CHAPTER 84: SUPPORT YOUR DAUGHTER!

Yuanfeng instantly tensed. This was the poverty script. "Well, yes. Research is costly, especially for the independent scholar," he said, adopting his practised, humble tone.

"My daddy said he is also an investor, Uncle," Yuanying continued, her voice soft but carrying a subtle sting. "He said that perhaps you could take a break from your research, just for a little while, and maybe work for him. Just until you can buy a nicer car? That car looks very dangerous, Uncle. It worries me."

The unspoken implication was clear: ’Stop wasting your time on esoteric physics and get a real job to support your daughter.’

Yuanfeng maintained his composure. He knew this was an intentional dig, designed to make him feel small in front of his child.

Before he could formulate a polite but firm refusal, Huaijin launched herself off the sofa and marched up to her cousin.

"My Daddy’s car is beautiful!" Huaijin declared, her hands planted firmly on her hips, her small body radiating protective fury. "It has character! And his research is the most important thing in the whole world! He is inventing a new future! And if you don’t like his car, you don’t have to ride in it, Sister Yuanying!"

The fierce defence was delivered with such genuine passion that it took Yuanfeng’s breath away. He was instantly touched, and once again, incredibly helpless and flustered by the overwhelming praise.

"Huaijin, darling, that’s quite enough," he said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Yuanying was only concerned."

He looked at Yuanying, his kind expression unchanging. "Thank you for the concern, Yuanying, but I assure you, ’The Rattler’ is mechanically sound, if aesthetically challenged. And my work is... necessary. It is its own reward."

The chaos escalated when Yuanying, having failed to embarrass Yuanfeng, decided to target his domestic competence.

She went to the tiny kitchen sink to wash her hands and noticed a small stack of dishes Yuanfeng hadn’t gotten around to washing yet, a minor offence, but a visible sign of his supposed inadequacy.

"Oh, Uncle, the water pressure is so low here!" Yuanying exclaimed, turning back to the living room. "And your kitchen seems to be... quite small. At our house, we have a separate scullery and two dishwashers. Doesn’t it get hard for you to manage everything? You’re such a brilliant man; you shouldn’t have to worry about chores."

Huaijin had reached her limit. Her past life’s memories of Yuanying’s systemic undermining of her family boiled over.

She immediately scurried back to Yuanfeng, burying herself in his lap and hugging him with ferocious strength. This time, it wasn’t just affection; it was a physical blockade.

"Daddy is the best! He can do anything! He can solve the Ritz-Rydberg formula and wash dishes all at the same time!" Huaijin loudly asserted, looking pointedly at Yuanying over her father’s shoulder.

Yuanfeng, now thoroughly overwhelmed, was trying to manage his daughter’s powerful clinging, the residual embarrassment from the car comment, and the need to maintain an air of calm scholarly grace in the face of his manipulative niece.

He patted Huaijin’s back gently. "Alright, my little defender. I think that’s enough rehearsal for the day. Why don’t you two go watch some television while I figure out dinner?"

He was flustered, yes, but also immensely happy.

His daughter, his fierce, loving, clingy little dragon, was right there, blocking the world’s malice for him, with her pure, unadulterated affection.

He would gladly endure the minor chaos, the forced humility, and the theatrical declarations of his handsomeness, for this fierce, unconditional love.

He loved spoiling her, and he loved being spoiled by her even more.

The rest of the day was an exercise in managing the mini-chaos: Chi Huaijin never left her father’s side, turning every interaction into a dual-person activity; while Chi Yuanying maintained her perfect, calculating smile while occasionally making a pointed comment about the lack of central heating or the small television screen; and Yuanfeng, completely oblivious to the cold war being waged over his attention, happily provided logic puzzles, hot chocolate, and occasional, warm, two-armed hugs to the two girls, treating them both with equal, genuine kindness.

The rehearsal skirmish of the afternoon was merely the prelude to the main event: the sustained, silent warfare waged throughout the evening to gain the coveted attention of six-year-old Chi Huaijin.

The stakes, for the two main combatants, Chi Yuanfeng, the genuinely affectionate and slightly clueless father, and Yuanying, the eight-year-old cousin desperate for affirmation, were nothing less than the title of ’Huaijin’s Favourite Person in the Room’.

Huaijin, a soul of thirty-something experience currently inhabiting a child’s body, watched the unfolding drama with detached amusement and a calculated innocence.

She knew exactly what was happening. Her father, bless his brilliant, oblivious heart, was trying to compensate for the perceived poverty and his academic distractions by showering her with quality attention.

While Chi Yuanying, the future villainess, was attempting to assert herself and win over an elder (Yuanfeng) and a peer (Huaijin) in a desperate, deeply internalised need for validation that she was likely not receiving from her own status-obsessed family.

Huaijin pretended not to notice the subtle power play, allowing the uncle and niece this rare, unplanned opportunity to interact.

It was a fascinating study in human dynamics, and, more importantly, a valuable opportunity for Huaijin to steer the future villainess away from her tragic destiny subtly.

The first major engagement took place in the cramped kitchen during dinner preparation.

Yuanfeng, committed to his role as the financially modest but domestically competent single father, was attempting to chop vegetables for a simple stir-fry.

"Huaijin, darling, can you fetch the soy sauce? It’s on the top shelf, but I’ll reach it for you," Yuanfeng instructed, turning his back to the counter for a moment.

Huaijin, who had been perched on a stool observing, immediately slid off and scampered to his side, bypassing the cabinet. She didn’t fetch the sauce; instead, she wrapped herself around his leg.