Seven Years of Abundance 07

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Zhao Zhiyu had been rushing through announcements all night and only finished by four in the afternoon the next day. He went home to catch up on sleep, but had barely dozed off when a sharp phone ring woke him abruptly.

Irritated, still half-asleep with a foggy mind, he answered. Upon hearing, "Your daughter is with me," he instinctively thought it was a scam call and retorted without thinking, "How much do you want?"

Silence came from the other end.

You Yun struggled to steady her breathing, swallowing the urge to curse, and instead said, "Wait a moment," before handing the phone to the girl beside her. "You talk to him."

The girl held the phone and called out, "Daddy, please come and get me..."

"Hmm?"

"No, hurry... come pick me up!"

That sounded more like it.

You Yun stood nearby, closely watching the girl to prevent any shocking revelations. After the call, the girl cheerfully returned the phone. "He said he'll come soon to get me."

You Yun exhaled in relief and led her to wait outside at Wanfú Plaza. The sky was a dull gray at dusk, threatening rain.

Passing by an ice cream shop, the little girl suddenly stopped, her eyes fixed on the storefront, her feet unwilling to move.

After a moment’s hesitation, You Yun bought two cones—one for herself and a blueberry crisp cone for the expectant little girl.

"Thank you, big sister," the girl beamed.

They stood by the roadside eating their cones amid the dense residential area, with the bustle of cars and people around.

Before long, a sleek black car approached leisurely, the door opening automatically.

The first thing that caught the eye was a pair of evenly shaped, straight legs clad in dress pants.

So long!

That was her first thought. You Yun bit into her cone, licking the cream off her upper lip, her gaze drawn upwards along the lean waist and broad shoulders. As for the face...

Backlit by the fading twilight that shimmered like scattered diamonds, the man’s features were blurred. He seemed just awakened, with a few strands of hair sticking up.

Zhao Zhiyu?!

You Yun swallowed a mouthful of cream and nearly choked.

Had she been seeing him a bit too often lately? Did big stars just wander around aimlessly when they had nothing to do?

Fortunately, the street was quiet, attracting no attention or gathering crowd.

The little girl immediately ran over and hugged his leg, crying, "Why did you take so long? I thought you didn’t want me anymore!"

Her tone was natural and intimate, soft and coaxing like a child, but the man barely reacted, casting a cold glance at the little one. "You really know how to cause me trouble."

"I was wrong. I won’t run off again."

You Yun was stunned seeing the pair—one big, one small.

What was going on?

Was he this girl’s father?

The two did resemble each other somewhat, especially with those peach blossom eyes, almost like they were cast from the same mold.

You Yun was so shocked she dropped her ice cream on the ground.

This little girl was already running errands, at least four or five years old. So did that mean he got married and had a child before graduating college?

An unwed pregnancy?

It fit his stereotypical image of celebrities perfectly.

You Yun felt like she had just stumbled on a huge secret, her mind in turmoil, her inner groundhog screaming. If it weren’t for the Douban group being down, she’d definitely post about this.

"What are you thinking about, big sister?" the girl’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she wiped sweat from her forehead. "Nothing, nothing."

Actually, You Yun was wondering if knowing his secret would get her silenced. She was having such a streak of bad luck lately—better not stir the pot, just get a standing ticket and run.

Glancing again at the man beside the girl, she caught his gaze fixed on her, intense and tangible.

"..."

A threat. It had to be a threat.

I’ve made a pact with the gods, betting that I will be murdered tonight.

You Yun forced a calm smile. "Since you two are reunited, I won’t disturb you. Goodbye."

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"Big sister!" Before she could leave, the little one grabbed her sleeve with big watery eyes. "Thank you for today."

"No need to thank me. It’s my own fault."

"Huh?"

"No, I mean it’s what I should do."

"It’s so late. Let us take you home," the girl still held her arm. "Daddy always teaches me to repay kindness."

You Yun shook her head fervently. "No need. I live nearby."

Wondering if her dad ever taught her to eliminate problems at the root.

The girl glanced at the sky. "But it’s about to rain. Daddy says you’ll catch a cold if you get wet."

You Yun chuckled, "It’s okay, really."

Even if it rained knives, she was leaving.

Seeing her determination, the girl turned back and wildly signaled the man behind them. "Sir, please help me convince her!"

Huh? Sir?

That term made You Yun pause, her gaze flitting between the two several times, thoughtful. "Isn’t he your dad?"

At that, Zhao Zhiyu’s brow twitched. Before he could answer, the girl cut in, "No, he’s not my dad. He’s my uncle."

"But didn’t you just call him daddy on the phone?"

The girl stuck out her tongue, embarrassed. "I mixed up my numbers."

You Yun looked up at Zhao Zhiyu, seeking confirmation from him.

His gaze was deep and carried emotions she couldn’t read, but before she could probe, he looked away, muttering, "Don’t spread rumors. I’m single."

The girl chimed in, "Yeah, my uncle is a single dog. He couldn’t have such a pretty daughter."

Zhao Zhiyu: "?"

Zhao Zhiyu: "Feeling cheeky?"

