Shi Anye followed his wife’s gaze and nodded slightly, "Yes, they’ve arrived."
Sure enough, Qin Haochen hadn’t misled him; he truly brought his precious little lady to the Bai family’s banquet.
In the back seat, Shi Qinghan heard his parents’ conversation and anxiously unbuckled his seatbelt, getting out of the car.
He first looked at the two cars his mother mentioned, his lips pursed, suppressing the smile that threatened to rise.
Bai Aiya and Bai Binghua heard the bodyguard’s report and hurried over with their son Bai Zhou to greet them.
Upon seeing Shi Qinghan’s calm black eyes, Bai Zhou felt an inexplicable panic, sensing a bit of hostility from him.
But he had never interacted with Shi Qinghan before; even though they attended the same kindergarten, Bai Zhou always chose to take a detour when he saw Shi Qinghan. He felt that Shi Qinghan was not to be trifled with.
Bai Aiya smiled as she faced them, feeling more at ease than with the Qin and Ye families, yet she still maintained proper etiquette, not daring to slight the Shi family.
"Mr. Shi, Mrs. Shi, you’ve come! Welcome!" Bai Aiya said warmly.
Bai Binghua chimed in with a smile, "It’s truly an honor for Bai Zhou to have you here!"
Bai Aiya held her son’s shoulder, gently calling out, "Bai Zhou."
Bai Zhou immediately greeted, "Hello, Uncle Shi, Auntie Shi, Brother Qinghan!"
The Shi family’s bodyguard handed a prepared gift to their young lord.
Shi Qinghan caught the gift from the bodyguard and presented it to Bai Zhou, saying, "Happy birthday."
Bai Zhou hurriedly accepted it with both hands, feeling a bit overwhelmed, "Thank you, Brother Qinghan!"
"Just being here is enough; why bring a gift?" Bai Aiya smiled broadly.
Bai Binghua wanted to engage in more pleasantries with the Shi family, but was interrupted by a youthful yet steady voice.
Shi Qinghan looked towards the brightly lit main hall ahead, seemingly oblivious to the Bai family’s "intentions," and spoke first, "Mom, Dad, can I go in first?"
It was a question, but his tone made it clear he wanted to enter quickly.
Bai Binghua’s polite words caught in his throat as he looked down at the young lord from the Shi family, inwardly thinking the child was quite rude.
Then Bai Binghua forced a smile, chuckling awkwardly, "Haha, let’s go in together then. Mr. Shi, Mrs. Shi, this way please."
Finally, with Bai Aiya, Bai Binghua, and Bai Zhou leading the way, Shi Anye, Shu Yao, and Shi Qinghan walked a little behind them.
Shu Yao slowed her pace slightly, tilting her head to look at her son Shi Qinghan, and whispered, "Are you eager to see Ann?"
Shi Qinghan kept a straight face but didn’t directly answer; instead, he solemnly changed the topic, "Isn’t Bai Zhou’s party in the main hall?"
"Yes, yes, you’re right." Shu Yao saw through his little thoughts, smiled lightly, and didn’t force him to admit it.
Upon reaching the main hall, Shi Qinghan scanned the surroundings and quickly spotted little Ann.
He wanted to go straight over to greet her but remembered his mother’s earlier question and held back.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long; the next moment, he heard his father say,
"I see Haochen; let’s go greet them." Shi Anye took Shu Yao’s hand, bid farewell to the Bai family, and led their son toward Qin Haochen.
This was exactly what Shi Qinghan wanted; he nearly let his smile break through.
With quick steps, the family of three headed toward the Qin and Ye families.
At the same time, Qin Sui’an was being lifted onto a dining chair by her father.
Qin Haochen brought over some snacks, feeding his little one bite by bite.
The banquet happened to fall during mealtime; earlier in the afternoon, little one had a snack, and on the way here, he had also given her milk, but by now, her little stomach was likely hungry.
Their family gathered around the table, everyone enjoying some snacks together with Ann.
Qin Sui’an was the first to notice the footsteps approaching their direction; she blinked her big eyes, curiously turning her head toward the source of the sound.
It was indeed someone she recognized—Brother Qinghan.
The unfamiliar adults accompanying him must be Brother Qinghan’s parents, she guessed.
Qin Haochen noticed little one’s gaze, looked up, and spotted familiar faces approaching, raising an eyebrow.
Shi Anye led his wife and son to him, greeting, "Mr. Qin, what a coincidence, you’re here for President Bai’s son’s birthday banquet too."
"Not a coincidence," Qin Haochen replied, giving him a glance.
After all, it was this man who called him to probe.
Aside from Shi Anye’s "predatory" gaze on his little one, Qin Haochen couldn’t think of any other reason for his presence.
Sure enough, after Shi Anye casually greeted him, he immediately turned his attention to the little one in the dining chair.
At a glance, he met little one’s curious, round eyes.
Shi Anye’s heart skipped a beat, feeling as if a light had brightened his world, and he couldn’t help but break into a warm smile.
So this is Qin Haochen’s biological daughter!
No wonder he kept her hidden and cherished her!
If she were his daughter, he wouldn’t want this lovely little girl to suffer even the slightest harm.
Shu Yao was also taken aback by the young lady from the Qin family, finding her so beautiful that she couldn’t look away, nearly lost in her gaze. Thankfully, she regained her composure just in time, avoiding embarrassment in front of everyone.
She smiled at the adorable little girl, "Ann, hello! Nice to meet you, I’m Qinghan’s mom."
Qin Sui’an blinked her big eyes, looking up at the beautiful lady, and sweetly chimed, "Hello, Auntie!"
Upon hearing the soft little voice, Shu Yao’s heart melted.
Girls are the best! So cute! So precious!
No wonder her son Qinghan started paying attention to the young lady from the Qin family after seeing her.
Realizing this, Shu Yao suddenly remembered her husband had been quiet for a moment. She turned to look and found him gazing at the little lady with a tender expression.
Shu Yao quickly tugged at his sleeve.
Shi Anye snapped back to reality, realizing he had lost his composure, and coughed awkwardly, "Mr. Qin, your daughter is really adorable."
"Flattery," Qin Haochen replied, his expression darkening as he looked at him with no hint of emotion, "Do you have other business?"
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