1122 - Chapter 28

Perhaps it was the lingering fever, but Jiang Yi could clearly feel the exhaustion in his body. However, the thought of Qiao Qiao having no one to look after her made it impossible for him to rest and leave her alone in the room to play by herself.

“Qiao Qiao, Daddy is a little tired. How about I take you to Uncle Yuan Yuan?” He considered asking his assistant to help look after her for a while.

Yan Nanchen hadn’t left yet. He had already steeled himself to be shamelessly persistent. Hearing Jiang Yi mention handing his daughter over to an uncle who sounded somewhat unreliable, he couldn’t help but frown.

He also noticed that Jiang Yi’s complexion didn’t look good, but aside from him, no one else could help alleviate the pheromone concentration imbalance.

Qiao Qiao was sitting on the sofa next to Yan Nanchen. Upon hearing her father’s suggestion, she immediately shook her head. “No, no!” Then she turned to Yan Nanchen, tugging at his clothes with her small hand. “Good friend, how about you play with me instead?”

Yan Nanchen’s heart melted at his daughter’s tug. He turned his gaze toward Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi: “…” Daddy is just afraid you’ll get lost. Meeting the identical looks from this father-daughter pair, he pinched his forehead in frustration, his emotions complicated.

Then he watched as the two of them began whispering to each other.

One dared to say it, the other dared to listen.

Qiao Qiao tugged at Yan Nanchen’s clothes again, gesturing for him to lean in closer.

Yan Nanchen tilted his head down toward his daughter, speaking softly. “What’s the order?”

“If Daddy pinches his forehead or his nose, it means he didn’t take his blood pressure medicine today. If Uncle sees it, he’ll definitely scold him. Not taking medicine means not listening, and Daddy isn’t listening again today.” Qiao Qiao’s whisper was quiet, her voice sweet and childish yet oddly serious, like a little adult.

Yan Nanchen immediately fixed his gaze on Jiang Yi, frowning. “You didn’t take your blood pressure medicine today?”

Jiang Yi: “…” He silently lowered the hand that had been pinching his forehead and shot Qiao Qiao an exasperated look.

But Qiao Qiao, as if she now had backup, sat beside Yan Nanchen and pointed at her father, mimicking Yan Nanchen’s tone with exaggerated seriousness just like she usually did when copying Uncle.

Then she looked up at Yan Nanchen. “See, friend? I was right. Daddy’s guilty, and he even glared at me. So mean.”

Yan Nanchen ruffled his daughter’s hair, careful not to mess up her hairstyle, and gently adjusted the little bear hairpin perched on her head. “Good job. So, Qiao Qiao, what reward would you like?”

“I want to reward you by playing Barbie with me.” Qiao Qiao placed her hands on her knees, looking slightly shy. “I want you to be the princess, and I’ll do your hair, makeup, and paint your nails. Okay, big shot?”

Yan Nanchen: “…”

Jiang Yi lowered his head to suppress a laugh, imagining the scene, the illustrious CEO of Galaxy Group turned into a painted mess. But then he quickly reined in his thoughts. What was he thinking? He hadn’t returned to the country for this.

Focusing on his career was what mattered.

Yan Nanchen’s gaze lingered on the slight upward curve of Jiang Yi’s lips. In that moment, it felt like something struck his heart. So what if he had to play princess for a child, letting her do his hair, makeup, and nails?

He nodded. “Alright, no problem. I’ll play with you. And let your daddy rest, okay?”

“Yay!”

A big hand and a small one high-fived.

And so, even though Jiang Yi didn’t want to share the same space with Yan Nanchen, Qiao Qiao wanted to play with him, leaving him no reason to refuse again. Exhausted, he returned to the room, gave Yan Nanchen a few instructions, told him where Qiao Qiao’s snacks were, and then collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep instantly.

The insomnia that had plagued him for years due to his health condition seemed to be effortlessly resolved under the influence of alpha pheromones.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Qiao Qiao opened her suitcase and began introducing her collection of Barbie dolls to her new friend.

