The man in front of her had neatly trimmed short hair, was dressed in a deep black suit, and with his young and handsome features, he was the epitome of a man in his prime at the age of forty.
He may have not been the pinnacle of elite nobility, but he was more than sufficient, with a substantial fortune and a well-proportioned appearance, no wonder young wives and daughters flocked to him like bees to a flower, vying to become his young stepmother.
At this moment, this middle-aged man—heralded by many as a wealthy tycoon—was looking at her with a face full of surprise and trepidation.
That careful expression and questioning gaze was truly... heartbreaking.
Ming Ge felt a slight warmth around her eyes.
Her almost greedy gaze swept inch by inch across the man's face.
Hmm, it seemed like there was an additional wrinkle at the corner of his eye, and a few more strands of silver at his temples.
Nevertheless, he was still so handsome.
That was good.
Her father was still alive and so healthy and young, not like the last memory she had from a previous life, of him bedridden and emaciated, wasting away in the hospital bed.
Ming Ge suppressed the sourness at the tip of her nose, and a radiant smile bloomed on her clear and bright face, as she casually called out a name she had not used for lifetimes: "Dad."
She walked over, naturally and without any hint of strangeness, took Ming Zhiyuan's arm, tilted her head, and said coyly, "What, don't you recognize me?"
When his daughter, who had always been antagonistic towards him, hugged his arm and showed such long-absent affection, Ming Zhiyuan first stiffened, then a wave of tender emotion flooded his heart, making him melt.
It seemed like ages since the father and daughter had spoken calmly and peacefully; never mind the daughter cooing to him like this. Ming Zhiyuan's eyes slightly moistened, and he quickly replied, "How could I not recognize you? My darling Nannan is so beautiful that even in a crowd, Dad could spot her in an instant."
"Really?" Ming Ge wrinkled her nose, "Old man, you'd better not lie to me."
"Liars are little puppies."
"..."
While the father and daughter were talking, they completely ignored the white lotus mother and daughter.
Yin Ruowei gave her mother a look as if to ask: What's going on?
Ming Ge was displeased with Ming Zhiyuan for marrying her mother, Yin Yilan, as his next wife. She was always either fiercely glaring or coldly mocking him. When had she ever been this harmonious with him?
Yin Yilan gently patted her daughter's back and gave her a reassuring look.
Then, she stood up, a graceful and gentle smile on her orchid-like face, her eyes filled with contentment as she said, "Xiaoge, seeing you reconciled with your father soothes my heart, and I feel at ease now. These years, seeing you and your father in conflict because of me has always made Auntie Yin feel guilty and anxious..."
"Stop right there."
The radiant smile on Ming Ge's stunning face faded, and a hint of sarcasm emerged in her delicately beautiful brows and eyes, as she said without courtesy, "Auntie Yin, please don't say things like 'seeing you back with your dad makes me feel at peace.'"
Her words were sharp, but she was no longer the petulant and irrational heiress; her tone was indolent and cold, yet her red lips curved in a smile that left no room for criticism.
"For one, my father and I are blood-tied, bound in a way that cannot be severed, and even if we were to hold a grudge or have a quarrel for a while, we wouldn't be estranged till death. So, Dad and I reconciling is something I've come to realize on my own. It has nothing to do with you, Auntie Yin."
— Don't take any credit for it.
To Yin Yilan, Ming Ge's smile seemed mocking and scornful, as if conveying just that.