Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Father's Favoritism 18

When they arrived at the hotel, they found out that the single room could only accommodate two people, and an extra bed would be needed for one more person. Even if they were willing to squeeze in or sleep on the floor, it would not be possible.

After paying the extra bed fee and completing the registration, we took the elevator to the second floor.

Zhuozhuo stared blankly at the silhouette reflected on the elevator wall with half-lidded eyes. He listened to Ma Xia's boastful speech about his "elevator ride experience" and heard him whisper in Zhao Hongwei's ear, "I see on TV that a lot of hotels don't require registration. Brother, are we being scammed? Someone is collecting personal information and selling it for money!"

Zhao Hongwei pushed Ma Xia away, then propped up Zhuozhuo's head, which was about to fall down, and said, "This hotel is more formal, and the requirements are a bit stricter."

He didn't really care where to stay. Even if he ended up in a shady place, the worst that could happen was a fight in the middle of the night and he'd just run away. But with Zhuozhuo around, he couldn't help but think twice. A little extra money was fine; what mattered was safety and stability.

When they got to the room, Ma Xia started screaming and looking and touching everything, saying how wonderful the big city was. Zhao Hongwei patted her on the back of the head and warned her, "Be quiet! Zhuozhuo is asleep."

Ma Xia immediately shut up and tiptoed to the bathroom. As she closed the door, she silently mouthed to Zhao Hongwei, "Daughter slave!"

Zhao Hongwei placed Zhuozhuo in the white quilt. Looking at her peaceful little face, a sentence popped up in his mind uncontrollably: "Go to sleep, my dear baby."

Alas!

Zhao Hongwei rubbed his arms, feeling embarrassed by his own corny behavior.

He sat down on the floor and began to reflect on himself. Who could raise a child and turn him into a completely different person? Recalling the things he'd said and done to Zhuozhuo, Zhao Hongwei felt like he was possessed by a ghost. Not to mention his gradual concessions to Zhuozhuo, the fact that this little girl always wanted to leave when she refused to kiss him—with his usual temper, he would have abandoned her long ago.

But now, he is trying to keep her by begging for her favor, fighting for custody like a vicious dog guarding its food, and giving her a lot of money, as if he has not thought about asking for anything in return. He is just giving her away, very selfless.

Is he sick?

Zhao Hongwei touched his forehead and found that he didn't have a fever.

Zhao Hongwei had only known a mother's love for her child beforehand, but that was due to the emotional and laborious process of a ten-month pregnancy. A father's pleasure was enough, but how many people could truly harbor deep feelings for their newborn? And he, on the other hand, didn't even have a memory of pleasure. So why was he, like someone under a spell, unable to let go of Zhuozhuo?

Maybe this is the magic of Zhuo Zhuo. When you look at her, you can't bear to say harsh words to her. When you talk to her, you can't help but like her. When you hug her, she seems to be integrated into your bones and blood, making you care about her deeply without realizing it.

A confusing little monster.

Ma Xia came out of the shower, and Zhao Hongwei quickly cleaned himself up. He glanced at the clock, hesitated for a moment, and then gently shook Zhuo Zhuo's little shoulder: "Zhuo Zhuo? Get up and pee."

Zhao Hongwei had previously inquired about the room rules and knew that if any items in the room were damaged, he would have to pay for the price. If Zhuozhuo wet the bed in the middle of the night, he would also have to pay for the sheets.

Zhuozhuo showed no signs of waking up. He just moved his neck and shrank his shoulders, turned his little head to the side, twisted his body into a C shape, and waved his little hands as if to drive away mosquitoes.

Just as Zhao Hongwei was debating whether to wake the doll up or put a large plastic bag over her and let her pee, the doll said, "Go to sleep. I'll help Zhuozhu pee in the middle of the night."

9972 thought coldly, it didn't mean to let Zhao Hongwei rest assured, it just didn't want him to torment Zhuozhuo anymore. Then, remembering something, 9972 had the puppet add coldly, "I won't secretly take Zhuozhuo away while you're asleep."

Zhao Hongwei didn't say anything back, staring silently at the puppet. Seeing him move his shoulders uncomfortably, he said softly, "I believe you. After all, compared to a monster like you, it's better for Zhuozhuo to be raised by humans."

[? !!!]

9972 was so frightened that it crashed. The puppet's body flailing uncontrollably, its limbs flailing and its features shaking. It returned to normal three seconds later. It asked in a trembling voice, "What do you mean? What monster? There are only people here. Who are you trying to scare?"

