Yang Chen had just returned to the peak of Yunfeng when his phone rang. The caller ID showed Qin Xi. As soon as he answered, a sweet, childish voice came through—
"Daddy, I miss you!"
Hearing his daughter Xiaoxiao's voice, Yang Chen's lips curled into a smile. Every time he heard her voice, it felt like a dream, filling his heart with warmth.
"Xiaoxiao, why aren't you asleep yet?" Yang Chen asked gently.
"Daddy, I miss you too much to sleep…" Xiaoxiao's voice trembled slightly.
Yang Chen's heart ached. Due to the strained relationship with his in-laws, he hadn't seen his daughter in days. Though he longed to hold her, circumstances had kept them apart.
"Be good, Xiaoxiao. Daddy will visit you tomorrow, okay?" he coaxed.
"No!" Xiaoxiao's voice grew tearful. "I want to see you now!"
Yang Chen softened his tone. "Then Daddy will pick you up for kindergarten tomorrow, alright?"
"Daddy, tomorrow's the weekend… No school…" she mumbled sadly.
Just then, Qin Xi's voice intervened. "Yang Chen, let's switch to a video call so Xiaoxiao can see you."
Moments later, the video connected. On the screen, Xiaoxiao, dressed in adorable cartoon pajamas, snuggled in Qin Xi's arms. The moment she saw Yang Chen, she beamed. "Daddy!"
That single word melted Yang Chen's heart. "Good evening, Xiaoxiao!" he replied warmly.
"Daddy, will you come home tomorrow and live with me and Mommy?" Xiaoxiao asked, her eyes sparkling with hope.
Yang Chen's chest tightened. How he wished he could! But his mother-in-law Zhou Yucui's hostility made it impossible.
Seeing his silence, Xiaoxiao suddenly declared, "Daddy, are you afraid I'll hog Mommy? Don't worry! When you come back, we can sleep together six days a week, and on the last day, I'll sleep alone so Mommy can be with you!"
The unexpected words left both Yang Chen and Qin Xi stunned.
Qin Xi quickly regained her composure. "Xiaoxiao, who taught you to say that?"
Xiaoxiao's lips quivered at her mother's stern tone, her eyes welling up.
Yang Chen quickly interjected, "Qin Xi, don't scare her."
Realizing her mistake, Qin Xi softened. "Xiaoxiao, Mommy's sorry. Forgive me, okay?"
Xiaoxiao sniffled, then lifted her chin proudly. "Okay! Since you apologized, I forgive you!"
Qin Xi burst into laughter, and Yang Chen couldn't help but smile.
Xiaoxiao added, "Xiao Hong's parents do this too. One day a week, she sleeps alone."
Finally understanding, Yang Chen and Qin Xi exchanged a relieved glance.
"Daddy, look!" Xiaoxiao held up a drawing. "This is my 'Happy Family'! Here's Daddy, Mommy, and me in the middle!"
The crayon sketch depicted three hand-in-hand figures, their smiles radiant despite the childish strokes.
The drawing tugged at Yang Chen's heart, filling him with guilt. Qin Xi's eyes glistened.
Unaware of their emotions, Xiaoxiao chattered excitedly about her artwork.
"Daddy, tell me a story!" she suddenly requested.
Yang Chen smiled. "Once upon a time, there was a mountain, and in the mountain…"
"Daddy, Mommy's told me that one already!" Xiaoxiao giggled.
"Then… Once, in a forest, there lived Snow White and the seven dwarfs…"
"Heard that too!"
Yang Chen chuckled. "How about Daddy tells you a story about a 'poor boy'?"
"Yes! I want to hear it!" Xiaoxiao perked up.
"Five years ago, there was a boy who had nothing. He married a beautiful girl…"
…
The story went on until Xiaoxiao, lulled by Yang Chen's voice, drifted to sleep. But the tale continued.
"After countless battles, the boy stood atop the northern borders, victorious. No enemy dared challenge him, yet his heart never forgot the girl. So, he returned to her."
By the story's end, Qin Xi was in tears.
Only then did Yang Chen realize he'd woven his five-year military journey into the narrative.
"It's just a story," he said gently.
Qin Xi whispered, "Was this… how you lived all those years?"
Yang Chen's silence spoke volumes. Though condensed, the story revealed the peril and sacrifice behind his absence.
"Are you… free tomorrow?" she asked suddenly.
At his nod, she said, "It's the weekend. Let's take Xiaoxiao to the zoo."
"Okay."
"See you tomorrow. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
After hanging up, Yang Chen stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the city lights, his heart heavy.
Meanwhile, Qin Xi held Xiaoxiao close, the "poor boy's" story echoing in her mind, sleep eluding her.
---
**The Next Day – Jiangzhou in Chaos**
News outlets and forums exploded with a scandalous video—blurred yet unmistakable—featuring Xiong Wei, heir of the prominent Xiong family.
The scandal sent shockwaves through the city. The Xiong family was livid; the Qin family reeled from collateral damage.
In the Qin manor, the patriarch nearly collapsed upon seeing the headlines.
"Elder! Emergency!" A servant rushed in. "The court is seizing the estate to settle debts!"
"What?!" The elder shot up, only to collapse from a heart attack.
"Call an ambulance!"
Revived barely in time, the patriarch roared his first order: "Banish Qin Fei from the family—forever!"
Meanwhile, in the Xiong residence…
An elderly man in traditional attire shattered a teacup, glaring at the kneeling Xiong Wei. "You disgrace!"
"Grandfather, I was framed!" Xiong Wei kowtowed. "Yang Chen drugged me!"
"Yang Chen? That Qin family live-in son-in-law?" The elder's eyes turned icy.
"Yes! I'll make him pay!" Xiong Wei vowed.
The elder sneered. "Fail, and you're no longer a Xiong."
Xiong Wei clenched his fists. "I'll destroy him."