The fake heiress loves to act? The max-level boss isn't interested in playing along.

"Research station work is legitimate."

Fu Xiao suddenly spoke up, putting down his newspaper, "Huahua received the allowance, so she has to do what she's supposed to do."

He looked at Su Yurou, "Okay, I'll take you there first, and then come back to pick up Huahua later."

Su Yurou nodded in agreement.

"Won't we be late?"

Fu Xiao looked at Fu Hua.

Fu Hua shook her head: "No, I'll wait at home for a while."

Fu Chaochao bit her lower lip and didn't say anything more, lowering her head to sip her porridge.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her profile and casting a shadow beneath her long eyelashes.

The car drove out of the compound, leaving two fresh tire tracks in the snow.

Fu Hua stood by the window, watching the black sedan disappear through the door, then turned and went upstairs to get her schoolbag.

She didn't have to wait long.

Fu Xiao returned in less than half an hour.

Unmelted snow still clung to the shoulders of the military overcoat.

Fu Xiao then drove Fu Hua to Peking University.

The streets were difficult to navigate after the snow, so cars drove slowly.

The father and daughter remained silent the entire way until they were almost at the research station, when Fu Xiao finally spoke:

"Is that blanket from yesterday still warm?"

"warm."

Fu Hua said, "Thank you, Dad."

Fu Xiao gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead: "Your mother...it's not that she doesn't care about you. It's just that Chaochao has been by her side for over ten years, and some habits need to be gradually changed."

That's a difficult thing to say.

Fu Hua turned to look out the window. The snow-covered street scene slowly receded, and pedestrians hurried past with their necks hunched.

"I know."

She said it, but in her heart she didn't think so.

Su Yurou's cheap maternal love,

She never cared.

The car came to a stop in front of the research station building.

As Fu Hua got out of the car, Fu Xiao called out to her again, "Get out after you've finished checking. Dad will be waiting for you here."

"It's cold down there, why don't you come in with me? I'll try to get there quickly."

"Alright then."

The research station is quiet on weekend mornings.

Fu Hua pushed open the laboratory door, and Professor Yan was already at the worktable.

He wore reading glasses on the bridge of his nose and frowned as he stared at a stack of data.

"professor."

"Fu Hua is here!"

Professor Yan's eyes lit up, and he immediately waved, "Come quick, come quick! This frequency band matching algorithm, the one you adjusted last week..."

I checked the calculations, and the error rate dropped by forty percent! How did you come up with that?

Fu Hua put down her schoolbag and walked to the worktable.

The snowflakes outside the window illuminated the room.

Her profile was focused and serene in the morning light.

"According to Shannon's theorem, under finite bandwidth..."

She picked up a pen and quickly performed calculations on the draft paper, the formulas flowing as if they were already etched into her mind.

Fu Xiao sat in a chair in the corner of the laboratory, quietly watching his daughter work.

This was the first time he had personally witnessed Fu Hua's condition at the research station.

No longer the quiet, taciturn daughter at home,

Instead, he is a professional, calm, and confident researcher.

Her explanations were logically clear, and her operation of the instruments was skillful.

When discussing with Professor Yan, he couldn't understand any of the technical terms used.

Fu Xiao felt a mix of emotions.

Pride, of course.

But more than anything, it feels...unfamiliar.

He was too far removed from his daughter's world.

The data verification took nearly an hour.

At the end, Professor Yan took off his glasses.

He patted Fu Hua on the shoulder and exclaimed, "Comrade Fu, your daughter is remarkable!"

Commander Hua always praises the project involving the communications company last time.

He looked at Fu Xiao, his eyes serious.

"Your Fu family has produced a true gem."

The military communications company invited Fu Hua. How come he didn't know about this?

Fu Xiao looked at Fu Hua, and Professor Yan immediately understood that Fu Hua had not told her family about this at all.

This child is so resourceful.

He quickly smiled and recounted what had happened.