This wasn't the first time 9972 had been found to be abnormal, but it had never expected Zhao Hongwei to discover it. After all, this was the 1970s, when technology was underdeveloped, and Zhao Hongwei wasn't a high-ranking or wealthy figure, so his insight and foresight were limited. Should I say he was truly the villain responsible for the failure of the small world's evolution? Amazing! Woohoo!

Zhao Hongwei looked at the puppet sharply and said calmly, "I didn't mean to scare or hurt anyone, and I don't care whether you're a human, a ghost, or a demon. I just want Zhuozhuo to stay away from anything abnormal or unstable, and grow up healthy and safe."

Understanding his hints, threats, and evasions, 9972 remained silent for a moment before having the puppet say, "I think so too. There is no conflict between us."

"good."

Zhao Hongwei nodded at the doll, walked to Ma Xia's bed very calmly, pushed him in, and lay down on it casually.

The room became quiet. 9972 waited for a few seconds and turned off the lights.

In the darkness, Zhao Hongwei lay awake, completely unaware of his sleep. Before today, he had never doubted Zhuozhuo's identity, but this uncle had too many flaws.

On the surface, he looked like a successful adult, but upon closer inspection, one could see he was a simple, almost silly child. And with those eyes… Zhao Hongwei was absolutely right. Those weren't normal human eyes, but his vision wasn't affected, just like a monster's.

After this idea flashed through his mind, it quickly took root and grew. Zhao Hongwei couldn't help but recall over and over again all the details of the day Wu Jingqiu came to send Zhuozhuo off, and all the doubts that he had previously ignored came to his mind.

How can a single woman raise her daughter so well in the countryside?

No matter how remote the place is, it is impossible not to find out any news about the mother and daughter.

When arresting the human trafficker, Zhao Hongwei secretly asked the police that if a man is really drunk and unconscious, he will not be able to get up.

Most importantly, Zhuozhuo acted very familiar with his uncle, while his uncle was trying hard to remain distant. After leaving home, Zhao Hongwei kept a fraction of his attention on Zhuozhuo. He didn't notice any signs of communication between Zhuozhuo and his uncle before they met. It was as if they could communicate without even meeting or speaking. Furthermore, both Wu Jingqiu and Wu Jiaren appeared suddenly, as if they had appeared out of thin air.

monster.

Only monsters can erase a person's memory after having sex with them.

Of course, these were all Zhao Hongwei's guesses. What made him certain was Wu Jiaren's reaction. He just said something ambiguous and like he was venting his anger to trick him, but he was scared and agreed.

Zhao Hongwei analyzed Wu Jingqiu's intention in sending Zhuozhuo back. Perhaps she was really going to die, perhaps Zhuozhuo, as a half-demon, would be discriminated against and bullied by the monster community, or perhaps he wanted Zhuozhuo to experience life with a father...

Whatever the reason, at least one Wu Jiaren was secretly watching Zhuozhuo. Noticing she wasn't doing well, he showed up and tried to take her away. Well, maybe he just wanted to put pressure on Zhao Hongwei to keep him from neglecting Zhuozhuo. Zhao Hongwei scoffed. It was just unnecessary worry. Even without that, he'd still be completely controlled by Zhuozhuo.

Zhao Hongwei rolled over and looked at Zhuozhuo. He could only see a dark outline, but his chaotic thoughts vanished, and his restless heart calmed. He didn't know what kind of demon Zhuozhuo was. Wu Jiaren looked clumsy, like a silly spore, but Zhuozhuo was clever and adorable. Was he a barking raccoon? Or a humming wild boar? Or a hissing snake?

Zhao Hongwei fell asleep, his mind racing. In his dream, he was setting up a stall with Zhuozhuo when he heard a series of barking sounds. He looked down and saw that Zhuozhuo had transformed from his cloth bag into a cream-colored puppy, its neck tilted back and barking fiercely. Zhao Hongwei held the puppy in his arms and asked if it wanted chicken or goose. The puppy nudged his fingers with its wet nose, then suddenly cried out and collapsed into his palm, twitching.

In a panic, Zhao Hongwei saw a Taoist priest swinging his sword at the puppy. He wanted to run immediately, but was frozen in place. He could only watch the puppy being split in half, blood splattering, and the whole world was dyed red.

"No!!!"

Zhao Hongwei woke up, sweating profusely. Seeing the pitch-black room, he realized it was a nightmare, breathing heavily as if he had just survived. He calmed down for a moment, got out of bed, and squatted beside Zhuozhuo's bed. He touched her hands and back, and moved the fan away from her.

With the light coming through the window, Zhao Hongwei looked at Zhuozhuo. She was sleeping on her stomach, with a small lump of chubby cheek squeezed out. She looked so adorable.

