Chapter 44: They're all parents, so why is there such a huge difference?

Gu Zhaodi turned off her phone and looked at the man driving. She felt that since she was staying at someone else's house, it would be better to tell the host about her itinerary.

"Uncle Dan, Xiangxiang is back. I want to go out with her tomorrow." The girl pursed her lips.

Dan Anwen gave a soft "hmm," then, as if remembering something, asked, "Do you want me to take you there?"

"No need, it's right here at Global Harbor."

Jinshan Villa District is located in the city center and is a well-known affluent area. It is very close to Global Harbor, a shopping center that integrates the three major functions of "commerce, tourism and culture".

"Okay." The man nodded slightly.

......

"Zhao Zhao, over here." Guan Xiang stood at the entrance of Gate 1 of Global Harbor and waved to the girl who got out of the car not far away.

Gu Zhaodi ran over in small steps, slightly out of breath, "Xiangxiang."

Guan Xiang affectionately took the girl's arm and asked as she watched the car drive away, "Did Uncle Dan bring you here?"

"Uh-huh."

When the man was heading to his company in the afternoon, he dropped the girl off.

"Let's go buy some food first."

"good."

The two girls entered the shopping mall hand in hand and headed straight for the beverage shop.

The last person was strolling around the mall with a cup of milk tea and a bag of snacks.

"Xiangxiang, what did you come to buy?" The girl gently bit the paper straw of her milk tea.

"My dad's birthday is coming up soon, so I'm in a hurry to buy him a present."

The girl looked at the labels on this floor; this seemed to be the women's clothing section.

Noticing the girl's puzzled look, Guan Xiang coughed lightly and said awkwardly, "Hehe, since we're already here, we might as well buy a couple of clothes."

The girl chose to believe Guan Xiang's claim that she only bought two pieces of clothing for the time being.

"Zhaozhao, what do you think of that dress?" Guan Xiang asked, pointing to clothes in a shop window.

The girl looked in the direction she was pointing. It was a light blue silk dress with a thin cardigan over it, elegant and graceful, but it didn't quite fit Guan Xiang's sweet style.

"Xiangxiang, the weather is still quite cold, and this outfit doesn't seem to suit your style," the girl suggested earnestly.

Guan Xiang frowned. "Well, the weather doesn't really allow for this kind of outfit, but we can wait until warmer spring to wear it."

Guan Xiang is right; the weather starts to warm up within a few weeks after the New Year.

"Then go ahead and buy it, as long as you don't mind the style not matching." The girl nodded, respecting Guan Xiang's choice.

"This is for you."

"ah?"

"No need, I have plenty of clothes, and I have a school uniform to wear at school, so I don't need to buy any clothes at all," the girl quickly waved her hand.

She didn't really want Guan Xiang to spend money on clothes for her, and besides, she had never worn a skirt before, so it always felt a bit strange.

"I can wear my pretty little dress on the spring outing a month from now." Guan Xiang was thinking about the annual spring outing at Nan'an Middle School a month from now, when everyone would be able to go without their school uniforms.

"Spring outing?"

“This is a tradition of Nan’an Middle School. Every year we go to different places to play, so let’s go buy some so that we can both wear skirts to play together.”

She knew Zhao Zhao was afraid she would spend money on her, but she really thought this dress suited Zhao Zhao very well.

"Xiangxiang, really, you don't need to. I've never worn a skirt before, and I'll definitely feel uncomfortable then," the girl explained calmly, pulling Guan Xiang away.

"Alright," Guan Xiang said helplessly, as she couldn't very well force the girl to give it to him.

"Let's go buy your dad a birthday present first."

"good."

The two walked upstairs and were greeted by all sorts of men's products.

Watching Guan Xiang pick out clothes, the girl casually browsed the store as well.

Suddenly, Gu Zhaodi noticed the cufflinks on the display case. She suddenly remembered that men often rolled up the cuffs of their white shirts, but she didn't think she had ever seen Uncle Dan wear cufflinks.

"Miss, which one have you chosen? I can show you around." After a short while, a salesperson came over.

"No need, I was just looking." The girl snapped out of her reverie, not daring to touch the cufflinks even after seeing the prices on the tags.

Just then, Guan Xiang and the saleswoman behind her walked over with several pieces of clothing. "Zhao Zhao, what do you think of these?"

