A Warm and Cute Strike (GL) - Chapter 13

Xiang Nan picked up his coffee, took a small sip, and slowly savored the rich aroma hidden within.

By the time he took his third sip, Qin Xinlan, sitting across from him, still looked hesitant and undecided. To keep the conversation moving, he had no choice but to ask:

“Miss Qin, are you having some difficulties?”

“No, no, no difficulties at all,” Qin Xinlan shook her head hurriedly.

“Then Miss Qin agrees?” Xiang Nan allowed a flicker of joy to show.

“It’s not that…” Qin Xinlan twisted her fingers, a battle raging in her heart. She didn’t know how to voice her refusal.

She had a soft personality and had never known how to say no to people. But now that it concerned Qin Xuening, she couldn’t just follow someone else’s lead as she had in the past.

In her eyes, Qin Xuening was her elder brother’s only child. Although the Xiang couple were trustworthy, they were ultimately outsiders; it made no sense for her to hand her niece over to them. As for her sister-in-law, Su Yuyan—regarding the medical and nursing fees Xiang Nan had mentioned—she wasn’t particularly worried.

Though she was just an ordinary music teacher, her late brother, Qin Mo, had been a famous musician. The inheritance he left behind was more than enough to support a comatose wife and a young daughter.

Furthermore, her career and social circle were in E-City. If her sister-in-law and niece were truly taken to A-City by the Xiangs, she would be too far away to help if the widow and orphan suffered any grievances. In E-City, at least she and Chen Yang were there.

“Actually, besides what I mentioned, there’s the matter of Xuening’s education. A-City is the capital, and its educational resources are far richer than E-City’s. Moreover, the medical standards are the best in the country. If Xuening’s mother receives treatment in A-City, the chances of recovery will be much higher.”

Seeing her wavering, Xiang Nan decided to press his advantage, adding more weight to the scale. “I assume Miss Qin also hopes Yuyan wakes up soon so she can be reunited with Xuening as a family?”

This analysis finally shook Qin Xinlan.

She naturally wanted her sister-in-law to recover. After the hundred-day mourning period for her brother, she and Chen Yang were set to be engaged. When she eventually married into the Chen family, if her sister-in-law was still unconscious, she would have to bring her and her niece along. No matter how much she trusted Chen Yang, she worried her husband and future parents-in-law might harbor private objections.

“Mr. Xiang, can I have some more time to consider?” After much agonizing, Qin Xinlan finally replied. “This concerns Xuening’s future, after all. I can’t make such a hasty decision.”

Xiang Nan paused. It was only right for her to have concerns; he couldn’t push too hard lest he trigger a counter-reaction. He readily agreed, asking her to contact him once she had made a decision.

At this very moment, Xiang Qingnuan was leaning over the small table in her room, browsing Weibo. After accidentally clicking on the trending tab yesterday, it was as if she had opened the door to a whole new world.

Now that her mother had driven Auntie Chen away, she didn’t have to do those exhausting chores and had plenty of free time. Although Sister Lin was quite fond of her, she seemed very busy, and Qingnuan felt embarrassed to ask her to play.

So, besides talking to the goldfish, playing house with her dolls, and watching cartoons, she didn’t have many activities. Now that she had discovered something fun to do, she couldn’t be happier. Although she couldn’t read yet, she could watch videos and look at pictures, adding a splash of color to her monotonous life.

“Huh—” Little Qingnuan let out a soft exclamation while sliding her finger across the screen.

The little goldfish, who had been dozing in the tank, was startled awake. It blinked, looked left and right, and then flicked its tail to swim toward her.

“Fishy, look! Isn’t this that little brother from the other day?” The girl picked up the tablet and moved it next to the tank to show the fish.

The goldfish stared intently at the screen. The picture showed a child sitting in a wheelchair dressed in black. Most of the child’s head and face were hidden by a black hat, showing only half of a profile.

For a legendary goldfish with a seven-second memory, all humans looked more or less the same—let alone a child showing so little of their face. And what “little brother”? It had no impression at all. It felt like the girl was making things very difficult for a fish!

But its little owner was staring at it expectantly. That look of seeking validation made the goldfish’s heart soften. It blew a bubble and, after much hesitation, gave a very serious nod.

However, despite getting the validation she sought, Qingnuan wasn’t particularly happy. She slumped dejectedly on the table, staring at the photo.

“The little brother doesn’t seem very happy…”

Though the person in the photo was wearing the same black clothes as before, the sadness and loneliness radiating through the image were such a stark contrast to the previous vibrant, glowing figure sitting at the piano. It made Qingnuan feel a bit sad.

As she watched, Qingnuan’s lip suddenly trembled. She turned off the tablet, rubbed her reddening eyes with the back of her hand, and whispered, “Fishy, I miss Daddy and Mommy a little bit.”

The goldfish was momentarily at a loss.

