Ye Jingzhi lowered his head and saw Nuan Nuan's innocent eyes. The two looked at each other blankly.
"Uncle, what is a stepmother?" Nuan Nuan tilted her head and looked at Ye Jingzhi.
"Uh... it's nothing, it just means a bad guy." Ye Jingzhi didn't know how to explain, so he picked up Nuan Nuan and walked out.
"Then Nuan Nuan doesn't like stepmothers."
"Nuan Nuan will never have a stepmother," Ye Jingzhi said with certainty.
Given how protective his second brother was, how could he possibly find a stepmother for Nuan Nuan? Even if he wanted to, their other brothers wouldn't agree.
"Let's go, Nuan Nuan. Uncle will take you to swing," Ye Jingzhi suddenly put Nuan Nuan on his shoulders and walked forward steadily.
"Uncle, you're so amazing~" Nuan Nuan sat on his shoulders and clapped her hands happily.
"Does Nuan Nuan like it?" Ye Jingzhi started to run.
"I like it~ Nuan Nuan wants more!" Nuan Nuan's excited childish voice echoed in the air.
In the banquet hall, as the hosts, the Ye family brothers, except for Ye Jingzhi, were all busy greeting guests.
Ye Jinghuai was also very happy today. After all, it was his daughter's first banquet, and his fatherly heart was overflowing.
Even more rare was that everyone who toasted and chatted with him today received his spring-like smile. Everyone was a little unaccustomed to it.
Suddenly, three people appeared in front of him, the man in the lead with a fawning expression.
"Mr. Ye, hello. I am Shen Guohua, the chairman of Shen's Wine Industry. This is my wife Wang Qing and daughter Shen Yunyi." He extended his hand as he spoke.
"Mr. Shen, is there something you need?" Ye Jinghuai nodded at the unfamiliar faces, but didn't move.
"Mr. Ye, this is our company's latest product, a high-end medicinal wine. I wonder if Mr. Ye is interested?"
As he spoke, Shen Yunyi, with a blush, brought forward a glass of medicinal wine.
"I'm sorry, Ye's currently has no interest in the wine market," Ye Jinghuai politely refused.
"Then I apologize, it was presumptuous of us. How about this, I'll toast Mr. Ye. Mr. Ye's daughter is truly well-behaved and intelligent, truly enviable." He then took the wine glass from Shen Yunyi and handed it to Ye Jinghuai.
"Mr. Ye, don't worry, this is medicinal wine, it's good for your health and won't make you drunk."
"Okay."
Hearing him praise Nuan Nuan, Ye Jinghuai also smiled and took the wine glass. Ye Jinghuai didn't want to be too rude at Nuan Nuan's banquet today.
Nuan Nuan, who was tired from playing outside, wanted to go back to find her father.
"Uncle, Nuan Nuan misses Daddy~"
"You miss your dad even with Uncle here?" Ye Jingzhi asked enviously.
"Uncle, you're so silly~ Daddy is Nuan Nuan's Daddy!" Nuan Nuan's big eyes blinked at Ye Jingzhi.
Ye Jingzhi couldn't resist Nuan Nuan's look, and his heart immediately softened.
"Alright, alright, Uncle will take you to find Daddy."
Once again refused to be carried, he could only carefully hold Nuan Nuan's hand and return to the banquet hall. At this moment, the Ye brothers were all surrounded by people in conversation.
Nuan Nuan looked around and didn't see the familiar figure.
"Grandma, have you seen Daddy?" Nuan Nuan toddled over and asked in a soft, milky voice.
"My dear, you're back! Did he go to the lounge? He was happy today, maybe he drank a little too much." Liu Ruhua was happily chatting with someone and answered after a moment's thought.
"Then Nuan Nuan wants to see Daddy." Saying that, she scurried with her short legs towards the lounge.
"Nuan Nuan, don't run so fast! Wait for Uncle."
Ye Jinghuai was feeling very uncomfortable at this moment, dizzy and unwell, with a burning sensation in his body.
At this moment, a slender figure walked in.
"Mr. Ye, are you alright?" the newcomer asked gently.
"Get out!" Ye Jinghuai had no mood for pleasantries at the moment.
"Mr. Ye, are you not feeling well? May I help you to rest for a while?" Shen Yunyi's heart pounded as she looked at Ye Jinghuai's state, and she reached out to help him.
"Scram!" Ye Jinghuai was very uncomfortable at the moment, his handsome face filled with coldness.
"Mr. Ye, I just want to help you. You're not in a good state right now." As she spoke, she firmly grabbed Ye Jinghuai's arm.
Ye Jinghuai's limbs felt weak, his heart raced, and for a moment, he couldn't break free. Instead, their distance closed.
"Daddy~"
"Nuan Nuan?"
Ye Jinghuai seemed to hear Nuan Nuan calling him and looked in the direction of the sound, but his vision was blurry and he couldn't see clearly.
At this moment, Nuan Nuan and Ye Jingzhi, one big and one small, stood at the door, staring dumbfounded at the two people inside who were about to embrace.
"Brother, you..." Ye Jingzhi extended his hand tremblingly.
Nuan Nuan angrily ran over and kicked Shen Yunyi.
"Bad guy, let go of my Daddy!"
Nuan Nuan was only three years old and didn't have much strength. Shen Yunyi just felt a bit embarrassed.
"Nuan Nuan, I'm not a bad guy. I was just helping your dad because he wasn't feeling well."
Shen Yunyi quickly explained, but her hand didn't let go. Ye Jingzhi was still stunned at the door.
"Bad guy! Bad guy! Don't call Nuan Nuan's name, go away!"
Seeing that she wasn't letting go, Nuan Nuan pounced and pushed her. When she saw that this wasn't effective, she bit down on Shen Yunyi's exposed calf.
"Ah!" Shen Yunyi instinctively tried to kick Nuan Nuan away.
"Nuan Nuan!" Ye Jingzhi reacted immediately when Nuan Nuan pounced and quickly stepped forward to pick her up.
"What are you doing?" Ye Jingzhi said with a cold face, using one hand to fling Shen Yunyi away.
"Ah! It hurts so much!"
Shen Yunyi fell to the ground, looking at her scraped palm and bruised knee with a wronged expression.
"Fifth Young Master Ye, I was just trying to help Mr. Ye because he wasn't feeling well."
"Nuan Nuan, Nuan Nuan, are you okay?"
Ye Jinghuai also reacted now. It was truly Nuan Nuan who had arrived. He endured his discomfort and tried to embrace Nuan Nuan, but before he could touch her, he collapsed to the ground.
"Daddy!!"
"Brother!"