I Have Short Legs and Can't Swim Quickly
The housekeeper froze at first but couldn't help exhaling softly when he saw that Lu Junhan didn't seem intent on pursuing the issue further.
But that soft little voice from earlier didn't stop—it seemed to spot something and suddenly grew anxious—
"Dad! Dad, don't go! Ooh ooh—wait for me! I have short legs and can't swim fast!"
???
Don't go…
Go…
Wait a minute!
The only person walking away right now was—
"Dad Lu Junhan, wait for me!"
The housekeeper immediately tensed. His pupils shrank, and the maids beside him gasped, mouths hanging wide open.
Lu Shao... became a father?
When did that happen?!
Most people had heard the voice clearly—it came from the pond.
Lu Junhan had heard it too.
He paused, turned around, frowning slightly as he looked toward the koi pond. His face held an air of danger, cold and unreadable, like a warning storm rolling in. He clearly wanted to see which child was so ignorant as to dare call him that.
And then—
SPLASH!
With a sudden spray of water, a delicate little loli burst from the surface of the pond.
Her black hair clung wetly to her tender, fair little face. Her big, watery eyes sparkled beneath heavy, dripping lashes. Her cheeks were a healthy pink, and her expression looked as soft and innocent as a steamed bun.
She pressed her small, muddy hands against the edge of the pond, lifted her little head, and looked eagerly toward Lu Junhan. Her eyes lit up with joy, and she called out again, her voice sweet and clear:
"Father!"
The place exploded.
The housekeeper took a deep breath, stunned speechless. After a long moment, he stammered:
"Lu… Lu Shao… Th-this child… she's really yours?"
Could this little loli really be Lu Shao's daughter?
How is that possible?!
Wasn't Lu Shao famous for being unattached—not even a woman around him? How could he possibly have a daughter?
There'd never been a single whisper of an illegitimate child, let alone one so big!
As the housekeeper and the rest of the staff stared in disbelief, Lu Junhan—who had just been called Dad—barely reacted at all.
He walked forward with long strides, expression unreadable. Standing over the little girl, he looked down, dark and dangerous eyes narrowing, his voice cold and devoid of warmth:
"What did you just call me?"
Who was this kid?
Clearly, someone hadn't learned their lesson.
In the past, many women had tried to use children to get close to him. Seeing that he showed no interest in women and was indifferent to their charms, they resorted to planting "children" in front of him, hoping to stir some long-buried paternal instinct.
As if.
They didn't know that Lu Junhan didn't just dislike kids—he found them repulsive.
His gaze swept coolly across the crowd.
There was no way this child had gotten into the well-guarded Lu family villa by accident. Someone had to have helped her.
Whoever was behind this… he would make sure they regretted it for life.
"I called you Dad!"
Lu Li showed no fear of his expression or his icy demeanor. On the contrary—her eyes sparkled even brighter. She tilted her little face up, her soft cheeks puffed slightly with joy:
"Daddy, Lili finally found you! I'm so happy!"
The housekeeper's heart sank. Judging by Lu Shao's ever-darkening expression, it was clear—he didn't know this child at all.
Not only did he not know her, but he looked like he was about to explode.
The last child who had dared appear in front of Lu Shao hadn't even had time to cry before he was ruthlessly thrown out. Word was, that kid still had nightmares to this day and would run at the mere sight of Lu Junhan.
You could imagine how deep the trauma ran.
Now, looking at Lu Li's little face, her glittering eyes and sweet smile, even the housekeeper couldn't bear it.
He turned swiftly and barked at the stunned staff:
"I'll say it once—whose child is this?! Come take her away immediately!"
This wasn't unprecedented.
Just two months ago, a reckless maid—possibly inspired by too many CEO romance novels—had smuggled her nephew into the Lu estate during a banquet, attempting to have the kid call Lu Junhan "Daddy."
The logic was simple. Lu Shao was cold to women but might soften to a child. Once the child got through, he'd naturally seek out the kid's guardian—and voila, she'd be noticed.
Clearly, her little scheme had backfired spectacularly.
Not only did Lu Shao hate children, but he despised being manipulated.
The kid had been thrown out on the spot, and the maid had been blacklisted from the industry. She hadn't landed a job since.
From that day forward, everyone knew: Lu Shao hates children even more than he hates women.
So for the last few months, things had been peaceful—until today.
Now, another person was trying to test his bottom line?
The housekeeper's expression darkened further when none of the staff admitted to knowing her.
But just then, the little girl, soaked and muddy, struggled to climb out of the pond. Her face was smeared with dirt, but her voice remained sincere:
"Uncle, I'm not anyone's child. I'm from the Lu family."
She pointed her tiny finger at Lu Junhan and declared proudly:
"That's my dad! And my dad is super amazing!"
That earnest praise, simple as it was, made something shift faintly in Lu Junhan's heart.
It felt… almost real. Like he'd just been genuinely complimented by his own daughter.
It was strange. And more than a little irritating.
"I'm not your dad."
He forced himself to shake off the feeling, glancing again at the staff. No one looked suspicious. No signs of a setup.
So who was this girl?
He narrowed his gaze and warned coldly:
"Call me that again, and see what happens."
The threat was unmistakable. The housekeeper even shuddered a little at the tone.
But to everyone's horror, the little loli wasn't scared at all.
She stood with her hands on her hips, cheeks puffed indignantly:
"I'm not calling you! I'm calling Lu Junhan!"
Lu Junhan: "…"
She looked at him with a serious expression.
"My dad's name is Lu Junhan."
"…"
Since he didn't deny it, Lu Li beamed and declared proudly:
"So that means you're my dad."
"I'm not," he said again, his tone colder than before. "You've got the wrong person."
He turned, intending to leave. There was no reason to waste more time.
But Lu Li scrambled forward, water droplets flying, arms outstretched—
"No! Dad, I won't admit it wrong!"