32
The God of Wealth has really manifested!
Ning Ye pressed her palms together in prayer.
Although she didn't know it, her manifestation and a certain someone else's manifestation were not on the same scale at all.
After returning to her room, she gulped down a lot of water and walked around packing her things. By the time she took Ning Zhitao out the door, the effects of those two glasses of mulled wine had pretty much faded away.
The two of them only had one small suitcase between them, which wasn't too much trouble to carry. Since she was basically free today, she could take care of the little one by herself. So, after sending a quick message to Bian Xun on her smartwatch, she checked out and left the hotel.
Taotao didn't know what her mother was so happy about, but if Mommy was happy, she was happy. She followed beside Ning Ye like a little penguin waddling along.
A windfall of eleven thousand yuan out of nowhere was a huge sum for an ordinary working person.
Although the deposit and rent refund had gone directly into Bian Xun's black card, since they were now in an alliance as the child's father and mother, Ning Ye wasn't going to draw such clear lines.
When she first rented the apartment and paid the deposit, rent, and agency fees, she used her own card. But later, for the convenience of automatic rent deduction, she changed the binding to Bian Xun's card in the system, so the refund naturally went there.
Anyway, they would continue to spend money together in the future, so there was no problem with keeping the money together.
After the mother and daughter left, Bian Xun slowly pushed the room door open.
His expression was cold and noble.
Human desires were momentarily suppressed by money, and the CEO returned to his impeccably dressed self.
As soon as he opened his door, a figure about to dart out from the corner of the corridor was startled and retreated, the two of them flailing and nearly wrestling with each other.
With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and Assistant Zhang walked over with a solemn expression, carrying a briefcase. During the celebration banquet earlier, Boss Bian hadn't been in high spirits, or rather, his air pressure had been very low since this morning. Assistant Zhang had been on edge all along, not daring to make any mistakes now.
However, when he walked over, he found the boss standing at the door. From the corner of his eye, the boss had already spotted the sneaky people in the corridor, but he didn't lash out. In fact, he just calmly glanced over twice.
Hmm? Assistant Zhang's eyes were cautious but filled with confusion.
Before coming upstairs, the boss still looked like the whole world owed him a hundred million.
Why was he suddenly giving the whole world a good attitude?
Bian Xun crossed his arms and listened to Assistant Zhang finish reporting the remaining itinerary in Hang City. He gave a hum of acknowledgment, then glanced at the corner again.
The two figures from earlier had disappeared. A moment later, after Assistant Zhang had organized the luggage and the two were walking towards the elevator, a male cleaner pushing a cleaning cart walked forward with his head down, wearing a mask.
As he passed them, Bian Xun slightly raised his finger, and the man trembled in fright, quickly dodging to the side.
Bian Xun ignored him.
He didn't need to look to know that these were his grandfather's people, and their purpose for staking out here was the same.
But perhaps the hundred million had brought Boss Bian a moment of tolerance, or perhaps it was some illogical clue deep in his heart.
In short, the elegantly dressed man in the suit turned slightly. As the male cleaner, who was shaking like a leaf, pushed the cart past, Bian Xun smiled faintly, knowing exactly what was going on.
At the end of the day, it was just the old man wanting to steal some samples for a paternity test. He was already so old, yet still acting so undignified. If he wanted to bring grief upon himself, why should Bian Xun stop him?
...
After returning to the company and going to work the next day, everyone heard that the CEO was in a good mood.
Because a new technology in the R&D department had taken the wrong path, resulting in a loss of costs, the person in charge of the department felt his future was bleak when he went up to report in fear and trepidation. He had already thought about how to fight for a severance package.
After all, the nearly ten million the boss had invested had just gone down the drain, and no one could bear the responsibility. There was no room for personal feelings in the face of capital, especially given Boss Bian's rational and cold personality.
Who knew that when the person in charge walked out, he looked dazed. Not only was he not held accountable, but he was even given an additional sum of funding.
Assistant Zhang escorted him to the elevator, feeling completely baffled himself.
What was the reason for Boss Bian's sudden indifference to fame and fortune?
In the CEO's office, Bian Xun rested his hands on the thick sandalwood desk. The cold incense curled upward slightly. He lowered his eyes to look at the recent financial statements of all lines of Wujiang, as well as the incoming funds on his bank card.
Capital accumulated through legitimate channels was certainly extraordinary.
But the feeling of a sudden windfall was truly enchanting.
