Then she looked up at Yuanfeng, who had followed her to the edge of the crowd, his hand still holding hers. His dark eyes met hers, calm and unwavering, and she felt a surge of courage.
"I'm ready, Daddy," she said softly, barely above a whisper.
Yuanfeng's lips curved into a faint, approving smile. "I know you are."
Encouraged, Huaijin turned to face her rivals with a determined expression.
"Listen, Yunyin, Lingxi… I don't want to fight," she said sweetly, almost mockingly innocent. "But if you try to mess with me or my Daddy… I won't hold back."
Yunyin blinked, taken aback. No one had ever spoken to her like that before. "Huh? You're… you're talking to me like—"
"Exactly," Huaijin interrupted, her tiny voice firm. "I'm not scared of you. I've learned how to survive. I've learned how to protect myself and Daddy. So back off."
