Mu Shen had no idea how to interact with children. Already a man of few words, he now found himself sitting with Ruanruan in a staring match.
"Why are you still here? Done with work?" Not knowing what to say to Ruanruan, he simply glanced coldly at Secretary Jin.
Miss Jin, feeling goosebumps all over her body, promptly straightened up as if she was about to salute.
"I'll be leaving right away."
Then, she reluctantly left, looking back three times with each step she took.
"Goodbye, sister," Ruanruan said, waving her little paw pitifully.
"Goodbye, Little Lovely!" Secretary Jin, already at the door, turned around, hopped, and waved her arms before quickly slipping away under Mu Shen's icy gaze.
Despite wearing high heels, she moved as if she had wheels of wind and fire!
"Daddy, you work. Ruanruan will be good and not disturb you."
Having said goodbye to the pretty sister, Ruanruan sat primly with an obedient look on her face.
"Mhm." Mu Shen thought about it, indeed not knowing what to say to the little one who'd suddenly appeared. The little one sat quietly beside him, so he continued with his work.
After sitting quietly for a while, Ruanruan began to feel bored.
She rolled her eyes and carefully tugged at Mu Shen's sleeve.
"Daddy, can I read a book?"
Mu Shen turned his head slightly, meeting the little one's eager gaze.
"See if you can understand it," he said, handing her a book from the table.
Ruanruan took it, but upon opening it, whined... It was all strange symbols she couldn't comprehend.
Disheartened, Ruanruan put the book down. Her master had taught her many words, and she could recognize many, but not these types of characters.
"You can't understand the books here. Watch TV for now; I'll go upstairs to handle things."
Mu Shen suddenly stood up, startling little Ruanruan.
"Daddy, did Ruanruan disturb you?" she asked timidly.
"No, don't overthink it."
Mu Shen, unable to resist, placed his palm on Little Monk's smooth head and rubbed it a couple of times. Satisfied at last!
Ruanruan's eyes brightened instantly, and her chubby little face broke into an especially shameless smile.
The Monk always liked to stroke her little head too. He said those who touch Ruanruan's little bald head really like Ruanruan.
"Daddy, you don't dislike Ruanruan," Little Monk said crisply. Mu Shen's hand stiffened, slowly withdrew, and his face remained expressionless.
"Just watch TV." With that, he left Ruanruan with only the sight of his tall figure.
The Butler, smiling cheerfully, watched the young master leave, then turned the TV on for Ruanruan.
The TV screen on the wall was huge, and the picture was incredibly clear, currently showing a cartoon that the Butler had specifically chosen.
Ruanruan, who had never seen a TV before, was immediately captivated by the lively animation on the screen.
Her gaze glued to the TV, her expressions changed with the twists of the plot, incredibly animated.
The Butler and the other servants watched Ruanruan, their faces spontaneously breaking into auntie's smiles.
The once-quiet villa seemed to be infused with life, buzzing with energy. The various childlike sounds from the cartoons on TV, along with Ruanruan's occasional gasps and Little Baibai's responsive barks filled the air.
"Little Miss, it's time to eat." The scent of food wafted through the air, and soon the dining table was laden with a variety of tempting dishes.
Ruanruan and Little Baibai looked over at the same time, instinctively holding their slightly plump bellies—hungry...
At mealtime, Ruanruan reluctantly broke away her gaze, her little head turning left and right. Not seeing her daddy, she quietly asked the Butler.
"Uncle Butler, where's daddy? Daddy will come down to eat with us, right?"
"Yes, I'll go and call the young master right away."
"I'll go, I'll go!" Ruanruan bounced off the sofa, eagerly raising her little paw, and then scampered upstairs happily.
But she stopped halfway, her little face caught in a dilemma as she looked at the butler.
"Butler Uncle, where is Daddy... where is Daddy?"
The butler couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"I'll go with the little miss," he said.
"Yes, yes!" Ruanruan nodded like a pecking chick, stealing a glance at Little Baibai who was persistently trying to climb up.
"Little Baibai, you stay here patiently. I'll come down after I call Daddy," she instructed.
"Aoow~" Little Baibai rolled his eyes humanly. Having managed to climb only two steps, he looked down and suddenly didn't want to descend anymore; he simply sprawled his short legs out and lay on the steps, ears drooping, motionless.
Seeing Little Baibai's antics, the butler smiled inwardly and went upstairs with Ruanruan to find Mu Shen.
"Knock knock..."
The video conference was interrupted by the sudden knocking, Mu Shen's brows furrowing instantly. The people on the screen didn't dare breathe loudly, fearing he would explode in the next moment.
"Daddy, are you there?" Through the door, Ruanruan's milky voice seeped in.
Mu Shen's mood, initially soured by the interruption, seemed to be somewhat soothed by the voice.
"Let's end today's meeting here. Li Yan will handle the remaining issues."
Mu Shen closed the video before the others had time to react.
The crowd "..."
"What's going on? The boss didn't come to the office today, and now the meeting is suddenly interrupted when we were just about to finish!"
"This is really abnormal. Could the boss be concocting some grand scheme? We're doomed, we're doomed! We must produce a solid proposal this time, or else I feel we're all going to suffer!"
"Hey hey... Haven't you all noticed, did the boss's expression soften just now? I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I've never seen him with such a gentle expression before."
"Your eyes are the real problem. Could our CEO's icy face soften? What kind of daydream are you having?"
"Exactly..."
Everyone started packing up and left one after another. The man who had mentioned Mu Shen's softening expression touched his forehead.
"Ouch, my head feels somewhat hot. Turns out it wasn't my eyes hallucinating, it's my brain malfunctioning!"
Li Yan "..."
Your brain really might have some issues!
He saw it clearly. Just now, the CEO's eyes had indeed softened. It must've been because of that little lovely!
"Achoo..."
Ruanruan sneezed loudly, chubby hands rubbing her little nose.
"Is the little miss catching a cold?" the butler immediately grew concerned, already taking out his phone to call the family doctor.
"No, I'm not," Ruanruan shook her head, then cheerfully added, "It must be Master thinking of Ruanruan!"
"Click..."
The door opened, and Mu Shen's tall, imposing figure appeared at the doorway. Ruanruan, craning her little neck to look up at him, reached out to tug on his pants.
"Daddy, time to eat. You have to eat to stay healthy," she said, her sweet voice carrying a subtle note of coyness.
Mu Shen looked down at the little one who barely reached his thigh and nodded slightly with a hum.
The butler smiled with relief, glancing inside the room to see the computer already shut down. In a moment, he guessed what his young master had been doing moments ago. However, coming out without anger or a cold expression indicated that work matters had probably been resolved.
Mu Shen moved forward, taking smaller steps than usual. Ruanruan, her little legs going pitter-patter, quickly followed behind without much effort.
The butler watched the tall and the small figures from the back, his eyes brimming with tears. The young master was no longer alone; look, there was another little one, and just like that, the backdrop of the young master's life felt warmer.