1122 - Chapter 15

“Wuwuwu! I’m really not willing to accept this. I could totally have beaten him.”

“Should little kids be fighting? If your dad finds out, he’ll definitely confiscate your snacks again, and you won’t even get to watch TV tonight.”

“Nooo, don’t tell him! Uncle, didn’t you say you love Qiao Qiao the most? You have to keep this a secret for me, don’t tell my dad!”

“Then tell me yourself, where exactly did you hit that little boy?”

With a ‘beep’, the home’s electronic lock disengaged, and the front door was pushed open from outside.

A tall, handsome Alpha walked in, carrying a little girl in kindergarten overalls.

The girl was about four years old, exceptionally pretty with her hair tied up in a bun, a plush bear clip adorning her head, adorable beyond words. Her large, dark eyes sparkled like black pearls, lively and beautiful, though her little face was puffed up in anger, looking utterly wronged, with tears still clinging to her lashes.

At first glance, one might mistake them for father and daughter.

This Alpha was none other than Chu Beiheng.

But the little girl wasn’t his daughter. Her name was Jiang Nianqiao, Jiang Yi’s daughter, nearly five years old and in kindergarten’s middle class.

Seeing her uncle staring at her sternly, Jiang Nianqiao was both angry and scared. She lowered her head and pouted, “I don’t want to say.”

Chu Beiheng sighed heavily. Heaven knew how shocked he’d been when the teacher told him that during outdoor activities, this little rascal had driven her toy car straight into a boy’s private parts, causing some bleeding. He’d been utterly dumbfounded.

That was a boy’s most vital spot! Thankfully, they’d gotten medical attention in time, and it wasn’t serious, but who knew if the other parents would come knocking.

Yet from dismissal until now, this little troublemaker had refused to admit what she’d done wrong.

Frustrated beyond words but unable to discipline her after all, she was just a little girl, he could only flick Jiang Nianqiao’s forehead lightly. “Jiang Nianqiao, I rarely pick you up, and you give me this kind of surprise. If your dad finds out, there’s really no way I can help you.”

Just then, a slender figure emerged from the kitchen.

Four years had passed, and the former Alpha had completely transformed into an Omega. Though his physique hadn’t changed much from five years ago, his Omega pheromones were extremely faint.

Normally, after receiving blockers, a person’s pheromone levels would reduce to about 10% of their original intensity. But he couldn’t even maintain that 10%, as the Secondary Differentiation Population’s pheromone disorder syndrome increasingly affected him daily.

Consequently, his health was poor, with fevers becoming a regular occurrence.

“What’s going on?”

The moment Chu Beiheng and Jiang Nianqiao saw Jiang Yi appear, uncle and niece immediately clung to each other, chatting and laughing animatedly.

“Uncle, what are we having for dinner tonight?”

“Hmm, whatever Qiao Qiao wants, uncle will make it for you.”

“Uncle, you’re the best~”

Jiang Yi’s face was slightly pale, likely from just recovering from a fever. The symptoms of his secondary differentiation disorder had only recently eased after receiving special medicine, but his complexion still wasn’t great which was why he’d asked Chu Beiheng to pick up his daughter today.

Dressed in loose white homewear and holding a glass, he descended the steps, eyeing the oddly behaving pair. “I was about to call you, thinking you might not have been able to pick up Qiao Qiao.”

Chu Beiheng had originally planned to report this naughty little girl to Jiang Yi, but seeing Jiang Yi’s pale complexion, he worried that bringing it up might upset him further. “No, this girl’s voice is so loud, she spotted me from far away and started shouting, as if she was afraid someone would kidnap her.”

“Hmph.” Jiang Nianqiao turned her head away proudly, then stretched her arms toward Jiang Yi, signaling for him to pick her up. She smiled sweetly. “Daddy, I missed you so much! Did you miss me today?”

Jiang Yi had been about to pick up his daughter when Chu Beiheng tugged on the little bear atop her head.

“Can’t you see your dad just recovered from being sick? You’re such a little pig, what if you crush him with your weight?”

