This feeling of being both pleased and displeased left Bian Xun momentarily unsure of what expression to wear. His dark eyes flickered quietly.
Where did this kid come from?
She had just been across the street. She probably saw him talking to Ning Ye, which was why she came up and started sweet-talking him.
He had to admit, this little scammer was quite skilled. She knew exactly how to hit the user's pain points.
She was prematurely reinforcing and solidifying his intimate relationship with Ning Ye.
The corners of Bian Xun's lips curled into a half-smile, but his aura remained aloof and cold as he grabbed the kid by the back of her collar and lifted her to the side.
Although he wasn't officially dating her yet, Bian Xun already had a preliminary plan for their future together.
And in this plan.
There was. Absolutely. No child.
Bian Xun didn't think he would ever have kids, let alone right now.
The young man rested one hand on the door of his Ferrari and looked down. The little girl was still staring at him with wide, round eyes, looking as though she trusted him completely.
Her warm, fair cheeks were plump, her eyelashes were curly, and her complexion was rosy. A quick glance at her children's clothes revealed high-quality materials. She didn't look like a beggar; her parents must treat her well.
Bian Xun found it rather strange—why did this kid look more and more familiar the longer he looked at her?
Ning Zhitao stood on the curb, studying him curiously for a moment. She also felt that the daddy in front of her looked a bit different and dressed a bit differently, too.
"Daddy, why are you driving this old car? Did you forget that Mommy doesn't like sports cars?"
This kid was getting addicted to calling them mom and dad.
Bian Xun raised an eyebrow slightly and looked down at his recently released Ferrari 812.
This car was currently taking the world by storm, even jokingly referred to as a strategic nuclear submarine. You could barely find a few of them in all of Jing City, yet in this little girl's mouth, it had become an "old car."
Perhaps her family's financial situation was indeed good, but unfortunately, there was something wrong with her head.
Bian Xun shook his head faintly.
The kid was quite cute and even looked somewhat endearing to him, making her a rare child that he didn't actively dislike. However, Bian Xun still didn't have much time or patience to play house with a little brat.
He lifted his eyes and glanced around. "Where are your parents?"
The joke had gone on long enough. His remaining patience could sustain him just long enough to wait for this child's parents to come pick her up.
Ning Zhitao followed his gaze and looked around, then her dark, round eyes turned back to him. Is Daddy being silly?
He must be!
Not only did he make Mommy take the subway, but he also drove out the red toy car that had been gathering dust in their garage for years.
When no adults appeared nearby, Bian Xun's brow furrowed slightly. His patience was running out.
Ning Zhitao shook her head and sighed like an old person. "Daddy, did your Jing A5X888 license plate get confiscated?"
Bian Xun's fingers, which were reaching for his phone, suddenly paused.
He looked down at the child who barely reached above his knees.
She had just been standing across the street and walked straight over; she could only see the side of the car. Theoretically, she hadn't seen the license plate.
But it couldn't be ruled out that she had seen it while walking toward the traffic light from elsewhere.
Bian Xun pinched the bridge of his nose, not wanting to overthink it.
But Ning Zhitao scratched her head. "Then where is the Jing AA0915 plate hanging? That plate has Daddy's own numbers, so Grandpa couldn't have confiscated it, right?"
Bian Xun's eyes twitched, and his expression completely changed.
His pitch-black eyes slowly landed on this round-headed child.
He did indeed own that license plate.
And 915 was his birthday.
She even knew about his family relationships.
Ning Zhitao walked a circle around the car, tucking her little hands in as she made her judgment: "Remember to change it, Daddy. You said before that because Mommy is 168 cm tall, it's uncomfortable for her to sit in the passenger seat of this car. Plus, this car can't fit a baby seat, so it has to go."
Ning Ye's height was also correct.
Bian Xun started to feel that something was very wrong.
He calmly looked at the increasingly familiar child in front of him, his temples tightening slightly as he subtly tried to fish for information. In fact, he didn't even need to try; the child had his and Ning Ye's information practically memorized backward and forward.
"Then how tall am I?"
"Daddy is 185, point 5."
Ning Zhitao looked at Bian Xun in confusion and scratched her head, wondering if Daddy was like those boys Mommy talked about, who had to constantly emphasize it once their height exceeded 180 cm.
