I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

Shu Zi immediately pretended to be clueless, her eyes darting around, looking left and right, but she didn't say a word.

Lin Xueting glanced at her daughter, who was starting to act like a quail, and said gently, "Nuonuo knows what she's doing, so don't worry about it so much."

Seeing that his wife had spoken, Shu Baizhou had no choice but to swallow back his words and shut his mouth in a huff.

After a few seconds, Shu Baizhou's expression turned serious again, bearing the dignified air of someone long accustomed to a high position.

"However, that bastard and the channel through which he leaked your information must be thoroughly investigated and severely punished! I have already instructed the legal department and security department to follow up with the full force, and Gu Yan's side should be making moves as well."

"Don't worry, Dad won't let anyone bully my daughter for nothing."

These words were spoken calmly and forcefully, carrying an absolute sense of protectiveness and confidence.

Shu Zi's lingering grievances and fears were suddenly and firmly supported by this powerful sense of security.

She knew that her father still loved her.

She gave a soft "hmm," her voice softening.

As night deepens, the city lights begin to illuminate the night.

After taking a shower and changing into her pajamas, Shuzi sank into her own bed. The quilt had a familiar, comforting, and faint fragrance that she often used at home.

In this absolutely safe environment, Shu Zi completely relaxed and fell asleep not long after.

On the other side, Shu Bozhou and Lin Xueting's rooms were different.

Shu Baizhou sat down on the sofa, his face long and drawn, as if someone owed him millions.

Lin Xueting glanced at him and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "What, you still don't like Ayan?"

Shu Baizhou remained defiant, snorted, and turned away without saying a word.

"Your daughter is so grown up now, don't you know what's wrong with Ayan?"

Shu Baizhou opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single defiant word for a long time, looking like he was saying, "I'm just unhappy, but I won't say it."

Lin Xueting directly exposed him:

"Stop pretending. I know everything. Two years ago, didn't you call Gu Yan over, give him a good talking-to, and he immediately went abroad to study?"

Shu Baizhou stiffened, his gaze instantly drifting away.

"Only Nuonuo doesn't know about this. Don't forget, Nuonuo hid in her room and cried for several days. Her eyes were swollen like walnuts."

Lin Xueting crossed his arms and slowly added insult to injury, "If your precious daughter finds out about this, the culprit who drove Ayan away back then is her own father..."

Lin Xueting deliberately dragged out his words:

"Believe it or not, your little darling will turn into a little hedgehog on the spot, and won't call you 'Dad' for at least a month, no, for two months, and won't even reply to your WeChat messages."

Shu Baizhou immediately broke down, his face turning pale and then flushed, muttering under his breath:

"I...I was just worried she'd get taken advantage of..."

Lin Xueting burst out laughing: "From childhood to adulthood, when has Ayan never revolved around your daughter? And you're still here being a stubborn old man trying to break up a loving couple?"

Shu Baizhou was rendered speechless by the retort: ​​"I didn't do that... for Nuonuo, okay?"

Looking at his outwardly strong but inwardly weak appearance, Lin Xueting couldn't help but reach out and gently poke his forehead:

"Come on, for your daughter's sake? Gu Yan has returned to China to develop his career, and his business is more stable than anyone else's. Besides, look at how he treats Nuonuo; he's always there for her whenever she calls, spoiling her rotten."

"You're fine, you're back now, but you're still holding back this temper. If you really piss off your Nuonuo, she might really move out, and then you won't even have a place to bring her soup."

Upon hearing this, Shu Baizhou's ears perked up instantly: "She...she dares?"

Lin Xueting raised an eyebrow, slowly picked up her water glass, took a sip, and calmly said:

"You try it. If she really gets angry, she can use her charm and sweet talk to bully you, not to mention you, even I will have to help her bully you."

"When the time comes, you'll be the father; you can't really hold a grudge against your daughter, can you?"

