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"Then, the little princess waved her magic wand—" Su Ning lowered her voice and drew a circle in front of Coco's eyes with her finger, "Bang! She turned all the pesky broccoli into ice cream!"

Coco's eyes widened, her little face flushed in the warm light of the lamp: "Really? Daddy, you can do magic?"

“Of course.” Su Ning winked mysteriously, “Every good dad has a little magic. For example…”

He snapped his fingers lightly, and the bedside nightlight went out.

"Wow!" Coco exclaimed, then squinted suspiciously. "Did Aunt Lu turn off the light from outside the door?"

Tao Jun's suppressed laughter came from the upper bunk: "Fang Yuan, your conning skills have deteriorated!"

“Uncle Tao Jun,” Coco called out, looking up, “if you interrupt the story again, I’ll hide your stinky socks under Liang Jie’s pillow!”

Tao Jun immediately shut up and made a gesture of pulling his mouth shut.

Outside the door, Lu Qing covered her mouth and chuckled, her ear pressed tightly against the door panel.

She had never seen Su Ning like this before—gentle, patient, with eyes brimming with starlight.

This was completely different from the taciturn security guard she remembered.

"Coco, do you believe I can conjure up a Snow White doll for you?"

"Liar."

"Okay..."

With a casual wave of his hand, Suning produced a Disney princess, which immediately delighted Coco.

"Wow... Daddy is so awesome!" Coco naturally had no idea that Suning had a spatial world.

"Fang Yuan, that's impressive!" Even Tao Jun, who was on the upper bunk, was surprised.

"...So the little princess decided to sleep well every day, because only in this way will the magic become stronger." Su Ning gently stroked her daughter's hair. "Now, close your eyes, dozens of sheep..."

Five minutes later, Coco's breathing became even and long.

Suning quietly got up and turned off the desk lamp.

As soon as I opened the door, I bumped into Lu Qing, who was frantically trying to get away.

"I...I'll get the bag!" Lu Qing pointed to the handbag on the sofa, her face flushed red.

Su Ning looked at her with a half-smile: "How long have you been listening?"

"It's... that last magic wand part." Lu Qing looked down and fiddled with the hem of her clothes. "I didn't expect you to be so good at coaxing children..."

Tao Jun poked his head out from the top bunk: "Fang Yuan, you're a much better father than my sister! She used to scare Coco by saying, 'If you don't go to sleep, the big bad wolf will carry you away.'"

"Shut up! Go to sleep." Su Ning threw a pillow at him.

Inside Lu Qing's car in the parking lot downstairs.

She gripped the steering wheel but didn't start the engine. After a long silence, she suddenly spoke: "Fang Yuan... I think I'm liking you more and more."

The neon lights outside the car window changed colors, casting dappled light and shadow on Suning's face.

"Looking at you and Coco..." Lu Qing's voice trembled slightly, "I was thinking, what if we had a child..."

“Lu Qing…” Su Ning didn’t know what to say.

“I know! I know Ma Shuer’s matter hasn’t been resolved yet…” Lu Qing turned around anxiously, “But I can wait! I can be a good stepmother! I…”

“This isn’t fair,” Su Ning said, looking into her eyes. “It’s not fair to you! It’s not fair to Coco! It’s not fair to you either.”

Tears welled up in Lu Qing's eyes: "There's no such thing as fairness in relationships! I just love you, I love you so much that I can accept everything about you! Including your past, your child..."

Su Ning reached out and wiped away her tears: "Silly girl..."

This action became the final straw that broke Lu Qing's rationality.

She suddenly threw herself into Su Ning's arms and kissed his lips with trembling hands.

A moment later, it withdrew as if it had been burned.

"I'm sorry... I..." Lu Qing hurriedly wiped away her tears, "Let's go back."

At this moment, Su Ning, with a mischievous grin, pounced on Lu Qing in the passenger seat, saying, "Didn't you want to have my baby? Then let's start now."

"Ah...no...we're in the car..." Lu Qing was naturally a little embarrassed.

"Lu Qing is the best! She's obedient." Once the scumbag Su Ning got into the mood, how could he let go?

"..."

Lu Qing's cousin, Wang Liang, saw Lu Qing's car suddenly shake through the window. Wang Liang immediately guessed what was going on and her eyes widened.

She never expected her cousin to be so wild, but the thought of what the two of them were doing made Wang Liang feel hot all over.

……

For the next week, Suning took Coco all over Shanghai.

Disney fireworks, cruise ships on the Bund, robots at the science museum...

Coco's face went from initial reluctance to genuine joy.

