Qingyun’s gaze was filled with a hint of resentment. How was it that this little nephew of his spoke in such a hasty manner? He almost ended up embarrassing himself.

Yao Yao pinched her fingers together, feeling a little embarrassed. She hadn’t expected Qingyun Shibo to misunderstand.

“Little benefactor, did you not eat?”

Chen Hui had overheard her younger son’s words, and it seemed like the little benefactor hadn’t had any food. She was at an age where she needed to grow, so it was important not to delay her meals.

Yao Yao perked up at once when she heard this: “Are you inviting me to eat?”

Chen Hui, whose face had been pale, now revealed a smile. “Of course, no problem. We have plenty of food at home. You can have anything you want.”

When Yao Yao heard there was plenty of food, she excitedly shook her little fist. After doing so, she hesitated and said, “I eat a lot. Can I order enough to fill me up?”

She had some experience with this now. After all, the incident where Qingyun Shibo had nearly gone broke from her eating so much still hadn’t been forgotten.

“Don’t worry. You can eat as much as you want today. Our Gu family doesn’t even bat an eye at it.”

Gu Yu raised his chin slightly, speaking with utmost confidence.

Before long, a table was set up in the room, covered with all kinds of food—roast duck, qingtuan (green rice balls), pig knuckles, lobster, king crab…

Yao Yao’s eyes were glued to the spread. She carefully asked, “These must be expensive, right?”

She had only eaten a few bowls of noodles before, and that almost made Qingyun Shibo bankrupt. With so much food here, was the Gu family going to go bankrupt too because of her?

“No, not at all. We eat like this regularly,” Chen Hui said, sensing the little benefactor’s concern. She explained kindly, putting Yao Yao’s mind at ease, and she began to eat happily.

The soft, savory pig knuckle and the crispy, oily roast duck tasted absolutely incredible…

It wasn’t surprising. The chefs in the Gu family were all highly skilled, or they wouldn’t have been able to get the job.

Yao Yao’s mouth was covered in oil as she ate. She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, thinking that the Gu family’s food was just too good. If she could eat like this every day, that would be so wonderful. Qingyun, who was sitting beside her, was also eating with similar enthusiasm. He hadn’t expected that in his old age, he would get to enjoy such fine food, and he couldn’t help but feel teary-eyed.

Their Taoist temple didn’t forbid meat, so they had no dietary restrictions.

The reason they hadn’t eaten earlier was simple—because they couldn’t afford it.

“Don’t worry. If you don’t have enough, there’s more,” Chen Hui said, her tone gentle. She really liked this little one.

It wasn’t just because the child had saved her life. It was also because she found this little one’s temper very likable.

“Little benefactor, did you just arrive in the capital?” Chen Hui remembered the way she looked this morning, and now that there was some free time, she couldn’t help but ask.

“Yes,” Yao Yao replied, her voice muffled as she chewed on lobster meat. “I used to live on a mountain. But since my master passed away, I had no choice but to come and seek shelter with Shibo.”

The smell of the food was making her a little dazed. Those pilgrims weren’t wrong—the mountain really did have a lot of good food.

Yao Yao swallowed a piece of lobster meat and nodded slowly. At that moment, Qingyun’s face turned a little awkward. “I’m not very skilled. I’ve failed my senior brother’s trust.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He had thought that raising a child would be simple, but now he realized how difficult it was to take care of Yao Yao. It turned out he really couldn’t afford to raise this nephew of his.

Chen Hui looked at the two of them, both dressed in patched clothes, and quickly guessed that they were struggling. Thinking of the adorable little benefactor, she couldn’t bear the thought of them going hungry. She held back her emotions for a moment, but finally, she couldn’t stop herself from saying:

“Little benefactor, Shibo, you see, my family is actually missing a daughter. I feel like there’s a special connection between me and the little benefactor. Would it be possible for me to adopt her as my daughter?”

The moment those words left her mouth, both Qingyun and Yao Yao, who was busy eating, looked up in surprise.

“Am I being too forward?”

