Chapter 6

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Bye, Great-grandpa and Great-grandma!” Youhuan kissed her grandparents on the cheek. The two old folks could not bear to see their great-granddaughter go.

“It doesn’t matter whether it is a good time for us,” Wen Lanxin said. “As long as you’re free, bring Youhuan back to visit.”

“I definitely will.” Song Qianming nodded gravely. “Grandpa, Grandma, you guys take care too. Call me if you need anything.”

“Your grandfather and I are still in good health. You don’t have to worry.”

The father and daughter got into a cab with their assorted luggage and waved goodbye to the elderly couple till they were out of sight.

“Daddy, where are we going?” Youhuan asked.

“We’re going to Sea City. My company is there.”

“If you are going to work, does that mean I have to go to school?”

“Do you want to go to school?” Song Qianming rejoined.

“Yes, I do.”

“But you’re not even four. Isn’t it a little too early to be thinking about school?”

“No, it’s not,” the taxi driver interjected, seemingly bored by the long drive. “Children these days are usually sent to kindergarten as early as two to three years old. My child is the same. You aren’t being cruel by sending them to kindergarten; children adapt easily. It’s good for them to interact with others their age, and kindergarten is the best solution.”

“Is that so? I’m sorry. Due to certain events, my daughter is a little more dependent.”

“Young man, you can’t be thinking of going to kindergarten with your daughter! What about work? It’s better and cheaper to send a child to kindergarten than to hire a childminder to care for her the whole day. Your daughter seems a little introverted, and it might be a good idea to help her socialize more. Besides, kindergarten is only for a few hours each day, and you’ll have plenty of time to spend with her after school,” the taxi driver persuaded.

“Daddy, I want to go to kindergarten. My cousins told me kindergarten is fun, but Grandma and Aunty wouldn’t let me go. I won’t cry!” Youhuan added, eyes glimmering with anticipation.

Song Qianming could not come up with any reason to object. “Alright. I’ll look for a great kindergarten for you when we return to Sea City. The kindergarten you’ll attend will be even better than your cousins.”

Song Qianming contacted his agent when they neared his company’s dormitories. Now that he had some money, he did not have to suffer anymore. Both father and daughter needed more comfortable accommodations. His grandparents had probably given him their life’s savings, and the amount he could withdraw using their debit card was astounding.

Anything could be solved with money. It was a fact of modern society. His agent introduced two houses. One was a two-bedroom apartment close to the company, though it looked rather shabby, while the other was a three-bedroom suite with a tasteful environment. The latter was more expensive, but it was also newer.

Song Qianming mulled over his options but still chose the three-bedroom apartment. A spacious apartment would be more comfortable, in his opinion. A two-bedroom apartment would be too small if he needed to hire a live-in nanny for Youhuan, which was a real possibility with his work demands.

After seeing the cramped houses that made up a large portion of modern housing, Song Qianming grew to miss the palaces and gardens of his previous life. Even his residence was far better than anything the modern world could provide, despite paling before his royal brother’s palace. Accommodating hundreds of servants was no problem at all. Not to mention his study. It was larger than the whole apartment!

Desperate times called for desperate measures. Who asked him not to have enough money? As long as he earned more, he could live in as large of a house as he desired.

Although houses in modern times were not big, they were often more convenient than those in his previous life. For example, if there had been air-conditioning in his previous life, he would not have had to go to a resort every time summer came around.

Feeling the cool air blowing the heat and fatigue away after visiting the two properties, both father and daughter relaxed. Bouncing around on the sofa, Youhuan said to her father, “Daddy, I like this house. Will this be our home from now on?”

Song Qianming was relieved. At least Youhuan was satisfied. “Yes, this will be our home from now on.”

“Daddy’s amazing! Daddy, I love you!” Youhuan hugged her father, growing more cheerful by the minute.

The words of adoration sent Song Qianming’s heart aflutter. “I will do even better in the future. This is nothing. I will buy plenty more houses in the future.”

“Daddy, you don’t have to work too hard. I only want you.”

Song Qianming felt himself turn into mush. With a daughter like Youhuan, he would traverse through fire and water to give her anything she desired.

Having settled on their accommodations, his next step would be to find a kindergarten for Youhuan. Song Qianming quickly discovered that public kindergartens required one to have a registered residence under their name. Since he was only renting the apartment for now and did not own any real property, he had no choice but to look at private kindergartens. It drove home how important money was in this new world.

The kindergarten could not be far from their apartment or have a bad reputation. It took two days, but after asking around, he finally settled on one that met his requirements. The one good thing about the private institution was that Youhuan could start at any time once he had paid the school’s fees.

“Bye, Daddy! I’ll see you when you finish work.” At the teacher’s signal, Youhuan bade her father farewell. Song Qianming knew he would pick his daughter up in the afternoon, yet he could not shake the sadness that overcame him.

“See you later, Youhuan. Don’t be afraid. I’ll come and pick you up after school.” He waved goodbye and said to the teacher, “I’ll leave Youhuan in your hands. If anything crops up, please let me know immediately.”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Song. Our kindergarten takes care of all our children,” the teacher reassured.

Song Qianming headed to work reluctantly once his daughter entered the classroom. So many days had passed since the incident, and it was time to face the music.

He would not be surprised if his company had already abandoned him. Otherwise, they would have contacted him by now.

Recalling the attitude of the people around him when he first transmigrated, Song Qianming frowned. He did not have a good impression of his company, but he was still tied to them because of a contract, or so he had learned. Now, he needed to find out how he could annul it.

When he entered the company, several staff members began gossiping with their fingers pointed at him.

“To think he still has the face to come back. He caused such a big mess. Brother Yuan and the others were all implicated by him.”

“That’s right. I really couldn’t tell. He’s always been such a gentleman. Who knew it was all a facade? How shameless.”

“I feel sorry for his fans.”

“Does he still have fans? They must be blind!”

“It’s such a pity for Brother Yuan and Brother Zhong. Why are they in the same group as someone like him?”

“I heard a popular variety show canceled on them because of the scandal exposing his illegitimate daughter.”

“Brother Yuan and the others have been wronged! If we give Brother Yuan and the others a chance, I’m sure they’d be famous for their abilities… What a pity!”

“A bad apple is all it takes to spoil the whole batch.”

Song Qianming had sharp ears and eyes, so he naturally heard these discussions. He was not a good-tempered person and stood at the pinnacle in his previous life. Arrogance was ingrained in his bones, so how could he tolerate malign words aimed at him? He shot the gossiping crowd a sharp glance, and his aura turned oppressive, causing many to hold their breaths.