“When do you think Mommy will come back tonight?” Qingnuan blinked hard, as if trying to blink away the tears.

Seeing the girl so sad, the goldfish grew anxious. It started swimming in circles and blowing bubbles, hoping to cheer her up.

Creak— Just then, the bedroom door opened softly, and a figure tiptoed inside.

“And Daddy… I haven’t seen him in so long…” Qingnuan was so immersed in her sadness that she didn’t notice someone had entered.

The person walked up behind her and opened their arms. The goldfish noticed, but it couldn’t speak; it could only frantically bump against the glass to warn its little owner.

Finally, Qingnuan noticed something was wrong. She stared at the tank, and in the reflection of the glass, a dark shadow appeared. Startled, she instinctively turned her head and met a man’s eyes.

Their gazes met—one large and one small—and both were stunned.

“Waaaah—!” After the initial shock, Qingnuan burst into loud tears.

“Oh, my little princess, don’t cry, don’t cry…” The man reacted immediately, reaching out to scoop the girl into his arms.

The visitor was, of course, Xiang Nan.

After talking with Qin Xinlan, he had left the cafe and rushed back by plane without stopping. Ever since hearing Ye Feifei’s words yesterday, he hadn’t been able to sleep. If he hadn’t needed to consult with Xinlan, he likely would have rushed back first thing in the morning.

He had intended to play a little joke on his daughter, but the joke failed and made the child cry instead—something he hadn’t expected. Now, he was in a frantic rush to comfort her.

“Daddy’s bad!” Qingnuan cried, balled up her little fist, and gave him a thump before clinging tightly to his neck and continuing to sob.

“Yes, yes, Daddy is the worst!” Xiang Nan nodded repeatedly. As he spoke, he gave himself a slap and said, “Kill this big bad guy! How could he be so mean, scaring little Qingnuan like that!”

Hearing the slap, Qingnuan immediately straightened up and grabbed his large hand, saying anxiously, “You’re not allowed to hit my daddy!”

Her soft, milky voice still carried a sob, making Xiang Nan’s heart melt into a puddle. As a creative professional, he was naturally sensitive; although he usually acted calm and indifferent, he completely lost all defenses in front of his daughter.

“Alright, alright. Then our little princess won’t cry anymore, okay?” Xiang Nan held her small hand and kissed her cheek. “It’s all Daddy’s fault. Daddy apologizes to you. I’ll never scare little Qingnuan again. Forgive Daddy, okay?”

“Mhm—” Qingnuan sniffled, forgiving him with great magnanimity. She hugged his neck again and whispered, “Daddy, I missed you.”

“I missed you too, my little princess,” Xiang Nan said tenderly, holding his daughter.

When he entered the room earlier, he had heard Qingnuan talking to herself. He had been so moved that he was about to step forward, only to be discovered the next second. He felt like he wanted to knock himself out.

Holding her soft little body, a wave of tenderness surged from his heart, completely washing away the slight reluctance he felt about becoming a full-time stay-at-home dad.

He could film movies anytime, but if he missed his daughter’s childhood, it would be gone forever…

While father and daughter were reunited, on the other side, Qin Xinlan’s mind was in a whirl because of Xiang Nan’s words. Eventually, she decided to consult Chen Yang.

At the Qin house, Chen Yang was curled up on the sofa playing a mobile game.

“Ah Yang, Mr. Xiang said he wants to adopt Xuening and transfer Sister-in-law to A-City for recovery. How do you think I should answer him?” Qin Xinlan sat beside him and asked.

“Do you even need to ask? Refuse, of course,” Chen Yang sat up abruptly.

Actually, Chen Yang’s parents were quite dissatisfied with Qin Xinlan. Not only were both her parents dead, but now even her elder brother was gone; the two elders believed she was “too unlucky.” Moreover, she now came with two burdens.

But Chen Yang didn’t think so. He thought it was great that they were all dead! Now the Qin family’s vast fortune, including this house, was in Xinlan’s hands. Although she only had custodial rights over Qin Mo’s estate for now, with her easy-to-manipulate personality, wouldn’t it be easy for him to pull some strings? As for Su Yuyan and her daughter, he couldn’t let Xinlan send them away.

Aside from anything else, if that shrewd Mr. Xiang got involved, it would only lead to more trouble down the road. Thinking this, he hugged Xinlan and quickly offered some soft-voiced persuasion:

“Xuening is your brother’s daughter, so she is naturally our daughter too. Where in the world is there a logic for sending your own daughter to be raised by outsiders? Besides, that Mr. Xiang is a grown man—why would he want to adopt Xuening and take your sister-in-law there? He probably has ulterior motives.”

Hearing his first few words, Xinlan felt they hit home, but hearing him suspect Xiang Nan made her feel it wasn’t right to slander people like that. She quickly defended him:

“No, Mr. Xiang is a good man. He’s adopting Xuening so she and his daughter can have a companion.”