"Mom, are we eating here again today?"

"Yes. Isn't your favorite braised sea bass here?"

"But……"

Qin Nuan frowned, pouted, and swallowed back the sentence, "But I want to go home for dinner."

Even at such a young age, she could tell that her mother hadn't been in a good mood these past few days.

Even his answer to her just now sounded somewhat perfunctory.

Qin Nuan didn't understand how the adult world worked, or why it was sunny one minute and cloudy the next. All she knew was that whenever someone sent her mother a message with a picture of her father and another woman, her mother would become like this.

"Mother……"

Qin Nuan tugged at her mother's hand, but Shao Xiaofei suddenly let go of her, her gaze instantly becoming tense as she stared at a certain spot and strode after her.

Qin Nuan was startled, and the doll fell to the ground.

"Mother--"

"Nuan Nuan, stay here and don't move!" Shao Xiaofei ran forward in a panic, then hurriedly turned back and shouted, "Mom will be back in a little while!"

Qin Nuan stood helplessly in place, watching her mother's figure gradually disappear from sight.

This is not the first time this has happened.

Every time Mom discovers that Dad is having close contact with other aunties, she loses control.

They would leave her aside, and she would have to wait quite a while for her distraught mother to arrive.

Hiding in the shadows, Ding Daming narrowed his eyes, suddenly recalling that he seemed to have seen this mother and daughter several times recently. Sometimes the woman brought the little girl to eat, sometimes it was the woman herself who came…

Catching someone in the act?

Yes, that must be it!

Ding Daming stayed in hotels every day, and he heard a lot of gossip. He heard that a certain boss had a lot of scandals, and although he had a wife and children, he was always entangled with other women.

I also heard that the CEO is the son-in-law of the future mayor.

Ding Daming smiled.

Who knows if these rumors are true or false? Even if a man really does have affairs, it's normal.

He continued to stare at the little girl, who silently picked up the doll from the ground, looked around, and showed no panic on her innocent face, only a faint sense of loss.

At this moment, two waiters came over and respectfully called her "Miss Qin". One of them led her to the lounge on the first floor.

Ding Daming's expression changed.

It turns out this little girl isn't so easy to approach after all.

However, she had no bodyguards around her, only a few useless hotel staff. Compared to that little brat from the Huo family, it should be much easier to steal this girl away.

Ding Daming followed them all the way to the entrance of the lounge. By then, the waiters had already prepared drinks and pastries for Qin Nuan, but they had other things to attend to and left temporarily.

Ding Daming looked around; there were security cameras in the corridor, so he dared not act rashly.

Unexpectedly, the little girl actually came out on her own!

Qin Nuan hugged her doll tightly, and perhaps feeling bored, she ran around alone in the empty corridor. Suddenly, she noticed a small door leading to the hotel's backyard. Although the weather had turned cool, the flowers planted in the backyard brightened her eyes.

Children, by their very nature, skipped and hopped towards the backyard.

Ding Daming realized that his opportunity had arrived!

That backyard was the very place where he had spoken with Ning Meng that day! According to Ning Meng, there was nothing there except for a broken security camera.

Before approaching Qin Nuan, Ding Daming straightened his clothes and then rushed to the bathroom to wash his face.

"Little friend," he slowly walked over, his face full of wrinkles as he smiled, "playing here all by yourself?"

Qin Nuan was startled and stared at him blankly.

"Uncle, there's something delicious here. Are you hungry?"

Qin Nuan shook her head blankly and turned to run away, but Ding Daming quickly stopped her.

"Hey, don't go, don't go!" His two large hands gripped her tightly like iron clamps. "Um... um, your mother sent me to find you!"

Qin Nuan paused for a moment upon hearing her mother's name.

"Really, it really is your mother!" Ding Daming continued his lie. "Didn't she suddenly run away just now? And leave you to wait for her there?"

"Um...yes."

"That's more like it!" Ding Daming laughed. "Little friend, if you don't wait for her where you are and instead run here, what if she can't find you?"

"Mom knows where to find me. I'll play here for a while, then go back to the lounge!"

"Oh..." Ding Daming's eyes darted around, "I know that lounge, Uncle will take you back!"

Qin Nuan was somewhat wary and broke free from him, taking two steps back.

"You silly child! I really am your mother's friend. If you don't go back soon, your mother will be so worried about you, don't you think?"

"Come, come, Uncle will take you there! Be good!"

Ding Daming grabbed her and hoisted her onto his shoulder. Qin Nuan instinctively cried out, but before she could utter a sound, he covered her mouth!

No matter how much the little girl struggled, she was no match for a grown man. Ding Daming clenched his fist and struck her hard on the back of the head, causing Qin Nuan to faint. The doll in her hand fell to the ground.

*

Ding Cheng arrived at the hotel with practiced ease, intending to use the previous incident to extort some more money from Ding Daming, but unexpectedly found a little girl unconscious in the room.

"You... what is this?"

"Don't meddle in adults' affairs!" Ding Daming was covered in sweat.

He had to dodge security guards and waiters the whole way up after carrying Qin Nuan, and he couldn't carry her on his shoulders. He had to pretend that he was holding his own child to fool everyone. Feeling guilty and carrying a child together really exhausted him.

Ding Cheng cast a suspicious look at him, then turned to look at the little girl on the sofa.

He recognized that pretty dress, and that exquisitely beautiful face...

"Qin Nuan?"

He couldn't help but gasp softly.

"What's going on? Do you know him?" Ding Daming asked him gruffly.

Ding Cheng bit his lip tightly, remaining silent.

"You little bastard, don't cause your old man any trouble, you hear me? This brat is worth a lot of money!"

After making those harsh remarks, Ding Daming immediately dialed Ning Meng's number.

"Miss Ning, it's me...hehe!"

"Yes, yes, it's all taken care of... Miss Ning, I've brought the child here. I guarantee you'll be satisfied with this girl!"

"The child is in my room right now, but I don't feel safe... Okay, give me an address, and I'll bring her over right away!"

Ding Cheng's heart was in his throat. He quietly sat on the sofa, shielding Qin Nuan behind him.

Immediately afterwards, he heard a sinister laugh coming from the phone. The room was quiet, and the laughter was particularly jarring.

“Very good!” Ning Meng’s voice echoed in the large room. “Wrap the child up tightly, and when you leave the room, walk to the right along the wall. That’s a blind spot for the security cameras! Then go downstairs, come out from the backyard, and there’s a van parked there. Take the child and come up!”

Ding Daming readily agreed and was about to take action after hanging up the phone when suddenly a pair of hands grabbed him tightly!

"What are you doing?" He glared at Ding Cheng fiercely.

"Dad, you wouldn't... be planning to sell this little girl, would you?"