A Warm and Cute Strike (GL) - Chapter 32

The morning sun was intense, pouring through the car window and plating the little girl’s back with a layer of golden light, making her snowy, delicate skin appear even more translucent and radiant.

But the light in her eyes and the smile on her face were even more brilliant than the fiery sunshine.

Watching his daughter’s vivid and bright appearance, the corners of Xiang Nan’s mouth curled up. He couldn’t resist pulling out his phone to record this magnificent moment.

“Daddy, you’re secretly taking pictures of me again!” Little Qingnuan glared at him, expressing her dissatisfaction with his behavior of playing with his phone instead of answering her questions properly.

“Daddy isn’t taking ‘secret’ pictures,” Xiang Nan replied without a shred of restraint. Instead, he pressed the shutter repeatedly, taking several more shots in rapid succession. “I’m taking them quite openly.”

The light was perfect, and his daughter’s features were so good that there was no need for filters; she looked stunning under the natural light.

Qingnuan furrowed her brow, debated with herself for a moment, and then said seriously, “Openly taking them isn’t allowed either!”

“But our Nuannuan is so cute, Daddy can’t help himself.” Xiang Nan showed the phone screen to his daughter. “Look, didn’t Daddy take a good one?”

Seeing herself on the screen, Qingnuan blinked, and her attention was instantly captured. She reached out with both small hands to take her father’s large-screen phone. As she looked through the gallery, sliding her finger across the screen, her eyes brightened with every photo she saw.

“Does it look good?” Xiang Nan asked her.

Qingnuan looked up, revealing a slightly shy smile. Her face flushed as she answered, “I really do look quite pretty…”

“Hmph, Daddy is a professional, after all,” Xiang Nan said, pinching her nose with a touch of vanity.

“Mhm! Daddy is super amazing!” Qingnuan nodded adorably, being a very supportive audience.

Xiang Nan beamed, feeling like he had finally scored a point back in his silent competition with Qin Xuening. However, a moment later, his daughter’s voice suddenly grew dejected: “If only Sister Xuening were here too…”

Seeing his daughter’s disappointed little face, Xiang Nan admitted defeat in less than a second. He sighed softly, thinking quickly of how to cheer her up.

He looked at the phone and had a sudden inspiration. “Come on, sweetie, let’s take a photo together and send it to your Sister Xuening. We’ll show her how much fun the outside world is, and maybe next time she’ll be willing to come out?”

To facilitate contact in case of emergencies, he had specifically gotten a SIM card and a phone for Qin Xuening. He had originally intended to teach her how to use it, but the girl had taken the phone and started operating it with such fluent, practiced movements that no teaching was required.

That child was certainly smart, but she wasn’t “cute” at all in that regard! It left him with a total lack of a sense of achievement…

Little Qingnuan couldn’t read her father’s internal grievances. Hearing his suggestion, her eyes lit up, and she became lively again: “Mhm! Daddy is so smart!”

Indeed, his own daughter was the well-behaved and cute one. Xiang Nan smiled and rubbed her head, then switched the phone to selfie mode and put his arm around her to adjust the angle.

“Alright, sweetie, look at the lens and give me a big smile,” Xiang Nan directed. He pressed the button, and the photo of the “Doting Dad and Adorable Tot” was successfully captured.

Confident in his photography skills, Xiang Nan didn’t bother with editing or filters. Under Qingnuan’s expectant gaze, he quickly typed a line of text and hit send.

“Did Sister Xuening get it?” Qingnuan asked urgently as Xiang Nan tucked the phone away.

“It’s been sent to her phone,” Xiang Nan said, smoothing her slightly messy hair. “But your Sister Xuening is likely still practicing the piano; she probably won’t see it until she’s finished.”

“Mhm, okay!” Qingnuan nodded with great understanding and then leaned against the car window, watching the scenery outside.

She decided to remember everything she encountered on the journey so she could go back and tell Sister Xuening all about it. She would definitely love it!

The indicator light on the fixed camera at the front of the van flickered, faithfully recording every bit of the father and daughter’s interaction.

Xie Sha, sitting in the front row, had been eavesdropping with her ears perked up ever since they got in the car. It was mostly because little Nuannuan was not only cute to look at but also had a soft, “moe” voice that made Xie Sha want to keep listening to her talk.

She had already heard the name “Sister Xuening” countless times. This piqued her infinite curiosity: Was the “Sister Xuening” Nuannuan kept mentioning truly another daughter of the Goddess and Xiang Nan?

But looking at Xiang Nan’s open and unbothered demeanor, it didn’t seem likely. After all, they had just gone through emergency PR stating they only had one daughter; a normal person wouldn’t commit such an act of “slapping their own face.”

But perhaps it was a smokescreen to keep the audience guessing? Xie Sha looked conflicted, her heart itching to know the truth.

