Covering her mouth, Lu Man cried silently.
She never thought that Wang Juhuai would think this way.
That he did not mind and even treated her like his daughter.
āBefore I married your mom, I got wind that Han Dongping wasnāt satisfied with you. Not satisfied that you didnāt have any background and that Qingwei had nothing. That youāre too ordinary and that he picked faults with you left and right. So I brought Qingwei to the city councilās dinner,ā Wang Juhuai said.
Lu Man nodded, remembering.
āAt that time, I thought that Iāll never let anyone look down on you and Qingwei. One is my intended wife, the other is her daughter, which makes her my daughter. Though I may not be someone powerful, Iām still quite an influence; people wonāt dare look down on both of you. In the eyes of others, not only are you Lu Man the actress, Lu Man the wife of Han Zhuoli, youāre also Lu Man, the daughter of Wang Juhuai. Snobbish people like Han Dongping will not treat you both with disdain.ā
āItās alright if you donāt want to call me Dad. I can understand.ā This was because Lu Man was no longer a child and he really was not her father.
Itās normal for her not to get used to a different form of address.
āBut I just want to let you know that even if you refuse, youāre still my daughter. You can ask me for help for anything, anytime. Tell me if you encounter any grievances outside. Iā¦ā
āIām willing,ā Lu Man blurted out.
Wang Juhuai had actually mentally prepared himself for Lu Manās rejection.
He kept telling himself that itās normal, thereās nothing to be disappointed about.
As long as he treated her well, sheād come to accept him as her father one day.
He was startled upon hearing Lu Manās reply.
āIām willing,ā Lu Man said again. āItās just⦠I never thought that youāll think this way, Iā¦ā
Lu Man took a deep breath. āI never hoped to experience any fatherly love in this life. I just felt that the best-case scenario was you and Mom living a good life while I treat you with the right amount of respect. I never thought that I could call you Dad.ā
āWhen you told me I could, my mind went blank. I never thought that I could have a father one day.ā Hearing this, Wang Juhuai knew that Lu Man did not consider Lu Qiyuan her father.
āHaving a father to love me, protect me, and support meā¦ā Han Zhuoli could do all of that as well, but it was still different from a fatherās care.
Han Zhuoli wanted to say that he could do it too but kept his mouth shut considering the current atmosphere.
Lu Manās tears never stopped though she cried silently.
Her lips were trembling terribly.
Xia Qingweiās eyes were red-rimmed too.
The child was reacting this way precisely because someone had thrust fatherly love upon her when she never had one before!
āGood girl.ā Wang Juhuai choked. āIām your father from now on, and whatās past is past. Dad will protect you, love you, and support you. My bodyās in great condition and Iāll keep it that way for another 30, 40 years so that I can protect you for another 30, 40 years! Donāt you worry!ā
Wang Juhuai grew a sense of pride.
āThough you havenāt experienced any fatherly love for the past 23 years, you will in the next 30 to 40 years,ā Wang Juhuai said as he smiled.