011 Grandpa, you’re about to die.

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Butler Liu felt deeply gratified—this little girl truly had her heart set entirely on Shen Zhihan. If Shen Zhihan knew, he would surely be delighted. He immediately sent Shen Zhihan a message: [Sir, the little miss is awake and eating taro ball sago. She’s thinking of you and wanted to save the first bite for you.] Attached was an adorable photo of An An.

Originally planning to head to the company, Shen Zhihan’s heart softened upon seeing the picture, and he instructed the driver to turn around: “Return to Ming’an Villa.” Little An An was truly clingy.

After finishing her dessert, An An wanted to play in the garden. “Butler Grandpa, may I go outside to play?” “Yes, go ahead. I’ll have Xiaolan accompany you.” The maid Xiaolan followed closely behind An An.

An An wandered about the garden, sometimes crouching down as if chatting with ants, nodding earnestly as if in conversation. Then she waved to the birds in the trees, her smile radiantly bright.

After a while, An An spotted a nearby lake. Fish leaped from the water, their scales gleaming dazzlingly in the sunlight. She heard the teasing voices of the fish in her ear: “Come catch me! Oh, there’s a little one! You can’t catch me, can’t catch me! If you catch me, I’ll call you ‘Big Boss.’”

“Big Boss?” Who told them to call her that? She was the precious little darling!

True to her childlike nature, once in a safe environment, An An’s innate cuteness blossomed. She immediately ran toward the lake.

Xiaolan, upon seeing the figure by the lake, was startled and reached to pull An An back, but a black-clad bodyguard blocked her. Xiaolan could only watch helplessly as An An ran farther away, drawing ever closer to the old demon.

As An An ran, she suddenly noticed an elderly man seated in a wheelchair. Distracted, she tripped and fell right at his feet.

Hearing the noise, the old master Shen looked over.

The old man and the little girl locked eyes—like a turtle glaring at a green bean.

An An smiled awkwardly at the old master; as long as she wasn’t embarrassed, others could be.

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Without assistance, An An quickly got to her feet. “Grandpa, I’m wishing you a Happy New Year.”

She had seen in her village that young ones greet elders during the New Year.

The old master glanced around.

Ming’an Villa consisted of three standalone villas—one for himself, one for Shen Zhihan, and one for the servants.

Whose child had wandered in? It wasn’t even a holiday. Where had this little fool come from?

The old master cast a disdainful look at An An. “Little fool, it’s not New Year’s. Even if you wish me a Happy New Year, I have no red envelope for you.”

An An was unfazed and sat on the grass beside him, mimicking his posture. “I’m not a little fool. I am An An. It’s fine if you don’t give me one—I have a father, and he will give me red envelopes.”

The old master noticed this tiny girl, only two or three years old, but her speech was clear and coherent. Although her voice was soft and childlike, it didn’t hinder communication.

Suddenly interested, he asked, “Oh? Who is your father?”

An An abruptly stood up, leaning toward him and clutching the edge of his wheelchair, looking at him intently.

Her pretty little face held no smile; her brow furrowed tightly, her lips pressed together as if exerting all her strength.

She gazed at the old master as if counting every wrinkle on his face.

“Are you poisoned?” / “Who hit you?”

The old master’s gaze fell on a scar on An An’s arm—her skin was fair and delicate, making the mark stand out.

Both spoke almost simultaneously.

An An waved her hand dismissively. Though tiny, she spoke like a little adult. “Ah, that’s not important. What matters is that Grandpa, you’re going to die soon. Hanhan died earlier, and now are you going to die too? When you die, you’ll lie there motionless like Grandma Oriole. Or like Big Huang, who dug his own grave and just lay down. Grandpa, do you want to die? If you don’t want to, please listen to me, okay?”

The old master frowned. This little girl was odd, though so adorable. Her words were strange.

He scowled. “Who wants to die? And you say Hanhan is going to die? Who is Hanhan? Who hit you? Why won’t you answer me?”

An An sighed, lowering her head, seeming troubled. “Grandpa, you ask too many questions, I don’t know which to answer first. Hanhan is my dad! Silly! The bad aunt who hit me won’t hit me anymore, so it’s not important.”

“Who exactly is your father? Such an unreliable one! If I see him, I won’t let it go!” The old master was furious.

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Seeing An An’s wounds, he thought of Shen Zhihan.

When Shen Zhihan was brought back at age twelve, he too was covered in injuries, like a wild cub, ready to bite anyone who came near, with a terrible temper!

No wonder the little girl was so strange—she had probably endured much abuse.

“Old man, who do you want to deal with?” came Shen Zhihan’s casual voice from behind.

An An turned around joyfully and ran toward Shen Zhihan. “Daddy, you’re back!”

A child’s affection was pure and swift. Though they had known each other less than two days, An An had already accepted him. The warmth between them felt as if she had been his child since birth.

Before returning, Shen Zhihan had changed his clothes.

Hearing from the butler that An An had gone to the garden to play, something must have crossed his mind, for his expression shifted sharply, and he strode over. Still, he could not avoid the awkward encounter between the old man and the little girl.

The old master almost doubted his ears and dared not believe his eyes.

The formerly sullen Shen Zhihan, who looked as if he’d come from the underworld and always wore a scowl as if owed a fortune, now held the soft, fragrant little darling tenderly in his arms, his face showing a softness he had never displayed before.

“Mm, I’m back. An An, have you been naughty today?”

“No, Daddy, I’ve been very good.”

“An An doesn’t need to be good; just be yourself. You can be naughty too.”

“All right, Daddy, I understand.”

In Shen Zhihan’s arms, An An noticed the old master secretly watching them. She cooed, “Grandpa, are you jealous that I have a daddy? I can generously lend you my daddy to hold. Daddy, can you carry Grandpa? Do you want to hold him? He’s about to die, and he looks so pitiful.”

Hearing this, both Shen Zhihan and the old master stiffened, exchanging a glance before turning away in mutual disdain.

The old master snorted coldly—if a child is unruly, the fault lies with the father.

He wouldn’t be angry with An An, but he could be angry with Shen Zhihan.

“You said you were going to die, so why not? And you went and took someone else’s daughter back? Aren’t you afraid someone will call the police?”

An An hugged Shen Zhihan tightly and earnestly defended, “No, no, it wasn’t Daddy who took me. An An found Daddy. An An is Daddy’s daughter.”