Early the next morning, Li Xiuzhe opened his eyes at his usual time and immediately sensed something unusual in his arms. Looking down, he saw a little bundle curled up against him.
The little girl was pressed against his chest, her tiny hand loosely clutching his collar. She slept with rosy cheeks and long, thick lashes. If not for the gentle rise and fall of her breathing, she would have looked so exquisite that she might have stepped straight out of an anime as Princess Huahua.
Li Xiuzhe stared at Huahua’s adorable sleeping face for quite a while. As his mind gradually cleared, he finally remembered that he seemed to have acquired a daughter yesterday.
He reached out and touched the little girl’s tender cheek. The warmth of her skin told him that everything that had happened yesterday was real. He could not help tightening his arms around her and, for once, stayed in bed a little longer with the child in his embrace.
After indulging himself with his daughter long enough, President Li finally climbed out of bed as carefully as possible. Huahua was still sleeping like a little pig.
The viewers who had been waiting in the livestream room since early morning expressed their jealousy one after another.
【I want to open my eyes and see adorable Huahua too.】
【I want a daughter now. Older Sister in the livestream room, look at me—I have eight-pack abs and my own apartment. Feel free to flirt with me anytime.】
【Is that really you in your profile picture? Even if you had a child looking like that, you wouldn’t get a Huahua-level beauty. You’d most likely end up with a female macaque.】
【Hahaha.】
Li Xiuzhe went to the bathroom to wash up. He had not finished when he heard the doorbell ring.
He calmly finished washing his face before leisurely going to open the door.
Just as he expected, a well-dressed middle-aged couple stood outside, accompanied by several servants. They were his parents.
The moment he opened the door, Mother Li impatiently pushed past him and walked inside, not forgetting to call to the servants behind her, who were carrying large and small bags.
“Has my darling granddaughter woken up? I brought her breakfast!”
Father Li was a little more composed than his wife. Before entering, he put on a stern face and scolded, “How old are you? How could you just go and have a child outside? That’s irresponsible to the child! Forget it, I’ll lecture you about it later. Move aside and let me in!”
Li Xiuzhe was forced to overhear his elderly father’s true thoughts: This is wonderful! I finally have a little grandson—hehehe…
He silently stepped aside to let in his father, who loved putting on the airs of an elder.
The elderly couple searched the living room but did not see their little granddaughter. Without even asking, they headed straight for the bedroom.
A small hump rose from the middle of the large double bed. The two of them tiptoed around to the head of the bed and leaned over together to take a look. When they saw Huahua’s little face, Mother Li excitedly covered her mouth.
Mother Li had taken excellent care of herself, but the corners of her eyes reddened as she covered her mouth and said emotionally, “Wonderful. I thought I’d never get to see a grandchild in my lifetime.”
The elderly couple crowded around the head of the bed as if they were admiring a treasure, staring at their precious granddaughter until Huahua slowly woke up.
Before she even opened her eyes, Huahua sleepily called out, “Daddy… Mommy…”
Then, after seeing who was standing at the head of the bed, her little body stiffened. She hurriedly turned her head around in confusion, searching for her daddy.
Li Xiuzhe had just reached the doorway when he saw the little bundle’s anxious, frightened expression. He immediately quickened his pace. Huahua instantly stuck out her little bottom and crawled over to hug him. Only after she felt safe did she secretly peek at Grandmother and Grandfather, who had been smiling at her the entire time.
Mother Li stepped forward with a beaming smile and said gently, “Don’t be afraid, Huahua. We’re your grandmother and grandfather. You saw us last night, remember? Come on, call me Grandmother.”
Huahua remembered that she had indeed seen them yesterday and immediately called out softly, “Grandmother, Grandfather.”
Her soft, childish voice calling them Grandmother and Grandfather instantly made the two elderly people, who had been longing for a grandchild for years, beam from ear to ear.
“Yes! Good girl, come let Grandmother hold you.”
Other than her Mom, no one had ever been so eager to hold her. Huahua felt a little shy but also happy. Seeing that Daddy did not object, she did not resist much despite still being unfamiliar with them, and soon she was taken from her father’s arms.
Grandmother immediately planted a loud kiss on her little cheek. Huahua covered her face to stop her from kissing her again. “Huahua hasn’t washed her face. You can’t kiss me.”
