"It's raining........."

Woken by the rain, Xia Chuan opened his eyes to the torrential downpour outside his window.

Watching the rain, he murmured softly, slightly relieved he’d closed the window last night.

It was Sunday, so Xia Chuan didn’t need to go to school. He checked his phone and realized it was already past ten.

Even on weekends, he usually woke up by eight. Today’s late sleep must’ve been from telling the little girl stories too late last night.

Thinking this, Xia Chuan slightly turned his head to wake Qian Yu—only to find she was already awake.

She sat up, clutching a photo, her gaze distant as she stared blankly at the rainy view outside.

Seeing this, Xia Chuan felt a trace of sorrow in the air. He quickly patted Qian Yu’s shoulder.

Startled by the touch, she snapped back to attention, turned to Xia Chuan, and smiled.

"Daddy!"

"I’m not your dad," Xia Chuan replied coldly. At seventeen, he was tired of this title.

"Eh? No... no way... Daddy is Daddy... waaah... Daddy’s mean..."

Qian Yu froze for a moment, then burst into loud sobs.

Damn it!

Panicked by her tears, Xia Chuan hadn’t expected his words to make the kid cry.

He sighed, rubbing his forehead, unsure what to say.

Just as the ancients said, raising little girls is no easy task...

After soothing Qian Yu and finishing breakfast, it was already past eleven.

Xia Chuan had called the contact person earlier. Qian Yu’s relatives would only pick her up that afternoon.

He was speechless—it was Sunday! How could they wait until afternoon? And how could they leave such a cute kid with a stranger?

Still, he didn’t resist much. Deep down, he almost wanted... Qian Yu to stay a little longer.

This room wouldn’t feel so empty then.

Of course, he’d never admit that. He’d always been stubborn.

Xia Chuan glanced up at the rain outside.

It had poured for an hour with no sign of stopping. The dark, cloud-covered sky promised a full day of rain.

Propping his cheek on one hand, he stared silently at the downpour.

Only the steady drumming of rain filled the quiet room.

Honestly, he enjoyed this peace.

But the calm didn’t last. A voice shattered it:

"Daddy, I wanna go out and play!"

Xia Chuan’s eye twitched as he heard Qian Yu’s voice from across the dining table.

"Are you crazy? Go out in this storm?"

He kept his tone firm but gentle, remembering she was just a kid.

"But... I just wanna play with Daddy... since I’ll say goodbye to him this afternoon..."

Her voice grew small and shaky, her head drooping lower with each word.

Xia Chuan paused. He hadn’t expected a three-year-old to understand so much.

Maybe she did understand—but pretended not to.

After a long look at Qian Yu, he sighed and stood up.

"Fine. Let’s go play."

Qian Yu blinked, then perked up with a bright smile.

"Yay!"

Xia Chuan packed essentials before heading out with Qian Yu.

The rain was still heavy. His umbrella was too small for two, so he borrowed a child-sized raincoat from Wang Yin.

He’d wondered why an older single woman owned kids’ clothes. She explained it was a gift from her best friend five years ago—meant for her future child. But after five years, she hadn’t even dated anyone.

As she spoke, a faint dark aura of frustration radiated from her. Xia Chuan fled before it got worse.

The pink raincoat, dotted with tiny flowers, looked adorable on Qian Yu.

Even in the rain, she insisted on bringing her mother’s photo. To keep it dry, she tucked it inside her raincoat and hugged it with one arm.

Xia Chuan held the umbrella, hand in hand with Qian Yu as they walked down the street.

Few people braved the downpour. Under the dim, rainy sky, only car headlights flashed past, briefly illuminating their faces.

"Daddy, where are we going?" Qian Yu asked, looking up with a smile. The rain hadn’t dampened her mood.

"Where to play..."

Xia Chuan hesitated. Outdoor spots like parks were out. Indoor places weren’t kid-friendly either.

Where could they go?

Then it hit him.

Maybe there...

Xia Chuan stood before the arcade entrance, conflicted.

Yes, this was the place he’d thought of.

The blaring game music from inside made him regret bringing Qian Yu here.

"Daddy, what is this place?"

Qian Yu stared wide-eyed at the flashing lights and machines.

Her innocent question deepened his guilt.

After a long internal struggle, he decided to leave. She was too young for this.

"Let’s go somewhere else... Huh? Where’d you go?"

He turned to speak—but Qian Yu’s hand was no longer in his.

"Daddy, hurry up!"

Her familiar voice called from ahead. Xia Chuan looked up to see her already running inside, bouncing with excitement.

Stunned, he chuckled softly and followed.

Though he’d let Qian Yu enter, Xia Chuan took his role as temporary guardian seriously.

He avoided the arcade section, leading her straight to the claw machines in the family area.

"Which one do you want? I’ll get it for you," he said, pointing at the plush toys behind glass.

Too short to see inside, Qian Yu jumped repeatedly, straining to peek—but only caught glimpses of the claw.

Giving up, she looked at Xia Chuan with pleading eyes.

"Alright, alright..."

Sighing, he lifted Qian Yu high so she could choose.

She picked a cute Q-version husky plushie.

After setting her down, Xia Chuan inserted a coin and began his mission.

Claw machines were child’s play for him. Back in the day, he’d been the "Prince of Claw Machines." Grabbing a husky for a little girl? Easy.

But fate had other plans...

Qian Yu couldn’t see inside the machine. For the next half hour, all she heard was Xia Chuan muttering:

"Watch this! Oops—my bad..."

"Damn, been years since I played. Gotta warm up..."

"Drop! Drop! Drop! Ugh!"

"Seriously?! This claw’s so loose! One more try!"

"I refuse to lose!!!"

"Blaze on, my claw machine spirit!!!"

Even at her age, Qian Yu sensed he was spiraling into obsession.

Finally, after another failed attempt, Xia Chuan gave up on the husky.

The "Prince of Claw Machines" was no more...

He winced inwardly—fifty bucks wasted, and all he had was a tiny pig plushie.

Bending down, he handed it to Qian Yu with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry... this is all I could get."

Qian Yu didn’t pout or look upset. She took the pig, hugged it with her mother’s photo, and beamed.

"Thank you, Daddy!"

"You like it?" Xia Chuan asked, surprised.

"Eh?"

She froze, then blushed faintly, murmuring under her breath:

"I like... anything Daddy gives me..."

To hide her flushed face, she ducked her head.

Xia Chuan fell silent, a complex warmth rising in his chest.

"I told you, I’m not your dad, silly. But..."

He watched her for a long moment, a soft smile spreading. Gently, he ruffled her hair.

"I’m glad you like it."