Yu Yuanyuan, on the verge of tears, sniffled as she looked timidly at Yu Mingxi. Her voice was soft and pitiful as she asked, “Yuanyuan is a little kitten, a little kitty spirit. Does brother like kitties?”

“Wow,” Yu Mingxi exclaimed gently and playfully, “Little kitty is so cute. Of course, brother likes kitties.”

“Then… does brother feel any better?” Yuanyuan, lying on the edge of the sofa, held Yu Mingxi’s cold fingers, her voice sweet and soft. “Does brother still need more spirit energy?”

Feeling much better, Yu Mingxi sat up straight and pulled Yuanyuan into his arms. “Brother’s fine now. Can Yuanyuan stay and chat with me for a bit?”

“Okay!” Yuanyuan eagerly nodded, happy to oblige.

“Brother, you should go upstairs and rest, don’t bother with her,” Yu Yingze interrupted, clearly annoyed.

Though Yu Yingze could be mischievous, he was never so in front of his older brother. He knew how fragile his brother’s health was and hated to see him upset. If it weren’t for their father suddenly bringing a little girl home today…

Seeing Yuanyuan had sparked an unexpected fear in Yu Yingze—he worried that his father’s already limited attention would now be split even further.

After all, their father was so busy that he barely had time for them, and he often forgot or broke his promises.

If what little attention and love they received had to be shared…

“Yuanyuan, do you remember where you used to live?” Yu Mingxi asked, trying to gently lead the conversation. His question instantly eased the tension in Yu Jinxiao’s frown.

The eldest son had always been smart and sensible. Yu Jinxiao understood that Yu Mingxi was guiding Yuanyuan to share useful information.

“It was a really big house with a big yard, and there were lots of other children,” Yuanyuan replied.

Yu Mingxi glanced up at his father, and Yu Jinxiao seemed to have a similar thought. The two exchanged a knowing look.

“And do you remember the names of the people who took care of you?” Yu Mingxi asked, trying to gather more clues.

Yuanyuan, like a soft little doll, was nestled in his arms. To ease her anxiety, Yu Mingxi gently held her tiny fist in one hand and stroked her fluffy head with the other.

“Teacher Li… Teacher Zhang… Teacher Lin… and Auntie Chen,” Yuanyuan counted on her little fingers, which looked like tiny, round radishes poking out of the soil. “Oh, and Uncle Wang!”

Yu Mingxi’s expression grew serious, hesitating before asking the next question. “And… what about your mom and dad?”

The lively little girl fell silent, huddling closer into Yu Mingxi’s arms. Her eyes darted over to Yu Jinxiao.

Daddy told me not to call him Daddy, she thought. But maybe I can just look at him?

Her pitiful gaze was impossible to ignore, like an invisible hand tugging at Yu Jinxiao, with the unspoken words “Daddy” lingering in the air.

Seeing Yuanyuan’s tearful expression, Yu Yingze immediately felt jealous and let out a displeased “hmph.”

If it weren’t for the fact that he didn’t want to upset his brother, he would’ve pulled that little radish away from him right then and there.

“How did you find Dad?” Yu Mingxi asked, much calmer than Yu Yingze when it came to Yuanyuan calling their father “Dad.”

This cute little girl had a certain aura about her that reminded him of his lost sister—the one who never came home.

“From the TV! I saw him on TV,” Yuanyuan said, pointing at a small black box in the living room after glancing around nervously.

Yu Jinxiao’s eyes sharpened, his gaze turning icy.

She found out about me from the TV… Is that really all?

Yu Yingze, who had been trying not to get involved, followed Yuanyuan’s finger and burst out laughing, “Haha! Are you silly? That’s not a TV, that’s my piggy bank! The TV is over there!”

Yuanyuan’s wide-eyed, confused gaze shifted from the black box to the enormous wall-mounted screen nearby. The TV was so large that it towered over her, easily several times her height.

“What?! That’s the TV?!” Yuanyuan’s little head almost exploded with shock. The TV in Daddy’s house was way, way taller than she was!