"My birthday, and her... your Mommy's birthday?"
Ning Zhitao stated them all clearly.
More importantly, she even recited both of their student ID numbers.
Bian Xun's dark eyes deepened, swirling with complex emotions.
Before today, his and Ning Ye's social connection hadn't even been truly established. No one would deliberately investigate Bian Xun and Ning Ye's information just to pull a scam.
Looking at the child before him, some absurd thoughts began to sprout in Bian Xun's mind.
After answering questions for a while, Ning Zhitao got tired and naturally slumped against Bian Xun's leg. "Daddy, when is Mommy coming back?"
"Am I sleeping with Mommy tonight?"
Bian Xun suddenly felt a prickle of numbness at the back of his neck.
"Mommy left without even seeing me just now. I haven't even talked to her yet!" The little girl puffed out her cheeks.
Bian Xun's expression looked slightly numb. All of this completely went against scientific principles.
Yet, he had a bizarre intuition, his subconscious actually believing that this might be real.
This was something that was absolutely impossible to happen to him.
But strangely, he was starting to believe it.
Just then, the little girl casually remembered something and pulled a thin card from the small front pocket of her overalls.
"Oh right, Daddy, this is your card."
Bian Xun looked down. It was a customized black card for high-net-worth individuals, and it wasn't a fake. Although Bian Xun's current assets weren't enough to open this card yet, in the top right corner of the silver-stamped black card, there was a familiar line of cursive calligraphy.
Xun.
It was his own handwriting; the strokes and curves were flawless. It was his exact penmanship.
This signature logo had never been shown to the public.
Bian Xun's heart jolted.
The deep sea within his dark eyes was completely shaken as he slowly lowered his head to look at the little girl.
He steadied his breathing. At this moment, he no longer cared about a strange child dirtying his clothes. He looked down and asked her.
"What year were you born, and how old are you this year?"
Ning Zhitao pouted, put her hands on her hips, and announced loudly, "I was born in 2026, and I'm four years old this year!"
Daddy, are you a dummy?!
Bian Xun sharply closed his eyes, his fingers resting on the Ferrari's door gripping tightly.
This kid.
She was from 12 years in the future.
It seemed she was his and Ning Ye's child.
...
After Ning Ye finished her part-time job, she saw the messages Bian Xun had sent.
He asked if she was off work yet and where her student's house was located.
He said he was coming to pick her up and had something important to tell her.
The corners of the girl's lips curled up. The student's parent brought her a cup of hot water and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Ning. On a day like today, you really should be out having fun with your classmates and friends."
A young tutor who graduated from a prestigious university, had excellent professional skills, and was gentle and unpretentious—who wouldn't like her?
Ning Ye's almond eyes held a smile as she shook her head. "It's no problem."
She walked out of the student's home and looked down to reply to Bian Xun's message: No need, see you tomorrow.
It was already very late. If she caught the last subway back to school, it would be almost time for curfew. Naturally, she couldn't bear the thought of him taking the subway back and forth just to walk her to her dorm.
She could also guess what the "important matter" Bian Xun mentioned was.
It was probably about making their relationship official, right?
Ning Ye tilted her head up. The tip of her nose was flushed red from the cold air, looking delicate against her porcelain-white skin. The night marking the transition between the old and new year was truly freezing, but a subtle, warm sweetness blossomed in her heart.
It was the secret joy of a new life about to begin.
...
After she declined, Bian Xun immediately saw the message on his end.
This was an apartment Bian Xun owned near the university.
He stared at his phone in silence for a moment before a small head peeked out from behind him.
"Daddy?"
Bian Xun closed his eyes, still very unaccustomed to having a little shadow following him around.
From the moment this happened until now, he had been quite calm, actively building a new understanding of reality based on the situation.
"Mommy won't let you pick her up?"
"Daddy? You guys didn't get into a fight, did you??"
Ning Zhitao poked her chubby little fingers together, her eyes darting around. "Then can you take me to Mommy? I'll be super good."
Bian Xun kept his eyes closed and replied calmly, "No."
Since this had already happened, he needed to think about everything from the most rational perspective.
