As a leader wholly devoted to his work, Father Li had little time to call his own. Deep down, he knew he had failed his daughter in many ways.
In his youth, he had been sent to the countryside, and in recent years, frequent job transfers left him with precious few moments to truly connect with her. Given this, his strictness toward his daughter might have been understandable.
But Li Xiaohui was a spirited and free-spirited girl by nature. Father Li’s harshness, his tendency to criticize her at every turn, only fueled her rebellious streak.
When she was younger, it hadn’t been so bad. But as she grew older, the rift between them deepened. By the time she entered high school, her attitude toward her father had shifted to outright avoidance—if she couldn’t stand up to him, she could at least stay out of his way. Secretly, she wished he wouldn’t come home at all, just so she could have some peace.
Of course, a large part of it was fear.
Li Xiaohui loved fun and lived carefreely, while her father was stern, even rigid, with old-fashioned values. In many ways, their clashing personalities were a recipe for conflict.
What made it worse was that Father Li never had the time to sit down and talk things through with her. The moment he saw her flamboyant wigs and unconventional outfits, his temper flared, leaving no room for calm discussion.
The higher one’s status, the more they cared about appearances.
Li Xiaohui might have seemed easygoing, but once she dug her heels in, nothing could change her mind. The more her father scolded her, the less she wanted to change.
And so, the divide between father and daughter grew wider.
Breaking this deadlock wasn’t actually difficult.
Father Li thought his daughter was wasting her time? Then she just needed to appear "exceptionally hardworking" or show "remarkable progress."
Of course, words alone wouldn’t cut it. Father Li already had his preconceptions about her, so the most straightforward approach was to let "facts" do the talking.
That was when Liu Yutong gave Li Xiaohui an idea: start by getting some proof—like certificates.
For Li Xiaohui, obtaining certificates wasn’t hard at all.
But her way of thinking was… unique.
At first, when Liu Yutong suggested it, Li Xiaohui’s immediate reaction was to find someone who made fake certificates and print a few to get her father off her back.
Liu Yutong vetoed that plan outright—lying was wrong.
After some serious brainstorming, Li Xiaohui finally came up with a "brilliant" solution.
She marched straight to her academic advisor and said bluntly, "Advisor, give me a dozen honor certificates."
The advisor had never encountered such an absurd request, but considering her background, he patiently asked, "Why?"
Li Xiaohui didn’t explain. She simply said, "My dad wants them. He loves this kind of thing."
The advisor had no intention of bending the rules, but the moment he heard it was for Father Li, he immediately nodded. "Understood, understood."
Internally, he couldn’t help but think, What kind of hobby is this for a leader?
And just like that, the certificates were hers.
Of course, Father Li had no idea about this. If he had known, he probably would’ve been furious: "What would I, a leader, want with those things?"
Regardless, Li Xiaohui’s plan worked—at least enough to soften her father’s attitude.
Later, she seized the moment and presented a carefully prepared gift.
This time, she didn’t cut corners—mainly because she didn’t want to risk exposing her identity. Otherwise, she might’ve just hired someone to handle it for her.
Sure enough, the second strategy hit its mark. Her father’s expression softened instantly.
"I’ll treasure this. You’ve really put thought into it, Huihui."
It was probably the most unique—and impossible to refuse—gift he had ever received.
"It’s getting late. Go back and get some rest."
"Alright, Dad. You should rest early too."
"I will. Go on."
Li Xiaohui couldn’t wait to leave. She practically skipped out of the guesthouse.
Once she was gone, Father Li’s gaze shifted to his nephew, Zheng Yi, and his tone turned stern again.
"As for you—don’t rush off. Stand up straight!"
Zheng Yi, already in his thirties, had no choice but to rise like a scolded schoolboy, bracing for the lecture.
But inwardly, he couldn’t help feeling a little resentful.
Why?
His cousin ran around doing whatever she pleased without consequence, yet he, the head of the Second Prosecution Division of the S Supervision Department, was the one getting reprimanded? Where was the justice?
Still, it was clear that someone was guiding Li Xiaohui behind the scenes—someone who had even managed to win over his uncle.
Knowing his cousin, there was no way she could’ve come up with this on her own.
"The way your department handled the West Suburb Chemical Plant case was far too careless," Father Li said. "In criminal cases, the worst mistake is being misled by appearances. After all your years in prosecution, you should know this."
Zheng Yi hung his head. "I was wrong, Uncle."
The case Father Li referred to had happened not long ago—a middle-aged woman was hit by a truck near the chemical plant. Given the heavy traffic in the area and the frequency of accidents, plus the fact that the driver had turned himself in, the case had been treated as a straightforward traffic violation.
But the truth was far more complicated.
It was later discovered that the woman was connected to a body recovered in Bright Pearl City—they were mother and son.
And the deceased, Deng Liang, had been a wanted man.
That changed everything.
Clearly, the prosecution team had failed to scrutinize the case thoroughly—a serious oversight.
After Zheng Yi sent investigators to consult with the Bright Pearl City police handling the case, it became increasingly apparent that something bigger was at play, possibly involving a vast network of interests—even organized crime.
This was one of the reasons Father Li and Zheng Yi had made time to visit Bright Pearl City despite their busy schedules.
Though, at Father Li’s level, such matters didn’t usually require his personal attention. He had mainly come to see Li Xiaohui.
After the scolding, Father Li’s tone eased slightly.
"If necessary, you’ll take charge here personally. Whether it’s a temporary transfer or forming a special task force will depend on further investigation."
Zheng Yi straightened. "Understood! I won’t let you down!"
Father Li frowned. "Not me—the people."
Taking a deep breath, Zheng Yi nodded solemnly. "I’ll uphold the dignity of this uniform and honor the people’s trust!"
Father Li studied him for a moment before adding, "Remember, investigations aren’t formalities. Every victim has a family. Especially in your line of work—overlooking even the smallest detail can lead to entirely different outcomes, burying the truth forever. That is unacceptable."
Zheng Yi clenched his fists firmly. "Understood! Uncle, I'll dispatch a team to Bright Pearl City tomorrow to reinvestigate both cases and comb through all the leads. If this truly involves organized crime, we’ll uproot it completely!"
Father Li gave a slight nod before turning to gaze out the window. Suddenly, he asked, "Do you know why I insisted on coming here personally?"
Zheng Yi hesitated. "Is it because of Cousin Xiaohui...?"
Father Li nodded. "Xiaohui is my only daughter. I’d hoped she’d follow your path into the system, but she had no such ambition. So be it—her happiness matters most."
"However, Xiaohui is naive by nature, unaware of how treacherous people can be. Keep a close eye on that girl she’s been associating with."
"That girl… she’s no ordinary soul."
