Chapter 485 Nanzhi, I Have a Daughter
Zhou Mubin's fingers, which were holding the phone, suddenly paused. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the cold body of the phone, and then a wide smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.
Even the fine lines at the corners of her eyes were brimming with undisguised pride, and the excitement in her voice almost broke the silence of the stairwell, "It's my daughter, Nanzhi, I have a daughter now, she's four years old."
Xie Nanzhi, on the other end of the phone, was startled upon hearing this. After a full three seconds, she burst out with a deafening shout, "Old Zhou, are you kidding me? When did you secretly have a daughter? With which wild woman?"
"Don't misuse words."
Zhou Mubin frowned, his tone instantly becoming serious and unquestionable, "What wild woman? She's my white moonlight."
"White moonlight?"
Xie Nanzhi's voice suddenly rose to a cracking pitch, then she hurriedly covered her mouth to lower her voice, her breathing becoming rapid, "You found Cui Xiao?"
"Yes, the child's name is Xiao Nuomi (Little Glutinous Rice)."
Zhou Mubin interrupted her exclamation, his pride almost overflowing. He leaned against the wall, imagining his daughter's eyes, which were exactly like his own, and couldn't help but smile. "She looks just like me, especially her eyes and the dimples when she smiles. They're practically identical. I have to get back to you now, I need to prepare a gift for my daughter."
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Mubin immediately opened his phone's memo app and compiled Xie Nanzhi's key points into a list, carefully noting details for each item.
For example, plush toys should be the largest size Snow White style, made of Class A baby-grade fabric, odorless and non-shedding. Hair accessory gift boxes and princess-themed items should have smoothed edges to prevent scratches. Snacks should ideally include strawberry-flavored yogurt cubes and freeze-dried mangoes, with quality inspection reports provided.
After finishing the task, he forwarded it directly to Zhou Weicheng and even made a special phone call to emphasize that speed was important, but quality was absolutely crucial.
Less than an hour later, the crisp sound of wheeled carts could be heard at the ward entrance. Zhou Weicheng's people pushed three metal carts piled high with gifts into the room one after another.
A half-person-tall Snow White plush toy wrapped in pink ribbons, a complete set of crystal princess hair accessories gift box shimmering with tiny lights, an oversized animal puzzle with a diameter of one meter in an exquisite wooden box, various flavored snacks neatly arranged in a cartoon storage box, and a children's projector that can project the starry sky.
The gifts piled up, taking up almost half the space in the ward. Little Nuomi climbed off the bed, rubbed her face against the hem of her plush toy skirt, and smiled so hard her eyes narrowed into slits, repeatedly saying, "Thank you, Uncle Zhou."
Cui Xiao sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the pile of gifts that almost flooded the ward. Her brows furrowed slightly, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around the bedsheet.
Cui Xiaojing observed for a few minutes, watching Xiao Nuomi studying the patterns on the puzzle box with her little face full of excitement, before she gently stood up, walked to Zhou Mubin's side, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Come out for a moment, I have something to tell you."
Her tone was soft, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority.
Zhou Mubin was stunned for a moment, then followed her out of the ward.
The corridor was unusually quiet late at night. The motion-activated lights were awakened by the two people's footsteps, and the dim light cast long shadows on the ground.
With her back to the ward door, Cui Xiao crossed her arms in front of her chest, as if building an invisible defense. Her voice was very low, but it was full of seriousness.
"Zhou Mubin, what exactly do you want?"
"Bringing so many expensive gifts so early in the morning, playing with her and trying to please her, are you trying to buy Xiao Nuomi's heart with money and then fight me for custody of our daughter?"
Zhou Mubin's smile froze instantly. He was about to explain when Cui Xiao suddenly turned her head, her eyes swirling with wariness, unease, and determination. "Let me tell you, I raised Xiao Nuomi single-handedly. From her birth as a premature baby weighing only 3.8 pounds to her current healthy state, you can't even imagine how many sleepless nights I've endured and how much suffering I've suffered. If you want to take her away from me, you'll have to step over my dead body first."
Zhou Mubin stood frozen in place, as if the blood in his body had frozen at that moment.
He looked at Cui Xiao's tense profile, her clenched fists that had turned white, and the almost tragic determination in her eyes.
The warmth that had just welled up in his heart because of his daughter's dependence was instantly replaced by a chilling coldness, which then turned into a bitter, cold laugh.
He finally understood.
For five years, Cui Xiao raised her child alone without ever contacting her, and even lied to her young daughter that "Dad is dead," because she was afraid that her "biological father" would come back to fight for custody.
"So that's what you've always thought of me."
He spoke slowly, his voice full of self-mockery, even his breath stinging, "In your eyes, I, Zhou Mubin, am the kind of cold-blooded person who would disregard feelings and forcibly snatch a child away from its mother?"
He stepped forward, his eyes brimming with grievance and anger. "If I really wanted to take it, you wouldn't be standing here right now."
Zhou Mubin's voice deepened, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the seams of his suit trousers, his previous anger fading, replaced by a hint of helpless seriousness.
He looked up at Cui Xiao, his gaze sweeping over the bloodshot veins in her eyes.
That was the exhaustion from taking care of her daughter; the thorn in her heart softened instantly.
Cui Xiao's body suddenly stiffened, and her hands, hanging at her sides, unconsciously curled up, her nails digging deeply into her palms, leaving several crescent-shaped marks.
She knew better than anyone the weight of those words; Zhou Mubin wasn't just saying it casually.
Let alone fighting for custody, there's nothing he can't do if he sets his mind to it.
Her Adam's apple bobbed slightly. She wanted to retort, but found her throat tight and unable to utter a single word. The resolve in her eyes, like ice cubes soaked in warm water, quietly deflated, covered by a layer of mist.
It's unease.
There was also a slight loosening that she herself didn't even notice.
Seeing her restrained yet helpless expression, Zhou Mubin's anger instantly dissipated, leaving only a deep sense of heartache.
He took half a step forward, his fingertips twitched, wanting to touch her shoulder but then abruptly pulled back. He lowered his voice, each word clear as if striking a stone slab, "I will not fight for Xiao Nuomi's custody. She is the one you raised from a premature baby weighing three pounds and eight ounces to this age. I can imagine every night you stayed up and every hardship you endured, even if I didn't see it with my own eyes. I understand."
He paused, his gaze growing increasingly serious. "In fact, I can assure you that unless you agree, I will never reveal my identity to her without your consent. I will not disrupt your current lives."
Cui Xiao looked up at him, her long eyelashes fluttering gently like startled butterfly wings. Her gaze swept over his eyes like a searchlight, trying to find a trace of hypocrisy or perfunctoriness.
Just then, the clear, joyful sounds of children playing came from the end of the corridor, accompanied by parents shouting, "Slow down!"
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