A tiny child sat obediently on the big wooden bench, both hands holding a disposable paper cup as he sipped water in small, careful mouthfuls.
A young male police officer watched him attentively.
The child, who introduced himself as Yuanbao, was strikingly adorable, his delicate features like those of a doll.
Although there were no brand logos on his clothes or shoes, the texture was clearly of the highest quality, soft and comfortable.
Earlier, they had brought him in from the filming site of “Femme Fatale”.
After some questioning and “reasonable deductions,” they’d learned that the child’s father likely had the surname Nie.
The supposed parent, judging from what little they could gather, probably owned a grand manor or villa.
The questioning had gone on for quite some time, enough to make little Yuanbao thirsty. Softly, he’d asked the “police auntie” if he could please have some water.
So the young male officer poured him a cup.
Meanwhile, a middle-aged female officer was checking through the district’s database for any homeowners with the surname Nie.
The male officer couldn’t help but find the child amusing, his round cheeks puffed up like a little hamster every time he took a sip.
As the woman scrolled through records, she muttered under her breath,
“There’s no male homeowner with that surname here. Not even among the temporary residents. If they’ve just moved in and haven’t registered yet…”
Yuanbao’s little right leg, dangling in the air, swung lightly. He understood what that meant.
So the police auntie couldn’t find his Big Daddy.
Could it be that he had come too early? That his Big Daddy hadn’t been born yet?
Hmm…
No, no, that couldn’t be right. Big Daddy was definitely already born.
The male officer saw the round little head start to shake on its own, as if the child were deep in thought. Then a sudden thought struck him, and he turned to his colleague.
“Hey, Sis, I think I do know someone with the surname Nie, owns a huge villa too.”
Yuanbao’s head shot up instantly, eyes sparkling.
Before the female officer could ask, the man continued,
“That Nie family, you remember? The one who made headlines a few years back over an inheritance dispute. In the end, the estranged eldest son inherited everything. His name was… Nie Shenyan!”
Before either adult could react, Yuanbao let out a delighted squeal, “That’s Big Daddy! Yuanbao’s Big Daddy!”
The two officers looked at each other.
A billionaire with a child this young wandering around without a bodyguard? That wasn’t just negligence, it was absurd.
The middle-aged woman nudged her partner, “Pull up his picture, quick. Let’s have the kid confirm.”
The man picked up his phone, muttering, “That guy’s seriously low-profile. I hardly ever see him in gossip magazines.”
It took him several minutes to find a photo, “Got it! This was taken during that inheritance scandal, by a reporter.”
He handed the phone to the little boy, “Buddy, do you see your dad here?”
The female officer leaned closer to look as well.
In the horizontal photo, a swarm of reporters was chasing after a tall man in the center, surrounded by bodyguards and lawyers in formal suits.
The man wore black sunglasses. But because of the angle and the camera flash, one could faintly glimpse his eyes, cold, distant, and unreadable.
It was almost like a “find the person” mini-game.
Without hesitation, Yuanbao pointed to the most familiar face and looked up with a beaming smile.
“That’s my Big Daddy!”
The two officers exchanged complicated looks.
With so many faces in the picture, the child’s immediate recognition strongly suggested a close bond. But this particular Mr. Nie…
The female officer’s gaze slid to the tiny caption beneath the photo: Nie Shenyan, condemned by relatives as ‘cold-blooded, tyrannical, and stingy beyond belief.’
She turned back to the bright-eyed little boy and said gently, “Sweetheart, don’t worry. Auntie will call your family first to confirm.”
The male officer, however, circled around the boy curiously, “Wait a second… you wouldn’t happen to be…”
He stopped himself before saying ‘an illegitimate child’.
After a few phone calls, they finally reached someone from the Nie household, only to be met with a flat denial, “There is no child around three or four years old in the Nie family.”
The woman frowned, “What do you mean, there’s no child?”
The two exchanged glances again. In that instant, an unspoken understanding passed between them, this boy might truly be the unacknowledged illegitimate son of that cold-hearted Mr. Nie.
According to the rumors, Nie Shenyan was born cold-blooded, so ruthless that even his own relatives avoided him. Abandoning a lover and child? Entirely “within expectations.”
Little Yuanbao stretched out his chubby hand,”Auntie, can you take Yuanbao to Big Daddy’s house? Yuanbao misses Big Daddy…”
The childish voice was soft and trembling with grievance, and his words, so full of longing for his father, made the officers’ hearts ache.
