"Young Master, beyond this town lies Windchime Town," Xue Song's voice called from outside the carriage.
"Alright, I understand," Yan Jin Chao's voice replied from within the carriage.
He lowered his head, looking at the little one sleeping soundly on his lap, a slight smile involuntarily rising to his lips.
It would be nice if he had a little one like this to be his daughter.
The little one's cheeks puffed and deflated with each breath, a sight he found amusing.
He couldn't resist reaching out to touch the child's face.
His touch met a smoothness that was exceptionally refined.
"Daddy..."
The little one suddenly mumbled these two words.
His hand froze in mid-air. The child seemed to be reaching for something. He instinctively extended his index finger, and the small hand closed around it, gripping it tightly.
The little one brought his finger to her cheek and then sweetly drifted back to sleep.
Yan Jin Chao felt the last shard of ice that had resided in his heart for ten thousand years melt away.
"Daddy, don't leave me... I'll be very good..."
Yan Jin Chao's eyes softened considerably. He whispered, "I won't. Sleep now!"
Xue Xing Yue had a dream. In it, her father was gentle, played with her, and lulled her to sleep. This was the kind of father she wanted.
Xue Xing Yue woke up to complete darkness. She shivered and cried out, "Daddy..."
But no one answered her.
"Daddy..." Without bothering to dress or put on her shoes, she scrambled out of bed. In the darkness, she tripped over a chair and fell to the ground.
Pain shot through her body, and she couldn't help but cry out. Had Daddy abandoned her?
Yan Jin Chao, who was in the adjacent room, heard the commotion, even the cry of "Daddy," from Xue Xing Yue's sleeping quarters. Without a second thought, he got up and headed towards the room.
Xue Song, who had been explaining the terrain of Windchime Village, looked up to find his young master gone. He chuckled wryly.
Yan Jin Chao pushed open the door. Even in the darkness, he immediately spotted the little one who had fallen beside a chair. "Little one..."
He stepped forward, intending to pick her up, but before he could, the child surged into his arms. "Daddy, Daddy..."
The little one was very aggrieved, but seeing him, the disappointment turned into surprise, and she finally let it all out.
Her tearful voice was soft, a sound that tugged at the heart.
"Little one, don't cry..." Yan Jin Chao hugged the child, comforting her.
Xue Xing Yue sniffled, "I'm not crying. I... I'm just unhappy."
Yan Jin Chao looked at the stubborn child and couldn't help but smile. "Alright, you're not crying."
Xue Xing Yue reached out her small hands and wrapped them around his neck, pouting. "I thought Daddy had abandoned me and didn't want me anymore."
The little one was serious.
Yan Jin Chao reached out and stroked the ends of her hair, still damp from crying. "I won't."
Xue Xing Yue turned her face away. "It better be that way, or I'll be very angry."
Yan Jin Chao patted her head. "Sleep now!"
The little one yawned and slumped onto him, falling asleep once more.
What a sleepy little pig she was.
Yan Jin Chao's lips curved upwards.
Xue Song stared, taken aback, at his young master holding the little one. "Young Master..."
"Keep your voice down," Yan Jin Chao said.
He didn't want to discuss Windchime Village while holding the child, but this time, even though the little one was asleep, her small hand was tightly clutching his clothes, making it impossible to break free.
He didn't force himself free either, afraid of waking the child.
"Young Master, someone delivered this earlier. I'm not sure what it means," Xue Song handed it over, spreading the paper on the table.
Yan Jin Chao saw that the paper was blank except for drawings of stars and a moon.
He frowned slightly. What did all this mean?
He couldn't understand it either.
"Daddy, what is this?" the little one in his arms suddenly woke up.
"I'd like to know too. Your Uncle Xue Song found it by chance," Yan Jin Chao replied.
Xue Song, standing nearby, gave a slight start, thinking to himself that his young master was finally starting to act like a father.
The little one glanced at it twice, then her eyes lit up. "Uncle Xue Song, who sent this?"
Xue Song shook his head. "I don't know. The inn attendant delivered it."
"Go and ask," Yan Jin Chao said.
Xue Song went out to inquire with the inn attendant.
Yan Jin Chao looked at the little one's face, full of surprise, and couldn't help but ask, "Do you recognize it?"
The little one looked up, her face beaming. "Daddy, this is from my mother."
Yan Jin Chao was taken aback. The little one's mother?
For some reason, hearing about the child's mother gave him an indescribable feeling.
It was a sense of loss. If the child's mother had found her, would the child be leaving him soon?
Would she turn and run into the arms of her mother and real father?
The thought of no longer being called "Daddy" by the child brought him a sense of desolation, a touch of unhappiness.
"Little one, you must be looking forward to meeting your mother and..."
He couldn't bring himself to say the word "father."
"Of course, Mother must miss me too..." The little one didn't hide her joy at all.
Yan Jin Chao's gaze darkened considerably, the brilliance of the stars being obscured by a haze. Xue Xing Yue was so focused on seeing her mother that she overlooked his feelings.
Perhaps she couldn't have imagined that her daddy would miss her so soon.
"Don't worry, I will safely deliver you to your mother's care."
Yan Jin Chao said slowly.
The relationship between the little one and himself was neither proper nor established. It was best for her to be by her parents' side.
Even if he was reluctant, he couldn't keep the child away from her parents.
At this moment, he felt a desire to have a child of his own.
But what about the child's mother?
The image of the Empress flashed in his mind.
He quickly dismissed the thought. What was he thinking?
The Empress was in the capital now. He was truly harboring futile wishes.
Yes, he was deluding himself. Back in Northern Frontier City, he had secretly left because he didn't want his emotions to become too intense. After all, he couldn't accept becoming a member of the Empress's harem. Since he couldn't accept it, he shouldn't give either of them hope.
But after so much time had passed, he found he couldn't meet anyone else who could stir his heart.
"Daddy, what are you thinking about?" Xue Xing Yue also noticed that her daddy seemed lost in thought.
"Little one, I am happy that you can return to your mother's side."
Xue Xing Yue smiled. "Daddy, you'll see Mother too. Aren't you happy?"
Yan Jin Chao paused. "Little one, shouldn't you be the one happy to see your mother?"
"I want Mother, and I want Daddy too," Xue Xing Yue said.
Yan Jin Chao frowned. "Little one, your father would be unhappy if he heard that."
"You are my daddy!"
"Isn't your father around?" Yan Jin Chao asked.
"Yes, I've never seen him since I was born."