Chapter 2 : Correcting the Fujoshi Daughter

“Hachoo!”

Luo You sneezed, rubbing his nose with a scowl.

“Someone’s muttering my name. Bet it’s that little brat, Zining!”

The elevator hummed to the 18th floor.

Punching in the code, Luo You pushed open the door to his apartment, exhaustion etched into every line of his face.

He shrugged off his suit jacket, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his white shirt, and revealed the chiseled contours of his muscular chest, radiating a rugged charm.

“Zining, I’m home! Is dinner ready?”

A rapid patter of footsteps echoed from the living room.

A girl, about seventeen, burst into view, dressed in a revealing casual outfit—her short skirt barely concealing the white lace beneath.

Her soft, beige hair fell in smooth waves, and her youthful face, still touched with a hint of baby fat, lit up with a mischievous grin, flashing a small tiger tooth.

This lively, adorable girl charged forward like a sprinter, wielding a DSLR camera aimed straight at Luo You.

Click, click!

“Hey, quit snapping shots of my pecs like it’s nothing! You’re practically drooling—act like a lady, for crying out loud!”

“Nooo! Give it back! I was just taking some reference shots!”

Luo You snatched the camera with a deft move, pinning down the head of the flailing girl as she lunged to reclaim it.

He deleted the photos of himself with a few quick taps.

He was about to hand the camera back when he froze.

The memory card was stuffed with images of him—half-dressed, mid-workout, even one from the shower, mercifully obscured by steam.

His last shred of privacy hung by a thread.

What the hell?

This kid’s gone off the deep end!

“When did you even take these? Delete them! Every last one!”

“What?!”

Zining’s eyes widened in panic.

Those photos were her treasured collection, painstakingly gathered over time.

Her attempts to wrestle the camera back escalated into a full-on brawl.

“You jerk! Let go! Those are my photos! What right do you have to delete them?”

“You’re photographing your dad! I’ve got every right! I could sue you for invading my privacy!”

“Gimme them back!”

Scratch, scratch, scratch!

Her nails raked across his arm, leaving angry red marks.

Furious, Luo You grabbed her by the neck.

The size difference was stark—she was pinned to the floor in seconds.

“Had enough?”

“Ow, ow, ow! Dad, I’m sorry! I was wrong, I swear! I love you, Dad, really!”

“…”

He released her, and she scrambled up, crooning dramatically, “Only Daddy is the best in the world, a child with a dad is like a treasure… Love you! …Pfft, love my foot! Die, you jerk! …Okay, okay, I’m really sorry this time! Dinner’s ready, Dad, eat it while it’s hot. Love you!”

Luo You bared his teeth in a grimace.

This kid hasn’t grown up one bit in years—same old nonsense.

The girl, Luo Zining, was his adopted daughter.

Seven years ago, he’d broken away from the organization.

Two years later, he took her in.

Five years of raising her, and she was still a feral cat, untamed and unapologetic.

“Go do your homework.”

Releasing her, he watched as Zining shot him a wary glance before scampering back to her room, half-fleeing, half-rolling.

She’s gone, she’s gone.

That monster of a dad isn’t human—when he’s mad, he’ll pin his own daughter to the ground!

But the more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

Zining darted back out, sticking out her tongue and making a taunting face.

“Stingy! Weakling! What’s the big deal about a few photos? They’re just for my new doujinshi! Acting like your pecs are some rare treasure! Pfft! One day, I’ll turn them into giant steamed buns!”

With her parting shot, Zining slammed her door, locked it tight, and swore not to leave her safe haven.

“…”

Luo You was speechless.

He was used to it by now.

Having a loud, chaotic daughter like Zining added some spice to his otherwise monotonous life.

If only she weren’t such a hopeless fujoshi…

With a sigh, he turned to dinner.

The table held a few dishes that looked like they’d been mauled by a dog—a small but sharp 5-point hit to his morale.

Whatever.

At least it’s food she made herself…

But as he grabbed chopsticks, his eyes caught the takeout containers in the trash.

Well, at least the taste shouldn’t be too bad.

Then he froze.

A closer look at the trash revealed an order slip with a note: “Make it insanely spicy, the kind that could kill a Guang○ native. If it’s not spicy, I’m leaving a bad review!”

The restaurant had circled it in colored pen, replying, “Don’t worry, sis! Even a Si○ native would drop dead from this!”

“…”

Luo You, though living slightly north, had the spice tolerance of someone from that southern city.

One bite of this, and he’d be waddling to the gym tomorrow, tail between his legs, enduring the gym bros’ smirks.

