Volume One, Chapter 8: Father?

Downstairs.

Gu Xinyue’s face darkened as she quickly walked out under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Damn Gu Yan—did he still consider her his sister? What a joke. She was the legitimate Miss Gu, so what if she wanted to take over the auction house? Yet Gu Yan refused to agree!

That old Gu Chiyi was no better. Years ago, his mistake caused his daughter to go missing. After finally finding her, he didn’t properly make amends—just casually handed her a few companies and some bank cards to dismiss her. No wonder he ended up lonely and isolated.

Indeed, Gu Xinyue was no longer the Gu Xinyue she once was.

Her original name was Shen Qin, an ordinary office worker who was fired after causing a huge loss due to negligence.

Returning home in a sulky mood, she picked up a novel titled “The Gentle Love of a Wealthy Family’s Darling Wife.”

She was captivated by the bittersweet love story between Lu Chuan and Bai Jinshu in the book—especially Lu Chuan, who perfectly matched her ideal type. She thought the heroine, a commoner with no background and a meek temper, didn’t deserve him at all.

Scoffing, she thought that if she could enter this novel’s world, she would surely have a firm hold on Lu Chuan—there was no way she would be like the weak Bai Jinshu.

Unexpectedly, she woke up one day as Gu Xinyue, the lost and then recovered young lady of the prestigious Gu family.

Shen Qin was overwhelmed by this sudden fortune, lying on a luxurious bed she never dreamed of sleeping in, eyes gleaming as she took in the wardrobes full of luxury goods and cosmetics.

The novel didn’t describe the Gu family much; her focus was on Lu Chuan. She only knew that the Gu family often targeted Lu Chuan for some unknown reason, and after Lu Chuan’s rise, the Gu family’s fate was nearly ruin and destruction.

She sneered at the thought.

Though the Gu family would later become antagonists, the upheaval was still far off. Lu Chuan was destined to be a rising star in the business world. As long as she could be with him, even if the Gu family fell, she would still be a wealthy wife.

Using her identity as Miss Gu, she pursued Lu Chuan relentlessly. Recently, his attitude toward her had softened noticeably.

Proudly carrying her bag and driving her Porsche, she set off to find Lu Chuan.

***

In the office.

Cha Cha stared in amazement at the strange scene before her. Was she a monster?

Gu Yan heard the little girl’s scream just outside the door. He hurried in and squinted at the hand she was hiding behind her back.

“What’s wrong? Who’s the monster?”

Cha Cha looked guilty and avoided his gaze. Nervously, she reached into her little bag, took out a milk candy, stepped forward, and offered it to him with a big forced smile.

“Uncle, do you want some candy?”

Gu Yan raised an eyebrow. “Let me see your hand.”

Timidly, Cha Cha extended a chubby finger from her sleeve. Gu Yan patted her little fist, and she slowly opened her palm.

Gu Yan felt the warm, soft hand and a flicker of understanding crossed his eyes, yet his face remained expressionless.

He glanced at the little girl, who was poised to run at any moment, toes pointed outward. Setting down her hand, he said calmly, “It’s nothing—just a bit of dirt.”

“Oh?” Cha Cha had already prepared to run if called a monster. Er Gou at the village gate said monsters were burned alive!

Peeking, she saw a black smudge on her palm—it was dirty.

Gu Yan took her by the hand to wash it, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, unaware that every move she made was under his watchful eye.

As Gu Yan washed Cha Cha’s hands, a thoughtful shadow flickered beneath his lowered eyelids. The old master’s near-death experience and his reaction after revival made him suspect all this might be connected to Cha Cha.

Still, he wasn’t sure. After all, he had never encountered anything so inconsistent with core socialist values.

When he lifted Cha Cha from the ground earlier, he saw bruises on her hand, but now there was no trace of them.

Gu Yan wiped her hand dry with a handkerchief, watching her innocent, puzzled expression.

Well, he had found himself a little ancestral lord.

Cha Cha, having cleaned her hands, pulled out a small bun from her bag, carefully broke it in half, and fed one half to Gu Yan. She happily munched on the other.

Oh well, this little ancestral lord was quite adorable.

***

The household registration process was swift. Cha Cha followed Gu Yan out of the office building, only to see Secretary Li stepping down from the car, her expression somewhat displeased.

Gu Yan nodded slightly, signaling Cha Cha to get into the car first.

Obediently, Cha Cha climbed in and pressed her face against the window, seeing her uncle apparently looking her way.

She quickly sat properly in her seat.

Gu Yan withdrew his gaze, his brow furrowed deeply. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. The hospital was crowded, so it was hard to act. After cornering the family, a sudden group appeared and took them away.”

Gu Yan stared at Secretary Li, his eyes dark with anger and pressure, making her forehead break out in cold sweat.

“Keep looking.”

“Yes, sir.”

Gu Yan relaxed his imposing aura and opened the car door.

Cha Cha blinked and touched her stomach softly, whispering, “Uncle, can we go eat? I’m hungry.”

***

Gu Yan had never cared much about what she called him, but for some reason, after finishing the registration, the word “Uncle” sounded particularly grating.

“Call me Daddy.”

“Huh?”

“I said,” Gu Yan took the small water bottle she carried on her back, holding it in his hand, “call me Daddy.”

…

Cha Cha knew that in this place, “Daddy” meant “Papa.”

The little one pursed her lips tightly, her small hands clenched.

Gu Yan waited a long time, but Cha Cha didn’t call him “Daddy,” and strangely, his heart felt a pang.

“Forget it, if you don’t want to call me that, you don’t have to.”

“I… it’s not that,” Cha Cha mumbled, “I’ve never called anyone Daddy before…”

Gu Yan’s heart skipped a beat. He recalled that Cha Cha had said in the hospital she had no family, and a tightness gripped his throat.

Lowering her head, Cha Cha hesitated at the corner of her mouth, then slowly spoke, “Dad…”

Gu Yan’s expression froze, surprise and confusion flickering across his face.

Cha Cha looked up at Gu Yan, her eyes clear and pure like a spring, and called out earnestly, “Daddy.”

She had arrived in this strange new world, gaining both a brother and a father of her own.

At this moment, all her unease and confusion vanished, and she smiled up at Gu Yan, revealing a mouthful of tiny teeth.

Gu Yan’s heart tightened sharply, as if transported back to when Gu Muyan first called him “Daddy,” touching a soft spot deep within.

His sister was lost long ago; he was raised by a nanny and had once yearned for parental care. But when his mother fell ill, she told him, “Why wasn’t it you who got lost back then?”

When he most needed his father, the old master had the nanny take him away.

From then on, he no longer craved familial affection—until his first child, Muyan, was born and called him “Daddy” for the first time, giving him a vulnerable spot.

Gu Yan gently stroked Cha Cha’s head, his eyes swirling with unspoken emotion.

No matter where she came from or what secrets she held, from today on, he would protect her for life.