Chapter 725 A Father Who Does Not Keep His Word
Over at Mountview Inn in Livingsfill, Erbao followed Nan Chen around from the moment she woke up. No matter where he went, she would trail behind him like a little shadow. The little girl was worried her father would go back and wanted to keep an eye on him.
In truth, Nan Chen had planned to fly back to Flower City that afternoon. Although he could not bear seeing Erbao like that, he also had an important event he needed to attend personally. Hence, he felt caught between a rock and a hard place.
Even after having lunch and the time came for Erbao to have her afternoon nap, she refused to sleep.
She sat there stubbornly, so drowsy that her gaze was unfocused. Although she nearly dozed off several times on the couch, she forced herself to get up each time. Seeing that, Ning Ran felt her heart ache.
“Go to sleep. Daddy won’t leave while you’re asleep, so you don’t have to worry. I promise he’ll still be here when you wake up,” she coaxed gently. Erbao shook her head as she tried hard to open her eyes wide. “I’m not sleepy, Mommy. Not even a little bit!”
As a matter of fact, Nan Chen was preparing to wait until Erbao fell asleep before departing.
The situation in Flower City had been rather complicated recently, and there were many things he had to handle. Hence, he did not have the energy to spend time with the children every day.
On top of that, filming for Ning Ran’s movie had yet to wrap up, which meant he could only wait until filming ended before bringing them back home.
If the children return with me while Ning Ran remains in Livingsfill, our security team would have to split into a few smaller groups to protect the twins and Ning Ran. Doing so would only make Qiao Zhan’s subordinates more on edge and exhausted. Besides, Ning Ran will miss the kids if they’re not with her. She’d be in no mood to film, and Dabao and Erbao would be miserable. Clearly, that wouldn’t be a good arrangement either.
Although the children had a sense of dependency on Nan Chen, it was nowhere near how much they depended on Ning Ran. After all, she had been the one by their side as they grew up.
Nan Chen was also incredibly busy and often worked until late at night. Even if the twins were at Flower City, he would have no time to spend with them.
Thus, after weighing the pros and cons, it made more sense to leave the little ones with Ning Ran in Livingsfill.
However, Nan Chen began to waver as he gazed at the scene before him.
She’s already sleepy but still refuses to go down for her nap. If I leave while she’s asleep, she’ll be so disappointed when she wakes up. Lying to a child is the dumbest thing one can do. A parent who lies will lose their authority and their child’s trust, and it’d be even more impossible to ask that child to be an honest person.
“Erbao, I promise I’ll be here when you wake up.”
He picked her up in his arms and walked toward the room, but she resisted immediately.
“I don’t want to nap. I’m not sleepy! I’m not sleepy at all!”
“Are you going to be disobedient? Have I ever lied to you?” Nan Chen asked, putting on a stern expression.
He always wore a poker face and already looked very stern, to begin with. However, now that he was deliberately acting all serious, he looked even more imposing and even somewhat terrifying.
Thinking that he was angry, Erbao was so frightened that she dared not utter a word and her eyes reddened.
“Answer me. Have I ever lied you?” Nan Chen pressed.
“No,” she answered in a tearful voice but did not dare to burst into tears.
At that moment, Ning Ran hurried over. “What do you think you’re doing by scaring my daughter like that? She’s on the verge of crying!”
“I didn’t! I didn’t scare her!” Nan Chen replied, feeling utterly wronged.
Worried that the pair would get into an argument, Erbao quickly explained, “Daddy didn’t do anything. Don’t blame him.”
Ning Ran immediately grabbed the girl and held her close. “There’s nothing to fear. Mommy’s here.”
“I was talking to her nicely. Don’t be like that. I really wasn’t scaring her,” Nan Chen protested, looking helpless.
“Let’s hear what you wanted to say. Go on, then.”
“Erbao, I’ve never lied to you in the past, nor will I lie to you in the future. If I tell you I’ll be here when you wake up, you can be sure of it. Go to sleep now. I’ll watch over you, and when you wake up, you’ll still see me sitting there the second you open your eyes,” Nan Chen said gently.
