The innocent and sweet girl turned red at first glance, shattering her abstinent and domineering per

Lu Zhiheng hung up the phone and returned to the private room. Several government officials immediately stood up and raised their glasses. "Mr. Lu, let's continue drinking."

Lu Zhiheng raised his glass. "Come on, let's continue."

His expression seemed normal, but the perceptive Zhuhe could tell at a glance that he was distracted.

It was as if he had something on his mind, and he couldn't even be bothered to maintain the superficial politeness.

After the drinking party ended, he was even more silent than usual, sitting back in the car seat with his eyes closed, constantly rubbing his temples with his fingers.

"Mr. Lu, are you alright? Do you need some hangover medicine?"

Lu Zhiheng didn't even lift his eyelids. "No need. Just take me home."

After taking a taxi back from the bar, Wen Song slowly walked home along the neighborhood.

She didn't want to go back too early, afraid that Wen Miaomiao would see that Zhou Shijing had affected her mood again.

As she passed a landscaped pond, she heard a very faint meow.

"Meow, meow..."

Following the meowing sound, she found a dirty little kitten in the bushes.

The little guy may have gotten lost from his owner; he huddled timidly in the bushes, his round eyes filled with fear and wariness.

"Little kitty, come out, okay? I'll take you to your owner."

Wen Song tried to pick it up several times, but instead scared the little guy into hiding deeper into the bushes.

Having no other choice, she could only tempt it with some small cookies from her bag, "Want some cookies? I made them myself."

After trying for a long time, the little guy finally poked his head out, licked it a few times, but seemed uninterested and quickly withdrew.

The little guy's barking sounded a bit hoarse, and Wen Song guessed it might be thirsty.

She didn't have any water in her bag, but glancing at the nearby ornamental pond, she thought of scooping up some water to quench its thirst.

The black Maybach had just entered the residential area when Lu Zhiheng, who had been resting the whole way, slowly opened his eyes.

His dark, deep gaze peered through the car window, initially unfocused, but then his eyes shifted and he spotted a thin, frail figure beside the ornamental pool.

The figure stood silently in the shadows, almost blending into the night.

In that instant, the image of the little girl splashing in the water years ago, which he had pulled out of the water, suddenly flashed into his mind. His breath caught in his throat, and without a moment to think, he sharply ordered the driver, "Stop the car!"

Wen Song searched along the edge of the pond for a while before finally finding a stone staircase. Just as he bent down, a cold, deep voice suddenly boomed from behind him: "Wen Song!"

Before Wen Song could react, a large, bony hand suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back forcefully.

Caught off guard, Wen Song stumbled and fell straight into the man's chest.

Her forehead slammed heavily against the ground with a dull thud, and a flurry of stars flashed before her eyes. Before she could even lift her eyes to see who it was, a furious reprimand had already descended upon her.

"What are you trying to do? Are you going to try the same old trick again?"

In a daze, Wen Song finally recognized who the voice belonged to.

She frantically raised her head and, sure enough, met Lu Zhiheng's solemn eyes. His face was frighteningly dark, and the oppressive aura around him was far greater than before. That intimidating aura was exactly the same as when he pulled her out of the pool all those years ago.

Recalling what Lu Zhiheng had just said, Wen Song immediately understood why Lu Zhiheng was angry.

Her little face turned deathly pale with fright, but she still managed to suppress her fear of him and explained in a trembling voice, "Uncle, I didn't mean to use the same trick again. I just came here to get some water for the kitten."

As soon as she finished speaking, as if to verify the truth of her words, the little creature in the bushes let out a low cry.

"Look, there's that cat."

Wen Song pointed in the direction of the bushes and hurriedly added, "Really, I'm not lying to you, I just fed it some cookies."

The cold, fierce aura surging in Lu Zhiheng's eyes seemed to be gently blown away by a soft breeze, and the heavy, oppressive anger just moments before dissipated in an instant.

He felt the girl in front of him trembling slightly with fear, and following the direction of her finger, he saw the timid little cat peeking out.

That timid gaze was exactly the same as the girl in front of him.

