Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, Lin Nuonuo felt a little dazed.
“Where is this?” She muttered softly, rubbing her eyes. When she opened them again, the scene before her remained unchanged. It was still the same room.
The decoration of the entire room felt cold, yet Lin Nuonuo did not feel afraid.
She lowered her head in confusion. The blanket was hers, the pillow was hers, but the bed definitely wasn’t.
She pressed her small hand on the mattress beneath her to make sure it was real.
But she had clearly fallen asleep outside her father’s room last night. How did it suddenly become a bed?
What happened while she was asleep?
Just as her mind tangled itself into a knot, a voice suddenly came from behind her.
“Stunned?”
Hearing the familiar voice, Lin Nuonuo froze for a moment before she spun around at lightning speed.
“Dad?!”
Her face lit up with joy, almost thinking she was still dreaming.
Hearing what she called him, Lin Chen frowned and corrected her, “It’s ‘uncle’.”
“Dad.” Lin Nuonuo looked at him with firm determination and called again.
Well, it was a dream anyway……
She thought to herself.
But in the next second, the man on the sofa suddenly moved. Lin Chen got up and walked toward her.
“Looks like you’re awake.” He approached her, his expression cold.
Seeing him so close, Lin Nuonuo finally realized she was not dreaming.
“Dad, why did you come back?” She had clearly heard Auntie Liu say that everyone would return in a few days.
Her excitement had barely begun to bloom when, the next moment, Lin Chen grabbed her by the back of her collar and lifted her straight off the bed.
He carried her like a tiny package all the way to the doorway and set her down on the floor.
“Uh, Dad……” Only after being carried outside did Lin Nuonuo realize she had been sleeping inside her father’s room.
Staring at the door that had slammed shut, she was completely confused.
A moment later, the door opened again. Lin Chen came out and shoved her blanket and pillow into her arms.
“Go back to your own room to sleep.” What illness did this child have that made her like sleeping at someone else’s door? Or did she treat his place like a campsite?
He shut the door again after speaking.
────ρя
Since Lin Chaojiang and the others were still in K City and had not yet returned, only Lin Nuonuo and Lin Chen sat at the dinner table that night.
The servants brought Lin Chen’s meal and then brought out a separate, tiny portion of a so-called ‘healthy dinner’ for Lin Nuonuo.
Lin Chen glanced at the plate. It was so small and so plain that there wasn’t even a single proper piece of meat. His brows creased.
“That is the dinner you prepared for her?” He asked coldly.
“Yes.” The servant nodded.
Lin Chen let out a cold laugh. “When did the Lin family become so poor that we can’t even afford dinner?”
The servant froze and quickly explained, “No, no, this is a special nutritious meal for Nuonuo. Her health is weak, and she can’t eat whatever she wants……”
His expression became even more sarcastic. Since when did eating too little make someone healthier? What kind of nonsense was that?
Seeing his displeasure, the servant added, “It’s all made according to the nutritionist’s menu……”
Ignoring her explanation, Lin Chen turned to Lin Nuonuo. “Can you get full from this?”
“No!” She shook her head vigorously.
“This is not tasty at all, and I never get full!” She wouldn’t dare complain like this in front of others, but in front of her father, she acted exactly like a child complaining to her parent— she dared to say anything.
Lin Chen shot a cold look at the servant. “You heard her? Go prepare more food for her.”
The servant looked troubled. “These were all the young madam’s instructions……” They couldn’t disobey their employer’s orders.
Lin Chen’s gaze grew colder at the servant’s attitude.
Their behavior suddenly reminded him of how he used to be treated in this house.
Back then, when he was still young, Lin Chaojiang paid all his attention to the company and to his gifted eldest son. He rarely cared about Lin Chen at all. While Lin Chen stayed home, the servants bullied him for being young and acted with two-faced obedience.
“Come on, I’ll take you out to eat.” Lin Chen stood up and said to Lin Nuonuo.
She was surprised that he was taking her out to eat something good, but she hopped off the chair quickly and followed him out the door.
He drove her into the city center.
Not to a restaurant, but directly into a private club.
Wei Jinchi and several of their friends were already inside.
Earlier, they had sent messages asking Lin Chen out for drinks, but he had declined.
When he suddenly appeared in the VIP room, the group looked pleasantly surprised before teasing him.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t coming? What happened, you got lonely at home by yourself?”
Lin Chen ignored their jokes and led Lin Nuonuo inside.
It was only then that they noticed the tiny figure behind him.
“Whoa, why did you bring a kid? Whose child is this?” Wei Jinchi stared at Lin Nuonuo, feeling she looked oddly familiar.
A second later, he remembered.
“Isn’t this the child Lin Zeyu adopted? Why is she with you?” Wei Jinchi asked, then made a strange face. “Don’t tell me you’re babysitting for your dear big brother?”
The others also guessed her identity. Their gazes went back and forth between Lin Chen and the child, growing increasingly strange.
Feeling multiple unfamiliar gazes on her, Lin Nuonuo suddenly felt scared. She instinctively leaned closer to Lin Chen and whispered, “Dad……”
Her voice was soft, but everyone in the room heard it.
