Lin Family Manor.
When Li Wanyu saw Lin Ao return, she told the servants to heat up some food.
Then she noticed he had a little girl hanging off him?
She hurried outside to take a look.
"Whose child is this? What happened?"
Li Wanyu asked Lin Ao in confusion. The child was adorable, though a little grubby, with her hair all tangled.
"Little girl~ What's your name?"
Li Wanyu turned and stroked Liu Nian's head, gently asking her name. But the child only smiled and said nothing.
Swish swish swish~: Hello, pretty granny~ My name is Liu Nian~
"Oh~ This child can't speak? What a poor thing. Let me hold you~"
Li Wanyu took Liu Nian from Lin Ao's arms and held her close, gently stroking her over and over.
Lin Ao thought, Finally, I don't have to carry this little ancestor anymore. He handed Liu Nian to Li Wanyu and headed for the dining room. He was starving.
"You little brat, I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?"
Li Wanyu's face darkened. She grabbed Lin Ao by the collar and yanked him back.
"Ow~ Little Niannian, Granny wasn't talking about you~ It's all Granny's fault for saying the wrong thing."
She turned to Liu Nian with a benevolent smile and soothed her.
Lin Ao said helplessly, "I don't know the details either. I found her at the amusement park. The doctor said she'd suffered a severe shock and had a speech disorder. She also has amnesia. That's all I know. I've sent someone to investigate."
After speaking, Lin Ao left. Right now, he wanted to escape everything and everyone connected to women.
"Poor thing. Granny will take you to have a bath and get something to eat~"
Li Wanyu stroked Liu Nian tenderly.
"Old Lin!! Get down here!!!"
Holding Liu Nian, Li Wanyu entered the hall and shouted upstairs.
"Coming~~~~"
Lin Dong came running down in a flash.
"Send someone out to buy some clothes for a little girl, and toys, some children's picture books, an iPad—anything a child can play with. Get it all."
"Oh~ And have the servants prepare a children's room, too. Make it warm and cozy."
Lin Dong saw the child in Li Wanyu's arms, but before he could even ask about her, Li Wanyu had already given him his orders!
"Sure thing~"
Lin Dong answered and dashed out to get everything arranged. His wife had given the order; he'd see it through!
In the dining room, Lin Ao wolfed down his food, turning his grief and anger into an appetite.
"I can't handle one of them, and now there's another."
"But she shouldn't be part of the female lead group. This is an accident."
He'd never seen Liu Nian at this age. If she grew up, Lin Ao would surely recognize her as that little girl-killer.
"Ugh~ I went out to clear my head, and came back with another headache."
Lin Ao finished eating and slumped limply in his chair.
"Hahaha~ Little Niannian is so pretty~ Granny will take you to eat something delicious~"
Li Wanyu's laughter came from outside the dining room. She walked over carrying the freshly bathed Liu Nian, who looked completely different now. Before, her dirty face had been blotched black in places, and she was wearing Lin Ao's old clothes from when he was little.
Lin Ao had the vague feeling he'd seen her somewhere before. She seemed familiar.
Forget it. He'd met plenty of people. Maybe she just looked like some celebrity.
Li Wanyu sat down with Liu Nian in her arms. Old Lin had just returned from outside, and he nodded at Li Wanyu.
Lin Dong clapped his hands~
A group of servants came in carrying all kinds of pastries, toys, and clothes.
"..."
"Mom~ Isn't this a bit over the top?"
Lin Ao stared at his mother, speechless. Did she really think the girl was her granddaughter?
"That's none of your business. You'd better get moving, too. Hurry up and marry Wanqing, then give me a plump little grandson!"
Li Wanyu shot Lin Ao a look, then held Liu Nian as she ate little cakes and tried on adorable clothes, looking like a delicate porcelain doll.
It was a childhood Liu Nian had never experienced before.
Even when she'd returned to the Liu Family before, she'd never felt anything like this.
Before she knew it, her eyes had grown moist, and two clear tears slipped down her cheeks.
