Taotie

Jiang Chen Lu sighed. He peered at his daughter. Her facial features that were just like her mother. He didn't know where to start.

Neither one of them talked after that. Just observing one each other's expression.

The father was reluctant.

The daughter was curious.

So many things hidden. She wanted to know. Or can be said, she wanted to know this father of hers better.

Jing Yi remembered that before her soul got transmigrated into this world and occupied the dead body of this man's daughter, in her original world, she too had a loving father.

He had done so much for her. So much that she couldn't count.

Could it be that the man in front of her is the same?

If so, then there must be reasons behind what he had done all these times. She really wanted to know.

For a moment, her father's figure and Jiang Chen Lu's figure overlapped. Jing Yi felt her eyes become moist. Her chest felt tight.

This sight didn't escape from Jiang Chen Lu's eyes. He creased his eyebrows.

"Are you crying?", he asked in confusion. He didn't do anything that scared her. Then why did this little girl cry?

Jing Yi showed him a faint smile and shook her head.

" No. Nothing."

She took a while to think before she added, "Father, you said that you have something to talk to me. What is that?"

Jiang Chen Lu was a bit startled. Indeed, he had something to say. But now he forgot...

Jing Yi lifted her brow. She could vaguely feel that the air around Jiang Chen Lu's turned tense.

After a while, Jiang Chen Lu asked back flatly, "What do you want to know?"

Eh? Did he just ask what she wants to know? Means, he would answer everything she asks, right?

Jing Yi thought for a while before she mustered all her courage and threw the first question.

"Father, do you care about me?"

Jiang Chen Lu didn't expect that she would ask about this. He was at a loss for a while.

Does he care about her?

Of course he cares, but…

"Why don't you answer by yourself?", he replied.

Jing Yi was dumbfounded. Does he have a habit to answer the question with another question? Then why must I bother to ask? Fuu~qiin~ (-_-|||)

Her mouth was opened and closed and then opened before it closed again. Jiang Chen Lu, though it didn't appear on his face, was amused.

She had a lot of expressions. So hilarious.

" I- I … don't know", she finally blurted out in a stutter.

Jiang Chen Lu nodded and replied, "Nnn."

…conversation the end.

WTH was she doing? She facepalmed inward. Both of them have many words to disclosed. But neither they knew how. So pathetic. Father and daughter.

Jiang Chen Lu the iceberg-sama indeed didn't know how to properly communicate with his little daughter. Actually, if you observe carefully, he was quite nervous. Just his facial muscles were seemed to be dead...

Couldn't hold it anymore, Jing Yi spat out another question, "Why do you confine me in this barren courtyard? And you never seem to care about my life. Then why now?"

The last sentence was a bit familiar. She suddenly remembered that Lin Feng Yu had asked it not long ago.

Please, don't answer it with another question!

She didn't realize that she had made another funny face. Upon seeing it, Jiang Chen Lu just shook his head.

This daughter was really…

"I have my reasons.", finally, he properly answered. "If you want to know, then it means that you must prepare yourself."

Jing Yi immediately knitted her brows. Prepare herself. Did it something so terrifying?

Indeed she knew that she was a cursed child. But even Lin Feng Yu never explained anything about it in detail. Thus, she unconsciously straightened her back, got ready for the impact.

"Sooner, your family-in-law will pick you up.", Jiang Chen Lu said as he walked to a rounded chair and sat down. "You have been betrothed since years ago to the second young master of Ye Clan in Qing Sha."

Didn't wait for her to respond, he quickly added.

"I guess your brother had already told you about your identity. You're not a human being. Half of you is a magical beast. And another half…"

Is a demonic beast.

Jiang Chen Lu stopped talking all of a sudden. He wanted to say that but the words were stuck in his throat.

Meanwhile, his unfinished sentences piqued Jing Yi's curiosity. She leaned her body forward. "What? What is the other half?", she urged.

Jiang Chen Lu seemed reluctant. But he knew that he can't hide it anymore. He must tell her.

"Demonic beast. Taotie."

It was like a clad of thunder in broad daylight!

What is a taotie?! She had read it somewhere in her original world.

Taotie, one of four evil creatures or demonic beast in the legend. The symbol of greed. Devours everything, especially humans, without ever become full or satisfied. It said that it even ate its own body…

He said that she is half-taotie.

Jing Yi felt that her brain had turned into paste. She thought that indeed she loves eating. Was it because of her blood? A taotie?

Jiang Chen Lu wanted to continue speaking but he thought that she needs more times to digest everything. So he decided to wait.

Jing Yi was in the middle of having a mental adventure.

Is it a good thing? She pondered. She tried to recall everything she knew about that demonic beast. After a while, she concluded: except its image was used to decorate cooking vessels in ancient China, nothing else is good about it!

Jiang Chen Lu had waited for god-knows-for-how-long. In the end, he decided to continue, "Your family-in-law is aware of your identity. But because of that, they will not treat you well. After you enter their residence, you'll face a lot of hardship."

Jing Yi blinked stupidly.

Was it because of that her father had been treating her badly all these years?

WTH he was thinking, for god sake?!