“These dolls are from the Fashion Royalty series, and this one is from the Silkstone series. My favorite is this pink Chanel-style one.” Qiao Qiao held up the limited-edition doll next to her cheek. “This was a gift from my uncle, so I brought my favorite one with me. And I have so many more at home, all from my uncle. He’s so good to me.”

Yan Nanchen diligently memorized the names of the Barbie dolls, then texted his assistant to buy every single one of them immediately. He added a final instruction: fill the trunk of his car with them and decorate the interior in a way little girls would love something pink and frilly.

“Alright, dear customer, please extend your hand. I’m going to give you a manicure now. What style would you like? Here’s a catalog of designs to choose from.” Qiao Qiao pulled out her manicure kit and flipped open a small notebook, complete with a selection of nail art designs.

Yan Nanchen stared silently at the dazzling array of nail art options. Hesitantly, he glanced at Qiao Qiao. “Boss, I have a question.”

“Ask away. The customer is always right.”

“Has your uncle ever gotten a manicure?”

Qiao Qiao nodded. “Of course! Even a pedicure. Would you like our shop’s most popular design? It’s super flattering and sparkly~”

Yan Nanchen: “Have all your customers gotten one?”

“Yep! They all loved it.”

Yan Nanchen caught the plural. “They who exactly?”

“My piggy brother, my baby brother, Uncle Ranran, and Uncle Duan, they’ve all had one.”

Yan Nanchen froze. Only now did it dawn on him that everyone in the family knew about Qiao Qiao except him. A pang of loneliness struck him. But then again, he deserved it. If not for his own mistakes, Jiang Yi would never have left him.

From now on, he would accept all criticism, strive to improve, and win Jiang Yi back. No matter what, he would make up for the five years he had failed them compensating Jiang Yi and their daughter in every way possible.

So, President Yan extended his hand to the little manicurist before him. “Then give me your shop’s most popular design.”

“Dear customer, would you like to add a makeup and hairstyling package? I can do your hair and give you a pretty makeover. Then everyone will fall in love with you when you go out!” Qiao Qiao pulled out her little makeup case, fully stocked with child-friendly cosmetics.

Seeing how seriously the little one took her role, and realizing that his brothers, Piggy, Baby, and even Duan Yizhou had all been subjected to this treatment, Yan Nanchen felt a sudden twinge of jealousy. As her father, he had never gotten to experience this privilege.

Hearing Qiao Qiao’s last words, he laughed: “Qiao Qiao, do you think your dad would accept my pursuit if you helped me with my makeup?”

“Huh?” Qiao Qiao, who was putting on gloves, tilted her head to look at Yan Nanchen: “Hard to say. My skills might not be good enough to make Dad accept you at first glance.”

“What if we try a few more times?”

Qiao Qiao seemed to think of something amusing and suddenly threw her head back with a giggle, like a little duck quacking away. In her laughter, she forgot she was still putting on gloves, lost her balance, and plopped onto the carpet with a little “Ouch!”

Yan Nanchen was startled and quickly picked her up, checking her over worriedly, afraid she might have bumped herself: “Did you hurt anywhere?”

“Nope.” Qiao Qiao looked up at him, studying him carefully: “Mister, you seem different from what Uncle said.”

“How so?” Yan Nanchen lowered his head to meet his daughter’s curious gaze. Perhaps it was the little bear perched on her head that was too adorable, he couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it.

His heart swelled with emotion. So this is what having a child feels like.

And he had missed nearly five years of Qiao Qiao’s growth.

Qiao Qiao was struggling with her gloves and stretched her tiny hands toward Yan Nanchen, whispering: “Can you help me put them on?”

Yan Nanchen bent down to help his daughter with her gloves.

Qiao Qiao continued studying Yan Nanchen, thinking to herself: So this is the First Dad Uncle mentioned. He looks exactly like Uncle, but Uncle has a mole on his nose, and this Yan Nanchen doesn’t. Also, Uncle smiles a lot, but this Yan Nanchen doesn’t.

