My brother entrusted his child to me, and I livestreamed raising the baby, making the Empress cry wi

The underfloor heating inside the house silently radiated warmth, effectively keeping out the winter chill.

A thin layer of mist condensed on the glass of the floor-to-ceiling windows, blurring the horizon outside.

A few office buildings in the distance still had scattered lights on, shining lonely in the night sky.

Little Douzi blinked, still clutching a blue building block in her hand, and tilted her head as she thought seriously.

The tuft of hair on her head tilted slightly to the left as she moved, forming a small question mark, as if expressing her confusion.

"To be an emperor?" she repeated, then, as if finding a point of reference, looked up at Lin Ye and asked, "Like the Empress Dowager?"

Now, when people talk about the Empress Dowager and think of Shu Jingwei, Xiao Douzi doesn't feel anything anymore; it's just a title.

This title, which once filled her with anticipation but ultimately brought her only sorrow, is now like a thin sheet of paper, easily flipped over and gone without leaving a trace.

Lin Ye nodded: "Yes, just like her, Xiao Douzi is her replacement—"

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Douzi's face to make sure she wasn't affected by the situation, nor was she curious about why she was being replaced or where the original had gone.

Then he continued: "To replace her as the emperor of that country."

Little Douzi pressed the blue building block in his hand into the slot with a soft click. He asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why do I want to be an emperor? It seems like a lot of people like being an emperor..."

When she said this, there was no longing or rejection in her tone, only pure curiosity.

In her mind, the emperor was probably similar to a kindergarten director or school principal—both were people who managed a large area and a large number of people, only the area was larger and the number of people they managed was even greater.

Lin Ye thought for a moment and decided to explain the emperor's power in a way she could understand:

"Perhaps it's because becoming emperor means everyone has to listen to him. The emperor is the most powerful person in the country, and everyone has to obey his words..."

Lin Ye paused for a moment, then added:

"It's like the principal of Golden Sun Kindergarten is the highest authority in the kindergarten; the children and teachers all have to listen to the principal. The emperor is the 'principal' of the entire country."

What he didn't say was that the emperor could do far more for people than the dean, such as deciding a person's life or death...

However, there's no need to tell Xiaodouzi these things now. She'll understand when she's older, learns about history and emperors.

Little Douzi nodded as if he understood but not quite.

Then she looked at Lin Ye, her eyes clear and bright, like a small patch of starry sky held in the warm yellow light:

"Does Godfather want Little Douzi to be emperor? Little Douzi will listen to Godfather!"

Lin Ye looked into those eyes that were staring at him so openly, and his heart softened. He spoke earnestly and cautiously:

"Godfather thinks Little Douzi should give it a try. After all, that's the country that Little Douzi's father built up, so it's the most suitable for Little Douzi."

He originally intended to stop there, but after a moment's thought, he decided to tell her about another consideration.

Lin Ye paused for a moment, and the wind outside the window suddenly picked up, whistling past the glass with a low, mournful sound.

His tone softened further:

"Besides, if something happens to Godfather here in the future, and Little Douzi is the emperor over there, he won't be bullied."

Little Douzi panicked instantly. The building blocks in her hand fell to the carpet with a thud, bounced twice, and rolled to the side of the carousel base.

She suddenly leaned forward, grabbing Lin Ye's hands with both of hers, her ten fingers clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

She looked up at him anxiously, her eyes instantly reddening, and asked in a panic, "What accident? Godfather, what happened to you?"

The voice was a whole tone higher, even a bit shrill, and the end of the note was trembling.

Helpless, Lin Ye quickly put down the building blocks in his hand and took her little hand in his.

Her two little hands were warm just now, but now, perhaps because of the fright, her fingertips had become icy cold. The chill that came from her fingertips made Lin Ye's heart clench.

He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, softening his voice, his tone both reassuring and self-reproachful: "No, no, Godfather is perfectly fine!"

"Look, your godfather is right here, and nothing's wrong. It's just a hypothetical situation, not a real one!"

Lin Ye raised his other hand and gently rubbed his finger on the tear that hadn't yet fallen from the corner of her eye, his fingertip feeling slightly cool and damp.

"I'm sorry, Godfather shouldn't have made those assumptions. You scared Little Douzi."

Xiao Douzi sniffed and held back her tears.

She looked him up and down very carefully—

From the fact that his face showed no signs of illness, to the fact that he was steadily supporting himself with his large hands, and then to the fact that he was sitting cross-legged and upright as usual.

Once he was sure he was alright, Little Douzi finally let out a long sigh of relief, his little chest heaving slightly. He said with a hint of reproach:

"Why did Godfather curse himself! You mustn't say things like that again! Godfather will always be alright, always! Always alright!"

His tone carried a hint of complaint and lingering fear, but also a great deal of seriousness.

Lin Ye lowered his eyes and smiled, feeling a warm sensation slowly spreading from his chest along his blood vessels to his limbs, which softened his heart.

He reached out and tucked a few stray hairs that had fallen in her haste behind her ear, his voice still deep and gentle, but with a touch more seriousness:

"Okay, Godfather will listen to Little Douzi! I'll never say such things again. Godfather will take good care of Little Douzi and watch her grow up."

Xiao Douzi hummed in agreement, wiped the last trace of moisture from the corner of her eye with the back of her hand, sat up straight again, picked up the building block that had fallen to the ground, and put it back together.

Then she looked up, her eyes still red, but the light in her pupils had become firm and bright again, like stars that had been watered by rain.

She said firmly, "That little guy is going to be emperor!"

This time it was Lin Ye's turn to be puzzled.

Just now she was full of curiosity and doubt about "becoming emperor", how come she suddenly became so determined?

He raised an eyebrow slightly, his lips moved, and he was just about to ask a question—

Unexpectedly, Xiao Douzi continued, "That way, Xiao Douzi can support and protect her godfather from now on!"

Her small face wore a solemn expression, and her tone was resolute, as if she were reading a declaration.

Since the emperor is the supreme ruler and everyone must obey him, the emperor can protect those he wants to protect.

The person she most wanted to protect was her godfather!

Lin Ye was immediately startled.

The building block in his hand had somehow ended up on the carpet; he didn't even realize he had let go of it.

The sound of the building blocks falling was mostly swallowed up by the soft carpet, leaving only a soft "thud".

The wind outside the window picked up again, howling and whistling past the French windows.

The fog on the glass thinned a bit as the wind blew it away, but more snow fell on it, melting into water droplets that trickled down.

Through the mist, you can vaguely see the flowing ribbons of light on the distant overpass, like the city's glowing veins.