Chapter 54: A Daughter

Du Xiuzhi arrived at the entrance of the Operations Department but did not go inside; she only lingered at the doorway.

She did not know whether she feared disturbing Shen Siyuan's work or was afraid Shen Siyuan would refuse her request.

Shen Siyuan also noticed her, yet he did not speak to communicate with her.

If he spoke while on duty, he would be taken for a madman.

If she truly had something needing Shen Siyuan's help, then she would naturally wait.

Du Xiuzhi also noticed Shen Siyuan's gaze; seeing he had no intention of driving her away, she became even more determined to keep waiting.

She had countless words she wanted to pour out to her husband and daughter; Shen Siyuan was the only person she had met so far who could see her.

However, very soon, she felt a sudden flutter in her heart and instinctively looked toward the Finance Department.

Sure enough, she saw Watching Dou Dou running out of the Finance Department with a "de'er jia, de'er jia" gait.

Children are lively and active, but in the past she had never dared to stray too far from her mother.

First, she feared losing her mother; second, there were too many grotesque ghosts, which were truly frightening.

The last time she got lost from her mother, she was alone in the supermarket; every day she either hid in a corner or curled up inside a cabinet, barely daring to see anyone; that period was not a good memory.

But now it was fine; with Sweet Potato Guoguo here, she feared no one and was not afraid of getting lost, so she liked to wander around everywhere.

Seeing Du Xiuzhi shrink back, Watching Dou Dou immediately spoke to comfort her: "Do not be afraid; I am a good child."

Du Xiuzhi forced herself to suppress her fear and said, "I know you are a good child, but the flame on your head is truly frightening; I feel it is dangerous."

Hearing this, Watching Dou Dou reached out and touched her small head.

The Nether Flame atop her head swayed, looking extremely dreamlike.

Watching Dou Dou sighed and said, "Sweet Potato Guoguo says I am a little fool and always cannot learn to put it away."

"Sweet Potato Guoguo?" Du Xiuzhi was somewhat puzzled.

Hearing this, Watching Dou Dou looked toward the Operations Department.

Du Xiuzhi began to realize who she was talking about.

"Sweet Potato Guoguo is very kind; he even let Mom and Dad see me," Watching Dou Dou said.

"Your mom and dad saw you?" Du Xiuzhi asked, her expression somewhat excited upon hearing this.

She had come to Shen Siyuan originally only hoping he could help convey some words, but now...

"Yes, Sweet Potato Guoguo did it like this, like this..."

Watching Dou Dou extended her finger to form a hand seal, but her small hands were chubby and her little fingers were short and stubby, so performing the hand seal was truly somewhat ridiculous.

Du Xiuzhi was also amused by her cute appearance, yet she still did not dare to approach, speaking from a great distance away.

However, seeing Du Xiuzhi laugh, Watching Dou Dou immediately took small steps forward, wanting to get closer.

"I told you, I am a good child."

But Du Xiuzhi, frightened by her movement, kept retreating backward.

Seeing this, Watching Dou Dou slumped her shoulders and let her arms hang down, looking dejected as she said, "I am a good child, you know."

Then, as if remembering something, she straightened up and said, "I will go find Sweet Potato Guoguo."

Having said this, she passed directly through the wall and entered the Operations Department.

In Guanghui Animation, all departments were separated by glass, so even though Du Xiuzhi stood far away and there was a glass wall between them, she could still see Watching Dou Dou running straight toward Shen Siyuan.

Shen Siyuan was chatting with Ding Youguang and a few others on his computer when he saw Watching Dou Dou dive entirely into his arms, with her small head poking out from under his arm.

Her sudden appearance startled Shen Siyuan; then he pressed down on her small head and asked in a low voice, "What are you doing?"

"Sweet Potato Guoguo, fire keeps coming out of my head, and everyone is afraid of me," Watching Dou Dou said, full of grievance.

Shen Siyuan looked down and said in a low voice, "Didn't I tell you? You must learn to control it; look at Little Sister Xiaoyue, she learned very well."