A dark-colored suit is the safest choice and should suit Guan Xiang's father's temperament as a CEO.

"It's nice, but isn't it a bit too monotonous?" The girl pursed her lips, her gaze falling thoughtfully on the suits.

"Oh right, it seems like there's nothing new." Guan Xiang patted her head.

The girl's eyes lit up. "Xiangxiang, would you like to add some accessories, like cufflinks or a tie clip?"

She recalled seeing the metal clip on Uncle Dan's black tie once; it was formal and stylish, perfect for wearing with formal attire.

"Great idea." Guan Xiang snapped her fingers and hurried off to choose jewelry.

Finally, Guan Xiang finalized two complete suits and two pairs of cufflinks.

They went to another store and bought some other small gifts, eventually turning all of them into nesting dolls.

After Guan Xiang finished buying everything, the two of them sat in the rest area of ​​the shopping mall, both of them exhausted.

Girls enjoy shopping, but that doesn't mean they don't get tired. Choosing gifts is both mentally and physically exhausting.

"Xiangxiang, would you like to buy two more outfits that you like?" the girl asked listlessly, feeling like she didn't even want to move her fingertips.

Guan Xiang lifted her eyelids slightly. "Forget it, we'll come again next time."

"Let's go eat." Guan Xiang straightened her back slightly and pulled Gu Zhaodi to her feet.

The two casually chose a restaurant serving Jiangnan cuisine. During their meal, Dan Anwen sent a message asking if they wanted to pick up the girl on their way home from get off work.

Looking at the dinner that seemed to have no end in sight, the girl replied that she would go home by herself.

Uncle Dan: Then be careful, call me if anything happens.

Kid: Okay, Uncle Dan.

Guan Xiang noticed the faint smile on the girl's cheeks, her dimples appearing and disappearing. "Zhao Zhao, what are you looking at? Why are you so happy?"

"Uncle Dan told me to be careful when I get back." The girl placed her phone on the table.

"Uncle Dan is so thoughtful," Guan Xiang joked. "My dad basically raised me without any care. He hasn't even called to ask if his precious daughter has come home yet."

"We're all parents, how come there's such a big difference?" Guan Xiang sighed, cupping her face in her hands.

Gu Zhaodi placed a slice of boiled pork into Guan Xiang's bowl. "Eat up, don't pretend to be sentimental here."

"Hehe." Guan Xiang picked up her chopsticks and put a slice of meat into her mouth.

That evening, the girl was driven back to Jinshan Villa by Guan Xiang's family.

As soon as I entered, I saw Uncle Dan sitting on the sofa watching TV.

Hearing a noise from the entrance hall, Dan Anwen turned around and said calmly, "The little one is back."

"Mmm." The girl nodded as she changed into her slippers, wondering to herself how Uncle Dan had the leisure to sit in the living room and watch TV.

The girl smelled the odor of food on herself, frowned slightly, and said to the man, "Uncle Dan, I'm going upstairs to take a shower first."

"Okay." The man's voice was gentle, and his eyes were tender.

Watching the girl walk briskly upstairs, the man casually grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. Once the girl had completely disappeared from sight, he went upstairs to his study.

On the morning of the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, Gu Zhaodi was packing her suitcase in her room.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Dan Anwen's tall figure walked in, carrying a bowl of dark Chinese medicine.

"You can go to school tomorrow," the man said slowly, watching the girl pack her luggage.

The girl straightened her bent knees and looked sincerely into the man's eyes. "The school can be occupied today. Thank you so much, Uncle Dan, for troubling us for so many days."

As she spoke, the girl bowed ninety degrees to Dan Anwen, a gesture that slightly surprised the man, who shifted his body slightly away.

"No need to thank me. You are Dan Si's classmate and also one of my beneficiaries. I'm happy to be able to help you."

The serious look in the man's dark, deep eyes convinced the girl that his words came from the heart.

However, the girl still wanted to thank him. If she hadn't met him a little over ten days ago, she wouldn't know where she would be now.

"After lunch, I'll take you back to school," the man said after a moment of silence.

The girl nodded obediently, "Okay, Uncle Dan."

Watching the girl pack her things, the man told her not to forget to take her medicine before leaving.