The Villainess is Three and a Half Years Old - Chapter 49-2

“What are you doing?”

The voice above her head made Ye Ya tremble, and she quickly put her phone away.

Ye Linchuan rubbed his temples and got up from the sofa. He asked again, “Not sleeping in the middle of the night and sneaking around to harm me?”

Ye Ya shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum.

Ye Linchuan scoffed lightly and withdrew his gaze, no longer mocking her as he did in broad daylight. He reached for a beer, pulled the tab with one finger, and chugged it down in one go.

Gulp.

Ye Ya swallowed some saliva.

Ye Linchuan’s peripheral vision swept over her face, and he looked at the curious expression in the young girl’s eyes. He deliberately shook the bottle in front of her, “Want to drink?”

She nodded honestly, her eyes almost glued to the can.

“Dream on.”

Looking at the can he had just taken back, Ye Ya smirked and climbed onto the sofa, stealthily picking up an empty can and pouring the remaining drops of alcohol onto her tongue. Ye Ya made a face after tasting it.

The person beside her chuckled, “Does it taste good?”

Ye Ya shook her head.

He put down the beer and curled up on the soft sofa. The clock on the wall ticked away, and the darkness outside the window grew thicker. The sparse starlight closely surrounded Ye Linchuan, and it was so quiet that you could hear the sound of air flow when breathing. His gaze was deep, and his expression was so heavy that Ye Ya couldn’t understand it.

But she could tell that Ye Linchuan was not happy. The complexities and urgency of the world were entwined like shadows between his eyebrows and eyes, and you could sense the heaviness in his heart at a glance.

“I’m a wooden person now.” Ye Ya leaned over and sat cross-legged, not moving at all.

Ye Linchuan raised his voice, “Hmm?”

“A wooden person doesn’t share other people’s troubles.”

It took a while for Ye Linchuan to understand her meaning, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

He squinted at the dark and deep night sky outside the window, feeling as lonely and boundless as the night.

After Yu Yan died, his heart died with her. Every day was filled with work and meetings; meetings and work, a life that seemed to have no end in sight. Ye Linchuan never thought he would end up like this. In a few months, the worst outcome would be losing the lawsuit, paying off the debts, and filing for personal bankruptcy.

But what about his children? What should he do about them? When he had everything before, Ye Linchuan never had to consider his two brothers. They only needed the best medical treatment and living environment, and the best education. That was enough. Now burdened with debt and walking on a dead end, he was not afraid of having nothing, but he was afraid of whether he could continue to provide for their lives.

Will their children despise him for being a father who is as pitiful as a stray dog?

“Shen Ran is right, I don’t know how to be a father at all.”

Other than money, he has nothing else to offer his children.

Leaning back on his chair, Ye Linchuan’s throat tightened as the sour bitterness in his chest and his voice burst out at the same time: “No one has ever taught me how to be a father. I haven’t even been a father to my son for a few years.”

His parents had a business marriage, giving birth to him was just a long-term investment. As long as he grew up healthy and inherited the family business, it would be considered a successful investment. He was like a cypress tree growing recklessly in the snow, slowly losing his humanity.

It wasn’t until his parents passed away that he lived with Yu Yan. She took care of him, warmed him, and all his love was poured onto that woman. But Yu Yan left, taking his love with her.

He’s alive, yet numb like a dead person.

He didn’t know how to take care of his child, didn’t know what was best for his sick son, so he hired professionals to help him with everything, leaving him without any worries.

Shen Ran was right, besides giving money, he really didn’t know how to be a good father, didn’t even know what it meant to be qualified.

Ye Ya’s eyes reflected the man’s rugged face, her heart slightly moved as she stuttered, “Actually…I’ve never been a mother to anyone.”

“…”

Ye Ya and he locked eyes, her small face very serious.

All emotions turned to ash at this moment, and Ye Ya came out of her heavy thoughts. He took a deep breath and thought that talking to a child was really foolish, he must be out of his mind.

As he closed his eyes to sleep, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from beside him. He glanced over and saw the little girl picking up her backpack to rummage through it. Soon, Ye Ya came back with something written on a piece of paper in her hand.

“Here.” Her small hand held a piece of paper.

Ye Ya swept her eyes over it, and on the paper was a childish handwriting.

“Good Daddy Re-exam Certificate, Test-taker: Ye Yuchuan.”

She didn’t even spell his name correctly.

“What is this?” Ye Linchuan raised his eyebrows.

“Don’t you say you don’t know how to be a good father? Now you can study this.” She said seriously, “Then you’ll be a good dad.”

Childish words were laughable, but her simple tone was also moving.

Ye Linchuan didn’t accept it and calmly shattered the little girl’s fantasy. “Being a parent is not like taking an exam, it’s not that easy.”

“So…as long as you treat it like an exam, it’ll be much easier.” Ye Ya climbed onto the sofa again and said, “Then when you become a good dad, Yaya will give you a gold star.”

Ye Linchuan curled his lips.

“So…do you want Yaya to hug you?” Under the flickering light, the little girl’s eyes were even brighter than the stars in the sky.

If his daughter were still alive, she would have been just as bright and pure.

————