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

Bai Ru was still lying on the ground, and no one dared to help her up.

The sound of reporters' camera shutters and the chatter of onlookers mingled together, creating a headache.

A team of security personnel from the Duan Group arrived, but they all stood awkwardly to the side, unsure of what to do.

Reporters, elderly people, pregnant women—I dared not touch any of them.

That's not as simple as just losing your job—unless you don't want to stay in Tanzania anymore.

Duan Hetong walked down the steps, his coat was lifted up, and his assistant jogged behind him, holding an umbrella.

He strode into the rain, his leather shoes splashing through the puddles.

The reporters in the front row noticed him first and quickly handed him the microphone:

"Mr. Duan, is this your daughter?"

"She pushed over a pregnant woman. What is your response to that?"

"Do you know this pregnant woman?"

Duan Hetong's gaze swept lightly over the several cameras pointing at him, without directly getting angry or making any threats, seemingly not taking them seriously at all; finally, his gaze briefly lingered on the security captain's face.

The security captain received the order and, no longer hesitant, walked towards the few people still pushing forward, raising his hand to block the camera: "Alright, alright, stop filming, put the equipment away."

A social media influencer tried to back away but was stopped by another bodyguard.

"You can't—" Before she could finish speaking, her phone was snatched away.

But she simply deleted the photos from the album, turned off the phone, and returned it to him.

The live stream was interrupted, and the chat was filled with questions about what had happened.

Unfortunately, no one could answer that.

"Mr. Duan, are you trying to deprive the public of their right to know?" The reporter who first handed over the microphone persisted, "Or do you also feel ashamed to expose this kind of thing?"

A sudden silence fell over the surroundings, as everyone awaited the tyrant's fury.

Unexpectedly, Duan Hetong didn't even stop walking. Amidst the raindrops, his voice was cold: "This violates the privacy and portrait rights of our company's employees. Duan's reserves the right to sue."

Upon hearing this, everyone who was taking pictures everywhere with their phones froze.

The surrounding noise was suddenly silenced, a silence that was unsettling.

Wherever Duan Hetong went, the crowd seemed to be parted by an invisible hand, instinctively retreating and splitting into two sides.

Without needing any superfluous words, the tyrant's oppressive aura, emanating from his very bones, was enough to make everyone's body react before their brains.

The flashes, the shutter sounds, the chatter—all disappeared.

It's like pouring a bucket of water on a hot coal fire; it extinguishes everything.

Only the rain is still falling.

Duan Hetong's coat was damp at the hem, hanging heavily. He stopped and saw the crooked little mushroom-shaped umbrella.

I saw a helpless little bundle of milk standing alone beside the mushroom cap.

She wasn't even wearing shoes; her socks were soaked with mud, and her rabbit doll wasn't much better, its ears drooping listlessly.

Her little head was drooping.

The world's malicious judgment has been inflicted on a three-year-old child.

"Li Bao." Duan Hetong half-squatted down and called her name, his voice as soft as a feather, afraid of startling her.

Wen Li looked up in a daze.

She saw it; it was Baba. The Baba she had been searching for and longing for.

But now that Baba has really arrived, her first reaction wasn't to pounce on him; her little body actually shrank back slightly—

This is a stress response in a state of high fear.

The little dumpling's face was completely drained of color, and it was impossible to tell whether the water on her face was from rain or tears. She opened her mouth, and her voice was barely audible: "Baa baa... Pear Baby didn't... didn't do anything bad..."

The world before my eyes swayed, rain, lamplight, and the edge of an umbrella swirling into fragmented pieces.

"Li Bao didn't push it..."

Before she could finish speaking, she was pulled into a warm and generous embrace, along with her rabbit plushie.

Duan Hetong said in a low voice, "I know."

Wen Li raised her small face and stared at him blankly.

Those dark eyes, filled with fear and grievance, belatedly began to well up with tears.

She no longer needs to make futile defenses, rack her brains to prove herself, or worry that no one will believe her.

Baba believes in her, and that's enough.

Her body, which had been tense for so long, finally relaxed. She buried her face in Duan Hetong's neck, her small shoulders trembling, and hot tears streamed down her face.

"Beep beep..."

The baby's voice was so weak it was almost inaudible.

Having been caught in the rain and frightened, the heavy emotions accumulating in her young body overwhelmed her at the same time. After calling out that name, she remembered nothing.

The little body in his arms suddenly went limp, and Duan Hetong's expression changed. He caught Wen Li and touched her forehead.

It was terribly hot.

He took off his coat and wrapped the little girl up tightly, then took an umbrella from his assistant to shield her from the sun.

Duan Hetong picked up the baby and stood up, and countless cameras once again cautiously pointed at them.

A reporter planted by Zhou Huateng, still unwilling to give up, deliberately stirred up trouble: "Mr. Duan, are the lives of the rich precious, but the lives of ordinary people not? Are you just going to walk away like this without giving us an explanation today?"

With this label attached, the media, which had been intimidated, began to stir again.

Duan Hetong stopped in his tracks, raindrops dripping down his sharp jawline.

His attitude was indifferent, almost cold.

