Chapter 132: Daddy, You Mustn’t Act Cute

The sensation against the skin of her wrist was distinct and searing.

It made her want to pull her hand away almost instinctively, yet the lack of force and the trace of caution in his touch kept her from doing so.

Indeed, even as Lu Ye held her hand, there was a sense of restraint in the contact. It was neither overbearing nor stubbornly forceful. It was precisely this controlled touch that left one unable to resist.

Jiang Sui frowned. "Ask you... what?"

She truly could not think of anything she wanted to ask him. She had nothing she felt the need to inquire about.

Lu Ye stared at Jiang Sui, his brows knitting together slightly.

"Do you... not want to see me?"

Jiang Sui: "...That's not exactly it."

Deep down, she actually quite wanted to see him. He was a familiar face, after all, and she had grown accustomed to his presence over time.

Lu Ye’s elegant, cool, and gentle features were clouded with confusion as he spoke in a low voice:

"Then why didn't you ask what I’ve been doing, why I came back, or how I’ve been lately?"

In his calm and gentle tone, Jiang Sui somehow detected a hint of grievance.

Jiang Sui swallowed, then, as if coaxing a child, she forced a sugary, cutesy tone into her voice: "So, what have you been doing lately? Why did you come back? And how have you been?"

The inflection, the cadence—it was exactly the same as a kindergarten teacher talking to a toddler.

Lu Ye: "..."

"Daddy, Mommy Jiang Sui, what are you doing?" Xuanxuan, having just woken up, rubbed her eyes and looked down at them from upstairs.

"Why are you up?" Jiang Sui frowned as she looked at Xuanxuan.

Xuanxuan pouted. "I just wanted to come out and see if Mommy Jiang Sui was back..."

Lu Ye said, "Now that you see your Mommy Jiang Sui is back, go back to bed." His gentle tone carried a touch of sternness.

Xuanxuan nodded. "Okay, Xuanxuan is going back to sleep now."

She turned to head back to her room, but suddenly remembering something, she turned back to look at Lu Ye.

"Daddy, you're already a grown-up, you can't act like a child and be needy. I just heard Mommy Jiang Sui coaxing you."

After saying this, Xuanxuan finally turned and headed back to her room.

Lu Ye: "..."

Jiang Sui: "..."

Hahahahahahahaha...

Jiang Sui’s expression teetered between laughter and composure, appearing quite playful.

Lu Ye, who had been feeling somewhat despondent, couldn't help but let a smile tug at the corners of his lips upon seeing her small expression.

He said patiently and unhurriedly, "I’ve been busy with company matters. There was a series of orders involving several national governments that required my personal involvement. That matter has now come to a temporary close, so I returned to the country. A lot of the work here doesn't require my direct presence; I only need to make the final decisions. I won't be too busy for the next little while."

Listening to Lu Ye’s measured voice, Jiang Sui found her own thoughts settling down involuntarily, and she actually began to listen to him in earnest.

"Life abroad was not very comfortable, but that's the norm. Monotonous routines have been a recurring cycle ever since I took over the company." He paused. "So, for me, there has never really been a distinction between 'good' or 'bad'."

Jiang Sui: ...Then what were you expecting me to ask?

As if he possessed mind-reading abilities, Lu Ye continued, "Even if there was nothing to say, and it was quite boring..."

"But if you were the one asking me, perhaps, for me, everything would become different." Lu Ye’s voice was calm and contemplative. "It would... become worth talking about, and it would become interesting."