Chapter Thirty-Two: Father, Why Have You Only Just Returned?

“Xiaoshuang, I’ve missed you so much!” Sensing Song Wanshuang’s strength fading against his chest, Jiang An tightened his embrace, breathing in the fragrance of her hair, and spoke gently.

Song Wanshuang, who had been struggling, suddenly quieted, though her sobs continued. Stubbornly, she said, “Why did you come back? Don’t you know I’ve been searching for you all these years? How cruel you were, just leaving me behind. Go—leave. I don’t like you anymore. Just go!”

“You don’t like me, yet you gave birth to my daughter?” Jiang An teased with a smile.

He didn’t expect this remark to ignite an even fiercer emotion in Song Wanshuang. She pushed him away forcefully, her hair disheveled and her face streaked with tears.

“Yes! I did like you—a lot, so much that I shamelessly gave birth to your daughter behind your back, and then waited alone for years. And you? Where did you go? You think a casual apology is enough for me to return to your arms? Ha! I don’t like you anymore. Leave, and don’t interfere in my life again!”

Seeing her resolute, cold demeanor, Jiang An’s heart felt torn apart. But if he really left now, he’d be a fool. Given the circumstances, he had no choice but to use a tactic he’d just learned. What did last night’s book say? Force a kiss!

Yes!

Jiang An pulled Song Wanshuang close and pressed his lips to hers, somewhat clumsily sucking and probing with his tongue, eager to break through. Song Wanshuang’s eyes widened in shock, her mind blank. Soon, her teeth parted and the fierce invader surged in, chasing her delicate tongue. Gradually, she surrendered, knowing full well she could never refuse this man.

In that moment, time seemed to freeze. The two were enveloped in a strange, sweet sensation, each holding the other tightly, wishing to merge into one.

“Mommy, what are you doing?” A crisp child’s voice suddenly rang out. Song Wanshuang snapped awake, pushing the infuriating man away, her cheeks flushed with irresistible charm. She bit her lip and beckoned to Xixi at the door, who was clutching a cloth doll. “Come here, sweetheart, into Mommy’s arms.”

The little one, still sleepy-eyed, toddled over and nestled into her mother’s embrace. Her eyes lit up suddenly as she exclaimed, “Hey, you’re the good uncle! Mommy, he’s the good uncle I told you about!”

Song Wanshuang gently stroked Xixi’s little head, smiling through her tears. “Xixi, you always ask for a daddy. Here he is—your daddy.”

Good uncle is daddy?

Xixi’s mind couldn’t process it immediately. Her big eyes blinked at Jiang An, then she suddenly wrapped herself around his leg and burst into tears, like a pitiful little kitten.

“Daddy, why did you come back so late? Mommy said you were working far away, but Xixi’s never seen you. Xuanxuan and Xiaoyu both have daddies—only Xixi doesn’t. They said Xixi came out of a stone. Waaa…”

Jiang An had thought his heart had turned cold and hard as iron, but as Xixi clung to him and wept, he felt a sharp pang. He picked the little one up and kissed her damp cheek, smiling. “Xixi, Daddy’s here now. From now on, I’ll be with you—eat with you, sleep with you, play with you, watch you grow up. Does that sound good?”

The little girl rubbed her watery eyes, her nose twitching, and replied, “Yes! But you have to promise Xixi not to work so far away anymore, and stay with Xixi and Mommy.”

“Alright, Daddy promises! Shall we make a pinky swear?”

“Okay.”

Father and daughter linked pinkies, and the warmth of the scene made Song Wanshuang feel dazed. Wasn’t this the moment she often dreamed of? Was it really happening? She hoped she wasn’t dreaming.

“It’s almost noon, Xixi. Daddy will take you out for something delicious. What do you want to eat?” Jiang An asked.

“Fried chicken!” Xixi blurted out, then glanced at Song Wanshuang and whispered, “But Mommy doesn’t let me eat those things.”

Jiang An laughed heartily and turned to Song Wanshuang. “So, my dear wife, can we have fried chicken today?”

“Who’s your dear wife!” Song Wanshuang snapped, but couldn’t hide her blush. “Let me tell you, I have plenty of admirers. Why should I be with you? You never even pursued me… Yes, Xixi is your biological daughter, born from the sperm you donated at the hospital years ago… But our relationship is separate. Chase me first, then we’ll see.”

Jiang An was dumbfounded. The child was already so big—why the unnecessary formalities? But he couldn’t fathom the thoughts of a woman. Song Wanshuang wasn’t sure if Jiang An truly loved her, or if it was just about Xixi. Besides, back then he pursued her; now it was her turn. She’d never dated before—her youth was precious.

“Xiaoshuang, don’t be difficult. I mean what I say—I’ll be with you for a lifetime. For now, let’s go have fried chicken as a family,” Jiang An insisted.

But Song Wanshuang shook her head resolutely, gazing at Jiang An. “Brother An, after all these years, you haven’t changed at all, but I’ve grown older. Less than four years and I’ll be thirty. I admit I love you, but do you really love me? If you do, prove it—chase me!”

Jiang An felt Song Wanshuang’s deep insecurity and was filled with guilt, but his resolve quickly surged. “Xiaoshuang, you’ll see my determination and effort! As for youth—let’s not grow old, then!”