The girl, unafraid, continued dancing through his verbal minefield. "Also, not really a single dog. Dogs his age are all dead."

Even You Yun couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

So it was all a misunderstanding.

"Chen Xixi," his voice turned cold, a warning beneath the words. "It’s been three days since I last gave you a beating, huh?"

Seeing his stern face, the girl shrank her neck and drooped her head, running shyly behind You Yun. "Big sister, my uncle’s about to hit me. Can you walk me part of the way?"

You Yun felt bad refusing again, not wanting to embarrass the girl. "Alright then, I won’t be polite."

She glanced at Zhao Zhiyu, after all, she was hitching a ride and had to say something.

Zhao Zhiyu didn’t react much and quickly stepped out. "Let’s go."

You Yun nodded and followed in small steps.

Fine droplets of rain had begun to fall.

Xixi hopped into the car cheerfully. You Yun followed into the back seat and, upon sitting, instinctively started, "Turn right at Hongxing Road, then at the next intersection..."

She stopped herself—used to ordering taxis, giving directions on getting in was like treating a star like her driver. She hurried to add, "...there’s a place with pretty good pancakes."

"What, inviting me to eat?" Zhao Zhiyu’s voice was lazy.

The atmosphere turned a little awkward, but since the words were out, she forced herself on, "If you don’t mind, of course."

You Yun gave a dry laugh, thinking there was no way a big star would agree to street food.

"Okay."

"Huh?"

You Yun blinked, doubting her ears.

Zhao Zhiyu repeated, "I said okay."

You Yun: "..."

No way, he actually said yes.

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After a moment of silence, Zhao Zhiyu asked, "Having second thoughts?"

You Yun quickly shook her head. "Just a little surprised."

The car turned a corner. Chen Xixi looked out the rear window and suddenly said, "Uncle, I think the car behind us has been following us."

Zhao Zhiyu glanced in the rearview mirror and sure enough, a pickup truck was tailing them closely. The license plate looked familiar—it was the paparazzi team that had been following him for nearly a month.

He warned the two in the back, "Stay seated."

"Is it paparazzi?" Xixi turned around and buckled her seatbelt just as the car suddenly sped up.

You Yun’s heart jumped, tightly gripping the handle above the door.

She was being tailed by paparazzi?

Thinking about it, it was normal—Zhao Zhiyu was famous enough to make headlines for drinking water, so having paparazzi stalking his private life was no surprise.

The rain intensified, tires splashing through puddles as the car sped along. Raindrops snaked down the window while the wipers rhythmically cleared the mist, turning neon lights blurry through the downpour.

Xixi shouted excitedly.

You Yun’s mood was complicated. She watched as the car neared her neighborhood, then drove away farther and farther...

She fell silent, the only sounds inside were the wipers and the air conditioning. The car circled the ring road three times, and when it turned back, the trailing car was gone.

Having shaken them off for real, Zhao Zhiyu steered off the ring road.

The rain was left outside, and inside the car was an uncanny silence, the enclosed space filled with a blend of sea salt and rose scents that gradually enveloped her.

You Yun sat uneasily, her chest like it was holding its breath, stuck between rising and falling, suffocating. She wanted to talk to someone to ease the tension, but the little chatterbox Xixi was already fast asleep beside her.

How awkward.

You Yun took out her phone and sent a crying emoji to Liang Zhen, waiting a while but receiving no reply—probably still working overtime.

Not knowing what to do, she scrolled aimlessly, pretending to be busy.

Night deepened at the horizon. The man’s hand on the steering wheel caught her eye—long, slender fingers with clear, elegant curves in the dim light, exuding a certain allure.

This hand was no less captivating than the top-ranked celebrity’s.

You Yun swallowed and reluctantly looked away.

Thinking of him, her finger hovered again over that pink piggy app, hesitated a second, then opened the chat with the top celebrity.

During her time at home, she’d come to see him as a digital pet, teasing him now and then for fun.

Yuzu Meow: [It’s raining, what to do? Sharing half my earphones /rose/rose]

As soon as she sent the message, the phone screen on the dashboard lit up briefly. Zhao Zhiyu glanced down, then the screen went dark again.

You Yun was puzzled for a second but kept typing.

Yuzu Meow: [Yuzu Meow shares music with you: "Call Me Daddy"]

After waiting a while, the top celebrity still didn’t reply.

You Yun put down the phone with a sigh, staring out at the rain, wondering where Zhao Zhiyu was taking her.

Just when she thought he’d be cold the whole way, Zhao Zhiyu suddenly asked on a whim, "Are you bored?"

You Yun was startled but quickly gave a polite, proper smile. "Not really."

"Want to listen to some music?"

"Oh, sure."

"What do you want to hear?"

"Anything’s fine."

Zhao Zhiyu chuckled, tapped the speaker, and a familiar rhythm and beat filled the car.

“Call me daddy, hey, call me daddy! Call me daddy, hey, see who calls loudest! Call me daddy, hey, I’m your daddy!”

—"Call Me Daddy"

You Yun: "?!"

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