My Bizarre Relatives 04

The company followed procedure and reported the incident to the police first. However, everyone gave the same account—that the Fat Manager had insulted others and struck first. As for the boss, there was no chance he would protect him. The police merely gave both men a warning. Seeing that the Fat Manager only had a slap mark on his face and no other injuries, they left the two to sort things out themselves.

In the end, Fang Zhiyi was naturally fired. But because it was a termination, he successfully secured a hefty compensation payout. After all, he had worked at the company for a long time and wasn’t the primary instigator. Most importantly, the boss didn’t want him spreading rumors after leaving. The boss had no idea how much Fang Zhiyi had learned from the Fat Manager’s loose lips. Two days after Fang Zhiyi was dismissed, the Fat Manager was also fired for violating multiple company policies and even faced further repercussions.

However, Fang Zhiyi, having already gotten his satisfaction, paid no mind to the matter. He had already bought a plane ticket to return to his hometown.

Seriously, the original owner had slaved away like a workhorse for so many years—voluntarily resigning? That would’ve been idiotic.

Fang Ruoruo watched with longing as her Eldest Cousin chewed bubblegum. He had shared some with his Younger Brother but deliberately left her out. Noticing her expression, he sneered, "If you want some, ask your dad to buy it for you. This was bought by my dad!"

Fang Ruoruo lowered her head. Her mother had told her many times—she didn’t have a father.

Just as she was feeling upset, she heard Eldest Aunt call out, "Fang Ruoruo! Fang Ruoruo! You wretched child, running off to play without washing the dishes? No wonder your parents abandoned you."

Fang Ruoruo’s small heart clenched. She distinctly remembered her mother saying she’d be back that evening when she left in the morning.

Still, she hurried toward the kitchen. She had to be obedient—otherwise, she’d be kicked out. That’s what Eldest Aunt always said.

Eldest Aunt tossed out a few more mocking remarks before sashaying away.

Fang Ruoruo struggled to drag a stool over, stepping onto it so she could reach the sink. She washed the dishes carefully and was about to climb down when she suddenly noticed a face pressed against the kitchen window.

Startled, she nearly lost her balance but managed to steady herself.

The person outside tapped on the glass. Fang Ruoruo felt a flicker of fear—she’d heard the adults talk about kidnappers before.

But the man smiled kindly at her, mouthing something silently with exaggerated movements.

Fang Ruoruo stared blankly for a moment before her eyes widened in surprise. The person outside seemed to be saying… "Dad"?

Hesitantly, she reached out, unlatched the window, and pushed it open.

Fang Zhiyi finally relaxed. Dealing with kids wasn’t easy—especially since Fang Ruoruo had been very young when he and Li Mei divorced, so her memories of him were hazy.

"Who are you looking for?" Fang Ruoruo’s voice was soft and sweet.

Fang Zhiyi gazed at the thin little girl. "You."

"Me? Are you a kidnapper?" She shrank back slightly.

Fang Zhiyi shook his head. "I’m not a kidnapper. But first, I need to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Fang Ruoruo eyed him suspiciously.

Fang Zhiyi pulled a lollipop from his bag. "That’s right. If you agree, this is yours." No child could resist candy—especially one who was constantly treated with disdain.

Fang Ruoruo finally nodded and accepted the lollipop.

Fang Zhiyi said, "I’m your dad."

Fang Ruoruo, distracted by the candy in her hands, didn’t react immediately. "Huh?"

"I’m your dad," Fang Zhiyi repeated gently. "I came to see you."

Fang Ruoruo stared at him in disbelief before murmuring, "My… my dad went far away. He didn’t want me or Mom anymore."

"Bullsh—" Fang Zhiyi caught himself. "It’s complicated, but I never stopped wanting you, okay?" Seeing her lingering doubt, he added, "Your name is Fang Ruoruo, right?"

She nodded.

"My name is Fang Zhiyi."

Fang Ruoruo thought for a moment before it clicked. None of her relatives shared her surname—only her. It was why her cousins often mocked her.

"Dad…" she whispered.

Fang Zhiyi gritted his teeth. "Be good, and I’ll visit you often from now on."

Fang Ruoruo nodded eagerly. "I’ll be good." Her voice trembled, her eyes reddening.

Fang Zhiyi sighed. "Our deal is this—you can’t tell anyone you saw me. Understand?"

She nodded emphatically.

After comforting her a little longer, Fang Zhiyi left. He needed to find a lawyer to see if he could fight for custody, though he suspected it wouldn’t be easy. After all, the original owner had voluntarily relinquished his rights.

What kind of nightmare difficulty was this? He couldn’t help complaining to Xiao Hei again.

Though Fang Ruoruo wanted to eat the candy, the thought of her father made her hide the lollipop instead. But since she didn’t even have her own room, her Eldest Cousin stumbled upon it that very night. Teasing her, he popped it into his own mouth.

She tried to snatch it back, but her mother’s sharp glare stopped her.

Eldest Aunt scoffed, "Tsk, so young and already so possessive?"

Her mother only demanded where she’d gotten the lollipop. Fang Ruoruo opened her mouth but stayed silent—she remembered her father’s promise.

"Bet she stole it," Eldest Aunt sneered. "Fourth Sister, petty theft leads to grand larceny."

That night, her mother lost her temper. Fang Ruoruo kept her head down, tears falling silently even as her mother shoved her. In the end, she reluctantly apologized—though she didn’t understand why she had to apologize to her Eldest Cousin too.

The next day, Fang Ruoruo trailed behind her cousins on the way to school. They ignored her because of her outdated clothes and worn-out backpack.

Just as they neared the school, a hand yanked her into an alley.

Terrified, she looked up—only to see the same face from yesterday.

"Dad!" She had secretly flipped through her mother’s photo album last night after she fell asleep. Among the few remaining pictures, she had indeed found this man.

Fang Zhiyi patted her head, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing…" she mumbled.

He crouched down. "First, good girls don’t lie—well, at least not to their dads. Second, you have to speak up when something feels unfair. Got it?"

His tone made Fang Ruoruo’s grievances spill over, tears streaming down. Fang Zhiyi panicked slightly—handling kids, especially little girls, was nerve-wracking.

Finally, under his coaxing, she recounted what had happened the night before. Fang Zhiyi narrowed his eyes. "It’s just a lollipop. Go to class first—I’ll buy you another one later."