No one should even think of taking anything from him.

To Chi Yao, Fu Rong seemed like nothing more than a villain, though Fu Rong hadn’t actually done anything yet. From Chi Yao’s perspective, however, this encounter felt suspiciously convenient.

Even Fu Rong had briefly considered if Chi Yao might have orchestrated it, but he knew that wasn’t possible. Chi Yao barely wanted to look at him, let alone plan such an elaborate meeting.

Fu Rong felt a twinge of discomfort. His heart felt unsettled for a moment.

“Pack all those things up,” Chi Yao said, not wanting to engage with Fu Rong further. Fortunately, the weather was cold, and he was bundled up. If it were summer, his belly would surely be much more noticeable by now.

Chi Yao turned away and left, his expression showing that he had no intention of acknowledging Fu Rong at all.

Fu Rong watched Chi Yao’s cold and indifferent figure walk away. His hand clenched slightly. He longed to grab Chi Yao’s hand and ask him if he was the person from that night. The lack of evidence only made Fu Rong more convinced it had to be Chi Yao. Who else could pull off something so flawlessly?

Fu Rong clenched his fist. He would find out the truth; there had to be some trace left behind.

“Pretty Gege!”

Just as Chi Yao was about to pay for his items, a crisp voice rang out. It sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

Before he could turn around, a small figure rushed toward him.

A little girl with a floral headband, about four or five years old, excitedly ran up and hugged Chi Yao around his waist.

The girl tilted her head up with a bright smile, her eyes twinkling.

“Gege, do you remember me? We met in the elevator that day. I’ve been wanting to see you again, but my uncle said he didn’t know you.”

“I told him he was lying—he definitely knows you.”

“Gege, what are you buying? What do you like? I’ll buy it for you!”

The little girl grabbed Chi Yao’s hand with her warm, soft fingers. Chi Yao didn’t often hold children’s hands, and the sensation made his body tremble slightly, a tingling running through his palm. He hadn’t noticed before, but his gaze softened instinctively when looking at her.

“I’m buying a birthday gift for a friend. What about you?”

Chi Yao knelt down to her level. He found it impossible to resist this soft-hearted child. As she hugged him, Chi Yao thought about his own baby. If his baby grew up, they’d probably hug him like this too. His cold heart immediately softened.

“I’m getting this,” the girl said, opening her hand to show him a butterfly adorned with sparkling gems, its wings shimmering brightly.

“It’s beautiful. It suits you,” Chi Yao said, gently stroking her cheek. He smiled—a rare, genuine, and warm smile.

Fu Rong stood by, watching. The man kneeling in front of the girl—was this really Chi Yao? He nearly thought Chi Yao had been replaced by someone else. Chi Yao was always cold and aloof, but now, he was smiling with real warmth.

It was clear that both Chi Yao and the girl had completely forgotten about Fu Rong. The little girl seemed to adore Chi Yao. Ever since they first met in the elevator, she’d taken a liking to him. She’d even told Chi Yao then that she wanted to be his girlfriend, but he had gently declined, saying he already had someone special.

Now, meeting him again, she was overjoyed and didn’t want to let go of his hand.

“I’ll buy the butterfly for you,” Chi Yao told the girl.

“No need! My uncle has lots of money. What do you like? He’ll buy it for you,” she said, looking over at Fu Rong.

“Uncle, I want to buy a gift for the pretty Gege. Can you pay for it?” she asked with a bright smile.

Fu Rong walked over and gently patted her head.

“Of course.”

“She really likes you. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her this happy.”

Fu Rong knew Chi Yao would probably refuse the offer. Even if Fu Rong bought him something, Chi Yao would likely return the money later. But it was clear that Chi Yao liked children, so Fu Rong decided to play along.

Chi Yao glanced at Fu Rong but didn’t say anything. He was about to refuse, but as the girl smiled at him, the words got caught in his throat.

Chi Yao only let Fu Rong pay for the lighter, a gift for Chang Feng. As for the longevity lock, Chi Yao paid for that himself.

“Gege, do you have a baby?” the girl asked as she noticed the longevity lock. Despite her young age, she was quite sharp.

“Yes,” Chi Yao smiled and nodded.

“Where’s the baby?” she asked, looking around for the child.

“They’re not born yet. Probably next year,” Chi Yao replied.

“Next year? Can I give them a gift when they’re born?”

“Your baby must be super cute, just like me!” she said with a big grin.

“Yes, they’ll be just as cute as you,” Chi Yao agreed. He was confident in both his genes and the genes of the man beside him—their child would be incredibly adorable.

As they left the jewelry store, Chi Yao mentioned he had some things to do and gestured for the girl to let go. But she wouldn’t. Her eyes filled with tears, and she choked out that she didn’t want to part from him, even promising she wouldn’t eat much so she wouldn’t bankrupt him.

Chi Yao, unable to resist the child’s pleading, sighed. Maybe it was because he was about to become a father himself, but he found it hard to refuse any child.

“Alright, let’s go eat together with your uncle.”

“Oh, and by the way, call me ‘uncle.’ I’m much older than you,” Chi Yao corrected her.

“Okay, un…uncle,” the girl said, hugging him tightly once more.