Getting a hundred million for nothing, and it wasn't even illegal.
The most profitable method in the world wasn't written in the criminal law, but written with Ning Ye.
Bian Xun closed his eyes. Of course, it wasn't that he didn't have a hundred million.
But picking it up for free was different.
If this kind of ill-gotten wealth could happen every day, Wujiang's product lines would become the world's leader. He wouldn't need to calculate costs; the air would naturally fill the gap anyway.
Exhilarating.
So, how could he replicate it?
Assistant Zhang closed the heavy doors of the office with a look of awe and backed out.
He always felt that what the boss was thinking about was no longer something ordinary people could grasp.
Thinking that all these changes mainly happened after they came back from Hang City, Assistant Zhang concluded that it must be related to Miss Ning.
Miss Ning was truly a godsend. Assistant Zhang had been by Boss Bian's side for years, and it couldn't compare to the rich emotional changes of the past few months.
Was this the power of first love!
Separated by a wall, Bian Xun also slowly opened his dark eyes.
After returning from the conference hotel, their distance had actually grown wider. If it weren't for the parent-teacher meeting in two days, there wouldn't even be a need for them to meet these two days.
Some people would grope him at night and then show no further indication the next day.
Yesterday they were an inch away from kissing, but back at the company, they were separated by 18 floors.
Not living together was indeed very inconvenient.
But at present, he didn't have a sufficient standpoint.
To what extent a stepfather could intervene in this family still needed to be studied.
Bian Xun tapped his fingertips lightly on the desk, wondering if he should also buy the apartment opposite hers in the Xialu Community. He looked up at his schedule. There were no business unit matters today, which meant they wouldn't be forced to meet either.
Tsk.
Bian Xun stood up and walked out of the office. Passing through the corridor on the 30th floor, he suddenly paused slightly as he passed the washroom, a spark flashing in his mind.
This washroom was for the CEO's private use. It was designed as a dark gray hidden door, making it hard to walk into by mistake unless one actively pushed it open.
On the night Bian Ziwen was caught absconding with the money, when he called Ning Ye over for questioning, why had she wandered in here by mistake?
What was she holding in her hand at the time?
Bian Xun's brain, like a precision instrument, reconstructed the scene from that time. His gaze followed her cuffs all the way down. She was holding a cup of hot milk in her hand, which she then spilled all over him, thereby diverting his attention.
Was it intentional, or an accident?
His fingertips paused slightly, raised, and landed on the dark gray wall door, slowly pushing it open.
There was no one inside.
The cold sandalwood scent lingered.
The washroom remained as clean as ever. The cleaners cleaned it five times a day, morning, noon, and night, keeping it so spotless that it showed almost no signs of use.
Bian Xun stared for a moment, then slowly closed the door.
What was the other hand under her sleeve holding at that time?
Something taken from his washroom...?
...
At this moment, Ning Ye was not at the company.
Since returning from organizing the conference, the department had handed over a new important client for her to interface with. This was a form of affirmation, as well as a new challenge she had to face.
This company was a renowned pharmaceutical enterprise both domestically and internationally. The newly appointed general manager was a wealthy second-generation heir named Gu Feng.
On her way to their office, Ning Ye kept feeling like she had heard that name before, but she couldn't immediately recall where.
She had already scheduled an appointment with his secretary beforehand. Carrying various documents and data presentations from Wujiang Group, she arrived precisely on time at the ground floor of the Fengyu Pharmaceuticals building.
After calling the internal line to confirm, the receptionist nodded. Miss Ning, Manager Gu asked you to go directly to his office.
Alright, Ning Ye agreed.
As she passed through the first-floor lobby, the glass exterior walls reflected a slight glare. Ning Ye raised her hand to shield her eyes, but through the gaps in her fingers, she caught sight of a familiar black nanny van driving out of the underground parking garage.
Ning Ye's footsteps paused as she suddenly remembered.
Gu Feng. He was the second male lead in the original plot! As the radiant Best Actress and the darling of the world, the female lead, Xu Lanyi, couldn't possibly just desperately cling to the male lead alone. Other excellent male supporting characters would naturally appear by her side, and Gu Feng was the most unique among them, the one most capable of competing head-to-head with Bian Xun.
Because he had a very specific fetish—he exclusively liked women with children.
She didn't know if this supporting male lead was custom-made for the female lead of a sweet romance novel. Gu Feng wasn't very old and had an excellent family background, but he just so happened to prefer strong, gentle women who were in difficult situations yet resilient, and radiating maternal glory.