"Daddy! That robot can dance!" Coco excitedly grabbed Suning's hand. "It's even more amazing than the one at the New York Science Museum!"

Su Ning knelt down to wipe her sweat: "Where do you want to go tomorrow? The aquarium or the wildlife park?"

"The wildlife park!" Coco chose without hesitation. "I want to feed the giraffes!"

Meanwhile, Tao Jun arrived at the ruins of the cinema, picked up the ticket office sign, lay down on the cinema's big red sign, and reminisced about the past.

Tao Jun stood on the ruins of the Starlight Cinema with rare emotion, his feet resting on the "Ticket Office" sign half-buried in the rubble.

The setting sun cast his shadow long, like a broken sword.

"Damn it..." He picked up a piece of the signboard with the character "Star" printed on it and kicked the pile of bricks next to him hard. "It's all gone!"

On the subway ride home, Tao Jun held the fragment of the signboard, looking like a widow holding an urn containing ashes.

Passersby turned to look at him, but he was completely oblivious.

"Tao Jun?" Wang Liang looked at him in surprise as he appeared at the convenience store entrance. "What are you doing here?"

"Just passing by." Tao Jun leaned the broken signboard against the wall, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Weren't you supposed to be unloading goods? I'll help."

Wang Liang raised an eyebrow: "Did the sun rise in the west?"

Half an hour later, Tao Jun, covered in sweat, watched Wang Liang record the transactions in the ledger. Suddenly, he grabbed the pen and added a line below: "[July 15th, Tao Jun unloaded goods for two hours, deducting 50 yuan from water and electricity fees.]"

"You!" Wang Liang's eyebrows shot up in anger. "So petty!"

"I learned it from you." Tao Jun grinned, revealing two dimples.

That evening at the dinner table, Coco picked the broccoli aside and said, "I want to eat Daddy's cola chicken wings!"

"My little darling," Tao Jun said helplessly, "it's already nine o'clock at night, where am I supposed to make you chicken wings?"

"I don't care!" Coco slammed down her chopsticks. "The food here is awful! I want to eat my dad's cooking."

Wang Liang slammed down her bowl: "You little brat, you're quite picky! Your dad spoils you, but I won't!"

Coco's eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Su Ning sighed, got up and went to the kitchen: "Dad will make it for you, but you're not allowed to throw chopsticks anymore, understand?"

"Daddy is the best." Coco smiled through her tears and made a face at Wang Liang.

Wang Liang rolled her eyes in anger and complained to Tao Jun, "You've all spoiled this child!"

"What's it to me?" Tao Jun said, shoveling rice into his mouth. "She's not my daughter."

……

The next afternoon, Tao Jun was organizing his treasured movie DVDs in his room when he suddenly heard a loud crash from the living room. He rushed out to find Coco had scattered his collection all over the floor, and several DVDs were cracked from being stepped on.

"My Cinema Paradiso!" Tao Jun picked up a disc torn in two, his voice trembling, "A limited edition!"

Coco stood to the side, pouting nonchalantly, "It's your fault for not playing with me."

The string of reason snapped instantly.

Tao Jun grabbed Coco and gave her two slaps on the bottom: "You ill-mannered girl!"

Coco froze for two seconds, then burst into a heart-wrenching cry.

Wang Liang rushed out of the kitchen and grabbed Coco, yelling, "Tao Jun! Are you crazy? Hitting the child?"

"She ruined my collection!" Tao Jun roared, his eyes red. "These rare discs are something you can't buy even if you have the money!"

Wang Liang glared at him fiercely: "Are you even a man, arguing with a child!"

After saying that, he took the sobbing Coco into the bedroom.

When Su Ning brought the groceries home, she found the place a mess and Tao Jun sitting blankly on the sofa.

"What's going on?" Su Ning asked, frowning.

Tao Jun mechanically pointed to the disc on the ground: "Coco did it... I... I hit her twice..."

Su Ning's face instantly darkened.

He put down the dishes and knocked on Wang Liang's door.

Coco curled up on the bed, her eyes swollen from crying.

“Coco,” Su Ning said, sitting on the edge of the bed, “apologize to Uncle Tao Jun.”

"No!" Coco screamed and jumped off the bed. "He hit me! I'm going to tell Mommy! I want to go back to America!"

She rushed into the study, turned on the computer, and skillfully logged into Skype.

After the video call connected, a blonde, blue-eyed mixed-race baby was lying in the woman's arms, nursing.

"Mommy!" Coco cried, sobbing uncontrollably, "Uncle Tao Jun hit me! And Daddy didn't help me! I want to go home!"

