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n“Thank you, director.” He took the letter of transfer and walked out of the director’s office. Finally, he could leave. Yet, he stopped in his tracks. The issue here was settled, but the issue at home was still troublesome.

nHe just wanted to lead a simple life, but these sorts of issues kept happening. Did the heavens find their lives too peaceful?

nThe doors to the Chu family opened, and Chu Lui walked in. It was just like what Gao Yi had said. He should have been discharged earlier. Currently, even though his shoulder had not healed yet, it didn’t affect his actions anymore. In his current state, no one would realize that his shoulders were stitched and wounded.

n“Ah Lui, you’re back.”

nSong Wan took a look at her son and hurried over, pulling at his sleeves while smiling.

n“Mom, you’re happy? Something happened?” Chu Lui noticed something off in the house the moment he stepped in. There was another scent in the air, and his mother was smiling too widely.

n“Yes, of course, I’m happy.” Song Wan pulled her son along. “There’s a guest at home. You should come and take a look, too.”

nHmm, guest?

nChu Lui lifted an eyebrow. Which guest would make his mother so excited? Ever since the issue with Li Manni, he had never seen his mother smile so relaxedly before. No matter who the guest was, he should really thank him.

nIn the end, the guest surprised him instead. Unexpectedly, it wasn’t a ‘him’, but a ‘her’and a little one at that.

nIn front of him stood a relatively cute little girl, around age four or five. Perhaps it was because he didn’t like to smile so the child hid upon seeing him. She even pouted and wailed, bursting out in tears all of a sudden.

n“Oh, what’s wrong, baby? Why are you crying? Here, let granny give you a hug.”

nSong Wan rushed over and carried the bawling child, sending a death stare at her son. “Go look at the mirror and change your expression. Look, you’re scaring the child.”

nChu Lui touched his face. His face was like this the moment he was born. It was fine if he didn’t smile. When he smiled, it was scarier.

nThe child in Song Wan’s arms cried even harder. Her tears flowed down continuously, making Song Wan’s heart ache; but it made Chu Lui frustrated.

n“Chu Lui, you better smile!”

nSong Wan called her son by his full name. She could have forced her son to do anything, but who would force their own son to smile?

nChu Lui cracked a smile stiffly. A weird smile appeared on his face.

nThe child had already stopped crying, but in the end, she started to wail again, even louder this time.

nChu Lui knew it would turn out like this. He took off his blazer and threw it on the sofa. “Mom, where did you get that brat from?”

n“What do you mean, ‘get’?” Song Wan cajoled the child in her arms and glared at her son. “Can you talk nicely? This child is going to be my grandchild in the future, your daughter. I’ve even thought of a name for her—Chu Xiang, nickname Xiang Xiang. Look at how obedient our Xiang Xiang is.” Song Wan pecked the child in her arms on the cheek. It was obvious how much she loved her.

nChu Lui rolled his sleeves up, his eyes landing on the child in Song Wan’s arms. He didn’t feel close to the child at all. He wasn’t too fond of her, but it was rare to gain the favor of his mother.

nSong Wan sat in front of Chu Lui with the child still in her arms. Xiang Xiang turned away, refusing to look at Chu Lui even for a second.

n“Where did she come from?” Chu Lui wrinkled his eyebrows, but he vaguely understood at the bottom of his heart.

n“The orphanage. I chose for a long time before I came across a child with such affinity. You don’t know, but she was pulling my hand and calling me Granny. Isn’t it such an affinity?”. Song Wan was rather delighted. She was very satisfied with the child she had picked herself. She was going to be the Chu family’s child in the future.

nChu Lui’s eyes lowered, and the child in Song Wan’s arms averted her eyes, seemingly because of Chu Lui’s gaze. She bit softly on her tiny lip.

n“Come, Xiang Xiang, day ‘Daddy’. He’s going to be your daddy from now on. He’ll treat you well like how Granny does.” Song Wan squeezed the little girl’s hand and murmured.

nThe little girl shrunk deeper into Song Wan’s arms and then took a surreptitious peek at Chu Lui.

n“Daddy…” she spoke in a small voice.

nChu Lui was expressionless. He didn’t feel anything. It wasn’t his own blood, so there was bound to be a limited bond. Even though he obviously knew he would never have a child with his own blood, he wasn’t used to the term ‘Daddy’; and he didn’t like it either.

nDon’t blame him for being cold and heartless. His personality was like this in nature.

n“Mom, I’m heading up first.” He stood up and walked towards his room upstairs. He wouldn’t oppose Song Wan’s adoption of a child as long as his parents liked it. He wouldn’t object, but he wasn’t that fond of the child Song Wan had brought back home.

nHe entered his room, feeling a wave of headache wash over him instantly.

nWhy did his room become like this?

nThe floor was scattered with cloth dolls and strewn with toys. His bed-it was filled with bags of snacks. He was a clean freak, and what he couldn’t stand most was other people making a mess of things in his bedroom. Otherwise, everything else was fine. In particular, his bed must be especially void of other stuff.

nThe door opened with a whoosh, and he dashed out to shout.

n“Aunty Jiang!”

nA while later, the housekeeper at Chu Lui’s house came over. She also got a shock when she took a look at Chu Lui’s room. She knew very well how Chu Lui was. She recalled cleaning his room thoroughly this morning and even changed to new bed sheets and such, as well as checked the corners carefully out of worry. Yet, what was going on? Why was the room so messy now?

n“Aunty Jiang, please help me tidy this up.” The mess here made Chu Lui’s head throb.

n“Oh, okay.” The housekeeper took her broom and equipment and kept all the toys, not daring to even pause. In fact, it didn’t take a genius to know who created this mess. There weren’t many people here, and they all knew Chu Lui’s habit and personality. They wouldn’t throw random things inside his room. Today, Song Wan had brought Xiang Xiang back. It must have been her.

nChu Lui didn’t have anywhere to go so he could only go to the study room and daze.

nHe wiped his forehead with his hand. He was feeling annoyed and uncomfortable, and his shoulders throbbed with pain from time to time.

nThe door opened from the outside, and a small figure walked in.

n“Daddy…” A small voice rang, belonging to that of a child, weak and fragile.

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