Shocking! A three-year-old brings his aloof mother to their door.

Then came a suffocating silence.

Amidst the bustling crowds at the university gate, their trio stood out as particularly eye-catching.

Finally, Mo Ye steeled himself and broke the deadlock. He looked down at Tongtong in his arms, then at He Wanqing, his tone filled with uncertainty and a hint of expectation that he himself didn't realize: "About Tongtong...you..."

"Didn't you already know?" He Wanqing interrupted him, her voice still devoid of warmth, but upon closer listening, one could detect a complex weariness.

At this moment, Mo Ye felt a mix of emotions.

There was excitement at learning the truth, fear of the future, but more than anything, there was a strange, blood-related joy, like warm spring water, instantly flowing through my limbs and bones.

He Wanqing stopped looking at Mo Ye and focused her gaze back on Tongtong, her tone becoming more stern: "He Huantong, get down and come back with me. Have you grown wings? Daring to run off on your own?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Ye looked at He Wanqing in surprise, seemingly not expecting her to be so strict with the child.

He subconsciously looked down at Tongtong's soft, drooping face and couldn't help but gently poke it with his fingertip.

Tongtong pouted, looking aggrieved, and retorted, "Tongtong didn't run around! Tongtong found Daddy on her own~ You hid Daddy! Humph!"

Her little head was raised, with a childlike pride, but her voice lowered, carrying a barely perceptible sadness, "Tongtong isn't... a wild child without a father..."

The words "wild child" were like tiny needles, piercing the hearts of both Mo Ye and He Wanqing unexpectedly, causing a sharp pain.

A crack finally appeared on He Wanqing's cold mask, and a flash of pain and deep self-reproach quickly crossed her eyes.

She always thought that providing Tongtong with the best material life and meticulous care was enough, but she overlooked the child's sensitive inner world and her longing and confusion about the role of "father".

In the end, she still caused harm to her daughter.

Mo Ye's heart clenched even more, overwhelmed by a wave of guilt.

If he had... if he had checked afterward... wouldn't he have been able to avoid missing his daughter's first three years of growth?

He tightened his arms, holding Tongtong even closer, and rubbed his chin against the top of her soft hair. His voice was gentler and more firm than ever before: "Of course Tongtong isn't a wild child. It's Daddy's fault. Daddy will stay by Tongtong's side from now on, okay?"

"Really?" Tongtong's eyes lit up like stars, and she cupped Mo Ye's face in her little hands. "Yes, yes! Daddy, you can't lie!"

He Wanqing stood aside, watching her daughter laugh like a happy little sparrow in Mo Ye's arms. That carefree, cheerful look was a complete relaxation and dependence that she rarely saw.

Her heart felt as if it had been gently struck by something, and something as hard as ice seemed to be quietly melting.

She took a deep breath, opened the car door, and said in a calm tone, though less cold than before, "Mr. Mo, let's talk in the car."

"Okay, Miss He." Mo Ye picked up Tongtong and prepared to walk to the back seat.

Tongtong frowned at the polite but distant way the two addressed each other, and asked in her childish voice, "Daddy, why don't you call Mommy 'baby'? Mommy, don't you call Daddy 'darling'? That's how other people call their parents!"

Children's innocent words froze two adults instantly, their faces stiffening, and an awkward atmosphere filled the air.

He Wanqing's ears burned slightly, and she reached out and gently flicked Tongtong's forehead: "Don't talk nonsense."

"I'm not making this up!" Tongtong puffed out her cheeks, unconvinced. "That's how it's portrayed on TV!"

Looking at his daughter's innocent yet persistent appearance, Mo Ye's heart melted completely, and he couldn't help but smile, praising her as she said, "Our Tongtong knows so much."

Upon receiving her father's affirmation, Tongtong immediately puffed out her chin like a proud little peacock: "Of course!"

He Wanqing simply couldn't bear to watch this scene of "filial piety and parental love," so she took the lead and got into the driver's seat, closing the car door to block out the curious gazes from the outside world.

She took out her phone and sent a message to the anxious Zhou Yuanchao to let him know she was safe. Her fingertips tapped rapidly on the screen, trying to soothe the old housekeeper's guilty feelings.

Looking through the rearview mirror at the young man who had suddenly entered their lives in the back seat, and her daughter laughing carefree in his arms, she felt a mix of emotions.

Hopefully... this won't be a wrong decision.

On the way to Mo Ye's place, Tongtong became a little chatterbox, sticking to Mo Ye's side and asking "Daddy this" and "Daddy that" incessantly.

Mo Ye was very patient and responded to each question gently, occasionally amused by her whimsical questions.

He Wanqing drove quietly, with her daughter's chattering voice and Mo Ye's deep response in her ears.

She was somewhat surprised; although her daughter was usually lively, she had never seemed to be as... "noisy" as she was today.

What surprised her even more was that Mo Ye, who seemed to be a man of few words, could accept this "noisy" behavior so naturally, as if they had known each other for many years.

"Tongtong, what do you want to eat for lunch?" Mo Ye asked the little one in his arms.

He Wanqing also subconsciously slowed down the car, wanting to hear her daughter's choice.

Tongtong bit her fingernails and thought for a while, then looked at Mo Ye with bright, sparkling eyes: "Tongtong wants to eat Daddy's cooking!"

He Wanqing frowned slightly, about to politely decline this somewhat abrupt request, when she heard Mo Ye readily agree: "No problem."

"Yay! I want to go to Daddy's house!" Tongtong clapped her hands happily.

Mo Ye looked up and glanced at He Wanqing through the rearview mirror, his eyes questioning.

He Wanqing met his gaze in the mirror for a second, sighed softly, and nodded. Today, she had already broken too many rules for this daughter.

"Can you drive?" she asked.

"Yes, I will," Mo Ye replied.

He Wanqing pulled the car over to the side of the road, and the two switched places.

As soon as Mo Ye got out of the car, Tongtong followed him like a little tail, stretching out her little arms and looking at him expectantly.

Mo Ye understood immediately, bent down to pick her up, placed her in the passenger seat, and carefully fastened her seatbelt.

"Daddy, I want a kiss." Tongtong tilted her little face up and pointed to her cheek.

Mo Ye chuckled, obediently lowered his head, and gave her a quick kiss on her soft cheek.

Sitting in the back seat, He Wanqing watched this scene and couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly.

"Want a kiss?"