However, based on Nuannuan’s descriptions and her “sister-obsessed” behavior, Xie Sha had already developed a favorable impression of this yet-to-be-seen “Sister Xuening.” She lowered her head and made a note in her notebook, deciding to report this to the Chief Director later and find an opportunity to probe for more information from Nuannuan.

Xiang Nan’s group was one of the key focuses of the production team. Xie Sha had secured this assignment not only through connections but also because her professional skills were up to standard.

While the hype surrounding the Xiang couple wasn’t as intense as when the news first broke, Ye Feifei was still a “hot commodity.” As a top-tier celebrity, she never lacked for attention. Meanwhile, Xiang Nan’s new film was nearing its release, and the promotion had been non-stop since it finished shooting.

Additionally, having recently won the Best Director trophy at an international awards ceremony, he had a decent level of recognition among the public—and a very positive one at that.

With such a high-profile couple creating buzz, the ratings for the premiere were expected to be strong. The production team would naturally try to satisfy the audience’s curiosity, selectively allocating more screen time to the Xiang father and daughter in the first episode.

As for later on, they would adjust based on audience feedback—one of the perks of a “film-as-you-broadcast” schedule.

Xie Sha closed her notebook, pondering the next steps. The car continued down the highway toward the meeting point…

Third Floor of the Xiang Residence, Music Room

Qin Xuening pressed the final key and slowly withdrew her slender hand. Her eyes were slightly closed, as if she were feeling the music echo in her ears. Finally, she let out a soft sigh and slowly opened her eyes.

She curled her lips into a slight smile, her eyes tinged with joy from her newfound realization. But when she habitually turned her head toward the empty corner of the music room, the light in her eyes faltered and dimmed instantly.

Today, there was no little girl named Xiang Qingnuan sitting there to keep her company, ready to hand her a glass of juice, a cup of hot tea, or simply a smile the moment she finished playing.

Xuening stared at that corner blankly for a while. Then, she turned back, pursed her lips, gently closed the piano lid, and stood up. She picked up a clean cloth from the table and began to wipe the piano inside and out. She wiped it with great care, her expression focused and devoted—yet it seemed like she was simply trying to distract herself.

Ding-dong— The phone on the table suddenly made a sound. The girl, who was focused on wiping the piano, reacted immediately.

That was the sound of a text notification.

Only Xiang Nan, Ye Feifei, and Qin Xinlan knew this phone number. Who could it be?

Xuening straightened up, walked over, set the cloth on the table, and picked up the phone. She saw it was a message from Xiang Nan. Her heart stirred, and she quickly opened it.

Uncle Xiang: Still on the road. Nuannuan says she misses you.

Xuening read the message, feeling momentarily dazed. She blinked; perhaps because she had stared too long, her eyes felt a bit stinging.

Just as she was about to exit the message, she saw an attachment below the text, loading slowly bit by bit. Soon, a photo of the little girl and her father appeared before her. They were likely still in the car; the sun was perfect, and the lighting was bright.

Watching the little girl in the photo smiling so brilliantly, the lips Xuening had just pressed into a straight line began to curve upward again.

Her eyes sparkled as she operated the phone, saving the photo to her gallery and then selecting “Edit.” Her snowy, slender fingers moved across the screen, controlling the crop tool. She cut out the man beside the little girl, leaving only her “Little Sun.”

Then: Confirm Changes, Save, and Set as Lock Screen.

Looking at her masterpiece, Xuening smiled slightly, her eyes flashing with satisfaction and pleasure. Once finished, she put the phone back in its place, hummed a cheerful tune, walked back to the piano, and lifted the lid once more.

Before long, a melodious and joyful piano piece echoed through the music room once again…

Soon, under the guidance of the crew, Xiang Nan and Qingnuan arrived at a hotel. They would wait here for the remaining families. Once all the guests had gathered, they would head to the filming location together.

The Qi father and son arrived a step ahead of them. When Xiang Nan walked into the hotel lobby holding his daughter’s hand, a little boy ran up to them, pointing at Qingnuan and shouting in surprise:

“You’re the little sister who lives across from us! I just saw you from the car! Are you here for the show too?”

Behind the boy was a tall man with a buzz cut and a rather serious expression. He strode over in a few steps, frowning. “Xiao Jing, don’t be so impolite!”

The smile vanished from the boy named Xiao Jing’s face. He pouted and lowered his head, standing by his father’s side.

“I’m sorry, he gave your daughter a fright.” Qi Tao said apologetically as he rubbed his son’s head, looking at the Xiang father and daughter. He noticed the little girl hiding behind her father.

“It’s nothing,” Xiang Nan smiled at him, then looked down at his daughter. “Be good, Nuannuan. Say hello to the big brother.”

Qingnuan peeked out from behind her father. She had indeed been startled, but she wasn’t angry. She still remembered Qi Jing—the “little brother” who had driven away the dog for the little girl.

“Hello, Uncle. Hello, little brother.” She put on a fresh smile and greeted the Qi father and son.