After all, he really cherished that little girl, always feeling a kind of unspoken rapport and familiarity with her.

"Okay, let’s do it another day then!" Hua Xiaomo said with a smile, but her heart was clenched with nervousness. Thankfully, he didn’t bring up anything more about Candy.

She really feared he would suspect something, wouldn’t he? After all, she didn’t want their relationship to become too complicated, to let their tranquil life be disrupted by his arrival.

"I’ll be going now. Take good care of the child. If anything comes up, call me, okay?" Qi Longbing said as he walked toward the door, his gaze lingering on Hua Xiaomo reluctantly.

Having learned of such matters, his heart was not only shocked but also filled with pity for her. Of course, he still had to confirm the truth of this matter. Although his suspicions were already around sixty or seventy percent, the sense of reality would only truly be there after he was certain.

"Okay, President Qi, goodbye then. You should also go back and rest early!" Hua Xiaomo said politely, then watched Qi Longbing leave her line of sight. Only then did she slowly make her way back into the villa and up to the door of Candy’s room.

She hesitated for a moment, not entering. But then, as if thinking of something, she decided to go in.

"Mommy, Mommy, has the Handsome Uncle left already?" Candy asked innocently, playing with the doll Qi Longbing had given her.

Hua Xiaomo looked at the doll in her hands, stunned for quite a while before she finally said, "Candy, do you like that uncle?"

"I like him! I really like that uncle! Not only is he handsome, but he also buys me toys. I really like him, just as much as I like Brother Zi Yunsui," Candy said with a smile. She then threw herself into Hua Xiaomo’s arms, hugging her neck and kissing her on the cheek.

"Mommy, Mommy, you’re so charming now! Is that uncle pursuing you?" Candy asked, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

Upon hearing this, Hua Xiaomo, caught off guard by the child’s adult-like words, could not help but laugh. "Candy, you’re such a clever little thing! Why are you meddling in adults’ affairs? Let me tell you, you shouldn’t meddle in the business of grown-ups."

"Mommy, so it really is that uncle who’s pursuing you! But do you like that uncle? I think that uncle seems to really like Mommy," Candy said with a smile. She recalled Qi Longbing’s demeanor during dinner. He looked so refined—a very handsome and well-mannered uncle. Mom and Uncle would be quite a match, she mused. Aren’t handsome men and pretty women always paired together like that in comic books?

Listening to the child say such things left Hua Xiaomo rather speechless. Looking at Candy, she said, "Little one, don’t worry about grown-ups’ business, okay? You can’t understand these things. For adults, it’s not as simple as liking or not liking someone on a whim. In short, adults’ matters are very complex, something you kids can’t grasp. If you want to understand when you grow up, you can ask about it then!"

Hua Xiaomo said no more, not wanting to discuss it further with her. She realized Candy’s affections shifted easily, first liking Zi Yunsui and now taking a liking to Qi Longbing. Ah, she really couldn’t comprehend what was going through this child’s mind. It’s as if someone gives her a couple of candies or buys her a toy, and she’d just follow them. Children are like that, aren’t they? That’s why the likelihood of them being deceived and tricked is so high. There’s certainly some truth to that.

"Alright, my dear, you should rest early. Mommy’s going out. You’ll stay at home for the next couple of days and rest up before you go back to school, okay? Mommy will call your homeroom teacher and say you’re sick, got it?" Hua Xiaomo looked at Candy and said.

"Oh, okay then! Mommy, can you take me to the amusement park tomorrow to play? That would be nice!" Candy asked with a smile. HAHA, what a perfect way to use these couple of days off to have lots of fun!

Hua Xiaomo looked at Candy without saying much. This little rascal, always thinking about playing. "No way! You must rest at home. The doctor said you can’t be out for too long, remember? You need to recover properly at home, and then in a couple of days, you’ll be able to run around freely. Understand?"

Candy made a funny face at Hua Xiaomo, then stuck out her tongue with a giggle. "Alright, I get it, Mommy. You can go now. I’m going to sleep too. I’ll take good care of my leg." Then, just as Hua Xiaomo closed the door, Candy couldn’t help but grumble softly, "She always treats the doctor’s words like an Imperial Edict."

Hua Xiaomo heard this remark but didn’t say a word, just a small smile playing on her lips. Kids these days are getting cleverer and cleverer, like little adults. But they’re still really funny and adorable!

Hua Xiaomo didn’t sleep well that night. Her mind was filled with many thoughts. But some things, if they were going to happen, she couldn’t avoid them. She’d just have to take things one step at a time.

Hua Xiaomo suffered from insomnia that night. She reminisced about when she first met Qi Longbing and the series of events that followed. They were fated to meet but not destined to be together. Alright, he’s married now, and he’ll have his own children in the future; she shouldn’t interfere with his life anymore. She could only hope that the duration of this contract would pass quickly. One year—not too long, yet not too short. She hoped it would go by fast!

「Early the next morning,」 the company called her villa. After Hua Xiaomo received the call, she hurriedly left, instructing the housekeeper to take good care of Candy.

Not long after Hua Xiaomo left, Qi Longbing came to the villa. He knocked on the door. Seeing that Hua Xiaomo wasn’t in and only a maid was there, he asked, "Is Candy around?"

"Miss Candy is resting in her room," the maid said.

Qi Longbing glanced towards the second-floor hallway and saw Candy coming out of her room. She looked over in his direction but didn’t speak. She just smiled sweetly while standing in the hallway, looking very adorable.

Qi Longbing watched Candy, and suddenly, from behind his back, he pulled out a Pleasant Goat toy.

Upon seeing it, Candy’s eyes lit up.

"I want Pleasant Goat! HAHA, Uncle bought me a toy again! I really, really love it!" Candy suddenly got excited. She hurried down from the second floor and ran quickly towards Qi Longbing.

Qi Longbing immediately stuffed the toy into her hands. "I knew you liked these things, so Uncle specially went to buy it for you."