Even though he doesn’t smile much, he doesn’t seem very scary either.

“Friend.” Qiao Qiao leaned in closer, tilting her head, the little bear on her head flopping over with the movement: “I have to tell you something.”

“What is it?” Yan Nanchen finished putting on her gloves and, seeing her lean in like this, found her utterly adorable and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Seeing Yan Nanchen smile, Qiao Qiao’s eyes instantly lit up. She reached out and poked at the upward curve of his lips: “I know! With my makeup skills, if you smile more, you might have a chance to win over my dad. You have to smile like Qiao Qiao does.”

With that, Qiao Qiao grinned, her eyes crinkling, and cupped her hands under her chin: “Smile like this, like a flower. Got it?”

Yan Nanchen gazed at his daughter, his eyes reflecting her radiant, carefree smile. In that moment, he felt the gaping wounds in his heart wounds carved by longing slowly being filled by this child. His nose tingled with emotion.

A lie requires countless more lies to patch its flaws. By the time the truth comes out, the lie itself may already be battered and bruised. No matter how well-intentioned, it will still hurt the other person.

And the liar will suffer even greater consequences.

To mend such wounds, one must make amends bit by bit. He was ready to love Jiang Yi, to beg for Jiang Yi’s forgiveness. Even if it took a lifetime, he was willing.

Yan Nanchen’s eyes reddened slightly as he smiled: “Alright, then I’ll learn from you. Will you teach me?”

Qiao Qiao heard that an adult wanted to learn from her, and suddenly felt quite proud. She puffed out her chest and patted it confidently, “No problem at all! Let’s start with the manicure first!”

But before they began, Yan Nanchen picked up his coat and stood up, “Wait a moment, I need to take this to your dad.”

“Why do you need to give your coat to Daddy?” Qiao Qiao asked curiously, following him into the bedroom as he walked inside.

In the bedroom, Jiang Yi was fast asleep after taking his medicine. Perhaps feeling a bit insecure, he lay curled on his side, hugging the blanket tightly.

Yan Nanchen approached the bed and bent down, carefully trying to pull the blanket from Jiang Yi’s arms. This caused Jiang Yi to frown slightly in his sleep, letting out a soft, discontented murmur, and even wrapping his arms around Yan Nanchen’s forearm instead.

Perhaps sensing his Alpha’s pheromones in his sleep, Jiang Yi’s expression soon relaxed.

Yan Nanchen remained in that position, watching as Jiang Yi nuzzled against his arm like a kitten, his sleeping face peaceful and sweet. Maybe due to a lingering low fever, his cheeks were flushed with a delicate pink hue.

His gaze was filled with deep affection as he watched for a long while.

Standing nearby, Qiao Qiao observed the scene curiously. Finally, seeing Yan Nanchen stare at her dad for so long, she couldn’t resist asking, “Friend, do you think my dad is good-looking?”

Why was this First Dad staring at Daddy like that?

“Yes, your dad is the most beautiful person in my eyes,” Yan Nanchen admitted. Though he knew he should go play with his daughter, he couldn’t bear to leave Jiang Yi just yet. His fingers trembled slightly as he gently brushed Jiang Yi’s brows. “So I want to look at him a little longer.”

“Are you going to kiss him?” Qiao Qiao tilted her head and asked earnestly.

Yan Nanchen glanced at her, his eyes brimming with amusement. “Can I?”

Qiao Qiao pointed to her cheek and forehead. “My teacher in M Country taught us that if you really like someone, you can show it politely by kissing their cheek or forehead. If you like them a lot, you can just kiss them.”

Yan Nanchen took a deep breath, as if moved by his daughter’s words. He did want to kiss Jiang Yi whether on the forehead or cheek, it didn’t matter.

