Dad is so extravagant with money—what will she do if she can't afford to support herself?

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Shen Zhihan cradled An An and left, casting a glance at Lin Aifang before departing. That single look sent Lin Aifang into a chilling despair. It was over! she thought to herself. If only she had known this little wretch’s fortune, she would have sold An An instead—at least she could have gotten a good price! Lin Aifang had no idea of the inhuman torment that awaited her. How could Shen Zhihan possibly let her off so easily? The suffering An An endured, Lin Aifang would have to experience from start to finish!

Inside the villa, Butler Liu wore a worried expression. Before leaving today, Shen Zhihan had instructed him to dismiss all the servants the following morning, saying the payments would be handled by a lawyer. Butler Liu did not understand Shen Zhihan’s intentions but sensed that he was about to abandon everything and never return. Was it really necessary? All for a woman!

Others said Shen Zhihan was decisive and ruthless, but only he knew that beneath his cold exterior beat a warm heart that cherished old ties. Otherwise, how could that woman have such control over him?

Late at night, unable to sleep, Butler Liu sat in the garden feeding mosquitoes. He had followed Shen Zhihan since the boy was twelve, sixteen years now—he could almost claim to have watched him grow up. Though he had suspicions, Butler Liu dared not delve too deeply.

At that moment, the ornate gate creaked open, and a familiar car pulled in. Butler Liu sprang to his feet, his eyes shining brightly. The car door opened, and Shen Zhihan stepped out. Tears streamed down Butler Liu’s face as he whispered, “Sir.”

Shen Zhihan made a shushing gesture, his usually expressionless face now softened with uncommon warmth. Butler Liu watched as Shen Zhihan bent down to carry a little girl out. She wore a pale yellow daisy dress, pure and adorable, looking like a tiny bunny charm cradled in his arms. The dress had been bought recently at a nearby mall. On her feet were matching little sandals, and her hair was tied into two small buns.

Perhaps roused from sleep, she clung to Shen Zhihan’s neck and opened her misty wide eyes, clear yet innocent, shimmering with moisture. “Daddy, where is this?”

Daddy? What? Butler Liu thought he must be hallucinating from a mosquito bite.

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Perhaps sensing Butler Liu’s thoughts, Shen Zhihan coolly instructed, “Prepare a room for An An immediately and run a bath.”

“Yes, sir.” Butler Liu replied, hesitating before asking, “Sir, is this… your daughter?”

Shen Zhihan shot him a glare. “If she’s not my daughter, then whose is she? I gave birth to her. Got a problem with that?”

Butler Liu’s tears flowed freely as he looked at An An like she was a precious treasure. “Little miss, I’m Butler Liu. From now on, you can call me Grandpa Liu.”

“Hello, Grandpa Liu,” An An said sweetly and politely. Those words warmed Butler Liu through and through, instantly curing his aching legs and back. He set about making arrangements at once.

Shen Zhihan carried An An into the living room and placed her on the sofa. The villa’s décor was stark and masculine, clearly lacking a female owner. An An was the only adorable presence in the house.

Shen Zhihan had never cared much for this home, but at that moment, a frown crept onto his face. He pulled out his phone and called his assistant, Yu Feng. “Find a designer to create a children’s room and redo the villa’s interior decoration.”

Yu Feng was overwhelmed with joy upon hearing the voice. “President Shen, you’re back?”

Shen Zhihan said he was planning to travel far and had already drafted a will, instructing the lawyer to announce it the next morning and asking Yu Feng to be present.

Wait, a children’s room? Yu Feng realized belatedly.

Seemingly having a new thought, Shen Zhihan added, “Inform Lawyer Gao that there’s no need to announce the will tomorrow. The previous will is void.”

“Yes, sir.” Yu Feng responded. “Should the décor be for a boy or a girl?”

Shen Zhihan glanced at An An, a rare gentle smile appearing in his eyes. “A girl. A four-year-old girl.”

He had initially thought An An was only two or three, but later learned she was already four. Long-term abuse and malnutrition made her appear smaller than her years.

While Shen Zhihan made the call, An An sat quietly, her gaze following him intently. Shen Zhihan beckoned to her with a curl of his finger. Her eyes lit up like a summoned little puppy, and she slid off the sofa, trotting over to him.

She softly called him, “Daddy.”

Hearing that sweet “Daddy,” Shen Zhihan bent down and scooped her into his arms. At that moment, the servants pushed in a stream of children’s clothes sent by a brand. Shen Zhihan told An An, “An An, see what you like. Anything you don’t want, we’ll send back; keep whatever you like.”

An An had only ever worn hand-me-downs, never seen so many pretty dresses. Her eyes sparkled, but she quickly picked just two or three. “Daddy, just these three, please.”

She was decisive and unhesitating, much to Shen Zhihan’s admiration—not surprising, since she was his daughter.

“Since you don’t dislike any, keep them all. Tomorrow I’ll take you shopping.”

An An had realized on the way here that Shen Zhihan’s near-death attempt wasn’t due to lack of money; quite the opposite, he was very wealthy. She looked conflicted, on the verge of speaking but holding back.

Shen Zhihan, unusually intrigued, asked, “Do you have something to say?”

An An nodded, then shook her head, her little mouth tightly closed.

Shen Zhihan deliberately adopted a stern expression. “An An, are you hiding something from daddy? Don’t you want me to be your daddy?”

That question was too intimidating; An An’s little hands moved so fast they blurred. “No, no. Daddy, you spend so much money, An An worries she can’t afford to take care of you when you grow up.”

She looked downcast. She wanted to take care of Daddy, but with his extravagant spending, what if she couldn’t?

The servants nearby overheard and instantly had stars in their eyes. Ah, the innocence of children is so adorable! Their wealthy master had a little girl who wanted to take care of him one day? Even they were moved to tears.

Shen Zhihan snorted softly. “Good that you know. Taking care of me is very expensive. So you have to earn a lot of money. Follow me and watch how I make money. Learn from me.”

An An gave a half-understood “Oh,” nodded, clenched her fist, and patted her little chest with a thump-thump-thump. “Daddy, I got it. I’ll work hard.”

Butler Liu came downstairs. “Sir, little miss’s bath water is ready.”

Shen Zhihan took her straight upstairs and set her down at the bathroom door. “Do you know how to bathe yourself?”

An An nodded. “Yes! An An is very capable! An An can cook, too. An An can feed the pigs. An An can wash herself all clean.”

At the thought of what An An had endured at Lin Aifang’s place, Shen Zhihan’s gaze darkened immediately.

Still, he was not entirely at ease and asked a maid to stay and look after An An.

An An blushed shyly. “Sister, I’d be embarrassed if you watch me wash.”

The maid was utterly charmed. She suddenly understood why Shen Zhihan had brought An An home. If she had a daughter like this, she would wake up smiling every day.

“Don’t be shy, An An. The bathtub is a bit deep. Sister worries you might drown. Once you get used to it, you can bathe by yourself, okay?”

“All right,” An An reluctantly agreed, taking off her little dress.

The maid saw the marks on An An’s body and immediately covered her mouth, her eyes reddening.