This feeling was growing stronger. Qi Longbing looked at the little girl opposite him, feeling a powerful urge to take her into his arms and cherish her. But he was also afraid this would provoke a strong backlash from Hua Xiaomo. She had hidden this from him for so long. Alright, it was still too early to draw any conclusions. He had to do something to find genuine confirmation.

Qi Longbing ate the meal at Hua Xiaomo’s home without saying much. He just ate quietly. Occasionally, when his eyes met the little girl’s across from him, he would smile amiably without saying anything else.

"Uncle, how did you know I like dolls? Let me tell you, I don’t just like Princess Barbie, I also like..." Candy was about to continue when Hua Xiaomo interrupted.

"Candy, how can you be so rude, chattering about this and that in front of Uncle!" Hua Xiaomo reprimanded her again, truly afraid of what more Candy might say to Qi Longbing.

Qi Longbing, who hadn’t said much, seemed to have a thought and said softly, "Xiao Mo, this is where you’re wrong. It’s natural for children to have things they like. Why stop her from speaking?" Then, Qi Longbing turned to Candy.

"Candy, tell Uncle what you like, and Uncle will buy them all for you another day, okay?" Qi Longbing said with a smile.

"Okay, okay! Uncle is the best! Uncle, let me tell you, I also like Balabala Little Magic Fairy, Pleasant Goat, Grey Wolf, and GG Bond! Oh, I like so many things! Uncle, can you buy them all for me?" Candy said with a laugh, then looked at Qi Longbing.

She thought this uncle of hers was not only handsome but also very kind. He even said he would buy her lots and lots of toys—she loved that!

Qi Longbing looked at Candy with a smile and asked, "What would you do with so many toys? Doesn’t your mother dislike you having so many?"

"If I buy so many toys, I can give them to my friends! There are more than twenty kids in my class. I’ll give each of them one toy, and then they’ll play with me. It’s so much more fun when we all play together!" Candy said innocently, her little face beaming. Looking at Qi Longbing, she felt an increasing warmth and closeness towards him.

He was just like Brother Zi Yunsha; he made her feel so relaxed and happy!

"Ha, what a good child! Already learning to ’bribe’ people at such a young age! She really has a knack for business!" Qi Longbing said with a laugh, genuinely surprised that Candy, so young, could think of such things.

"Uncle, what does ’a knack for business’ mean? I don’t think I understand. But I do know that playing alone isn’t fun at all. It’s better when everyone plays together!" Candy said with a laugh.

Hua Xiaomo, sitting nearby, found their conversation a bit much to bear. She looked at Candy, her expression turning slightly stern. "Candy, you’re quite talkative today, aren’t you? Didn’t you just fall off the slide? Have you forgotten the pain so soon? Stop talking. Finish your meal, and then let Aunt Zhang take you upstairs to bed."

"Wow, Mom’s acting like an old witch today! Seriously, she gets upset after just a few words. Never mind, I’ll eat by myself, okay? Please don’t be upset, Mom. I’ll eat properly and be good," Candy said with a smile. She then obediently began to eat, glancing at Qi Longbing from time to time, who happened to be looking back at her just then.

Qi Longbing started to shell a large lobster for Candy. "Does Candy like this kind of food? But Uncle has to tell you, seafood is good, but it can easily cause allergies in children. So, you need to be mindful of such things, understand?"

"Oh, I get it now. But Mom has never said that before," Candy said, stealing a glance at Hua Xiaomo’s expression and noticing she looked a bit unnatural. Had they talked too much and ignored her, or was it something else? Hua Xiaomo felt slightly ill at ease.

Hua Xiaomo said nothing more and looked at the nanny beside her.

Not long after Candy finished eating, the nanny, Aunt Zhang, picked her up and carried her upstairs. As she was leaving, Candy flashed a smile at Qi Longbing.

"Uncle, please come over to our place when you have time. We’d all welcome you warmly. We don’t usually have many visitors—just Brother Zi Yunsha and Sister Ye Xiangxue. But Brother Zi Yunsha has gone abroad on a business trip and won’t be back for a long while. So, Mom and I are home alone, and it’s quite lonely. Would you come visit and play with Mom and me when you have time?" Candy looked at Qi Longbing with innocent, endearing eyes.

Hearing this, Hua Xiaomo’s expression fell. She looked at the maid beside her. "Aunt Zhang, quickly take Candy to her room to sleep. Her foot has been bothering her."

"Yes, Chairman," the maid replied, then coaxed Little Candy upstairs.

As Little Candy was being led away, she stuck her tongue out at Hua Xiaomo and made a mischievous face. "Don’t listen to Mom; she’s just being an alarmist! My foot’s been fine for a while! The doctor put medicine on it, and it doesn’t hurt at all anymore. It’s all better!"

After Little Candy went upstairs, Hua Xiaomo and Qi Longbing were left alone downstairs.

Before Hua Xiaomo could say anything more, Qi Longbing stood up. There were some things he didn’t want to ask about so directly. He worried she might no longer speak honestly with him. So, he decided he needed to investigate clearly first before discussing it further.

"My visit today had no special intent. Firstly, I came, as old friends do, to see you and to meet your daughter. After all, we go way back. I was surprised to learn you have a daughter; you should have told me sooner, shouldn’t you?" Qi Longbing said, then smiled politely.

He glanced around the villa. It was grand and elegant, with Hong Kong-style decor. The overall style was very simple and bright, creating a relaxed atmosphere. The main color scheme was the azure blue of the sky.

"Well, you know now, don’t you?" Hua Xiaomo forced a smile, not saying anything more.

Qi Longbing took a few slow steps around the moderately-sized villa, then smiled.

"Today is the auspicious day our two companies sign the contract. I originally wanted to ask you out tonight. However, considering your daughter just got back from the hospital, you should focus on taking good care of her. I’ll ask you out another day, and we can go out together then," Qi Longbing said considerately.