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墨書 Inktalez
When Xiao Ran turned three, I helped her find a place at the Noble Nursery.
On the way to the Noble Nursery, I drove while the nanny held her in the back seat. She reached out with her little hands and mumbled something that sounded like "pa, pa." I didn't pay much attention, glancing at her through the rearview mirror before focusing on the road ahead.
Unexpectedly, the nanny, who was in her thirties, excitedly said, "Mr. Xu, she's calling you daddy."
My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn't help but pull over immediately, turning my body to ask, "She's calling me daddy?"
"Yes," the nanny replied with a smile while holding her little arm.
I wasn't sure at what age children typically start to speak, but since I returned to the apartment about every two months, each time Xiao Ran was busy—either giggling with a little yellow duck or sleeping soundly with drool at the corner of her mouth. I had hardly ever heard her say anything.
"Xiao Ran is very smart. When I teach her to speak, she learns right away without needing me to repeat it much," the nanny said proudly. "Actually, she has been able to call you daddy for a while now, but you've always been busy with work and never heard her."
I looked into her bright eyes, pure and innocent. Her little face appeared pale due to her illness, but she kept smiling at me and calling out "ba, ba," warming my heart. "You taught her to call me daddy?"
"Yes, there are pictures of you at home. I showed them to her and said this is daddy—she pointed at your picture and learned to say 'ba—ba—'" The nanny mimicked how Xiao Ran spoke. "You should have seen it; it was so endearing. Mr. Xu, just consider me meddling; I think such a young child should be around family..."
Before the nanny could finish her sentence, my phone rang from my pocket.
It was my secretary reminding me of a high-level meeting in half an hour. The company's affairs interrupted my paternal feelings. After hanging up, I quickly drove Xiao Ran to the Noble Nursery and handed her over to the teacher on duty.
I then gave the nanny taxi fare for her return to the apartment before heading to the company.
What follows is about my private life; perhaps you may not want to hear it. I initially thought it had nothing to do with Xiao Ran's growth, but who knew it would hurt her so much?
My marriage with Liu Ya was merely a legal document without any real marital feelings involved. That house hardly felt like mine; it neither held onto me nor captured my heart.
I am a normal man with looks and wealth that attract temptations far beyond those faced by ordinary men.
I am not Liu Xiahui and have no intention of remaining chaste; having a lover by my side is quite normal for me. Beautiful, understanding women who know their worth are welcome in my life, which has led to numerous tabloid stories about me—headlines like "Late Night Return with Beauty" or "Business Tycoon Seeks Romance" have appeared in local papers.
Liu Ya must know about these things but has never asked. We haven't been in contact for over half a year.
Thinking about her relationship with Xiao Ran is terrifying; she probably hasn't even seen Xiao Ran. I don't know if she ever asked the doctor to show her Xiao Ran after giving birth in the operating room; after leaving the surgery room, she never looked at Xiao Ran again. Even when we had to meet due to certain matters, she clearly stated, "Don't bring her along; I can't stand noisy children, especially girls."
If she despised children so much, why bother giving birth?
But then again, Liu Ya's sole purpose in keeping Xiao Ran was to bind me—to serve as leverage against me as a father figure. Xiao Ran became merely a tool for personal connections.
That day, I sent the bloated and drunken leader of the Housing Authority out of the private room. Returning to my seat, I was feeling drowsy and planned to take a quick nap when my phone on the table rang.
I picked it up and saw it was Liu Ya.
"What’s up?" There was no need for pleasantries between us.
"Do you have time tomorrow afternoon? Our Vice Principal wants to see you," she said, speaking to me in that commanding tone as if I were not a company director or her equal husband, but merely a servant at her beck and call.
"Your Vice Principal? What does he want to see me for?" If it were a personal matter, that would be one thing, but since it involved outsiders (let's consider her as my family for now), I had to be cautious.
"It's about the Classroom Allocation Room; he needs your help. Please arrange it."
To be honest, I was quite displeased. Since it was a work-related matter, her approach was completely inappropriate. "Are you trying to play favorites?"
"Hmph," she scoffed, "Do you think I have any favors to ask from you?"
I rubbed my nose bridge. "Let's stick to the point. I won't give him much benefit; he can only purchase what funds he has available. Don't involve me in embezzling public funds. Have him come directly to the company and talk to the sales department."
"Xu Zhou, you're slapping my face!"
"That's what you get!" For the first time, I spoke to her so bluntly. One must know their limits; am I indebted to the Liu Family?
On the other end of the line, Liu Ya seemed taken aback by my tone and fell silent for a while. I could hear her heavy breathing from anger. "What are your conditions? Just say it. Our family's reputation cannot be ruined by you."
"Ha, do you really think there's anything I want from you..." Before I could finish, I paused, recalling something important. After hesitating for a moment, I softened my tone and said, "Alright, I do have a condition."
"Just so you know, it's impossible for me to fall in love with you; forcing me won't work."
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Liu Ya, you really should go out and see the world instead of being cooped up in your closed-off school all day; otherwise, you'd mistakenly think you're some rich heiress adored by everyone."
Liu Ya must have been furious; she didn't respond for quite a while.
"Alright, just kidding. My condition is that I want to move back in with Xiao Ran. Don't worry; it'll be just like before—we'll sleep in separate rooms. Xiao Ran is already over three years old and needs a complete family. Also, I'll prepare a place for the old lady so she can move over."
"What do you mean? You want to kick my mom out?"
"That works too; I just don't want to face that disapproving face every day when I return."
"Xu Zhou, don't go too far!"
"Suit yourself," I said before hanging up.
Women are like this; if you indulge them too much, they start thinking they're celestial beings from heaven. As expected, that night Liu Ya called me back with a tone full of humiliation, telling me that my mother-in-law had agreed to my request. However, just before hanging up, I heard my mother-in-law's angry curses on the other end of the line.
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