"The truth will come out eventually, and I look forward to the day when it is revealed. At that time, I hope you will still stand by your judgment today."

"The truth? What are you implying?"

"Do you mean someone is deliberately stirring things up behind the scenes?"

"Does this involve the Duan Group's business competitors?"

"Mr. Duan, please explain yourself clearly!"

Before the reporter could ask further questions, Duan Hetong had already looked away and instructed Pei Ji, who was standing beside him, "Drive to the hospital."

All the gossip was silenced by the bodyguards without a word.

It's still raining.

-

The noise was shut out by the car doors, and the world fell silent again.

The only sound in the carriage was the low hum of the air conditioner, and rainwater meandered across the windows.

The little dumpling was placed on the adult's lap. It was tiny, but its body temperature was so high that it was burning hot to the touch. Its cheeks were flushed with an abnormal redness, but its lips were pale. Even in its unconscious state, it was whimpering anxiously.

It was like a struggle in a nightmare, or like trying to grasp something.

Pei Ji glanced at the rearview mirror.

Duan Hetong held Wen Li tightly, his fingers wanting to tighten but restraining himself from hurting the child; he was clearly not in good condition.

If a bowstring is stretched to its limit, it may break at any time.

The adult took a deep breath, trying to control their emotions, and raised their hand, wiping the baby's forehead with their fingertips.

It was both to comfort her and to comfort myself through her.

Pei Ji sighed silently.

I heard from Brother Lin that since having a little princess, Brother Tong's bipolar disorder has been greatly alleviated.

While finding the antidote, Tong Ge also discovered a weakness in his once invincible self.

The Maybach accelerated through the rainy night, the streetlights trailing blurry streaks of light across the wet streets.

-

Tan City Children's Hospital.

The ward walls were painted a soft pink, and even the instruments were covered with cartoon stickers.

The rain outside hadn't stopped, but thankfully the double-glazed windows provided sufficient sound insulation.

After a whole night of fussing and turning, the baby's fever hadn't completely subsided, but she slept more soundly.

Duan Hetong sat in the accompanying chair, looking at her pale, translucent face in the dim light of the wall lamp.

He remembered the first night he brought her home.

The little guy was much thinner back then, and he also had a fever, looking like a dying stray cat.

At that time, he thought: raising a child is just one more mouth to feed, how much trouble could it be? The Duan family can certainly afford to raise him.

But he never expected that raising children would be so difficult.

She developed a fever in the middle of the night and kept calling for her mother, crying until her voice was hoarse.

I have nightmares about being locked in a dark room. When I wake up, I'm trembling all over and I shrink into the corner of the bed and refuse to come out.

When I first arrived, I always ate very quickly, afraid that I wouldn't have anything to eat next time;

She dared not ask for snacks, much less toys; she would always look at the adults' expressions before asking for anything from them.

The maid who had children in the house sighed and said that the little girl had suffered too much and needed to be raised slowly.

Duan Hetong tucked the blanket back in for Wen Li, which had slipped down a little.

He never considered himself a patient person. In business, he was always decisive and efficient; if someone didn't listen, he would replace them; if something didn't work, he would quit.

But he couldn't bring himself to be harsh with this child, making exceptions time and time again.

She had a slight sneezing and coughing, so he called the family doctor that very night;

He stayed with her all night because she was afraid to sleep with the lights off;

Since they eat quickly, I instructed the kitchen to prepare special children's meals, with small, frequent meals.

He was met with sarcastic remarks from a relative of the Duan family, and while he politely said "Don't make things difficult for the child," he turned around and stripped that relative of all their power in the group.

So he never imagined that raising a child would be so heart-wrenching.

When he was working overtime, she would sit on a small stool at the door of the study, quietly flipping through picture books by herself.

Occasionally, when I look up, I see half a small face peeking out from the crack in the door, with bright, sparkling eyes. I smile at him, then quickly retreat back inside.

When he returned from his business trip, she had already placed the slippers by the door and hid behind the entryway. He pretended not to find them, so she rushed out, pointing at the slippers: "Bang, bang, there they are!"

Duan Hetong suddenly remembered something, reached into his pocket, and touched a soft, small cube.

It's a strawberry gummy candy.

When he's in a bad mood, the little guy will give him a piece of candy and say earnestly, "Eat something sweet, and Baba will be happy."

She couldn't bear to eat such candy herself; she would keep it in her pocket for a whole day, and by the time she delivered it to him, it would have almost melted.

Duan Hetong lived for thirty years, and even his own father said he was as hard-hearted as a stone.

He had no idea that he could be soothed by a piece of candy.

Even if they are one's own children, they are no different.

Besides, what does it matter if they're related by blood? This little guy was handpicked by him; he's a gift from fate.

If he knew what Pei Ji was thinking, he would definitely retort: ​​Wen Li is not only the antidote and the Achilles' heel, but also the Achilles' heel and the armor.

This is his daughter.

Duan Hetong bent down and wrapped the child's small hand, which was sticking out of the blanket, into his palm.

Therefore, he would protect her completely under his wings, ensuring she would never suffer from any more wind or rain.

No one will do.