Volume One, Chapter One: The Daughter Is the Second Female Lead in a CEO Romance

Looking at the soft and adorable little girl before him, Shi Yan simply couldn’t imagine that she would one day do so many crazy things just to break up the male and female leads. Nothing about her now suggested she was capable of such deeds! Come to think of it, she was quite pitiful in her own right.

Though born into privilege, happiness had not truly graced her life. Perhaps that was why, when the male lead showed her a hint of kindness, she flung herself headlong into it, sinking deeper and deeper, until she lost herself and did all those reckless things.

“Daddy!” The moment Jiang Ruoxue saw her father sitting on the sofa, her first instinct was to run to him.

Halfway there, she remembered what the housekeeper had told her and slowed her steps.

She stopped about a meter from Shi Yan, standing still, not daring to move closer.

“Daddy, why are you home today?” She was, after all, just a child. No matter how many times she’d been warned, she could hardly resist wanting to be near her father.

Even though Shi Yan was rarely home, her affection for him was undiminished.

Unable to keep up with Jiang Ruoxue’s pace, the housekeeper had just reached the doorway. Seeing the little girl stop and not approach Shi Yan, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The child was at least obedient, but why had Mr. Jiang suddenly come home today?

Had he discovered something? Surely not—he’d never noticed anything odd before, despite all the previous opportunities.

Shi Yan glanced at Jiang Ruoxue, studying her closely. Outwardly, she was well-dressed, but in truth her clothes were counterfeit and the sleeves were too short, clearly ill-fitting. Her shoes were worn out as well.

Her attire was entirely unsuited to her station. The original Shi Yan arranged for brand-name clothes to be delivered every month; how could she be wearing fakes, or sleeves too short for her arms?

Shi Yan looked up at the housekeeper. She must have been helping herself quite a bit.

“Come here,” Shi Yan beckoned to Jiang Ruoxue.

At his gesture, she forgot all of the housekeeper’s admonitions and eagerly rushed into Shi Yan’s arms.

He scooped her up and sat her on his lap.

“Daddy, how long will you stay at home this time? Could you stay with me a few more days?” Jiang Ruoxue looked up at him, her face full of hope.

“Of course I can,” Shi Yan replied, pressing his forehead gently to hers and speaking in a soft, warm voice.

The housekeeper’s heart leapt into her throat at the sight. She was terrified Shi Yan would see through something.

She tried to comfort herself: Shi Yan was just humoring the child. Most of the Jiang family’s business was overseas; he flew back and forth all the time and surely didn’t have much opportunity to keep Jiang Ruoxue company.

Besides, what would a man like Shi Yan know about children’s clothes? He wouldn’t notice anything amiss.

“Sir, perhaps I should take Miss Jiang back to her room, lest she disturb your work?” The housekeeper stepped forward.

“Can’t you see I’m bonding with my daughter? Do you have no sense at all?” Shi Yan’s tone was openly disdainful. He had no patience for someone who took his money and yet treated his daughter poorly.

“Mr. Jiang…” In all her years here, the housekeeper had never been addressed like this by Shi Yan. Her guilt made her even more flustered, and her expression was painfully unnatural.

Still, she had some composure left. She quickly steadied her nerves.

“Would you like me to prepare some fruit or snacks for you and Miss Jiang?”

“Ms. Li, you’ve worked here so many years—do I still need to teach you the basics? I pay you a generous salary every month, and yet I see nothing commensurate with what I pay. Why is that?” Shi Yan didn’t spare her another glance; he was busy lifting Jiang Ruoxue high up in the air.

“Hahaha! This is so much fun!” Jiang Ruoxue was completely delighted, immersed in the joy of playing with her father, paying no mind to anything else.

“Higher, Daddy, higher!”

Li the housekeeper instinctively wanted to scold Jiang Ruoxue, but the moment her eyes met Shi Yan’s, she immediately shut her mouth.

Better to say nothing—the more one says, the more mistakes one makes. Shi Yan already had a poor opinion of her; if she said anything out of line now, she might not keep her job.

With Shi Yan always away on business, little Jiang Ruoxue was easy to manipulate. As housekeeper, she wielded the most power in this household.

She had quietly taken many of Jiang Ruoxue’s things home for her own granddaughter. They were all brand-name goods, nothing cheap, and when her granddaughter tired of them, she could resell them secondhand for a nice profit. Over the past year, this little operation had made her a tidy sum.

Such benefits were impossible to get working for other families.

Shi Yan lifted Jiang Ruoxue up several more times, only putting her down once she’d had her fill.

Turning around, Jiang Ruoxue finally noticed the housekeeper and, frightened, took two steps back. She instinctively hid her hands behind her and looked utterly insecure.

Shi Yan noticed the movement and frowned.

This housekeeper was truly brazen, daring to lay a hand on his daughter. The fearful way Jiang Ruoxue reacted—she had clearly been struck on the palm before.

A vile servant, bullying her master’s child!

“Does Miss Jiang want to go back to her room? I’ll take her upstairs,” the housekeeper said with a smile.

Jiang Ruoxue knew her well enough to recognize this as a sign she was about to get angry. Much as she wanted to stay with her father, she dared not disobey.

She was terrified the housekeeper would call her a disobedient child, then strike her palm as punishment.

“Aunt Chen, take Miss Jiang upstairs and help her change into something more suitable. Ms. Li, you stay here—I have something to ask you,” Shi Yan called toward the kitchen.

Chen, busy in the kitchen, quickly dried her hands and came out, lifting Jiang Ruoxue and taking her upstairs.

Once in her room, the door closed behind them.

In the upstairs sitting room, Ms. Li tried to speak, but Shi Yan shot her a look that silenced her. He turned to his computer and began reading documents.

Ms. Li stood there, unsure if she should stay or go, trembling, sweat beading on her forehead.

What had Shi Yan meant by changing Jiang Ruoxue into more suitable clothes? Had he noticed something?

No, it couldn’t be. He hadn’t lost his temper—surely he hadn’t found out.

She mustn't give herself away first; Ms. Li tried desperately to reassure herself.