Riding the elevator up, Ning Ye tried to recall as much information as possible. She vaguely remembered the female lead mentioning that because the second male lead lost his mother at a young age, he grew up to be quite a playboy. However, the only ones who could truly capture his heart were those uniquely charming mothers.
The appearance of that van just now indicated that Gu Feng's plotline had already begun. As the darling of the world, even though she was already a mother, how could Xu Lanyi not have outstanding men fighting over her, creating a classic male-rivalry trope?
In the upcoming plot, Gu Feng would actively try to become the father of Xu Lanyi's son, competing with Bian Xun. Due to Xu Lanyi's intentional or unintentional guidance and ambiguity, Gu Feng believed that Xu Lanyi's child belonged to Bian Xun—
Then, obviously, what about Ning Ye, the scheming female supporting character harboring Bian Xun's illegitimate daughter...?
Ning Ye looked down at herself and sighed.
It turned out she had unwittingly fallen into the main storyline again.
It was conceivable that the other party actively asking her to handle such a massive corporate collaboration meant he definitely knew about her special identity.
Today would not be a walk in the park.
But just because he was Xu Lanyi's second male lead, was she supposed to avoid him and give up this excellent business opportunity?
In the workplace, if you aren't moving forward, you're falling behind. She had no need to drain herself for the sake of the female lead's life. Furthermore, she could actually use this information to her advantage.
Once Ning Ye entered the reception room, she proactively placed the materials for Wujiang's product line regarding smart safety products for young children and intelligent modeling systems for parent-child interaction right at the top of her stack.
Miss Ning? A male voice with an upward inflection rang out.
Ning Ye stood up and looked over. A pair of cynical, careless eyes landed on her, sizing her up. Probably because he didn't see any obvious maternal traits on her, those eyes lost interest and looked away.
Gu Feng and Bian Xun were clearly two extremes.
His appearance was indeed outstanding, featuring the currently popular puppy-dog look. Wearing a slightly casual suit, he even exuded a youthful innocence untouched by society. He was warm and talkative, like a blazing summer day, capable of offering the female lead scorching warmth when she was sad.
Miss Ning, I presume you hold a high position at Wujiang Group?
The malicious scrutiny in his eyes didn't elicit much of a reaction from Ning Ye. After smoothly fielding a few of his questions, she calmly handed over the documents in her hands.
Gu Feng took them, originally intending to nitpick. To his surprise, a quick glance at the pages sparked some interest, and that single look derailed his original plan.
The irrationality and passion brought on by Xu Lanyi's sorrowful appearance moments ago faded significantly as he remembered his actual business.
Although Fengyu was the Gu family's property, the position he held was far from the absolute authority Bian Xun possessed after seizing power and fully controlling his group. Currently, Gu Feng only had management rights over a few major departments, and his family was still evaluating his actual performance. Therefore, he couldn't afford to completely disregard the collaboration with Wujiang.
This was also the intelligence Ning Ye had analyzed while coming upstairs. Gu Feng had once indignantly complained to Xu Lanyi that Bian Xun had only easily reached his heights because the Bian family lacked competent people for three generations. If the Gu family didn't have so many internal constraints, his own achievements would have long surpassed Bian Xun's...
Ning Ye's goal was simply to complete her job.
As for how he and Bian Xun were going to fight, that wasn't something she could control.
At most, she would give Bian Xun a little heads-up on his smartwatch, counting it as teammates helping each other out.
It had to be said that Wujiang's artificial intelligence data was industry-leading. For Fengyu to collaborate with Wujiang, it was merely icing on the cake for Wujiang, but a massive help to Fengyu itself. This was the reason Ning Ye could remain neither humble nor arrogant.
Because she found the right entry point right at the start and didn't fall into the rhythm Xu Lanyi had set up, Gu Feng actually listened to everything when Ning Ye later proposed upgrading Fengyu Pharmaceutical's big data modeling system.
With her work task completed, she didn't linger. Her figure was slender and delicate, yet her actions were crisp and decisive. I won't take up any more of your time, Manager Gu. If you have any questions, your secretary can contact me anytime.
Gu Feng only then snapped back to reality, realizing that despite an obviously disadvantageous situation, the other party had managed to retreat unscathed from his turf.
He stood up lazily, his hair styled to look effortlessly suave. With a somewhat unruly smirk on his lips, his gaze seriously evaluated the young woman in front of him, feeling that she seemed a bit different.