Li Wanyu quickly gathered Liu Nian into her arms and comforted her. "Sweetheart~ What's wrong? Don't you like them? Granny can get you something else~"
Liu Nian waved at Li Wanyu~
Swish swish swish: Thank you! Granny!
Liu Nian truly meant it when she called Li Wanyu Granny. She was so gentle, like a warm, glowing sun.
Much better than Uncle Lin Ao~ Hmph~
Lin Ao was no longer in the dining room. When he saw Liu Nian's eyes grow wet, he knew she was about to cry again, so he hurriedly bolted. I'll leave this to you, Mom!
He returned to his room and soaked comfortably in the bath.
"Ding—!"
Suddenly, his phone, sitting to one side, received a message!
"Brother Lin Ao~ Do you miss me~?"
Lin Ao picked it up and opened the message. It was from Gu Wanqing. He promptly tossed the phone back aside, not bothering to answer her.
Just thinking about how Gu Wanqing had refused to break off their engagement gave him a headache.
What was this supposed to mean?! That wicked woman!
"Ding—!"
I'll never reply to you! You wicked woman—you even stole my first kiss today!
A little while later, the phone began chiming one message after another.
"Ding—!"
"Ding ding—!"
So annoying! Why were women all so bothersome?! Still, Lin Ao couldn't help picking up his phone.
"Brother Lin Ao, why aren't you replying to my messages?"
"I wanted to ask you which one looks better on me, too."
"Black stockings.jpg, fishnet stockings.jpg"
"Ding—!"
Just as Lin Ao was carefully appraising the black stockings and fishnets, another message came in!
"Just tell me which pair you want to see, and I'll put them on for you~"
Lin Ao tossed the phone aside again.
"Hmph~ Women! Don't think you can seduce me. I, Lin Ao, have weathered every storm there is. You think I'd be tempted by a mere pair of stockings?"
That was what he said, but his eyes kept darting toward the phone lying to one side.
"Is this phone broken? Why has it stopped chiming?"
He glanced sideways, reached out with his left hand, unlocked the phone, and opened his chat with Gu Wanqing.
"1"
Then he quickly drew his hand back and sat up straight in the bathtub.
About ten minutes passed, and the phone still hadn't made a sound.
Lin Ao's expression gradually grew impatient. He closed his eyes, the corners of his mouth twitching.
"That wicked woman! She's playing me! I knew it, I knew it. If I ever reply to you again, I'm a dog!"
"Ding—!"
"Ding—!"
Just as Lin Ao was about to get up, his phone chimed with its familiar ringtone.
He snatched it up in a flash and opened the messages!
"Brother Lin Ao, sorry, I was organizing my closet just now and didn't see your message. You're not mad, are you~? I'll make it up to you~"
"XXX.jpg"
Lin Ao opened the picture at once.
"Pfft!"
Lin Ao quickly clapped a hand over his nose. In the picture, one beautiful leg, white as jade, and another mysterious-looking leg clad in black stockings stretched up into the air. Both were slightly bent and crossed over each other.
The owner's point of view was clearly from someone lying on a bed. At one corner of the picture, the blurry outline of a sheer lace undergarment came into view.
The composition of the image was beautiful.
Of course, the scene at the center of the picture was the real finishing touch~
"Ding—!"
Just as Lin Ao was studying the picture with care and attention, admiring it as a work of art, another message came in. He quickly exited the picture and looked at the message.
"Brother Lin Ao, satisfied? Want to see something even more exciting?"
Hah! Women. That little trick of yours has no technique at all. You think you succeeded? How laughable!
"1"
"Ding—!"
"Ding—!"
"Then maybe next time~ See you tomorrow~ Sweet dreams."
"A corner wrapped in lace.jpg"
Lin Ao looked at the messages on his phone, the corners of his mouth twitching.
He tossed the phone aside, glanced at his right hand, thought for a moment, then shook his head.
He replaced the warm water with cold water and took another bath.
Before you continue