Lu Yan's deep, eagle-like eyes stared straight at Jiang Shuyin.
He didn't want to miss a single expression on her face.
After he asked if Little Sweet Orange was his daughter, a flash of panic crossed Jiang Shuyin's heart.
She had long guessed that with his identity as the IBI captain, he would definitely notice the anomaly quickly.
She just didn't expect him to guess it so soon.
It had only been two days since they met on the island.
She hadn't mentally prepared herself at all to confess everything to him.
She wasn't sure if he would fight for custody after learning the truth.
But if she denied it now, he would definitely see right through her—
Just as Jiang Shuyin's mind was in turmoil, not knowing how to answer, the man suddenly pulled a small transparent bag from his pocket.
Inside the transparent bag were two long black hairs.
"You'd better tell me the truth, or else I'll take the little girl's hair for a DNA test."
Jiang Shuyin frowned deeply. "Did you pluck those from her head when you hugged her earlier?"
Lu Yan pressed his thin lips together. "If you lie to me again..."
Before he could finish, she interrupted him. "Yes, Little Sweet Orange is your daughter!"
In truth, the hair wasn't plucked from Little Sweet Orange's head. How could he bear to pluck hair from such a fair, tender, and soft little dumpling?
He had his subordinates get the hair for him.
He just wanted to bluff Jiang Shuyin!
Although he already had his suspicions, hearing Jiang Shuyin admit with his own ears that the little girl was his daughter was a completely different feeling!
His large hands suddenly clenched, and his heartbeat uncontrollably sped up.
Excitement, joy, the feeling of regaining what was lost—all sorts of emotions washed over his heart like a tidal wave.
The usually cold and rebellious tough guy was now like a helpless child at a loss for what to do.
His deep, profound eagle eyes instantly turned crimson.
He strode up to Jiang Shuyin in a single step, his large hands gripping her slender shoulders tightly. "Jiang Shuyin, say that again."
Jiang Shuyin looked at the man whose deep eyes were surging with emotion. Her body stiffened as she said with complex feelings, "Haven't you already heard it?"
Lu Yan closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he glared at the woman indignantly. "You lied to me for nearly three years. On the day of Wen Yan and Si Moyan's wedding, had you already given birth to the little girl?"
Jiang Shuyin bit her lower lip. "Lu Yan, I can let you acknowledge the child, but please don't fight me for custody."
Lu Yan was immersed in the joy of having a daughter. Custody or no custody, he had no mind to consider that at all.
He was a man who had weathered many storms; even if someone pointed a gun at his forehead, he wouldn't change his expression.
But right now, he couldn't suppress the wild ecstasy in his heart.
He felt as if he were floating on the clouds, feeling a bit dizzy and surreal.
It took him a long time to recover his senses.
As if thinking of something, his expression suddenly changed. "My little girl—why did you let her call Li Zeqian 'Daddy'?"
Jiang Shuyin furrowed her delicate brows.
When did she ever tell Little Sweet Orange to call Li Zeqian 'Daddy'?
But then she remembered that, in order not to be called a fatherless child by other kids, Little Sweet Orange had indeed called Li Zeqian 'Daddy' in private.
"Jiang Shuyin, if I hadn't come to the island this time and hadn't run into the little girl, were you planning to hide this from me forever?"
His barrage of questions made Jiang Shuyin extremely irritated.
She lifted her long eyelashes and looked at him with a cold gaze. "Yes. If you hadn't found out, I wouldn't have told you."
Lu Yan's chest heaved twice, clearly angered by her.
"Originally, I wanted to abort the child, but the doctor said if I did, it would be very difficult for me to get pregnant again." Remembering the hardships of her pregnancy, Jiang Shuyin's voice choked up slightly. "I won't stop you from acknowledging the child anymore, but please don't take her away from me. You can see her whenever you want. That is my only request."
Lu Yan knew that pregnancy was not an easy thing.
He had never thought about snatching the child away from her side.
Back then, when he asked her to give birth and send the child to the Lu family, it was because he was afraid she wouldn't like their child.
He didn't expect that she would raise the child alone and bring up the little girl to be so well-behaved and sensible.
Was he really such a barbaric and unreasonable person in her heart?
To forcibly separate a mother and daughter, making the little girl hate him forever?
He wasn't that stupid!
But then, thinking of his rough and overbearing behavior towards her in the Black Desert, Lu Yan silently sighed in his heart.
He had brought this upon himself.
His past impression in her heart was simply too terrible!
Jiang Shuyin didn't know what Lu Yan was thinking. His silence made her feel an unprecedented panic and fear.
Was he plotting something wicked in his mind?
"Lu Yan, if you dare to fight me for the child, I will fight you with my life."
Seeing her deep love and protectiveness for the child, a hint of teasing appeared on Lu Yan's cold, handsome face. "Jiang Shuyin, didn't you hate me the most and consider my child a vile spawn? Since you gave birth, why are you loving her like a precious treasure?"
Jiang Shuyin couldn't quite keep up with his train of thought.
Why would he suddenly associate things in that direction?
"You only contributed sperm. I carried the child for seven hard months and raised her myself until she was nearly three. Of course I love her."
Lu Yan raised his brow slightly. "Who was the one who vowed so confidently to get an abortion?"
Jiang Shuyin glared at him, not wanting to argue about this with him.
"Tomorrow, I will bring the child to the wooden cabin on the sea to formally meet you." With that, she threw the cabin's key card at him, turned around, and quickly left.
Lu Yan watched her back and didn't chase after her.
He had a daughter!
And such a soft, cute little girl at that!
No wonder he liked her the first moment he saw her at the airport.
It turned out it was because of the thick blood tie between them.
Thinking about how he was going to officially meet the little girl tomorrow, a nervous yet joyful expression appeared on Lu Yan's cold, rebellious face.
He hurriedly took out his phone and sent a message to Father Lu and Mother Lu in their group chat: "Mom, Dad, you have a granddaughter. You're going to be grandparents."
Mother Lu saw the message and replied immediately: "What? Son, you actually followed the trend and got a girl pregnant out of wedlock? But your mom likes this rocket-like speed of yours. When are you bringing my daughter-in-law and granddaughter back? Your mom can't wait to see them."
Father Lu: "I thought I'd die before seeing you get married and have kids. You brat really do big things in silence. You're no good—getting a girl pregnant without even an engagement or a marriage certificate! You haven't inherited the fine traditions of the Lu family at all! Hurry up and finish this mission, bring them back, and properly make up for the huge mistakes you made in the past."
Thinking of Jiang Shuyin's attitude towards him, Lu Yan silently typed out a few words: "She doesn't love me."
Mother Lu: "Getting rid of the father and keeping the daughter. This girl has personality. Your mom likes it."
Father Lu: "You deserve it! With a temper like yours, it'd be a miracle if a girl liked you!"
Lu Yan: "..."
