Chapter 5: Bringing Her Home  

Zhao Jiaying picked one of the cakes to eat, leaving the other two untouched. She carefully placed them back into the box.  

“Second Uncle, I won’t eat the remaining two pieces. Otherwise, I won’t be able to eat dinner later. I’ll take them home and eat them later!”  

“Alright!”  

Speaking of going home, Ou Zilong suddenly thought of something. Was Yingbao planning to go home with them today? He decided to ask for her opinion first.  

“Yingbao, are you going home with Daddy and Second Uncle today?”  

Zhao Jiaying replied in a soft and childish voice: “Yes, yes! Since Yingbao has found Daddy and Second Uncle, of course, she has to go home with you!”  

Even if they hadn’t asked her this question today, Zhao Jiaying would have shamelessly followed them home on her own. After all, she had come with a mission, and if she didn’t go home with them, she wouldn’t be able to complete it.  

Zhao Jiaying was willing to go home with them, which made Ou Zilong very happy. With her around, the house would definitely be much livelier in the future. Grandma would surely love Yingbao as well—hadn’t she been talking about wanting a great-grandchild all the time? Now, there was one right in front of her.  

However, there was still one problem. His older brother, Ou Zichen, had yet to acknowledge that Zhao Jiaying was his daughter. What if he refused to take Yingbao home?  

To ensure everything went smoothly, Ou Zilong sent their grandmother, Lin Zhenzhu, a photo of Zhao Jiaying eating lunch at noon. Below the picture, he added a caption: “Adorable little one has landed—big bro is now a dad!”  

Not long after, Lin Zhenzhu replied with a short but firm message: “Bring her home!”  

Ou Zilong responded with an “OK” gesture and then put his phone away.  

“Yingbao, Second Uncle wants to tell you that at Second Uncle and Daddy’s house, there’s also a grandma. She is your Great-grandma! When we get home later, remember to call her Great-grandma, okay?”  

Zhao Jiaying nodded obediently. But just now, why hadn’t Second Uncle mentioned Grandpa and Grandma? Did they not live together?  

“Second Uncle, what about Grandpa and Grandma? Don’t they live with us?”  

She adapted quickly, already referring to them as “us” without hesitation.  

At the mention of his parents, Ou Zilong’s expression turned somber. His parents had passed away in a car accident when he was six years old. For so many years, the only family he had left were his older brother, Ou Zichen, and their grandmother, Lin Zhenzhu. They were the only relatives he had.  

But starting today, he had gained another family member—little Yingbao.  

Seeing the curious and expectant look in her eyes, Ou Zilong couldn’t bear to make her sad. So, he gently explained: “Grandpa and Grandma don’t live with us because… because they went to a very faraway place and won’t be coming back anymore.”  

When this topic came up, Zhao Jiaying suddenly remembered the time when Grandpa passed away. She had cried very sadly, and Mommy comforted her, saying: “Yingbao, don’t be sad. Although Grandpa will never come back, he has actually moved to the sky. And don’t worry that Grandpa will be lonely up there, because Grandma also lives in the sky. She will keep Grandpa company!”

When Grandpa was still alive, he had always accompanied and taken care of Yingbao. After he passed away, Zhao Yunxi was worried that Yingying would feel bored and afraid at home alone, so he bought her an Alaskan Malamute—Tangyuan.

Indeed, after Tangyuan arrived, Zhao Jiaying became much happier. Gradually, she overcame the sorrow of Grandpa’s passing. She and Tangyuan became the best companions, never leaving each other’s side!

Thinking about how Second Uncle Ou Zilong had sounded a little sad when he mentioned Grandpa and Grandma earlier, Zhao Jiaying knew he must be missing them. So, she stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and comforted him.

“Second Uncle, don’t be sad. Grandpa and Grandma won’t be lonely in the sky. My Grandma and Grandpa are there too, and they will keep them company. Besides, you have Daddy, Great-grandma, and Yingbao with you, so you won’t be alone in the future. Yingbao will definitely make Second Uncle, Daddy, and Great-grandma happy every single day!”

No one had ever said such words to him before. Now, hearing little Yingbao’s words, his heart felt both sweet and warm.

He held Yingbao in his arms and gave her a kiss on her fair, tender cheek. “Alright, as long as Yingbao is here, Second Uncle will always be happy!”

Zhao Jiaying gave Ou Zilong a sweet smile, instantly melting his heart once again!

He glanced at his watch—it was almost time to get off work.

