When the tune ended, Yu Ze had just opened his eyes and saw a little boy standing before him.
The boy was sowhat thin but quite handso, holding a bouquet of roses in his arms. His big eyes sparkled with excitent and shyness.
Seeing Yu Ze looking at him, the boy quickly stood on tiptoes and offered the roses to him.
For a mont, Yu Ze was taken aback. How long had it been since he last received flowers? After a while, as Huo Ji'an's arm began to ache, Yu Ze finally accepted the flowers.
Up close, Yu Ze noticed that the boy's eyes were a deep, dark color, giving the impression of intense focus.
There was a cool aura around him, standing there with a touch of loneliness. Looking at Huo Ji'an, Yu Ze softly said, "Thank you."
His voice was clear and lodious. Huo Ji'an smiled, his face blushing with excitent. "You're welco, Daddy!"
Yu Ze blinked in confusion. "Excuse ?"
Looking at the little boy, Yu Ze was puzzled. "Who are you?"
Certain that he had no children, Yu Ze's confusion only grew. Afraid of leaving a bad impression on his new dad, Huo Ji'an quickly introduced himself, "Hello, Daddy. My na is Huo Ji'an. From now on, I'm your son. I will take good care of you and support you in your old age and... um..." Huo Ji'an paused, forgetting the next word, and looked to Zhouzhou for help.
"Send you off," Zhouzhou prompted.
"Oh, right," Huo Ji'an exclaid. "I will take care of you in your old age and send you off."
Zhouzhou chid in excitedly, "And I'll help you reincarnate!"
To Zhouzhou, who grew up in a Taoist temple, death was just another beginning and not sothing to be feared.
However, in Yu Ze's eyes, it seed that these two children, whom he had just t, had his entire life and afterlife planned out. Though not angered, his eyes reflected a mixture of helplessness and sorrow.
He should be grateful they ntioned old age care and gave him roses instead of chrysanthemums or a morial photo. Thinking of sothing, the air of aloofness around him intensified.
Carrying his cello, he said coolly, "You've mistaken for soone else. I'm not your father." With that, he turned to leave.
But as he took a step forward, he suddenly realized sothing was clinging to his leg. Looking down, Yu Ze saw Huo Ji'an tightly hugging his leg.
Seeing Yu Ze looking at him, the boy looked up with a mix of nervousness and hurt, pitifully calling out, "Daddy."
Yu Ze frowned slightly, his expression indifferent as he continued walking. The child would soon tire out.
Huo Ji'an was light and thin, even after having started eating regularly, so Yu Ze found it easy to carry on despite the boy clinging to his leg.
Seeing this, Zhouzhou shook her head. "Little Skinny Pole isn't making it. Guess I have to step in!"
She plopped down on Yu Ze's foot, wrapping her chubby legs tightly around him.
With Zhouzhou's added weight, Yu Ze found it impossible to move and his calm expression finally cracked.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, looking at the two little cling-ons with a headache. "What do you really want?"
At this mont, Qin Lie closed his phone and approached, pulling the two little rascals off Yu Ze.
He patted Zhouzhou's head, signaling her to calm down. He then looked at Yu Ze and said, "Mr. Yu, could we have a word?"
Hearing the formal address, Yu Ze's breath hitched, and he looked at Qin Lie warily. He was certain he didn't know this man. So how did he know his na?
Qin Feng, who had been watching from the sidelines, had seen his uncle gather all this information about Yu Ze with just one phone call and was full of admiration.
Seeing Yu Ze's displeasure, Qin Feng quickly explained, "Uncle Yu, we an no harm. We're here to help Huo Ji'an find his new dad. You are his new dad."
Yu Ze was even more confused. "I don't understand."
Huo Ji'an nodded eagerly, holding Yu Ze's hand tightly.
Perhaps because of the boy's sincerity, Yu Ze hesitated but eventually nodded. He was in such a state that even scamrs would pass him by. With a bitter smile, he said, "I live nearby. We can talk at my place."
"Alright," Qin Lie agreed with a nod.
Huo Ji'an's face lit up with joy. He quickly picked up Yu Ze's hat and handed it to him, then grabbed his hand again.
The child's small, soft hand held on tightly. Yu Ze instinctively looked at him, then hugged the flowers tighter and, for so reason, didn't push his hand away.
Though Yu Ze said it was nearby, they walked through several twists and turns.
The surroundings grew quieter, and Zhouzhou, after calculating with her chubby fingers, confird that Yu Ze was indeed Huo Ji'an's new dad.
They finally arrived at a rundown apartnt building. Yu Ze glanced at them, saw no disdain in their expressions, and then took out his key to open the door.
The small, shabby apartnt was very clean inside. Huo Ji'an looked around curiously.
When Yu Ze sat down, he quickly ran over to sit beside him, looking up at him with wide eyes.
Yu Ze was still wearing his mask, and Huo Ji'an couldn't see his new dad's face clearly.
"Daddy, can I see your face?" Huo Ji'an asked.
Yu Ze hesitated for a mont but then slowly removed his mask. The room fell silent, and there was a collective gasp.
Huo Ji'an's eyes widened at the sight of the long scar running across Yu Ze's face, from his cheek to his chin.
Yu Ze was used to strange looks and sat there calmly, his hands clasped together, fingers tapping lightly. He expected the child to cry and run away.
But instead, a soft touch on his face startled him. Looking up, Yu Ze saw Huo Ji'an's eyes filled with compassion. "Daddy, you are really handso!"
Despite the scar, Yu Ze's other features were quite attractive. His reaction surprised Yu Ze. After a few monts, he leaned back to avoid Huo Ji'an's touch and said, "You may explain now."
Noticing his reluctance, Huo Ji'an felt a mont of loss but quickly regained his spirits. It was okay; they had just t. Zhouzhou said that in ti, Daddy would love him very much!
Encouraged, he happily explained how he ca to find his new dad. After hearing the story, Yu Ze's eyes held a strange expression. "So, you want to hire as your dad to attend a kindergarten event?"
"No, no," Huo Ji'an shook his head seriously. "You're not a rented dad like Uncle Ye. You will be my real dad, the new one."
"Zhouzhou said so!" He pointed at Zhouzhou, full of trust.
Yu Ze looked over and saw the little girl with a small topknot, holding a turtle shell with three copper coins inside, spread out on the table. Her chubby hands shuffled them before looking up confidently, "Indeed, Uncle, you are Little Skinny Pole's new daddy!"
She looked very much like a little mystic.
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