When she walked out of the building, she saw a black car parked in the public parking space opposite. Xi Mushan was standing beside his car as he looked upwards at the enormous building.

He averted his gaze away from the building when he noticed Xi Xiaye walking towards him and he looked at her calmly.

"What are you doing here?" Xi Xiaye asked coldly as she arrived before him

There were many people walking in and out of the building at the moment, so she walked to a nearby flowerbed.

"Didn't we ask you to come back the other day? I was passing by, so I decided to drop by." Xi Mushan's voice sounded tranquil, yet his eyes were looking at Xi Xiaye sharply. A strong determination that could not be ignored lied in his eyes, forcing people to succumb to him as usual.

"I'm not going back," she said indifferently.

"We want to take a full family photo during this occasion. It's what everyone wishes for. Going back just for a little bit wouldn't take too much of your time." Xi Mushan looked at her as he gave it some thought. He then said quietly, "It's the New Year soon. I have something for your mother too..."

"It's fine. My mother never wanted anything from you, so you can keep them for your wife and daughter. I just hope that you and the people from the Xi family can stop bothering me and my mother ever again. Can you please let Mother go?" Xi Xiaye looked squarely at Xi Mushan in the eyes.

He almost forgot that although her daughter did not seem very close to her mother, she was actually very protective of Shen Wenna. Every time she was mentioned, she would get oddly worked up.

Xi Mushan suddenly frowned before he asked Xi Xiaye, "Did they go to look for your mother?"

She glanced at him coldly without replying.

His eyes darkened for a brief moment when Xi Xiaye did not reply to him, but they swiftly returned to normal. "Are you sure you're not coming back with me?"

"What for? To just smile and witness how happy they are, or do you want me to keep Qi Kai's Master company? Become his lover? And then marry him?" Xi Xiaye laughed coldly as a headstrong aura shrouded her slim body. She took a deep breath and calmed her emotions down. "You're my father who gave me life, so I respect you that much, but this doesn't mean I'll always succumb to the Xi family. I'm tired. If you guys are going to treat me this way, don't think that all of you will have it any easier!"

"That's enough, Xiaye! Don't speak that way! You're the same as your mother. Can't you give in?" Xi Mushan frowned with a mixed expression. His deep eyes hid too many secrets. Xi Xiaye had never seen through him just like how she had never seen through what Shen Wenna was thinking.

"Give in? Give in to you marrying Yue Lingsi and letting Xi Xinyi into the Xi family? Have you forgotten how I pulled on your leg and begged you to not let Mother leave? I was forced to be dispelled from the military academy. Pray, clarify, how did I beg you to help me again?"

Xi Xiaye laughed at herself and took another deep breath. "You're my father. Please tell me why do I have a father like you? Ever since I was little, Xi Xinyi has taken away everything that should have been mine. What else did you do apart from looking on quietly? Whatever! There's no point talking to you about this anyway. I'm sure I made my point clear. Go back. I really don't want to see you."

"Xiaye!"

Xi Mushan grabbed her and blocked her way when he saw her turn away from him. He looked downwards at her. "I know you hate me as a father, but no matter what, it won't change the fact that you're my daughter."

He stared deeply at Xi Xiaye, his tone of voice suddenly softening as he sighed, "Come back with me. There's something I need you to hand to your mother. If you don't want me to look for her, please deliver it for me. With me there, you don't have to worry about them giving you a hard time."

He then gave his secretary behind him an eye signal, and the secretary quickly opened the car door.

"You're becoming more and more like your mother... I remember that you're already 26, the age at which your mother gave birth to you..."

Xi Mushan's seemed a little absent-minded when he looked at Xi Xiaye. He left her with those words before boarding his car.

Xi Xiaye remained stationary for a long time and did not move. She just watched Xi Mushan in the car.

"Miss, please go back with the Mayor. Ms. Xinyi's engagement party is going to start soon. The Mayor actually came here just to take a look at you. If he didn't come, Elder Madam would've come instead. Elder Madam was very angry after she found out about what happened to Ms. Xinyi at the Glory World anniversary celebration. The Mayor is leaving City Z this evening and he's worried that you can't handle it alone, so..." The secretary, Ah Hui, told her.

Xi Xiaye raised her eyebrows and grinned coldly. "So, Xi Xinyi went and made up a story about how I gave her a hard time? You guys just can't wait to judge me already!"

"Miss, the Mayor doesn't mean any malice. He hopes that you can leave City Z with him for a few days, and then settle these matters afterward," Ah Hui sighed.

Xi Xiaye laughed. "There's no need. Why don't you tell me how Xi Xinyi acted delicate and cried about me bullying her? The papers are boosting her popularity now. She should really be thanking me..."

Before Xi Xiaye could finish her sentence, her phone rang in her shirt pocket. She took it out and realized that Shen Wenna was calling her!

"Mother..."

She picked up the call as she glanced over at Xi Mushan in the car.

"Xiaye, it's me..." Shen Wenna's cold voice came through the phone. "Yesterday, your grandmother and Xi Xinyi looked for me at the school about the document in your hands. Tell your father about this if he visits you. You don't have to call him your father ever again if he can't settle this for you."

Shen Wenna hung up then.

Xi Xiaye was stunned. The keywords she caught on were that Deng Wenwen and Xi Xinyi had gone to look for Shen Wenna yesterday!

The atmosphere around suddenly turned heavy as she held her phone tightly and her eyes darkened.

Great!

Xi Xinyi, I've been enduring this for a very long time!

She let out a cold laugh and then got into Xi Mushan's car...