Chapter 4: The Godfather of Pure Love?

Yu Zhile walked out holding the child. The door to the room was open, and he hadn’t even had time to marvel at the luxurious furnishings outside when he was suddenly confronted by a pair that could have stepped straight out of “Beauty and the Beast.”

The beauty was truly beautiful, and Yu Zhile recognized her at a glance.

Qin Haiyu!

Even after marriage and motherhood, Qin Haiyu still looked as young and pretty as a girl, yet she now possessed an indescribable allure and charm all her own.

Behind her came a plump young woman whom Yu Zhile didn’t recognize in the slightest, nor did he have any memories of her. Perhaps she was Qin Haiyu’s assistant, or maybe a bodyguard? After all, a celebrity could hardly be expected to go out alone.

When Qin Haiyu saw her husband holding their daughter, all traces of work-related worries vanished from her face, and she skipped over joyfully, “Baby, Mommy’s back! Did you miss Mommy?”

For a moment, Yu Zhile was stunned!

He hesitated, unsure whether to call Qin Haiyu “darling,” “sweetheart,” or “wife.” This was crucial—if he slipped up, he might blow his cover! After all, as a couple who’d been together for years, habits and terms of endearment would be second nature by now.

To avoid arousing suspicion from the very start, Yu Zhile quickly devised the perfect response. First, he put on a loving smile, then, trying to act as naturally as possible, he replied in a gentle, syrupy voice, “My dearest darling wife, how come you’re back so soon? Is the show already finished?”

Ugh!

The plump girl following Qin Haiyu shuddered at the saccharine address.

Qin Haiyu ignored her husband and his over-the-top greeting. She had eyes only for the precious little girl in his arms. She stepped forward to take her daughter, but then frowned slightly, “Baby, were you just crying?”

Yu Zhile replied slyly, “Maybe she missed you. She woke up and, when she didn’t see her mommy, couldn’t help but cry.”

Qin Haiyu seemed quite pleased with this explanation, but as she reached to take her daughter, the little one suddenly burst into tears, as if protesting and refusing to go to her.

“So this is what you call missing her mother?” She shot Yu Zhile a reproachful look, making him nervous.

Qin Haiyu! The very girl he’d secretly admired for so long, whom he’d never even begun to pursue, was now his wife. Being this close to her, Yu Zhile’s heart was pounding wildly. Even though this was the Qin Haiyu of a parallel world, her beauty, her every expression, was exactly as he remembered.

Especially just now, the radiant, heartfelt smile she gave their daughter was as warm and enchanting as the first rays of morning sun.

The plump girl couldn’t help but tease, “It’s probably because you didn’t take your makeup off. The baby doesn’t even recognize you!”

“Oh, please! I just put on a bit of lipstick and did my eyebrows. How could she not know me?” Qin Haiyu huffed, jealous. “See, it’s true what they say—daughters are their fathers’ sweethearts from a previous life. She only clings to her daddy and ignores her mommy!”

“Er…” Yu Zhile was at a loss for words, when Qin Haiyu suddenly asked, “Is the baby hungry? She’s sucking the pacifier so fast. How long has it been since you fed her?”

How long? How would he know?

Thinking quickly, Yu Zhile replied, “She just woke up. I was about to make her formula when you got back.”

The plump girl came over and pinched the baby’s cheek, but Qin Haiyu immediately objected, “Don’t pinch her face! She’ll drool!”

“Okay, okay!” The plump girl played with the little one for a moment, then took her leave so as not to intrude on the family’s time together.

Watching as Qin Haiyu saw her guest out, Yu Zhile realized he still didn’t know who this plump girl was. Was he supposed to be close to her in this world? What did he usually call her?

This was getting tricky…

He decided to probe, “Wife, she…”

Qin Haiyu, squatting at the door to take off her shoes and socks, looked up at her husband’s unfinished sentence. “You mean Xu Ling? What about her?”

Oh, so the plump girl’s name was Xu Ling!

Yu Zhile seized the opportunity. “She touched the baby without washing her hands! Outrageous!”

Qin Haiyu paused, then, realizing this concerned her daughter’s health, grew serious. “Experts say there are one hundred and twenty thousand bacteria per square centimeter on a phone—millions on the whole device, more than on a toilet seat! Xu Ling was playing on her phone the whole time she waited for me during the show. We really need to be more careful. From now on, no one touches the baby without washing their hands!”

Speaking of phones, Yu Zhile felt awkward…

Could he admit he’d been scrolling through his phone while soothing the baby moments ago?

Qin Haiyu changed into slippers and came over, about to take the child and feed her, but then hesitated. “I should shower first. Oh, and honey, I…”

Suddenly, Qin Haiyu’s mood fell. “I failed at the challenge…”

Honey?

So, that’s what they usually called each other—honey and wife.

Yu Zhile recalled that Qin Haiyu had gone out today to record a TV show. According to her biography, she’d made a low-key return after a year and a half, appearing as a challenger singer on the ninth season of “I Am a Star.” Today was September 23rd, and since she’d just failed the challenge, that meant her participation as a challenger was revealed on September 20th, and today was the actual recording.

He comforted her, “It’s okay. Failure is the mother of success. You probably still have a chance to advance, right?”

Qin Haiyu shook her head. “It’s useless. The entertainment industry is cruel. A year without exposure or new work and your popularity evaporates. Newcomers take your place, and people forget you. Maybe I should just stay home with our daughter and let you focus on your writing.”

Writing?

Yu Zhile sensed something was off.

So, his identity here was a writer?

A novelist? Or something else?

While he puzzled this over, Qin Haiyu had already grabbed her clothes and gone to shower.

Yu Zhile felt a headache coming on.

He looked around the spacious villa, then carried his daughter upstairs to the study. The bookshelves were packed, and he was astonished—he was never a bookworm!

His gaze fell on the computer, which hadn’t been shut down, only left in sleep mode. On waking it up, he saw a writing software open, the current chapter already at 404 words.

Then, he noticed the browser was logged into the author’s backend of a novel website.

Taking a deep breath, he searched the pen name. The information in the biography was astonishing.

“Father of Pure Love”?

“Best-selling novelist”?

What on earth was all this!