Chapter 106 Thoughtful and Considerate

"Uncle Dan, I'm so tired!" Gu Zhaodi slumped weakly in the passenger seat, looking exhausted.

Dan Anwen, who was busy with official business, immediately looked up at the girl upon hearing this, and put her phone aside. "What's wrong? You look so tired."

The girl's fatigue was hard to hide; her usually bright eyes were lifeless, and her face was deathly pale.

"Is it because you have final exams tomorrow and are you under too much pressure?" The man's deep eyes carefully examined the girl. He remembered that her period was still a while away.

"I've been brainstorming all afternoon, my brain feels like it's about to explode." The girl leaned back in her chair, tilting her head slightly.

Answering questions today was more tiring than studying on her own for a day. Now she feels completely weak and wants nothing more than to lie down and sleep.

Dan Anwen gently stroked the girl's soft hair with a tender expression, his broad body leaning slightly forward, his tone soothing, "Would you like to go eat something delicious?"

"What do you want to eat?" Hearing this, Gu Zhaodi instantly perked up. Only food could offer her any comfort to her weary soul.

Dan Anwen's eyes seemed to be filled with the stars and the sea, filled with doting and indulgent affection. "How about some spicy crayfish?"

Summer is the season when crayfish are at their fattest and most tender. Their bright red shells can make even those with a poor appetite salivate on a hot summer evening, let alone a girl who loves crayfish.

Just thinking about countless delicious shrimp going down her throat and into her stomach makes her salivary glands start to secrete.

She instantly felt all the fatigue of the day vanish without a trace. Who wouldn't love a spicy crayfish dinner in the evening?

"Can I order extra spicy?" Gu Zhaodi looked at the man expectantly, her voice soft and coquettish, trying to get him to agree to the suggestion.

Ever since that year when eating spicy food caused menstrual cramps, men have been extremely strict about their diet. The chili peppers that Aunt Zhang puts in the dishes are just seasonings and basically don't stimulate the tip of the tongue.

The thought of spicy crayfish on a hot summer day is so appealing, it can dispel all the fatigue of the day. It would be even better with an iced drink, but she knows she can't push her luck.

In most aspects, the man dotes on the girl and tries his best to meet her every request. However, when it comes to things that threaten her health, he is very principled and will never back down.

As expected, Dan Anwen's sharp brows furrowed slightly, his narrow eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone was unhurried, each word landing on the girl's heart, "You can't eat very spicy food. You can only order a mild one, otherwise you'll have an upset stomach tomorrow."

Gu Zhaodi looked distressed, knowing full well that the chances of her being accepted were slim, but she couldn't help but hope, "Okay."

Seeing the girl's aggrieved look, as if he had abused her, the man couldn't help but chuckle.

"However, you can have a cup of room temperature milk tea." Dan Anwen made a compromise, and although it wasn't iced milk tea, it still offered some comfort to the girl's wounded heart.

"It's decided then." Gu Zhaodi was afraid that the man would change his mind later and not let her drink the milk tea, so she immediately agreed with a big smile.

In her youthful and naive years, she felt that milk tea and crayfish were a perfect match, without any sense of incongruity.

The spiciness of spicy crayfish paired with the sweet aroma of milk tea is hard not to love.

"Do you want to go to the same place as before, or try a different one?" Dan Anwen asked in a consultative tone as he started the car.

Without the slightest hesitation, Gu Zhaodi said, "Let's go to the same place we used to go."

A girl's passion for certain things won't easily change, just like her unwavering love for a particular brand of crayfish.

Ever since Guan Xiang took her there for the first time, she couldn't forget it. Later, she coaxed the man into taking her there several more times.

"Kid, you're really loyal to crayfish restaurants," the man joked, shaking his head with a smile.

The crayfish restaurant is located near Nan'an No. 3 Middle School, in an area that is full of night markets. Although the environment is not as luxurious as that of high-end restaurants, the taste of the crayfish lingers on the palate.

Anyway, the girl fell in love with it after just one try, otherwise she wouldn't have kept pestering the man to go with her several times.

"I won't easily change what I like," Gu Zhaodi said, fiddling with her phone without looking up.

The girl, with her head down, didn't notice the glint in the man's eyes. "If you like someone, you won't easily change your mind," the little girl said, which made a lot of sense. Just like how he liked her, once he liked someone, he wouldn't easily give up.

