Chapter 150: The Real and Fake Daughters Who Were Switched at Birth – 9

The Entruster sat in silence for a long time in the space before finally shaking his head gently.

“No, I don’t think so. My love for Yuyu is real. I raised her myself. She’s been with me for over ten years, walking alongside me as I built my career.”

“I still remember how clingy she was when she was little, always wanting to be close, always acting cute. Every time I came home from work exhausted, she’d run over and give me a massage.”

“Whenever she said, ‘Daddy, you’ve worked so hard,’ all my fatigue would melt away in an instant.”

Xie Hui never blamed any Entruster. At most, when their opinions clashed with his, he would voice his disagreement and try to guide them toward accepting his way of handling things.

After hearing what this Entruster said, Xie Hui thought his feelings were only natural.

Even with a dog, after raising it for over a decade, you’d grow attached—let alone a daughter made of flesh and blood, with emotions of her own.

“Yuyu’s life now is far better than what my daughter had. If my daughter had grown up in the same environment, maybe she wouldn’t have turned out the way she did.”

“You’ve handled things well. My daughter… she came back from the past, didn’t she?”

Xie Hui had never told this Entruster that his daughter might have been reborn.

He didn’t expect him to guess it anyway.

But after drinking, the alcohol dulled his usual clarity and restraint, and his words carried more personal emotion than usual.

Normally, Xie Hui would never have admitted it, even if the other party had guessed.

“Yes. She was reborn after she died.”

“I figured as much. I know those little habits of hers too well…”

As the Entruster said this, tears were already streaming down his face.

“I used to think, if you could just make sure my daughter grew up healthy and happy, that would be enough.”

“But now that I think about it, it’s the her from the past who’s come back. That little hedgehog of a girl, returning to enjoy this happiness—it somehow feels even better.”

His only wish was for her to be well.

“Someone once asked me if I wanted a chance to go back and change everything myself. And I knew, if I went back and saw little Yuyu, I’d be biased… So, I’m entrusting her to you.”

“You’re doing a great job. If Yuyu ever runs into trouble, I hope you’ll be there for her.”

“Jinjin’s personality is a bit extreme. I hope… I hope you can help her understand that she is my biological daughter. She’s irreplaceable.”

After finishing the conversation with the Entruster, they happened to arrive home. The driver gave a soft reminder before opening the car door.

When Xie Hui walked into the living room, he saw the two little ones sitting on the carpet, playing with building blocks.

He set down his coat and walked over to sit beside them.

Fresh from a banquet, the smell of alcohol clung heavily to him. As soon as he sat down, Jinjin wrinkled her nose in disgust and reached out to push him away.

Even sweet-tempered, well-behaved Yuyu covered her nose with one hand.

“Ew, stinky, stinky!”

Xie Hui had only wanted to spend some time with them, but both girls were seriously turning up their noses at him.

With no choice, he stood up and headed upstairs, realizing he probably had drunk a bit too much.

Those two little ones had sharp noses—it was no surprise they didn’t want him near.

What caught him off guard, though, was that even Yuyu had called him stinky.

After a shower and a change into clean clothes, Xie Hui came back downstairs. The steward had already placed a bowl of hangover soup on the table.

Aunt Xie had her own place nearby, so she didn’t live with them.

As Xie Hui sat down to drink the soup, his phone buzzed—it was a message from Aunt Xie, letting him know she’d arrived safely.

“Jinjin, Yuyu, come over here. Smell me now—do I still stink?”

Jinjin, ever the little diva, didn’t even bother to answer properly. She just wiggled her hips to show she’d heard.

Yuyu, on the other hand, pushed herself off the floor and toddled over to Xie Hui. She stood on tiptoe, ready to sniff him seriously, but before she could, Xie Hui scooped her up.

“Hmm? Does Uncle still stink now?”

Yuyu scrunched her little nose and sniffed carefully before shaking her head.

“No stink, no stink!”

Then she tilted her head up and planted a kiss on Xie Hui’s cheek.

As if worried he might tease her, she quickly covered her face with both hands, nestled into his arms, and tugged his shirt to hide herself completely.

“Yuyu, play!”

Hearing her sister’s voice, Yuyu wriggled out of Xie Hui’s arms and stumbled back across the room.