“Alright,” said the female officer at last. “Let’s go ask in person.”
She lifted the soft, plump child into her arms and spoke gently, “Don’t be afraid, little one. We’ll take you home and talk things through, okay?”
Then she turned to her colleague, “Go get the car keys.”
The male officer stalked off grumbling under his breath, “Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you can dump your kid anywhere! Can’t control your lower half? Get yourself fixed! Stop burdening society!”
The police car rolled to a stop outside the Nie family’s grand estate.
Before the car even came to a halt, Yuanbao had already spotted the imposing front gates he knew so well.
He wriggled out of the woman’s arms and dashed toward the entrance.
Several security guards, alerted by the sight of an unfamiliar police car, rushed out from the guard post.
Startled, Yuanbao tripped and fell to the ground.
The female officer quickly ran forward, picked him up, brushed off his clothes, and explained who they were and why they’d come.
The guards listened in utter confusion, “Could you please tell Big Daddy that Yuanbao came to see him?”
The little one’s soft plea made even the burliest guard hesitate. He glanced from the child’s cherubic face to the officers.
“Wait, are you saying… your father is Mr. Nie? Which Mr. Nie, exactly?” The male officer frowned.
“Didn’t I already tell you? Nie Shenyan”
Apparently, the guards found that hard to believe.
At the police station earlier, Yuanbao couldn’t remember his father’s full name. But now, with newfound pride, he lifted his chin and declared in his milky voice, “Nie Shenyan!”
The guards exchanged looks.
Outsiders might not know, but they certainly did that Mr. Nie was a man of discipline and restraint, to the point of being almost old-fashioned.
He lived by strict routines, rising and sleeping at fixed hours. How could a man like that possibly have fathered a child out of wedlock?
But with two police officers standing right there, none of them dared to make rash comments.
Finally, the head guard said, “Please wait here. I’ll contact the housekeeper and see how to handle this.”
He turned to the officers, “Mr. Nie has been out since morning for an important matter and hasn’t yet returned to the estate.”
Picking up his radio, he called the mansion’s internal line to reach Housekeeper Zhao.
From the gate, the officers could see that the true mansion sat far beyond the vast green lawns, grand, solemn, and distant.. The area they were in now was still some distance from the main house.
Housekeeper Zhao quickly authorized entry and told the guards to bring them to the guest villa for now, she would come immediately.
An internal transport cart, a six-seater electric vehicle used within the estate was pulled up.
The moment Yuanbao saw it, his face lit up. He clapped his hands and exclaimed, “Sometimes Big Daddy drives this one too! He goes vroom vroom and takes me all around!”
The female officer’s brows knitted tighter. It was getting harder and harder to tell whether the boy was imagining things.
They arrived outside the smaller villa.
And before the car even stopped, Yuanbao’s eyes widened in delight..
“Grandma Zhao! Granny Zhao!”
Both the housekeeper and the male butler had come together, worried after hearing the report.
Hearing that tender voice call her name, Zhao froze, then looked up.
A three- or four-year-old child was waving his arms, ready to run straight into her arms.
But she had never seen this child before in her life.
“You… know me?” she asked, startled.
Yuanbao nodded earnestly. Of course! It was Grandma Zhao!
But the uncle beside her… he didn’t recognize. So he tilted his head curiously.
Things were getting stranger by the minute.
The entire Nie household began to sense something serious was afoot while the two police officers grew even more certain: this Mr. Nie definitely had a child he wasn’t admitting to.
Housekeeper Zhao invited them inside at once and phoned Mr. Nie directly.
The male officer asked, “When will Mr. Nie be back?”
The butler hesitated.
“Mr. Nie went to attend a funeral today… so we’re not sure when he’ll return.”
“A funeral?”
That brought an abrupt end to any further questioning.
Rong City Funeral Hall.
The grand Wang family was holding their memorial service.
Several halls were filled with white floral wreaths and condolence banners. Most of the attendees were prominent figures of the city.
Everyone was dressed in black and white, an endless sea of somber faces.
In front of the mourning hall, quiet whispers rippled through the crowd. Guests seated along the sides sighed softly mourning the sudden stroke that had taken the old Master Wang’s life.
At that moment, the younger members of the Wang family, dressed in mourning attire, lowered their heads and began to sob softly.
