On the day of graduation, I was dragged by my rich father to get the certificate

Gu Wan stood at the door of the Si family villa, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes. It had been two weeks since she was rushed to the hospital with a high fever.

The sunlight shone through the sycamore tree in the courtyard onto her slightly pale face, giving her a soft golden edge.

"Mom!" A pink figure rushed over like a cannonball, and six-year-old Gu Nian jumped into her arms like a little rabbit. "You're finally discharged from the hospital! Nian Nian missed you so much!"

Gu Nian was assigned to kindergarten a week ago and hasn't seen her mother for a few days.

Gu Wan squatted down and hugged her daughter tightly, her nose filled with the unique milky scent of the child. "Mom misses Nian Nian, too." Her voice was choked with sobs, and her fingers gently stroked her daughter's soft hair.

"Niannian, do you miss your daddy?" A deep male voice came from behind Gu Wan.

"Hmph! Don't even think about taking advantage of me! Until I forgive you, you can't even think about calling yourself my father."

Gu Wan turned around and saw Si Yehan standing there, his suit neatly tailored, but his eyes were filled with unconcealable fatigue.

She knew that he had been in the hospital with her almost every day for the past two weeks, even though she was in a coma most of the time.

Si Yehan helped Gu Wan up, "Let's go in first."

"Si Yehan said he'd give you a surprise today!" Gu Nian suddenly interrupted, shaking Gu Wan's clothes with her small hands.

Gu Wan looked at Si Yehan in surprise, and the latter's mouth curled up slightly.

The interior of the villa was even more welcoming than she remembered. The original cold, modern style had been replaced by soft beige and pale blue. The corner of the living room was filled with Gu Nian's toys and picture books, and a few graffiti, clearly the handwriting of a child, hung on the wall.

"Your room is on the second floor, just like before." Si Yehan gestured for the servants to bring the luggage up later. "I've had it rearranged."

Gu Wan followed him upstairs and pushed open the familiar door, but was stunned - the room was almost exactly the same as when she left six years ago, even her favorite bedside lamp was still in its original position.

The only difference is that there are many more photos of Gu Nian on the wall, from her infancy to the present, recording every moment of her growth.

"Did you prepare all this?" Gu Wan's fingers lightly touched the photo frame on the desk. Inside was a photo of her and Si Yehan. They were smiling so carefree at that time.

Si Yehan stood at the door, his eyes deep. "I told you, from now on I want to be a part of every first time in your and Nian Nian's lives."

Gu Nian tugged at Gu Wan's clothes. "Mom, my room is right next door! We're sleeping together tonight!" she announced proudly, then glanced warily at Si Yehan. "Si Yehan, don't you agree?"

Gu Wan couldn't help but laugh. She looked up at Si Yehan and indeed caught a glimpse of helplessness in his eyes.

Ever since they met in the hospital two weeks ago, Si Yehan and Gu Nian's father-daughter relationship has been in a delicate "observation period."

Six-year-old Gu Nian was both curious and wary of her father who suddenly appeared, and was particularly sensitive when it came to issues concerning her mother.

"Of course, Mom will sleep with you tonight." Gu Wan ruffled her daughter's hair and winked at Si Yehan, who gave her a wry smile.

Si Yehan personally prepared dinner, simple yet exquisite home-cooked dishes that were all Gu Wan's favorite flavors.

He also specially made a bowl of noodles with gravy for Gu Nian - that was once his favorite dish that Gu Wan made for him.

Maybe it’s genetic, Gu Nian also inexplicably likes to eat noodles with gravy.

Gu Nian sat between them, chattering away about fun things that happened in kindergarten, and occasionally asking her mother to feed her noodles. Whenever Si Yehan tried to help, she would wrinkle her nose and say, "I want my mother to feed me!"

"Nian Nian," Gu Wan reminded softly, "Dad's noodle soup is delicious. You should thank him."

Gu Nian tilted his head and thought for a while, then whispered "Thank you!" and quickly buried his face in the bowl of noodles.

A hint of tenderness flashed in Si Yehan's eyes. He reached out to touch his daughter's head, but stopped mid-air. In the end, he just patted her back lightly.

Late at night, Gu Nian insisted that her mother give her a bath and tell her a story. Gu Wan sat on her daughter's crib, reading from a picture book softly until the child's breathing became even and long.

She gently closed the book and was about to turn off the light when she found Si Yehan standing at the door.

"Asleep?" he whispered.

Gu Wan nodded, tiptoed out of the room, and closed the door. "She was really excited today and refused to go to bed. She seemed afraid I'd disappear."

Si Yehan's gaze fell on her tired face. "It's time for you to rest. You've just recovered from your illness, so don't overwork yourself."

"Yeah," Gu Wan agreed, but suddenly she didn't know what to say. The dim light in the corridor made Si Yehan's outline appear particularly profound.

She wanted to reach out and touch him, but she remembered her daughter's wary eyes and ended up just tightening the collar of her nightgown.

"Good night, Si Yehan."

"Goodnight, goodnight."

She turned and walked into her daughter's room, closed the door gently, leaned against the door and took a deep breath.

After six years of separation and two weeks of illness, I am finally back home, but it seems like everything has changed, and yet nothing has changed.

Gu Wan climbed onto the bed quietly, careful not to disturb her sleeping daughter. Gu Nian turned over in her sleep, her little hands unconsciously grasping the corner of her mother's clothes, a satisfied smile on her face.

Gu Wan gently kissed her daughter's forehead and closed her eyes, but she couldn't fall asleep.

Moonlight streamed in through the gap in the curtains, drawing a silver line on the floor. Gu Wan stared at the light, his thoughts drifting away.

When she left with Gu Nian six years ago, she never thought that one day she would come back in this way.

A slight noise from next door interrupted her thoughts. Gu Wan looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table - 1:15 am.

She gently removed her daughter's hand, stood up, and walked to the window. The sycamore trees in the courtyard swayed gently in the night breeze, casting mottled shadows.

Suddenly, the sound of the doorknob turning gently made her freeze. The door was carefully pushed open, and a tall figure walked in silently.

"Si Yehan?" Gu Wan lowered his voice, his heartbeat suddenly accelerating.

Under the moonlight, Si Yehan, wearing a dark nightgown and barefoot, approached silently like a nocturnal leopard.

He first stopped by his daughter's bed, leaned over and gently kissed Gu Nian's forehead, then turned to Gu Wan, with a dangerous and charming light in his eyes.

"What are you doing—" Gu Wan hadn't finished her words when Si Yehan picked her up. She struggled subconsciously, but heard him whisper in her ear, "Don't move, you'll wake Nian Nian."

Gu Wan froze immediately, staring at him with wide eyes.

Si Yehan's lips curled up into a triumphant smile. He carried her in his arms and tiptoed out of the room, crossed the corridor, and headed straight for his bedroom.

"Si Yehan! Put me down!" Gu Wan protested in a low voice as soon as she entered his room, lightly punching his chest with her fist. "Nian Nian will be scared if she wakes up and can't find me!"

Si Yehan placed her on the bed, then covered her with his body, trapping her beneath him.

"She is sleeping soundly. I will send you back tomorrow morning before you wake up." His voice was low and hoarse, with a firmness that could not be refused.