I’m your father…
These words reverberated in her ear and the little girl froze, staring at him in shock.
After a few seconds, Mu Mu’s beautiful eyes turned red and fat tears fell from her eyes. Her hands balled into fists and she rubbed her tears away.
Xuan Ying was flustered. He knew that he had no right to want Mu Mu to call him ‘Daddy’, but he had still told her the truth anyway. After all, he was her father.
But he had never thought that he would make Mu Mu cry.
With no idea what he could say to his daughter, Xuan Ying’s hands could only flail frantically. He wiped the tears from Mu Mu’s face and spoke in a gentle voice, “Mu Mu, it’s all Daddy’s fault… Daddy hasn’t taken good care of you and your Mommy… but Daddy loves the both of you… a lot…”
Mu Mu sobbed before raising her arms to hug Xuan Ying’s neck. “Daddy…”
Daddy!
Mu Mu called him Daddy!
Xuan Ying’s heart quickened as the blood rushed to his head. He wrapped Mu Mu up tightly into his embrace.
His daughter.
“Daddy, I’ve missed you so much… all my friends have fathers, and I’m the only one without one… I really really love you…”
Mu Mu cried into his shirt with her arms still wrapped around his neck. She was sobbing so hard she couldn’t breathe properly and she took uneven gasps against his chest.
Xuan Ying’s eyes were red. No matter how blackened his heart and personality had been, Mu Mu seemed to have cured it all. “I’m sorry…”
Mu Mu shook her head. “It’s alright… Daddy, don’t ever leave us again… Mommy has suffered a lot… So many people have bullied Mommy and Mu Mu… Mommy is always crying secretly… In the future, don’t let Mommy cry anymore, okay?”
Xuan Ying felt as though a large hand was squeezing his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.
He didn’t dare tell Mu Mu that he was one of those bullies.
She really had suffered a lot these three years.
Even her daughter knew that she cried secretly all the time.
Xuan Ying nodded adamantly. “Of course! Daddy will protect you and Mommy well!”
Mu Mu smiled through her tears and said, “Daddy, where’s Mommy? I miss her.”
…
In the room.
Xia Ling sat at her bed all this time, her hands wrapped around her legs. The tears on her face were all dry and she felt a sudden wave of tiredness.
The first 21 years of her life had passed by in a flash.
She knew that there were many people who disliked her, and wondered if there was even anything she had that would make people respect her and like her. The memories of her days in Country A were filled with hurt and pain.
At this moment, the door opened with a soft thud and a sweet voice floated in. “Mommy.”
Xia Ling froze as her heart swelled with affection. Her eyes swiveled quickly to the door as Mu Mu ran in and jumped into her arms.
“Mu Mu!”
Life quickly returned to Xia Ling’s pale face as she got off the bed and caught Mu Mu in her arms.
“Mommy, I’ve missed you so much!” Mu Mu wrapped her hands around her neck and kissed her.
Xia Ling’s tears caught on her long lashes. The only thing she didn’t regret in this life and the best thing she had done was giving birth to Mu Mu.
Mu Mu was braver than her, stronger than her, more optimistic than her.
Mu Mu loved her mother and was her mother’s little angel.
Xia Ling held Mu Mu’s small face in her hands and checked her from head to toe. “Let Mommy have a good look at you. Did they hurt you? Did they mistreat you? Tell Mommy if anything hurts and Mommy will kiss the pain away…”
Mu Mu smiled happily and said, “Mommy, I’m not hurt. Daddy saved me. Daddy has already saved me twice.”
Xia Ling froze before lifting her eyes. There was a tall and handsome figure standing right next to the door. Xuan Ying… He was here as well.
He had come with Mu Mu and had stood there staring at the two of them all this time. His black glassy eyes landed on her face, his gaze warm yet complicated.
When she saw him, Xia Ling let go of Mu Mu and stood up.
Perhaps sensing the slight tension between her parents, Mu Mu grasped Xia Ling’s sleeve uneasily and asked, “Mommy, is Handsome Uncle my Daddy?”
Xia Ling lowered her eyes to look at Mu Mu as Mu Mu gazed back at her carefully. She liked Handsome Uncle a lot but… would Mommy be unhappy if she did?
Xia Ling’s lips curved upwards and she caressed Mu Mu’s small head. “Yes, he is your Daddy.”
A radiant smile immediately appeared on Mu Mu’s face.
Xuan Ying stood beside the door not daring to enter. He licked his lips and said hoarsely, “Once everything has settled, I will make the appropriate arrangements for the two of you…”
Xia Ling lowered her face, avoiding his gaze as she replied softly, “Mm.”
Although Xuan Ying would do anything to make it less awkward, he had no idea what he could do. All his words were weak and useless. “I’ll be taking my leave first.”
Even after he left, Xia Ling never raised her head to look at him.
…
Xuan Ying shut the door. At this moment, Mo Mo’s shrill scream emanated from elsewhere. “Ah! Someone help! Miss Shi isn’t breathing! Help!”
Mo Mo scrambled out of the room with a pale face. She had thought that Shi Xiaoxiao was just asleep due to exhaustion, but the redness from her face had faded quickly, leaving her body cold and lifeless.
When Mo Mo had checked Shi Xiaoxiao’s breathing, there was none.
Shi Xiaoxiao was dead.
Mo Mo realized that she had been tricked.
Dread filled her as Mo Mo looked at Xuan Ying, who was standing tall and imposing in front of her. His handsome and god-like features were dark and cold.
“You… you didn’t sleep with Miss Shi? N-no… that’s not possible. There’s no other way to deal with the drug…”
Mo Mo trembled in fear. She couldn’t believe the man standing in front of her had dealt with the effects of the drug without sleeping with Shi Xiaoxiao.
How had he done it without sleeping with her?
Xuan Ying was expressionless. “Take her away.”
“Yes.”
At this moment, Ah Zhou rushed over. “Master, Shi Shi has heard the news and is already making his escape. Shi Xiaoxiao is dead so he’ll definitely rile the army up when he gets back and come back for revenge.”
Thin lips only curved upwards on Xuan Ying’s face. “I’ll be waiting for him.”
Ah Zhou knew that his Master was all ready for a battle.
“Master!” At this moment, a maid ran over.
“What is it? Why are you in such a rush?”
The maid was in a cold sweat. “Master, M-Miss Xia has left with Little Miss…”
Xia Ling had left, she had left with Mu Mu.
Xuan Ying’s ears began to ring as he stood frozen to the ground.
…
Snow Mountain Residence.
Xuan Ying put on a black windbreaker and was ready to chase after Xia Ling.
“This is the Snow Mountain Residence. How was she able to just leave like that? Tell me, how did she escape?” Ah Zhou demanded.
The maid was crying. “Master, Her Highness from Country Z… was here…”
Xuan Ying slowly halted his footsteps as he caught a glimpse of the tall figure standing in front of him. It was Lu Yeming.
Lu Yeming was walking towards his limousine with Fan Men, ready to leave.
At this moment, a presidential limousine with Country Z’s logo pulled onto the lawn.
