VHBF – Chapter 12 The Playboy Daddy (Part 12)

When Yinyin saw her dad, her courage returned. She gestured with her little hands and said, “They pushed Grandma, and Grandma fell!”

“Daddy, I protected Grandma!”

She pursed her lips and looked at her dad’s half-smiling expression, suddenly feeling a little shy. “Yinyin was very brave!”

“Oh? And who was crying just now?”

“Yinyin wasn’t crying!” Yinyin retorted with a flushed face. After saying that, she suddenly leaned forward and pressed her chubby face against his, rubbing gently. Her soft voice carried a milky sweetness. “Daddy, just now you…”

“You admitted it!” Her eyes sparkled brightly, pupils dark and shining, so clear that they reflected every color of the world.

Yinyin felt like the happiest kid in the world. Daddy finally admitted it!

Before, even though her relationship with Daddy had improved, he had never acknowledged her out loud. She was so excited that she told the system, “Uncle System, I’m so happy!”

The system was happy too. After the villain saved his father’s life under Yinyin’s influence, he actually awakened early and made his move. The system couldn’t sense exactly what the villain had done, but judging by those people being taken away by the police just now, it was definitely something big.

Once the villain stopped things in time, the Luo family’s bankruptcy and the death of Luo’s parents could be avoided, which greatly reduced the chances of him turning dark.

Luo Sheng was still that same roguish man, like a big boy. Even after recognizing a little daughter, becoming a father, and going through such a huge change, he hadn’t changed at all.

After those people left, he lifted Yinyin up. “Tsk, little brat, enough hugging, get down, it’s too hot!”

Yinyin: “…”

Woo… Daddy is still the same grumpy Daddy!

The system guessed right. After the Bai family relatives were taken away by the police, a huge scandal erupted in the political-business circle of A City.

First, the head of the Zhang family was exposed for a sex scandal and suspected bribery. Within half a day, the Su family was also implicated, and the ones suspected of accepting bribes were precisely several members of the Liu family.

The matter quickly trended on Weibo and topped the news headlines, causing public uproar.

Some things, even if people suspected them, would be ignored as long as they weren’t exposed. But once revealed under the sunlight, they couldn’t stand scrutiny.

Political-business collusion, power-for-sex deals, massive bribery—any one of these scandals was enough to bring down the Zhang, Su, and Liu families completely, even to the point of no return.

The official government Weibo announced the formation of an investigation team to conduct a strict inquiry. Several Liu family officials involved were suspended for investigation, and the stocks of Zhang, Su, and Liu families plummeted.

Strangely, while major consortia in A City fell one after another, after the Zhang, Su, and Liu families had trouble, the Luo and Bai families’ stocks began to recover slowly.

The investigation team acted quickly and arrived in A City the next day.

Yinyin and Daddy were sitting on the sofa watching TV.

On TV was a press conference by the investigation team that had just arrived in A City.

Yinyin watched seriously. At her age, everything was fascinating. She blinked and pointed at the particularly handsome uncle next to the man speaking on TV. “Daddy, look, that uncle is really good-looking!”

The young Yinyin always admired beautiful things. She was just making an innocent remark, like sharing something pretty with her dad.

Luo Sheng gave her a sideways glance. “Good-looking? Better than me?”

Without thinking, Yinyin said, “Of course Daddy is better looking!”

He lazily reclined on the sofa, the corners of his mouth curling upward. “You’ve got good taste!”

However, as they continued watching TV, Luo Sheng’s eyes didn’t leave that “good-looking uncle” Yinyin had mentioned.

By the time the press conference ended, Yinyin had already fallen asleep next to him, mouth slightly open, breathing softly and sweetly.

Luo Sheng sneered, turned off the TV, and muttered, “Ugly as hell!”

Yinyin quickly forgot about it, just like any other time she watched TV, never thinking she’d meet that handsome man again.

Who would’ve thought that two days later, that man would come to their house?

Mu Bai was dressed in a crisp white shirt and black trousers, his tie neatly fastened, following the team leader into the house.

The housekeeper opened the door. A small head peeked out curiously from behind it. “Auntie, who is it?”

The team leader, sent from above, was usually a stern, serious man who rarely smiled and was feared by almost everyone he worked with.

When he and Mu Bai heard the soft, milky voice, they instinctively looked down. A little girl with a round, delicate face and big curious eyes gazed at them.

When she saw Mu Bai, her little mouth formed an “O.” She exclaimed, “Pretty Uncle, I’ve seen you before!”

Yinyin was just too cute and friendly. Even the most rigid person couldn’t help softening their expression. The team leader, surnamed Li, was at the deputy director level.

He asked, “You’ve seen Mu Bai?”

Yinyin’s eyes lit up. “Pretty Uncle’s name is Mu Bai? That’s such a nice name!”

She counted on her chubby fingers and walked out from behind the door. Only then did Li and Mu Bai notice she was wearing a pink-yellow princess dress. Her hair wasn’t tied up, soft strands lying messily on her head like fluffy down. She was so tiny, not even reaching their thighs.

When she looked up, her eyes were especially bright and clear.

“Uncle, I saw you on TV. I saw you talking, and I saw Pretty Uncle sitting next to you and drinking water.”

Yinyin covered her mouth and giggled. “Pretty Uncle looks good even when drinking water!”

