Chapter 23 A Three-Bedroom Apartment Built from Toes
Dan Anwen's eyes widened in surprise. He stood up from his chair and walked towards the girl.
"Don't rush off yet. Finish this strawberry tiramisu before you go." The man bent down, opened the dessert box, and handed a spoon to the girl, gesturing for her to sit down.
Gu Zhaodi was a little confused. What was going on? Were they calling me up to eat strawberry tiramisu?
"Uncle Dan, this is too expensive. I'll head back now." Gu Zhaodi felt anxious whenever she thought about the price of this strawberry tiramisu.
Before the girl could turn around completely, the man grabbed her wrist and, with a little force, pressed her down onto the black leather sofa.
The man said gently, "This dessert is a reward for your good grades on your last exam."
The girl stared at the man with wide eyes, seemingly incredulous. Was this a reward for her last exam results?
Gu Zhaodi was completely dazed. They hadn't seen each other since they listened to the piano piece last week.
She vaguely remembered that she had refused his offer to reward her.
Dan Anwen watched the girl's ever-changing expressions, sometimes astonished, sometimes puzzled, with a smile in his eyes.
"You said last time that you didn't want a reward for the exam, but I think since you did well, why not reward you?" The man paused, afraid that the girl still wouldn't accept it, and then said after thinking for a moment, "Don't feel any pressure, this is a reward from your sponsor."
The question, "Why aren't you rewarded for good grades?" brought tears to the girl's eyes. She fought back the tears, her eyes slightly moist.
Remembering what her mother had once told her, that girls, no matter how good or bad their grades were, were going to get married anyway, and that there was no need for any rewards.
At that time, as a little girl, she could only watch other children receive praise and rewards from their mothers, and watch other children whine to their mothers for gifts.
Alone and frail, I could only stand aside and watch longingly, not daring to make any demands.
Because she knew that the reward was unattainable and would only result in her mother's scolding.
"But..." Gu Zhaodi said hesitantly, her voice trembling with suppressed sobs, perhaps because she wasn't used to someone being so kind to her.
The man gently patted the girl's head and said in a tender tone, "Don't overthink it. Didn't you say that girls generally don't refuse strawberries? So I took the liberty of ordering this for you."
Dan Anwen could actually see the girl's emotional fluctuations; her eyes were bloodshot, and she was blinking her wet eyes as if trying to hide her emotions.
After returning from the restaurant last time, he looked up the girl's information. The shock brought by the black text was not as great as experiencing it firsthand, but it was enough to make him feel heartbroken.
With just a few strokes, she recounted her life experiences over the past ten years.
Gu Zhaodi composed herself, her eyes moist, her voice muffled and nasal, "Thank you, Uncle Dan."
Watching the girl pick up a spoon to eat her dessert, the man went to the bar, made a cup of tea, and placed it in front of her. Then he sat on the sofa with his legs crossed and flipped through a magazine.
The girl ate her dessert while looking at the office decorations.
I was too nervous to look at it earlier, but now that I've calmed down, I realize how big this office really is.
The sofa alone occupies only a corner of the office, opposite which is a large floor-to-ceiling window, offering an unobstructed view of the outside scenery.
She felt that when she came at night, she would definitely be able to enjoy the view of thousands of lights.
The bar counter in front of the floor-to-ceiling window was neatly arranged, and there were quite a few drinks on it.
The silver-gray desk the man had been working on was simple yet luxurious, full of modern style, which matched his gentle temperament.
Next to it is a floor-to-ceiling bookcase filled with all kinds of books, and you can clearly see the labels on the bookshelves categorizing them.
Dan Anwen noticed the girl's gaze fixed on the bookshelf. He had appeared to be looking at a magazine, but his attention had actually been on the girl.
Watching her survey her office, he was surprised to find himself feeling no dissatisfaction whatsoever.
The girl looked around before realizing that the man's eyes were fixed on her.
As she brazenly peered into someone's office and was caught by the owner, a blush slowly crept onto her face.
Dan Anwen asked softly, "Are you interested in the books on the bookshelf?"
He noticed that she stared at the bookshelf the longest, and there was a hint of longing in her eyes—a longing for knowledge.
Gu Zhaodi was surprised. "I only glanced at him once, and he noticed. As expected of the person in charge of the Dan Group, he is sharp-minded and has a keen eye."
