Chapter 1 – He Is My Daddy

July.
A heavy rain had just fallen. After the rain, the sky cleared, but the humid heat still enveloped all of Yancheng, stifling and suffocating.

Inside the car—

“President Fu, Xinxin finishes class at ten, it’s still ten minutes away.”

“There’s a meeting back at the company at eleven. Your meeting with President Shi is scheduled for two in the afternoon.”

“Later, should we bring Xinxin back to the company, or should I send her to Miss Jiang first?”

Han Si, seated in the passenger seat, asked the man in the back.

The man had long, narrow phoenix eyes. He sat with his eyes closed, exuding a cool, detached air.

Sunlight pierced through the shadows of the trees, casting across his side profile, making his features look even more defined and three-dimensional.

“We’ll see,” he replied.

Han Si lowered his head, swiping on the tablet, but his fingers suddenly froze.

“Old Master has urged again, asking you to make a decision soon. His intention is that the marriage alliance between the Fu and Liang families must not be canceled. Miss Jiang has been associated with the Liang family for many years, and marrying you under the identity of the Liang family’s daughter would be proper and fitting. Besides, Xinxin is, after all, a blood member of the Fu family…”

Fu Xijin lightly tapped his knuckles, cutting him off.

Han Si signaled the driver with a glance, then got out of the car and opened the rear door.

Fu Xijin opened his eyes, his gaze casually falling outside… onto a little yellow duck.

A pair of little yellow duck rain boots splashed into a puddle, dirty water spraying onto her fair, chubby little legs. A tiny figure wearing a matching raincoat huffed and puffed as she ran forward.

The raincoat’s hood sagged dispiritedly, revealing a round, dumpling-like little face.

She had just crawled out through the kindergarten’s back gate dog hole, leaving the little ponytail atop her head all messy, like a little bird’s nest.

Suddenly—

Voices came from inside the kindergarten.

“Teacher Xiaohua! Yaoyao is missing!”

The little dumpling panicked and dashed across the street, her round face tightening.

She had to go home and find her mommy. She couldn’t let Teacher Xiaohua find her.

Across the street, beside a patch of greenery, a black car was parked. Yaoyao nimbly hid behind it, squinting her eyes as she peeked toward the kindergarten.

Not long after, she spotted Teacher Xiaohua coming out.

Yaoyao gasped and covered her little mouth, terrified of being caught and dragged back. Her little legs started moving, trying to climb into the car.

Just as the car door opened, a long leg clad in a well-fitted suit pant stepped out. Yaoyao lifted her head to see his face clearly—and suddenly pounced on him with a “plop.”

“Little one,” the man said.

His voice was low and mellow, like the clear knock of jade, yet it carried a hint of night-time chill.

Yaoyao clung to him with both arms and legs like a little koala, her soft cheeks wobbling slightly as he lifted his leg.

Her round eyes, black and white and crystal clear, blinked up at him.

Since she was young, she had perfected the art of winning over adults. All it took was a pout and a sweet, milky voice, and she could win anyone over.

“Uncle~”

She tilted her head back hard, making her neck sore, but the man didn’t answer.

Han Si glanced at the time—Xinxin’s class was ending soon.

He asked, “Sweetheart, where did you run off from? Where are your parents?”

Worried about being spotted by Teacher Xiaohua, Yaoyao wriggled like a little caterpillar, kicking her dangling legs like a frog that couldn’t quite hop.

Her little face flushed red from the effort, but she didn’t move an inch.

Han Si rubbed his nose and gave a soft cough.

“President Fu, maybe I should carry her?”

Fu Xijin glanced at him, finally moving. Stretching out his long arm, he effortlessly lifted her up like a kitten, giving her a light toss.

Yaoyao kicked her rain boots, leaving one muddy footprint after another on the man’s expensive tailored suit.

The driver and Han Si exchanged a glance, cold sweat running down their backs.

“Put me down! I want to get down!” Yaoyao’s bossy little voice rang out.

Fu Xijin, finally showing a trace of mercy, set her down in the seat next to him. But before long, Yaoyao slid down again and clung stubbornly to his leg, trying to hide.

“Uncle, quick, drive!” she urged.

The man ignored her. His brows furrowed slightly as he looked at the footprints on his suit, his eyes darkening.

“Where are your parents?”

Yaoyao pursed her lips, a hint of regret flashing across her face.

“My daddy is dead,” she said.

Han Si froze, staring at her chubby face, guilt welling up inside him.

But looking carefully, her expression didn’t seem the least bit sad.

He asked curiously, “You’re not sad?”

Yaoyao tilted her head, the little yellow duck hood flopping with her movement.

She glanced at Fu Xijin.

“I never met my daddy, so I’m not sad. It’s just… a little pity.”

“Pity what?” Han Si asked, intrigued.

Yaoyao covered her little mouth and whispered, but loudly enough for everyone in the car to hear, “Pity that I didn’t get to have my daddy’s funeral feast. Xiaopang said when his grandpa passed away, there were twelve dishes on the table!”

