CHAPTER 65: FATHERLY LOVE

His mouth opened.

Then closed.

Then opened again.

"...You’re already rich! You can take care of her while managing the company!"

"No," Yuanfeng said calmly.

"Why not?!"

"Because she is a delicate, fragile, tender flower."

Grandpa Chi stared at him.

"A flower...?" he repeated slowly.

"Yes." Yuanfeng’s face became grave. "My baby has a small body. A small back. Small hands. Small feet. Small—"

"Yuanfeng."

"Yes, Father?"

"She’s six. Everyone at six is small."

"No," Yuanfeng insisted. "Huaijin is especially small. What if she gets lost? What if someone bullies her? What if she suddenly decides she wants a snack and I’m not there to buy it for her? What if she falls asleep and no one carries her properly? What if she—"

"Yuanfeng."

"Yes, Father?"

"You’re crazy."

"That is also possible," Yuanfeng admitted seriously. "But I cannot risk Huaijin’s mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and snack-related well-being."

Grandpa Chi rubbed his temples.

He felt a headache forming.

"...You are the Empire King of the business world. You built a conglomerate with your bare hands. You negotiate mergers worth billions without blinking. But now you cannot manage your daughter’s bedtime without panicking?"

"Yes."

"......"

Grandpa Chi’s silence was louder than a thousand scoldings.

"You realize," he said slowly, "that if you return to the Chi Corporation, you could make it ten times stronger than it is now?"

"Not interested," Yuanfeng replied instantly.

"You could take my place."

"No, thank you."

"You could—YOU COULD HAVE AN ENTIRE ARMY OF SECRETARIES AND NANNIES TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR DAUGHTER!"

"No," Yuanfeng shook his head solemnly. "No nanny can peel oranges the way I do. She prefers my style."

Grandpa Chi actually choked.

"You... peel oranges... differently?!"

"Yes," Yuanfeng replied proudly. "With love."

"..."

For a moment, the great Chi Patriarch looked like he might throw himself out the window.

Finally, he slumped back into his chair, absolutely defeated.

"...Fine. Fine. Stay home and peel oranges. Watch your daughter breathe. I don’t care anymore."

Yuanfeng beamed.

"Thank you, Father! I knew you would understand!"

"I didn’t!" Grandpa Chi snapped. "I absolutely didn’t!"

But Yuanfeng didn’t hear him. He was already pulling out his phone, texting Huaijin:

"Baby, Daddy won’t let anyone take him away from you ❤️

Tonight I’ll buy your favorite strawberry cake 🍰❤️

Do you want two? Three? Ten? Whatever you want! Daddy loves you!!!❤️❤️❤️

Grandpa Chi stared at him blankly.

"...Get out of my study."

"Yes, Father!" Yuanfeng saluted and cheerfully left.

And Grandpa Chi...

Collapsed onto his desk.

"What did I do wrong...? Why is my son like this...?"

Outside, a servant whispered sympathetically:

"Master... perhaps Young Master Yuanfeng is simply... very devoted."

"Devoted? DEVOTED?!" Grandpa Chi sat up and roared. "He treats her like a porcelain doll that costs more than his entire company!"

"...Well... she is very precious."

"...That’s true..." Grandpa Chi muttered reluctantly.

In the end, despite everything, the old man still softened.

That child was, after all, the granddaughter of the Chi family.

And perhaps...

Being loved too much was better than not being loved at all.

Meanwhile, in the corridor...

Huaijin and Yuanying both looked up when Yuanfeng emerged from the study.

He looked triumphant.

Radiant and practically glowing like he’d just defeated a dragon and secured treasure.

"Dad?" Huaijin asked cautiously.

"Yes, Baby?" Yuanfeng crouched down, pulling her into a hug as if she had been separated from him for months instead of twenty minutes.

"Are you okay...?"

"Never better." Yuanfeng puffed up confidently. "Your Grandpa agreed already, I must take care of you full-time!"

Yuanying stared at him.

"...Uncle Yuanfeng, did you drug Grandpa?"

"No," Yuanfeng replied proudly. "I used a weapon more powerful than drugs."

"What weapon...?" Yuanying asked warily.

"Fatherly love."

Yuanying fell silent.

Then she whispered to Huaijin:

"...Your dad is so scary."

Huaijin nodded. "I know."

But she was smiling.

Because honestly...

This kind of life really wasn’t bad at all!

.

.

.

Two weeks later,

After countless hours of Yuanfeng taping edge protectors onto every furniture corner, calling the production team every night to reconfirm safety protocols, and personally inspecting Huaijin’s suitcase seventeen times, it was finally the day of departure for the children’s variety show.

The sun was bright, the schedule was fixed, the producers were waiting—

And Huaijin was being held hostage by her own father.

"B-Ba—!" she squeaked as Yuanfeng pressed his cheek dramatically against hers, smothering her in suffocating affection. His arms wrapped around her like a giant octopus.

"Huaijiiiin... Daddy’s baby... Daddy’s sweetheart... Daddy’s entire life..." Yuanfeng whimpered tearfully, voice trembling with operatic tragedy. "Are you really abandoning Daddy for ten whole days? Ten!! Do you know how long that is? That’s... that’s—"

"It’s 240 hours," Huaijin supplied deadpan.

"EXACTLY!!" Yuanfeng sobbed harder. "You know how much I suffer every hour without seeing you?! Each minute is like a thousand years of loneliness! Each second— each second!!— is like a knife stabbing Daddy’s heart!!"

"Dad," Huaijin sighed, trying to pry off his hands. "I’m going to a variety show, not eloping with someone."

"That’s EVEN WORSE!" Yuanfeng cried, tightening his grip. "At least if you elope, you’re leaving with someone you love! But this—! This is what you’re going to see: OTHER PEOPLE! OTHER ADULTS! OTHER CHILDREN! WITHOUT ME!"

So it was fine if she eloped with someone she liked?

Huaijin covered her face.

Why did she have such a father?

Even the neighbor auntie walking her dog across the courtyard was openly snickering behind her hand.

"Let go," Huaijin muttered.

"No," Yuanfeng said.

"Please?"

"Never."

"Dad, they’re waiting."

"I don’t care."

A beat.

"I’ll tell them you were crying," she threatened.

Instant release.

Yuanfeng straightened like a soldier, wiped his tears away so fast it created a breeze, and adjusted his suit as if nothing had happened.

"Ahem. Good. Go ahead, Baby. Daddy is perfectly composed."

"You literally had snot bubbles," Huaijin said.

"That never happened."

"You wet my hair."

"Impossible."

"You—"

But she didn’t finish.

Because a large palm gently patted her head.

Yuanfeng gave her a trembling smile.