Qin Family.
Qin Lie sat straight in the conference room, his expression cold and stern, his deep eyes calm and undisturbed. He listened quietly to the reports from the people below, his handsome face devoid of any expression. His fingers lightly tapped on the tabletop, neither fast nor slow, as if tapping on the hearts of the people present, causing their hearts to tremble in fear.
When he heard his phone ring, he casually opened it and frowned upon reading the content.
Where did his daughter come from?
Was her account hacked?
"CEO Qin?" The employee who was giving a report trembled when he saw Qin Lie's furrowed brows, tnking he had said something wrong. He cautiously asked.
Qin Lie snapped out of his thoughts and nonchalantly placed the phone back on the table, raising an eyebrow and circling a spot on the document, casually tossing it on the table. He indifferently said, "Redo it."
The people below felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing his words but dared not say anything. They could only take the documents and leave dejectedly.
The conference room fell silent for a moment.
Qin Lie picked up his phone again and saw several more messages.
[This is the granddaughter I just adopted today. From now on, she will be your daughter. How is she? Isn't she adorable?]
[Hey, if it weren't for the fact that Zhouzhou can't be registered under my household, and your four brothers are all married with children, this good fortune wouldn't have fallen to you. Come back early today and quickly meet your daughter.]
Qin Lie's gaze landed on the words "good fortune," and his eyelid twitched.
He didn't reply and looked sideways at his assistant, asking, "Has the flight ticket to Hu City been booked?"
His voice was as cold and indifferent as ever, and the assistant quickly replied, "It's booked. The flight takes off in one hour."
Qin Lie nodded, made a sound of acknowledgment, and took out another document to continue reading, showing no sign of urgency.
The assistant wasn't in a hurry either. After all, CEO Qin always encountered delays when taking flights. It could be as short as an hour or as long as several dozen hours.
There was plenty of time to finish reading the document before leaving.
Seeing that he didn't reply, Madam Qin pursed her lips, tossed her phone aside, and thought to herself that her youngest son was good in every aspect, except for being emotionally distant. He was a workaholic who wished he could live in the company all year round.
Hoping that he would give her a granddaughter? Hmph, she might as well find one herself.
With that in mind, her gaze fell on Zhouzhou again. Her eyes flickered as she called out, "Zhouzhou."
Upon hearing her voice, Zhouzhou turned her head and softly called out, "Grandma," causing Madam Qin to respond cheerfully, embracing her in her arms and saying, "Grandma has found a dad for you. Do you want it or not?"
Zhouzhou looked at her with round eyes and asked, "What is a dad?"
Madam Qin paused, remembering that Zhouzhou had been an orphan since she was young. So she patiently explained, "A dad is someone who will take care of you, spoil you, and love you for a lifetime. With him around, you will never go hungry. Do you want it or not?"
Never go hungry?
Zhouzhou's eyes lit up, and without hesitation, she said, "I want it!"
Her Eldest Senior Brother had told her that if she ever found someone who would take care of her meals, she must never let them go and hold onto them tightly!
Seeing her response, Madam Qin nodded in satisfaction, glanced at the messages on her phone, and a mischievous smile crept onto her lips.
Want to run away? No way!
In the middle of the night, Qin Lie got off the plane and arrived at the hotel. He opened the door, pinched his brow, revealing fatigue on his face after a day of work and several hours of flying.
He quickly took a shower and walked towards the bed. The room was dimly lit, intensifying his exhaustion. In a daze, he seemed to touch something slippery, and the scent of milk filled his nostrils.
The scent of milk?
Qin Lie abruptly opened his eyes, turned over and got out of bed. He flicked on the bedside lamp with a snap and immediately saw a little bald head. Below that was a chubby little face, with tiny hands gripping his clothes and a small mouth smacking in deep sleep.
As if sensing something, Zhouzhou drowsily opened her eyes and looked at the indifferent face in front of her, matching him to the person in the photo shown by Madam Qin. Her mind replied with her words.
[When you see him, just cling to his leg and call him dad. With him around, you won't have to worry about meals for the rest of your life. He'll make sure you're well-fed!]
Well-fed!
At the thought of this word, Zhouzhou's eyes brightened, and she fully woke up. She pounced on his leg, tightly embracing it, using her hands and feet to hold onto him, tilting her head and flashing a bright smile at him. She cheerfully exclaimed, "Dad!"
Upon hearing these words, Qin Lie's face turned black, grinding his teeth. He grabbed her by the back of her collar, pulled the little brat off him, and tossed her to the other side of the bed. Seeing her about to pounce again, he gritted his teeth and said, "Stop!"
Hearing his extremely indifferent voice, Zhouzhou froze in place, looking at him with a somewhat aggrieved expression. She called out, "Dad?"
Qin Lie's temple twitched as he stared at the little girl for a while. He could easily guess what had happened. He picked up his phone and made a call, which took nearly half a minute to connect.
"Hello, son, you've arrived at the hotel, right? Did you meet Zhouzhou? Surprised, huh?"
Qin Lie let out a breath, neither surprised nor pleased.
With a cold face, he said, "Take her away."
"What did you say?" Madam Qin's voice came through, speaking rapidly, "The signal is bad on my end, I can't hear you. Your father and I have gone abroad. Zhouzhou is too young to fly alone, so take care of her for now. Anyway, she's your daughter. Oh, the signal is bad again, I have to hang up."
The call was disconnected.
Qin Lie tightly clenched his phone, his knuckles turning white. He was truly infuriated.
Seeing him like this, Zhouzhou ran over again, tiptoeing and holding his hand, softly saying, "Dad, don't be angry. I'm easy to take care of, I won't give you any trouble."
Hearing her words, Qin Lie looked at her.
Zhouzhou also smiled at him, trying to please him. She looked very well-behaved.
Qin Lie frowned, glanced at the time, and made another call.
Before long, his assistant arrived. "CEO Qin."
"Take her to get another room," Qin Lie ordered.
The assistant glanced at Zhouzhou and whispered, "CEO Qin, this is the last available room."
Hearing this, Qin Lie gave him a cold look and sneered, with an ambiguous meaning in his words, "You better be obedient."
The assistant panicked and immediately lowered his head, not daring to speak. He felt helpless in his heart. On one side was Madam Qin and the Old Master; on the other side was CEO Qin, each one more powerful than the other. He didn't have a choice at all.
"Leave," Qin Lie said in a flat tone.
He didn't even need to call the front desk. With his mother's way of doing things, she probably booked all the available hotel rooms within a ten-mile radius.
He couldn't be bothered to do useless work anymore. He turned to look at Zhouzhou, his tone cold and hard, "Stay away from me."
"Oh," Zhouzhou moved back and lay down on the other side of the bed, turning her head to look at him. "Dad, is this okay?"
Every time she called him dad, Qin Lie's heart skipped a beat. His face grew even darker, and he sternly said, "Don't call me dad."
Zhouzhou pouted, obediently saying, "Okay, dad."
Qin Lie: "..."
Seeing that he was about to speak again, Zhouzhou burrowed into the covers and her soft voice came from underneath, "I'm going to sleep, dad. Goodnight, dad. Sweet dreams, dad!"
Qin Lie: "..."
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!
Vous aimerez peut-être aussi
Commentaire de paragraphe
La fonction de commentaire de paragraphe est maintenant disponible sur le Web ! Déplacez la souris sur n’importe quel paragraphe et cliquez sur l’icône pour ajouter votre commentaire.
De plus, vous pouvez toujours l’activer/désactiver dans les paramètres.
OK