Mommy, don't be afraid, I'll bring you blind boxes and scam you out of a wealthy family to

Duan Hetong's penthouse apartment in the city center was the second time Wen Li had visited.

The last time was when Duan Shimi brought her to deliver something. The little girl was lying on the French windows looking out. The sky seemed so close, as if she could reach out and grab the clouds and put them in her mouth to turn them into cotton candy.

Today the adults are meeting with friends, and the little ones don't want to be separated from their dad for a moment, so they come along too.

The apartment was quiet, with only the slight hum of the central air conditioning. Duan Hetong was reading documents on the sofa, while Wen Li sat on the carpet playing with a jigsaw puzzle.

Ding dong.

Doorbell rang.

Wen Li raised her hand high: "Li Bao, go open it!"

After receiving permission, the little dumpling ran to open the door.

The doorknob was high, but that didn't stop the clever little girl. She moved over a low stool for changing shoes, climbed up, and used both hands to open the door.

There was a strange man outside.

Wen Li was still standing on the stool, looking at him with a probing gaze, and being looked at with the same probing gaze.

The man was wearing an oversized gray hoodie, the hood pulled low, covering most of his face. His thin lips were pressed into a straight line, and he had no expression.

In Xiao Wenli's memory, Baba's friends were either like Baba, dressed in suits and ties, dignified and aloof; or like Uncle Xie Lin, dressed fashionably and dashing.

In short, they are all elegant and mature men.

But this one isn't.

He's more like... a rebellious teenager who just skipped school.

Wen Li was a little scared and wanted to hide behind the small stool, but the stool was too small to cover her.

So she jumped down, ran behind the door, thinking she was well hidden now, and then quietly peeked out half of her face.

"Who are you looking for?" the milk dumpling asked softly.

The man looked down at her, his eyes hidden by the hood, dark and deep, like black holes.

Wen Li felt uneasy under his gaze and was about to ask Baba for help when the man suddenly took off his backpack and pulled out an iPad mini.

It has clearly been modified, with rounded edges, an added shock-resistant layer, and a smiling Samoyed painted on the back panel.

"Hmm." He didn't even say "Here you go," but instead, with a vague interjection, he shoved the iPad into Wen Li's hand.

Wen Li is a very well-mannered child and doesn't accept gifts from strangers. Although she really liked the cute puppy pattern, she shook her head and said, "Li Bao doesn't know you."

"I know Brother Tong." The man's wording was extremely concise.

Brother Tong...

Wen Li thought for a moment and realized that most people called Baba "President Duan" or "Master Tong," and only Uncle Xie Lin used the casual title "Brother Tong."

So, does this hooded uncle also know Uncle Xie Lin?

The little dumpling was still hesitating when his guardian's voice came from behind him: "Li Bao, let him in."

She obediently stepped aside (though her tiny size wouldn't have blocked much), and the man changed his shoes and came in. As he passed by her, he placed the iPad on the small stool: "Take this and play with it."

Duan Hetong raised an eyebrow: "There are plenty at home."

"It's different." A man would rather say one less word than expand a sentence.

Duan Hetong guessed that he had installed some apps suitable for children of this age, and called to the little dumpling who was still standing in the entryway: "This is a gift from Uncle Pei Ji to you, please accept it."

The little dumpling ran over, hugged Baba's leg, and said shyly, "Thank you, Uncle..."

Unexpectedly, Pei Ji suddenly squatted down, meeting her gaze at the same level, and stated in a flat tone: "You are Li Bao."

The milk ball nodded blankly.

From this angle, you can see Pei Ji's appearance. He's completely different from the eccentric person you imagined. He has a very handsome face and looks like he just graduated from university.

Who would have thought that this is the youngest tech company CEO in Tan City, with a net worth of over a billion; a genius geek on the surface, but a dark web emperor in secret, holding all the secrets of the internet.

Pei Ji said expressionlessly, "Just like Brother Lin said, the little princess is indeed very cute."

The milk ball blinked.

Is he praising himself?

Duan Hetong said with a sigh, "You know, when you're praising someone, you can add some facial expressions, like a smile, so it doesn't sound like you're trying to scam them."

Pei Ji forced a smile: "Is that so?"

Duan Hetong: "...You'd better stop laughing."

His smile certainly doesn't make him look like a kidnapper.

Like the Big Bad Wolf.

-

Little Wenli took her iPad and went back to the living room to play.

The adults went to the study.

Pei Ji spoke as if reading an instruction manual, his tone completely flat.

Wen Guoliang and Chen Xiulan are locals from Tanshi. They had a son when they first got married, but he died at the age of three.

"According to the neighbors, they suddenly brought home another daughter, who is the little princess's mother."

Duan Hetong tapped the armrest, signaling him to continue.

"If the registered ages are accurate, then the couple was already in their late forties when the little princess's mother was born."

"Having had a child late in life and experienced the pain of losing another child, one would expect the mother to love the child very much."

"But they haven't paid as much attention to their daughter as they have to their son-in-law."

Pei Ji paused for a moment: "After the little princess's mother was in a car accident, they almost never went to the hospital on their own initiative—the last time, someone had to 'remind' them."