Han Si twitched the corner of his mouth, at a loss for words.

Yaoyao, being a little chatterbox, was unstoppable now.

“Uncle, what’s so great about twelve dishes? I’ll go home and tell my grandpa he has to prepare fifteen dishes for his funeral, and I’ll invite Xiaopang over!”

She patted her small chest proudly.

Han Si: “…There’s really no need to have such a strong competitive spirit.”

You’re really “honoring” your grandpa, huh.

Clearing his throat, he asked, “Then, what about your mommy?”

At last, Yaoyao remembered why she had escaped from the kindergarten.

She had just turned three, just in time to start kindergarten in September. Her mommy had sent her to a nearby school for trial classes to get used to the environment.

However, during nap time that day, she had a nightmare.

After analyzing it with Xiaopang, they concluded: her mommy was the “pregnant and running” supporting character in a novel, and her whole family would eventually be cannon fodder!

The thought made Yaoyao anxious. She didn’t want to end up begging under a bridge.

Hearing Han Si’s question, she sighed dramatically, “I’m almost about to attend my mommy’s funeral feast too.”

Han Si looked up in shock.

But Yaoyao’s expression was too calm, not at all like she was grieving.

Yaoyao raised her dewy eyes and looked at him, her voice milky and sweet. “Uncle, what’s wrong?”

Meeting her clear gaze, Han Si’s heart jolted. She’s only three years old—how could she lie?

His voice hoarse, he patted her messy little ponytail.

“Nothing, just… my condolences.”

Yaoyao shook her head vigorously. No condolences could save her now.

She was about to become a little beggar!

Yaoyao cupped her round cheeks with both hands, the back of her hands forming little dimples as her soft white face got squished.

She blinked her big eyes, looking back and forth between Han Si—

Hmm… no good. This uncle didn’t seem very smart.

She looked again at the cold-faced uncle sitting beside her. He looked rich.

“Uncle, do you want to be my daddy?”

Mommy had said, if you want something, you have to take the initiative!

Adults were polite. Kids just reached out and grabbed!

Fu Xijin leaned lazily against the seat, his eyelids drooping.

The man’s looks were outstanding, with an innate aura of superiority.

Hearing her words, he slowly lifted his eyes, like mist clearing from a lake in the early morning, deep and unfathomable.

A faint, amused smile tugged at his lips.

“You want to attend my funeral feast too?”

Yaoyao blinked at him in confusion.

Fu Xijin rubbed his thumb against his fingertips, looking at her puffy, dumpling-like cheeks. They seemed very soft to the touch.

Thinking this, he reached out and gave her face a little pinch.

“Get down. You won’t be attending my feast anytime soon.”

This little rascal.

Yaoyao widened her eyes, putting her little hands on her hips. Her round belly was particularly eye-catching.

“Lots of people want to be my daddy!”

Fu Xijin snorted, “Lots of people want to. I’m not one of them.”

Yaoyao pouted. “Then what do I have to do for you to be my daddy?”

Fu Xijin glanced at her round belly and said coolly, “Lose weight first.”

“Huff…” Yaoyao sucked in a deep breath, trying hard to suck in her tummy.

But she couldn’t hold it for long. She let out a long exhale, and with a pop, a button on her belly popped open, revealing a soft, squishy bit of chubby flesh above her waistband.

Yaoyao panicked, patting her tummy. “Get in! Quick, get in!”

Han Si, seeing her sweating profusely, tried to comfort her. “You’re still little. Having a little belly is normal. It’ll slim down when you grow taller.”

Yaoyao looked at his round face and her little face fell.

“Uncle, you’re lying. You grew up and still didn’t slim down!”

The driver in the front couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

Han Si: “…”

Yaoyao looked up and happened to meet Teacher Xiaohua’s eyes at the car window.

She shrank her neck and muttered, “Oh no, I’ve been found! Uncle, hide me, quick!”

She dove into Fu Xijin’s chest, burying her little face.

At that moment, Teacher Xiaohua’s face appeared outside the window.

“Yaoyao! Didn’t the teacher tell you not to get into strangers’ cars?”

Yaoyao flailed her little hands. “He’s my daddy! He’s not a stranger!”

Han Si: “…”

Fu Xijin: “…”

Teacher Xiaohua frowned. At this private kindergarten, she was familiar with the family situations of every child.

She knew well that Yaoyao came from a single-parent household.

“Nonsense! Where did you get a daddy from?”

Yaoyao straightened her little body and said firmly, “I’m not Sun Wukong! Of course, I have a daddy!”

Teacher Xiaohua almost laughed out of anger. Was that what she meant?

“Come down right now. I’ve already called your mommy. Does she know you randomly picked up a daddy?”

Yaoyao tightened her little face and looked very serious.

“Teacher, I didn’t pick randomly. I picked very seriously!”

She justified earnestly—