The girl said frankly, "Yes, the content of the book can make people feel good."
When she was younger, she didn't have any pocket money, and all the extracurricular books she read were either unwanted by others or lent to her by close classmates.
As she grew older, she tried to earn some money to buy them herself, but her mother found out and not only tore up her extracurricular books but also confiscated all her money.
From then on, she never bought any more extracurricular books.
The man smiled and said gently, "If you like anything, you can take it."
He didn't know why he was being so generous to her. He had read most of these books and usually didn't let people touch them easily, but this girl was an exception.
Perhaps it was simply out of pity for the girl.
(Author: Dan Anwen, do you even believe that yourself? Dan Anwen: This is called cherishing your future wife. You don't understand, you single dog.)
Gu Zhaodi looked at the man in surprise. The man had a smile on his face, his eyes were gentle, and he looked very serious.
Although she really wanted to refuse the man's suggestion, the allure of the book was undeniable, and she was tempted to impolitely accept his offer.
The girl hesitated for a moment, glanced at the wide array of books on the bookshelf, pursed her lips, and said, "Uncle Dan, may I borrow one?"
Dan Anwen knew that the thin girl in front of him had her own self-respect and backbone, so he thought the suggestion was good.
"Okay, after you finish reading this one, you can move on to the next one."
The girl nodded obediently.
After the girl picked out the book, Dan Anwen glanced down at it and saw that it was a mystery book called "Chase in the Snowstorm".
The girl had just finished choosing when her phone rang. The ringtone was the familiar piano piece "Autumn Whispers".
The man gave the girl a complicated look. The girl was slightly embarrassed and answered the phone in a fluster.
She heard Sister Jing's concerned voice asking if she was lost and hadn't returned yet.
The girl replied absentmindedly, "Sister Jing, I'm not lost, I'll be right back."
After hanging up the phone, the man's lips curved into a smile. He remembered the last time the girl got lost; she was really confused and he was always worried that she would get lost.
Gu Zhaodi lowered her eyes and hurriedly said goodbye to the man, then fled in a slightly flustered manner.
Even after leaving the Dan Group building, she still found today's events unbelievable. First, there was the strawberry dessert, then the book, and finally, it ended with a piano piece. How embarrassing!
Embarrassingly, I dug so hard my toes looked like a three-bedroom apartment.
Gu Zhaodi patted her slightly flushed cheeks, composed herself, and headed towards the dessert shop.
He had no way of knowing what the girl was thinking, but he was quite happy; what a cutie!
The man stared at the half-eaten dessert on the coffee table, slightly stunned, and then chuckled.
That evening, Dan Anwen returned to Danyuan and brought back another portion of tiramisu, which she gave to Dan Shu.
"Your tiramisu." After handing the item to Dan Shu, Dan Anwen went upstairs to take a shower.
"Thank you, Uncle."
Dan Shu looked at the man's back with a mysterious expression, then glanced at the tiramisu in her hand, and smiled knowingly.
Dan Si, who went downstairs to get a drink of water, had goosebumps all over his arms. Dan Shu's smile was definitely up to no good.
Before Dan Si could even make a move to escape the living room, Dan Shu's soft voice rang out, "Dan Si, do you know where Zhao Zhao works?"
During the barbecue, she overheard Guan Xiang mention that Zhao Zhao was working, and she remembered it.
Based on the strawberry tiramisu her uncle brought her last time, she had a vague guess in her mind.
Dan Si found it strange, "Why are you asking this?"
Dan Shu raised an eyebrow. "It's nothing, just asking."
"I remember she mentioned working at some dessert shop, right?" Dan Si replied while pouring water.
Upon hearing the words "dessert shop," Dan Shu felt inexplicably excited. "Could I have discovered my uncle's secret?"
Seeing Dan Shu's strange expression, Dan Si asked suspiciously, "Are you hiding something from me?"
After saying that, he frowned and stared intently at Dan Shu, not missing any change in her expression.
Dan Shu was at least two years older than him, so she still had the willpower to control her expression.
She said calmly, "It's nothing. Don't be so suspicious, like a little girl."
Dan Si clearly didn't believe it. After glancing at Dan Shu, who was eating dessert, he went upstairs helplessly.
Watching Dan Si walk away, Dan Shu stopped pretending, picked up a cushion from the sofa and rolled around, trying her best not to laugh.
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