Duan Hetong's eyes darkened: "Zhou Huateng?"

"It's him," Pei Ji said. "In conclusion, I don't believe the little princess's mother is their biological daughter, but I haven't found any formal adoption paperwork."

Let's get to the conclusion.

"I highly suspect human trafficking." Pei Ji's tone remained unchanged. "Wen Guoliang and Chen Xiulan's economic situation isn't bad, but their thinking is conservative and backward. I speculate that they may have initially bought this girl to be a child bride for their own son."

Duan Hetong frowned, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.

"Keep investigating," he said in a deep voice. "Be quick. If you need any paperwork, I'll get someone to give you the green light."

If Wen and Chen raise objections regarding blood ties, the Duan family's adoption process will be stalled.

But as long as we can obtain irrefutable evidence of their human trafficking back then, this parent-child relationship is fundamentally a crime, and the so-called objections will naturally become worthless.

Investigation and evidence collection take time, and he can wait.

He was afraid the little guy would get anxious.

Pei Ji nodded.

Duan Hetong pinched the bridge of his nose: "Let's leave it at that for now. What would you like to drink? Did you drive? I should have some left..."

"Cola," Pei Ji said.

Duan Hetong: "...My family doesn't have such a thing."

Pei Ji pursed his lips and went to look in the refrigerator himself.

As I passed through the living room, I saw Naituan playing with his gift. It was small and delicate in his own hands, but Naituan had to hold it with both hands to put it down.

"Is it fun?" he asked abruptly.

Wen Li was startled, turned around and saw that it was the new uncle. Without any guard up, she gave him a sweet smile: "Fun~!"

Pei Ji looked at her smile, but remained expressionless: "There's something even more fun, want to play?"

Wen Li was full of anticipation, thinking that Pei Ji was going to bring something else.

Suddenly, both feet left the ground—

Pei Ji lifted her high up; she didn't look very muscular, but her arms were surprisingly steady.

The little dumpling gasped in surprise, almost thinking it was about to hit the light on its head.

Soon, the fear of weightlessness turned into the excitement of play, and the little dumpling flapped her arms, shouting, "Wow—Pear Baby, fly high!"

Pei Ji kept his eyes on her, checking on her condition.

They played for a while before slowly putting it down.

The little boy's face flushed with excitement, and the initial awkwardness of their first meeting vanished. He reached out and took her hand, saying, "Uncle, Pear Baby wants to fly again!"

The hands of a stay-at-home guy with limited exercise get sore.

But Pei Ji didn't show it; she just silently looked at her son's father.

Duan Hetong leaned against the door frame and shrugged: "I came up with this idea, so I'll play with the little princess until she's had her fill, even if I have to kneel down."

Pei Ji gritted his teeth and lifted Wen Li up again.

This time, Wen Li wasn't afraid at all. She opened her arms wide and giggled, "Uncle, you're so strong!"

For this praise, Pei Ji thought, even if he couldn't lift his arm tomorrow morning, it would be worth it.

Duan Hetong watched for a while, then came over and took Wen Li from Pei Ji's hands: "Alright, Uncle should go now."

Wen Li wasn't quite done enjoying herself, but she still obediently waved her little hand and said in a clear, crisp voice, "Goodbye, Uncle!"

Pei Ji: "...I'm not leaving."

Duan Hetong: "You have something else to do?"

Pei Ji: "..."

This person was neither showing consideration for his physical exhaustion nor in a hurry to urge him to do something in such a short time.

It's because they can't stand seeing their daughter clinging to other people, right?

How could there be such a childish old father?

-

Before Pei Ji even reached the door, Duan Xianchen called.

He didn't call Duan Hetong "brother" as he would at home, but instead addressed him as "President Duan" in a proper manner.

This means it's official business.

"President Duan, Wen Guoliang and Chen Xiulan have brought a group of people who are causing trouble downstairs at the company headquarters, holding large banners and obstructing employees' access. They've also caused traffic congestion in the vicinity. Do you want to handle this personally?"

Duan Hetong sneered: "Let them make a scene. I'm coming over now."

He hung up the phone and saw that Wen Li was pretending to be playing on her iPad, but she kept glancing at him.

"Uncle Pei and I are going out for a bit. You and the housekeeper watch the house, okay?"

Wen Li had been observing the adults' expressions, and upon hearing this, a sense of panic about being abandoned surged within her.

Of course she wanted to go, but her father was very serious. A well-behaved child shouldn't cause trouble.

She hugged the iPad tightly, lowering her eyelashes: "Baba, come back soon."

"Okay." Duan Hetong ruffled her long hair, picked up his coat, and strode away.

Pei Ji followed behind, trying to imitate Duan Hetong's movements, but only awkwardly and clumsily pressed down on the top of the milk dumpling's head.

The door closed.

The nanny went to the kitchen to heat up milk. Wen Li put down her iPad, walked to the French windows, and looked outside.

The sweet, fluffy cotton candy cloud that was within reach has turned into a sesame flavor.

It is going to rain.