Chapter 3

Amidst the suffocating silence, Yanny raised her hand to wipe away her tears and forced a small smile. "Yanny can take care of myself. Yanny knows how to cook noodles."

With that, she slid out of the policewoman’s arms and bowed deeply. "Thank you! I’m going home now!”

"Wait!" the policewoman blurted out, calling after her. "Your snacks! You haven’t gotten your snacks yet!”

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them, wishing she could smack herself in the head.

Was this really the time to be talking about snacks?

Upon hearing this, Yanny looked intently at the pile of snacks, then carefully picked out the smallest lollipop. In a slightly ingratiating tone, she said, "I'll just take this one. Mom says candy is expensive. If she buys candy, she won't have money for rent and will have to sleep on the street. You can keep the rest, Thank you, Miss.”

She bowed deeply to the policewoman once more. "I'm going home to wait for Mom."

Yanny turned around and noticed several people had gathered at the entrance to the police station.

They were all dressed in crisp suits, just like the powerful figures on TV.

She looked up and met the sharp, intense gaze of one of the men.

With one hand in his trouser pocket, he exuded a powerful aura as he stared at her coldly without saying a word.

The air around them instantly turned freezing.

The onlookers held their breath, watching this sudden father-daughter reunion.

Yanny’s eyes widened in surprise as she gazed at Andrew’s handsome yet stern face. Her eyes quickly welled up with tears. She took small, tentative steps toward him, tilting her face up to look at him. Then she shifted her gaze to the three teenagers standing behind him.

A complex mix of emotions churned within Andrew at that moment.

His daughter was standing right in front of him.

Perhaps it was the pull of blood, but he actually felt a strange sense of familiarity and closeness toward this girl he had never met.

Yet, the clearer this feeling became, the darker his expression grew, and he didn't want to say a word.

Just then, Yanny held up a packet of instant noodles and whispered, "This is for you, sir."

Andrew paused and looked at the unbranded packet of noodles, which looked cheap at first glance. He furrowed his brow and asked, "What is this?"

"It's instant noodles," the little girl said, offering a tear-streaked smile. "They're really delicious!"

She had recognized him as her father.

He really looked just like her.

But her mother always said that if her father saw her, he would hate her.

Even if it was just for a moment.

She really wanted to be closer to her dad.

Yanny gathered her courage, gently placed a packet of instant noodles in the man’s hand, and touched his fingertips with her small hand. Then, she looked up at him with adoring eyes and said, "Sir, your hands are so big."

Just like the other kids’ dads'.

She had finally touched her dad’s hand.

Satisfied, Yanny took a small step back and bowed to them. "Goodbye, everyone.”

With that, she took tiny steps toward the door. Her retreating figure exuded maturity beyond her years yet carried an indescribable air of pathos.

Andrew felt a pang of pity well up inside him and called out to her, "Yanny."

She turned around to see the distinguished-looking man standing in the doorway with a serious expression. "I suspect you might be my daughter. Come with me to get a paternity test. If the results confirm...”

Looking everyone in the eye, he said in a steady voice, “I will take full responsibility for your care.”

Yanny’s eyes widened in surprise, and tears welled up instantly. She stood there speechless for a long time.

Mom, you probably don’t know this.

Just when you left to be Wonder Woman, Dad came to find me.

He is so handsome, like a prince in a storybook.

He comes to take me away.

Will you be happy for me?

Yanny followed Andrew to a very elegant black sedan.

It gleamed and looked incredibly expensive at first glance.

She nervously pressed her lips together.

Andrew got in first, followed by the three teenagers. Suddenly, the car felt a bit cramped.

She hesitated for a moment, looking down at her dirty skirt and shoes, covered in stains from not being washed in a long time.

For the first time, she felt embarrassed about how dirty she was.

Yanny stood by the car door, hesitating and saying nothing.

Andrew was starting to get impatient. "Get in."

Startled by his voice, she flinched, lowered her head, and tugged at the hem of her skirt. Her voice muffled, she said, "I'm dirty..."

The three boys in the car froze for a moment and turned to look at her.

She lowered her head even further.