Such a cute little thing is as fragile and harmless as a human child. If it encounters a Taoist priest who is catching monsters, it will be eliminated before it even has time to resist.

Zhao Hongwei was enveloped in great panic and anger. Zhuo Zhuo was loved by everyone and had never done anything bad. Was he going to be eliminated indiscriminately just because he was a half-demon?

Where is justice!!!

Zhao Hongwei suddenly rushed to the doll's bed and pulled up the doll, who was wearing sunglasses while sleeping and lying straight like a corpse.

"What are you doing?" The puppet was moved, and 9972 quickly took control, looking at Zhao Hongwei in confusion, whose eyes were red as if he wanted to kill someone.

Zhao Hongwei dragged him out of the room without a word and to the corridor window. The cool night breeze didn't wake him up, so he lowered his voice and asked, "What kind of demon is Zhuozhuo? Will he be hunted by a Taoist priest?"

[? ? ? ]

[……]

"Speak!" Zhao Hongwei pushed the puppet and urged it in a low growl.

9972 didn't know what to say. It checked Zhao Hongwei's condition and found that he wasn't sleepwalking and his brain wasn't damaged. Why did he suddenly go crazy in the middle of the night? It made the puppet say, "First of all, Zhuozhuo is a human, not a demon."

"I know, a half-demon is still half-human."

[……]

Puppet: "He's not a half-demon either. Zhuozhuo is a human, a normal person, an ordinary person, without any strange foreign blood."

Zhao Hongwei calmed down a bit, and after confirming that the puppet wasn't lying, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he suddenly said, "You're not a human. What kind of demon are you? Don't try to quibble!"

His guess was wrong. Zhuozhuo might be a human, but Wu Jiaren was definitely not a human.

9972 hesitated, thinking that denying it was pointless and decided to follow Zhao Hongwei's lead. So, the puppet said, "I am a zero demon."

Zhao Hongwei frowned. "Collar demon? A collar that has become a spirit?"

[……]

Damn illiterate!

9972 Work hard and be calm, don’t bother with illiterate people.

The puppet rolled its eyes: "The TV has become a spirit."

"Can a television become a spirit?" Zhao Hongwei was amazed. "I thought only flowers, plants, trees, and animals could become spirits."

The puppet smiled: "That's because you don't have much experience."

Zhao Hongwei was confused, but he didn't want to delve too deeply into the matter. He quickly returned to the point and pressed the issue, "Zhuozhuo is a human, so why would he call you uncle? Is Wu Jingqiu a human or a demon?"

"Of course Wu Jingqiu is a human."

"Oh, if she's a human, then why don't I remember her? Don't try to fool me anymore, I've consulted a professional!"

Zhao Hongwei's words were cryptic, and it took 9972 a moment to realize what he was talking about. He was filled with skepticism, but he gritted his teeth and said, "I wiped your memory. I'm the spirit of her TV."

Knowing that Zhao Hongwei was going to get to the bottom of this today, 9972 continued, "But Wu Jingqiu died in childbirth, so I transformed into her appearance and raised Zhuozhuo until he was three. I decided it was best for her to live with humans, so I sent him to you. I've been watching her in secret, and if you treat her badly, I'll take her away. Even the police can't see through monster illusions, so if a monster wants to hide someone, no one will be able to find them."

Zhao Hongwei's face darkened, and he said viciously, "Zhuozhuo is my child. If you force her away, I'll spend all my money to hire a Taoist priest to catch you!"

[……]

It’s better not to tell him that this small world only lights up the technology tree and there are no weird things at all.

But Zhao Hongwei had such a wild imagination that he even considered monsters, so why hadn't he considered that Zhuozhuo wasn't his child? 9972 was itching to make a move, and quickly calculated to confirm that asking such a question wouldn't negatively impact Zhuozhuo or the mission.

The puppet asked tentatively, "Have you ever considered that Zhuozhuo isn't your child? Even what you see now isn't her true appearance. I used magic to make her look like you so you could raise her?"

Zhao Hongwei's facial muscles twitched, and he suppressed the urge to smash the puppet with a hammer. He said with a forced smile, "If that's the case, why did you choose me? There are countless people in the big cities who can provide Zhuozhuo with a better life."

At this moment, 9972 knew that it was not that Zhao Hongwei had not thought about it, but that he did not dare to think about it. He did not want to lose Zhuozhuo.

Without letting Zhao Hongwei waste time, the puppet said firmly, "It's your child. In this world, Zhuozhuo only has you as his father."