Chapter 10: The Burden (Requesting Monthly Votes)

“Guoguo~”

“Guoguo~”

“Hehe…”

DouDou looked in great spirits, circling Shen Siyuan repeatedly.

Seeing that Shen Siyuan still ignored her, her expression immediately turned sad.

“Guoguo~, can’t you see me either? Mom can’t see me either.”

Shen Siyuan still said nothing, but stood up and walked out of the Operations Department, then asked outside the corridor: “Why are you here? Where are your parents?”

“Wow~, Guoguo can still see me! Then why didn’t you answer me just now?”

The little girl cheered and patted Shen Siyuan’s leg with her tiny hand, expressing her displeasure.

“Because there are too many people inside, and they can’t see you. If I talked to you, they’d think I’m talking to thin air.”

Upon hearing this, DouDou crossed her thumb and index finger to support her chubby little chin, speaking with solemn seriousness: “I see.”

Watching her mimic adult behavior in such a funny way, Shen Siyuan gently tapped her little head.

“You haven’t answered my question yet.”

“They’re waiting for Guoguo~ at the door.”

DouDou pointed toward the door, then bounced around Shen Siyuan again.

“Your mom can’t see you anymore, yet you’re still so happy?”

“Hehe~, Mom says she’s playing hide-and-seek with me. She’ll find me someday.”

DouDou spread her arms out like a cute little penguin.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she sighed, sounding a little sad: “She probably won’t find me.”

“You know that?” Shen Siyuan was surprised.

“Of course, I’m very smart.” DouDou said with a hint of pride.

“Yes… yes, you’re the biggest genius.”

DouDou: →_→

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I think you’re saying something bad about me.”

“Haha~, no I’m not.”

This little thing is truly adorable; keeping one would be quite interesting.

For some reason, Shen Siyuan suddenly had this thought.

When they left the company, they indeed saw the couple waiting by the elevator.

Seeing Mr. Shen emerge, the two hurried forward.

“Mr. Shen~”

“Mr. Tao, Ms. Jiang.”

Shen Siyuan greeted them in return; fortunately, it wasn’t yet quitting time, and no one else from the company had come out—otherwise, hearing them address him this way, they’d have found it strange.

Before Shen Siyuan could ask, Tao Guangxia volunteered: “Mr. Shen, are you free tonight? We’d like to invite you to dinner.”

This time, Shen Siyuan did not refuse; he simply nodded yes.

Jiang Wenxin added: “Since DouDou is with us, it’s more convenient at home. Please don’t mind.”

“No problem. As long as there’s food, I’m fine—I’m not picky.”

“Oh~, then you’re a good little baby.”

Beside them, DouDou suddenly patted Shen Siyuan’s leg.

Shen Siyuan paused, then laughed. Tao Guangxia laughed too.

Only Jiang Wenxin, who could no longer see her daughter, looked confused.

After Tao Guangxia explained it to her, her expression turned complex—because she had often said those very words to her daughter.

“Then we’ll wait for you downstairs.”

Seeing Shen Siyuan agree, Tao Guangxia was delighted.

“No need. We’re about to clock out. I’ll just tell our manager and leave a few minutes early.” Shen Siyuan said.

“Will that… cause any trouble?” Tao Guangxia asked.

Before Shen Siyuan could answer, Jiang Wenxin said: “It’s fine. I review everyone’s attendance records every month—I can just adjust it later.”

“No need for that.” Shen Siyuan said.

Saying that, he turned and walked back inside. DouDou tried to follow, but her father held her back.

Guanghui Animation had a very complete system, but employees didn’t always follow it.

Shen Siyuan greeted Zhou Chuan, who didn’t even ask why—he simply agreed.

Realizing he couldn’t ride his electric scooter home, he turned to Lin Manzhi: “Sister Manzhi, I’ve got something tonight. Could you ride my scooter home for me? I’ll meet you at the bus stop tomorrow morning, okay?”

“Perfect! I won’t have to squeeze onto the bus tonight.”

“Thank you, Sister Manzhi.”

Shen Siyuan quickly handed her the keys.

“Oh my, Sister Manzhi, you two are sharing the same scooter now?” Wang Chao, ever the troublemaker, sneered sarcastically.

Shen Siyuan ignored him and walked out of the Operations Department.

Lin Manzhi, however, was formidable and wasn’t intimidated at all; she immediately retorted: “What, are you jealous? Too bad you’re ugly—I didn’t pick you.”

Wang Chao’s face turned bright red as he blustered about masculinity, condensed essence, physical strength, and so on, drawing laughter from everyone around—pure merriment.

Tao Guangxia’s car was parked downstairs, but Jiang Wenxin was driving.

Since she could no longer see ghosts, her driving had become much smoother.

Meanwhile, Tao Guangxia, watching the wandering spirits outside the car, seized the chance to ask many questions.

“Why are most of these ghosts so oddly shaped?”

“Why don’t they enter the Underworld and reincarnate?”

“No reincarnation? Then where do they end up? Do they just wander forever?”

…

“Death is not the final end—spiritual dissolution is true death.”

“Ghosts dissolve completely for two reasons: first, when they let go of all attachments and feel no lingering desire for the mortal world; second, when they are utterly forgotten by the living.”

Upon hearing this, Tao Guangxia hugged DouDou tighter.

“We will never forget DouDou.”

Jiang Wenxin, who was driving, couldn’t help saying: “After becoming a ghost, you can’t do anything—just wander around endlessly. Isn’t that terribly lonely?”

“Yes. Loneliness is the hardest thing for a ghost to bear. Many ghosts give up all their attachments and return to nature’s embrace simply because they can’t endure it.”

The couple fell silent, their hearts aching at the thought of DouDou having to endure unimaginable loneliness for the rest of her existence.

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you talking anymore?”

Seeing the silence in the car, DouDou asked innocently.

Tao Guangxia picked her up and kissed her cheek.

Then he turned to Shen Siyuan, his expression serious: “Mr. Shen, can we ask you a favor?”

“Go ahead.”

“Please take care of DouDou in the future. If possible, spend time with her, talk to her… for us.”

For a father, asking a stranger to replace his own presence with his child was an excruciating thing.

So as he spoke, his voice trembled slightly.

Jiang Wenxin, still driving, gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white.

“We can pay you. It may sound crass, but we don’t know how else to thank you—we only have this…”

Tao Guangxia spoke with deep sincerity.

DouDou was their first child—and their only child.

And since she was a girl, the couple had loved her with a hundredfold devotion since birth.

Especially Tao Guangxia—DouDou was his heart’s treasure. Since she was born, he traveled less, declined more social engagements, and squeezed every spare moment to be with her.

On the day of DouDou’s accident, he felt the world had collapsed—but he couldn’t fall apart. His wife needed him. His family needed him.

For DouDou, he would give everything. Had they not been in the car, he might have knelt down before Shen Siyuan right then.

“No payment needed. For now, let DouDou stay with me.”

“Thank you~ thank you so much, Mr. Shen…”

Tao Guangxia’s voice choked with emotion, unable to express his gratitude.