He’d figured out many things. He felt he should do something for the mother and daughter. Otherwise, if he just left like this, his heart wouldn’t be at ease.

Candy looked at Qi Longbing and blinked. "Okay then, Uncle, I’ll listen to you and won’t tell Mom for now. But if Mom asks, should I tell her? I’m not a child who likes to lie, you know. Lying is wrong. My teacher also said that obedient and well-behaved children don’t lie; they must be honest and brave, like the lovely Snow White. Only then will Prince Charming like them when they grow up."

Listening to the child’s innocent and cute words, Qi Longbing’s lips curved into a smile. "If Mom asks, Uncle will tell her, so you don’t have to say anything. Understand? You just need to say that you’ve been at school all day, listening to the teacher, attending your classes, and studying hard. That will be fine."

"Okay then, I’ll do what you say, Uncle, and I won’t tell Mom," Little Candy said, nodding toward Qi Longbing. She then raised her right hand and hooked her little finger. "Uncle, shall we pinky swear? It will be our little secret, just between the two of us."

"Sure, Uncle will pinky swear with you," said Qi Longbing, smiling as he lifted his little finger and hooked it with hers. A contented smile touched the depths of his heart. For some reason, he felt especially warm. Being with this child always brought him an indescribable joy.

"Haha, Uncle, now I have a little secret between you and me! We have to keep this secret, okay? We can’t tell a third person, not even Mom. And you can’t tell Mom either!" Little Candy said with a grin, her eyes curving like crescent moons. Two cute dimples appeared on her face, making her look particularly adorable.

Qi Longbing swept the child into his arms, hugged her affectionately, and couldn’t resist kissing her little cheek. "Sweetheart, you’re truly a little treasure. What if you stayed with Uncle forever, would that be okay?"

"Stay with Uncle forever? Really? Uncle, will you really stay with us forever? That would be so great!" Candy laughed and then, after a moment’s thought, continued.

"Brother Zi Yunsui has gone abroad and isn’t with Mom right now. So, since you’re here, Uncle, you could temporarily take Brother Zi Yunsui’s place and look after Mom. Then, when Brother Zi Yunsui returns, you can give Mom back to him. That would be great," Candy said with a laugh, her face radiating an innocent and adorable smile.

Qi Longbing hadn’t expected her to say that. Perhaps Candy hadn’t considered the consequences of her words. In any case, she said whatever came to mind without any filter.

But these words felt somewhat uncomfortable to Qi Longbing. How could it be that he was just temporarily substituting for that Zi Yunsui in taking care of Hua Xiaomo? That was just too strange. He didn’t like it at all.

Qi Longbing held Candy and asked seriously, "Candy, tell Uncle, do you want Brother Zi Yunsui to be your dad, or do you want Uncle to be your dad?"

Little Candy looked startled for a moment, then asked as if she’d made a grand discovery, "Uncle, do you also want to be my dad? I thought you were just one of Mom’s ordinary friends. I didn’t expect you’d want to pursue Mom too, just like Brother Zi Yunsui!"

"Oh dear, that question is too complicated. I don’t even know how to answer you. Let me think... Why don’t you ask Mom instead? She once said that children can’t manage adult affairs. Children should only concern themselves with children’s matters. Adult affairs are very complicated. If they want to manage them, they can only do so when they’re grown up," Little Candy said slowly, pouting her lips.

Qi Longbing chuckled but didn’t press the matter further, merely saying, "Your mom is right. Adult matters are numerous and complicated, and children don’t understand them. And children’s matters? Well, there are many things adults don’t understand either."

"Alright, Uncle won’t say any more for now. I’ll take you to school first. You be good at school, listen to your teacher, and study hard, okay?" Qi Longbing said with a smile. The more time he spent with the child, the more he felt a growing sense of harmony with her.

It seemed there was truth to the saying that there’s a right time for everything. He couldn’t possibly wait until he was old to raise children. By then, he would feel he lacked the energy and motivation. But now was just the right time. Having a child who could communicate with him, play with him, and whom he could take to amusement parks, the ocean park, and Happy Valley to buy toys—this all felt like an incredibly happy thing.

"Okay, then thank you, Uncle! Haha, I have to go back to school for my classes! Uncle, you should go to work too. I bet you’re very busy! Oh, and if you need me to give you blood again, just tell me. I’m very generous to you, Uncle!" Little Candy said, an innocent smile blossoming on her face like a flower.

"Alright. If Uncle needs your help again in the future, I’ll let you know," Qi Longbing said as he picked up the child. He left the hospital and then took her to the nearby elite school.

After Qi Longbing dropped Candy off at school, he slowly left.

「A day later, he received the paternity test results.」

"Hello. The test results show a 99% similarity in your genetic makeup," the doctor said.

"Ninety-nine percent? Does that mean... she’s my child?" Qi Longbing asked, his gaze fixed on the test report, unblinking.

A torrent of thoughts surged violently through his mind. He hadn’t expected it to be true—Candy was really his child!

"Yes, the results do indeed confirm she is your child," the doctor stated.

"Thank you, Doctor," Qi Longbing said. He wasn’t quite sure how he managed to walk out of the hospital. For a moment, his mind was a whirl of confusion. He thought of Candy, and then even more of Hua Xiaomo. So, the truth was out.

So, five years ago, Hua Xiaomo had indeed been pregnant with his child when she went to America. She then gave birth there and, after that, disappeared for five years.

Qi Longbing quickly scrolled through his phone contacts and dialed Qi Lingfeng’s number.

As soon as the call connected, Qi Longbing angrily demanded, "Qi Lingfeng, why did you hide this from me for so long? Tell me, why did you keep this from me? When Hua Xiaomo went to America, she was pregnant, wasn’t she? She went to America carrying my child, didn’t she?"