Jiang Nianqiao’s eyes widened in outrage at her uncle’s words. “How dare you call a girl heavy! Chu Beiheng, you’ll never find a wife like this!”

Chu Beiheng: “…” Without hesitation, he set the brat back on the ground. Her sharp tongue was exactly like Yan Nanchen’s when he was little. He couldn’t resist grumbling, “You’re just like your First Dad when he was a kid that nasty mouth of yours. I had to deal with him when we were young, and now that I’m grown up, I still have to deal with you.”

It really felt like he owed Yan Nanchen from a past life.

The moment the words left his mouth, he realized what he’d said and immediately covered it, shooting a horrified look at Jiang Yi.

Jiang Nianqiao, ever the instigator, pointed at her uncle and drew out a long, exaggerated “Ooooh,” her voice deliberately childish. “You’re in trouble now daring to mention First Dad in front of Daddy.” She turned to her father, hands on her hips, feigning fierceness. “Daddy, hit Uncle! He made you sad.”

Hearing the little girl’s audacity, Chu Beiheng’s masculine pride flared up. He tugged on the bear atop her head again. “Jiang Yi, I’m reporting her too. Do you know what this girl did at kindergarten?”

“Waaaaah!” Jiang Nianqiao burst into fake tears the moment her uncle threatened to expose her, clinging to his leg. “Uncle, Uncle, Uncle! Qiao Qiao was wrong! Don’t tell, don’t tell! I promise I won’t sneak your snacks anymore!”

Jiang Yi rubbed his temples, exasperated by the two of them. “Are you two classmates? Arguing all the time, one at a time.” He walked over and sat down on the sofa, then picked up the silver-rimmed glasses from the glass cabinet nearby and put them on.

He hadn’t been nearsighted before, but the brain hemorrhage from his surgery five years ago had compressed his optic nerve, leaving him with pathological myopia. Fortunately, it wasn’t severe just occasional blurry vision.

As soon as he sat down, his daughter threw herself at his feet, kneeling and wrapping her arms around his leg. She looked up at him with tears already welling in her eyes. “Daddy, listen to me! Qiao Qiao really didn’t mean to! I just accidentally bumped into a little boy’s pee-pee at school just like how Uncle accidentally mentioned First Dad earlier. It was totally an accident!”

Chu Beiheng: “…” Where was the broom? Why did this brat always drag him into trouble?

Jiang Yi leaned back against the sofa, his expression turning cold at his daughter’s words. He bent down, lifted her onto his lap, and spoke sternly. “What did you say? You bumped into a classmate where?”

“His pee-pee,” Jiang Nianqiao mumbled guiltily, lowering her head. “I really didn’t mean to.”

Chu Beiheng snorted twice, “You were quite the expert driving that little car, even managed to make the little boy bleed. Definitely not on purpose.”

“Ahhh!” Jiang Nianqiao reached out as if to hit her uncle and burst into tears, “I told you not to say anything! Why did you have to say it?!”

“Jiang Nianqiao!” Jiang Yi scolded sternly, looking at his daughter on his lap with a cold expression. “You’re the one who did wrong here. Uncle was right to say it. Were you planning to keep it from Daddy if he hadn’t spoken up?”

Jiang Nianqiao shrank back at her father’s tone, too scared to let her tears fall. They merely pooled in her eyes as she pouted, nervously fiddling with her father’s collar. “No.”

“Not admitting your mistakes Qiao Qiao, you know Daddy hates liars the most. Do you want to become someone Daddy can’t stand?” Jiang Yi’s face was stern.

Jiang Nianqiao sniffled quietly, a far cry from her defiant attitude with her uncle. She hung her head timidly and shook it. “Qiao Qiao doesn’t want Daddy to hate her. Qiao Qiao is a good girl.”

Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she broke down completely, throwing herself into her father’s arms with loud sobs, crying and talking at the same time.

“Waaah! Daddy, you have to believe me, Qiao Qiao really is a good girl.”

