Chapter 43 Balloons are not a child's privilege
The two strolled along leisurely, each carrying their milk tea. The girl had no intention of trying the next activity.
"I heard the haunted house over there is really exciting."
"Then let's go take a look."
Two girls holding cotton candy brushed past the two men, their conversation reaching the girls' ears without catching a word.
The girl blinked her starry eyes at the man and said, "Uncle Dan, I want to go to the haunted house."
Dan An smiled, his thin lips curving slightly. He bent down a little so the girl could hear him clearly, "Little girl, if you go to a haunted house, be careful you don't have nightmares tonight."
The girl pouted and retorted, "I'm not a three-year-old anymore, I'm not afraid of ghosts."
Girls in the countryside sometimes walk alone at night, and they don't believe such lies told to children.
"Uncle Dan, you're not afraid of me, are you?" Gu Zhaodi asked playfully.
Dan Anwen shook her head, her voice gentle, inexplicably making one's ears itch, "I am an atheist."
The education a man receives from childhood makes him a staunch materialist who does not believe in the existence of gods or Buddhas, and therefore is not afraid of ghosts.
"Let's go then."
During this time, Dan Anwen treated the girl very well, like a gentle elder, which made the girl's tone unconsciously carry a hint of coquetry.
"Let's go." The man shook his head helplessly, hoping the child wouldn't have nightmares that night.
Very few people go to haunted houses, partly out of fear and partly out of reverence for ghosts and spirits, especially during a festive holiday like the New Year.
The girl was enveloped in pitch-black light, and could only vaguely see her surroundings. The dark environment, accompanied by red and green lights, made it even more eerie.
"Uncle Dan." The girl's teeth chattered slightly, and her voice trembled a little.
"Hmm?" The man's deep voice came, and the girl's heart calmed down a little.
She could clearly feel him on her left, but the gloomy environment and the occasional cold wind blowing from who-knows-where made the girl unable to completely relax.
"Uncle Dan".
“I’m here.” This time the man answered her directly, without any questioning tone. He knew the girl was a little scared.
In the quiet environment, he could clearly hear the faint clicking sound of the girl's teeth.
After repeating this several times, the girl's expression gradually relaxed. Fortunately, Uncle Dan was with her, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to take a step.
I'm definitely bad at the game but also love playing.
Suddenly, she felt something slowly climbing up her back, gradually reaching her neck. The icy touch sent chills down her spine.
"ah"
The girl instantly jumped up like a startled rabbit, her body moving faster than her head, and clung to the man like a koala.
"I'm scared..." The girl's voice was trembling with sobs as she buried her head in the warm chest, her hands shaking slightly.
"There's...there's a ghost, Uncle Dan."
Dan Anwen reacted quickly the moment the girl screamed, pulling her into his arms, but he didn't expect her to jump directly onto him.
The girl's legs were tightly wrapped around his waist, and he could clearly feel the heat emanating from her body through his thin casual pants.
Even though the girl was wearing a bulky down jacket, the man could still feel her delicate and soft waist.
His hand was still gripping the girl's slender waist, and he dared not let go, afraid that the girl would be scared when her feet touched the ground.
The man's Adam's apple bobbed, he swallowed hard, and his voice was hoarse, "Get down first, let me take a look."
After her initial shock, the girl realized her position was too suggestive and quickly jumped off the man.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Dan." The girl's expression changed from fear to helplessness.
Dan Anwen took a deep breath, gently patted the girl's head, and said softly, "It's alright, let me see what it is."
The man turned on his phone's flashlight and shone it behind them, where a bewildered ghost was staring intently at the two of them.
The moment the girl saw the ghostly face, her pale face shrank, and she moved slightly closer to the man.
Then she saw the ghost smile sheepishly, revealing its bright white teeth, and the girl almost wanted to jump on the man again.
Dan Anwen stared intently at the white-clad ghost, his dark, deep eyes lowered slightly, his gaze cold as he looked at the ghost.