Take care, Miss Ning.
We will be seeing each other again very soon.
Ning Ye's almond eyes remained steady, but her mind spun quickly, instantly grasping his meaning.
Wasn't the best opportunity for a male rivalry tomorrow's parent-teacher meeting?
...
Sitting in the departing nanny van, Xu Lanyi elegantly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Her acting skills were more than enough to handle Gu Feng.
In reality, she hadn't experienced much of the hardship and suffering of raising a child that she had poured out to him. With a whole private team managing everything for her, the greatest hardship Xu Lanyi had ever endured in her life was giving birth to the child.
But she did genuinely feel that she was strong and brave, and Gu Feng's admiration was not misplaced.
Gu Feng was indeed a high-quality prospect. If she let him publicly become Zixun's father, she would harvest a wave of envy. However, Xu Lanyi had met countless people and had keen insight into human nature. She knew very well that Gu Feng's preferences were too superficial; he could be interested in one single mother, or he could be interested in ten.
If she compared him to Bian Xun, the winner was almost immediately obvious.
Highly intelligent, in a position of power, steady, and deeply affectionate.
Every single one was a rare trait.
The reason Xu Lanyi asked Gu Feng to attend the parent-teacher meeting was because of a special segment in this particular meeting.
The children had to recognize their fathers in a certain game, and Zixun needed to have a father in order to participate.
However, when all other traits are invisible, blood ties and familial affection are not important; destiny is the true guide.
With her guidance, Zixun would definitely be able to grab hold of his fated father among all the people.
As for Ning Ye's daughter...
The gentle strength on Xu Lanyi's face had long disappeared, leaving her beautiful eyes looking profound.
After all, the child had never lived with her father since birth. How much affection could they possibly have?
...
The next day, a gathering of prominent figures arrived at Xialu Kindergarten.
Ning Ye had taken half a day off in advance and took Ning Zhitao to the kindergarten in the morning.
For the first parent-teacher meeting of the semester, the kindergarten suggested that both parents attend together if possible.
So when they reached the kindergarten gate, they happened to see Song Hua bringing Zhang Sijie, followed by Assistant Zhang.
Seeing Ning Ye, Assistant Zhang smiled slightly and greeted her, Miss Ning, President Bian has finished his meeting and will be here shortly.
Ning Ye nodded in agreement and greeted Song Hua familiarly. The two little kids immediately held hands and started chattering.
Last night, Ning Ye had already warned Bian Xun about Gu Feng.
Regarding this potential rival, the CEO's reaction was: Heh.
What a nobody.
At this moment, Bian Xun was rushing out of the conference room, leaving a group of senior executives trailing behind.
What was President Bian in such a hurry to do today?
The stepfather, anxious to attend the child's parent-teacher meeting, strode through the company, his cold and stern figure vanishing at the door in the blink of an eye.
Behind him, two people disguised as company cleaners could only tremblingly pick up the phone, Old Master...
Did you get it?
Well, this...
On the other end of the line, Elder Bian was already so angry that he was bedridden, a cool towel draped over his head as if he had suffered a severe illness.
Last time, they did manage to get the child's DNA sample. They found a few strands of the child's hair in the hotel room and returned successfully.
Elder Bian was overjoyed and immediately ordered his subordinates to send it for testing.
Test, test against whose? the two subordinates asked hesitantly.
Elder Bian almost lost his breath, only then realizing that after going through all the trouble to get the child's hair, they didn't have Bian Xun's sample.
How could they do a paternity test?
Elder Bian roared into the phone, though his voice lacked its usual vigor, ...Go find it in his bathroom! Go look in his office! If all else fails, go pluck it from his head!!
The young master doesn't shed hair, and, and he's a neat freak. The cleaners tidy up eight times a day, the subordinate whimpered in despair. If we pluck it from his head, we'll really be sent to the electric chair, Old Master...
Elder Bian gasped, his eyes rolling back.
In the end, he managed to hold on through sheer old-generation stubbornness.
Recently, the child of the Gu family's pharmaceutical enterprise had been moving around frequently in their circles. There would be a family banquet soon. He would find an excuse to invite Bian Xun over—and the old man would pluck it himself.
It was just this last step; he refused to believe he couldn't do it!
...
At the kindergarten gate, an incredibly flashy G-Wagon pulled up.
A young man in workwear style jumped out of the car and carried a little boy down from the back seat.
