At the break of dawn, the faint sound of footsteps echoed outside, and a man's voice could be heard distantly—

"Sleep a little longer. There's something urgent at the company. I'll head out for a bit."

The sound of a door opening followed, and the man's footsteps approached the children's bedroom.

The young boy, whose ear had been pressed against the door, quickly flipped back onto his small bed, pulling the covers over himself and closing his eyes tightly.

The door creaked open.

The man entered, and the boy, stiff as a board, felt as if a towering monster had just walked into the room, a heavy, suffocating presence pressing the air out of his chest.

The hulking man, over six feet tall, leaned down, gazing at the boy, who had failed to properly cover himself with the blanket. He gently adjusted the bedding for him.

It was a daily habit for the man to bid his son farewell.

"Son, Daddy is going to work. Be sure to listen to Mommy while I'm away. I'll be back soon."

The boy remained rigid, waiting for what felt like an eternity, until the man finally left the room. Only then did he open his eyes, the room still dim, the early morning air thick and heavy, as if it were murky water. The oppressive presence of the large man still lingered in the air.

With the silence now settling in the living room, the boy, wearing socks, tiptoed across the small living room and slipped into the study. He climbed onto the chair and turned on the computer on the desk.

His small fingers tapped away on the keyboard, one letter at a time, until the search results appeared on the screen—

"Leap Group's newly appointed young CEO in a car accident, suspected of drunk driving."

"Leap Group holds press conference, temporarily assigning duties to the vice president."

The boy was so enraged that he almost threw the computer on the floor. Nonsense!

"Ka-ka—"

A voice called from outside. The boy quickly closed the computer, pretending to be innocent as he sat motionless in the chair.

The woman checked the children's room but found no one. Soon, the door to the study opened.

The boy stood there, blankly staring at the desk.

The young mother crouched down, looking at her child, and gently touched his forehead. "Are you feeling unwell today, darling?"

The young mother carried the sweet, warm scent of freshly baked pastries, a fragrance only a mother could possess.

The boy's face remained expressionless, as stiff as a piece of wood, sitting there in a daze.

As always, the young mother received no response, but a flicker of doubt crossed her eyes.

The little boy felt a bit relieved; it seemed he had narrowly escaped a calamity. Just like yesterday, he had eaten breakfast and was sent to the educational institution by his young mother.

Between their classroom and the waiting area for parents, there was a large glass wall.

The boy sat quietly, staring blankly at the toys in front of him, while a chubby child beside him drooled, chewing on a small toy car.

The affected teacher, speaking with a pinched voice, repeatedly asked, "Baby, do you know what this is?"

How was it that he hadn't perished in the car accident?

The former CEO of Leap Group truly might shut himself off from the world. Just moments before, he had been surrounded by beautiful women and his buddies, celebrating his 24th birthday with a four-tier birthday cake in front of him. But the next moment, he woke up only to find himself seated in a child's seat, staring at a tiny cake with four candles, while two people sang him a birthday song.

"Little Kangkang, look—"

The teacher walked over to the boy, interrupting his thoughts.

CEO Kang closed his eyes. He would always find a way back into his own body.

Summer Sheng looked at her son in the classroom. He sat in a corner, staring at the toys before him. He had been sitting like that for over an hour, offering no response to the teacher, completely absorbed in his own world.

In the past, he hadn't spoken much, but he interacted with those around him, at least to some extent. Now, there was no interaction at all.

"His condition may not just be selective mutism. We lean more towards the possibility of autism. We suggest you take him to a specialized hospital for a thorough examination."

"We'll take him to the hospital tomorrow," Summer replied.

In the dead of night, the boy quietly opened the living room door and tiptoed outside. But as he reached the living room, he spotted a tall shadow ahead—a man, also moving stealthily.

The boy froze for a moment. What could this be? Why was the man sneaking around so late?

"Almost there, I'll be right over," the man said into his phone.

When the boy stepped out, he saw the man running downstairs, talking into his phone.

