

Grandpa Jade had said that if she behaved well and showed how obedient she was, Daddy would definitely like her!

(End of Chapter)