"I'm okay, Uncle Yan." Lan Yunru replied to him. She allowed her mother to hold her hand as they waited to arrive at their destination.

  Lan Xiyan looked at her daughter and at the man in front of her. She wouldn't be surprised if Song Fengyan wanted to be part of Yunyun's life, now that it seems like he knew about their relationship with each other.

  For the past five years, guilt had slowly eaten her from the inside, knowing that not only did she betray Song Fengyan's trust by taking their child away and deceiving him, but she also took away her daughter's chance of having a father figure in her life.

  Of course she was aware that her child was missing something, but Yunru was kind enough to not question her, which only worsened the guilt Lan Xiyan was feeling. Lan Yunru's silence was also enough for her to understand that the girl wanted something.

  When they arrived at the apartment complex, Lan Xiyan led Song Fengyan to take the stairway rather than taking the elevator. At times like this, the last thing she wanted was to garner unwanted attention from the public.

  Song Fengyan followed her lead in silence while holding their sleeping daughter in his arms. Lan Yunru felt small and fragile in his arms, making him feel the need to protect her from everything. From this day onwards, he would make sure that his child would be provided for.

  "Auntie, we are here!" Lan Xiyan announced once she unlocked the door of her apartment.

  The old woman immediately came to greet them and was surprised to see that they had a guest tonight. The man was holding their Little Yunru in his arms, as the girl had dozed off earlier.

  As if understanding the old woman's unspoken question, Lan Xiyan explained the situation.

  "We have a guest, Auntie. Do you mind looking after Yunyun for a moment?" She asked. Lan Xiyan then removed her shoes and changed it into her house slippers.

  "Sure." The old woman responded. "Let me take her to her room." She made a motion to take the sleeping child from Song Fengyan's arms, but he declined.

  "It's alright, Madam. Let me tuck her in her bed myself." He said in a low voice.

  Auntie Yu looked at him in confusion, then glanced at Lan Xiyan, who was rubbing her arm nervously, looking at anything but them. It then dawned to her who this man could be.

  She let a small smile spread on her lips.

  "Okay, please follow me to the master bedroom. Our Yunyun shares the room with her mother." Auntie Yu said and led Song Fengyan to one of the rooms in Lan Xiyan's apartment.

  Song Fengyan carefully placed his daughter on the bed, and allowed the old woman to tuck Yunyun under the quilt. He took a moment to look around the room. As expected from Lan Xiyan, the interior decor was very minimalist.

  The room looked spacious and comfortable to live in. The place was clean and it only had necessary furniture inside. Even though Lan Xiyan was earning more from her current profession, she still kept living a frugal lifestyle. Years had passed, but there were still things that hadn't changed since their parting.

  Wasn't this one of the things he liked about Lan Xiyan when they were still together? This woman never demanded anything from him, especially money. She also hated it when he bought her expensive clothes and jewellery, which had surprised him initially.

  Song Fengyan hadn't met a woman who would refuse the material things he could give before he met Lan Xiyan. Although their meeting and how they started wasn't really an ideal one, Song Fengyan cherished the time he spent with her in his heart.

  Meanwhile, Lan Xiyan disappeared into the kitchen, opening her fridge to get something to drink. She should have known that Song Fengyan would find out about her daughter sooner or later.

  By associating herself with Tang Moyu and allowing Yunyun to make friends with the empress's little buns, it was only a matter of time before the father and daughter met each other.

  Perhaps this was for the better. As long as the Song family wouldn't dare to threaten her again or mistreat Yunyun, she would allow Song Fengyan to be part of her daughter's life.

  She turned around the moment she heard footsteps coming her way and saw Song Fengyan looking at her with an intensity that she had long forgotten. Lan Xiyan refused to meet his gaze and chose to take a seat in the dining area instead.

  Song Fengyan took a seat across her, waiting for her to say something but she didn't. Would she deny his relationship with Lan Yunru? He hoped not, because he didn't want to cause any more trouble to the child.

  "When did you find out?" Lan Xiyan finally broke the silence between them. Her hands tightened around the cup she was holding.

  "Just recently. She looks so much like you…" Song Fengyan responded, still trying to gauge her expression. He was surprised that she wasn't making a big deal out of it.

  Truth to be told, he prepared himself for an argument that may arise between them. After all, he and Lan Xiyan didn't part on good terms years ago. If his sister didn't get between them years ago, they wouldn't end up like this.

  "I'm sorry for whatever my sister told you." He said. "……but you should have told me what was happening. I could have helped you."

  "Even if it was my father?" Lan Xiyan raised a brow at him. He and her father had never been on good terms, but she was still a daughter who needed to look after her father even if he was a bad one.

  Song Fengyan's jaw hardened. Until his last breath that old man had been a pain in the a.s.s to him and Lan Xiyan.

  "Especially if it involves your father."