One second, Yu Yuanyuan was all smiles, but after her father’s fierce roar, she froze in place. Her wide eyes stared at Yu Jinxiao’s shocked face, as if she had been paralyzed.

The moment the words left his mouth, Yu Jinxiao realized he had made a mistake. The thought, this isn’t good, flashed in his mind. But now that the damage was done, he found himself at a loss, unsure how to fix it.

Her once cheerful eyes slowly filled with tears, her eyebrows knitted in deep sorrow, and her small mouth began to quiver, the telltale signs of a child about to cry.

Five seconds later, the inevitable happened.

“Waaahhh!” A wail of pure sadness echoed through the study.

Yu Jinxiao flinched, feeling as if his eardrums were about to burst. It had been a long time since he’d heard the little one cry this loudly, this heartbreakingly. The sound gripped his chest, filling it with a dull ache.

The tiny figure on his lap wriggled, trying to escape his hold. She struggled awkwardly, and after a moment, she slipped through the gap between his arms and fell to the floor with a soft thud.

Luckily, the floor was carpeted, but Yuanyuan still tumbled awkwardly before rolling to a stop, slightly dazed and momentarily forgetting to cry. But as soon as she stood up and the disorientation faded, her sense of injustice returned in full force, and her sobbing resumed like the sharp screech of a violin.

Yu Jinxiao wanted to call out to her, to make her stop crying, but as he raised his hand, it froze mid-air.

What would he even say? How could he comfort her? Apologize?

That thought caused him to hesitate, and by the time he gathered his resolve, Yuanyuan had already reached the doorway.

Her wails suddenly came to a halt as she paused and turned around. Across the distance between them, father and daughter locked eyes. She stood there, face tear-streaked, her little brows knitted tightly in distress, her entire face scrunched up in sorrow.

After a few hiccups and sniffles, Yuanyuan drew in a deep breath and, with all the strength she could muster, shouted, “Daddy—you’re mean!!!”

Her little face was flushed, messy with tears, and after hurling her final accusation, she turned and ran off, crying again as her footsteps pounded toward her room. The door slammed shut behind her with a loud bang.

The heartbreaking sobs had been loud enough to attract attention, and soon Yu Mingxi and Yu Yingze were standing nearby, curiosity clear on their faces.

As Yu Jinxiao stepped out of his study, he met the questioning stares of his two sons, both looking for answers.

“Dad, what happened to Yuanyuan?” Yu Mingxi asked, confused after hearing what sounded like a tantrum.

“It’s nothing,” Yu Jinxiao muttered, not in the mood to explain, and turned back to his study.

Yu Mingxi and Yu Yingze exchanged glances. Yu Yingze, already overwhelmed with homework, returned to his room without pressing further.

Once his brother left, Yu Mingxi quietly tiptoed to the study.

Peeking in, he saw his father sitting at the desk, his head resting in his hands, eyes closed as if lost in thought or completely drained.

“Dad?” Yu Mingxi softly called from the doorway, unsure if his father would be willing to talk.

“I accidentally yelled at her,” Yu Jinxiao sighed, his voice heavy with regret. “It looks like I really upset her.”

Oh? Yuanyuan, mad? That was a first!

Of all the children he knew, Yuanyuan had the sweetest temper. It was a real feat for their father to have made her so upset.

“What happened? Was she misbehaving?”

“She kept asking about her mother… about when she would come back,” Yu Jinxiao’s breath hitched slightly, the very question weighing heavily on his heart.

Yu Mingxi nodded in understanding.

It wasn’t that their father meant to be harsh, but sometimes painful memories could overwhelm a person, turning into demons that took over their emotions. Just a few seconds of losing control could leave behind a deep wound.

“Should I go talk to Yuanyuan?” Yu Mingxi offered, gesturing toward her room. “But Dad, remember, Yuanyuan is still very young. She doesn’t understand adult emotions or thoughts.”

Of course, Yu Jinxiao knew what his son was getting at—he was in the wrong for yelling at her.