In the eyes of the low-altitude children, the G-Wagon looked just like a tank, immediately sparking a chorus of gasps.
Does Gu Zixun's family drive a tank?!
Wow!! Zixun, can your family fire cannons?
Is that Zixun's dad?
Many children gathered around. Gu Zixun crossed his arms, proudly choosing not to answer, but the corners of his mouth curled up in a slightly smug smile.
Looking at the man driving, Assistant Zhang immediately unfurled his mental network of interpersonal relationships and quickly recognized him as Manager Gu of Fengyu Pharmaceuticals, the youngest son of the wealthy Gu family.
Why would he be here?
Assistant Zhang keenly sensed something unusual and began to raise his guard on behalf of President Bian.
Whether he was a friend or foe was still unclear, but first and foremost, as the highest-level special assistant, he needed to ensure that his boss held the highest position in all situations.
Just as he was thinking this, a figure wrapped in an ink-blue overcoat slowly approached in leather shoes, lifting a cold, clear gaze.
Assistant Zhang thought to himself that this was bad. The other side had made an entrance driving a tank, while President Bian had walked here to avoid traffic. In terms of presence, wouldn't this be—
Dad Overlord!
A child near Bian Xun's legs was the first to discover his honorable presence.
One shout stirred up a thousand waves. All the children immediately turned their heads like passing a parcel, and the scene instantly erupted with voices rising and falling:
Look, it's the great Dad Overlord!
Greetings, Dad Overlord!
Greetings, Dad Overlord—
All the children in the venue gave Bian Xun their highest respect.
Bian Xun: ............
The long-tail effect of a five million donation was simply too long.
Bian Xun coldly raised his hand. At ease.
Ning Ye stared blankly, then covered her face, trying not to make her amusement too obvious.
Ning Zhitao hadn't expected her father's entrance to draw such a massive response either. Her round eyes blinked in astonishment as she tugged at her little braid. Did that make her the king's baby?
When the crowd of little heroes began paying their respects, Assistant Zhang quickly evacuated with his wife and daughter.
However, he was still a step too late. The CEO had already seen his twitching profile, his face contorted as he struggled between awe and the urge to laugh.
Bian Xun: ...
Bian Xun cast a sideways glance at Gu Feng but didn't pay him any mind. He walked slowly to Ning Ye and Ning Zhitao's side and lowered his eyes.
Since returning from Hangzhou, they hadn't seen each other for two days.
The man's expression was cold and detached as he stared at her mildly.
For some reason, Ning Ye suddenly recalled the touch and temperature of that night, the abdominal muscles beneath his shirt, and her various heroic feats of acting as a mother. She hurriedly coughed, Let's go, it's about to start.
Mm.
Bian Xun maintained his noble and aloof demeanor. Lowering his eyes, just as Ning Ye was pulling Ning Zhitao forward, he suddenly and nonchalantly reached out and held her hand.
Palms pressed together, fingers intertwined and tightly clasped.
Ning Ye's heart skipped a beat at the familiar yet strange sensation. His palm completely enveloped hers, creating a feeling of intimacy even closer than when she had thrown herself onto him.
Ning Ye's fingertips subconsciously pulled back a little, but thinking of the people behind them, she ultimately didn't move.
Only then was Bian Xun satisfied.
Stepping into the kindergarten, he was the ultimate dad.
Not far away, Gu Feng was also leading Gu Zixun inside.
His gaze, however, shifted slightly from Bian Xun and landed beside him... on Ning Ye, who was holding the child.
...
Entering the Middle (1) Class classroom, the scene had been specially arranged. All the children's tables and chairs had been moved away, leaving a large open space in the middle filled with high stools exclusively for the adults to sit on.
Teacher Youzi stood on the podium, looking at this room full of parents, feeling like it was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, which made her nervous. Thinking that there was even a CEO of a listed company sitting below, she felt that as a preschool teacher, she was really bearing too much!
Family Bonding Parent-Teacher Meeting—Dad, Mom, and Me
She played a simple and childish PowerPoint presentation and began to interact, Little darlings, look who's here today? How should we greet everyone?
A chorus of childish voices immediately rang out in the classroom: Hel—lo—par—ents—!
Do our little darlings know what mini-games we're going to play with our moms and dads next?
We—know—!
Assistant Zhang stealthily glanced at his boss beside him and, sure enough, saw a distinct frown.
Bian Xun couldn't understand.
