My Daughter Is a Supporting Character 04

Fang Yu stood there, looking somewhat at a loss.

Fang Zhiyi let out a sigh. "Your father's savings are only enough to buy you a small second-hand place for now. Let me work hard, and I'll get you a bigger one later."

Fang Yu was taken aback.

Seeing her silence, Fang Zhiyi knew he was being too hasty, but he couldn't afford to take it slow. Who knew what other trouble might crop up later?

"Anyway, this will be your home from now on. The paperwork will be done in your name too." Fang Zhiyi patted his daughter's shoulder, only to see tears suddenly stream down Fang Yu's face.

"Dad... how much did you sell me for? Who do I have to marry?" She had already made up her mind. Since her father had decided, she would obey.

Now it was Fang Zhiyi's turn to be stunned.

"Sold you? What nonsense is that?"

From Fang Yu's halting explanation, he understood her fear and almost laughed out loud. "Silly girl, what are you thinking? I wouldn't sell you even if I could sell anyone!"

"Then why are you buying me clothes and a house?" Fang Yu asked through her tears. "You never cared for me before..."

"I was wrong before. I neglected you," Fang Zhiyi sighed, walking over to pat her shoulder again. "This house is for you. The deed will be in your name. This is your home from now on. I failed you in the past, but I'll make it up to you."

"Really?" Fang Yu lifted her tear-streaked face, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Even if I wanted to sell you, someone would have to be able to afford you! A 'thousand pieces of gold'—do you know what that means?"

Fang Yu cried even harder.

Fang Zhiyi finally managed to convince her that the house was truly a gift for her. But seeing her on the verge of tears again, he was puzzled. "Why are you crying now?"

"Dad, are you abandoning me? You won't let me go back home. Did I do something wrong?"

Fang Zhiyi waved his hands hurriedly. "Stop right there. Stop. What kind of father abandons his child? It's just that, with you at home, you'd be a bit in the way while I handle some matters."

Fang Yu sniffled, watching him.

Fang Zhiyi didn't hide the truth. "They've bullied my daughter for so long. It's time they paid back what they owe, with interest."

Fang Yu looked at Fang Zhiyi incredulously.

"Dad, are you going to kick Auntie and her family out?"

Fang Zhiyi raised a finger. "Remember, the first lesson your father teaches you: never be the one to flip the table first. Sometimes, all it takes is a little breeze, and the rotten fruit will fall from the tree by itself."

Fang Yu seemed to understand, yet not fully.

After a long while, she finally began to accept the fact that her father had cared about her all along.

Seeing Fang Yu start to talk voluntarily, Fang Zhiyi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had been planning how to open up this young girl's heart, and it seemed the effect was sufficient now.

She followed Fang Zhiyi's arrangements. He gave her some more money from his pocket, instructed her on a few things, and then leisurely departed.

"Hey, your daughter is watching you from the window," Xiao Hei said, gesturing animatedly.

Fang Zhiyi didn't look back. "Let her watch. Is my figure from behind particularly majestic?"

"Not really. Actually, you're quite underhanded."

"Ah, aren't you the one who picked this role model!"

"Actually, this girl is quite good. Even after suffering so much, she still hasn't turned bad," Xiao Hei remarked with feeling. "Don't you humans say that suffering, or something like that, can temper one's character..."

Fang Zhiyi suddenly stopped and turned to look at Xiao Hei, making him a bit uneasy.

"Remember this, Xiao Hei. Suffering is just suffering. There's no need to glorify it."

"The most direct effect of suffering is to make people narrow-minded, petty, complaining, and overly sensitive to every trivial matter. To say suffering makes people noble and strong is nonsense. Noble people have always been noble. Strong people are strong no matter what."

Returning home, Fang Jingtong and her family were surprised to see only Fang Zhiyi return. Fang Jingtong immediately put on a hypocritical show, coming forward to greet him. "Brother, where's Xiaoyu? Where did you send her? It's not safe for a girl to be outside." Her words were full of worry, but the glee in her eyes was unmistakable. With Fang Yu gone, there would be even fewer people to compete with her for this home!

"I've arranged for her to live outside," Fang Zhiyi said flatly, his gaze sweeping over the instant noodle containers on the table. Clearly, this family couldn't be bothered to cook and had just eaten noodles.

He suddenly beckoned to Wu Xiaobao. "Xiaobao, come here. Uncle brought you something delicious." As he spoke, he took out a lunchbox from his bag containing the leftover sweet and sour pork ribs and beef brisket from the meal he had just shared with Fang Yu, which he had specially packed to bring back.

Wu Xiaobao, already sulking about having instant noodles for dinner and having secretly cursed Fang Yu a few times as a "lazy good-for-nothing who won't cook," immediately scampered over when he saw the food. He hugged the lunchbox and started eating, completely oblivious to Wu Dabao's gaze burning with jealousy.

He didn't disappoint Fang Zhiyi either. A child raised with indulgence wouldn't think of others. Wu Xiaobao buried his head in eating, also failing to notice Fang Zhiyi's peculiar look.

Only after Wu Xiaobao had eaten his fill, sauce still smeared at the corner of his mouth as he ran back to the living room, did Fang Jingtong react. She quickly said with a smile, "Brother, look at you. Why didn't you call Dabao to have some too when you had such good food?"

Fang Zhiyi smiled and deliberately raised his voice. "I just find Xiaobao this child so likable. The more I look at him, the more I like him. If there's a chance in the future, I'd even like to give him the deed to this house!" Having said that, he turned and went back to his room.

The moment Fang Jingtong heard the words "deed," her eyes instantly lit up. She immediately pulled Wu Xiaobao over and asked in a low voice, "Xiaobao, does Uncle especially dote on you? You need to get closer to Uncle from now on, understand?" She paid no attention at all to Wu Dabao's livid face beside them.

Fang Jingtong's husband was named Wu Tian, essentially a social loafer. Back in his own home, he spent his days playing cards and drinking. Now that he was living in his brother-in-law's house with someone providing for him, he indulged even more happily.

The original host had always looked down on this brother-in-law, but out of consideration for Fang Jingtong's feelings, he had to let him stay. What was worse, this scoundrel had deliberately loitered near the bathroom door while Fang Yu was showering in the past. If Fang Yu hadn't finished quickly, who knows what might have happened. And Fang Jingtong not only didn't blame her husband, but instead berated Fang Yu for being "indecent and seductive."

This was also one of the reasons why Fang Yu preferred hanging out with the local ruffians rather than coming home before.

Wu Tian, seeing Fang Zhiyi sitting in the living room, was startled, and most of his drunkenness vanished. He stammered, "Brother... you... you're not asleep yet?"

"Waiting for you," Fang Zhiyi smiled, pouring wine into an empty glass and pushing it towards him.

Wu Tian was taken aback for a moment. Seeing that Fang Zhiyi wasn't angry but was instead pouring him wine, he immediately brightened up and moved closer to sit down. "Brother, is there some good news?"