Jace Shane, the third boy, laughed coldly, his words laced with sarcasm: "Then you might as well just go sit in the trunk—that's where you belong."

Hearing this, Yanny turned her head and looked at the trunk seriously. She whispered, "That's fine, too."

Jace was shocked.

“Stop playing the victim in front of us! Do you think we can’t see right through you?!”

Yanny shuddered at his outburst, not understanding why he’d suddenly lost his temper. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she shook her head frantically. "I...I didn't mean anything by it. Mom says I’m dirty. She never lets me sleep in the bed because she’s afraid I’ll make it dirty. Please don’t be angry.”

All four of them froze.

Andrew’s expression darkened further. “Your mom doesn’t let you sleep in the bed?”

Yanny nodded fearfully.

A surge of uncontrollable rage flared up inside Andrew.

That woman, Cecily, took the money but didn’t get an abortion. She secretly gave birth to the child, and now she dares to treat Yanny like this?

If she disliked Yanny so much, why did she give birth to her in the first place, just to make his life miserable?

His voice was low but carried an order that brooked no refusal. "Get in the car. Don’t make me say it again.”

Yanny froze for a moment, then clumsily and laboriously scrambled into the car. She sat down cautiously, only perching on the edge of the seat.

The moment she sat down, a sour smell wafted through the car.

Jace pinched his nose in disgust. “Hey, don’t you ever bathe?! You stink!"

Yanny flinched, shrugging her shoulders, and pressed her lips together, feeling self-conscious. "At home, there's no hot water. I usually just wash my face.”

Besides, her mom never paid her any mind.

All she could do was quickly rinse her face and hands.

Jace looked dismissive. "Someone like you shouldn't even be alive! Your mom’s no good, and neither are you!”

The other two boys broke into mocking grins, too.

Her nose stung a little, but she was used to this kind of treatment. She just clutched the hem of her skirt nervously, too afraid to speak, and watched them out of the corner of her eye.

Andrew picked up his phone in irritation. Sensing the little girl peeking at him, he shot her a cold glance.

Yanny shuddered under his gaze and hurriedly lowered her head.

She looked like a stray puppy that no one wanted.

For some reason, this made him even more irritated.

At the hospital, the blood draw was quick. He didn't want to spend any more time with her, so he took her straight back to the orphanage where she used to live.

"I'll contact you when the test results come in."

Yanny felt uneasy looking up at the tall man standing before her.

Her intuition told her that her father didn’t like her.

Just as her mother had said, he would only hate her whenever he saw her—he wouldn’t love her.

Jace looked even more impatient. He folded his arms and glared at her with downcast eyes. “Yanny, don’t get your hopes up just yet. Don’t assume this is really your father. Nothing is certain until the results are in. And you’re not allowed to tell anyone that he’s your father! Do you hear me?!'

Yanny nodded obediently. "I understand."

Her response was so prompt that the four of them exchanged glances.

Was she up to something?

Andrew didn't care enough to say more to her. He turned and got into the car.

Yanny stood in the evening light and suddenly called out, "Sir!"

The four of them turned at the sound. Their features were delicate yet cold, as if carrying the biting chill of winter.

She stood in the dim yellow glow of the streetlight. Her eyes and brows resembled theirs, yet her tattered dress seemed completely out of place.

Between refinement and destitution, it was as if an invisible chasm lay between them.

She looked at him with pleading eyes. "If I weren't your daughter, would I ever see you again? I want to give you a gift. Is that okay?”

Andrew looked at her face, etched with desperate desire to please. He said nothing more and bent down to get into the car.

The results of the paternity test would take seven days.

During that time, Yanny’s story became a hot topic of public discussion. Many childless couples online expressed a desire to adopt her, and the buzz remained intense.

However, the orphanage stated that, since Yanny was undergoing a paternity test, they had to wait for the results to confirm a biological relationship before considering adoption.

But Yanny was convinced that this man was her father.

The feeling was overwhelming.

The orphanage teacher watched her draw on the greeting card and couldn’t help but smile. "Is Yanny that eager to find your dad?"

Yanny colored intently with her nearly colorless crayons and nodded vigorously. "Mm-hmm! I love Daddy! He must be my dad. He’s tall and handsome!"