Perhaps the man's imposing presence and sharp gaze were too much for the ghost to bear, and it slunk away.
The girl was a little confused. Why did it leave? Shouldn't there be other scary parts?
"Let's go." The man took the girl's hand and continued walking forward.
Holding the man's warm, large hand, the girl gradually became less afraid.
The rest of the way was mostly easy for the man to navigate, with the girl holding his hand tightly as they walked together.
"Phew, finally out." The girl let go of the man's hand, patted her chest, and looked relieved.
After leaving the haunted house, the sky outside was already a bit dark. As the winter night fell, the lights in the amusement park began to illuminate the space one by one.
Dan Anwen smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Let's go have dinner."
The girl nodded obediently and followed the man closely.
On the way to the restaurant, an old man was selling balloons by the fountain, holding a large handful of them. His kind smile and colorful balloons attracted a large crowd.
The children around them all had one, their faces beaming with sweet smiles.
Dan Anwen watched as the girl stared intently at the child's balloon without blinking, and asked indulgently, "Little friend, do you want a balloon?"
"Uncle Dan, I'm really not a three-year-old anymore." The girl was quite helpless. She had only glanced at him a couple of times, and he had misunderstood her.
Dan Anwen smiled and patted her head. "Balloons aren't just for kids."
"Come on, Uncle will take you shopping." The man took the girl's hand and led her to the old man's side.
"Boss, a balloon, please," Dan Anwen said with a smile.
The steady and refined man was holding the hand of a well-behaved and pretty girl. The old man thought they were uncle and niece.
"Which one do you want, little girl?" the old man asked with a smile.
The girl looked at the man, who gestured for her to choose. In the end, the girl chose a yellow sunflower balloon.
Seeing the man's doting gaze, the old man smiled and said to Dan Anwen, "Young man, you treat your little niece very well."
Upon hearing this, the man glanced at the girl next to him playing with balloons with the children, smiled, and said nothing more.
That's right, she's my little niece. As Dan Si's classmate, she's also my little niece in terms of seniority.
All the way, the girl held the balloon's string tightly, afraid it would fly away.
Seeing her cautious manner, Dan An helped the girl tie the string of the balloon to her slender wrist.
As people entered the restaurant, they frequently glanced at the girl's balloons, especially the ones that attracted the attention of children.
"Uncle Dan, I want to eat ice cream." The girl looked longingly at the tempting ice cream in the little boy's hand in the distance.
Dan An paused in his act of ordering; this was the first time the child had ever made a request, but...
"No, you're still on your period, and it's winter now." The man directly rejected the girl's suggestion. For the girl's health, he even asked the doctor about the approximate time.
Even though the indoor air conditioning was so hot that the two of them took off their coats, he still wouldn't let her eat.
The girl withdrew her pitiful gaze and said dryly, "Okay."
It wasn't that she particularly wanted ice cream; it was just that the little boy's ice cream looked so delicious that it easily whetted her appetite.
The man couldn't bear to see the girl looking so wronged, so he looked at the waiter and said, "Another strawberry yogurt, please heat it up a little."
"Okay." The waiter paused for a moment, then took the menu from the man.
After dinner, the girl happily went home with the man.
On the bus, the girl's phone vibrated.
Guan Xiang: Zhao Zhao, I'm back in Nan'an City. Let's go out and have fun tomorrow!
The girl calculated the time and realized that today was already the thirteenth day of the first lunar month.
Zhao Zhao: Okay, where shall we meet?
Guan Xiang: Let's go shopping at Global Harbor at 2 PM.
Zhao Zhao: Okay.
Guan Xiang: How have you been at Uncle Dan's house these past few days? Has Uncle Dan been treating you well?
Since their last conversation, the two have been living in different time zones, so they haven't chatted much.
Zhao Zhao: Uncle Dan is very kind to me. He even brought me to the amusement park today.
Guan Xiang: Shocked (expression).
Guan Xiang: I feel like you're overturning my impression of Uncle Dan.
Zhao Zhao: Hehe.
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