“Yingbao, let’s go to your Daddy’s office and get ready to go home!”

“Okay!”

Before leaving Ou Zilong’s office, she made sure to take the two remaining pieces of cake with her. If they were left overnight, they would surely go bad by tomorrow. Zhao Jiaying’s principle was: cherish food and avoid waste!

Especially when it came to such delicious cake—not a single crumb should be wasted.

She arrived at Ou Zichen’s office.

“Brother, it’s time to go home!”

“Alright, give me a moment.” Ou Zichen lowered his head, finished the work at hand, and then slowly stood up.

Seeing Zhao Jiaying standing there in a daze, he suddenly realized that he had been so busy with work all afternoon that he had forgotten about her.

Now, what should he do with her? He couldn’t just take her home with him, could he?

Before the paternity test results came out, he couldn’t let Grandma know about this child’s existence. If the test results showed that she wasn’t his daughter, but Grandma had already grown fond of her, then he would have no choice but to take on the role of an undeserved father.  

It wasn’t that he was unwilling to raise Zhao Jiaying. With the financial resources of Ou Corporation, raising not just one, but even a hundred children like Zhao Jiaying would be more than manageable.  

But was raising a child really just about providing food and shelter?  

Right now, Ou Zichen had to take care of Grandma, look after his younger brother Ou Zilong, and manage such a massive corporation. He simply didn’t have the energy to take care of a child. If she was his biological daughter, then it was his responsibility. But if she wasn’t, he really didn’t want to get involved in this mess.  

“Zilong, come here for a moment!”  

Ou Zilong quickly walked over and asked: “Brother, what’s wrong?”  

“Where is Yingbao staying tonight?” Ou Zichen lowered his voice so that only the two of them could hear. After all, Zhao Jiaying was right there.  

“Of course, she’s coming home with us!”  

“No. Until the paternity test results come out, she can’t go back with us, and Grandma mustn’t find out!”  

Ou Zilong had anticipated that his brother wouldn’t agree to take Zhao Jiaying home. Fortunately, he had already sent Grandma a message in advance.  

“Brother, it’s too late. Grandma already knows about Yingbao, and she repeatedly told me to bring her back. So…”  

So, Yingbao had to go home with them!  

Ou Zichen raised his hand, suddenly feeling the urge to slap him. But with Zhao Jiaying watching from the side, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. His raised hand hovered in the air, never coming down.  

Seeing his brother lift his hand as if he was about to hit him, Ou Zilong instinctively raised his own hand to shield his face. But after a moment, the expected slap never landed. He glanced at Ou Zichen and saw that his brother’s hand was still suspended in midair—his eyes, however, were fixed on Zhao Jiaying.

At least he still knew not to hit people in front of a child. It seemed that with Yingbao around, his chances of getting hit would significantly decrease in the future. Suddenly, he felt that telling Grandma about Yingbao had been the right decision!  

Ou Zilong cleared his throat and said: “Brother, Grandma is still waiting for us to come home. Let’s go!”  

Without waiting for a response, he walked over to Zhao Jiaying and said: “Yingbao, let’s go home!”  

“Second Uncle, why did Daddy want to hit you just now?”  

Ou Zichen, who was following behind, heard Yingbao’s question. Had his actions just now scared her?  

“It’s nothing, Daddy and Second Uncle were just playing around!”  

Ou Zilong lied, but it was a harmless lie, wasn’t it?  

Suddenly, Zhao Jiaying stopped in her tracks, placed her hands on her hips, and, looking like a little adult, began lecturing the two brothers.  

“Daddy, Second Uncle, whether it’s hitting people or fighting, both are wrong! If the police officers saw you, they would take you to the police station. So don’t do it again, okay? If you have something to say, talk it out properly. Using your hands instead of words is not the behavior of a gentleman!”  

“Yingbao, you are absolutely right! Second Uncle gives you a big thumbs-up. From now on, Second Uncle and your Daddy will not fight or use our hands, right, Brother?” Ou Zilong shot a meaningful look at Ou Zichen.  

Ou Zichen was frustrated. Was he really being lectured by a little kid? And she even said he wasn’t a gentleman? Although he was a little unconvinced, he still responded to Zhao Jiaying.  

“Got it.”  

These two adults were really worrisome. Poor baby, she had just met Daddy and Second Uncle, and she was already giving them a lesson in good behavior.  

Then, with a commanding tone, Yingbao gave the order: “Let’s go home!”