Once, Jiang An had assumed that after so many years, Xiaoshuang would have married, so he never sought her out. But since fate had brought them together again, he was determined to stay with mother and daughter forever. For now, with emotions running high, he couldn’t tell her that he was now ageless, having returned from another world as a cultivator. There would be time for her to understand.

Song Wanshuang didn’t catch the hidden meaning in his last words, but she felt comforted. Suddenly, she shrieked, covering her face with her hands. “As Xixi’s father, you get to look after her for today. Go on, go on—I look terrible now, all your fault for making me cry!”

Jiang An couldn’t help but laugh. What was going on in her mind? So he said, “You’re so beautiful—how can you call yourself ugly? What about those who are truly less fortunate? But since you insist, I’ll comply. Xixi, Daddy will take you out to play today, alright?”

“Yes, Daddy is wonderful!” Little Xixi naturally took to Jiang An, without a hint of shyness.

“Xiaoshuang, I’m taking Xixi now. Here’s my number—make sure you remember it,” Jiang An said.

“Got it, got it—just go already!” Song Wanshuang refused to lower her hands, still hiding her face.

After a few seconds, as footsteps receded, Song Wanshuang lowered her hands—only for a face to swoop in, landing a fierce kiss on her cheek before fleeing with satisfaction.

“Ha! Got you!”

“Mommy is silly!”

Watching the pair leave the office, Song Wanshuang’s eyes brimmed with tenderness.

Today was destined to be a commotion at Xizi Company.

Little Xixi was adorable and clever, and as the boss’s daughter, she often appeared at the company. Everyone recognized her, so as she and Jiang An descended from the top floor, they encountered many staff members. Each one greeted them, curious about the man so intimately carrying Xixi, whom they’d never seen before. Inevitably, they’d ask,

“Xixi, who’s this?”

“This is Daddy—Xixi’s Daddy!” The little one puffed out her chest, eager to announce to the world that she now had a father.

Then Jiang An delivered the knockout blow, smiling, “Hello, I’m Xixi’s father—and your President Song’s husband.”

Naturally, this left a trail of stunned faces. Before long, the whole company knew that the mysterious father of Xixi and President Song’s lover had appeared!

Gao Chao, bored and leaning against his Mercedes smoking, turned to see his boss walking over with an angelic little girl, laughing together. His eyes nearly popped out as he hurriedly snuffed out his cigarette and cleared the smoke, sensing he understood something.

“Xixi, this is Brother Chao. Gao Chao, this is my daughter,” Jiang An said, now just an ordinary father.

“Hello, Brother Chao. My name is Xixi,” Xixi greeted politely.

Gao Chao was a bit overwhelmed, unsure how to respond. “Hello, hello… Ah! Hello, little princess!”

Little princess—what a lovely title. The daughter of His Highness was certainly a little princess. Clever as I am, how could I not give her a compliment?

Jiang An was quite pleased, smiling. “Gao Chao, thank you for your hard work these past days. You can head back now. I’ll spend a day with my daughter. Oh, tomorrow night I’ll be at Green Sea to announce something—tell Dao Mo.”

“Understood, Your Highness. I’ll take my leave!” Gao Chao ran off smiling, leaving father and daughter to get acquainted.

Jiang An opened the passenger door, helped Xixi buckle in, then got in and started the car.

“Daddy, is this your car? It’s so big!” Xixi looked around curiously, her little legs kicking restlessly.

“Yes, do you like it?”

“Mm-hmm, I do!”

“Good. Daddy will take you for fried chicken first. Where do you want to go afterward?” Jiang An asked.

“Can we go to the amusement park? Xixi wants to ride the big wheel!” Her eyes sparkled, never forgetting the Ferris wheel.

The amusement park wasn’t much fun in winter, and it wasn’t clear if it was open. Jiang An pondered, then said, “The amusement park isn’t open today. How about Daddy takes you to the children’s play center? There’ll be lots of kids there!”

“Okay!” Xixi agreed happily.

Soon, they arrived at the fast-food restaurant. Jiang An parked, took his daughter’s hand, and went inside.

The restaurant was bustling, but there were plenty of empty seats. Jiang An patiently queued up with Xixi, and soon it was their turn to order.

“Xixi, which would you like?”

“That one!” Xixi pointed at a meal.

“Alright, we’ll take that.”

“Great, that’ll be ninety-five,” the server said with a bright smile. “Is she your daughter? She’s beautiful—so adorable!”

“Ha, takes after her mother,” Jiang An boasted lightly.

“Then your wife must be stunning.” The server chatted as she quickly arranged the food, then looked a bit embarrassed. “Sorry, sir, with the cold weather, hot drinks are running low. You’ll need to wait a bit. Perhaps you’d like to sit first?”

“Bring me one at room temperature,” Jiang An replied, already having a plan.

Soon, father and daughter sat across a small table. Xixi, not very tall, barely showed above the table, but it didn’t hinder her eating. Children could never resist fried food, and today she could indulge, so she grabbed a chicken wing immediately.

“Oh dear, it’s greasy. Never mind, let’s clean up after you’re done. Here, drink your milk tea—be careful not to burn your mouth,” Jiang An said indulgently, handing her the milk tea he’d warmed with his powers.