Strategy to Capture Men

When she walked into the study, her father's shirt buttons were wide open to reveal his chest. He was sitting in a large leather chair, his feet up on the desk, smoking a cigarette.

She thought that a man smoking after sex was attractive. This little preference had once been scattered throughout her novels, and now it was projected into every world she had built.

Patriarch Han took a drag from his cigarette, looking more relaxed than usual, a man's afterglow evident in his eyes. He exhaled white smoke and glanced at Han Yanyan. He had known that she was outside the study, and stopped her from coming in with his spiritual power. His daughter was a very patient girl, and would wait quietly outside if she couldn't get in.

"What is it?" he asked.

The study contained no stains, tissues or the like. The robot vacuum had cleaned up in less than 30 seconds and returned silently to it's spot.

"I met an adorable little brother and originally wanted to ask you to get him into Dongchen to keep me company," she said casually. "It seems that it's no longer necessary, since his mother has already done it for me."

"How is the child's spiritual power?" Patriarch Han asked.

"A-class. But it hasn't been long since he experienced his first breakthrough. He's eight years old, so he's lagging behind some. Who knows what will happen in the future."

"I'll get him into Dongchen," said Patriarch Han. "Since I promised his mother that I would take care of him. Take care of him at school."

Han Yanyan raised her eyes to him. "Please don't force your child to bear the responsibility for your own happiness."

"Don't you like him?" Patriarch Han laughed.

"He's cute, I like him, I'd like to have him around to play with for a few days. Then I might get tired of him," she said. "Why should I take care of him for a long time? You got the reward for that, what do I get?"

The corner of Patriarch Han's mouth quirked up. "Excellent, you know that you shouldn't work for no reason."

He changed the subject. "Has that Xu family boy that Uncle Liu brought been courting you all day today?"

"The good-looking one? He talks a little too much," Han Yanyan replied.

Patriarch Han sized up his daughter. Although her chest was still flat, she no longer looked like a child. Instead, she had a girl's graceful demeanor.

"Before your first period, don't touch men," he said harshly.

What amazing parenting!

"I'm just twelve," she said innocently.

In such a fiercely competitive family, there was nothing a twelve-year-old child didn't already understand. Patriarch Han wasn't in the mood to correct her.

He puffed his cigarette. "After you hit puberty, suit yourself."

"What a responsible parent you are," Han Yanyan praised.

Patriarch Han glanced at her, put his feet down and tapped the ash from his cigarette.

"These are all minor things. You will be Matriarch. You can't be tied down by men and desire. And that includes your future husband," he said. "When you're older, I will find you a husband with excellent genes. Until then, play around so that you won't be softened by the words 'husband and wife'."

"No need," she replied. "You and mother have set a good example for me."

"I'm glad you're aware. When searching for the best genes, one's spouse can only be selected from those who have lost the competition to be masters of their own families. No one who was qualified to compete for the position of patriarch is simple. Since they are your lawfully-wedded spouse, sharing your bed and your pillow, you must be even more on guard against them than any of your rivals," Patriarch Han explained indifferently. "Speaking of your mother, she'll be back in a couple days. Did you want to see her?"

Han Yanyan sighed. "What did you do?"

"She violated the spirit of our contract, so I took the profits I deserved," answered Patriarch Han.

Han Yanyan sighed even more. "What did she do?"

Patriarch Han glanced at her. "That's my business with her, not yours. Remember your last name; don't harm the Han family's interests just because she gave birth to you. If you do so, think about what I will do in return."

Han Yanyan thought about it carefully and answered seriously. "If you had any other children who were good enough, you would give me up the moment I showed weakness. But you don't. Your other children are so incompetent that I'm irreplacable. So you can only eliminate the reason that I'm weak. You would probably have your wife, my mother, disappear forever."

"Very good," said Patriarch Han.

"You worry too much. Mother never gets too close to me. She obviously knows this better than I do. After all, she once competed to be the Matriarch of the Yin family."

Patriarch Han took a puff of his cigarette and said, "Once you've reached puberty, you can play around with men however you like, but don't get pregnant. Don't have children with anyone but for your genetically sound heirs."

"You went and got a whole bunch," Han Yanyan complained at the double standard.

"I'm a man. I don't get too attached to my children. If you die, I'll just rope your mother back to have another one," Patriarch Han sneered. "But you women get attached to your children too easily."

"I've failed you there. But with a mother like mine, I'm doomed to have no attachment to children in my genes." Her hand moved unconsciously to cover her abdomen.

"Didn't you say that the child you mentioned just now was cute?" Patriarch Han stared at Han Yanyan, suspecting her motherly instinct of running rampant.

"Yeah, he's cute. He's got a bit of baby fat, he's fair and clean, and he's a pretty child. But the key is that he feels inferior deep down, and he still thinks he's hiding it. It's  fun to watch." Han Yanyan smiled. "'Little white rabbit' doesn't only work for his mother, it also works for him. I'll call him that in the future."

Patriarch Han was reassured. He put out his cigarette, leaned back in his chair and said indifferently, "You'll understand someday when you sit in my seat..."

"Looking down from here, everyone except ourselves... is just a little white rabbit."