1122 - Chapter 17

In the princess-themed children’s room, Jiang Nianqiao sat on the carpet playing with the Barbie doll gifted by her uncle, directing and acting out scenes in her sweet, childish voice.

“First Dad, you should apologize to Daddy, you know? Otherwise, Daddy will hide and cry secretly,” she lectured sternly, pointing at the bald Barbie doll that hadn’t yet been given a wig, her serious expression quite convincing.

“First Dad says: Okay, yes, I’m sorry, my love. I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

“Daddy says: No, I won’t forgive you.”

Jiang Nianqiao couldn’t keep up the act any longer and buried her face into the Elsa-themed pillow, whimpering softly in sadness: “Even though I know Daddy left First Dad because he did something wrong but Qiao Qiao also wants to hug First Dad. I’ve never even hugged him before. Other kids get to hug their daddies every day.”

She didn’t dare cry too loudly, just muffled sobs.

Outside the door, Jiang Yi’s eyes reddened instantly. This seemed to be the first time he’d heard Qiao Qiao say such things. Before, his daughter had never mentioned First Dad, and he’d assumed her life was already fulfilling even without First Dad, she had her uncle’s company.

Had she been missing First Dad all along? Even though she’d never met him?

And that part about First Dad needing to apologize to Daddy, he couldn’t think of anyone other than Chu Beiheng who would have put such ideas in Qiao Qiao’s head.

He recalled how Chu Beiheng used to show Qiao Qiao photos of Yan Nanchen to teach her to recognize him. At first, Jiang Yi had refused, but later reconsidered, the child was innocent. He couldn’t just say “dead” if she asked where First Dad was.

That word was far too heavy.

Leaning against the doorframe, Jiang Yi steadied himself, determined not to break down in front of his child. After composing himself, he walked in and picked up the sniffling Qiao Qiao, who had her face buried in the pillow. “Sweetheart, why are you crying? Don’t you like the gift Uncle got you?”

He pretended not to have seen or heard her little performance, not wanting to expose her thoughts.

Jiang Nianqiao startled at her father’s sudden appearance. Her long lashes were still wet with tears, and the little bear clip in her hair had slipped sideways, leaving both girl and bear looking pitiful.

“Is Daddy still mad at Qiao Qiao?” she sniffled, her voice small and muffled.

“Daddy was too harsh earlier, wasn’t he? Did I scare you?” Jiang Yi carried her to the nearby sofa, grabbing a tissue to wipe her nose.

Hearing his tone, Jiang Nianqiao immediately knew her father wasn’t angry anymore. She squirmed shyly. “Not that harsh. Daddy isn’t harsh. Qiao Qiao did something wrong and should be scolded.”

Jiang Yi understood his daughter’s personality well while she could be a bit bossy at times, she wasn’t unreasonable. “First, tell Daddy what happened.”

So Jiang Nianqiao recounted the incident with the twins at kindergarten.

Now understanding the situation, Jiang Yi acknowledged it was indeed his daughter’s fault. “Tomorrow, Daddy will take you to apologize to those brothers. You must apologize properly, understand?”

Jiang Nianqiao scrunched up her face. “What brothers? Clearly, I’m the strong one, I should be the big sister!”

Hearing her obsession with being the “big sister,” Jiang Yi felt an indescribable ache in his chest, reminded of something or someone else.

“And Daddy, those two are so funny, especially that Jacob, the younger one of the twins. He plays Ultraman with his brother Cedric every day, even doing the transformation poses. His brother ignores him, so Jacob just acts it all out by himself.” Jiang Nianqiao covered her mouth and giggled again.

“Do you want to play with them?”

“Well, kind of. They’re the only ones in our class who can speak Chinese. The other kids don’t understand us, so it feels like we’re whispering secrets. But they don’t seem to want to play with me.” At this point, Jiang Nianqiao sighed heavily like a little old man, propping her chin on her hands. “Annoying.”

Jiang Yi couldn’t help but laugh at his daughter’s antics. He gently tapped her little head with his finger. “Who told you to be so fierce and bossy all the time? You’re a girl, you know.”

“Who says girls can’t be fierce or bossy? Did you make that rule, Daddy?”

Jiang Yi: “…”

Jiang Nianqiao crossed her arms and turned her face away with a haughty huff. “Well, I want to be fierce! That way, I can protect you, Daddy. No one will dare bully you then!”

Jiang Yi’s heart melted at his daughter’s words. He kissed her cheek and pulled her onto his lap. “No one would dare bully Daddy, Qiao Qiao. Don’t worry.”

