022 Taking An'an to the Office

Shen Zhihan and Elder Shen were both taken aback, and then the elder began to wipe away his tears.

He had already had someone look into An'an’s background. Lin Aifang had taken her in but had never treated her well. Even when she could barely walk steadily, she was already tasked with chores she could manage—feeding the chickens and ducks, cutting pigweed, and the like.

An'an’s world had been tiny. When Shen Zhihan brought her back to Haicheng, it had consisted only of Lin Aifang’s verbal and physical abuse and the small, obscure village of Pear Blossom.

Butler Liu couldn't help but wipe his own eyes as well. There were so many obvious, common things An'an knew nothing about. Before, she hadn't even known what afternoon tea was, and now, she didn't understand what it meant to go to work.

Shen Zhihan patiently explained to her, "Going to work is what adults do. It’s something we do to have a better life, creating value with our own abilities in exchange for proper compensation."

An'an looked half-confused. "Oh, and what is 'revenge' (re-chou)? Why would you get 'revenge' after creating value?"

Shen Zhihan was caught between laughter and tears. He took a pen and paper and wrote down the two distinct characters for "revenge" (chou) and "compensation" (chou).

"This character is 'compensation'—it’s tied to money. Once you have money, you can buy the things you want."

An'an was delighted. "Daddy, then I want to go to work and earn money, too! I’ll earn money to take care of you."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh. Seeing Elder Shen shedding tears, An'an quickly climbed out of Shen Zhihan’s arms and took the initiative to wipe the old man's face. "Great-Grandpa, why are you crying? Don't cry, don't cry, An'an is doing just fine."

Shen Zhihan glared at Elder Shen. "If you keep that mournful look on your face, I’m sending you back."

Elder Shen was so angry his mustache twitched. "You unfilial son! Is this how you show me respect? You wouldn't dare!"

"Just watch me."

No sooner had Shen Zhihan spoken than An'an glared at him. "Daddy, it’s not nice to bully Great-Grandpa. He’s about to cry. If he cries while holding Great-Grandma’s photo tonight to tell on you, she’ll be sad too, won't she?"

Elder Shen’s face flushed red. Could they please stop bringing up the fact that he cried while holding his late wife’s photo?

Shen Zhihan took An'an’s hand and headed out. Elder Shen, stuck in his wheelchair, could only look on with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

"Grandpa, just watch from here," Shen Zhihan commanded. "Envious? If you’re envious, take your medicine properly and get better sooner."

An'an added in her little-adult voice, "Great-Grandpa, don't secretly pour your medicine away! If you don't take it properly, you won't get better."

Elder Shen finally realized who the little traitor was—it had been An'an all along. However, he couldn't quite figure out how she had known.

An'an turned back to look at Elder Shen, looking a bit hesitant. "Daddy, should we take Grandpa to work with us?"

Shen Zhihan refused without a second thought. "Let him stay home and recover. He’s very naughty; if I take him to the office and lose sight of him, what if he wanders off?"

Elder Shen shouted in indignation, "What are you talking about? Shen Zhihan, you unfilial grandson!"

Elder Shen’s voice was a bit too loud, and An'an instinctively shivered. Shen Zhihan immediately picked her up, his voice turning cold. "Old man, you’ve frightened An'an."

Elder Shen felt bad and softened his tone. "Don't be afraid, An'an. Great-Grandpa didn't mean to shout so loudly."

"It’s okay, Great-Grandpa, but you and Daddy should talk nicely to each other. I know you love and care about Daddy. Every day when you talk to Great-Grandma’s photo, you praise Daddy to the heavens, so why are you always huffing and puffing and scolding him when you see him in person?"

Elder Shen stiffened, his face turning red again. Shen Zhihan also seemed to have an unnatural expression; he ignored the elder and carried An'an into the car.

***

It was already four in the afternoon, and the streets outside were bustling with traffic. An'an curiously pressed against the car window, looking outside and letting out an occasional "Wow."

When the car arrived at Xingyao Group, Shen Zhihan stepped out first. As soon as the receptionist saw his car, she stood up straight and looked forward respectfully. After getting out, Shen Zhihan didn't head straight into the building, but stood still, leaning down to say something to someone inside the car.

Xiao Mo, the receptionist, was beside herself with excitement. She had never seen the CEO speak so gently—could it be that Shen Zhihan finally had a girlfriend?