Fu Xiao was trembling with shock, never expecting that even Commander Hua would recognize Fu Hua.

Her daughter is truly... unfathomable.

Fu Xiao stood up and solemnly shook hands with Professor Yan: "I still want to thank you for nurturing Huahua, which has given her such a wonderful opportunity."

"It's because she's determined to succeed."

Professor Yan smiled and shook his head. "This old man of mine can only point her in the right direction. She has to walk her own path in the future, but I think she can go further than anyone else."

As I stepped out of the research station building, the snow started falling again.

Fu Xiao opened the car door for Fu Hua and waited for her to be seated before going back to the driver's seat.

The car slowly drove into the snow.

Fu Xiao glanced at his daughter in the rearview mirror.

She was gazing out the window, her profile serene.

"Huahua,"

He asked, "Do you enjoy doing these things?"

Fu Hua turned her head: "I like it."

"Then do it well."

Fu Xiao looked straight ahead. "Don't worry about what others say. Your grandma... Dad's here."

Fu Hua gave a soft "hmm".

Snowflakes slid down the car window in a soft, rustling sound, like silent whispers.

.........

The Fu family's old residence is located in a well-preserved hutong in the west of the city. It is a three-section siheyuan (traditional courtyard house).

The courtyard gate was wide open today, and red lanterns were hanging there.

Snow piled up under the eaves, making the vermilion gate look exceptionally bright.

The room was bustling with activity.

Three large round tables were set up in the main hall, and they were all full of people.

Besides his relatives, there were also several of Mr. Fu's old comrades-in-arms and former superiors.

They were all elderly people dressed in military uniforms or Zhongshan suits, speaking loudly and laughing so loudly that the windowpanes trembled slightly.

At the main table, Old Mrs. Fu was wearing a dark red satin cotton-padded jacket with floral patterns.

Her hair was neatly combed, and she was surrounded by people from the first and third wives' families talking to her.

Fu Chaochao sat close to her, smiling sweetly.

He would peel an orange for the old lady every now and then, or hand her a snack.

"Zhaochao is the most considerate."

Grandma Fu patted her hand, her face full of smiles.

"Unlike some girls nowadays, who are so wild and always thinking about running away."

This statement has a hidden meaning.

There was a moment of silence on the table.

The third wife seized the opportunity to ask, "Second sister-in-law, where are second brother and that girl? What time is it?"

Just as Su Yurou was about to explain, Fu Chaochao spoke softly, "Third Aunt, my sister went to the research station. She said she had work to do, and Dad is waiting to pick her up."

She paused, her tone tinged with worry, "The roads were slippery today, so we walked slowly. It's almost noon; they should be arriving soon."

"Research station?"

Grandma Fu frowned immediately. "What kind of scientific research work is a high school girl doing? Showing her face in public like this, what kind of behavior is that!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone at the table heard it.

The old comrades exchanged glances but remained silent.

The relatives had different expressions.

Some watched the spectacle, some were indifferent, and some secretly shook their heads.

Many people have not yet seen the daughter that the second wife recently adopted.

I imagine a country bumpkin like him wouldn't be any better.

But what exactly is a research station?

How could a country bumpkin like him get in?

Could it be that Fu Xiao pulled some strings to give his biological daughter a prestigious title?

"Mom, Huahua, that's a serious matter... it's about Professor Yan..."

Su Yurou wanted to explain.

"What's the big deal!"

Grandma Fu interrupted, "Since a girl has gone to school, she should stay there quietly and find a good family to marry into in the future."

Scientific research is a man's job; why is she getting involved?

The atmosphere was a bit tense.

Fu Lie, the youngest son of the third wife, overheard this from another table.

He craned his neck to look at the doorway, ignoring the old lady's words.

Fu Hua hasn't arrived yet?

He also wanted to ask her why she was riding a horse with Xie Ci.

What exactly is the relationship between the two?