Chapter 78: Daddy, Can You Sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?
After a full day of slacking off and winding down, I finally made it home.
Just as I stepped through the door, Young Master Sang was still changing but heard a cheerful voice rush towards him:
“Dad~”
“Give me a hug!” Shi Qingyan jumped into Young Master Sang’s arms, and he instinctively spun her around.
“Hey, good girl, have you been behaving at home?”
“Mhm!” Shi Qingyan’s chubby cheeks were flushed as she beamed with pure joy.
In that moment, Young Master Sang felt his heart melt.
This was the happiest moment of a corporate slave’s day.
After a long, tiring day at work, coming home to see his cute little daughter snuggling him and sweetly calling him dad felt like all his efforts were worth it.
Though… she’s probably not even my real daughter, right?
But just thinking about this little doll-like princess who had recently been clawing and chasing him down was enough to make the moment even sweeter.
Seeing this “father-daughter” scene, Si Jingzhu cleared her throat and crossed her arms with a huff:
“Cough cough… Since dear Daddy loves to be all mushy with his daughter so much, I guess I’ll begrudgingly come in for a hug too—”
“Little Ying, what’s for dinner?”
Young Master Sang had already taken Shi Qingyan’s hand and walked into the house.
…Huh?
Shi Qingyan stared blankly, feeling ignored as he strolled past her.
Moments later, her eyes filled with tears of grievance.
Do I really not get a hug…?
Meanwhile, Yan Rouwan, who was feeding the cat, stifled a chuckle.
“Go change first.” Zhang Xiaoying’s voice floated in from the kitchen, “Dinner will be ready soon, husband. You can take a bath after you eat.”
“Alright.”
——
——
Evening rolled around, and it was already bedtime.
Young Master Sang thought that after a day of adjustment, it would be fine to let Shi Qingyan sleep on her own.
After all, she was six or seven years old; she wasn’t that delicate.
But as soon as this was mentioned, Shi Qingyan’s crystal-clear eyes filled with tears, blinking with reproach:
“No… I want to sleep with Dad and Mom.”
“I’m… scared to sleep alone.”
Young Master Sang and Zhang Xiaoying exchanged helpless glances.
It looked like they were communicating through their eyes.
…Does that mean they wouldn’t be able to enjoy their time tonight?
…Sigh. Just endure it.
In the end, Shi Qingyan slept with them.
On one large bed, the three of them nestled together, Shi Qingyan sandwiched between Young Master Sang and Zhang Xiaoying, surrounded by both sides.
Shi Qingyan felt particularly safe like this.
With familiar scents on either side, even if she had a nightmare, she could see her parents’ figures first thing upon waking up.
That made her feel better.
Otherwise, she’d feel a bit scared falling asleep.
Especially worried about dreaming something horrible like the night before.
That dream felt like it was mocking her, telling her that everything she thought was real was just an illusion.
The dream was reality, while her perceived reality was just a deceiving dream.
“Daddy, I can’t sleep. Can you tell me a story?”
“Um… What kind of story do you want to hear?”
“I want to hear a story about little animals!” Shi Qingyan exclaimed eagerly.
Little animals, huh.
Young Master Sang cleared his throat and began:
“Once upon a time, there was a grassland called Green Grassland, where lived a kind and gentle family of gray wolves.”
“One day, the evil sheep village invaded this grassland. A flock of very bad sheep started ruinously consuming the grass, harming the ecosystem.”
“They not only bullied the old gray wolf couple but also played with them for fun, encouraging their little son to graze with them, intending to starve the wolf family’s offspring into extinction…”
Upon hearing this, Shi Qingyan felt that the story was a bit strange.
But she didn’t really care about the story’s content.
Just listening to Young Master Sang’s voice made her feel particularly at ease.
Before long, as Young Master Sang reached the part where the wolves and sheep unwittingly fell into an underground world, Shi Qingyan had already fallen asleep peacefully.
Watching the little girl sleep soundly, Young Master Sang shot a helpless glance at Zhang Xiaoying.
His expression clearly screamed, “I want to have some intimate time with my wife, but what do I do with the kid here?”
Zhang Xiaoying seemed to sense Young Master Sang’s frustration and couldn’t help but blush, leaning in closer to whisper:
“Husband, just hold on a little longer.”
“If you’re feeling really pent up…”
She sneakily pecked his cheek, blushing and glancing at the blanket.
Young Master Sang immediately caught on and shook his head with righteous indignation: “Eh, how could I let my wife do such a thing—”
But Zhang Xiaoying had already gently snuck under the covers.
“…Cough, good job, wife.”
……
Again, it was a dark, cramped room.
Shi Qingyan truly hated this place.
The damp, foul-smelling air, a mix of alcohol and vomit.
She was even afraid of every single person she saw here.
Especially the men.
These men seemed to always lose their tempers for no reason. Sometimes, it could just be because she called out for her mother a bit too loudly, and some drunk man would kick her away.
“Who’s this wild child, yelling like crazy.”
If she served drinks too slowly, she would also get scolded.
Or even splashed with alcohol.
Shi Qingyan already despised the smell of alcohol.
Being drenched in it left her feeling wet, cold, and nauseous, making her thin body shake uncontrollably.
If she looked up, she’d be scolded. How dare this wild child look at me.
If she looked down, she’d be scolded. Watch where you’re walking.
And if she accidentally bumped into someone, she might get beat up badly.
Shi Qingyan couldn’t understand why she was having such nightmares.
Whenever someone yelled or hit her, she could only curl up and tremble to protect herself.
Thinking, hurry and wake up from this nightmare.
Or, if only mom and dad could step into the nightmare and protect her.
She’d also wonder if Dad would see her being bullied like this, would he fiercely beat that person up.
Would Mom tenderly hold her and hum a lullaby to soothe her?
Would they?
That would make the nightmare seem less scary.
……
“…Good girl, wake up.”
Shi Qingyan slowly opened her tear-stained eyes.
Young Master Sang and Zhang Xiaoying looked at her with concern, softly asking, “What happened, good girl? Did you have a nightmare?”
“…Mmm.”
Shi Qingyan instinctively curled up into Young Master Sang’s embrace, desperately trying to use his warmth to drive away the cold, damp feeling from her nightmare.
“What kind of nightmare did you have?”
“I dreamed that… Dad and Mom didn’t want me anymore.”
Young Master Sang and Zhang Xiaoying exchanged glances.
“Good girl, how could Dad and Mom not want you?”
He smiled and ruffled Shi Qingyan’s hair, gently saying, “You’re our precious sweetheart.”
“How about this, Dad will sing you a song to help you sleep?”
Shi Qingyan curiously looked up, blinking her eyes.
“What song?”
“You should be asking Dad: Daddy, can you sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?”
Young Master Sang wiped away her tears and began to sing slowly:
In my home, there’s someone really cool.
With three heads and six arms, totally invincible.
His hands are a bit rough.
But he taught me how to walk.
(So happily slept for a whole day)
(Really grateful for everyone’s subscription, first subscription is so satisfying, thank you all.)
(The rest is just for monthly tickets to get more updates)
(Initially said fifty tickets for one update, but looking at it now, I’d probably never finish it alive.)
(But a promise is a promise; sixteen hundred votes equals thirty-three updates)
(Starting today until the end of next month, there will be three updates every day. I’ll try to finish by the end of the month)
(Next month, let’s loosen the standards a bit, one hundred votes for one update. Don’t overwork me though)
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