Why did kindergarten children have to speak like a chorus of croaking frogs, all running together.
All the children had to answer questions together in unison, dragging out their voices loudly like booming bells, creating high-decibel noise pollution.
His aversion to children was acting up again.
But soon, the children suddenly all shut their mouths. Their eyes lit up. To avoid making a sound, Ning Zhitao covered her mouth with her two small hands.
Shortly after, over a dozen special large cardboard boxes were pushed into the classroom. Teacher Youzi asked all the parents to close their eyes. Then, in a quiet atmosphere punctuated by the occasional stifled giggle, all the children quickly climbed into the cardboard boxes.
Only then were the parents allowed to open their eyes.
Ning Ye opened her eyes and realized that these cardboard boxes were specially designed. The height of each box was roughly that of a portable toilet outside, tall enough to accommodate an adult over 1.8 meters tall. However, right now, a rectangular opening was revealed in the lower-middle section of the boxes.
Judging by the position, it was about the height of the children's heads.
Teacher Youzi: "Ready? Then come and welcome your moms or dads~"
In an instant, pairs of bright, spirited eyes peered out from all the rectangular openings, looking like a row of little crows. Some parents at the scene were immediately amused by this novel setup.
This was a game for the parent-teacher meeting, primarily for the mothers to identify their children!
Without being able to see their clothes, hairstyles, or full facial features, could a mother's love recognize her own baby just from a pair of eyes?
To be honest, at first glance, Ning Ye really felt that every pair of eyes looked exactly the same.
The children's eyes were all bright and mischievous, and the narrow openings only revealed a sliver, making it impossible to even see their eyebrows or double eyelids.
All the mothers lined up and looked through the cardboard boxes one by one, starting from the first.
All the mothers present had genuinely raised their children step by step from birth. Ning Ye, being the only one with a "motherhood age" of barely two months, suddenly felt a bit nervous.
Soon, a mother at the front recognized her baby. Tapping the spot between the eyes, she said, "Lele, come out!" The little child excitedly shouted and jumped out, "Mom!"
One after another, the mothers quickly recognized four or five children. The children whose names were called would be "unsealed" and bounce into their mothers' arms.
Teacher Youzi's narration played simultaneously, "The babies' eyes see their mothers' hard work the most, and the mothers' eyes are the ones in this world that look at their babies the most."
Song Hua also quickly found Zhang Sijie in the middle. Standing at the back, Ning Ye suddenly became a bit anxious.
Would she be unable to find Taotao?
Or pick the wrong person?
Thinking like this, she turned her head and saw two black grape-like eyes in the furthest corner, gazing at her eagerly.
Oh, how could she not find her?
Ning Ye breathed a sigh of relief, walked over with large strides, squatted down, and opened the door of the cardboard box. "Taotao~"
Ning Zhitao, her eyes brimming with starry smiles, threw herself at Ning Ye and pouted sweetly, "Mom, I was in the very last box. I thought it would take you a long, long time to find me!"
It turned out it wasn't difficult at all.
Your own child, even if you can't see any other details, just looking at her eyes, seeing her reflecting your image.
That is your own baby.
Teacher Youzi: "Babies, your moms brought you into this world, always watching over us and accompanying us as we grow. What should we say to them~?"
Ning Ye heard Ning Zhitao nuzzle into the crook of her neck and call out softly with a drawn-out voice.
"Thank—you—Mom—my—"
The mothers present all had slightly reddened eyes.
Assistant Zhang stood among the group of dads, watching this affectionate scene, his voice showing a bit of emotion: "Mr. Bian, this is too touching..."
He turned his head to look, only to see a cold, stiff, handsome face with absolutely no reaction.
Assistant Zhang silently wiped away his tears and turned his head back.
Neither blood ties nor familial affection could move this man. He truly lived up to being a capitalist destined to become the world's richest man!
Bian Xun: "."
He was wondering if someone else used to attend parent-teacher meetings with Ning Ye in the past.
At the thought of this, it felt like another layer of sulfuric acid had been poured over his heart.
The goodwill brought by the 110 million disappeared.
Ning Ye led the child back to Bian Xun's side, and the man's expression had turned sour again.
Meanwhile, Gu Feng only just found Gu Zixun in the cardboard boxes. The little boy was obviously very dissatisfied, kicked and hit a couple of times, and looked toward Bian Xun with expectant eyes.
Teacher Youzi shushed them, "Our game is still continuing. Little babies, are you ready?"
