“Daddy!”
Only when the little girl spoke did Xia Chuan realize where that subtle familiarity came from.
Wasn’t she the brat who called me “dad” earlier and got me roasted by everyone?! How is she here?
“Hey, little sis, tell big bro why you’re here.”
He’d just been set up by this kid, sure, but Xia Chuan wasn’t petty. No need to argue with a three-year-old. He crouched slightly and gave the girl a gentle smile.
She didn’t answer. She just lifted her hand high and pointed behind him, looking a little anxious.
Xia Chuan blinked, then slowly turned along her line of sight. She was pointing at the memorial photo on the platform.
Could she have stayed here just to take that photo?
He couldn’t help guessing.
Question marks aside, he still took the photo down, ready to hand it over.
Seeing the picture she’d tried so hard to get coming right toward her, the little loli’s eyes widened a bit. She lunged for it.
But Xia Chuan suddenly pulled back and raised the photo out of reach.
She grabbed air and missed. Her lips puffed up in grievance, eyes shining with tears as she looked at him.
“I can give you the photo. But you have to tell big bro why you’re here.”
He looked her in the eye and said it seriously. He wasn’t bullying a loli; without a little carrot-and-stick, it’d be hard to get anything from this tiny mouth.
The girl clearly heard him. She stared blankly at him and stayed silent.
After a long moment, her bright eyes slowly filled. Tears slipped down one by one and dotted the floor.
Seeing the loli cry, Xia Chuan panicked. He’d never thought his words would make a little girl cry. He couldn’t stand it when girls cried, especially kids.
His lips moved. He wanted to say something comforting, but he stammered and couldn’t find the words.
“Daddy… bad people…”
Before he could say anything, she choked out the words between sobs.
“Sorry, sorry. Da—ugh! Big bro was wrong. I’ll give you your mom’s photo right now. Don’t cry.”
Xia Chuan scratched his head, then crouched and spoke helplessly.
He wore an apologetic smile and held the photo out to her.
Hearing him, the girl slowly stopped crying. She stared at him, then moved fast like she was afraid he’d change his mind. She snatched the photo and hugged it tight, like it was the most important thing in the world.
Watching her, Xia Chuan felt a sudden ache in his chest. With her mom gone, she had almost nothing left. Maybe this portrait was all she had.
When something is the last thing left, it becomes everything. So… she had to guard it.
She flipped the frame and studied the young woman on it with care. She looked for a long, long time. The tears that had just stopped started again, sliding from the corners of her eyes one by one.
Her tears fell like rain.
Xia Chuan wanted to comfort her. But to her, he was just a passerby, a stranger. With what identity was he supposed to console her?
The huge funeral hall held only the little girl’s crying now. Under the flickering lights, the boy lowered his lashes and watched her in silence.
After a while, she cried herself out. Too tired, she slumped into Xia Chuan’s arms and fell asleep.
Even asleep, she still clutched the photo tight. That alone showed how much it meant to her.
He still didn’t know how she’d managed to stay here unnoticed. But out of professional habit, he decided to call the funeral home manager. He got this reply:
“Xiao Chuan, it’s late. Not convenient to call them. Just let her stay at your place tonight. But I’m warning you—don’t do anything inappropriate, or it’s minimum three years, max death penalty—beep!”
Before the manager finished, Xia Chuan hung up with a face full of black lines.
Bro, she’s not even three. Calling her a loli is already generous. How could I ever be that insane?!
Thinking that, he glanced down at the sleeping loli in his arms. Her silly sleep-face was too cute. Even someone who wasn’t into lolis felt a spark for a moment.
He suddenly remembered the manager’s joke. Something like “three years, big profit; death penalty, no loss…”
No. What the hell am I thinking?!
Poor Xia Chuan. Maybe he didn’t know it yet, but from the moment he met this little girl, he’d started slowly sliding toward lolicon.
By the time he carried the girl home on his back, it was close to nine.
A busy day had left him starving. He fought the hunger, set the sleeping girl on the bed, tucked her in, then headed to the kitchen.
His “home” was just him. For many reasons, he’d left his family and his old city and come to Haiyu City. So no one would question him for bringing a strange little girl back.
The market was closed at this hour. No vegetables. And considering she was a child who couldn’t handle hard foods, he decided to make egg porridge.
He put the rice in the cooker and stepped out of the kitchen.
She still hadn’t woken up. Today’s events had clearly exhausted her.
Xia Chuan sat by the bed and quietly watched her sleeping face. A faint warmth rose in his chest.
He was a bit of a loner. Not many friends at school. Since moving into this apartment, he’d never invited a classmate over. Well, honestly, there was no one to invite.
Because of an accident, the loli on his bed would stay here for one night. It sounded self-deceiving, but… did she count as the first guest he’d ever invited?
Yes. Definitely yes.
Xia Chuan insisted. He’d never admit he drifted on the edge of the group like a lonely ghost.
Thinking that, he listened to her light breathing and tilted his head, staring at the ceiling.
Suddenly, the plain room didn’t feel as empty as before.
When the porridge was ready, he set the rice cooker on the dining table.
He lifted the lid. A rich egg fragrance spilled out.
“Looks like my cooking’s already at the peak. I actually made something this delicious.”
He bragged to himself and nodded in secret.
Always being alone, he’d gotten used to talking to himself to dispel the loneliness.
Dinner was done. He planned to wake the girl. She probably hadn’t eaten yet.
He went to the bed and gently pushed her shoulder.
Feeling the touch, she struggled to open her eyes, then quickly closed them again, too sleepy.
Seeing that, Xia Chuan was both amused and helpless. Are kids this sleepy now? Or did she get it from her parents?
Whatever. She could sleep later. Dinner first. Egg porridge tastes bad cold. He nudged her again.
This time, she didn’t doze off. She freed a hand, rubbed her heavy eyelids, and whispered:
“Daddy?”
A vein popped on Xia Chuan’s forehead.
Dad, my foot. Do I look that old?
He didn’t argue with a kid, though. Be the bigger man.
“Time to eat.”
He poked her forehead lightly as he spoke.
She still instinctively covered her forehead, then puffed her cheeks and stared at him.
He almost burst out laughing. He carried her from the bed to a chair by the table.
“Eat.”
He slid the bowl of egg porridge in front of her.
She froze, then set the photo on her thighs, freed both hands, grabbed the spoon, and prepared to eat.
Seeing that, Xia Chuan left her to it and started eating his own. After a day of work, he was famished.
Halfway through, he stopped.
“Kid, do you even know how to hold a spoon?”
He stared at the little loli, speechless.
She didn’t answer. She kept trying, but because she gripped it wrong, the spoon slipped every time. She repeated it again and again and couldn’t get it right.
“Daddy?”
She looked at him pitifully, seeking help.
Xia Chuan’s expression turned complicated. After a moment of silence, he sighed and lowered his head.
“Fine, fine. I’ll feed you, okay? I’m really afraid of you.”
Since she’d activated the help skill, he couldn’t just ignore it. He stood and picked up the spoon she’d dropped, then started feeding her.
“Hot!”
“Okay, okay…”
He blew on the spoonful and kept feeding.
“Cold now…”
“You—fine, fine…”
Forget it. I, Xia, won’t argue with a loli.
Serving her like a little ancestor, he fed her porridge. He even felt the illusion that he had a daughter.
The thought felt a little absurd.
But…
Watching the little loli swallow each spoonful he fed, seeing the satisfied look on her face, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
This isn’t a bad feeling at all.