"Don't worry. I'll be there in fifteen minutes. You hurry up and get everything ready."

A look of disdain crossed the chubby boy's face, one that didn't match his innocent appearance, his baby fat even seeming to express contempt.

His girlfriend had said she loved men who were devoted to their families.

This was what a family-oriented man looked like? Lucky he fired the guy, or he would've been nothing but trouble at the company.

Although the boy's soul was somewhat divided, trying to offer comfort to all the beautiful women around him, his girlfriends all knew each other and often went shopping together. No one was deceived.

After his brief moment of disdain, the boy did nothing further. This young couple wasn't his concern.

Right now, the boy only wanted to find his uncle and the butler, and somehow return to his original life.

The man ran swiftly, and by the time the boy, dragging his short legs down the stairs, reached the ground floor, the man was already out of sight.

In the quiet, late-night neighborhood, only the streetlights and tall trees stood guard, the occasional barking of dogs echoing from a distance. Ahead, two paths lay before him.

The boy, CEO Kang, was wearing children's fluffy slippers and a George Pig pajama set. Using his memory, he walked toward one of the paths.

He just needed to reach the neighborhood exit, hail a cab, and head to Jinghua Villa. Once there, he only needed to find the butler, and everything else would be handled by him.

Now, everything around him seemed so towering and large, the vehicles lining the roads like dormant steel monsters.

CEO Kang swallowed nervously and walked forward. Suddenly, the bushes to his side began to rustle.

He stepped back and saw a black cat leap out.

Just a cat. He sighed in relief.

He had remembered the way during the day—he just needed to cross a crossroads to reach the neighborhood gate.

By the crossroads, a few trash bins were stacked, and some stray dogs were rummaging through the garbage.

The stray dogs were all native mutts, and from the perspective of a four-year-old child, they appeared as towering beasts.

Kang, however, was not a four-year-old child, and though he was not afraid of dogs, he recognized that this was not the time for confrontation. He carefully edged toward the periphery, attempting to slowly maneuver his way along the outermost edge of the road.

Suddenly, one of the stray dogs lifted its head and barked sharply.

Kang cursed inwardly, turned, and fled. A few of the dogs had already begun to give chase.

Kang opened his mouth, intending to call for help, but only incoherent sounds emerged.

In that instant, his mind was flooded with images of being torn apart by the dogs. Fear and terror gripped his heart with unrelenting force.

The next second, with a sudden thud, he collided with something.

Yue Qin, having just retrieved the car keys from a friend, was returning when something small unexpectedly knocked into him. The force of the collision sent the figure stumbling backward, but he instinctively reached out and caught them.

As he focused his gaze, he realized—his son.

Yue Qin, both startled and frightened, quickly lifted his son, who had been wandering in the neighborhood.

The pack of dogs had already caught up and were now circling nearby, but they all halted at once.

Furrowing his brows, Yue Qin issued a firm command, and the dogs scattered, retreating into the shadows.

Kang, in a daze, found himself cradled in the man's arms. The rough, calloused hand of the man gently stroked his forehead.

"It's all right, it's all right. Daddy's here, don't be afraid."

Kang seethed inwardly, his teeth gritting in frustration, but he wasn't truly a fool. He knew that now was not the time to show any signs of resistance, so he continued to feign helplessness, silently enduring the overwhelming display of paternal affection.

"Son, what are you doing out here?"

Naturally, no response came. The man wasn't put off by the silence and carried on speaking.

"Did those bad dogs scare you?"

"Don't be afraid, Daddy's here. Daddy will protect you, my baby."

"See? The bad dogs are afraid of Daddy."

"Daddy has to go pick someone up now. If you're tired, would you like to sleep in the car?"

Kang, carried on the man's back, continued playing the role of the fool. He couldn't help but admire the audacity of this man—how could he have the nerve to cheat while carrying his child?

"You'll be here in a few minutes. Wait for me at the intersection."