“Who says? What about that stinky First Dad?!” Jiang Nianqiao huffed several times in a row, puffing up like an angry little bun. She pointed accusingly at the bald Barbie doll. “You’re the one who made Daddy angry and sad! Stinky man!”

Then, as if realizing she’d said something wrong, she lightly patted her own mouth and looked up at her father apologetically, forcing an awkward smile. “Daddy smells nice, not stinky.”

Jiang Yi burst out laughing. He bent down and hugged his daughter tightly his one and only treasure.

Uncontrollably, his eyes grew red.

He remembered the period after waking up from the critical condition post-childbirth, when both his mental and physical states were fragile. He had been too afraid to look at his daughter, terrified that seeing her would remind him of the son he had lost.

That silent despair had been like tidal waves, the moment things grew quiet, he feared the next surge of grief would crash over him, drowning him in sorrow. Day and night, it was the same.

Chu Beiheng had told him that since only one child remained, he had to focus on her. Moreover, once the baby was out of the incubator, she needed to stay close to her father because his pheromones could soothe her anxiety.

But back then, his condition had been so poor that he resisted seeing his daughter because every glance at her reminded him of the son who was gone.

It wasn’t until his daughter spiked a high fever, her condition critical, that he suddenly snapped out of it. It was as if he had been yanked out of those foggy, numb days. Chu Beiheng’s words had jolted him awake:

Jiang Yi, you’ve already lost one child. Do you not want this one either?

Only after that did he pull himself together.

Yes, he loved his children. But he couldn’t let the loss of one consume him to the point of neglecting the other. He needed to stand strong, to take good care of his daughter. If he couldn’t even do that, how could he face the son who had left them?

Later, he told Qiao Qiao about her brother’s existence, about how important he was. He also told her that her brother would always be with them in the little box that there was no need to be afraid.

When little Qiao Qiao was still young, she would ask:

“Daddy, if we open the little box, will brother fly out like a Little Elf?”

To protect her innocence, he would suppress his sorrow and smile:

“Yes, he will. But we can’t open it now, or brother will fly away and never come back. Let’s not open the little box, okay?”

Chu Beiheng was right, why should he bear this heart-wrenching pain alone?

Why had he been so foolish back then? Even after choosing the cleanest way out, he still ran away from Yan Nanchen.

The thought that Yan Nanchen might be living it up back home, surrounded by Omegas, made him feel like an absolute idiot for enduring in silence and hiding in M country for five whole years.

“Daddy, are you crying?”

Jiang Yi felt his daughter’s small hand touching his face. He held her hand, looked down at her, and shook his head with a smile. “No, these are happy tears.”

“Why are you happy?” Jiang Nianqiao tilted her head in confusion, the little bear on her head tilting along with her.

“Qiao Qiao, if one day you see First Dad, what would you want to say to him?” Jiang Yi probed cautiously.

Perhaps he shouldn’t keep running away.

He wouldn’t hide anymore.

The right thing to do was to return home in glory with his child, happy and thriving, to build his career preferably crossing paths with Yan Nanchen again. This time, he wouldn’t endure in silence like before.

Without hesitation, Jiang Nianqiao blurted out, “Call the police on him!”

Jiang Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “What if the police don’t arrest him?”

“Then I’ll yell at him and hit him!” Jiang Nianqiao waved her little fist in the air, poking fiercely as she declared, “Poke, poke, poke! Poke him!”

“Do you remember what First Dad looks like?” Jiang Yi asked.

Jiang Nianqiao nodded and pointed to the right side of her nose. “Uncle has a mole. First Dad doesn’t.”

“Do you remember his name?”

“Yan Nanchen.”

Another year passed. During this time, he accepted Director Duan’s offer to become the Executive President of Neptune Technology Group’s International Division in M country, overseeing the market operations of the Secondary Differentiation Special Medicine between domestic and international markets.

Since Neptune Technology Group collaborated extensively with Galaxy Group, he dispatched many employees to Galaxy Group for training during his tenure.

Every time his managers returned, they would complain:

“That President Yan from Galaxy Group is impossible to work with. Does he have OCD or something?”

“Right? He’s so nitpicky! President Jiang, please don’t send me there again. Sitting next to his office is pure torture.”

In the president’s office of Neptune Technology Group’s International Division, before the floor-to-ceiling window.

Jiang Yi sat poised in his mist-blue suit, his expression cool as he adjusted the silver-rimmed glasses on his nose and reviewed the new collaboration proposal with Galaxy Group.

“This time, I’ll go.”

The managers were stunned. “President Jiang, you’re going yourself?”

Closing the proposal, Jiang Yi looked up at them with a faint smirk. “I’ll avenge you.”

