After all, he’d won a plush toy, and Xia Chuan had no intention of lingering. He left the arcade with the little girl.

Rain still poured outside the arcade entrance, showing no sign of letting up.

Xia Chuan checked his phone. It was already past one.

"Time really flies..." he muttered to the screen, then turned to the girl. "Hungry?"

"Hungry..."

Her cheerful expression instantly crumpled into exaggerated exhaustion at his words, her voice weak and pitiful.

Xia Chuan stifled a laugh. "Alright then. Let’s get food."

Taking her to a regular restaurant was out of the question—he’d just lost over fifty bucks on claw machines. But since she’d be picked up that afternoon, he couldn’t take her somewhere too shabby either.

The place he chose was a nationwide chain, a household name, suitable for all ages, with branches every few hundred meters...

Fine, fine—it was Shaxian Snacks.

No choice. His wallet was thin to begin with, and those fifty yuan down the drain meant settling for simple fare.

Inside Shaxian Snacks, Xia Chuan lifted the girl onto a chair before sitting himself. He glanced sideways at the menu. Though packed with options, he had to consider her age and tender teeth. He ordered her a minced pork porridge, instructing the owner to chop the meat extra fine. For himself, he got wonton noodles.

With few customers due to the rain, their food arrived quickly.

"Is this your little sister? So adorable!" The owner, a woman in her thirties, set down their bowls and beamed at the girl across from Xia Chuan.

Xia Chuan blinked, about to correct her—

"Not sister. *Dad* is my dad." The girl looked up earnestly at the owner.

*Seriously? I tolerated you calling me that in private, but announcing it to strangers?!*

"No, I—" Xia Chuan started, flustered.

"You look so young..." the owner interrupted, eyes wide with shock.

*Damn it! Since when do people ten years older than me use honorifics?!*

"I *am* young. I’m in my second year of high school," Xia Chuan deadpanned.

"Huh?!" The owner recoiled. If this girl was only two or three... and he was telling the truth... that meant he’d fathered a child in *middle school*?

*Preying on girls that young?! What a monster he’ll become!*

Disgust replaced her surprise. "Scumbag!" she spat, storming off and leaving Xia Chuan frozen in bewilderment.

*What... makes me a scumbag...?*

Though the food sat ready, Xia Chuan didn’t pick up his chopsticks. He watched the girl. "Can you eat by yourself?"

She didn’t answer. Instead, she silently grabbed the spoon beside her porridge bowl. Just like the night before, her small fingers fumbled it repeatedly. After several failed attempts, she lifted pleading eyes to him.

Xia Chuan had been resting his chin on his palm, observing her. He caught her gaze immediately.

Sighing softly, he took the spoon she couldn’t hold and began feeding her.

Last night’s experience made this smoother. With her cooperation, he finished the entire bowl quickly. Only then did he set the spoon down and start on his own soggy wonton noodles.

He’d barely taken a few bites when he felt a stare. Glancing up, he found the girl watching him intently. Her expression was blank, but her wide, bright eyes reflected his face—as if trying to etch his image deep into her memory.

"Why are you staring? Want some noodles?" he asked, puzzled.

A faint blush colored her cheeks. "No... I just wanted to look at Dad a little longer..."

Her words stunned him. His lips parted as if to speak, but no sound came out.

Rain pattered against the window. In that quiet corner of Shaxian Snacks, a teenage boy ate his noodles in silence while a little girl gazed at him, lost in thought.

*Pitter-patter!*

Outside, the downpour raged on.

After finishing his noodles, Xia Chuan paid the bill and led the girl out. The rain had dimmed the daylight, but neon lights from shops and cars still glowed through the watery veil.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. A message from the coordinator: *Qian Yu’s relatives will pick her up at 5 PM on Tanghua Road. Please bring her there.*

Xia Chuan glanced at the girl. She was staring at the ground, silent.

His eyes darkened slightly, but he said nothing and looked away.

They hadn’t walked far when the soft pressure of her small hand vanished from his.

Xia Chuan turned back. She’d stopped behind him, clutching her mother’s photo and the little pig plushie he’d won. She stood motionless in the rain.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, holding the umbrella toward her.

"Dad..." Her voice was small but clear through the downpour. She lifted her head, hope shining in her eyes. "Can... can I stay with you?"

Xia Chuan froze. When he finally moved, his expression twisted with inner conflict. After a brief struggle, his shoulders slumped. He walked back to her, ruffled her hair gently, and forced a tender smile.