“Whoa!” Wei Jinchi stared wide-eyed at Lin Chen. “I joked about it on the phone last time, but don’t tell me you really snatched Lin Zeyu’s kid? Damn, that’s wild!”
“Don’t overthink it.” Lin Chen shot him and the two other men a look, then lowered his head toward the little girl. “It’s ‘uncle’. Don’t shout nonsense.”
“Oh……” She answered reluctantly, but she still disliked saying ‘uncle’.
Her puffed-up cheeks amused the others. Wei Jinchi walked up and introduced himself.
“So you’re Nuonuo? I’m Uncle Wei. Come on, call me ‘uncle’.”
“Uncle Wei.” She whispered. She had seen him before, back at the hotel during filming, when Lin Chen video-called him.
Lin Nuonuo’s soft little voice was so sweet that it actually made Wei Jinchi feel a little emotional.
“So good! These two are Uncle Yan and Uncle Gu. They’re your dad’s good friends.” He added, intentionally stressing the word ‘dad’.
Pretending not to notice anything strange, Lin Nuonuo politely greeted the other two as well.
Lin Chen gave the group a murderous glare, silently telling them they were courting death.
Seeing his darkened expression, the group stopped teasing. Though they were full of questions, they said no more and let Lin Chen take a seat.
“Lao Gu is treating tonight. Pick whatever wine you want.” Wei Jìnchi said, then waved a server over.
When the server arrived, Lin Chen casually ordered wine, then glanced at the little girl beside him and said, “And a kids’ meal.”
“Eh?” The server froze.
This was a high-end club, not a fast-food restaurant. How could they possibly have a kids’ meal?
The server almost thought Lin Chen was messing with her.
“No?” Lin Chen asked as he looked toward Gu Xi.
Gu Xi stiffened immediately. “Yes, of course there is. Since you ordered it, how could we not?”
He turned to the server. “Have the kitchen make a kids’ meal. If our chef can’t do it well, bring a chef from Qianxi Banquet over.”
“Ah, right away!” Whatever the boss said, she had to obey.
The server moved quickly.
Soon, a specially prepared children’s meal arrived.
Seeing the unexpectedly lavish dinner in front of her, Lin Nuonuo was stunned. Happiness had come too suddenly.
“Dad, do you want some?”
“No. Sit there and eat properly.” Lin Chen refused. He couldn’t even be bothered correcting what she called him anymore.
Once the wine was opened and the four men had had a few drinks, the conversation turned to business.
“Did Lin Group really secure the land from the Zhou family in B City?”
“Pretty much.” Even without that land, with the Ye family’s support, the Lin Group’s project would still move forward smoothly.
“I heard the Lin Group is planning to consolidate several major industries? And it’s the chairman and several major shareholders pushing it?” Yan Yu asked.
Lin Chaojiang had not yet stepped down as chairman, but it was obvious he was preparing the way for the next chairman.
And the next chairman would definitely not be Lin Chen.
“Your father really is biased.” Wei Jinchi scoffed.
Lin Chen said nothing, keeping a cold expression. He didn’t seem to care much.
Wei Jinchi glanced at the little girl. She was sitting there, spoon in hand, listening in full concentration.
He almost burst out laughing.
“Can Little Nuonuo understand what we’re talking about?”
Lin Nuonuo shook her head.
She didn’t understand.
Especially all that talk about companies and investments. None of it made sense to her.
Her reaction amused the group, and they continued chatting without a care.
Eventually, the business talk became too boring, and she fell asleep without knowing when.
Seeing Lin Nuonuo curled up and sleeping soundly on the sofa, Lin Chen checked the time.
“You guys still staying?” He asked.
“It’s still early. You’re leaving already?”
“You all continue. I’m going.” Lin Chen stood, picked Lin Nuonuo up like a little chicken, and left.
Watching him lift the child so effortlessly, the corners of his friends’ mouths twitched.
“That kid’s pretty sturdy, not even waking up from being carried like that.”
“But honestly, Lin Chen really does look a bit like a dad now, hahaha.”
Shortly after Lin Chen left, the club’s manager entered.
“CEO Gu.”
“What is it?”
“We spotted a few suspicious people outside. Probably paparazzi.”
“Paparazzi? Why?”
“Mo Xiaoxiao is celebrating her birthday here today, in Room 403.” The manager said. Mo Xiaoxiao was a trending young actress. It was no surprise that her sneaking out in the middle of filming to meet male friends would attract paparazzi.
“Should we deal with it?” The manager asked.
“We’re all just trying to make a living. No need to make things difficult for others.” Gu Xi said with a light laugh.
Then his voice turned serious. “Just make sure they don’t disrupt business here.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, and— did Lin Chen already leave? Make sure he goes out through the back so he won’t be photographed.”
“……” The manager’s eyelid twitched. He wanted to say, ‘Sir, isn’t that reminder a little too late?’
Lin Chen had already called for a valet earlier. By now, he was probably already at the front entrance.