Galaxy Group President’s Lounge.

“President Yan, this time Neptune Technology’s International Division is sending their Executive President. We should personally go down to greet him.”

The assistant stood outside the cloakroom in the lounge, watching his boss, Mr. Yan, put on his shirt. The robust lines of his back stretched with the movement, exuding the aura of a dominant Alpha’s hormones.

Mr. Yan had taken a three-year break due to health reasons, but somehow, in the last two years, he suddenly pulled himself together resumed working out and returned to the company.

His temper, however, remained the same as ever.

And he’d developed a new habit: constantly feeling drowsy.

Take today, for instance, he had just woken up as the president of Neptune Tech Group’s international division was about to arrive. The assistant sighed inwardly. If it weren’t for the fact that Galaxy Group and Neptune Tech Group were sister companies, they would’ve been reported countless times by now.

“I know.” Yan Nanchen expressionlessly slipped on his silver-gray suit jacket, adjusting his cuffs as he walked. His indifferent gaze flicked to the assistant. “How many minutes left?”

“Five.”

Yan Nanchen gave an indifferent hum. “Still time. Brew me a coffee, thanks.”

The assistant: “…” For heaven’s sake! It’s just five minutes, what’s the point of brewing coffee now, boss?!

Five minutes later, Yan Nanchen finished his coffee and arrived at the Galaxy Group lobby right on schedule, just in time to see the delegation led by the executive president of Neptune Tech Group’s international division.

The moment he clearly saw the person approaching, Yan Nanchen froze in place.

Five years. Countless days and nights of torment and heart-wrenching pain from his condition. If it weren’t for photos and those so-called limited-edition albums getting him through the last two years, he suspected he would’ve long died from missing Jiang Yi.

He never imagined that five minutes later, he’d see the very person he had been yearning for day and night.

Yan Nanchen stared in disbelief at Jiang Yi’s sudden appearance, his eyes gradually reddening.

“Mr. Yan, this is President Jiang, the head of Neptune’s international division,” the assistant whispered beside him, noticing how his boss was staring at the man as if he wanted to devour him whole.

Yan Nanchen’s gaze remained fixed on Jiang Yi. Dressed in a mist-blue casual suit, his expression was calm, silver-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. Compared to five years ago, he had grown thinner, shedding his youthful naivety and now carrying an air of cool detachment.

“Yi Yi!” Yan Nanchen stepped forward uncontrollably, no longer caring about his composure.

Anyone who had spent five years searching for their beloved would break down, he was no exception.

The assistant: “???” What’s wrong with Mr. Yan??? That’s not Yi Yi, that’s President Jiang.

“Mr. Yan, your tie.” Jiang Yi glanced at Yan Nanchen’s tie, thinking to himself how odd it was that this man, who was usually so meticulous about his appearance, hadn’t even tied it properly.

So, in front of everyone, he reached out and adjusted it for him: “If even the smallest details like a tie are beyond you, Mr. Yan, I’d be quite concerned about our collaboration.”

Inadvertently, his gaze caught the jasmine tattoo on the side of Yan Nanchen’s neck.

Almost instantly, he averted his eyes.

Yan Nanchen stared deeply at the love of his life, whom he had searched for over five years, his eyes completely red. He tried his hardest to maintain his composure, but inside, he had already crumbled.

Even the fingertips so close to him carried the scent of Tuberose Jasmine pheromones his favorite.

His Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi smiled. “I don’t believe for a second that you don’t know how to tie a tie.” Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Yan Nanchen abruptly grabbed it, the grip was far from gentle. Frowning, Jiang Yi lifted his gaze to meet Yan Nanchen’s.

Instead, he found himself staring directly into Yan Nanchen’s moist, affectionate eyes, which seemed on the verge of tears at any moment.

The entire lobby was watching this scene. The atmosphere was so peculiar that everyone curiously lifted their heads to observe.

The assistant looked horrified, what was wrong with President Yan?!

Even the assistants and managers behind Jiang Yi exchanged bewildered glances. The CEO of Galaxy Group truly lived up to expectations, he was causing trouble again.

Jiang Yi also noticed the gazes directed at them. He feigned composure and tried to pull his hand from Yan Nanchen’s grip, but the other man’s strength was too much. He could only maintain a polite smile and say, “President Yan, isn’t this inappropriate?”

Yan Nanchen stared unblinkingly at Jiang Yi, the five years of pent-up longing and guilt finally spilling out:

“Yiyi, I’m sorry! I was wrong. I missed you so much.”

Everyone in the lobby: “?!!!!”

Is this gossip?! What kind of gossip?!

A love scandal?!?!

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