CHAPTER 33: MY WHOLE WORLD

"I told you I’d come, didn’t I?" he said gently. "Did you have fun today?"

"Mn! But I missed you more!"

Huaijin buried her face into his shoulder, her voice muffled as she whined, "You should’ve come sooner... everyone else’s parents came earlier..."

He chuckled. "I came right after my meeting ended."

"Meetings are evil," she declared solemnly. "They take you away from me."

Her father laughed again, the sound warm and deep. "Yes, yes, I’ll make sure to scold the meetings next time."

The teacher standing nearby couldn’t help but smile at the sight. "Mr. Chi, Huaijin was wonderful today. So calm, polite, and attentive, a model student!"

"Really?" Yuanfeng looked genuinely pleased.

Huaijin peeked up shyly from his arms, her big eyes blinking innocently.

"Yes," the teacher continued with admiration. "She never cried or fussed once, always answered politely, and even helped another child with his crayons."

The "other child" mentioned happened to be the future male lead, who was now standing a few feet away, holding his small backpack and staring at the scene unfolding before him in disbelief.

His jaw practically dropped to the ground from shock.

’Who is this?!’ he thought incredulously. ’Is this the same girl who called me illiterate this morning? The same one who ignored me the whole day?’

The little boy blinked rapidly, his tiny brain struggling to reconcile the two images: the calm, quiet desk partner who refused to talk to him during class, and the adorable, spoiled child who was now giggling and cooing in her father’s arms like a soft kitten.

Even his ears turned red in confusion.

’She’s... actually smiling? And, she can talk like that?!’

Across the courtyard, the other children were staring too.

Chi Yuanying, who had spent the day trying to prove herself superior, clenched her hands tightly around her bag straps, her lips curling in faint jealousy.

The real daughter, Lingxi, tilted her head curiously. She didn’t feel jealous, just intrigued. The little girl named Huaijin seemed... different.

She was the kind of child you couldn’t quite figure out, too quiet one moment, too dazzling the next.

Meanwhile, Huaijin paid none of them any mind.

She was busy squishing her cheek against her father’s chest and humming contentedly, her small legs kicking gently in the air.

"Daddy, did you eat lunch?"

"I did."

"What did you eat?"

"Rice and vegetables."

She frowned dramatically. "No meat again? You’re going to turn into a plant if you keep doing that!"

The teacher almost burst out laughing.

Yuanfeng smiled helplessly, gently patting her back. "I’ll eat meat tomorrow, alright?"

"You promise?"

"Promise."

"Pinky promise?" she demanded, holding up her tiny pinky.

He hooked his larger finger around hers with a grin. "Pinky promise."

The other parents watching the exchange couldn’t help but feel a little envious.

Such a warm father-daughter relationship was rare. Especially since the man’s demeanor, even in casual clothes, carried a quiet dignity, a subtle power that made him stand out.

One could easily imagine him as an executive, not a mere researcher, as he claimed to be.

The teacher finally spoke again, beaming. "You must be very proud of her, Mr. Chi. She’s incredibly bright for her age."

"I am," Yuanfeng said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "She’s my whole world."

Huaijin grinned widely, her eyes shining like stars. "And Daddy is mine!"

That melted everyone on the spot.

Even the stoic little male lead, who was still frozen near the gate, felt a weird tug in his chest.

’What’s with this feeling?’ he thought, frowning slightly. ’Why does it look like... she’s glowing?’

It wasn’t fair.

This morning, she had ignored him, insulted him, and refused to talk to him during recess.

But now she was smiling so brightly, so genuinely, that he couldn’t look away.

His small fists tightened at his sides as he puffed his cheeks in annoyance.

’What a weird girl!’

Meanwhile, Huaijin had successfully turned into her spoiled, clingy mode.

She tugged on her father’s collar. "Daddy, can we go for ice cream?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Ice cream?"

She nodded vigorously. "I was a good girl today! The teacher said so!"

Yuanfeng chuckled. "I see... using the teacher’s words against me, huh?"

She grinned cheekily. "Then can I have two scoops?"

He sighed dramatically, pretending to think. "Hmm, maybe just one—"

"Three scoops!" she interrupted, widening her eyes pitifully.

He laughed, defeated. "Fine, three scoops. But only if you finish your dinner later."

"Deal!" she said, holding out her tiny hand for a shake.

He shook it solemnly, pretending it was a serious business agreement. "Deal."

Watching them, the teacher whispered to a colleague, "They’re adorable. You’d think she hadn’t seen her father in years."

And in a way, that wasn’t entirely wrong.

Though they saw each other every day, Huaijin carried the memories of a different lifetime, one where she never had the chance to be with him like this.

So every hug, every smile, every moment they shared now... felt precious.

As they began to leave the kindergarten, Huaijin clung to Yuanfeng’s arm like a koala, refusing to let go even as he tried to adjust her backpack.

"Daddy, carry me!"

"You’re getting heavy."

"Then you just need to build more muscles!" Chi Huaijin rolled her eyes.

He burst out laughing. "You little rascal."

"I’m your little rascal!"

"Indeed, you are."

The future male lead, watching from the steps, stared as the two of them walked away hand in hand, sunlight painting a golden outline around them.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, his small chest felt tight.

He puffed up again and muttered under his breath, "Weird girl..." before stomping off toward his family car.

Meanwhile, Huaijin peeked over her father’s shoulder once they were out of sight, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

She’d seen his expression, and it amused her to no end.

’The great male lead, already feeling so flustered, huh? Don’t worry,’ she thought, hiding her grin as she rested her head on Yuanfeng’s shoulder.