Chapter 7: The Little Princess in the Castle

Xiaoman’s eyes brightened for a brief moment, only to dim again quickly. "Xiaoman can talk to animals, and no one will like Xiaoman! Even my own father didn’t want me. No one will ever adopt me!"

Zhou Lin took her hand. "Uncle likes you very much!"

Xiaoman’s eyes sparkled. "Xiaoman likes Uncle too!" If only Uncle were Xiaoman’s daddy, that would be wonderful!

As Zhou Lin drove her away from the hospital, she sat obediently in the back seat. "Uncle, how is Dahuang?"

"I was so busy I forgot to tell you," Zhou Lin said, tapping his forehead. "Dahuang is staying at the stray animal shelter. There are professional veterinarians there to look after her, and she will give birth to her babies safely."

"Wow! That’s great!" Xiaoman clapped her hands happily. Looking out at the streets, she couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled. "Uncle, this isn’t the way back to the orphanage!"

"That’s right. I’m taking you to a new place—your new home from now on!" Zhou Lin felt a surge of excitement. The adoption papers were finalized, but he hadn't told Xiaoman yet; he wanted to take her back to the Zhou residence and surprise her.

Xiaoman didn't know who lived in her new home, but she was very sensible. "Uncle, when I get to the new house, I will only talk to the little animals quietly. I promise I won't let anyone notice."

Seeing her keen and sensitive nature, Zhou Lin nodded.

As Xiaoman stepped out of the car, she looked at the villa nestled halfway up the mountain like a pearl, surrounded by lush greenery and elegant scenery. She knew that the place Uncle brought her to was beautiful.

"Xiaoman, come here!" Zhou Lin stepped out of the car and beckoned to her. He was dressed in casual, stylish clothing today.

"Uncle, this place is like a castle in a fairy tale." Xiaoman ran to his side and placed her small hand into his large, calloused palm. It felt incredibly safe.

"From now on, you are the princess of this castle," Zhou Lin said, holding Xiaoman’s hand as they entered the Zhou estate.

Flowers were in full bloom in the garden, and butterflies fluttered over to Xiaoman. "Hello, little butterflies! I am Manzai!" Xiaoman greeted them with a smile.

The butterflies danced around her: [Manzai, this is Captain Zhou’s home. Welcome!]

Xiaoman was astonished. "What?"

Before she could process this, they had just stepped through the door when a slipper came flying toward Zhou Lin. He shielded Xiaoman and dodged it effortlessly.

Immediately after, the voice of the Old Madam of the Zhou family rang out: "Zhou Lin, what did I tell you last time? If you don’t bring a girlfriend home, don’t even think about stepping through these doors..."

The elegant and dignified Old Madam froze when she saw him holding the hand of a little girl.

Soon, she pointed a finger at Zhou Lin’s nose in a fury: "I asked for a daughter-in-law for the Zhou family, and you go and kidnap a child? Zhou Lin, you are breaking the law!"

Zhou Lin was used to the Old Madam nagging him about marriage. He looked down at the little girl. "Xiaoman, say hello to Grandma!"

Xiaoman called out sweetly: "Hello, Grandma! Please don't be angry; it’s bad for your health!"

The Old Madam’s heart melted instantly, and her face broke into a wide smile. "What a good girl, Xiaoman! Come here to Grandma!"

Zhou Lin let go of her hand, and she trotted over on her short legs to the Old Madam, gently patting her back. "Grandma, I wasn't kidnapped. I came here of my own free will."

The Old Madam pulled her into a hug. "Xiaoman is so beautiful, and so smart and sensible. Grandma likes you."

Zhou Lin sat on the sofa nearby. "Mom, I know that once you're done nagging me about marriage, you’ll nag me about having kids. Look at how efficient I am—I brought you a granddaughter directly."

The logic seemed strange, but the Old Madam’s expression shifted. "Zhou Lin, where did you get this child?" She knew that as a police officer, it wouldn't be hard for him to find a random child to fool her.

Zhou Lin picked up a teacup and blew on it. "Don't worry, it's a legal adoption. From now on, I am Xiaoman’s father, and you are Xiaoman’s grandmother."

He took the paperwork out of his briefcase and showed it to her. The Old Madam read through it and nodded, a hint of pride in her voice: "I finally have a granddaughter! Xiaoman, this is your home from now on!"

Xiaoman stood up and bowed to them both. "Thank you, Grandma! Thank you, Daddy! Xiaoman loves this new home so much! Xiaoman loves having a daddy like this! And Xiaoman loves having a grandma like this!"

She was so sweet-spoken and adorable that she had the Old Madam beaming with joy. Hearing the word "Daddy," Zhou Lin felt a sense of responsibility even heavier than his first day on the police force.

"Xiaoman, stay here with Grandma. Daddy has to go to work."

"Okay, please come home early, Daddy! Xiaoman will miss you!" Xiaoman stepped forward and hugged Zhou Lin’s arm.

After Zhou Lin left, the Old Madam held her small hand. "Xiaoman, go play for a while and get used to the environment. I’ll call a designer over later to make you some new clothes."

"Okay, thank you, Grandma!" Xiaoman laughed happily and darted outside to dance with the butterflies.

She quickly became friends with the colorful butterflies and learned some things about the Zhou family. Her grandfather, Zhou Zhenghong, was the chairman of the Intercontinental Group. Because her father chose to be a criminal investigator instead of taking over the company, her grandfather had to keep working. Her uncle, Zhou Wei, was the president in charge of finance and was always busy, leaving early and returning late. Her aunt, Shu Yan, was busy helping her three cousins study during their winter break: her eldest cousin, Zhou Ye, was twelve and in seventh grade; her second cousin, Zhou Shuo, was eight and in third grade; and her third cousin was five and in a pre-school program.

Of course, there was another very important member—Daofeng. He was seven years old and had been the police dog of her father’s comrade, Wang Tao. Daofeng had been heroic in many missions, but after Wang Tao died in the line of duty, Daofeng retired and came to live at the Zhou house.

The butterflies led Xiaoman to Daofeng’s paradise. The Zhou family had built a special garden for him, but inside the garden was an iron cage where Daofeng was kept. Once a majestic police dog, he now looked as if he had lost all hope.

The butterflies landed on Xiaoman’s shoulder: [Ever since Daofeng came back from the cemetery, he has been attacking his handlers and the veterinarians who try to treat him, so he had to be caged. Since he was locked up, he has refused to eat or drink.]

The once-mighty dog lay on the ground, lifeless and motionless. He didn't even look at the dog food in his bowl; even when ants crawled into it to drink water, he ignored them.

Xiaoman stood outside the kennel and watched Daofeng for a long time. "Hello, Brother Daofeng! I’m Manzai! We meet again!"

Daofeng finally moved his head slightly: [You are the human cub I saved at the cemetery! And you can understand animal language!]