The people inside the mourning hall stopped talking, and one after another, all eyes turned toward the main entrance.
A tall young man stepped inside, black shirt, black suit, like a dark cloud drifting into the room. His brow ridge was high, and under the backlight, the deep shadows of his eye sockets gave his expression an austere, solemn chill.
That kind of bearing, even if one didn’t recognize his face, made it clear he came from an extraordinary background, untouched by dust.
The old master of the Wang family’s middle-aged son, in his forties or fifties, bustled forward in small steps like an actor rushing onto stage
“Dear nephew, you came to send the old master off on his final journey, if he knew, he’d surely rest in peace.”
Nie Shenyuan, wearing black gloves, lightly supported the elder with one hand. “Director Wang, my condolences.”
When Wang Dong saw he had no intention of getting close, he could only laugh awkwardly and retreat, then politely invited him to pay his respects and offer condolences to the family.
From a corner, someone whispered, “Director Wang? Given how close the Nie and Wang families are, shouldn’t he call him Uncle Wang instead?”
Another person covered their mouth with a hand and said, “He just doesn’t see anyone in his eyes. The old master admired him so much while alive, and now that he’s gone, I bet Nie’s going to inherit that fat slice of the Wang family pie.”
After a pause, he added quietly, “Heard the rumor? Someone invited a fortune-teller to read Nie’s birth chart and said that his fate is hard and curses his kin, that’s why the Nie family members keep dying one after another.”
“What? Seriously?” The man who had started the gossip kept his eyes on Nie Shenyuan’s figure.
But he seemed to have other matters on his mind, barely paying attention to the talk.
Normally, it was nearly impossible to approach Nie Shenyuan, he was always surrounded by assistants or bodyguards. Today was a rare chance: he’d come to the funeral alone.
The man straightened his suit collar, puffed up his chest, and prepared to walk over.
The person beside him grabbed his arm. “Hey, Jia Shao, what are you doing?” He rolled his eyes, realizing the man was trying to cozy up to Nie Shenyuan. “Don’t go, he won’t even look at you.”
But the young Master Jia was hot-headed. “How would I know if I don’t try?”
He stood and started walking toward Nie Shenyuan’s seat. Before he could get close, a middle-aged man strode past him with long, quick steps.
Jia frowned, about to speak, but then saw the man lean down to murmur respectfully in Nie Shenyuan’s ear, handing him a phone at the same time. Nie Shenyuan immediately stood and walked out, clearly, it was an important call.
Jia could only return to his seat in frustration.
In the black car parked outside the funeral hall, Nie Shenyuan got in and gestured for the driver not to start the car yet. Speaking into the phone, he said, “Aunt Zhao, what is it?”
Aunt Zhao explained everything in detail.
The driver, seeing his employer silent for so long, glanced up into the rearview mirror and noticed that Mr. Nie’s brows had furrowed.
For a man as capable and unflappable as Mr. Nie, what kind of trouble could make him frown like that?
The driver found himself unconsciously frowning too.
Just as Nie was about to speak, a soft, childish voice came from the other end of the call, tender and milky, “Big Daddy! It’s Yuanbao!”
Then came a jumble of adult voices in the background, “Little one, don’t be anxious, I’m talking to Mr. Nie.…Sit on the sofa first, don’t run around.”
Just as Nie was about to respond again, that small voice piped up once more, “Does Big Daddy not want Yuanbao either? Uuu…”
That innocent, pitiful cry, paired with the adults’ gentle comfort, made the thirty-something Nie Shenyuan suddenly recall his own childhood, being left outside in the snow by his father, cold and hungry.
His lips pressed tightly together; when he finally spoke, the cold voice carried a shadow of something dark, “Aunt Zhao, I’m going back to the main house now.”
Then he hung up, told his assistant to stay behind at the funeral, and ordered the driver to start the car.
Film City, on the set of Femme Fatale.
Pei Jingyuan had a feeling that today was cursed.
First, he’d somehow lost the banana he’d been saving to fill his stomach, and the more he thought about it, the hungrier he got.
He looked at the ornate hair crown on the actress’s head and all he could see was a fried drumstick
Then came a retake, a scene that was supposed to be opposite the male lead. But since the lead had to attend an important business event, they’d sent in a body double instead.
