If her father refused to marry that woman, the Chi family would make his life hell. His business, his future, everything would crumble.
This time, she wouldn't allow that ending.
Her eyes darkened, shimmering faintly with a spark that didn't belong to a six-year-old, a trace of the mysterious power that she had sealed within herself from the life before.
She looked at the photo of her father on the table and smiled faintly.
"Don't worry, Daddy," she whispered. "Your daughter will take care of everything this time."
Outside, thunder rumbled faintly in the distance, the first sign that fate was stirring again.
.
.
.
Morning sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, filling the small apartment with the kind of warmth that made even the dust in the air glow like golden specks. The city outside was just waking up, the rumble of buses, the chatter of the neighbors, and the faint clinking of breakfast dishes from the apartment next door.
But in the middle of all this ordinary bustle sat a little girl, legs crossed on the living room floor, her expression far from childlike.
Chi Huaijin was deep in thought.
She had a pencil in one hand and her father's phone in the other, the screen displaying the recent call logs. Her brows knitted together, her lips pursed slightly. To an outsider, she looked like a curious child imitating an adult, but inside, her mind worked with calm precision.
'Grandfather must've threatened Father already.'
That was how it went last time. Her grandfather, the mighty Chi Wenzhong, was not a man who used weapons or soldiers. He used people's weaknesses, especially the ones they loved.
And her father's greatest weakness had always been her.
'If you refuse to attend, I'll cut off your daughter's medical fund.'
'If you defy me again, I'll make sure she never sets foot in a Chi school or clinic.'
Those were the words she remembered. They were like echoes from her previous life, still sharp and cruel.
Her father had gone to that blind date with his jaw clenched and his eyes dead of light. And the woman he met there, beautiful, accomplished, elegant, had looked at him not as a person, but as a prize.
By the end of that night, she had fallen obsessively for him.
And from that obsession would come years of suffering, stalkers, harassment, public rumors, the collapse of his small business, and eventually, his forced downfall.
All because of one meeting.
Huaijin's small hands trembled slightly around the pencil.
'Not again,' she vowed silently. 'Not this time.'
Her father emerged from the bedroom, adjusting the cuffs of his white shirt. He looked immaculate, tall, and graceful, the faintest traces of fatigue still softening his sharp features. Even without trying, he exuded an elegance that drew eyes wherever he went.
If he ever stood beside actors or celebrities, he would not lose to them in looks; in fact, his quiet demeanor and noble air made him even more attractive.
"Are you done eating?" he asked, noticing her sitting on the floor with a frown.
"Yes!" Huaijin smiled instantly, setting the phone aside. "Daddy, are you going to work again today?"
He paused, his movements subtle. "Something like that," he said softly.
That gentle hesitation confirmed it.
So he was going to attend that cursed blind date her grandfather had arranged.
Her chest ached, but she kept her face bright. "Then, Daddy, can I play at Auntie Lin's again today?"
He nodded, kneeling to fix her collar. "Be good, don't cause trouble. I'll pick you up later, alright?"
His eyes lingered on her, tender yet distant, as though he wanted to say something but couldn't. Huaijin reached up and brushed his cheek with her tiny palm.
"Daddy," she said softly, "you're the most handsome person in the whole world."
He blinked, startled, then he laughed, his smile warm and helpless. "Where did you learn to say such things, little one?"
"I mean it!" she said earnestly, puffing up her cheeks. "No one deserves you! You're too good for anyone else."
Her childish tone made him chuckle, but he didn't know how painfully sincere those words were.
As he left, Huaijin watched from the window again, his back straight, his steps confident, though she knew he carried invisible chains.
When his car disappeared from her sight, she turned around, her expression changing entirely.
The innocent baby's smile faded. In its place came a sharp, determined, and calm demeanor.
"It's fine if he goes," she murmured, gripping the pencil tightly. "But that doesn't mean the other party will."
By the time she reached Auntie Lin's house, a cheerful middle-aged woman who looked after her sometimes, her mind was already spinning.
In her past life, the blind date had been arranged with the Lin family's eldest daughter, Lin Shuying.
A woman in her late twenties, polished, graceful, and extremely ambitious. Her father had been a business partners with the Chi family for years. Their families had wanted to merge through marriage, and her grandfather saw her as the "perfect" match for Yuanfeng.
Perfect, yes, but also poisonous.
'She's the type that wants what she can't have,' Huaijin thought grimly. 'If she sees Father, she'll fall for him instantly.'
She bit her lip and opened Auntie Lin's laptop when the woman wasn't looking. Her fingers flew across the keys with practiced ease. The internet connection was slow, but manageable.
She searched Lin Family Enterprises' contact information, then Lin Shuying's itinerary news.
Lin Shuying was a semi-public figure in the upper circle; her social media was full of charity appearances, fashion events, and lunches with socialites. Huaijin smiled faintly when she found what she needed:
A morning brunch event. At the same time as the blind date.
'Perfect.'
If Lin Shuying's assistant was distracted or confused about the schedule, the woman would miss the meeting entirely.
All she needed was a believable message.
Operation: "Date Cancell!"
At noon, after telling her to play by herself, Auntie Lin took a nap.