The intense pain shooting through his wrist instantly sobered Qin Dayong up a bit. He groaned in agony, "Damn it, let go of me!"
Hearing Qin Dayong's cries of pain, Zhou Yucui and Qin Xi finally snapped out of their daze.
"Yang Chen, let go now!" Qin Xi urged anxiously.
"Yang Chen, I order you to throw this bastard out right now, or don't even think about staying in this house," Zhou Yucui shouted furiously.
"Mom, Dad's acting like this because he's drunk. You know he's not usually like this!" Qin Xi retorted angrily before turning to Yang Chen. "Don't listen to Mom! Help me get Dad to his room."
Yang Chen nodded slightly and released Qin Dayong's wrist.
The pain had indeed helped sober Qin Dayong up a little. Though still somewhat drunk, he was noticeably more coherent. He glared coldly at Yang Chen. "Even a worthless piece of trash like you dares to lay hands on me now? Just you wait!"
With that threat, Qin Dayong staggered off to his room on his own.
"Yang Chen, how dare you! On your very first day in this house, you're already defying me. If I let you stay, will you try to replace me as the head of this household next?" Zhou Yucui was livid, pointing at the door as she yelled, "Get out! Don't even think about staying here from now on."
Yang Chen felt a surge of anger but suppressed it for the sake of Qin Xi and Xiao Xiao.
"Mom, what exactly do you want?" Qin Xi burst into tears. "With you and Dad fighting like this, isn't the family in enough chaos already?"
"Xiao Xi, Mom's doing this for your own good, so you don't end up like me! Look at your dad—I married him despite his family's disapproval, and what happened? Not only was he ostracized by the family, but now he drinks all day and even hits me!" Zhou Yucui's face still bore the mark of a slap as she cried out emotionally. "All I want is for you to marry someone wealthy, to live a good life. Is that so wrong?"
"But he's still Xiao Xiao's father! My husband!" Qin Xi's eyes reddened.
"Xiao Xiao is your daughter, but you're my daughter too! My love is selfish—I just want you to have a good life!" Zhou Yucui wept even harder. "You gave birth to his child, endured five years of hardship for him, but what about him? Does he know how you've suffered all these years? Is he worthy of being Xiao Xiao's father? Of being your husband? No! He doesn't deserve it!"
Zhou Yucui was hysterical, tears streaming down her face.
Yang Chen stood frozen, silent, his mind echoing Zhou Yucui's words: *He doesn't deserve it!*
Qin Xi glanced at Yang Chen, her heart aching with sympathy. She wanted to tell everyone that Yang Chen wasn't worthless—he was a hero who had served their country. But she couldn't say a word.
That night, Yang Chen slept in the storage room. Though it was only about four or five square meters and he had to make do with a makeshift bed on the floor, he felt more at ease there than in the luxurious, billion-dollar Cloud Peak Summit villa. Because his wife and daughter's room was right next door.
"Mommy, you lied!" Xiao Xiao pouted, her face full of grievance as she saw Qin Xi climb into bed.
"Huh?" Qin Xi was confused. "When did Mommy lie to you?"
"You said Daddy would live with us!" Xiao Xiao's eyes welled up with tears, on the verge of crying.
"Mommy didn't lie. He's in the room next to ours."
"Then why is Daddy sleeping next door? I want Daddy to hold me while I sleep. Mommy, can I go call Daddy over?"
"Daddy's very tired from work today and is already asleep. Let's not disturb him, okay?"
"No! I want Daddy! I want Daddy now!"
Xiao Xiao suddenly burst into tears.
Hearing his daughter's cries from the next room, Yang Chen rushed over immediately. "Xiao Xiao, don't cry. Daddy's here!"
At the sound of her father's voice, the little girl's sobs stopped instantly. She scrambled up and threw herself into Yang Chen's arms.
"Daddy, I thought you didn't want Xiao Xiao anymore!" She clung tightly to Yang Chen's neck, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Xiao Xiao is Daddy's daughter. How could Daddy not want you?" Yang Chen reassured her.
Qin Xi watched Xiao Xiao's attachment to Yang Chen with a twinge of jealousy. She had raised her daughter single-handedly, yet Xiao Xiao had grown so attached to Yang Chen in such a short time.
Sensing Qin Xi's emotions, Yang Chen gently placed Xiao Xiao back on the bed, wiping her tears away as softly as he could. "Xiao Xiao, Daddy has to work tomorrow and is very tired now. He needs to sleep. You should go to bed with Mommy too, okay?"
Xiao Xiao's lips quivered, on the verge of crying again. "Daddy, can't you sleep with Mommy and me? I'm scared without you!"
"Scared of what?" Yang Chen asked, puzzled.
"Scared that Daddy will leave me again!" Xiao Xiao couldn't hold back anymore, her tears falling like raindrops.
Those words struck Yang Chen and Qin Xi like a dagger to the heart.
For Yang Chen, the pain was unbearable. The thought of his daughter missing five years of a father's love filled him with guilt.
Qin Xi's eyes reddened too. Whether she wanted to accept Yang Chen or not, he was her daughter's father—a bond that couldn't be severed.
"Xiao Xiao, don't cry. Daddy won't leave. He'll stay with us tonight!" Qin Xi quickly said.
Yang Chen was stunned. Seeing Qin Xi on the verge of tears weighed heavily on him. Sleeping beside a man she had no feelings for must have been hard for her. Yet, for their daughter's sake, she endured it.
Perhaps this was what maternal love looked like.
Xiao Xiao finally stopped crying, still clinging to Yang Chen's neck, afraid he might disappear.
The three of them lay in bed together, Xiao Xiao nestled between them.
Neither Yang Chen nor Qin Xi could fall asleep.
Exhausted from crying—or perhaps feeling safe in her father's arms—Xiao Xiao soon drifted off.
Though asleep, her arms remained tightly wrapped around Yang Chen's neck. He didn't dare move, letting her hold him as long as she wanted.
He didn't feel the slightest bit tired—only an overwhelming sense of happiness.
After what felt like an eternity, Xiao Xiao suddenly turned over in her sleep, releasing Yang Chen.
Reluctantly, Yang Chen carefully got up, gently tucking his wife and daughter in before quietly leaving.
No matter how much he wanted to stay, he had to go.
He understood that Qin Xi's acceptance wasn't out of love for him—it was all for their daughter.
Now that Xiao Xiao was asleep, he had no reason to stay.
What he didn't know was that the moment he left, Qin Xi opened her eyes in the darkness.
A silent sigh escaped her lips.
It was destined to be a sleepless night.
The man and woman separated by just a wall both lay awake, lost in thought.