Chapter 9: Unlucky Guy
Qin Lie took a deep breath and lay down on the other side, keeping a considerable distance between them, as if a galaxy separated them.
The scent of milk wafted from the little buns on the tip of his nose. Despite being exhausted, he couldn't fall asleep at all.
Whenever he thought of Zhouzhou, his temples throbbed.
He knew that his mother had always wanted a granddaughter. It had become almost an obsession. But he never expected her to actually pick up a little girl from outside and make him her dad.
Nonsense.
He pinched the bridge of his nose with a headache. Suddenly, he turned his head to the side and looked at the little girl who had quietly moved closer without him noticing. He asked, "What are you doing?"
Realizing that he had discovered her, Zhouzhou smiled awkwardly, sat up straight, and looked at him with concern, propping her chin up with her hands. "Dad, what's wrong with you? Can't sleep? Do you want me to tell you a story to help you sleep, Dad?"
She called him dad with every sentence, making Qin Lie's headache even worse.
"No need," he coldly refused.
Unfazed by his response, Zhouzhou moved closer to him and said, "Then let me recite a book for Dad."
Qin Lie closed his eyes, not wanting to pay her any attention.
Zhouzhou took it as his approval, and with a raised chin, she recited in a clear and confident voice, "The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name..."
"Observing the mind at ease, practicing the profound Prajna Paramita..."
Qin Lie's brows twitched slightly as he recognized what she was reciting.
The former was from the "Tao Te Ching," while the latter was from the "Heart Sutra." One was a Taoist classic, and the other was a Buddhist scripture. She had memorized both of them flawlessly.
Suddenly, he recalled what Qin Madam had told him about Zhouzhou's background during the day. She mentioned that Zhouzhou initially lived in a temple and later moved to a Taoist temple. However, he didn't understand why she was sent down the mountain at such a young age.
Whether it was the hypnotic effect of the scriptures or not, he actually fell asleep.
Once he was sound asleep, Zhouzhou stopped reciting and sat cross-legged, supporting her cheek as she observed him.
Dad looked really handsome, and his features were excellent. His heavenly appearance, clear eyes, and prominent brows indicated great wealth and prosperity.
Her gaze landed on a specific area, and her eyebrows furrowed. She muttered to herself, "That shouldn't be right."
The next day, when Qin Lie woke up, he was greeted by a chubby little face.
"Good morning, Dad!" Zhouzhou's eyes brightened as she saw him wake up, and she greeted him with a beaming smile.
Qin Lie glanced at her, noticed that she was already dressed, and shifted his gaze away. He got up, washed up, and headed outside.
Zhouzhou immediately followed him without leaving a step.
Qin Lie glanced back at her, and Zhouzhou also looked up at him. Her round, watery eyes were so adorable that they softened anyone's heart.
The words that were about to come out of his mouth were swallowed back. Annoyed, Qin Lie averted his gaze and walked briskly ahead.
His assistant was waiting at the elevator, and as soon as he saw Qin Lie approaching, he hurriedly stepped forward and greeted, "CEO Qin."
Qin Lie gave him a cold glance.
Knowing his fault, the assistant lowered his head even further, attentively pressed the elevator button, and brought over Qin Lie's favorite breakfast.
Seeing the spacious dining hall, Zhouzhou couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow." So many delicious things.
Observing her lack of manners, Qin Lie calmly said, "Take whatever you want."
After all, she was the child his mother had chosen. If she ended up starving, she would come to him for an explanation, which would be troublesome.
Zhouzhou looked around at the tables and asked softly, "Dad, can I eat all of this?"
"Hmm." Qin Lie casually nodded.
"I can eat a lot, you know." Zhouzhou drew a circle in the air with her hands, her eyes eagerly fixed on him, as if trying to convince him.
Qin Lie scoffed, "Eat until you're full."
Joke, how much could she possibly eat? Could she even bankrupt him?
Ha.
Upon hearing this, Zhouzhou breathed a sigh of relief and completely relaxed, flashing a big smile at Qin Lie. "Thank you, Dad!"
Qin Lie waved his hand and instructed his assistant to take her to eat.
Zhouzhou walked to the dining area and pointed at a few meat dishes. The assistant was about to get them when she said, "Besides these few, I want everything else."
"Huh?" The assistant was dumbfounded, almost doubting if he had heard correctly. He hesitated and said, "Miss, should you reconsider?"
The Qin family could afford to raise a child, but wasting food was not a good habit.
Zhouzhou touched her chin, pondered for a moment, and nodded as if realizing she might not have enough to eat. She extended her small hand and said, "I want five buns!"
One bun was not enough; she needed more.
The assistant choked for a moment but didn't say anything. He obediently followed her request.
Qin Lie was sipping his coffee when he saw the assistant bringing the dishes one after another. Soon, the table was filled, and he furrowed his brows. "Why so much?"
The assistant replied, "Miss said she wants to eat."
Upon hearing this, Qin Lie's expression remained indifferent, and he didn't say anything further.
Zhouzhou agilely climbed onto the chair, pushed the plate toward him, and said, "Dad, eat!"
"No need." Qin Lie coldly refused.
Fine.
Zhouzhou had to serve herself, took the chopsticks, and started eating.
Everything tasted so delicious!
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the pile of food in front of her. Her eyes curved into a crescent moon, and her little face was filled with contentment.
The assistant watched by the side, feeling a bit startled. Initially, he was worried about her wasting food, but now he was worried about her overeating.
In just ten minutes, the table that was once full was now more than half empty.
Although the dishes in the hotel were small, each bite wasn't much, but with so many plates, it was quite a substantial amount, enough for four or five adults. Yet, she alone managed to finish it all!
Hearing the movement, Qin Lie looked up and glanced, slightly surprised. Looking at the little girl in front of him who was still devouring the food, the answer to the question he had pondered last night suddenly became clear.
Could it be that the Taoist temple couldn't support her anymore, so they sent her down the mountain?
It had to be said that he unintentionally stumbled upon the truth.
After finishing the meal, Zhouzhou rubbed her belly and smiled at Qin Lie. "Thank you, Dad, for taking me to eat!"
So, Grandma wasn't lying to her. Having a dad really meant being able to eat until full.
With that thought, her eyes sparkled even more as she looked at Qin Lie.
Sensing it, Qin Lie ignored her and wiped his mouth. He got up and walked toward the exit.
However, just as he reached the doorway, a flowerpot suddenly fell down, landing with a bang right next to his feet, less than a centimeter away from hitting him.
"CEO Qin!" The assistant exclaimed, looking worried.
The hotel manager, upon hearing the commotion, hurried over and kept apologizing.
Qin Lie, however, seemed unperturbed, as if it was a common occurrence. Calmly bypassing the flowerpot, he continued walking forward.
"Is the meeting all set?" he asked.
"Yes, yes, everything is ready. You can start once you arrive."
"Good."
Zhouzhou sat in the backseat without disturbing their work, but her eyes remained fixed on Qin Lie.
Recalling his reaction just now, it didn't seem like it was his first time encountering such an incident.
It was lucky that he didn't actually get hit, but unlucky that he encountered such a low probability event.
She looked at him, took off the copper coin hanging around her neck, tossed it, and looked at the divination on it, suddenly realizing something.
So, Dad was actually an unlucky guy!
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone