CHAPTER 449: 221. NAN WAN LOOKED AT HIM, INNOCENT YET SLY, ’MR. MU, THIS IS YOUR DAUGHTER.

Even though I really wanted a little girl, I couldn’t bear for her to go through such pain again.

I’ve always said: Having just Jiu Jiu is enough for us, and when the time comes, he can lay us to rest together.

Originally, I wasn’t so eager for a daughter, but after spending an afternoon with Pea, I realized... little girls can be this adorable.

When she crawled into my arms to snuggle, my heart just melted.

"Daughter," Mu Jin Huan mouthed these words without apology, but hidden in his calm voice was a tsunami about to rise up from the deep, "On which day did you conceive a child, and when did you give birth to such a daughter who could crawl all over the place, yet I’m completely unaware of it, hmm?"

Nan Wan leaned into the man’s embrace, looking at the ceiling, the chandelier, out the window, anywhere but him.

"It’s not me who gave birth."

Mu Jin Huan stood tall and straight before the bookshelf, his white shirt expertly tailored without a single extra crease, the top two buttons undone, sleeves partially rolled up, perfectly revealing his tanned and muscular arms.

His understated yet exquisite watch on his wrist, the wedding ring on his slender fingers, his perfectly fitted black suit pants and dark gray socks—all exuded an air of elegance.

He didn’t speak, clearly waiting for her to continue.

The man’s gaze was too serene, which suddenly made Nan Wan feel a bit guilty. She pursed her lips and confessed, "Wanxia was already pregnant before the divorce."

Even she could see that Pea’s eyes were a twin of Ji Wanxia’s, let alone Mu Jin Huan, who had kept Ji Wanxia in his heart for so many years.

He didn’t utter a single word about Ji Wanxia, suggesting that his usually sharp and alert mind had taken a brief nap.

Or perhaps, upon first glance, he already knew and was just waiting for a confirmed answer.

"So, you two conspired to keep it from me?" The darkness in Mu Jin Huan’s eyes deepened another shade, forcing the woman’s chin up to prevent her from dodging.

His voice was flat like a calm sea, yet strangely it instilled a feeling of unease when heard.

Nan Wan was encircled by the man’s arm, his presence was too overwhelming for her to avoid meeting his gaze.

With a gentle smile, her voice soft, "It was you who failed to notice initially, you can’t blame me... can you?"

As she spoke, her hand twirled the hem of his shirt lightly, in the tiniest of gestures, just like a mischievous beauty trying to shift the blame onto others after realizing her own mistake.

Watching her deliberate display of affection and coquetry, Mu Jin Huan felt a headache coming on.

Choosing not to dwell on the subject, he asked, "When did Wanwan arrive?"

Though he always knew where Wanwan was, he had never sought her out, as she needed time and space, and he offered her freedom to the fullest extent he could.

Those stationed around the small town would ensure her safety.

However, he hadn’t foreseen that after Gu Shaozhi searched for two months, he would withdraw everyone.

Truly heartless...

It saved him the effort, yet made him feel he couldn’t let it pass, though he’d promised Wanwan not to interfere, so he complied.

Initially, it was to respect her wishes, but later it was due to exhaustion.

Nan Wan squinted as she recalled, it hadn’t yet reached lunchtime, "A little after eleven, I was still at the hospital."

The force Mu Jin Huan applied to her chin eased a bit; her skin was such that even a slight pressure would mark it, as if she had been mistreated.

He knew this better than anyone, and so he hadn’t used much force from the start.

Yet, his brows remained furrowed, "Couldn’t you have called me?"

Nan Wan smiled, her voice light and charming, "Compared to you, she likes me more."

Of course not, in Ji Wanxia’s heart, Mr. Mu’s status was unshakeable by anyone. The more precious a person is, the less she wishes to be seen in a bad light by them.

Jiu Jiu, accustomed to his dad’s reserved demeanor, glanced a few times before burying his head to play on his own.

But Pea was different; she was extremely curious about all things new and could gaze for ages, preferably touching them, which was why she crawled all over the place.

Like now, she was watching Mu Jin Huan intently.

Mu Jin Huan moved over to the sofa, paused for a moment, then crouched down, his voice deep yet gentle, "What’s her name?"

His perpetually perceived-to-be-young sister surprisingly had a daughter.

When Mrs. Mu gave birth to Jiu Jiu, she nearly lost her life, what about Wanwan then...

His sister deserved the best care, yet she was left to nurse her pregnancy and give birth in a remote, economically backward town...

Those assigned to protect her seemed utterly useless.

He certainly wasn’t asking the four-month-old Pea, who understood nothing.

"Wanxia only mentioned her nickname is Pea," Nan Wan also approached, gently wiping the daughter’s drool at the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, "She’ll take the family name Mu, why don’t you name her?"

Mu Yan’s name was given by his parents, but Pea’s is different, and there was no one more fitting to name her.

Jiu Jiu continued to fiddle with his toy car, showing little interest in Mu Jin Huan’s proximity. However, Pea, full of curiosity, mustered all her strength to crawl toward Mu Jin Huan’s feet.

Mu Jin Huan froze for a moment before picking up the crawling, yet slow-moving, Pea into his arms.

She’s so small, so light...

Jiu Jiu didn’t quite like being held by Mr. Mu, and likewise, Mu Jin Huan rarely hugged his son.

But it seemed Pea enjoyed being held by the tall Mu Jin Huan, being lifted so high she could see the little birds on branches outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

Chirping with excitement, she laughed.

She reacted entirely differently from Jiu Jiu, and for a moment, Mu Jin Huan found himself captivated by Pea’s beaming little face.

A child’s interest ebbs as quickly as it flows. Once the novelty wore off, she wanted to play with Jiu Jiu, who could understand her ’talk’.

The little one in his arms started to squirm, so Mu Jin Huan set her down on the carpet.

"Pea’s adorable, isn’t she?" Nan Wan said, sitting beside her husband, leaning against his shoulder with a smile, "I almost want to stuff Jiu Jiu back into my belly and give birth to him again."

Of course, this was just a joke.

"Hmm," Mu Jin Huan looked at Pea, playing with Barton’s fur at his feet, and his long, serene hawk-like eyes turned gentle, like a stream in spring.

Even his deep voice carried an inexplicable hint of indulgence, "Ange."

Though he’d thought about it for a long time, when he finally spoke, it felt like the name had been prepared in his heart all along.

Wrapping an arm around the woman’s shoulder, he placed a warm kiss on her nose, her lip’s edge, his low, hoarse voice infused with a trace of an emotion others wouldn’t understand, "Mu Ange, does that name sound good?"

Ange, Ange...

"It’s wonderful, better than I imagined," Nan Wan laid across the man’s lap, reaching out to adjust Pea’s tilted hat, her brows and eyes smiling tenderly and beautifully, "Ange, do you like it?"