Chapter 66: Being Sensible is the Cruelest Assessment of a Child
On Saturday, Dan Anwen drove the girl to Nan'an University.
Having spent two years of university life here, Dan Anwen still has some impressions of some of the buildings and towers. He drove directly to the underground parking garage of the Yifu Building.
After taking the elevator to the fourth floor, with about an hour to go before the competition started, the lobby was already full of parents and contestants.
Some students are trying to relax in appropriate ways, while others are studying their notes carefully, hoping to find something useful in the future.
Dan Anwen patted the girl's head, his magnetic voice sending shivers down one's spine, "Little girl, don't be nervous. The result isn't the most important thing. Just enjoy the process."
"Mmm, I'm not that nervous." Gu Zhaodi wasn't very confident before participating in the competition, but she had one characteristic: she would give it her all whenever she participated.
And since she had already participated, she couldn't back down.
She still has the time and inclination to appreciate the scenery of the school.
Just as the internet says, every tree and blade of grass at Nan'an University is picturesque. Lush sycamore trees surround the entire campus, and the reflections of willows by the lake shimmer in the warm sunlight, rippling in the breeze.
Seeing the girl gazing at the distant scenery, Dan Anwen pointed to a spot not far away and said, "Do you see that building over there? That's where my old college used to be."
The high-tech building stands on the opposite bank of the lake, colliding with the Chinese garden-style building next to it, creating a sense of sparks between ancient and modern styles.
"Uncle Dan, what college is that building over there?" The girl pointed with her slender finger to the Chinese-style garden.
That's the building for the Chinese Literature Department.
Just then, a confused voice suddenly burst in, "Anwen, what are you doing here?"
Danmu frowned and looked at the two people in front of her with surprise. She had paid special attention to the list of essay contest participants a few days ago and knew that Zhaozhao had been selected for the finals, so she came to see.
I never expected to see my son and Zhao Zhao standing together, and the two of them looked very familiar with each other.
"Mom." Dan Anwen showed no embarrassment at being caught and calmly called out to his mother.
The girl assumed the man had already told Dan's mother about her working at his house, so she explained, "Uncle Dan accompanied me to the essay competition."
After listening to the explanation, Danmu was completely confused. What was going on? She couldn't understand it at all.
Dan Anwen, the only one who knew the truth, looked helpless and sent the girl away so as not to affect her mood for writing her essay later.
"Little friend, you go in first, I'll come in later." It was time to enter, and the contestants started lining up at the front.
"Okay." The girl nodded and walked forward to queue up to enter.
After watching the girl enter the venue, Dan's mother spoke again: "What's going on with you all?"
In her memory, these two people had only met once, so how could they be so familiar? And when had her son ever been so gentle?
“Zhao Zhao is my beneficiary and now lives in Jinshan Villa,” Dan Anwen explained simply.
Dan's mother still didn't quite understand what he meant. Why would the person she was sponsoring live in Jinshan Villa? As far as she knew, Zhao Zhao should be living at school!
Upon seeing this, Dan An had no choice but to explain the whole story.
"So this is the only solution you could come up with, to have Zhao Zhao walk the dog at Jinshan Villa?" Mother Dan asked indifferently.
She didn't understand her son at all. When did he start caring so much about someone's feelings? Based on his past behavior, he would have just taken the money directly and wouldn't have considered the girl's self-esteem.
She was a little angry, feeling that Dan Anwen's approach was well-intentioned, but she shouldn't have tricked Zhao Zhao into buying a dog and asking Zhao Zhao to take care of it. Wasn't that a form of deception?
For a teacher who has been working for decades, Dan's mother could not accept such behavior. Moreover, after doing it, she and Dan Si kept it a secret from their family. What kind of behavior is that?
Then, as if remembering something, Danmu's mother's face showed worry and a strange expression. "But you and Zhaozhao..."
"I know what I'm doing. I just see her as a pitiful child." Dan Anwen knew what Dan's mother was worried about, but he really didn't have those feelings for the child.
"Then you must take good care of that young girl, she's so pitiful." Mother Dan still looked worried, but didn't want to interfere too much, she still believed in her son's character.
After explaining, the man didn't linger and strode into the venue.
The girl kept staring at the entrance of the venue until she saw the elegant figure of Dan Anwen, and only then did the heavy weight in her heart finally lift.
She thought Uncle Dan wouldn't come in, because when she was queuing, she noticed that Grandma Dan's expression was strange, and realized that Grandma Dan didn't seem to know about her and Uncle Dan.
After finding his designated seat, Dan Anwen searched for the girl's slender figure in the room and immediately met her worried gaze.
Dan Anwen smiled faintly, signaling the girl not to overthink and to focus on the competition.
Receiving the man's gentle and calm gaze, the girl's tense heart relaxed considerably, and she focused all her attention on the upcoming match.
"Young man, whose competition are you here to watch? I'm here to watch my grandson's." A friendly middle-aged woman smiled and approached Dan Anwen.
Dan Anwen politely replied, "She's my little niece."
The older woman followed the man's gaze and saw a pretty girl below. "The girl is so beautiful. She looks very well-behaved and sensible. She must be very easy to take care of."
Dan Anwen smiled noncommittally, his voice emanating from his deep throat with a doting tone, "I would rather she be less sensible."
The child was so sensible that it broke his heart. Despite being just a minor, he acted like an independent adult.
Being "sensible" is the cruelest compliment a child can receive.
"That's true. The young lady will be pampered later in life, so she won't need to be too sensible." The older woman smiled. "Young man, do you have a girlfriend?"
The older woman had an expression that suggested she introduce the man to a girlfriend. She had set her sights on this handsome young man as soon as he sat down. He had regular features, a noble air about him, and excellent manners.
"I don't have a girlfriend." Dan Anwen clearly didn't understand what the older woman meant, simply assuming she was just asking.
The auntie grinned and slapped her thigh. "That's perfect! I have a niece who's fair-skinned, beautiful, and has long legs. She also has a respectable job as a civil servant in a government agency. Would you like me to introduce you to her?"
Dan Anwen's usually gentle face almost broke down; it was the first time he had ever met such an enthusiastic auntie introducing him to a girlfriend.
The man smiled politely, but his words were icy: "I'm not considering that for the time being."
The older woman wanted to introduce her niece more, but the man interrupted her, saying, "The competition has begun."
Seeing that the man was staring intently at his niece's competition, clearly not interested in a blind date, the woman awkwardly shut up and turned to watch her grandson's competition.
For those on the competition field, time flies by. Crafting a 1,000-word essay in just one hour is extremely challenging, even for top students, unlike preliminary essays which can be polished over several days or even weeks.
"Phew," the girl let out a heavy sigh of relief, finally finishing writing.
The neatly written composition paper was filled with densely packed words, the result of the girl's hour of work. Fortunately, this time the composition topic was one that the girl was relatively good at.
With a whistle blowing, all the contestants put down their pens and sat quietly in their seats, waiting for the examiners to collect their essays.
As soon as she stepped out of the venue, the girl skipped and hopped to Dan Anwen, who had already come out ahead of her.
"Uncle Dan." The girl tilted her head back happily, her relaxed expression evident.
Dan Anwen took the bag from the girl's hand, patted her on the shoulder, and said, "Let's go, my mom wants us to eat at the cafeteria together."
Just now, inside the meeting room, Dan's mother sent a message to Dan Anwen, asking them to have lunch in the cafeteria after the meeting.
"Mmm." The girl followed the man closely.
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