She put down her water glass, leaned closer to him, and spoke with a hint of teasing:

"Besides, you were the one who pushed him away in the first place. Now he's even more outstanding than before, and you're still playing the role of a father-in-law making things difficult for his son-in-law. Aren't you tired of it?"

Shu Baizhou's face alternated between pale and flushed. After struggling for a long time, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth:

"...I just feel uncomfortable because that kid is too close to my daughter."

Lin Xueting was too lazy to argue with him anymore. She turned around and walked to the bed, casually saying, "Then you can continue to feel uncomfortable. I'm going to sleep. If you disturb me, go sleep elsewhere."

When Shu Baizhou saw that his wife was really ignoring him, he panicked and tiptoed after her, his voice barely audible.

"I...I didn't...I was just reminding you."

Lin Xueting lifted the covers and lay down, not even lifting her eyelids:

"Whom should we remind? Gu Yan, or ourselves?"

Shu Baizhou pursed his lips and stood by the bed for a long time before finally huddling onto the bed with a pitiful expression. He lay down with his back to his wife, muttering to himself:

"I've raised my little darling for so many years, and now someone else is about to take her away without me even noticing... I'm really upset about it."

Lin Xueting: "..."

Hopeless.

The next morning, Shu Zi was once again woken up by the sunlight. She frowned, buried her face deeper into the soft pillow, and let out a dissatisfied grumble.

She lingered for several more minutes before slowly opening her eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling for a while, before finally waking up completely.

She reached for her phone and turned on the screen.

10:30 a.m.

There were several unread messages on WeChat. The top one was from a small group chat called "Plastic Sisters," where Fang Ran was complaining about being bored.

Shu Zi smiled and opened another chat window.

A certain scoundrel surnamed Gu: "Let me know when you're awake."

Sending time: 7:05 AM.

Does this person never sleep in?

She tapped and clicked on the screen with her finger:

"squeak."

"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

Messages are replied to almost instantly.

A certain Mr. Gu, a despicable person, asked: "Are we shooting for a magazine this afternoon?"

Shu Zi blinked. How could he remember it so clearly?

She replied:

"Yes, but Sister Wen told me there's a dinner party tonight."

A certain Mr. Gu, a despicable person, said: "Send me your address, I'll pick you up when it's over."

A little girl said, "Okay."

She tossed her phone aside, stretched lazily, reluctantly got out of bed to wash up, and then—

She shrank back to bed and lay down.

I'm just too lazy to move!

She had only lain down for a short while when Lin Xueting's gentle voice came from outside the door, accompanied by a very light knock, "Nuonuo, are you awake?"

"Awake, Mom!" Shu Zi called out, throwing off the covers and getting out of bed.

Lin Xueting was wearing casual clothes, her hair loosely tied up.

She came in carrying a tray with warm honey water, a few refreshing snacks, and cut fruit.

"Drink some water first to soothe your throat."

She sat down by the bed, handed Shuzi some honey water, and carefully looked at her face. "Did you sleep well? You look much better than yesterday."

"Yeah, I slept soundly until dawn, and didn't dream about anything."

Shu Zi held the cup and sipped the water. The temperature and sweetness were just right, and the warmth spread from her throat to her stomach. She closed her eyes comfortably.

"That's good."

Lin Xueting breathed a sigh of relief, picked up her silver fork, and fed a piece of honeydew melon to her lips. "What are your plans for today? Do you have work again?"

Shu Zi nodded, chewing on a melon as she mumbled:

"I have a magazine photoshoot this afternoon, for the inside pages of a top-tier magazine. Tonight, Sister Wen has arranged to have dinner with a director to discuss a new script."

Lin Xueting smiled and patted Shu Zi's head, saying:

"Our Nuonuo is getting busier and busier. Filming in the afternoon is tiring, and dinner parties in the evening are also exhausting. Mom asked the kitchen to make something light and nutritious for lunch. You should eat and rest for a while. I'll have Uncle Liu take you to the company, okay?"

Shu Zi nodded obediently: "Okay."