Gao Zhou wanted to shout to the heavens, demanding to know which little brat said he had cried.

He was a grown man—how could he cry? Ridiculous.

“Yuanyuan promises not to run off again, Uncle Gao. I’m sorry.” A sweet, childlike voice floated over, instantly melting Gao Zhou’s heart. All the frustration and anger he had felt evaporated. He squatted down and patted Yu Yuanyuan’s head.

One pat wasn’t enough. Taking advantage of Mr. Yu’s lack of interference, he quickly patted her again.

The fluffy little head felt so good under his hand.

Every time he stroked her, her big round eyes would gaze up at him, like a little kitten hoping to be taken home.

Gao Zhou couldn’t help but sigh.

When would he be able to pick up an adorable little milk bun like this one? He wished Mr. Yu would teach him how to get one.

On the way back, Yu Yuanyuan dozed off in her car seat in the back, her little head wobbling from side to side. She vaguely heard her father talking to Gao Zhou.

Yu Jinxiao had deliberately taken the front passenger seat, recounting what had happened by the sea.

Even Gao Zhou was surprised when he heard the story and glanced at the back seat.

The little girl was still sound asleep, her head leaning to one side, her tiny mouth slightly open. A small drop of drool glistened at the corner of her lips.

“But the beach is so big. How did Miss Yuanyuan manage to find her way there?” Gao Zhou was puzzled.

Although they had used flashlights, the car had been parked quite a distance from the beach. It was unlikely that the little girl could have found the spot so quickly just by guessing.

Gao Zhou and Yu Jinxiao compared the time.

It took Yuan Yuan less than fifteen minutes from the time she snuck off to the time she found her father.

And most of that time was spent because her legs were short and she couldn’t walk fast.

This three-year-old had almost perfectly navigated her way without making a single wrong turn, finding Yu Jinxiao with pinpoint accuracy.

“Sounds unbelievable,” Gao Zhou mused, glancing again at the sleeping little girl. “But… she’s only three. What bad intentions could a three-year-old possibly have?”

Yu Jinxiao stared ahead at the dark road, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Yuanyuan’s appearance was certainly unusual, but so far, she hadn’t done anything harmful.

By the time they got home, it was nearly 10 p.m.

As soon as Yu Jinxiao entered the house, carrying the half-asleep Yuanyuan, the villa erupted into chaos.

“Dad! Yuanyuan is missing—uh?” Yu Mingxi came rushing down the stairs, clutching his asthma medication, his face pale as a sheet.

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the little girl fast asleep on Yu Jinxiao’s shoulder.

“I couldn’t find her anywhere outside… wait, huh?” Yu Yingze, who had just run in from outside, looked just as disheveled.

His clothes were covered in leaves and grass, with dirt smudged on his skin, making him look like a stray puppy that had rolled around in the mud.

The villa complex was so large that he had even recruited some neighborhood kids to help in the search. After over an hour of searching with no results, he had returned home in despair.

The servants also trickled back in, their faces pale, as if they had received death sentences.

One by one, the group of panicked people returned to the villa. When they saw the little girl peacefully asleep on Yu Jinxiao’s shoulder, they all let out relieved cheers.

“Yuanyuan!!!” Yu Yingze exploded, “Where did you go?! We’ve been looking for you all night!”

He hadn’t dared to play any video games, had run around getting himself filthy, and now came back to find the little girl sleeping soundly without a care in the world.

Fury surged through his chest, and he rushed over to yank Yuanyuan’s little foot. In his frustration, he accidentally pulled her shoe off.

The movement startled the little girl awake from her dream. Half-asleep, she scratched at her face, which had been tickled by her hair. “A monster… a monster is grabbing Yuanyuan’s foot!” she mumbled groggily.