"Are you Yueyue's father?" Chen Ziming asked, his tone noticeably more deferential than before, despite his prior respect.
He called her Yueyue… A flame of anger ignited within Su Minghua, but he suppressed it.
He still possessed that much self-control.
"To be precise, I am her stepfather."
Chen Ziming was genuinely surprised by his answer.
This was something he hadn't anticipated.
Then Su Yue's reaction that day seemed somewhat suspicious. She had clearly shown fear and panic at his appearance.
Sensing his doubt, Su Minghua let out a cold laugh and spoke:
"How did Su Yue introduce me to you?"
"She didn't mention you," Chen Ziming replied truthfully, looking at him, waiting for him to continue.
The expression on Director Su's face darkened further. He let out a long sigh and took a sip of water, as if to calm his anger.
After a moment, he spoke:
"I know what you're thinking. She's afraid of me, and she dislikes me. Don't you want to know why?"
"Please, tell me."
Chen Ziming truly wanted to hear this story.
"I met her mother thirteen years ago, when Yueyue was seven."
He lit a cigarette and took a puff, his voice tinged with melancholy as he recalled the past.
"I was thirty-seven then, but due to my playful nature, I hadn't married. Not until I met Yueyue's mother."
"She was working as a waitress at a restaurant, with little Su Yue by her side. They seemed to be living a difficult life, but she always had a smile on her face. She was also beautiful and gentle. The moment I saw her, I was smitten."
"After that, I visited often and gradually learned her story. Yueyue's biological father was a drunkard. Every time he drank too much, he would beat her, sometimes even laying hands on Yueyue. Later, perhaps as retribution, he fell into a river after a drinking binge and died."
"They were left as a widowed mother and child, with no one to care for them. Do you know what I admired most about my wife? It was her indomitable spirit in the face of fate. Despite being an uneducated, frail woman, she could still face life with a smile and take excellent care of herself and Yueyue."
"Gentle, kind, simple, and optimistic. The more Yueyue and I spent time with her, the more I loved her. So, later, I proposed to her."
Chen Ziming listened quietly. A fleeting look of heartache crossed his face when he heard about Su Yue's alcoholic biological father.
But he didn't interrupt, instead listening even more intently.
Su Minghua's face mirrored a happy smile as he spoke, as if he had returned to those early days of meeting Jiang Ling.
"As the saying goes, love me, love my dog. Yueyue was indeed a delightful child, so from the moment I married her mother, I treated her as my own daughter. You can ask her if I fulfilled my responsibilities as a father."
"I sent her to the best schools, bought her whatever she wanted. Whenever I had free time, I would take them out. Before bed, I would tell her stories…"
"My wife had suffered a lot in the past, and her health wasn't very good. Also, considering Yueyue's feelings, we didn't have any more children. That period was truly the happiest time of my life. I didn't have grand ambitions; having the one I loved by my side and a lovely daughter, I felt my life was complete."
He paused here, as if emerging from a sweet reverie. He looked at Chen Ziming, his expression now tinged with sadness.
"However, a stepfather is ultimately not a biological father. Perhaps I wanted to protect my wife and daughter too much, so I was more controlling with Yueyue."
"She was entering puberty then, becoming increasingly disobedient. She started boarding at school and not coming home. The only times she'd call me 'Dad' were when she needed money; otherwise, she was resisting me. I couldn't help it. You'll understand this feeling when you become a father yourself."
"But what truly created the rift between us was during the college entrance exam application. I wanted her to apply to a police academy, thinking it would give her a more stable future within my means. She agreed on the surface, and we were all very happy that day. The family even went out for a meal together."
At this point, his voice dropped. He lowered his head and extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray. After a moment to collect himself, he spoke:
"However, behind my back, she changed her application herself."