He rarely lost his temper like this, making a hasty decision without understanding the whole story, and speaking to her in such a harsh tone.

"Feel sorry."

He tried to calm his rapidly heaving chest. "I misunderstood. I just saw you by the pool..."

"It's okay."

Wen Song lowered his eyelids slightly. "Uncle, I'm not a child anymore. I won't do something like that again in my life."

From Lu Zhiheng's angle, he saw the girl's slightly trembling eyelashes, long and thick, with a curled arc, like a butterfly perched on a flower stamen.

He couldn't help but reach out and touch her. He moved his fingers and realized that his palm was still holding her arm. It was so slender, and even though she was wearing a thick coat, he could easily wrap his arms around her.

He subtly shifted the subject, asking, "You said you wanted to get water for the kitten, how are you going to do it? Cup it in your hands?"

Wen Song pursed her lips and shook the cap of a toner bottle she was holding. "Use this to hold it."

As she spoke, she was about to squat down again to scoop up water, but Lu Zhiheng took the bottle cap from her, saying, "Let me do it."

Wen Song had never seen Lu Zhiheng like this before, his tall figure squatting in front of the bushes, patiently feeding the kitten water.

The dim streetlights shone on his head, softening the coldness and sternness he exuded, making him appear even a little gentle.

Whether the kitten was genuinely thirsty or simply liked Lu Zhiheng, after drinking the water, it gently rubbed its head against Lu Zhiheng's large palm, displaying a spoiled and dependent demeanor.

Wen Song squatted expectantly next to Lu Zhiheng, but her heart was filled with worry. She wondered if the little guy would go hungry and cold again after they left.

She cautiously pleaded with Lu Zhiheng, "Uncle, the kitten has gotten lost from its owner. It's so pitiful. Let's take it to the property management office and see if we can help it find its owner."

Lu Zhiheng felt the fluffy texture of the little guy's head in his palm, but when he turned his head to meet Wen Song's clear eyes, it felt like a sudden itch in his heart.

He restrained himself and turned his gaze away, carefully cradling the little creature in his palm. "Let's go, I'll take you to find your owner."

Does this mean you've agreed?

Wen Song felt happy for the little one, and her face lit up with joy. She leaned forward and poked the little one's head, "Let's go, let's go find your mom and dad!"

Lu Zhiheng looked down at the girl. The girl's voice was soft and sweet, with a slight rise at the end, exactly the same as her voice in the food video.

This was the first time she had shown such a relaxed attitude in front of him, no longer timid and reserved, but with the vibrant energy that belonged to her age.

"You seem to really like small animals?"

Under the streetlights, two shadows, one large and one small, were separated by about half a shoulder's width.

Wen Song nodded, "I do like it."

Whether it was because he'd had a few extra drinks tonight, or the quiet night that made him want to talk, Lu Zhiheng pressed on, "Then why don't you raise one yourself?"

"I've raised them before."

Wen Song turned her head to look at Lu Zhiheng, "You forgot, Grandma gave me that little white dog."

In the moonlight, her eyes appeared even clearer and brighter, like a crystal-clear glass bead.

No one knew the specific reason why Lu Zhiheng had made her cry that time. In order to coax her, Grandma Lu decided to give her the puppy.

"But I didn't keep it for long before it died because it accidentally ate something it shouldn't have."

Those beautiful eyes dimmed instantly. "I buried it under the banyan tree in the yard. At that moment, I told myself that I would never keep any small animals again."

If you adopt a pet, you have to be responsible for it. Wen Song took responsibility for the dog's death upon himself and felt deeply guilty about it.

Perhaps because she and Lu Zhiheng had a secret that only they knew, Wen Song was completely unaware that she had told Lu Zhiheng about it.

She realized something after she finished speaking. At that time, Wen Miaomiao had told a lot of things related to her in order to prove that she was her daughter. One of them was that she had buried a puppy under the banyan tree in the Zhou family.

Wen Song started to question the veracity of her words after that incident. Now, looking back, everything seems preordained. She told Lu Zhiheng about it tonight, and someday in the future, Lu Zhiheng told Wen Miaomiao about it.