Erbao glanced at her mother, and the latter nodded.
“In that case, let’s make a pinky promise. If you sneak off, you’re a dishonest scallywag,” said Erbao.
“Sure. Pinky promise.” Nan Chen stuck out his finger solemnly.
Then, he took Erbao from Ning Ran and continued, “All right. Come on, then. I’ll carry you to bed.”
As it turned out, she dozed off just as he was about to lay her on her bed. After all, she was exhausted and had only been fighting to stay awake.
With a doting look in his eyes, Nan Chen lowered his head and kissed his daughter’s cheek.
Then, he tiptoed out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.
Meanwhile, Qiao Zhan had already arranged for a car. “Sir Chen, you’ll need to leave now. Otherwise, you’ll miss your flight.”
Nan Chen glanced at his watch. “I have to wait for my daughter to wake up. I gave her my word that she’ll be able to see when she wakes up.”
“It’ll be too late then. Little Miss’ naptime is usually very long. She’ll only wake up after three o’clock in the afternoon at the earliest. By then, the plane will have departed already,” Qiao Zhan replied.
“I don’t care,” Nan Chen responded while waving his hand.
Qiao Zhan was dumbfounded. What does that mean? Does it mean he’s not leaving?
“Assistant Jiang has called quite a few times already. He mentioned that the groundbreaking ceremony for the project on Serenity Street is tomorrow, and some important figures from the province will be present. Hence, you need to be there with them to meet the reporters. If you’re not there when they arrive, it’ll be difficult for Assistant Jiang to explain your absence,” he said.
Nan Chen frowned and asked, “When did you start seeing eye to eye with Jiang Zhe? Didn’t the two of you used to clash with each other all the time?”
“I don’t see eye to eye with him at all. He’s nothing but an incompetent and pedantic nerd. There’s no way we’d ever get along,” Qiao Zhan answered with a look of disdain.
Then, changing the subject, he continued, “However, as an employee of the company, I agree with him that you should be on time for the event tomorrow. If you’re not there when the bigshots arrive, they’ll say you’re not showing them respect, which will affect the company.”
Nan Chan’s gaze flitted toward Qiao Zhan. His awareness and thinking have grown so much after he joined as the head of the company’s security. It looks as though an environment does have a significant influence on a person.
“Of course, that’s just what I think. Whether or not you attend the event is still your decision,” Qiao Zhan added.
Nan Chen nodded. “You made a very good point.”
An expression of delight spread across Qiao Zhan’s face. “Thank you for the compliment, Sir Chen. Let’s get going, then. We’ll need to hurry to get to the airport.”
Nan Chen furrowed his brows. “I’ve already said that I promised my daughter she’ll be able to see me when she wakes up. Do you want me to be a father who doesn’t keep his word?”
His response left Qiao Zhan stunned again. So, is he going or not?
“Chief Qiao, how could you take me for my brother? My brother is over there. He’s the one who’s supposed to attend the event.” As Nan Chen spoke, he lifted his chin and pointed it toward Nan Xing, who was gaming in a corner.
Qiao Zhan stared at him with eyes like saucers. “You’re Sir Chen! He’s Master Xing!”
“Nonsense! I’m Nan Xing, right?” Nan Chen asked, turning toward Ning Ran behind him.
She caught on instantly. Poker Face wants Nan Xing to attend the event as him so that he can stay with the kids! However, although the two of them look very alike, there’s a difference in their capabilities. Will Nan Xing be able to handle it? If the leaders discover he’s pretending to be Nan Chen, won’t that make them even more furious?
“That…” She did not dare to say anything.
“Am I Nan Xing or not?” Nan Chen repeated with a glacial edge to his tone that seemed to say he would make her pay if she dared to say no.
Ning Ran was a little terrified. Once Poker Face makes a decision, he usually never changes his mind. I have no choice but to do as he wants.
Hence, she nodded solemnly. “That’s right. He’s Nan Xing. Nan Chen is over there.”