"Ready!"
"Then close your eyes~"
Ning Zhitao immediately covered both her eyes tightly, afraid of leaking even a hint of a glance, her small chubby hands pressed together without a single gap.
Beside her, Zhang Sijie also covered her eyes tightly in nervousness.
Teacher Youzi: "So now~ please ask all the dads to enter the boxes."
"A dad's hand guides children along the path of growing up. Can the babies find that special big hand of theirs?"
Watching the dads enter the boxes, Teacher Youzi joked, "Of course, if a child holds the wrong hand, it means this dad probably hasn't shown his hand enough at home~"
Lighthearted laughter from the mothers echoed through the room.
Soon the dads were all hidden. Assistant Zhang followed behind his boss and entered the box next to him.
At the top of each box, there was a dashed cutout from which they had to stick out a hand.
Similarly, the size of the cutout only allowed one hand to pass through. The color of their sleeves couldn't be seen, nor could wristwatches or anything like that.
At Teacher Youzi's command, the children weren't as orderly as the adults. They darted out screeching like monkeys from the Flower and Fruit Mountain.
Instantly, the whole room was filled with cries of "Dad!" "Dad!"
Recognizing a hand was actually quite difficult.
This round was designed to test the parent-child relationship, to see if blood ties could guide the innocent children. If they were truly found accurately by their own babies, the old fathers would probably be moved to tears.
Two minutes passed, and only one child had found the right dad. The other children were still carefully observing them one by one.
Suddenly, Assistant Zhang felt his hand being held, followed by his eldest daughter's voice: "I found it!"
Assistant Zhang: "!"
The door of the boss next to him still had no movement!!
Assistant Zhang really didn't want to show it, but his eyes, nose, and mouth all began to twitch as he forcefully controlled his beaming expression.
The old father felt wonderful inside!
Even though his daughter often spouted nonsense outside, like a leaky winter jacket that failed to keep him warm, at this moment, Assistant Zhang felt that he had so, so much face in front of his boss!
Wasn't this much more glorious than falsely claiming he was the pillar of the company!
Assistant Zhang coughed twice toward the boss separated only by a layer of cardboard, "Then, Mr. Bian, I'll head out first."
After saying that, his face glowing with pride, he pushed open the door, scooped up Zhang Sijie from the ground, and walked toward the smiling Song Hua.
Bian Xun stood inside the door with his eyes half-closed, expressionless.
He didn't expect a child he had only known for a few weeks to be able to find him.
Although he had forced his way into becoming her stepfather, he hadn't lived with the mother and daughter after all. Moreover, given the height difference between him and the child, Bian Xun even doubted whether Ning Zhitao remembered his full appearance.
Let alone expecting the child to recognize his hand, even if he were asked to pick out Ning Zhitao's hand, he probably wouldn't get it right.
Bian Xun shifted his stance in silence.
Outside, children began to successfully find their fathers one after another. The fathers who were chosen seemed to instantly receive some sort of supreme honor. The mothers' sacrifices went without saying, but perhaps the fathers felt their own efforts had also been etched into their children's hearts.
Bian Xun stood apathetically with his hand hanging outside the door. Suddenly, his hand was gently grasped.
Bian Xun snapped his eyes upward.
His heart stirred.
In that moment, an inexplicable emotion actually welled up inside him.
"Is... is it you?"
Yet, the voice that rang out from outside the door belonged to a little boy.
Gu Zixun asked uncertainly. However, there was no reaction from inside the box, standing as unresponsive as a silent, towering mountain. Gu Zixun's face instantly twisted into an expression of wounded pride; he angrily threw the hand aside and ran off.
Bian Xun's briefly stirred heart now grew truly cold.
A lingering sourness flowed through his veins like lemon juice.
In truth, he should have known all along. Ning Ye had only approached him to find a well-off guardian for her child.
See, even other kids mistake someone else for their dad, he thought with cold self-mockery.
Let alone a stepfather like him.
The ones who could actually guess correctly were true fathers and daughters, bound by the intimate ties of blood.
Unless it was the child's biological father, he would bet anything that Ning Zhitao wouldn't be able to find him.
In the darkness, Bian Xun closed his eyes, his interest entirely drained.
But just as the thought crossed his mind, a pair of warm, chubby little hands suddenly wrapped firmly around his own.
Accurate and absolutely certain.
"Daddy!"
"Open the door, it's me!"
The countdown has started, my friends.