Still crying, she sat up and made a gun gesture with her hand, pointing it at her own head with a self-made “bang” sound effect. Her big eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at her father. “Daddy, Qiao Qiao just ‘bang’-ed the naughty Qiao Qiao from kindergarten. The Qiao Qiao now is a good girl. You have to forgive me, Daddy~”

“Waaah! Daddy, I love you!”

This dramatic act of “eliminating” her former naughty self never failed to make Chu Beiheng want to applaud.

Jiang Yi frowned and turned to Chu Beiheng. “Beiheng, did the teacher mention which child it was?”

Chu Beiheng thought for a moment. “She said it was Jacob.”

Jacob?

The name didn’t sound familiar to Jiang Yi. He looked down at Jiang Nianqiao. “Is Jacob the new student who just transferred to your class last week?”

“Mm-hmm.” Seeing that her father was willing to engage with her again, Jiang Nianqiao quickly brightened up, her tear-streaked face forgotten.

“‘Mm-hmm’?” Jiang Yi pinched his daughter’s nose as punishment. “You bullied the new kid right after he transferred? That deserves a scolding. And you wanted to hide it from Daddy.”

He set her aside and stood up. “I’ll contact the teacher to find out whose child it is. We must apologize properly for hurting someone. Qiao Qiao, go get your favorite toy now to apologize to Jacob.”

“Ah!” Jiang Nianqiao’s face fell at the mention of parting with her favorite toy. “But that’s my treasured Barbie doll! Boys don’t play with those.”

Jiang Yi picked up his phone. Before the call connected, he glanced at his daughter. “That’s the lesson here. If you hurt someone, you must apologize. Since you don’t have money, you’ll have to give up something you love dearly. Otherwise, how will Jacob feel your sincerity?”

Just then, the call connected, and the teacher’s voice came through the phone.

Jiang Yi quickly smiled and said, “Hello, teacher. I’m Charlotte’s father. I was wondering if Charlotte bumped into a boy today?”

“Ah, yes. Today while playing with cars outdoors, Charlotte accidentally hit Jacob’s genitals. Fortunately, we got him to the hospital promptly. There was some minor abrasion and bleeding on the outer skin.”

Jiang Yi frowned deeply upon hearing this. What was he to do with such a mischievous daughter? “What did Jacob’s parents say about this?”

“Perhaps you could contact Jacob’s father? I can give you his phone number.”

“Okay, thank you, teacher.”

After hanging up, Jiang Yi immediately received the number from the teacher. Just as he was about to call, he glanced at his daughter clinging tearfully to Chu Beiheng’s leg and sighed. “Jiang Nianqiao, how dare you bully even boys? Aren’t you afraid at all?”

Where did she get such audacity from?

She’s like a little tyrant.

“Of course I’m not afraid! Because I have to protect Daddy!” Jiang Nianqiao declared proudly, lifting her head to look at her uncle. “Right, Uncle? You’re the one who taught me to be so fierce.”

Chu Beiheng gave a forced smile and flicked the little bear clip on the girl’s forehead in exasperation.

Jiang Yi quickly dialed the number, putting it on speakerphone. As soon as the call connected, he spoke first, “Hello, may I speak to Jacob’s father?”

There was a two-second silence on the other end before a response came. “Yes, I’m Jacob Duan Yuliao’s father, Luo Songran. Jiang Yi, is that you?”

Jiang Yi froze in shock.

The sheer curtains on the balcony fluttered slightly in the evening breeze, brushing against the crystal cabinet nearby. The fading sunlight gradually spilled into the room, casting a faint glow over the small urn placed there.

Beside the urn was a tiny memorial tablet.

Engraved upon it were the words:

Beloved Son Jiang Nian

(July 28, 2360 – July 28, 2360)

He felt dazed. Five years, it had already been five years.

He had thought that by leaving that place of sorrow and avoiding anything related to that person except for Chu Beiheng, he could continue living like this.

But it seemed there truly were no walls without cracks in this world. Sooner or later, that wind carrying painful memories would blow back into his face, forcing him to confront it all.

Jiang Yi laughed, his eyes reddening. “Yes, it’s me. Long time, no see.”

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