Chapter 13: Dad Bai Lie (2)

Chapter 13: Daddy Bai Lie (2)

Stealing from a child, is that even human?

Bai Lie pinched her still-chubby cheek. "A bit thin." His hand paused, his tone teasing, "What are you spacing out for? Are you so surprised to see your old man that you're stunned?"

As he spoke, he acted completely at home, picking up the half-full enamel mug of warm water she had set by her side and gulping it down. Afterward, he walked calmly to the corner, took off his Liberation shoes, and slipped into a pair of straw sandals.

Shuyue tried hard to keep a straight face, but her lips still trembled uncontrollably.

The food, the drink...

Was it easy for a little kid like her to get all this?

But, suddenly thinking of something...

When someone is released from prison after serving their sentence, they probably, maybe, should be responsible for their own meals, right?

He looked so travel-worn; he must be thirsty, tired, and hungry.

Shuyue’s temper vanished instantly. "Did you not eat dinner?"

The little girl’s voice was soft, seemingly carrying a hint of sweetness. Bai Lie paused, his voice softening: "Not yet. You’ve already eaten at home, right?"

Bai Lie really hadn't eaten. He had wished he could sprout wings and fly back; where would he have found the time to eat anything?

Shuyue: "..."

!!!

He really hadn't eaten!

Everything in this world has a cause and an effect. She was Bai Lie’s daughter now; showing filial piety to one's parents was an obligation, right?

Her own father was telling her to her face that he hadn't eaten—what could she do?

Seeing Shuyue staring at him with a mournful expression, Bai Lie paused. He looked down at the shoes he had just taken off, twitched his nose slightly, and kicked them further away, feeling a bit guilty.

The smell...

It wasn't that bad, was it?

Bai Lie’s ears turned slightly red. The steps he had been taking toward his daughter shifted, and he headed toward the spot behind the door. There sat a wooden basin with half a basin of clean water—water that Shuyue had carried back trip by trip, like an ant moving house, intending to save it for washing her hands and feet.

Bai Lie washed his hands and face with that water.

Shuyue didn't notice Bai Lie’s small actions. Seeing him return, she felt a pang of heartache as she pulled out the sweet potato strips wrapped in oil paper, along with the roasted duck egg she had been hiding and saving, and shoved them toward him.

Seeing his daughter’s clean, clear, watery eyes looking at him with such heartache, Bai Lie felt a sudden, bittersweet warmth.

No wonder everyone says a daughter is a thoughtful little padded jacket!

Little Yue’er was only four or five years old, and she already knew how to care for her daddy.

He sat down next to Shuyue, trying his best to soften his cold, hard features, his voice becoming impossibly gentle.

"Are these for Dad to eat?"

Shuyue: "..."

Shuyue nodded, though she felt a bit pained and worried inside. She was only about fifty or sixty percent full, and she would definitely be hungry long before tomorrow morning.

But just then, something was suddenly fed to her lips. The fragrant, alluring scent made Shuyue’s saliva uncontrollably secrete. It was...

A duck egg yolk!

Shuyue: "..."

Her watery eyes widened in disbelief.

*I feel like you’re tempting me to commit a crime, and I’ve already gathered the evidence.*

But Bai Lie didn't give her a chance to overthink it, coaxing her

"Be good. Dad doesn't like eating duck eggs. You help Dad eat it, okay?"

He doesn't like eating them...

The little treasure, with her fair, delicate face, had her eyes light up instantly. She ate it subconsciously, but then immediately thought: *Now that there isn't even wild vegetable porridge to eat, how could anyone not like duck eggs?*

*He must have saved this specifically for me!*

*He’s still hungry, yet he’s willing to let me eat the duck egg yolk.* Shuyue’s feelings were complicated. She swallowed the food in her mouth and whispered, "Thank you, Daddy."

Bai Lie paused. "Hey!"

His daughter called him Daddy!

Bai Lie was instantly so excited that he scooped her up onto his lap, lowered his head, and gave her cheek a fierce kiss. "Say it again, daughter. Say it again, and tomorrow Dad will find more duck eggs for you to eat."

Shuyue wasn't paying attention to what Bai Lie was saying at all; her mind was entirely filled with...

#SeekingVotes#

Shuyue: *He, he, he... he kissed me.*

(End of chapter)