“Forget it. I’ll order my own takeout.”

Shaking his head, he pulled out his phone and ordered a lamb stew.

No matter how much Zining drove him up the wall, he had a thousand reasons to forgive her.

She was too rebellious for him to take every little thing seriously—otherwise, she’d be inheriting his estate by next year.

Better to marry her off soon.

Let her wreak havoc on some other guy instead of her old man.

He ate quickly, showered quickly, slipped into pajamas, and flopped onto his bed, ready to pass out.

From the next room, he could hear Zining, still awake, lost in her video games.

“It’s late! Go to sleep!”

Luo You smacked his lips in irritation but didn’t bother getting up to scold her.

Whatever.

He’d decided long ago: as long as Zining didn’t screw up too badly, she could live her life however she wanted.

Even if she one day declared, “Dad, you just don’t get him,” he wouldn’t bat an eye.

Soon, he drifted into sleep.

In his dream, Luo You piloted a mech, locked in a fierce cosmic duel with another.

“Luo Youyou! This time, I’ll make you kneel and taste my new Star Annihilator Cannon!”

“What… that cannon’s model—it’s not…!”

“Haha! Too late to notice now! That’s right—it’s ripped straight from your precious wingman!”

“No! Darling’s cannon… Wait, what?!”

Luo You jolted awake, his momentum so fierce he launched off the bed and crashed to the floor.

What the hell kind of dream was that?

Darling’s cannon on someone else?

Was that a cuckold plot or pure love?

No, wait!

He slapped his face.

Pure love or not, what’s wrong with me?

Have years at the gym turned my brain to muscle?

It was a dream about steel and mechs, for crying out loud.

“Darling’s cannon… so… weak…”

The nightmare was so vivid he could still hear echoes of it, sending a shiver down his spine.

“Wait! That’s coming from next door!”

His eyes snapped to the wall by his bed.

If he remembered right, Zining’s computer was right against that wall.

Crash!

Without a second thought, Luo You rocketed out of bed, bursting through Zining’s door.

“What—?!”

Zining, clad only in lacy underwear, shrieked and hurled a sock-stuffed slipper at him.

“Get out! Barging in at midnight to check on your daughter’s development? Get lost!”

“Tch, like there’s anything to check with that scrawny figure!”

He said it, but still shut the door to avoid any awkwardness, shouting through it, “You little punk! Stop playing BL games with the speakers on in the middle of the night! What if the neighbors get the wrong idea?”

“Pfft!”

He could practically see her sticking out her tongue through the door.

Then came the click of the lock.

“Let them get the wrong idea! Wanna know why none of the neighborhood girls or housewives hit on you? ‘Cause they already think you’re gay!”

“What?! What kind of rumors have you been spreading while I’m gone?!”

He pounded the door, chest heaving with rage.

“No more speakers! Use headphones, or I’m pulling the plug!”

“Hmph! I’ll play it loud! I’ll play it loud!”

Zining’s defiance rang out, but the speakers fell silent.

What a mess!

Woken in the dead of night by a nightmare about mechs and BL undertones—it dragged up memories of his time in the organization, those nightmare days.

“So, the mighty Aurora Witch has that kind of nature, huh?”

“N-no, it’s not like that!”

“Don’t deny it. Let me awaken your truest desires…”

Slap!

Luo You smacked his face, forcing the memories to stop.

“That woman… Xingyue!”

He muttered her name, frustration bubbling up.

In that battle with the strongest magical girl, Xingyue, he—no, she—had accidentally awakened something feminine within.

Terrified, Luo You swore never to transform into Elera again, fleeing the organization to live a normal life.

Two years later, he adopted Zining.

In the thousand-plus days since, he’d taken a job at a gym to reclaim his masculinity.

Years of training had made him manlier than ever, and adopting Zining was part of that plan—to be a father, a man.

Only to end up as her BL material.

“Wait a sec,” he mused, rubbing his chin.

“Does this mean Zining sees me as masculine enough to be BL material?”

BL needs guys with real masculine charm, right?

Framed that way, maybe being her muse wasn’t so bad.

Operation: Reclaim Masculinity—success!

Then he remembered: she’d wanted those photos for her new doujinshi.

And the weird looks from the gym trainees…

No way.

The culprit was—

“Damn it! I can’t let this kid keep rotting in her fujoshi ways!”

Reclaiming his masculinity was great, but not if it meant being twisted into some BL fantasy!

Staring at Zining’s door, Luo You made up his mind.

Even if it meant turning her into a yuri fan, he couldn’t let her fujoshi obsession fester any longer.