I've arranged an opportunity for you to take back a managerial position in the company. But I have one condition."
That word, condition, hung heavily in the air. Yuanfeng's eyes narrowed slightly, and Huaijin looked up at her grandfather, sensing something ominous.
"What condition?" Yuanfeng asked.
Grandfather Chi's tone was firm, decisive, as if the decision had already been made long ago. "Huaijin will be enrolled in Saint Aurelia's Boarding School in the capital. It's one of the best academies in the country, strict, prestigious, and capable of shaping her into a true heir candidate. You've been raising her in your own way, but it's time she learns how to stand properly among people of her bloodline."
The words struck like a thunderclap.
For a few seconds, the room was utterly silent.
Then, slowly, Huaijin's lower lip trembled.
"I don't want to go to any school," she said softly at first, her little voice shaking. "I want to stay with Daddy."
Grandfather Chi frowned slightly. "Huaijin, this isn't a matter for you to decide. It's for your own good."
"I don't want it!" she cried out louder, her voice echoing in the quiet room. "I don't want to go anywhere without Daddy!"
Yuanfeng reached out immediately, gently rubbing her back. "Hey, hey… calm down, princess."
But Huaijin's big eyes were already filled with tears. They rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably as she clung to her father's sleeve. "I'll be good! I'll listen! I won't cause trouble, Grandpa, please don't send me away!"
Her voice cracked into sobs. "I'll be a good child, I promise! Just let me stay with Daddy!"
The sound of her crying seemed to pierce the air itself.
Grandfather Chi's expression hardened, though a flicker of discomfort passed through his eyes. He had never been good at handling children, much less ones who cried like this.
"You're being childish," he said sternly. "You cannot stay tied to your father's side forever. You must learn independence."
"I don't want independence!" Huaijin wailed, her tears falling faster. "I just want Daddy! I'll hate everyone who takes me away!"
Her little voice shook, trembling between heartbreak and anger, the kind of pure emotion only a child could express so fearlessly.
Yuanfeng's jaw tightened as he pulled her into his arms. He patted her head, murmuring softly. "Shh… It's okay, I'm here."
Then, raising his eyes, he met his father's cold gaze directly. "Father," he said slowly, "you know I've always respected you. But I can't agree to this."
Grandfather Chi's face darkened. "Do you understand what you're refusing? I'm offering you a place back in the company. I'll have your name reinstated among the successors. All I ask is that you allow the child to receive the education she deserves."
"I understand perfectly," Yuanfeng replied. "But I don't need your offer. And she doesn't need to be an heir."
"You're being reckless," the old man snapped. "Do you plan to let this child live her life as a nobody? What will she inherit when you're gone?"
Yuanfeng's lips curved into a faint smile, one that was too calm for the situation. "She'll inherit what truly matters," he said quietly, "not money or titles. She'll inherit my love, my freedom, and my faith in her."
Grandfather Chi slammed his palm on the desk, the sound startling Huaijin. "Yuanfeng! Stop being so stubborn! Do you intend to waste both your life and hers just because of your foolish sentiment?"
"I'm not wasting anything," Yuanfeng answered calmly. "You think I've been wasting my time, but every moment I've spent raising my daughter has been more meaningful than any position in your company."
The tension in the room was suffocating. The old man's face was red with anger, while Yuanfeng remained steady, a rare, quiet defiance radiating from him.
Then Huaijin sniffled and wiped her tears with her tiny hands, looking up at her grandfather with teary eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, her voice hoarse.
"Grandpa," she said between hiccups, "you said people who love each other should stay together, right? Daddy loves me, and I love Daddy. Why can't we stay together?"
The innocence in her words struck deeper than any argument could. Grandfather Chi's lips parted slightly, but he didn't reply.
For a moment, he looked at her, really looked at her, the little girl who had her father's eyes and her late mother's expression when she cried.
He sighed deeply.
"Children don't understand the world yet," he muttered, turning his gaze away. "You'll see things differently when you grow up."
But Huaijin only shook her head fiercely, clutching her father's shirt tighter. "No! I'll never change my mind! I want Daddy! I don't care about the Chi family or being an heir! If you send me away, I won't eat! I'll get sick, and you'll regret it!"
The tears started again, raw and unrestrained.
Yuanfeng held her close, his voice soft but unwavering. "Father, I think that's enough."
The old man didn't reply for a long while. The ticking of the clock filled the silence again, stretching the moment into eternity.
Finally, Grandfather Chi exhaled heavily, leaning back in his chair. "You never change," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "Just like your mother."
Yuanfeng's expression softened slightly at that. "I'll take that as a compliment."
The old man gave him a sharp look. "Don't be smug. You're still irresponsible."
"Maybe," Yuanfeng said lightly, "but at least I'm a responsible father."
Grandfather Chi's lips pressed into a thin line. For all his authority and experience, he knew he couldn't win this argument, not when facing that small, trembling child clinging so tightly to her father. He sighed once more, the weight of age suddenly pressing down on his shoulders.
"Fine," he said at last. "Do as you wish. But one day, you'll understand that my decision was for the best."
Yuanfeng stood, bowing slightly. "Maybe, but until then, I'll protect what's mine."
Huaijin lifted her tear-streaked face from his chest and glared weakly at her grandfather. "I won't go," she whispered one last time, her voice small but determined.