Ever since Yu Yuanyuan appeared, Gao Zhou had been under a lot of pressure.

Yu Jinxiao had never seen him so out of control before, his voice almost on the verge of breaking into sobs.

For all the years he had known Gao Zhou, it was unbelievable that a little child had managed to break through his defenses.

“What!!!” Gao Zhou’s voice suddenly pitched high, so sharp it nearly pierced Yu Jinxiao’s eardrums.

Without hesitation, Yu Jinxiao pulled the phone away and promptly hung up.

His two assistants were of no further use, so Yu Jinxiao dismissed them. Finally, when it was just him and the little one, he picked her up in his arms.

Yu Yuanyuan happily snuggled into her dad’s broad shoulders, feeling a sense of safety in his strong chest.

“Didn’t I tell you to wait in the car? Why did you run off?”

Her joy lasted barely two seconds before her father’s stern voice brought her to account.

Dad’s voice was so scary, cold and sharp—chillier than the sea breeze.

But there was nowhere to run now.

Yu Yuanyuan wiggled slightly in his arms, but Yu Jinxiao had no intention of letting her down.

His broad chest felt like a cage, leaving the little one with nowhere to escape, forcing her to face her father’s intimidating aura head-on.

“Yu… Yuanyuan missed you!” The little one quickly came up with an excuse, immediately getting into character.

Instead of backing away, she threw her arms around Yu Jinxiao’s neck, burrowing her little head against his neck.

Her soft, fluffy hair tickled his skin, and Yu Jinxiao almost couldn’t hold it in. Even the stern expression on his face started to soften.

“Heh, missed me? Looks more like you just wanted to run off!” Yu Jinxiao tried to maintain his icy demeanor. He knew that staying firm was crucial in disciplining a child. “You went missing, and Uncle Gao was so scared he cried.”

To make his point more convincing, Yu Jinxiao decided to throw Gao Zhou under the bus, exaggerating his reaction as much as possible.

“Just now, Uncle Gao called me in tears, saying you’d disappeared.”

The smile on Yu Yuanyuan’s face froze. She stared blankly for a moment, processing what her dad had just said. Her once-bright eyes drooped with guilt, and she pressed her lips together, remaining silent.

This tactic wouldn’t work on most kids, but Yu Jinxiao knew this little one too well.

“You really scared Uncle Gao, you know?”

Yu Yuanyuan lowered her head, pouting sadly and staring at her little legs.

Even though she didn’t say anything, Yu Jinxiao knew his words had hit home.

At least, she now realized she had done something wrong.

Disciplining a child couldn’t be done by force, so Yu Jinxiao didn’t bombard her with more words. He gave her time to reflect on her actions.

Still, he was curious about her unusual behavior that night. Why had she snuck into the trunk and secretly slipped away from Gao Zhou to find him?

It seemed like her only goal had been to get to him.

As Yu Yuanyuan hung her little head in reflection, Yu Jinxiao peered down at her round little head. At three and a half years old, what kind of scheme could she possibly have? It seemed unbelievable.

Moreover, Gao Zhou had spent a lot of effort investigating Yu Yuanyuan’s background, and nothing strange had come up.

Could it really just be a case of her being mischievous?

“Miss Yuanyuan!!!” From a distance, Gao Zhou spotted Yu Jinxiao carrying the little one back, his voice cracking with joy.

As soon as Yu Yuanyuan was back on the ground, she dashed toward him with her tiny steps. “Uncle Gao!!!”

Two guilty hearts reunited after a “long” separation, rushing into each other’s embrace with great enthusiasm.

“Uncle Gao, Yuanyuan was wrong! Yuanyuan shouldn’t have run off! Don’t cry, okay?”

She wrapped her little arms around Gao Zhou’s legs like a U-shaped pillow, her soft voice buzzing with concern.

Crying? Don’t cry?

Who said he was crying!!