Between the two of them, fortunately, he had the financial means to solve any problems. Therefore, the only difficulties lay in the ethical controversies and the incompatibility of this situation with a college student's life.
This child obviously couldn't bear to be apart from her mother.
But Ning Ye lived in a student dormitory; where would the kid sleep if she went there?
Moreover, Ning Ye was only eighteen or nineteen years old now. How could she have a four-year-old child?
Bian Xun calmly made his judgment.
First, he needed to do a paternity test with this child before reaching a final conclusion—even though he already had a strong suspicion in his heart.
On the drive back to his apartment with the child, Bian Xun had studied the four-year-old's facial features several times and finally realized why she looked so familiar.
Her eyes, nose, and mouth were practically a childish, miniature version of Ning Ye.
Although Bian Xun couldn't find many traits in the child that resembled himself, she was very likely Ning Ye's future child.
Which meant there was a high probability she was his child.
Right.
So, point one: collect a sample for a DNA test first.
Point two.
If she really was Ning Ye's child, then it was even more imperative that she didn't go looking for her.
What if, in front of all her classmates, she called out "Mommy" in that crisp, clear voice, just like she had called him on the street?
Ning Ye had just started college. In her first semester, she was already balancing a work-study job with her coursework every day. Her future and prospects were just unfolding; she couldn't be dragged down by rumors of out-of-wedlock pregnancy or underage childbirth.
Even if they could clarify things eventually, her college life would already be ruined.
Bian Xun would always remember that vibrant, slender figure at the start of the school year. Therefore, he would not allow this to happen.
"You cannot live with her for the time being," Bian Xun told the child, his dark eyes cool and clear.
He would let Ning Ye know that they had a child together. But considering their respective financial situations, free time, and social capacity, he was the only one who could take care of this child right now.
"Why?!"
Ning Zhitao's eyes went wide, staring at him in disbelief.
Both of them found this current situation very hard to accept.
Ning Zhitao clutched her little heart and took two steps back in grievance. "It's bad enough you aren't picking Mommy up, but you won't even let me see her! Daddy, are you trying to tear this happy family apart?"
Bian Xun: "No, I..."
Daddy's attitude was so bad, too! He had changed so much!
Ning Zhitao grabbed her little head with her two chubby paws and wailed, "Ahhh! I'm not listening!"
For the first time, the noisy wails of a child echoed through this quiet, cold apartment.
It sounded like jellybeans clattering onto the floor.
Bian Xun's temples throbbed.
Bian Xun looked at the chubby little girl. "—Ning Zhitao."
He had only just learned his future daughter's name.
Bizarrely, he had just accepted it, and it actually rolled off the tongue quite naturally.
Hearing her dad call her full name, Ning Zhitao revealed one round little ear from between her paws, indicating that she was listening.
Bian Xun honestly had no idea how to interact with a human cub. He could only take a deep breath. "I will go to the university tomorrow, and you can see her. However, you cannot call out to her. Otherwise, it will bring very serious consequences for her."
Ning Zhitao lifted her head, looking a bit bewildered.
It was as if she didn't understand why her existence would cause bad things for her mom, but she instinctively and obediently nodded her head.
She wouldn't let anything bad happen to Mommy!
"Can you do that?"
"Yes, Daddy."
Bian Xun didn't realize at all that there were issues with his communication style, but seeing the child act so obediently, he felt a slight wave of relief. His stern brow relaxed a little.
He had originally planned to make their relationship official tomorrow, on the first day of the new year.
But now, the relationship to be confirmed had suddenly deepened.
Bian Xun couldn't quite describe this feeling. It was absurd, like a dark, dry joke, yet there was a trace of excitement lurking in the folds of his heart, pulsing with every beat.
Because on second thought, in twelve years, he and the first girl he had ever liked in his life would enter into a much deeper relationship. They would become... husband and wife.
This concept of being so deeply bound together rolled through the mind of the early-twenties Bian Xun, surprisingly bringing a fiery thrill that surpassed his normal understanding.
It made an inexplicable sense of satisfaction bloom in his chest.
Bian Xun coughed, stood up like a strict father, and nodded.
In his heart, however, he was thinking: husband and wife, supporting each other through thick and thin.
It seemed they would be together.
For a full twelve years?
There will be another update after midnight~
