Chapter 53: A Father

Because he finished a week's worth of work yesterday, this morning is slacking-off time.

Besides handling some customer service feedback issues, he was basically playing games and browsing websites.

Until nearly ten o'clock, when the courier master came to the door to pick up the package.

He wasn't the only one at the company sending packages; every morning at ten, the courier master came to collect them.

You could fill in the address on your phone in advance, or go to the rooftop to grab the pre-printed waybills, saving time that way.

The courier master's surname was Zhu; everyone called him Master Zhu. His actual name was unknown.

A crew cut, a large round face, double chin, big belly, tattooed arms—he looked like a man with a story.

Don't let his fierce appearance fool you; his personality was exceptionally good. He spoke softly. Sometimes, when someone forgot to fill out a waybill, he would wait patiently. For heavy packages, he would even help deliver them to their workstations.

So after interacting with him, everyone liked this fierce-looking fat master very much. Some kind-hearted Misses, after he helped, would give him small snacks: chicken feet, beef jerky, lollipops, and so on.

At first, Master Zhu always declined, but eventually, unable to resist their persistence, he accepted.

"Take it back for my daughter to eat," he said.

Only then did everyone know he had a daughter, though no one had ever seen her.

Yet whenever he spoke of his daughter, his eyes were full of tenderness.

"Saying his daughter was very sensible..."

"Saying his daughter's math grades were poor, and he couldn't tutor her..."

"Saying the teacher asked parents to perform on stage, and he was very troubled..."

"Saying his daughter loved to dance, and when she danced, she looked like a Princess..."

This dirty-faced man, often covered in grime, would always flash a mouthful of big white teeth and a brilliant smile whenever he spoke of his daughter.

A colleague joked, "Your daughter doesn't look like you, does she? That would be the end of it."

Master Zhu wasn't offended; he just laughed and said, "No, my daughter looks like her mother. She's very beautiful."

Everyone expressed disbelief, but Master Zhu didn't argue; he just smiled.

Shen Siyuan now believed it. His wife was indeed beautiful: shoulder-length short hair, two shallow dimples when she smiled, gentle and weak-looking. Standing next to Master Zhu, they gave the impression of Beauty and the Beast.

Shen Siyuan saw her, and naturally, she saw Shen Siyuan.

She first wore an expression of shock, looking incredulous, then immediately tried to step forward.

But just then, fear suddenly flashed across her face, and she stepped back several paces.

Shen Siyuan was somewhat confused, then realized what was happening. He turned to look back and saw Watching Dou Dou sticking her little head out from behind him.

Nether flames were sizzling and rising from her head; it looked mystical but was actually extremely dangerous.

Even from a great distance, the woman felt a sharp pain all over her body, which caused her fear and made her step back unconsciously.

"Go back. Don't make trouble here."

Shen Siyuan reached out, pressed against Watching Dou Dou's head, and pushed her backward.

"But I want to play with you..." Watching Dou Dou said, sounding slightly aggrieved.

"You should spend more time controlling the flames on your body. Otherwise, no one will want to play with you."

"Sister is willing to play with me," Watching Dou Dou said defiantly.

"That's because Sister is just like you."

"Like me? Does she breathe fire?"

Watching Dou Dou opened her mouth and let out a roar.

Then a stream of blue flame shot out from her mouth.

"I am a fire-breathing dragon," she said.

Shen Siyuan's jaw nearly dropped in shock.

Normally, when he taught her to gather her flames, she wouldn't learn; teaching her to calm her mind and focus was even more incomprehensible to her.

But now, she did it as if playing around, simply shooting Nether flames from her mouth.

"How did you do that?" Shen Siyuan asked in astonishment.

"Because I am a fire-breathing dragon," Watching Dou Dou said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Well, cultivation is actually a very subjective method, so it wasn't strange at all that Watching Dou Dou could shoot fire from her mouth.

Maybe one day, if she thought she was a little rocket, she could even shoot fire from her bottom.

Thinking this, Shen Siyuan was no longer surprised, so he told her, "Go find your mother. Don't cause trouble here."

Shen Siyuan reached out to shoo her away, which made Watching Dou Dou very dissatisfied.

"Hmph, adults are always like this. They always find children troublesome. You are not cute at all."

Having said that, she turned and ran. After running a distance, she stopped, turned back, and seemed to be checking if Shen Siyuan was chasing her.

Seeing that Shen Siyuan wasn't chasing her, she seemed a bit disappointed. She muttered quietly and walked toward the Finance Department to find her mother.

While Shen Siyuan was talking to Watching Dou Dou, the woman had been watching from afar. Seeing Watching Dou Dou leave, she finally stepped forward and said cautiously, "The little baby is very cute."

Shen Siyuan nodded and said, "She is also very naughty and gives one no peace of mind."

"All children are the same. At this age, they are at their cutest," the woman said with experience.

"Are you Master Zhu's wife?" Shen Siyuan asked.

Just now, he had seen the woman follow Master Zhu inside. Then Master Zhu went down to get the packages. When she saw Shen Siyuan, she didn't follow him down.

The woman nodded, then said curiously, "May I ask who you are?"

She was very curious about Shen Siyuan's identity; he was the first person who could see her.

"Just consider me someone with special abilities," Shen Siyuan said with a smile.

Shen Siyuan said this, but the woman didn't believe him at all.

That little girl named Dou Dou, whose body was wreathed in flames, made even a single glance at her leave one with lingering dread; even from ten feet away, her presence felt like a soul-stinging pain, yet before this man, she remained obedient and well-behaved. Was she merely someone with a special ability? Anyone who believed that was a fool.

Thus, she very respectfully introduced herself first, only then asking about Shen Siyuan.

"Oh, my name is Du Xiuzhi, and I am Zhu Guangfa's wife. May I ask, Master, what is your surname?"

"No need for modesty; my surname is Shen, and my given name is Siyuan," Shen Siyuan said.

"Master Shen," Du Xiuzhi said.

Whether in temperament or speech, this woman displayed extreme cultivation and refinement; from this alone, one could see she had not only been educated but also came from a good family. For some reason, however, she had chosen to marry Zhu Guangfa, that uncultured lout.

"Do not call me Master Shen; it sounds like a charlatan. Address me as Mr. Shen," Shen Siyuan said with a smile.

Shen Siyuan's attitude toward her was utterly incomparable to his attitude toward Lu Guanchang; this was not because Du Xiuzhi was a woman or because she was beautiful, but because Du Xiuzhi bore no karmic burden and her body and mind were as one.

As the two were speaking, Zhu Guangfa carried a delivery package inside.

Seeing Shen Siyuan holding a package and standing at the front desk, he immediately said, "Do you have a package to send? Go ahead with your business; just leave it on the table."

"The money still needs to be paid," Shen Siyuan said.

"It doesn't matter; paying next time is fine too," Zhu Guangfa said with a simple, honest smile.

"I'm afraid I might forget. Please check how much it costs," Shen Siyuan said, handing over the package in his hand.

Zhu Guangfa took it and pinched it with his fingers.

"Is it documents?"

"Yes," Shen Siyuan said, naturally offering no further explanation.

"A shipment from Ci'en costs only eight yuan," Zhu Guangfa said.

"I'll scan you."

Shen Siyuan paid directly, then turned and walked toward his office.

Du Xiuzhi looked at her husband, then at Shen Siyuan's retreating figure; after hesitating for a moment, she still followed Shen Siyuan.