0019 019 Little Sister
"What did you say?!"
Qi Shuyao pushed him away abruptly, then, supporting her trembling legs, took another step back, gripping the handrail and leaning her whole body against it.
Qi Yu's expression immediately fell apart, and he could no longer feign anything. The fire in his heart finally ignited in his head, and he took a step forward, even prepared for the consequences of his impulsiveness.
"What kind of boyfriend is this? I took the initiative to admit my mistake to you, and you just went crazy on me instead. If you're tired, go to sleep. You still reek of alcohol. Are you still drunk?"
She stammered as she spoke, unable to look him in the eye, and eventually turned away, gripping the carved armrest tightly.
Qi Yu's frozen expression gradually came to life. He took a step to close the distance between them, and under Qi Shuyao's puzzled gaze, he cupped her face and kissed her hard.
"My daughter is the one who knows how to care for me. I'm going to take a shower now."
Watching his retreating figure as he quickly walked back to the bedroom, Qi Shuyao collapsed on the stairs. It took her a long time to recover. She practically crawled back to her room and rushed into the bathroom.
After nearly two hours of removing makeup, washing her hair, taking a shower, applying a face mask, skincare products, and blow-drying her hair, she casually walked out of the bathroom in her bathrobe. When she saw Qi Yu half-lying on her bed, she was so startled that she almost sat down on the floor again.
"Dad!" A thunderclap seemed to appear out of nowhere; Qi Yu felt she was emphasizing that word.
"Why are you lying here?"
"I've come to keep you company."
He spoke very naturally, and even pulled back the covers to wrap himself in them. Indeed, it should have been natural, as this scene used to happen every night.
Qi Shuyao accepted it faster than he had imagined. She spotted the phone, grabbed it, and even lifted her bathrobe, slipping under the covers on the left side while still wearing her camisole. In a moment of distraction, Qi Yu saw her lower body, which was only covered by her underwear.
She patted the pillows and blankets, successfully curling herself up in her fluffy little nest. Leaning against a cushion, she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Speak, what do you want to say?"
Qi Yu also raised an eyebrow at her.
“I could tell at a glance that you have something to say.”
"Haha, as expected of my...daughter."
Qi Yu raised his hand behind his head, gently shook his stiff left side, and pondered how to start the conversation.
"If you don't tell me, I'm going to sleep."
Like any teenager, Qi Shuyao scrolled through her phone while nagging her parents, without even glancing in their direction.
As she was swiping, a large hand reached out and covered the entire phone screen, pressing her hand onto the blanket, gradually pushing aside the phone that was in the way, and grabbing her entire hand.
The palms and backs of my hands were soft; a touch would leave a mark that would vanish instantly, leaving only smooth skin against my fingers, pressed together, and I couldn't tell which one was trembling slightly.
What are you trying to say?
"Tell me about the past."
Upon hearing this, Qi Shuyao sat up straighter. The past that she could never touch and was never allowed to peek into was about to unfold before her, and she was about to become part of his entire life.
Only vague fragments of the past remain, and speaking is not easy. The images are uncolored black and white photographs, with only the outlines of the figures still clear. He touched the edges and slowly peered inside.
"The year you were born was later called the last year of revelry. It was also the last year that the Gu family was in power. A year later, a building collapsed, and the sunlight shone on the insects inside, who scurried away. The Lin family came to power with new laws, and they changed almost all the regulations. At that time, the feud between the two families was much deeper than people know now. In the past, some people complained that they would not be recognized if they did not have a wedding. Later, they were glad that their relationship was not exposed. The 'confiscation' of property was much stricter than it is now. Old Lin was so powerful when he stood on the stage. Now he is so pathetic lying in the hospital. Everyone used all their connections to send the child and the family property away, even if they would never see each other again in this life."
Qi Shuyao keenly caught some key information and looked at Qi Yu, but he didn't look at her and continued talking.
"It's strange. In the most open years, we didn't hear much about the exploitation and coercion of sex. But after the Lin family came up under the banner of purification and tightening, some people started to use women's beauty to get something in return."
He completely disregarded what Qi Shuyao's rich imagination might conjure up, simply reminiscing about the past, saying whatever came to mind, and occasionally offering a few comments.
