There was no grand flourish, no exaggerated gesture, just a small nod and the faintest curve of a smile that suggested understanding and perhaps, a hidden amusement at her unabashed charm.
Huaijin's heart soared. 'Perfect. That's exactly the reaction I wanted.'
"Goodbye!" she chirped as she waved at him and his small entourage.
She had already noticed that the boys he was with seemed like companions, friends, or classmates, perhaps, but she had no interest in them.
'It's him I need to remember,' she thought, 'the one who is calm and doesn't fuss, and treats me nicely.'
As Huaijin made her way back to her father, she yawned lazily, stretching her tiny arms like a kitten waking from a long nap.
"Daddy…" she murmured, tilting her head and letting her big, innocent eyes meet his. "I'm sleepy… can we go home now?"
Yuanfeng, who had been observing her carefully, his chest swelling with a quiet tenderness, immediately nodded.
