Chapter 2: Ling Wei Prepares to Leave the Residence

“Daddy, you’re really useless! Mommy isn’t a tigress, so why are you running away?” The little one lifted her small head, her eyes wide, pronouncing each word clearly. Her father was completely henpecked! Hmph, so useless. She would never be like him, being controlled by her husband.

The burly man gazed steadily at his precious darling and, unusually sentimental, replied, “It’s not fear, it’s love. Now, enough talking—Tangyuan wouldn’t understand anyway. Let’s wash our hands and go eat. Your mother must be waiting anxiously.”

The little one bit down hard on the man’s neck. “Bad daddy, stinky daddy! My name is Lingwei Zhantai! Not that cursed Tangyuan! If you call me Tangyuan again, I’ll run away and never come back!”

The man’s chest rumbled with laughter. “Hehe, little one, your teeth aren’t even all grown in yet. Daddy’s got thick skin—careful not to break your teeth. Sweet daughter, don’t be angry, don’t be angry. Daddy will make it up to you and take you out, alright?” He understood his little one’s heart and blamed himself for always being so busy. That’s why she was so mischievous and playful.

Sure enough, her eyes lit up at his words. “Daddy, is that true? Pinky swear, pinky swear, for a hundred years, no changes! Whoever breaks the promise is a puppy!”

The man’s large finger gently held her tender, chubby little hand, careful not to hurt his precious treasure.

“Alright, pinky swear for a hundred years, no changing, whoever cheats is a puppy!”

Satisfied with the promise, the little one obediently nestled in her father’s arms, washed her hands carefully, and returned to the dining hall. Zhao Tingyou cheerfully called out, “Tangyuan, husband, come quickly! Aunt Wang prepared the finest Tangyuan this morning. Look at this skin, this soup…” She rambled on, but then suddenly noticed something was off. Why were her husband and little one both silent?

“Tangyuan, husband, what’s going on?” Zhao Tingyou rarely spoke so cautiously. She was the most beloved little princess of Nanbao Kingdom—when had she ever been so humble?

The little one could no longer hold back and burst into loud sobs. “Daddy, mommy wants to eat me, and she’s so happy about it! Wah wah, mommy’s so mean! Daddy!” Her crying was heart-wrenching.

This time not only the burly man but even the fiery mother grew anxious. Zhao Tingyou swiftly stepped forward, tightly hugging the crying little one, and without considering the facts, scolded, “Zhantai Chen, what did you do to Tangyuan? Why is she crying so hard? Confess honestly, or don’t expect to sleep in my bed tonight—go to the study!”

The burly man finally understood the meaning of silent suffering; his wife’s outbursts were nothing new, but he hadn’t expected them to be so severe. The little one hadn’t been made to cry by his wife, yet the blame was dumped on him. Sigh, being a man was tough.

Hearing his unreliable wife’s wild accusations, the little one felt even more miserable. With a henpecked father and a fiery tigress mother, her hope of leaving the mansion seemed impossible. The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, crying even more pitifully, as if she wanted to pour out every tear at once. Before one tear fell, the second and third appeared. She cried heart-wrenchingly.

Fiercely protective, the burly man quickly took the little one from his fiery wife and gently patted her back, soothing the hiccupping child. “Lingwei, don’t cry anymore. Your mother is wrong. Don’t cry. You’re the greatest treasure of both your mother and me. The greatest treasure, don’t cry, don’t cry.”

Taking advantage of the moment, the little one made a request. “From now on, when daddy and mommy go out, they have to take Lingwei along. Otherwise, Lingwei, wah wah…”

The burly man was about to agree just to appease her, but Zhao Tingyou furrowed her brows and shouted, “Zhantai Lingwei, don’t cause trouble! Your mother and father are going out on important business. Stop making a fuss!”