The problem was, this scene relied heavily on emotional feedback from the male lead. But the stand-in, back to the camera, gave him absolutely nothing, a perfect example of expressionless “ABCDEFG***”
The director, who was completely indulgent toward the male and female leads, was merciless toward supporting actors.
He demanded perfection from Pei Jingyuan, insisting on better reaction shots, better light, better angles.
So the entire shoot, tweaking angles, lighting, and pacing was dragged from dawn till nightfall. By then, Pei was starving, stomach glued to his spine, but he kept going patiently.
In the end, even the director and crew had to admire his good temper. The director patted him on the shoulder, saying meaningfully, “Xiao Pei, with your professionalism, you’ll make it big one day. Don’t worry.”
Of course, he also knew that, with that kind of dangerously pretty face, Pei’s path would be narrow.
Male actors like him had an even harder time landing leading roles than the women did.
But at this moment, Pei Jingyuan couldn’t care less about “making it big.” He was starving to death.
“Director Zhang’s guidance is invaluable,” he said politely. “I’d love to learn more from you in the future, I hope you’ll give me more opportunities.”
Director Zhang, pleased, chatted a bit more before letting him go.
The moment Pei saw his friend Huang Licheng, he practically lunged at him, “Save me! I’m about to become the first ghost in Film City to die of hunger!”
“Bro, drink less of that ‘chicken soup for the soul’ nonsense and eat some real food,” Huang Licheng said, holding him up.
“You’re turning into a paper sheet. At this rate, you’ll end up in the hospital before you even get famous. Let’s grab food nearby, how about a barbecue?”
“Go! Go! Go!”
Pei would have agreed to anything edible by now.
Outside Film City was a whole street of restaurants, big and small, for every budget. Before the boss could even bring the fresh skewers, Pei had already devoured half a bowl of fried rice.
Huang poured him water. “Slow down.”
Pei suddenly set his chopsticks down, looked up at him, “What now?”
Pei looked utterly tragic. “I was so hungry I think I forgot all my lines from this afternoon.”
Huang: “…”
At that moment, the lady boss came in with her chubby little child.Given that both parents ran a restaurant, the child’s plumpness was perfectly reasonable.
Pei took one glance and immediately thought, that kid’s nowhere near as cute as the one from this afternoon.
Then he froze, horrified at himself, was he seriously comparing children’s looks now? God, when had he turned into such an awful adult?
Just then, the chubby kid turned around and grinned at the handsome big brother.
Pei Jingyuan: (ΩДΩ)
A thousand points of guilt stabbed his conscience. He really was a shameless bastard.
Huang watched his face cycle through eight hundred expressions in one minute and sighed.
“Hey, barbecue’s here! Don’t order so much again, I’ll end up finishing it all.”
Pei, trying to quiet his guilty conscience, murmured, “I met a pretty cute kid this afternoon… I wonder how he’s doing now.”
“What?” Huang didn’t understand this non-sequitur.
Pei explained briefly, mainly about the little rascal who’d stolen his banana and leaving out the weird “Big Daddy and Little Daddy having kids” part.
“When I left the set,” he said, “the crew told me the police took him away.”
Huang gave him a side of meat and said matter of factly, “Then what are you worried about? The Hejiang District police are famous for being thorough. They’ll have sent him home by now.”
Pei looked at the sizzling meat on the grill, thinking of that soft, round little kid.
*** ABCDEF = Chinese slang among actors, meaning “wooden and expressionless”; a parody of robotic acting.
I can see from where YaunBao got his personality *Cough* Xiao~ *cough* Daddy~ 😚
Anyway baby is with Big Daddy so we don’t have to worry… Or we do?
