The housekeeper couldn't bear it:
"Young Master Lu, you should leave this little girl behind. After all, no matter how good someone is who finds her, she's not biological. So there will inevitably be a gap. It's better to look at the one right under your nose—at least you can be more at ease."
Lu Junhan looked at Lu Li's small back and said nothing.
She seemed truly angry, pouting her little mouth without even glancing at him, her face buried tightly against Song Qingwan's neck.
Just like how she used to cling to him, she now clung to Song Qingwan.
It should have been his privilege.
She was clearly his daughter…
Yet now, he was the one being resented.
Lu Junhan had never been someone easily swayed or one to deviate from his plan. He had decided before: he would find a suitable family to adopt this little girl. His people naturally had to follow that directive.
That's always been the rule, whether in the Lu Corporation or the Lu family.
But now…
Lu Junhan's brows knit tighter. His lips moved, but having never coaxed a child in his life, he didn't know what to say.
The housekeeper tried again: "You see, Young Master…"
Lu Junhan averted his gaze. He simply couldn't bear to look anymore. Pressing his thin lips together, he turned away, spitting out a cold line:
"Do whatever you want. Raise her if you like! Anyway, the Lu family won't go broke feeding one more mouth. But you'd better keep her out of my sight if she's got nothing to do!"
Just a little troublemaker who came out of nowhere. He didn't care to keep her.
After speaking, he turned and left with a cold face, but the restlessness in his heart only grew.
The butler shrugged, clearly unbothered by the threat.
Ah, Lu Shao was just being stubborn.
A classic dead duck with a stiff mouth.
Children's emotions come and go quickly.
When Lu Li realized her father wanted her again, all her little grievances disappeared in a flash, replaced by gleaming joy.
But her happiness was short-lived. The next second, she saw him walking away again. Anxiously, she slipped out of Song Qingwan's arms and rushed after him, crying:
"Dad, Daddy, wait for me! You forgot about Lili!"
She couldn't let him leave. What if someone tried to hurt her dad?
Now that Daddy finally wanted her, she was so, so happy!
Lu Junhan hadn't expected her to suddenly run after him, and when he heard her words—he didn't know why—but his footsteps paused.
His heart trembled slightly.
Even so, he didn't stop. His pace resumed, but much slower—just slow enough for her to catch up.
Lu Li quickly ran over and grabbed his large, well-defined hand with her small, soft one.
Her little hand was so small and delicate, it felt like he could crush it with just a bit of force.
Lu Junhan stiffened slightly but didn't shake her off.
Seeing that he didn't reject her, the little girl's eyes lit up like stars. Her voice turned sweet and soft:
"Daddy, I'm so happy…"
The man curled his lips slightly. He still thought this child was a nuisance. One moment she was bawling that she didn't want him, the next she was clinging to him with that delighted little face.
Who knew what went on in that silly head of hers.
Lu Junhan had lived with a cold face since childhood. There had never been anything that truly made him happy.
Even now, with the largest business empire in Haicheng under his command, endless wealth and prestige—none of it stirred him. He still felt bored.
Yet now… for some reason…
He was a little curious.
He raised an eyebrow and asked the enthusiastic little troublemaker: "Why are you so happy?"
[Dad may act tough now, but he's on the path of endlessly spoiling his daughter! Constantly contradicting himself and loving it!]
"I don't know," Lu Li shook her head honestly, "I'm just happy when I'm with Daddy!"
Lu Junhan paused, staring into her clear, honest eyes. He looked down and, for the first time, the corners of his mouth twitched softly.
This little thing sure had a sweet mouth.
Who had taught her this?
The Lu family's main hall was massive. Lu Li, with her tiny legs, soon started to pant.
Still, she stubbornly tried to keep up.
She couldn't lose her father!
She was here to protect him!
Three seconds later—
The little girl tugged on his hand, panting and sweating, crying out pitifully, "Daddy, I'm tired… I can't walk anymore…"
Lu Junhan glanced down at her, thinking he could just find a spot for her to sit.
But then, he remembered how she had snuggled against Song Qingwan earlier.
His eyes darkened. Seeing the sweat on her little face, he muttered "troublesome," then bent down and picked her up with one arm.
Sure enough, just like Song Qingwan said—soft, squishy, as if boneless. He didn't even dare use too much force.
A sweet, milky scent wafted from the little girl.
The man frowned but didn't say anything—and didn't put her down either.
Holding her like this, he felt something in his heart become full.
Lu Li was stunned for a moment, then her eyes sparkled. She wrapped her little arms around his neck, grinning ear to ear:
"Daddy, you're so nice! I love you so much!"
Lu Junhan snorted coldly, "Little flatterer."
Lu Li widened her eyes: "Lili's a carp spirit, not a flatterer! Daddy, you got it wrong."
"Carp spirit? Watching too many cartoons?" He sneered. "Why not call yourself a little princess while you're at it?"
"Does Daddy like little princesses?"
Lu Li didn't quite know what that was. There were only little fairies in heaven, but that didn't stop her from being her daddy's bootlicker: "If Daddy likes little princesses, then Lili's a little princess!"
Lu Junhan abruptly halted.
He'd heard all kinds of flattery before—usually with ulterior motives. But this…
Looking into Lu Li's sincere eyes, so full of him and only him, something inside him trembled again.
He realized, perhaps for the first time, that he didn't completely hate children.
His gaze deepened. He reached out and pinched her chubby cheek.
Soft. Incredibly soft.
No wonder Song Qingwan liked to pinch her so much.
He narrowed his eyes. That old woman better watch out.
"Daddy?" the little girl tilted her head.
Lu Junhan pinched her cheek again, then withdrew his hand and said calmly, "There was something dirty on your face. I wiped it off."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Daddy, you're so good to Lili!" she chirped happily. "You're the best daddy in the world!"
"You didn't just say I was a bad daddy who didn't want you? Now I'm the best?" He raised an eyebrow.
He didn't even know why he was pressing this issue.
Lu Li puffed up her cheeks: "You didn't want Lili first! The one who doesn't want Lili is a bad daddy!"
"So what about now?"
The little girl looked serious: "You're a good daddy now! The best daddy ever!"
Lu Junhan looked at her flattering face, reached out a large hand, and patted her head. A faint, imperceptible smile tugged at his lips.
"You little sycophant."
At last, the irritation in his heart subsided.
This little troublemaker wasn't so bad.
At least she could talk sweetly.
Not too troublesome.
Maybe… raising her in the Lu family wouldn't be so impossible after all.
Watching this scene unfold from behind, Song Qingwan snorted coldly and huffed proudly:
"Told you! No one can resist my granddaughter! Not even that arrogant brat Lu Junhan!"
Housekeeper: "..."