“Oh my, Huahua is such a good and clever girl! Shall Grandmother take you to wash your face? Afterward, you can eat the breakfast Grandmother brought you.”
“Okay~”
Mother Li immediately carried her soft little granddaughter away, ignoring the two men present the entire time.
Father Li watched longingly for quite a while without getting a chance to hold his granddaughter. He followed them, but his wife soon drove him out for getting in the way. He could only come out dejectedly and vent his resentment on his son.
“If you had a child, you should have brought her home sooner! She’s already three years old, and she doesn’t even know her grandfather! You unfilial son!”
Li Xiuzhe had never wanted to argue with his father over pointless things, so he remained silent.
After venting his resentment, Father Li finally began asking about what had happened.
“Who’s Huahua’s Mom?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Father Li knew his son well. He understood that Li Xiuzhe was not an irresponsible man, so judging by the situation, that woman was probably no good.
“All right, then. Huahua is attending a banquet in two days. Your mother and I plan to take her out to have some clothes custom-made. Two days should be enough. If you’re busy, go take care of your work. Your mother and I will look after the child, so don’t worry.”
Li Xiuzhe’s dark brows and eyes flickered, but he did not answer. He was not actually busy and was just about to speak when Mother Li came out holding Huahua’s hand. Father and son both stopped talking and looked over, their eyes lighting up at once.
Huahua was wearing a pale green puffed dress covered in tiny flowers. Her smooth, thick hair was held up on top of her head with a large butterfly hair clip. Once the delicately pretty child was dressed up like this, anyone who saw her would want to take a second look.
“Isn’t our Huahua beautiful? You looked just like this when you were little too, son. I’ve wanted to dress you up like this for ages, but you were such a little old-fashioned boy from the time you were small. You never cooperated with me.”
Mother Li gazed at Huahua with overflowing affection. The more she looked, the more she liked her, and even the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes crinkled with laughter.
At long last, after thirty years, her wish had come true.
Huahua cautiously touched the pretty dress she was wearing, then lifted her little face to look at her father.
Li Xiuzhe curved his lips into a smile and praised her. “Huahua is very pretty.”
【Baby Huahua is so beautiful!】
【Look over here, I took a screenshot! My daughter is so pretty.】
【I heard that if you look at beautiful babies a lot while you’re pregnant, you’ll give birth to one just like them. I’ve decided to look at Huahua a hundred times every day from now on and wait for the results.】
【Mwah~ This definitely isn’t a villain. What villain could be this soft and adorable?】
After receiving the praise she wanted, Huahua was delighted. She had never worn such beautiful clothes before. They were even prettier than the dress worn by the little granddaughter of Auntie Wang next door.
She waved her little hand at her grandmother, who was watching her with a smile, signaling for her to crouch down. Mother Li bent over, and Huahua rose onto her tiptoes and shyly kissed her grandmother’s cheek. Then, under her grandfather’s expectant gaze, she kissed him too.
Whenever she kissed Mom like that, Mom became so happy.
Who could dislike a fragrant, soft little girl—especially one this adorable? The two elderly people’s hearts melted completely. They no longer had eyes for their son and simply surrounded their granddaughter, fussing over her and asking whether she was warm, hungry, or comfortable.
Li Xiuzhe, who had thought he would get a kiss too but did not, stood there in silence. “…”
Unwilling to admit that he was a little disappointed, he walked over, picked up his daughter, and said coldly, “Huahua should eat now.”
“That’s right! My good granddaughter must be hungry. Shall Grandfather feed Huahua?”
“Okay~”
The whole family sat around the dining table. The two elderly people competed to feed Huahua, their eyes crinkled with smiles as they enjoyed themselves immensely.
Huahua was happy too. She liked this place. Everyone here treated her well. No one scolded her, bullied her, or refused to give her food. She did not have to stay alone in a stuffy room waiting for Mom to finish work and come home.
Li Xiuzhe did not miss Huahua’s thoughts. He stopped drinking his porridge and looked up at his daughter, who was surrounded by his parents and smiling like a little angel. Remembering what she had just said inwardly, a savage, violent fury churned in his ink-black eyes.
What kind of awful environment had that damned woman allowed his daughter to grow up in?
He felt that he needed to learn about the child’s past. However, with his parents present, he could not ask Huahua directly, so he simply took out his phone and instructed his subordinates to investigate.