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
(￣ω￣;) the translator is staring at the coffee button
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · YaunBao in wrong Time lineChapter 2 · Finding Big DaddyChapter 3 · DNA ProofChapter 4 · Hospital visitChapter 5 · New RoleChapter 6 · Meeting Daddy SoonChapter 7 · New NeighbourChapter 8 · Moving inChapter 9 · Meeting Little Daddy again!Chapter 10 · WhiteChapter 11 · Car for Little DaddyChapter 12 · Live StreamChapter 13 · KittyChapter 14 · Bonding Time~Chapter 15 · White CatChapter 16 · Yuanbao, your dad is terrifying!Chapter 17 · Will Dad blow up the kitchen?Chapter 18 Part 1 · Little Dad, let’s get New Big Dad!Chapter 18 Part 2 · Little Dad, let’s get new Big Dad!Chapter 19 · Yuanbao doesn’t have a loving big dadChapter 20 Part 1 · Dad never holds back Yuanbao~ No, no~Chapter 20 Part 2 · Dad never holds back Yuanbao~ No, no~Chapter 21 · Little Dad’s friendChapter 22 · Our Child from future!Chapter 23 · Little Daddy Knows!Chapter 24 · How did the two fathers meet?Chapter 25 · They really treat him like a gold ingot!Chapter 26 · Big Daddy really likes little daddyChapter 27 · Hehe, Yuanbao’s dad is such a humorous personChapter 28 · This name sounds like some kind of unspoken codeChapter 29 · Don’t you dare steal Yuanbao’s little dad!Chapter 30 · You’re so smart, it’s only natural that our child is clever too.Chapter 31 · That’s definitely a hickey!Chapter 32 · We simply can’t compete!Chapter 33 · Big Dad, you’re not allowed to bully Little DadChapter 34 · Amusement ParkChapter 35 · Big Dad, you have to protect Little DadChapter 36 · Go eat friesChapter 37 · These fries are so deliciousChapter 38 · Yuanbao imitated his dad’s tone: “No, no~”Chapter 39 · Did you hurt Daddy’s hand?Chapter 40 · Were the father and son plotting something behind my back?Chapter 41 · They really went a little too far in the future.Chapter 42 · Sudden feeling of being “needed”Chapter 43 · The little guy tells his dad everythingChapter 44 · Why was Dad secretly observing him?Chapter 45 · I’ll introduce you to these two adorable peopleChapter 46 · According to family hierarchyChapter 47 · Yuanbao is mine and Jingyuan’s childChapter 48 · Little Yuanbao, you sound just like your dad talking right now!Chapter 49 · Are you happy today?Chapter 50 · Waaah, how could Daddy say such bad things about Yuanbao to Little Daddy?!Chapter 51 · Dad, will Yuanbao have a younger brother or sister?Chapter 52 · Let him handle the whole “conquering” thing!Chapter 53 · Dad, do you miss dad?Chapter 54 · Yuanbao’s Dad, how about we start dating?Chapter 55 · Did the two fathers talk for two days before telling Yuanbao?Chapter 56 · I’d like a different birthday presentChapter 57 · I love playing like this with my two dadsChapter 58 · Dad, come home soonChapter 59 · Jingyuan, let me hold you for a whileChapter 60 · Big Dad and Little Dad are just like Yuanbao’s left and right feetChapter 61 · Yuanbao, how about letting your father sleep in the middle?Chapter 62 · Waiting for your goodnight kissChapter 63 · Philodendron, McDowellChapter 64 · Little Dad is so badChapter 65 · Yuanbao wants to stay home and play every dayChapter 66 · Where’s my little Yuanbao?Chapter 67 · He’s my childChapter 68 · Two fathers?Chapter 69 · Does French Fries taste the same?Chapter 70 · Teacher AnnieChapter 71 · You’re bullying meChapter 72 · Big Dad asked Little Dad to kiss you for himChapter 73 · I think what’s missing is a formal confessionChapter 74 · If the ingot is an inward square, thenChapter 75 · Little Potato Ball and Daddy PotatoChapter 76 · That must be some other silly kidChapter 77 · In the future, how about I help you pluck out your white hairs?Chapter 78 · Little Dad already tried his best to help you!Chapter 79 · You can only blame the prize for being too temptingChapter 80 · Little Dad will hold a personal art exhibition just for youChapter 81 · Shall I make it up to you?Chapter 82 · Little Dad, kiss kiss~ Help Yuanbao give Big Dad a kiss tooChapter 83 · You’ll just say he’s a relative’s childChapter 84 · #PeiJingyuanMalePregnancy#Chapter 85 · Family GatheringChapter 86 · Extra 1Chapter 86 · Yuanbao will work hard and make lots of money!Chapter 87 · Who’s he messaging?Chapter 87 · Extra 2Chapter 88 · Why are you blushing?Chapter 88 · Extra 3Chapter 89 · Let’s get marriedChapter 89 · Extra 4Chapter 90 · Hair CutChapter 90 · Extra 5Chapter 91 · They’re willing to accept you as part of the familyChapter 92 · A Family DinnerChapter 93 · This is Yuanbao’s… very, very tall Big Dad, Nie ShenyuanChapter 94 · The wedding