The woman in the video is Tao Le, Suning's ex-wife, exuding the sophistication and elegance of a Westerner: "Coco, we made a promise for the summer..."

"I don't want to! This place is shabby and small! And there's a nasty landlord and a bad uncle!" Coco screamed hysterically. "Do you only love my brother and not me anymore?"

Tao Le's ex-wife's expression changed: "Who told you such a thing?"

"I figured it out myself!" Coco sobbed. "You bought new clothes and toys for my little brother, but you sent me to this godforsaken place..."

Suning took the microphone: "Tao Le, we need to talk."

Tao Le rubbed her temples wearily: "Fang Yuan, I don't have the energy right now..."

"Wait!" Su Ning interrupted Tao Le forcefully, handing Keke over to Tao Jun who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion. "Tao Jun, take Keke outside for some fresh air."

"it is good."

After Lu Qing led the still sobbing Coco away, Su Ning closed the study door and turned to the screen: "Tao Le, when did you remarry? Why did you keep it from me?"

Tao Le paused for a moment before explaining, "A year or two ago. Mark was my colleague... I thought Coco had told you."

"So that's why you suddenly agreed to let her return to China?" Su Ning's voice was as cold as ice. "To make room for the new child?"

“That’s not it!” Tao Le retorted excitedly. “I just… need time to adjust to my new family. Coco has always been very resistant to Mark…”

"She's just a child!" Su Ning slammed her fist on the table. "Do you know how insecure she is? She thinks you don't want her anymore!"

Tao Le's tears welled up: "Then what am I supposed to do? I'm alone in America with my child, without a green card, without a stable job... Mark can give us a sense of security..."

Suning took a deep breath. "Taole, from now on, Coco will stay in China and come with me."

Fang Yun looked up in shock: "What?"

“You can settle down and enjoy your new life in America.” Su Ning’s voice calmed down. “I will buy a house in Shanghai and give her the best education. You can come to see her anytime.”

Fang Yun's lips trembled: "Are you...are you sure?"

"Of course! Coco is my daughter, and I don't want her to call someone else 'Dad'."

"Thank you! I will mail her documents back as soon as possible."

……

On the rooftop, Coco sat on the edge, her little feet dangling in the air.

Tao Jun approached cautiously: "Little darling, could you move in a bit? Your uncle has a heart condition..."

"Hmph!" Coco turned her face away. "Bad guy!"

Tao Jun scratched his head, then suddenly had a brilliant idea: "Want to see a magic trick?"

Before Coco could answer, he pulled a crumpled movie ticket stub from his pocket and, with a few quick flicks of his fingers, turned it into a small paper crane.

"A ticket to the 2001 premiere of 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'." Tao Jun placed the paper crane in Coco's palm. "Back then, your dad and mom were still dating, and they insisted on dragging me to a midnight screening..."

Coco's curiosity was piqued: "Really? Daddy likes Harry Potter too?"

"He liked it more than just!" Tao Jun gestured exaggeratedly. "After watching the movie, he insisted that he had magic powers, and the next day when he went to work, he made a complete mess of the projection room..."

Coco giggled, tears still clinging to her eyelashes.

At this moment, Suning pushed open the door leading to the rooftop, holding three cans of beer in his hand.

“Minors are prohibited from drinking alcohol.” He handed Coco a bottle of juice and opened a can of beer for himself. “But they can participate in our reconciliation ceremony.”

Tao Jun awkwardly accepted the beer: "Fang Yuan, I'm really sorry about what happened today."

"Children do need love! But they must be punished when they make mistakes."

The night breeze dispelled the day's sweltering heat.

Three aluminum cans collided in mid-air, making a crisp sound.

"Respect the new life," Suning said.

“Respect the magic,” Coco added.

Tao Jun thought for a moment, then grinned and said, "Respect the damn rent!"

The laughter of the three drifted through the night sky.

Downstairs, Lu Qing and Wang Liang stood at the window, looking up at this scene.

“See?” Wang Liang suddenly said, “This feels like a home. You’re just an outsider who forced his way in.”

"Hmph! You know that now."

"This is a case of the onlooker seeing more of the game than the player."

"Do you know what a wonderful man Su Ning is? I would do anything for him."

"This……"

"You don't understand! Because you've never been in a relationship."

Lu Qing's words were a devastating blow to Wang Liang, who was considered an older single woman.

What I've always longed for most is a passionate love affair, and of course, marriage is what I need even more.

But all the good men seem to belong to other people, and every blind date she went on ended in failure, which had long since extinguished Wang Liang's beautiful expectations of entering marriage.

...(End of chapter)