The other kids are stupid

"I have the best daddy in the world! He's a policeman! He fights bad people. Bang, bang, bang!"

"My daddy is an engineer!"

"Mine is a chef! He cooks the best food!"

Xu Changying tightened her little pigtails and put her hands on her hips, her soft girly voice carrying with it a hint of firmness. "My daddy is better than your daddy, because my daddy is a spy boss!"

There were echoes of "whoa" and "wow" as the other kids in the kindergarten center started gathering around the girl in a pink sweater.

"Cool!"

"I wish my daddy was a spy boss."

"What's a spy boss?"

Xu Changying didn't have time to answer all their questions because from the corner of her eye, she spotted her father at the doorway, looking dapper in a black suit over a white turtleneck. "Daddy!"

She ran to him with her arms open, and Xu Feng caught her with a laugh, spinning her around once before propping her up in one arm. "Changying, what did I tell you about not telling the others about daddy's job?" He chided.

"It's okay, daddy. The other kids are stupid. They don't understand what I'm talking about." She boasted.

It was a good thing that children had a short attention span. The ones who were watching the two of them earlier had already gone off to play before their own parents picked them up. Thankfully, none of them heard what the little girl said.

"See?" She giggled.

Xu Feng shook his head in mild exasperation as he led her out of the classroom. How did he create such an intelligent, sharp-tongued brat? "Let's go."

"Can we go to Juyan, daddy?"

"Not today, sunshine."

"But aren't I gonna own Juyan when I'm this old?" She flashed all ten of her fingers at him, making him laugh. She had just turned five this year. To her, ten years of age was already pretty old.

"Maybe a little more than that." He smirked. This little girl was indeed going to inherit Juyan, but as much as he loved the fact his daughter wanted to follow in his footsteps, it was best that she lived her life as a child first. Besides, being the boss of Juyan had its dangers, too. He had just started the company and there were still issues with running it.

"Then where are we going?" She asked.

"Home." He mused.

***

Only the kitchen lights were on inside the house when Xu Feng and his daughter arrived. His wife was probably cooking inside.

To him, his wife was the best cook that existed, and he preferred to eat her home-cooked meals than to sit in a restaurant. The moment he got out of the car, the smell of steamed dumplings already wafted in the air.

"Moooooom! I'm hoooooome!" Xu Changying announced, opening the door to the house.

Xu Feng let out a light laugh as he watched her struggle to take off her shoes without using her hands as she fumbled for the light switch. He helped her out and flicked on the switch for her, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that something was amiss in the living room.

He turned his head and his eyes widened. A jar was smashed and the couch was a mess. The coffee table in the middle was even flipped over and the magazines that were on it lay scattered on the floor. It looked like there was a struggle.

Oh no.

"Chunhua? Chunhua!" He called out. Reflexively, Xu Feng pulled out the gun from inside his suit and rushed to the kitchen.

The steamer was still on the kitchen stove and the dumplings were still inside, ready to be taken out and eaten. But on that day, Xu Feng was never to eat dumplings again. Because there, lying on a puddle of blood on the floor, was his wife, Lin Chunhua, with a knife stabbed to her heart. "Chunhua…" He whispered.