Kang sat in the backseat, observing the scene with detached amusement.

The man, shamelessly playing the role of the doting father, spoke again: "Baby, a strange lady will sit next to you soon. Don't be scared, she's not a bad person."

Kang gave him no response.

Soon, the car pulled up at the intersection, and a young woman, wheeling a suitcase, waved her hand.

When she saw the man in the driver's seat, she froze for a moment, her expression faltering, as though she were suddenly overcome with a sense of unease.

At that moment, the young woman glanced at the back seat again. The little boy was sitting in the child safety seat. The man turned around, gently patting the boy's head with a soothing tone. "Don't be afraid, sweetie. This lady will just ride with us for a little while, and we'll drop her off at the airport."

The once formidable man was suddenly all softness, his fatherly love shining through.

The young woman, watching the scene, felt her previously tense expression soften.

It was at that moment that Kang realized the man wasn't picking up a lover, but merely acting as a driver.

After dropping the woman at the airport, Yue Qin glanced back at his son, who still wasn't showing any signs of tiredness. Originally, he planned to take the boy home, but seeing his wide, unbothered eyes, he worried that his son might sneak out again once he returned. So, he asked, "Would you like to work with Daddy?"

Kang thought to himself, Do I have any say in this?

And so, Yue Qin continued his work, with his son in tow.

The next fare was a couple, seemingly in the middle of an argument. When they climbed into the car, the one remaining seat, the child safety seat, caused the back to feel a bit cramped.

"I'm sorry, my son can't sleep at night, so I brought him along," the man apologized.

The woman immediately responded, "It's fine, no worries."

After speaking, she turned to her husband and added, "Look at him, he brings his son to work. That's what a good father looks like. Unlike you, who tosses our son on me whenever anything comes up."

The man snorted dismissively. "A useless man is the one who can't even find someone to take care of his child while he's working. Thankfully, we have good tempers. If we were less patient, would we really let our kid sit here like that?"

As the man spoke, he noticed the little boy was staring at him intently, unmoving, and silent. There was something off about it. The man sneered, "Your son's a fool, isn't he?"

The woman immediately tugged at her husband's sleeve, signaling him to stop.

Kang, who had always been at the top of the world, had never been so openly mocked to his face. And now, he was forced to sit next to this man!

He hadn't considered what the large man in front of him might do, after all, the man was here to earn money, and he was unlikely to step in on his behalf.

"Get out. I'm not taking this ride," the voice in front was laced with suppressed anger.

The man was about to protest, but then, Yue Qin stopped the car at the side of the road and stepped out of the driver's seat.

The towering figure of the six-foot-five man stood firmly before the car door, his face stern.

The man, who had been ready to snap back, immediately fell silent, shrinking away without saying another word, slinking out of the car with his tail between his legs.

Once they were gone, Yue Qin gently patted his son's head. "Don't listen to them, they're talking nonsense. You're not a fool. You're a genius, the smartest and most well-behaved child I've ever seen."

Kang stared expressionlessly at the back of the seat, offering no response.

He was utterly blind to the reality. You're trying to make money, yet because someone called your son a fool, you stop earning? Is that not the truth? No wonder you're poor!

After dropping off the last passenger, Yue Qin tallied the money he had made that night.

Kang couldn't help but lean in, curious to see the total.

Today's completed orders: 15. Estimated earnings for the day: 369.86 yuan.

369.86??? Kang quickly calculated. In truth, he had only accepted four orders that evening, meaning he had completed eleven during the day, yet had earned only a little over 300 yuan.

If he remembered correctly, the nonsensical course he had attended earlier cost 120 yuan per session, and he was required to attend two sessions every day.

"Son, would you like a toy car? Daddy has some money now. How about I buy you one tomorrow?"

In that moment, Kang couldn't help but think, Is this man truly so foolish? Lacking any real skill, and after managing to earn such a meager sum, he still had the gall to squander it on a toy car? What a wasteful fool.