With a click, the main door opened. From the inside, a small shadow slipped through the door and ran into the guest's arms.

“Grandma! Grandma!”

“Oh, my lovely Grandson. Come and give Grandma a hug.” Duan Yarong scooped up the scurrying child in her arms and lifted him off the ground.

Despite the fact that they had barely spent an afternoon together, the grandma and grandson got along swimmingly, as if they had known one another for years. So much so that Zhao Youlin got a little envious of the two's intimacy.

And because of that, Duan Yarong felt a connection with the child and had taken a liking to him.

Zhao Youlin was following Joy when she noticed the two hugging. “Hi Mom,” she said with a smile as her eyes softened.

She then looked up to see Zhao Shunrong standing behind Duan Yarong. She was suddenly at a loss for words and was not sure what to call him.

Duan Yarong seemed to sense Zhao Youlin's discomfort and gave her an odd look. “You just called me mom. Don't tell me you're not going to call him your dad?” She said, dissatisfied with Zhao Youlin's lack of response.

Zhao Youlin is very unaccustomed to the word 'Father'. She was an orphan, who had never known what her parents looked like.

Even after she was adopted, her family consisted of only a mother and no father. Her father, you could say, had never existed in her more than twenty years of living.

After rebirth, the owner of this body undoubtedly had a father, but she had never taken Zhao Shunrong seriously, for no apparent reason other than that he was unworthy.

That man abandoned his own daughter for his mistress and illegitimate son, and even went as far as to kill his wife for the woman. He is unfit to be her father in any way.

That reckless man should never have to fill that s.p.a.ce in her heart that had always been there, but now…

Zhao Youlin glanced at the towering, tough man in front of her, and the thought of having to call him that t.i.tle made her feel a little…

With the fact that Zhao Shunrong had spent so much time in the business world, he was able to recognize the conflict in Zhao Youlin's eyes. “It's alright, just call me Uncle, no need to push it,” he added after exchanging glances with Zhao Youlin for some time.

Zhao Youlin was a little startled when she looked straight into the man's eyes, and she was taken aback by the fact that she had found understanding in his eyes.

What is going on? This man's att.i.tude seemed to have changed compared to yesterday. Had Duan Yarong said anything to him the night before?

Anyway, Zhao Youlin was a little rattled by the acceptance this cold and stern-looking man had shown to her.

Unconsciously, she remembered the image she saw yesterday night when climbing the stairs, where two adults brought a child with them.

Perhaps, in order to become a family, one must sometimes let go of some things. Isn't it what it feels like to be a true family, is to trust one another, to tolerate one another, and to lean on one another?

After some thought, Zhao Youlin pursed her lips, finally faced Zhao Sunrong and softly called out. “Dad…”

Zhao Shunrong was also taken aback by this. Never in his forty-something years of living would expect someone to call him father. Moreover, when he thought he had made peace with that bit of truth, he suddenly had another daughter.

While it was Zhao Youlin's first time as a daughter, it was also Zhao Shunrong's first being a father, so he took his time only to respond with a single word. “Mm.”

Duan Yarong, who was watching from the sidelines the entire time, was trying hard not to laugh. While most people would not be able to pick up on anything from Zhao Shunrong's icy face, as his wife for over twenty years, how could she not notice the panic hidden beneath the cold façade Zhao Shunrong had put up?

“Alright, what are a bunch of people doing blocking the front door like this? We'll go in to chat,” Duan Yarong spoke up just in time to break the awkward tension between the two. Zhao Shunrong and Zhao Youlin both secretly sigh in relief.

As if she had awoken from a dream, Zhao Youlin immediately ushered the two into her house.

On the contrary, the few people felt the distance between them lessened as a result of the recent episode.

“Oh right, here's your bag, Youlin,” Duan Yarong said as she sat down with Joy in her arms. When she saw Zhao Youlin walking over with cups of tea, only she remembered her reason for coming and asked Zhao Shunrong to pa.s.s Zhao Youlin's bag over to her.

Bag? Zhao Youlin came to a halt for a moment, only then she remembered the bag she had left in Duan Yarong's room the day before.

She noticed Zhao Shunrong taking out a handbag from behind his back as she followed Duan Yarong's line of view. It was quite a strange sight to see Zhao Shunrong, a solemn man, carrying such a ladylike rose-colored handbag.

But you can tell Duan Yarong did it on purpose since she was secretly snickering as she looked at Zhao Shunrong, who was feeling a bit uneasy.

Zhao Youlin was surprised to see the n.o.ble and gracious woman's mischievous side, or, to put it another way, the couple's unique fun.

While Zhao Shunrong was handing the bag over to Duan Yarong, he noticed Zhao Youlin's subtle expression out of the corner of his eye, and he thought his role as the head of the family was being threatened. But unfortunately, the person who was tormenting him was his beloved wife, so he pretended not to notice as he could not do anything about it.

Zhao Youlin and Duan Yarong looked at each other and exchanged a smile. While moving to receive the bag from Duan Yarong, Zhao Youlin asked, “So, after I left yesterday…”

She had been a little rash yesterday. On one hand, it was because she wanted to defend her shortcomings, and on the other hand, because she was disgusted by the way her so-called cousin was looking at her.

Undeniably, Zhao Youlin was very tempted to just stab Zhao Yifei in the eyes at the time, but she knew Uncle Zhao was still seated at the gazebo.

Despite the fact that Uncle Zhao is only a housekeeper, he had worked for Master Zhao since he was young, and his prestige in the Zhao Family is comparable to Mr. Butler in the Mu Family.

Although he also served the other masters in the Zhao Family, he has always just followed Master Zhao's orders, and if Master Zhao inquired, he would disclose the truth without hesitation.

And if Sun Fengzi decided to look into it, it would just be a slap in the face for her.

However, there were too many people there yesterday, so even if she was the rational one, she was concerned it would cause Duan Yarong and Zhao Shunrong some trouble.

But Duan Yarong misheard the question as she a.s.sumed Zhao Youlin was afraid that they would misunderstand her because of the events from the day before. So she quickly comforted her and said, “After you left yesterday, Uncle Zhao had told us the whole story, so we know you fought with that crazy woman Sun Fengzi because of us. While I am happy that you stood up for us, you should be more careful next time.”

Speaking of this, Duan Yarong felt a lingering fear in her heart, but her gaze turned soft while she looked at Zhao Youlin. Then she said, “You're just a girl and with a child too, that Sun Fengzi thinks she has her birth parents to rely on, so that is why she does not look kindly upon me. Plus, with that temper of hers, she would go berserk and cut all links with the family! She also has a child that is trained in martial arts, so the next time you find yourself in a situation like this, don't try to confront them head-on, alright?”