"I’m sorry. You can’t."

The cruelest answer, wrapped in the softest tone.

The girl went rigid. Then, as if hiding something, she bowed her head quickly. After a long silence, she whispered, "Okay. I understand."

By 5 PM, Xia Chuan stood with Qian Yu on Tanghua Road. She hadn’t spoken since leaving the restaurant, just clutched her treasures tightly against her chest.

The all-day rain was finally easing. It was late spring, and the road’s crabapple blossoms blazed brilliantly—but the storm had battered many to the ground. Drenched petals lay dull under the gloomy sky.

Qian Yu’s relatives arrived swiftly: a middle-aged couple.

They thanked Xia Chuan profusely for his care, exchanging polite words. Without asking how she’d been, they reached for the girl’s hand to leave.

"Wait—may I ask something?" Xia Chuan called out.

The man turned. "Yes?"

"Where... where will she be going?" Xia Chuan asked hesitantly.

The man paused, then sighed heavily. "Her maternal grandparents passed long ago. All her direct relatives are gone. Other relatives... well, circumstances prevented them from taking her in. Barring miracles, she’ll go to an orphanage."

"I see..." Xia Chuan’s chest tightened. He’d suspected this, yet hearing it felt like a blow.

"If that’s all, we’ll take our leave." The man nodded and pulled Qian Yu away.

Xia Chuan’s lips moved soundlessly. He watched their figures blur through the rain.

*Xia Chuan, stop being naive. What can a student like you actually do? Worrying is just hypocrisy when you can’t help.*

He forced his emotions down.

*It’s over. We’ll never meet again. She was just a passerby in my life—a fleeting moment of warmth. Time will wash even the memory away.*

But...

*Why does it hurt so much?*

*Why this... unwillingness to let go?*

Rain drummed against his umbrella. Xia Chuan stopped walking.

Her time with him had been brief, yet her presence had carved itself deep into him. Even he, stubborn as he was, had to admit—

He...

Wanted her to stay.

*How could he forget—*

*"I just wanted to go out and play with Dad..."*

*How could he forget—*

*"I like everything Dad gives me..."*

*How could he forget—*

*"No... I just wanted to look at Dad a little longer..."*

—*How could he ever forget?!*

"I... Can I stay by Daddy's side...?"

How could I ever forget this idiot who called me "Daddy" the moment we met?!

Xia Chuan lowered his head, gritted his teeth, then spun around with his umbrella and sprinted after the couple.

He ran wildly. The wind and rain tore the umbrella from his grasp before he could react.

But Xia Chuan didn’t stop. He charged straight toward where the middle-aged couple had vanished.

Finally, he spotted their backs through the downpour. He shouted:

"Wait, please!!!"

The couple froze at his voice. Their shoulders tensed as they turned—and saw a drenched boy barreling toward them.

He skidded to a halt before them. Only then did they recognize the youth who’d taken the little girl earlier, now soaked to the bone.

The little girl looked up at him, disbelief flickering in her eyes.

The couple opened their mouths to speak—but the boy cut in first:

"Can I adopt her?"

They exchanged a startled glance. Before they could reply, a sweet, childish voice interrupted:

"Daddy!"

The little girl let go of their hands and dashed to Xia Chuan, wrapping her arms tightly around his legs.

That voice alone told him who it was. Rain streamed down his face as he chuckled softly. He bent down, gently ruffling her hair.

"I’m here."

"The rain’s stopped..."

Xia Chuan murmured, gazing at the horizon.

After taking the girl, the sky had slowly cleared. Dusk had fallen, and though the clouds parted, only the setting sun’s fading glow remained.

Crabapple blossom petals, scattered by wind and rain, lay quiet on rain-filled stone paths. Bathed in twilight, they glowed with their final brilliance.

After talking with the couple—and seeing the girl’s fierce determination—they reluctantly agreed to let her stay at Xia Chuan’s home for now.

He walked home, hand in hand with the little girl.

She bounced restlessly beside him, skipping with joy.

"Hey, kid," Xia Chuan said casually, eyes on the sunset. "I still don’t know your name..."

She stopped hopping instantly. After a pause, she looked up at him and smiled.

"Daddy... I’m Mo Qianyu..."

"Qian Yu? That’s... nice."

Xia Chuan muttered under his breath.

He snapped back to attention, meeting her gaze. Taking a deep breath, he tightened his grip on her small hand.

"From now on, I’ll call you Qian Yu. And..."

"My name’s Xia Chuan. Nice to meet you."