Yuanyuan was crushed. Even after sacrificing her beloved snacks, it hadn’t been enough to make her father happy. She sat there, deflated, like a leaf ready to fall from the tree outside the window.

“Yuanyuan, there’s cake downstairs. Do you want some?” Her brother’s voice drifted in from the doorway. He hadn’t even finished his sentence before the door swung open.

In a flash, Yuanyuan appeared at the door, her eyes shining. “I want cake!”

It seemed that the quickest way to cheer Yuanyuan up was through food.

Yu Mingxi had thought his dad’s strategy was a bit crude, lacking in sincerity. But now… maybe his dad understood her better than anyone.

When Yuanyuan happily hopped to the dining table, a familiar cold air swept over her.

“Achoo!” She sneezed loudly and caught sight of a tall shadow looming nearby.

It was her dad!

Instinctively, Yuanyuan took several steps back.

That tiny, barely noticeable retreat made Yu Jinxiao’s brow furrow deeply. His gaze, cold and piercing, shot down at her, like an arrow flying through the air.

Terrified, Yuanyuan quickly darted behind Yu Mingxi, hiding herself completely except for one eye peeking out.

Even though she was scared, her eyes couldn’t stop wandering back to the cake.

Her hesitant gaze was filled with an overwhelming desire for the cake.

“Who’s going to cut it?” Yu Mingxi asked, pretending to be casual.

Yu Yingze was about to excitedly volunteer when he saw their dad remove the decorative cover, revealing the cake underneath.

His once eager expression froze in confusion, and his movements came to a sudden halt.

The knife he had just picked up was quietly placed back on the table, and without saying a word, he moved to the farthest corner, sitting down without looking at the cake again.

Yu Mingxi lifted Yuanyuan onto the chair in front of the cake, his gaze briefly passing over his younger brother.

He understood what Yingze was thinking.

“This is for you,” Yu Jinxiao said, pushing the cake closer to Yuanyuan. His hand deliberately hovered over the word “sorry,” drawing her attention to it.

“What’s that on the cake?” Yuanyuan asked, innocently pointing to the word with her little finger. “It looks like worms, circles, grass, and… someone leaning on a wall because they’re tired?”

Yu Jinxiao: “…”

He had to admire Yuanyuan’s ability to creatively interpret the shapes of words.

This little girl couldn’t even recognize capital letters, and here he was, presenting her with an apology cake that had an English word on it.

Suddenly, Yu Jinxiao felt like the foolish one, not Yuanyuan.

“That’s a word in English that means ‘I’m sorry,’” Yu Mingxi explained, leaning down to pat Yuanyuan’s head. “Daddy wants to make peace with you. What do you think?”

“Re… really?” Yuanyuan asked, hesitantly biting her finger as she sat carefully on the chair, stealing nervous glances up at her father.

Still wrapped in his cold aura, Yu Jinxiao grumbled, “No, it’s fake.”

“Waaah! Daddy said it’s fake!” Yuanyuan wailed, waving her hands in distress as she complained to Yu Mingxi.

“If it’s fake, why would Daddy buy a cake?” Yu Mingxi asked, gently pushing the cake closer to her, letting the sweet smell cloud her judgment.

In truth, Yuanyuan had already lost all sense of reason. She licked her lips and pulled out a small dessert plate from the box.

Grabbing the knife with her tiny hands, she started cutting the cake and carefully placing pieces on the plate. “Daddy, Yuanyuan is treating you to cake. Don’t be mad anymore!”

Well, well. Yu Jinxiao was once again surprised.

He pays for the cake, and she treats him to it.