The system silently watched as Yinyin welcomed the male lead and his superior inside, managing to make both of them smile within a few sentences.

So flattering people is an innate talent for human cubs. No wonder she’s such a little bootlicker to her dad.

In the original plot, this Director Li was upright and unyielding, while the male lead was observant and meticulous. Neither were simple characters, but in front of Yinyin, neither showed the slightest impatience.

After inviting them in, Yinyin said, “Uncles, please sit down. Grandpa is sick and in the hospital, and Grandma is taking care of him there. Daddy went out this morning, so it’s just me at home.”

“Auntie, could you pour some water for the uncles, please?” Yinyin asked sweetly, her big round eyes looking up so earnestly that anyone would want to give her the stars, let alone a glass of water.

Director Li said, “Thank you, Yinyin.”

When they entered, Yinyin had already told them her name was Yinyin—Daddy’s daughter!

She’d seen the news and asked Daddy, so she knew these two uncles were here to catch bad guys.

Even though she didn’t know that the ones being investigated were enemies of the Luo family, she clenched her little fists angrily. “Uncles, are you here to catch the bad guys?”

“Make sure to catch them quickly!”

Young Yinyin saw things in black and white and was full of justice. Thinking about how bad those people on TV were, she added, “Uncles, please protect yourselves!”

Mu Bai found it amusing and asked why.

Yinyin thought for a moment. “Because bad guys are always bad, and they hurt people, so uncles need to be careful!”

Mu Bai and Director Li exchanged amused glances.

“Just now you said your name was Bai Yinyin? Your surname is Bai? Why do you call someone from the Luo family ‘Daddy’?”

Yinyin understood this question. She wanted to say, Because Daddy is my daddy, but the system quickly stopped her: Little cub, you have to say Luo Sheng is your adopted daddy, not your biological one.

Yinyin covered her mouth. “Because… because I recognized him as Daddy!”

Just then, the auntie brought the water and explained, “Our little Miss Yinyin is from the Bai family. After Mr. and Mrs. Bai had an accident, she was taken in by our young master.”

Director Li was surprised. “You’re from the Bai family?”

He frowned, recalling how the Bai family relatives were involved in this case. A thought flashed through his mind. He glanced at the little girl with sympathy. “Have you gone through the adoption procedures?”

The housekeeper didn’t know, of course, so she said nothing.

Not long after, Mrs. Luo and her son came home.

She greeted them warmly. “Sorry to keep you waiting after coming all this way.”

Now that the adults were here, Director Li and Mu Bai straightened their faces, opened their notebooks, and started official business.

“This time, the bribery and power-for-sex deals involving the Zhang, Su, and Liu families have been confirmed. But during the investigation, we discovered some doubts, so we need your cooperation.”

Mrs. Luo smiled. “Please go ahead.”

Luo Sheng carried Yinyin upstairs. Mu Bai watched his back and asked, “He’s the one who adopted Bai Yinyin?”

Mrs. Luo nodded. “Our family intends to adopt Yinyin. She’s so young and surrounded by predatory relatives. It’s truly pitiful…”

Mu Bai nodded and didn’t ask further.

Soon, Luo Sheng came back downstairs, empty-handed. Seeing Mrs. Luo’s questioning look, he said flatly, “Nap time.”

Kids grow fast and always love to nap. Mrs. Luo nodded knowingly.

Director Li stayed silent with a stern face, while Mu Bai began asking questions, “Recently, Luo Corporation had issues with an engineering project in the eastern district, resulting in two deaths and multiple injuries. Later, the company repeatedly faced financial problems. Do you see any suspicious points?”

Mu Bai shifted his posture. “Or… do you think someone is framing you?”

Mrs. Luo didn’t understand these things, and her husband was in the hospital, so she looked to her son.

Luo Sheng lazily lifted his eyelids and said to Mu Bai, “Anyone with eyes should know something’s wrong, no?”

Mu Bai: “…”

He was good-tempered and continued, “From some clues and from a Zhang family executive, we’ve learned that the eastern district accident was likely man-made…”

“So, it’s Zhang family’s doing?”

Luo Sheng’s words were sharp and unpleasant, but the conversation dragged on for about an hour before Mu Bai and Director Li finally left the Luo house.

In the car.

Mu Bai stared at his notebook, lost in thought. “Director Li, why didn’t you mention that the Bai family’s situation might also be connected to those three families?”

Director Li narrowed his eyes. “Mu Bai, everything requires evidence.”

“That kid is strange,” he added.

The car drove steadily. Mu Bai pondered, and Director Li suddenly said, “Go and put in a word later. If the Luo family applies for adoption, as long as the paperwork is complete and compliant, approve it.”

The Bai family’s relatives were involved in criminal cases and even implicated in the Zhang-Su-Liu scandal. Letting such relatives adopt the child would be unreliable.

If their crimes were confirmed, the child could only be adopted by outsiders. But with a hundred-billion-yuan corporation behind her, strangers with unknown motives would be dangerous.

Only the Luo family—equal in status to the Bai family and deeply rooted in A City—was trustworthy.

Plus, it was obvious how much affection the Luo family had for Yinyin. It was the most suitable arrangement.

Mu Bai nodded but gave Director Li a surprised look. He didn’t expect Director Li to “meddle” like this.