Chapter 3: A Father's Shadow

Mo Xixi woke up early the next morning, her mind still buzzing with everything she had pieced together the night before. She wasn’t just an ordinary three-year-old girl—she was Shen Qiyue, the infamous hacker Ghost Shadow, reborn into the tragic novel she had once read. And now, it was up to her to change her fate.

Slipping out of bed quietly, she tiptoed to the window. The sky was still a soft shade of blue, the sun barely rising over the horizon. She needed to start planning, and the first step was finding her father—Lin Haowen.

Her mother, Bai Yinghua, was still asleep, her breathing even. Mo Xixi knew that her mother had suffered too much already. She deserved happiness, and she deserved to know the truth about her origins. But first, Mo Xixi had to confirm if Lin Haowen was truly the man described in the novel.

**Gathering Intel**

Mo Xixi had spent her previous life living in the shadows, uncovering secrets most people would never even dream of. This world might have magic and ancient aristocracy, but the fundamentals of intelligence gathering hadn’t changed. She needed access to a computer.

“Mom,” she called out softly, her voice laced with the innocence of a child.

Bai Yinghua stirred and smiled at her. “Good morning, sweetheart. You’re up early.”

“I had a dream about Daddy,” Mo Xixi said, testing the waters. “What does he look like?”

A shadow flickered across Bai Yinghua’s face, but she masked it quickly. “Xixi, Daddy is… someone far away. He can’t be with us, but Mommy will always be here.”

Mo Xixi nodded, pretending to accept the answer, but internally, she was analyzing every shift in her mother’s expression. The pain was evident. Whatever had happened between her parents, Bai Yinghua still had lingering feelings for Lin Haowen.

**First Step: Finding Lin Haowen**

After breakfast, Mo Xixi convinced her mother to take her to a bookstore. It was the perfect excuse to find an internet café nearby. Once inside, she saw a row of computers, old models compared to what she had worked with in her past life, but they would do.

“Mommy, can I play a game?” she asked sweetly, pointing at the computers.

Bai Yinghua hesitated, then relented. “Just for a little while, okay?”

Mo Xixi climbed onto the chair, her tiny fingers moving across the keyboard. It felt different from what she was used to, but muscle memory kicked in. Within minutes, she bypassed security restrictions and accessed the private database of prominent figures in the city.

Lin Haowen’s name appeared immediately.

“CEO of Lin Corporation. Net worth: billions. Known for his ruthless business tactics. Never involved in scandals. No known wife or child.”

Mo Xixi’s eyes narrowed. Just as the novel described, her father was a man of power, but his past was shrouded in secrecy. If he truly didn’t know about her or Bai Yinghua, then someone had deliberately erased their existence from his life.

“Interesting,” she murmured, scanning further. There was an upcoming business gala in three days—an elite event where only the most powerful people in the city would attend. Lin Haowen would be there.

**Time to meet her father.**

**An Unseen Enemy**

Just as she was about to log off, she noticed something strange. Someone was monitoring her activity.

‘Damn it,’ she thought. Even with basic security, someone had detected her breach.

She quickly closed the connection and cleared all traces of her intrusion. Whoever was watching had only gotten a glimpse. But the fact that she had been noticed meant that Lin Haowen’s digital fortress was well-guarded. If someone else had been keeping tabs on him, it meant danger.

“Xixi, time’s up,” Bai Yinghua called.

Mo Xixi hopped down from the chair, hiding her smirk. The game had begun.

**A Father’s Instinct**

Meanwhile, in the highest office of Lin Corporation, a man stared at his computer screen. His sharp gray eyes darkened as he replayed the alert he had received moments ago.

Someone had tried to access his private information.

Lin Haowen wasn’t just a businessman—he was a strategist, always three steps ahead of his enemies. But this breach… it was different. It had been brief, almost playful, yet precise. As if testing the waters.

He leaned back, fingers tapping the armrest. “Who are you?”

His instincts whispered that something unusual was happening. And he had never ignored his instincts.

**Three Days Later**

Mo Xixi adjusted the small glasses on her nose, a part of her disguise. She had managed to get herself and her mother invited to the gala by hacking into the guest list and inserting their names. It had taken some careful maneuvering, but no one had noticed the last-minute addition.

As they entered the venue, Bai Yinghua seemed uneasy. “Xixi, why did you want to come here?”

“I just wanted to see the pretty lights,” Mo Xixi said innocently, though her mind was focused on one goal—finding Lin Haowen.

Then, as if fate had answered her call, she spotted him.

Lin Haowen stood near the grand staircase, surrounded by powerful figures, his presence commanding respect. His dark blue, sky blue, and black hair was neatly styled, his tailored suit enhancing his cold and imposing aura.

For a moment, Mo Xixi felt something stir in her heart.

‘This man… is my father.’

She took a deep breath and smiled mischievously.

“Time to make my move.”

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