“That’s right. I like your dad very, very much. For the past five years, even though I couldn’t find him, I kept waiting. Now that I’ve found him, I’m really happy.” He lowered his gaze, studying Jiang Yi’s sleeping face, then slowly leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

The kiss was light and fleeting, yet filled with reverence, as if it had reignited his heart, making it leap with joy.

Perhaps the key to breaking through the barriers in his relationship with Jiang Yi lay in their daughter.

Qiao Qiao watched intently as Yan Nanchen kissed her dad, then covered her face shyly.

Noticing her reaction, Yan Nanchen couldn’t help but chuckle.

Reluctantly, he tore his gaze away from Jiang Yi and tucked his coat into Jiang Yi’s arms. The Alpha pheromones on it could help alleviate the symptoms of pheromone concentration imbalance, whether through physical contact or fluid exchange.

This would make Jiang Yi feel better.

After doing this, he stood up, picked up his daughter, and carried her out. “Let’s go play.”

So, for the next hour, the usually aloof and indifferent President Yan had taken off his suit jacket, wearing only a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up halfway, letting the little girl in front of him have her way.

His nails were now adorned with colorful glitter, and under the pretense of being a VIP client, she even helped him put on a gemstone ring. Then came his face, painted with a not-so-skilled makeup job, complete with heart-shaped gem stickers at the corners of his eyes.

His hair wasn’t spared either.

Qiao Qiao picked out her favorite cherry-patterned hair ties and tied two little pigtails on Yan Nanchen’s head.

“Wow, you’re so pretty!”

At this point, the usually unapproachable and cold President Yan had completely lost his domineering CEO image. There was no dignity left, he was just a big toy in his daughter’s hands.

This was how a doting father was made.

By the end, Qiao Qiao must have gotten tired because she hugged her water bottle, lay down on Yan Nanchen’s lap, and drank until she eventually fell asleep.

Seeing that his daughter was sound asleep, Yan Nanchen set the water bottle aside and held her for a long while, his eyes growing moist again and again. Then he stood up and carried her into the bedroom.

Just as he stepped inside, Jiang Yi was already awake, holding his suit jacket. He reached for the glasses on the nightstand and put them on.

Jiang Yi had been pondering why he had been hugging Yan Nanchen’s suit in his sleep, but the moment he put on his glasses, his peripheral vision caught Yan Nanchen walking in with their sleeping daughter in his arms. Then he got a clear look at Yan Nanchen’s current appearance.

Yan Nanchen’s face had been painted by their daughter like a colorful mess multicolored eyeshadow, blush, asymmetrical lipstick with mismatched colors on his upper and lower lips, gem stickers at the corners of his eyes, and two little pigtails tied on top of his head.

Jiang Yi hadn’t been fully awake before, but in that instant, he was wide awake and struggling to suppress the corners of his lips from twitching upward.

Yan Nanchen walked to the bed and gently laid their sleeping daughter down. Seeing Jiang Yi trying not to laugh, he sighed in resignation. “Go ahead and laugh. I don’t even know what I look like right now, but Qiao Qiao said I’m pretty, so I must be pretty.”

“Pfft!” Jiang Yi couldn’t hold back anymore. He lowered his head and burst into laughter.

Perhaps because it had been too long since he’d seen Jiang Yi smile and a genuine, beaming smile at that Yan Nanchen felt an indescribable joy well up in his chest. In that moment, he thought even being painted like this was worth it.

“Yi Yi, am I pretty?” He raised his hands, showing off his freshly done manicure.

Jiang Yi saw Yan Nanchen’s nails painted with children’s nail polish, one hand adorned with a flashy gemstone ring, and his face looking like a canvas. The stark contrast to his usual suited-up appearance during morning meetings was too much. He couldn’t hold back anymore and leaned against the headboard, laughing uncontrollably.

“Pretty.”

Yan Nanchen took in the sight of Jiang Yi laughing heartily, his gaze filled with deep affection and tender indulgence. He smiled softly.

“As long as you’re happy.”

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