It takes about an hour and a half to drive from Nan'an No. 3 Middle School to Nan'an Middle School. When we arrived at the night market, the sunset glow had not yet completely dissipated, and the night market had just opened, so the crowd was not very large.

"It's you again, young lady." The owner of the crayfish restaurant smiled at Gu Zhaodi, her face full of kindness.

“Yes, Auntie, I’m here to eat again.” Gu Zhaodi stood beside the man and smiled shyly, her crescent-shaped eyes sparkling.

The proprietress stopped what she was doing, stood in front of the cashier, and asked, "The usual?"

"Yes, thank you for your hard work, Auntie."

"It's no trouble at all, please have a seat." The proprietress said while taking down the menu.

The proprietress was somewhat stunned as she watched the girl and man walk away.

The aloof and refined man exudes a scholarly air, possessing an innate composure and restraint. Though not as fiery as a young man, he has a unique charm that belongs to a mature man.

The girl standing right next to him had a small, unadorned face, and a delicate, youthful appearance, exuding a sense of naivety and innocence.

If you didn't know they were uncle and niece, you would definitely think they were a loving young couple from behind. Their tall and upright figures and petite and charming backs were very harmonious.

The proprietress remembered the girl and the man, largely because the man had an exceptionally refined and noble air about him. He was impeccably dressed and had an outstandingly handsome face, which made him stand out from the noisy night market environment.

They made a deep impression at first glance, not to mention that when the two of them came to eat crayfish, the man spent most of the time taking care of the girl next to him, almost to the point of being considerate.

The proprietress stopped thinking about it and turned to go into the kitchen to have the owner stir-fry crayfish.

Gu Zhaodi sipped her room-temperature milk tea, quietly waiting for the spicy crayfish to arrive.

"What are your plans for summer vacation, little friend?" Dan Anwen took a sip of water from a disposable paper cup and asked casually.

What are your plans?

Gu Zhaodi had never really thought about this question. In the past, she would spend most of her holidays studying in the study. Now that she is about to enter her senior year of high school, it seems that she will spend most of her time in the study.

"I don't have any plans, I'll probably just study at home." Gu Zhaodi suddenly realized that she didn't seem to have any hobbies.

From childhood to adulthood, the Gu family never had the funds to allow her to cultivate her hobbies. Even her only interest in reading was stifled by her mother.

Dan An nodded in understanding. Originally, he hadn't considered the child's interests and hobbies, but recently, as her academic pressure increased, he felt that she should have ways to release stress.

Having a hobby is a rare and wonderful way to express yourself.

"Would you like to cultivate some hobbies?" Dan Anwen toyed with the paper cup in her hand with her slender fingers.

“Cultivate a hobby?” Gu Zhaodi murmured. “But we’ll be in our senior year of high school soon, and there probably won’t be enough time to study.”

Seeing the girl's concern about study time, the man's lips curled up slightly, and his dark eyes stared intently at her. "You're already doing great. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Studying requires a balance between work and rest."

The man believes that releasing pressure in a timely manner is the most appropriate way to learn, and he trusts in the child's self-control, believing that the child will never neglect his studies because of a hobby.

Seeing that the man said that, the girl also felt that there was some truth to it. After all, the college entrance examination is like a thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge, and the pressure is unprecedented. Hobbies or interests can be a good way to release pressure.

"I don't know what hobbies I should cultivate." Gu Zhaodi hadn't thought of any hobbies to cultivate yet, and she didn't seem to have anything she particularly liked.

Thinking about it this way, she does seem to be without desires, but this lack of desire is a result of not having the means to pursue it since childhood. It's not that she doesn't really want to have things, but rather that poverty has led to a loss of interest.

Dan Anwen tapped the table lightly with the back of her slender, well-proportioned fingers, lowered her eyes in thought, and after a long while said, "Little friend, would you like to learn the piano? You can try it first, and if you don't like it, you can change."

The piano is one of his few hobbies since childhood. The musical melodies flowing from his fingertips can give people a feeling of being in another world, and their thoughts will slowly drift away.

Gu Zhaodi recalled the first time the man played the piano in front of her, so gentlemanly and polite, like a prince descending into her life.

"Okay!" she readily agreed.