Ophelia sat down at the chair, her back straight, fingers loosely intertwined in her lap. Zhao Liwei remained sitting by the tall window, the soft patter of rain tapping against the glass. The dim light from the overcast sky gave his crisp white shirt and tailored charcoal suit a muted sheen, but he still gave off the composed, distant air of a man used to commanding attention without needing to raise his voice.
"I believe by now you already know why you're here," he said evenly.
"Yes, Mr. Zhao," Ophelia replied politely.
"Good." He turned slightly, folding his arms. "Then there's no need for me to repeat the obvious. But I want you to understand this clearly: my daughter is very precious to me."
His eyes grew more focused, the calm in his tone taking on a razor edge. "Mei Lin may be young, but she's not easy. She's sharp. Observant. Sometimes difficult. She's grown up without a mother, and I… I'm rarely home. Her world is limited. Which makes your presence all the more important."
Ophelia gave a soft nod. "I understand, Mr. Zhao. I'll do my best to give her the care and support she needs."
He studied her in silence for a moment, then said, "Whether you stay or not will depend on your patience and how well you adapt. I was told you've looked after children all your life. That gives me reason to expect more from you than most."
Before Ophelia could respond, the door creaked open behind her. A small figure hurried in with swift steps.
"Dad!"
Mei Lin ran up and flung herself into her father's arms. He caught her with a rare softness, crouching slightly to hug her tightly.
"You're awake?" he asked, brushing her damp hair back gently, noticing the tiny droplets clinging to the strands.
She rolled her eyes. "Dad, are you dumb? Of course I'm awake. I'm here, aren't I?"
Zhao Liwei chuckled faintly, a barely-there smile flickering across his usually stoic face. "You're dripping water on my suit."
Mei Lin gasped and immediately tried to wipe his shoulder with her sleeve. "Oops! I came from the garden—I had to see the koi fish. They like rain."
He smoothed her wet sleeve down. "Next time, take an umbrella."
"You sound like Butler Alfred."
"He gives good advice."
Ophelia smiled faintly as she watched them. The warmth between them felt natural, unspoken. And yet, she could see the exhaustion behind it too—the quiet toll of a father raising a daughter alone, and a daughter craving more than the world had given her, growing up without a mom.
Then Mei Lin turned to her, arms still wrapped around her father's neck.
"Who's she?"
Her father answered calmly, "This is Ophelia Grace. She'll be your new nanny from now on. So be good to her. No mischief."
Mei Lin blinked at Ophelia, unimpressed. "She looks too young to be a nanny."
"I just turned nine," she added, pulling away from her father. "I don't need anyone watching over me."
"Mei Lin," Zhao Liwei said in a lower tone. "Be good. Listen to my arrangements."
"But she's just going to play on her phone all day and ignore me," Mei Lin protested.
Ophelia, who had remained quiet so far, lifted her head and said in perfect Chinese, "我连手机都没有."
(I don't even have a phone.)
Mei Lin froze. Her mouth parted, eyes blinking in disbelief. She turned slowly to her father, then back to Ophelia.
"You speak Chinese?!"
Ophelia raised a brow. "Is that surprising?"
"You—you didn't say anything before!" Mei Lin crossed her arms in exaggerated offense. "You just stood there like you didn't understand! You tricked me!"
"I didn't trick you," Ophelia said calmly. "You assumed I don't speak Chinese."
"But you let me talk like you weren't even listening! That's sneaky!"
"You were the one talking about me right in front of me," Ophelia replied, a teasing smile touching her lips. "Would it have been more polite to stop you?"
Mei Lin narrowed her eyes. "You're lucky I didn't say anything mean."
"I'm lucky, am I?" Ophelia tilted her head. "Maybe I should've pretended a little longer to see what else you'd say."
Mei Lin huffed and took a dramatic step back. "This is so unfair. I thought I'd be stuck with some boring foreign girl who wouldn't understand anything. Now I have to watch what I say and behave."
Zhao Liwei, still kneeling at her side, gave her a subtle look. "That's generally how being decent works, sweetheart."
Mei Lin scowled. "Tch. Fine. But I'll be watching you."
"Good," Ophelia said brightly. "I like being watched."
Mei Lin blinked again, caught off guard by her confidence.
Zhao Liwei stood, looking between the two of them. He didn't speak right away, but a faint glint flickered behind his otherwise unreadable eyes.
Maybe, just maybe, this nanny wasn't going to be easily dismissed.
---
While Ophelia and Mei Lin kept bickering, Zhao Liwei opened the drawer of his heavy mahogany desk and retrieved a sleek, matte-black card. The soft click of the drawer closing echoed in the quiet room. Without a word, he held the card out across the desk to Ophelia.
"Take this," he said, his voice calm but resolute.
Ophelia hesitated for a heartbeat before stepping forward. She accepted the card with both hands, eyes dropping respectfully.
"It's a bank card," Zhao Liwei continued. "It has a fixed amount deposited every month. That's Mei Lin's pocket money. From now on, you'll be responsible for it."
Ophelia blinked in surprise but quickly composed herself. "I understand, Mr. Zhao."
Mei Lin, standing off to the side with her arms crossed and an expression teetering between amusement and irritation, let out a scoff. "Then you better not be stingy with it," she said with mock sweetness. "It's my dad's money after all—not like it's yours."
Zhao Liwei's gaze didn't waver. "And precisely because of that, she doesn't have to listen to your instructions. She'll decide what's best for you, not what you demand."
Mei Lin's lips parted, and she gaped at him. "But I know what's best for me!"
He didn't even look at her. "You think you do."
"But—"
"That's enough, Mei Lin," he said mildly, but the firmness in his tone clipped her protests. She huffed and turned her face away.
Zhao Liwei looked back at Ophelia. "You're not just here to babysit. You'll manage her time, help her grow, and be her emotional anchor when I cannot. That card is only one small part of that responsibility. Use it wisely. And while you're at it, buy yourself a phone tomorrow. You'll need it to stay in touch regarding anything related to Mei Lin. Butler Alfred will assist if needed."
Ophelia nodded again, her fingers tightening subtly around the card. "I will. Thank you, Mr. Zhao."
Just then, the phone on Zhao Liwei's desk vibrated, the screen lighting up with a name that made his expression shift subtly. He reached for it, gave it a glance, and sighed under his breath.
"Excuse me," he muttered, then lifted his gaze to Ophelia again. "Take Mei Lin outside. I have to handle this."
Without a word, Ophelia turned toward Mei Lin and gestured gently. "Shall we?"
Mei Lin looked like she was about to argue again, but then she saw the change in her father's posture—shoulders slightly tensed, brows drawing together. She knew that look well. It meant business mode had taken over.
"Fine," she mumbled. "But...."
"Out," Zhao Liwei said without looking up as he answered the call, his voice already shifting into clipped, businesslike Mandarin.
Mei Lin muttered something under her breath and followed Ophelia out of the study, her arms folded and her small heels tapping irritably against the polished floor.