"Crackle!!"
In the dark, silent forest, the crisp pops of the campfire echoed beside Zi Yan's ears. Orange-red flames reflected in her round eyes as her delicate little hands tightly hugged her knees, her expression carrying a hint of dejection.
"Zi Yan, dinner's ready."
Yang Chen handed over the roasted rabbit in his hand, but Zi Yan did not move. Instead, she bit her lip hard, tears welling in her eyes as she choked out, "Are you going to leave after we eat?"
As she spoke, Zi Yan's tear-filled eyes remained fixed on Yang Chen, making him pause for a moment. He rose and walked over to her, but Zi Yan turned away like an abandoned young beast—lonely yet stubborn. Wiping her tears, she said sadly, "I know already. You're not my daddy at all. Zi Yan is just a wild child nobody wants."
Zi Yan was not stupid. At first, although Yang Chen's aura had felt very familiar to her, she had been certain that she could not smell the scent of shared bloodline on him.
There was no blood relation between Yang Chen and her. So, in Zi Yan's eyes, the reason Yang Chen had saved her and stood up for her before was simply because he pitied her—because she was an unwanted child.
She longed to have something, yet feared losing it even more. So, to avoid that bloody reality, she had chosen to retreat from the very beginning.
"No. As long as you're willing, I'll be your daddy, and you'll always be my daughter!"
Yang Chen casually stuck the roasted rabbit into the ground, then reached out and gently held Zi Yan in his arms. The unique aura of the dragon race brought a little more peace to his heart as well.
Zi Yan only struggled