"Back then, and even now, wealthy families still want to have a son to inherit the family business. They would have children with their wives at home, or if their wives couldn't have children, they would go out and have children with other women. They would have one child after another, and eventually, one of them would happen to be born in the year of a change of leadership. Even the rats underground would be turned up, let alone the people. They would have been scattered and ended up in places no one knew."
Qi Shuyao turned around and gripped his fingers tightly, struggling to speak.
Who lost it?
“My colleague at the time was a woman. Her father and his family abandoned them and fled for their lives. Her mother was not even able to protect herself at that time. The two were separated almost immediately after the baby was born, and they have not been able to find each other since.”
The stiffness in her fingers disappeared, and Qi Shuyao let go of Qi Yu's hand as if all her strength had left her body. She slid into the quilt, leaving only half of her head sticking out and resting on the pillow.
Qi Yu raised his hand and pressed the edge of the blanket covering her nose down, then turned to look at her.
"What are you thinking about?"
"I thought you had a daughter."
Qi Yu was amused by her words and laughed out loud. Ignoring her resistance, he pulled her out and leaned her against his shoulder, reaching out his long arm to loosely embrace her waist.
“I was penniless back then, and having you was enough for me. How could I possibly need anyone else?”
"Now that you're no longer poor, why don't you think about having a son to inherit your grand ambitions?"
What grand ambitions do I have?
"You're the most promising official right now. So many people are lining up to curry favor with you. You're bound to become incredibly successful. If no one succeeds you, you'll be criticized as the second Pei Yuzhou."
She deliberately chose to say sarcastic and sarcastic things, and her expressions were spot on. If these words came from someone else, Qi Yu might have flipped the table, but when Qi Shuyao said them, they looked adorable. He could even detect a hint of coquetry in them, and he just wanted to hold her in his arms and cuddle her.
He chuckled as he leaned down, stopping abruptly just before their foreheads bumped, his warm breath showering her face.
"So, would Yao Yao like to inherit all of my great achievements?"
"No way, I get a headache just thinking about those lousy things."
She pushed Qi Yu away and sat up herself. The back of her tank top, which had been rubbing against him, was now sticking up, revealing a section of her waist against his arm.
"So I'm really going to have a son?"
Qi Shuyao didn't speak, she just looked at him, and Qi Yu could still see the threat in her otherwise calm eyes.
"You dare."
"No, no."
He picked up on her thoughts, pulled her back into his arms, breathed a sigh of relief, and relaxed considerably. Qi Shuyao buried her head in his chest, and her voice emerged from her long hair.
Can you answer a question for me?
"What?"
"Did you expect my appearance, or was it a surprise to you?"
His hand, which had been resting to the side, moved over and gently stroked the back of her head, lightly massaging her tense scalp. Qi Yu's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, carefully choosing his words.
"I was looking forward to it, very much looking forward to it, but also very scared and nervous. The moment I was born, I was in a daze, but countless times afterward, I have been extremely grateful for your arrival."
Finally, warm breath landed on his chest, and her little head buried itself completely in his chest. She turned her head to the side, her soft cheeks puffed up under the pressure, making her lips pout.
Why are you suddenly bringing this up with me today?
“I didn’t come back before because the boss of Cheng’s Group came to find me. He took me to a very old shop. There, I saw a little girl. She looked younger than you and looked a bit like the mother who got separated from her child.”
"What store is it? Did you tell her? Do you still have that aunt's contact information? Tell them quickly!"
Qi Shuyao was even more excited than him. She jumped up and knelt beside him, staring at him excitedly. Qi Yu was somewhat surprised.
"It's just a guess. There are many people who look alike. If we really want to help her find her daughter, we have to do a paternity test before we can tell her. Otherwise, it will all be a false hope."
"Then hurry up and make the arrangements."
"These are all simple. I'm just thinking, if it's true, how do I explain it to a child? Can she accept it? Will she forgive her mother? Does she want to find her mother? Even if she does, will she be happier or more resentful?"
"What about her mother? Hasn't her mother ever looked for her? Does her mother also think about her daughter who is living away from home on sleepless nights?"
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