Rong Yu wore a smile on her face, yet a frosty chill lingered between her brows.
She crouched down and called softly, "Duoduo, come here. Let Auntie hold you."
Duoduo had been holding back her grievances, but the moment she heard that gentle voice, her tears burst forth like a dam breaking. She threw herself into Rong Yu's arms and sobbed quietly, "Auntie, I really didn’t..."
"Still making excuses?" Ji Zhiyuan suppressed his anger. "Miss Rong, she’s made this mistake many times before. She never learns. She must be disciplined."
Rong Yu stood up, cradling Duoduo in her arms. "It seems our Duoduo has suffered a great deal of injustice."
She handed him her phone. "I happened to see two children chatting and thought it was sweet, so I decided to film it for my social media. Unexpectedly, I captured something quite revealing. Take a look."
Ji Zhiyuan frowned as he took the phone.
It was a short video, less than a minute long.
In the video, Duoduo was happily showing off her new dress, while Lan Yue stood nearby with a sullen expression. Suddenly, Lan Yue reached out and deliberately tore off the crystals on the dress before smashing the glass slippers.
Duoduo had only tried to grab the slippers back—she hadn’t even touched Lan Yue.
Yet Lan Yue seemed to deliberately fall backward, crashing into a shelf.
Ji Zhiyuan’s face filled with disbelief.
Had Lan Yue really framed Duoduo?
A five-year-old child, capable of such scheming?
Lan Rouxue stood frozen.
With such irrefutable evidence before her, she had no room for excuses.
She saw the disappointment in Ji Zhiyuan’s eyes.
Her heart sank, and she pinched Lan Yue’s waist harshly.
"Waaah! I was wrong!" Lan Yue burst into loud sobs. "I was just jealous that Duoduo has so many pretty princess dresses and shoes, and I have nothing... Duoduo is Daddy’s daughter, and so am I! Is it because I’m not his real daughter? Waaah! I’m so pitiful, no one loves me..."
Lan Rouxue’s voice trembled. "Xiao Yue grew up without a father. I’ve been too busy with work and failed to discipline her properly. I never imagined she’d develop such a personality."
"Miss Lan, you’re quite skilled at shifting blame. By that logic, if Lan Yue ever commits murder or arson, she could just say she doesn’t have a father and avoid punishment?" Rong Yu’s tone was icy. "Lan Yue must apologize—directly."
"No! I won’t!"
Lan Yue was seething with jealousy—how could she possibly apologize?
She wailed even louder, rolling on the floor in a tantrum.
Ji Zhiyuan’s expression shifted to disbelief once more.
In his mind, Xiao Yue had always been bright, outgoing, generous, adorable, and well-behaved—a child who embodied every positive trait.
But now...
She was no different from a spoiled brat.
How could she act so shamelessly after doing wrong?
"Xiao Yue, stop crying..." Lan Rouxue said nervously. "If you have another episode, we’ll have to go to the hospital. You hate hospitals, don’t you?"
The moment she finished speaking, Lan Yue’s breathing grew ragged.
Ji Zhiyuan immediately scooped her up and rushed downstairs. "Get the car ready—we’re going to the hospital!"
"Zhiyuan, I can take Xiao Yue myself," Lan Rouxue said. "Duoduo must be feeling awful. You should comfort her first. Once Xiao Yue is better, I’ll bring her to apologize."
Ji Zhiyuan pictured Duoduo’s wide, teary eyes full of hurt.
He nodded. "Call me immediately if anything happens."
Then he turned and went back upstairs.
Lan Rouxue was taken aback.
In the past, he would have insisted on accompanying her to the hospital. But today, he actually...
Duoduo, exhausted from the ordeal, had fallen asleep in Rong Yu’s arms.
Rong Yu stood up with the child but stumbled slightly, nearly losing her balance.
Ji Zhiyuan rushed over to steady her.
Rong Yu smoothly handed the sleeping Duoduo to him. "She’s worn out from crying. Be careful when you put her to bed."
The small, warm body in his arms felt incredibly soft—and surprisingly light.
Much lighter than Lan Yue.
It suddenly struck Ji Zhiyuan that he had rarely held Duoduo in all these years.
He had also seldom entered her room.
Now he saw that she loved rabbits—her bed was covered in plush bunny toys.
Gently, he laid her down, tucked her in, turned off the light, and stepped out—only to find Rong Yu waiting by the door.
"You owe Duoduo an apology," Rong Yu said, pausing briefly. "No, not just one. Think carefully—how many times has something like this happened before?"
Ji Zhiyuan’s mind flashed with memories.
Once, Lan Yue’s necklace had gone missing—only to be found in Duoduo’s bag.
Another time, Lan Yue had tumbled down the stairs while Duoduo stood nearby.
And then there was the incident where Lan Yue had been drenched in cake, with Duoduo sitting right beside it...
Had every single one been a setup?
He struggled to believe a five-year-old could be so malicious.
Rubbing his temples, he stepped onto the balcony for a cigarette to calm himself. Only then did he pull out his phone and call Lan Rouxue. "Which hospital did you go to? I’ll come over."
Lan Rouxue replied, "It’s just Xiao Yue’s usual condition. I didn’t take her to the hospital—we have medicine at home. Don’t worry, there’s no need for you to come."
Just then, Lan Yue’s voice piped up in the background.
"Why can Daddy live with Duoduo but not me? Why does Duoduo get so many beautiful dresses and shoes, and I don’t? Why does Daddy still treat Duoduo so well even when she makes mistakes all the time...?"
Ji Zhouye, who had just stepped out from gaming for a smoke, overheard.
He couldn’t resist chiming in. "Isn’t it obvious? Because Duoduo is part of the Ji family, and you’re not."
A deafening wail erupted from the other end of the line.
"Ah—damn my big mouth," Ji Zhouye muttered, realizing his blunder. "Xiao Yue, stop crying, alright...?"
He fumbled with the phone and accidentally ended the call.
"All I did was state the truth. Was that really worth crying over?"
Feeling he’d stirred up trouble, Ji Zhouye tossed the phone aside and bolted.
Ji Zhiyuan stood silently for a long time.
The next morning, the family gathered at the breakfast table.
When Ji Zhiyuan came downstairs, his gaze immediately sought out Duoduo—only to notice her shoulders tense slightly at the sight of him before she murmured, "Good morning, Daddy."
He sat down and said quietly, "About yesterday... Daddy was wrong. Can you forgive me?"
Duoduo’s eyes lit up instantly. She nodded eagerly, then quickly added, "I never blamed Daddy!"
After breakfast, Ji Zhiyuan picked up her little backpack. "Today, Daddy will take you to school."
Duoduo froze.
In the past, Daddy had only ever taken Lan Yue.
She had never, ever known what it felt like to be escorted by her father.
She leaped up with joy. "Really? Okay! Let’s go, Daddy!"
Old Master Ji watched the scene with satisfaction. "Duoduo seems much livelier today."
"Children who are loved are always livelier," Rong Yu remarked, glancing up. "She’s just been overlooked by you rough men for far too long."
Ji Zhouye quickly interjected, "Hey, don’t lump me in! I’ve always adored Duoduo."
Rong Yu rolled her eyes at him.
She tossed him the backpack, which he caught before grabbing his car keys. Together, they headed off to school.
As soon as she stepped into the classroom, she received a message from her senior.