As Xie Hui sipped his honey water and watched the two girls playing together, the system’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

“Host, due to Xie Qianjin’s rebirth, which goes against the rules of this world, and the fact that she returned to her childhood, her memories from that time will gradually fade as she grows.”

The system’s words made Xie Hui pause, his hand tightening slightly around the glass.

No wonder Jinjin had been acting more and more like a normal child lately.

Watching her lying on the floor, looking up while stacking blocks, Xie Hui stayed silent for a long time before asking:

“Will it damage her memory? Will there be any risk of mental illness later on?”

“No, Host. It’s just like normal human development. Things remembered in childhood often fade into vague impressions—or disappear entirely—as one grows.”

Hearing that, Xie Hui finally felt at ease.

“I see.”

Growing up, forgetting bit by bit, and letting new memories fill in the gaps—Xie Hui thought that might actually be a good thing.

If those memories stayed, no matter how happy Xie Qianjin’s life was now, that dark chapter in her mind would always linger in some corner.

Xie Hui didn’t want to see that happen. It would be far too painful for anyone.

For someone a bit more obsessive, it could even lead to questioning which world was real.

In the worst-case scenario, it could result in a split personality.

The backyard renovations were complete. The construction team had worked quickly, and since most of the playground equipment was pre-made, it just needed to be installed.

However, it was recommended to wait a little longer before letting the kids play on everything.

“Yuyu, come on, Uncle’s taking you to play.”

“Play? Play?”

“Mm-hmm, let’s go play.”

The moment she heard the word “play,” Yuyu’s brain instantly equated it with going out to have fun.

She pushed herself up off the ground and, not forgetting her sister, grabbed Jinjin’s hand to bring her along.

Xie Hui had called Yuyu over precisely because he anticipated this.

If he’d gone alone, that little firecracker probably wouldn’t have even looked at him—but she’d give face to Yuyu.

There were two swings in the backyard, and those were ready to use right away.

Xie Hui held one girl in each arm, buckled them in securely, and gave a gentle push to start the swings moving.

The sisters wore matching shoes in different colors, their feet dangling and swaying gently in the air.

Yuyu’s emotions were written all over her face—pure delight, her laughter full of joy.

Jinjin, though clearly enjoying herself too, wore only a proud little pout.

“Having fun? Yuyu, do you still think Uncle smells bad?”

“Uncle not stinky!”

They played until it was quite late. After dinner, Xie Hui brought them into the study to sort through the red envelopes they’d received that day.

When Xie Hui had sent out the invitations, he’d mentioned both children, so most of the guests had prepared two red envelopes.

Sometimes, whether a child is biologically yours doesn’t matter at all. What matters is whether the host of the party says she is.

Wearing gloves, Xie Hui placed the two little ones in his usual office chair and began opening the envelopes, organizing everything neatly.

“See this? These are all the red envelopes you got for your first birthday. I’ll keep them safe for now, and when you’re older, they’ll be yours.”

Jinjin, who had been picking at her fingers, looked skeptical when she heard that. Xie Hui noticed and, with a chuckle, took off his gloves and gently tapped her nose.

“What are you looking at? Have I ever lied to you?”

“Fai!”

Jinjin had been completely off guard when her nose was suddenly poked. Snapping back to her senses, she clutched her nose with one hand and barked out angrily.

Yuyu, who didn’t understand what was going on, heard her sister and immediately joined in.

“Fai!”

After saying it, she saw her sister was still mad, so she doubled down:

“Uncle fai!”

“Alright, alright, I can’t win against the two of you. Hah, always ganging up on me.”

Xie Hui sighed helplessly and started pleading for mercy. What really got him was how Yuyu’s little face turned bright red from trying so hard to back up her sister and keep her from staying mad.

Worried that these tiny little ones might actually get too worked up, he quickly softened his tone.

No matter how small a little brat is, they all have their tempers—and they all need to be gently soothed and coaxed.

“I promise, I really did save it all for you.”

Most parents don’t really mean it when they say things like that, but Xie Hui wasn’t like that. He didn’t see the point in taking even a bit of money from the kids—unless there were truly special circumstances.

With that settled, Xie Hui picked them up to take them back to bed, one in each arm.

As she was lifted, Jinjin reached out and grabbed Xie Hui’s nose. Her hands were so small she had to clutch it with her whole palm.

“You say it—do you or do you not admit defeat?!”