Chen Hui noticed the looks on their faces and quickly realized that what she had said might not be appropriate. After all, they had real elders, and her words might have seemed like she was trying to take someone else’s child.

“It’s not that,” Qingyun said, shaking his head. “I don’t mind. The main thing is whether Yao Yao agrees. If she’s willing, I’m fine with it.”

Qingyun was very clear about his own abilities. If Yao Yao stayed with him, it would be a challenge to keep her well-fed, let alone live comfortably. But the Gu family, being wealthy merchants in the capital, had no such concerns. For Yao Yao to be adopted by them would be a great opportunity.

Chen Hui’s eyes suddenly brightened upon hearing this.

She turned to Yao Yao, her hands clenched into nervous fists.

“Shibo, are you really going to abandon me?”

“I’ll eat less in the future, so don’t leave me…”

Upon hearing this, Yao Yao immediately stopped eating. Her little lips pouted, and her big eyes began to redden with tears.

Although Qingyun Shibo was poor, he carried the scent of her master, and she really liked that feeling. Now that he was telling her he might not want her, she immediately felt a deep sense of loss and began to cry.

“I’m not abandoning you,” Qingyun said, his tone softening. “It’s just that… I want to find someone who will care for you too. Don’t you like Madam Gu? If you agree, she will treat you just as well as I do.”

Qingyun hadn’t expected that this little girl, whom he had known for less than a day, would already have such deep feelings for him. It made him feel unexpectedly moved.

He tried to speak in a gentler tone.

“Really?” Yao Yao sniffled, wiping away a tear.

“Really, I couldn’t be more sincere.”

Once Yao Yao was reassured that Qingyun Shibo wasn’t abandoning her, the sadness in her heart eased, and she asked the most important question in her mind.

“So, does this mean I can eat all the delicious food from now on?”

Chen Hui was stunned for a moment, but then she understood what Yao Yao meant. She quickly nodded. “Of course! You can eat whatever you want.”

The Gu family might not have a shortage of money, but what they had in abundance was their willingness to provide for this child.

Yao Yao nodded earnestly. “Then, I will agree to become your daughter.”

Chen Hui’s heart swelled with joy, and she nodded in response.

“Good, that’s great.” Chen Hui’s face brightened as she spoke, and she looked as if all her worries had lifted.

She had just blurted out the thought, not expecting it to lead to her gaining a daughter. If she could move, she would have hugged her new daughter right away.

As she looked at Yao Yao’s small frame, Chen Hui began to think about what beautiful dresses she could buy for her, as well as the dolls and small handbags she would get her.

She had never raised a daughter before, but she had seen plenty of girls, so she knew exactly how to spoil one. When it came to raising a daughter, it was simple—just spoil her to the moon and back.

Meanwhile, Qingyun couldn’t help but look at his little disciple, who was blissfully eating without a care in the world. He felt a strange sense of unease. Somehow, it felt like the heir to his sect had been easily taken away with just a meal.

Of course, the most shocked person was Gu Xuesong. When he came downstairs to answer a phone call, he suddenly found that he had gained a daughter.

"Tonight, I’ll sleep with Yao Yao. Xuesong, you go sleep in the study for now."

The more shocking thing was that they were going to sleep in separate rooms. Gu Yu, who was nearby, overheard the conversation and was stunned, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Was this new "little sister" really that important to their mother? The moment their father came home, he was promptly sent to the study!

Gu Xuesong’s eyebrows furrowed deeply. Chen Hui immediately realized that her words could be misinterpreted, so she quickly explained the situation.

“That thing still hasn’t been resolved, and I’m worried it might cause harm to you. That’s why I want Yao Yao to stay with me for the night. If anything happens, she’ll be able to notice right away.”

According to her own understanding, the threat would likely not return after tonight, but who could be certain? After all, things like malicious spirits were unpredictable.

And as for her new daughter, Chen Hui was absolutely delighted. She wanted to be as close as possible to her, and any excuse to do so was welcomed.

As for her husband sleeping in the study? Well, that wasn’t the first time that had happened!

[--------------------------------------------]

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