"But I am a little fool," Watching Dou Dou said with righteous indignation.

"Who said that? You are very smart."

"You..." Watching Dou Dou pointed her small finger at Shen Siyuan.

"Haha~" Shen Siyuan laughed awkwardly.

Then he said, "Do you remember the moves I taught you and Little Sister Xiaoyue? Practice more; this way you will soon be able to control the flame on your head. Look, the fire on your head now is much smaller than before."

Encouraged by Shen Siyuan, Watching Dou Dou was as if injected with chicken blood.

She immediately ran to the side and bent over, sticking out her bottom.

Watching Du Xiuzhi's attitude toward Watching Dou Dou, Shen Siyuan's manner, a strong hope ignited in Du Xiuzhi's heart.

Du Xiuzhi and Zhu Guangfa's daughter is named Zhu Tingting; the Miss is nine years old this year and is currently in the fourth grade of elementary school.

Probably because she had no mother since childhood, the Miss was both inferior and introverted.

When Zhu Guangfa finished delivering express packages and hurried home, the Miss had already returned from school.

"Tingting, look what Dad bought for you?" Zhu Guangfa shouted loudly as soon as he opened the door.

Hearing the voice, Zhu Tingting walked out of the room; seeing her father holding a bag, she smelled the fragrance from far away.

She said somewhat happily, "It's roast duck."

"Yes, roast duck. Dad will stir-fry two vegetable dishes, and then we will eat."

Zhu Guangfa placed the bag on the table, opened it, and then took out a roast duck leg from inside to hand to his daughter.

"You taste it first; Dad will be quick."

He had specially asked the boss to keep this one intact for him.

Zhu Tingting did not reach out to take it; instead, she shook her head and said, "I stir-fried some shredded potatoes; Dad, let's eat."

"You cooked?"

Zhu Guangfa's hand paused in midair, feeling both heartache and gratification.

Tingting is only nine years old this year; at this age, which child at home does not have clothes brought to hand and food brought to mouth, yet she has already learned to wash clothes and cook.

They all say daughters are well-behaved and sensible, but he would rather his daughter not be so sensible, because only suffering makes a child become well-behaved and sensible too early.

"Mm, I only stir-fried one; I'm not sure if it's edible," Zhu Tingting said uncertainly.

"It doesn't matter; raw potatoes are edible too," Zhu Guangfa laughed.

Then he still stuffed the roasted duck leg into his daughter's hand.

"You need to eat more meat; look how thin you are."

Zhu Tingting was very thin, with a slender figure, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.

Her facial features were delicate, very much like her mother's; she too had short hair, but only her eyes resembled Zhu Guangfa's, yet on her face they were infinitely more beautiful than on his—large and bright.

Zhu Guangfa himself was perpetually dirty, but his daughter was kept very clean.

He wasn't boasting; his daughter indeed looked like her mother and was very beautiful.

Zhu Guangfa came to the kitchen; on the stove sat a plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes, and steam rose from the pot.

Lifting the pot lid revealed leftover rice from last night mixed with water, made into soup-rice.

Zhu Guangfa took out bowls and chopsticks, served two bowls of soup-rice, and at that moment Zhu Tingting also walked in, carrying the shredded potatoes out.

"How was school today? Were you bullied?" Zhu Guangfa asked while eating.

Zhu Tingting showed a smile and said, "After Dad picked me up last time, Wang Daoming and the others dared not bully me anymore."

Hearing this, Zhu Guangfa laughed proudly, stretched out his arm to strike a muscular pose, his heavily tattooed arm looking especially fearsome.

"Your dad was very formidable when he was young," Zhu Guangfa said proudly.

Last time, after hearing his daughter say classmates had bullied her, he deliberately wore short sleeves to pick her up from school; sure enough, the effect was remarkably good.

"Mm~"

Zhu Tingting lowered her head and responded with a sound.

She didn't say the classmates no longer bullied her, but they all ostracized her, saying her father was in the underworld, a big thug, and no one would play with her.

Especially some girls, who wouldn't even speak to her, as if she carried the plague.