A second later, a soft, milky-looking little bun stepped out of the car. The little one reached out a hand, and Shen Zhihan took it. Shen Zhihan’s long legs, which usually strode with a pace that ignored everyone else, were moving very slowly this time, accommodating the little girl’s tiny steps.

An'an looked up, thinking the building was so tall, so big, and so impressive! She recognized one of the characters: "Xing"—the same as in the stars in the sky.

"Daddy, what do these characters say?" Because Elder Shen had taught her to write her own name, An'an had developed a keen interest in reading.

"Xingyao. Daddy’s company is called Xingyao Group."

"Wow, sounds very impressive." She didn't understand it, but it sounded very impressive indeed.

The three receptionists were stunned. Daddy? Could someone tell them how their workaholic CEO, who never showed interest in women and only cared about work, suddenly had a daughter? Were they hallucinating?

The three of them stared directly at An'an. Oh, what a cute baby! If they could swap places with Shen Zhihan, they would fall for her too.

An'an met their gaze and gave them a polite smile. One of them was the first to recover and hurriedly greeted them, "Good afternoon, Mr. Shen. Good afternoon, little miss." The other two followed suit.

An'an gave a sweet smile. "Hello, sisters. My name is An'an. This is my daddy."

Shen Zhihan led An'an away. The reception desk was the source and distribution point for all office gossip. Since Shen Zhihan had brought An'an to the company openly, he clearly hadn't intended to hide her. Thus, the receptionists felt free to spread the news: [Big news! The CEO has a daughter! He brought her to the office!]

Shen Zhihan took the private elevator with An'an to the floor where his office was located. On this floor, the executives had their own private offices, with staff from their respective departments working outside. At that moment, the executives were all out of their offices, and when they saw An'an, their eyes widened.

Today, An'an was wearing a light green ruffled dress with little flying sleeves, and a matching butterfly headband encrusted with diamonds that sparkled. She looked like a little fairy who had wandered into the human world. Both the parents and non-parents among the staff were instantly captivated.

The private chat groups were jumping with messages. Staff members who had been dozing off were instantly energized.

[Wow, the little bun is so cute, I want to cuddle her!]
[Is this really our CEO’s kid? My god! How did our cold, aloof CEO produce such an adorable child?]

An'an blinked at the crowd. There were so many people! She was a little shy about being watched by so many, but she was also quite excited. She waved her little hand and took the initiative to greet them: "Hi, uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters!"

Everyone... oh, they were dying, absolutely dying from the cuteness!

Yu Feng hurried over. "Mr. Shen, President Fu is already waiting in the conference room." He saw An'an and was naturally delighted. An'an had a very well-behaved personality, and Yu Feng didn't think bringing her to the office would cause any trouble.

"Find someone to look after An'an for a while. I’m going to see President Fu."

"Yes, sir."

Shen Zhihan crouched down. "An'an, Daddy has to go discuss a collaboration. Can you play by yourself for a bit?"

"I can! There are so many brothers and sisters here, I can play with them. Daddy, go ahead, don't worry." Her voice was soft and clear, and she spoke like a little adult, but it still melted everyone’s hearts.

Shen Zhihan and Yu Feng left. A female secretary came over and held An'an’s hand. "Hello, An'an. I’m Secretary Yu. Shall I take you to get something to eat?"

"Okay! Thank you, Sister Yu."

Eating meant heading to the company pantry. Xingyao Group’s benefits were excellent, with a variety of snacks, milk tea, coffee, and pastries available. Seeing Secretary Yu take An'an to the pantry, many female employees followed.

"Hello, Secretary Yu. Is this Mr. Shen’s daughter? Wow, she’s so beautiful."

"Sister, you are beautiful too," An'an said, her sweet words making the woman glow with joy.

"An'an, try this cookie, it’s even better."
"An'an, kids can drink this beverage."
"An'an, I bought these milk candies, they’re very tasty."

An'an instantly became the office darling; everyone wanted to contribute all their snacks to feed her. Just then, two female employees walked in to get water, talking in heavy tones: "Did you see the news? During the heavy rain last week, a child fell into a sewer right in front of his father. In the blink of an eye, he was washed away. He reported it to the police immediately, but they haven't found him yet."

An'an leaned over and tugged gently at one of the girls' clothes. "What are you talking about? Can you show me?"