Tongue-tied Fu Pei stood in silence for a short moment before he turned to take off his school uniform, which he then threw onto the sofa. He had on a long-sleeved undershirt and his folded cuffs revealed his strong and well-shaped arms.
Wordlessly, Fu Pei went to the table and took a glass of water, but a fair hand stopped him before the glass could even reach his lips. Fu Pei slowly lowered his head and glanced at Fu Ting.
The girl's fingers were slim and pink. One could instantly tell Fu Ting seemed to have been pampered well at first glance. Her neatly trimmed nails formed a strong contrast to his rough, tanned skin.
Fu Pei lazily rubbed his eyes. "What is it?" he gruffly asked.
He stood before Fu Ting, as tall as a wall. From Fu Ting's point of view, she could see Fu Pei's slightly raised, tense jaw.
Fu Ting's eyelashes quivered. Her crystal-like eyes seemed to reflect the moonlight, and her soft voice was clear and pleasant to the ear. "Dad, drinking cold water is bad for your health," she spoke softly. "I've boiled water for you."
She took his glass and ran into the small kitchen. Fu Ting replaced his cold drink with much warmer water and handed it to him like a genuinely filial daughter.
Her facial expression indicated that she was a good and obedient daughter; her father would surely hate to leave her.
Fu Pei's eyebrows furrowed as his ink-black eyes locked on the girl's delicate little face. The temperature of the cup reached his fingertips and his hand trembled slightly.
The young man had always grown up in bad condition and experienced many hardships, but at this moment, he felt warm inside.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and his free hand unfastened the button near his neck. He pondered for a few seconds and his eyes were cold. "How do you know that I live here?" he asked.
Fu Ting's black eyes gleamed with the dim light. "I've told you, I'm your future daughter. Of course I know where you live."
Again…
Fu Pei's temples ached at the thought of being stuck in an inescapable, sticky situation. He pressed on his glabella. His handsome face was emotionless and his eyes looked sullen. "Little Fool, stop bothering me," he spoke. "I don't care how you found my address, but this isn't your home." He then warned, "My patience has its limit. Get out immediately!"
Fu Ting's eyes were pure and clear. She looked down at her toes and unconsciously played with her fingers.
Annoyed, the teenager grabbed her hand and violently pushed her out of the door.
Looking at the closed door, the dejected Fu Ting looked like a deflated balloon. The journey of helping her father was so difficult. "I won't go," she asserted toward the chink in the door.
Inside the house...
Fu Pei's thin lips tilted into a sneer. This little brat was really persistent in tricking him!
No! He would not fall for it.
Fu Pei raised his hand to turn off the light. He then turned around, laid on the bed, and fell asleep.
An hour passed, Fu Pei had tossed and turned for countless times.
Two hours passed, Fu Pei had counted thousands of sheeps.
Three hours passed, Fu Pei got out of bed with a stern face.
It was quiet outside and he did not know if Little Fool was gone. Of course, he was not worried about her; he just did not want to get into trouble.
Fu Pei comforted himself and opened the door while dawdling.
Lo-and-behold, the girl crouched by the door as she hugged her knees. She looked so pitiful...
Fu Pei felt his head throbbing. "Why haven't you gone home yet? Are you planning to stick with me forever?"
"I'm alone, I've got no place to go. If you abandon me, I'll have no home." Fu Ting bit her lip and her innocent eyes swam with tears.
She looked like a pitiful newborn animal that was miserably abandoned by the owner.
Was that not so?
She was reborn in this unfamiliar era, and she knew no one here. She was not registered in any household, and society would not accept her. She would be lying if she said she was unafraid. Moreover, her only family had vehemently rejected her.
The more she thought of it, the more depressed she became.
Fu Ting could not help but cried and spoke through her sobs, "Dad, you've been dead for three years, leaving me behind," she wailed. "I had to protect myself from your anti-fans and make money to pay your debts. I drowned in an accident and died but was then reborn to this era when you're just a teenager."
"It was hard to fund my expenses in search of you, so much so that I had to collect recyclables. I've spent all my money, and now you abandon me... Are you trying to push me to a dead end?" she spoke, forlorn.
Fu Pei was overwhelmed with questions.
His face cracked for a moment.
...