"Daddy?"
Nuannuan looked at Ye Jinghuai's suddenly changed expression with some concern.
"Nuannuan, Daddy might have to go out for a bit. You go to sleep first."
Ye Jinghuai thought it must have been left in the banquet hall. After telling Nuannuan, he immediately got up to leave.
"Daddy~ Nuannuan wants to go too!"
"Nuannuan, be good. Daddy will be back soon, okay?"
As they spoke, Uncle Li hurried over.
"Young Master, the gatekeeper called to say a lady picked up your things and is waiting at the entrance now."
"Let her in!"
Ye Jinghuai's lifted heart relaxed slightly. It should be Nuannuan's keychain.
Soon, Qiao Anqi walked in, still wearing the gown from the banquet. Her high heels made crisp "tap, tap" sounds on the floor.
{Eight years ago, they were ******, forced to go abroad. After reconnecting eight years later, the two ****** }
As soon as Qiao Anqi reached the door, the synopsis appeared. Nuannuan looked at the asterisks in the synopsis and felt her eyes turning into stars.
"Senior Brother, I bet you didn't expect it to be me?" Qiao Anqi spoke familiarly as soon as she entered.
"I found this keychain at the banquet. Seeing your daughter's photo on it, I thought it must be very important to you to keep it with you, so I hurried to deliver it."
Without waiting for Ye Jinghuai to speak, Qiao Anqi directly handed over the keychain, showing no other intentions.
"Thank you."
Ye Jinghuai quickly took the keychain and examined it carefully. Seeing that it was not damaged, his heart finally settled.
"Favorability +10," the system's prompt sounded in Qiao Anqi's ear.
"You're welcome. This must be your daughter, Senior Brother? She's so cute!" Qiao Anqi's smile widened upon hearing the prompt.
"Hello, Auntie~" Nuannuan called out obediently.
"Hello, little one!"
Qiao Anqi bent down to look at Nuannuan, showing no signs of anything unusual on her face.
"I came in a hurry and didn't bring anything. Coincidentally, this is a little something I bought in country A. Consider it a meeting gift! I hope you like it."
Qiao Anqi rummaged through her handbag and handed a delicate small box to Nuannuan.
"Thank you, Auntie~" Nuannuan accepted it and thanked her.
"You're welcome. Auntie will give you another one later, okay?" Qiao Anqi reached out to stroke Nuannuan's head.
Nuannuan immediately took a step back. Ye Jinghuai quickly stepped forward and picked Nuannuan up.
Qiao Anqi's expression remained unchanged. She stood up with a smile and looked at Ye Jinghuai.
"Since the item has been delivered, I'll be leaving. Let's catch up again when we have time!"
"Then thank you very much. This keychain is indeed very important." Ye Jinghuai sincerely expressed his gratitude again.
"Senior Brother, there's no need to be so polite. I'll be going now!" Qiao Anqi smiled at him and left without lingering.
"Uncle Li, escort Ms. Qiao." Ye Jinghuai added.
"Senior Brother, calling me Ms. Qiao makes us strangers." Qiao Anqi turned back and gave Ye Jinghuai a bright smile.
"No need to escort me. My car is right at the door. Goodbye!"
Before Ye Jinghuai could reply, Qiao Anqi directly refused. She left a more alluring smile and turned to leave briskly.
"Host, you're amazing! You really added ten points instantly." The system kept praising Qiao Anqi in her mind.
"It's nothing. I told you to trust me." Qiao Anqi was nonchalant.
"Daddy!" Nuannuan looked at Ye Jinghuai indignantly.
"What's wrong, Nuannuan?" Ye Jinghuai crouched down and poked Nuannuan's puffed-up little cheek.
"Daddy~ Nuannuan doesn't like that auntie. She wants to snatch Nuannuan's Daddy!" Nuannuan pouted aggrievedly.
"Heh heh~ How could that happen! Daddy won't be snatched away!"
Ye Jinghuai chuckled and was quite pleased with Nuannuan's concern for him.
"Hmph, hmph~"
Nuannuan didn't want to talk to her dad. She huffily opened the box in her hands, revealing a golden badge. The badge was a lotus with pointed petals made of pure gold, with layers of overlapping petal tips.
Nuannuan recognized the flower at a glance. It was the emblem worn on Zhong Yi's chest – the badge of the Management Bureau.
In an instant, Nuannuan understood Qiao Anqi's identity. Could a strategist also be a plot's female lead? She hadn't expected Qiao Anqi to be able to guess her identity.
Nuannuan was staring blankly at the badge.
Ye Jinghuai was displeased seeing the item in the box. Who would give a child such a sharp thing? What if Nuannuan got hurt?
"What is this thing?" Ye Jinghuai frowned tightly.
"Nuannuan, this thing is not good. Daddy will get you a better one tomorrow."
Saying that, without waiting for Nuannuan's reaction, he directly threw the box and its contents into the trash can. The favorability he had just developed towards Qiao Anqi instantly dropped back down.
"Daddy~ Nuannuan hasn't forgiven you yet!" Nuannuan put her hands on her hips and deliberately made a fierce expression.
Ye Jinghuai looked at her intentionally puffed-up little face and wanted to laugh.
"Then how can Nuannuan forgive Daddy?"
"The auntie who gave the gift is also not good!" Nuannuan said with a pout.
"Okay, neither is good. We don't want either."
"Mm-hmm~" Nuannuan raised her head proudly.
Meanwhile, Qiao Anqi was leisurely leaning against the car window, chatting with the system.
"Host, why did you specifically get a Management Bureau badge made as a gift for her?"
"I'm provoking her! Isn't it obvious? Telling her I know her identity, and also telling her mine." Qiao Anqi looked very interested.
"You could have stayed in the shadows. Why do something unnecessary? You have no advantage against her at all right now." The system expressed its dissatisfaction with her actions.
"Staying in the shadows is not my style. This is more interesting. Trust me, isn't the favorability gained earlier enough proof?" Qiao Anqi showed a confident smile.
As soon as she finished speaking, the news of favorability decreasing by twenty was heard again.
"Is this your proof?" The system was even more displeased.
"Heh~ Interesting. I didn't expect her to make a move so quickly."
"Now the favorability has even returned to zero. You are just a stranger to her."
"I can raise favorability from negative values to 100. What does returning to zero now mean? I just don't like overly stupid opponents."
"You are indeed excellent, but you are also too conceited!"
"The game has just begun, hasn't it?" Qiao Anqi still looked confident.
The system said nothing more. It could not interfere with Qiao Anqi's actions, and Qiao Anqi would not listen to its advice. Her years of success had made her too proud.