Chapter 79 Blatant Favoritism
When Gu Zhaodi came out of the fitting room, Guan Xiang almost forgot to press the button to start recording.
The pale yellow dress, adorned with scattered gold accents, outlined the girl's slender waist. Her delicate neck, far from appearing shorter due to the lace choker, instead shrouded her swan-like neck in mystery, inviting a glimpse into its depths.
Beneath the pale yellow dress, her fair skin shone through, and the ends of her hair, which reached her shoulders and neck, were slightly curled. The warm yellow light illuminated her delicate, unadorned face.
"Xiangxiang, Xiangxiang." The girl patted Guan Xiang's shoulder to bring her back to her senses.
"Huh?" Guan Xiang quickly pressed the pause button. "Zhao Zhao, you look really good in this dress."
Seeing Guan Xiang's infatuated expression, the girl could guess that the evening gown must be stunning, after all, it looked gorgeous just by looking at it.
"Okay, if you like it, take it off and try it on." The girl turned to walk towards the fitting room.
Guan Xiang grabbed the girl's slender wrist. "Zhao Zhao, why don't you come with me tonight? My parents are abroad, and it'll be so boring for me to go to the banquet alone."
The girl blinked, about to refuse, but seeing Guan Xiang's pitiful expression, she couldn't bring herself to say it.
After hesitating for a moment, the girl nodded.
Guan Xiang's inner self was racing wildly, but she tried her best to control her excitement. "Then you can wear this evening gown."
"But......"
"No buts, it's settled." After saying that, Guan Xiang took a smoky gray long dress and went into the fitting room.
When Guan Xiang came out of the fitting room, Dan Anwen, who was supervising the on-site setup, received a video from her.
The little girl's delicate face was full of shyness, and when she smiled, small dimples appeared on both sides of her cheeks. Her clear eyes were adorned with bright spots, and her whole person was pure with a touch of innocent charm.
"Uncle, would you like to take a look here?" Dan Si, who was not far away, pointed to the flowers and balloons in the corner.
"Here I am." Dan Anwen turned off the screen and strode towards Dan Si.
After Guan Xiang changed her clothes, she took Gu Zhaodi to the private dressing room.
Time passed by, and Guan Xiang, who had received the instruction, secretly glanced at the girl who was still fixing her hair.
"Is Miss Gu's makeup done?" Guan Xiang asked the makeup artist.
The makeup artist pinned a gold hair clip to the side of the girl's hair. "All done."
The makeup artist was very satisfied with her work. She had encountered such a promising girl with delicate skin, well-defined features, and almost no acne. Makeup was just an enhancement of her beauty, adding the finishing touch.
Guan Xiang took the girl directly to the South Mansion, a private mansion typically used by the upper class for banquets, and not every family is qualified to use it.
This is not a difficult task for the Tan family. It is a family business passed down through generations and is said to have a history of several hundred years. Through continuous expansion and renovation, it has reached its current large scale.
The outer wall of the South Pavilion stretches as far as the eye can see, and it takes several minutes to drive from the main gate to the front of the villa.
The car drove straight to the villa's gate along the stone-paved road. As soon as the girl got out of the car, she felt that this was not a place for a banquet. Apart from the two of them and the driver, there were only the waiters in front of the villa.
"Xiangxiang, are you sure this is the place?" Gu Zhaodi looked through the window and saw that the interior of the villa was pitch black.
Guan Xiang was afraid the girl would become suspicious, so he dodged the question by saying, "It's normal for rich people to have some quirks at their gatherings. It's very lively inside."
The girl was skeptical; she didn't know what a normal banquet was like.
Guan Xiang quietly walked diagonally behind the girl, and the waiter at the door pushed open the luxurious door of the villa.
"Xiang..." The girl was about to say why the villa was so dark when she heard the sound of cannons and a familiar voice.
The villa's colorful lights suddenly lit up all at once, and the girl's curled eyelashes trembled slightly as she caught sight of a figure in front of her.
When I opened my eyes again, I was surrounded by a group of smiling people.
Happy birthday, Zhao Zhao.
"Zhao Zhao, you didn't expect that, did you?"
"Zhao Zhao..."
The blessings around her rose and fell, piercing the girl's eardrums and striking her tender soul with each sound.
She herself had forgotten that today was her birthday, and she never expected that someone would know and remember this day.
The girl's eyes were a little sore and her vision was slightly blurred. Before she could speak, Dan Anwen's dignified figure appeared, pushing a cake.
The man in the white suit smiled indulgently, his dark, deep eyes flashing with blessings, and said in a soft, husky voice, "Happy seventeenth birthday, little one."
The man gently stroked the top of the stunned girl's head with his large, warm hand, then lowered his noble head and stared into her tearful eyes.
"The candles are lit, make a wish."
The girl's hair brushed against the man's palm, her large, misty eyes staring directly into his dark pupils. "Uncle Dan..."
"Don't cry, today is a happy day." The man's hand was placed on the girl's cheek, his warm fingertips gently caressing the corners of her reddened eyes.
"Mmm." The girl nodded vigorously, but a single tear uncontrollably rolled down her cheek.
A bittersweet feeling welled up from the depths of her heart, overflowing and overwhelming her. She never imagined that someone would know her birthday and give her such a big surprise.
Many people came to the scene, including her grandparents, Dan Si and his godparents, and even Grandma Fang. All the people who helped and warmed her in this city were present during her growth.
Yao Xin couldn't bear to see such a sentimental scene. "Zhao Zhao, stop crying and come blow out the candles!"
"Yes, yes, hurry up." Shen Jiyang pushed the cake forward.
"Go ahead." The man patted the girl's thin shoulder reassuringly.
Looking at the dreamy and adorable castle cake in front of her, Gu Zhaodi couldn't help but think of a sentence.
Some people spend their whole lives healing from their childhood trauma, but how fortunate she was to have such a group of lovely people who healed her tragic and unfortunate childhood during the most radiant years of her life.
Amidst the expectant and kind smiles of the crowd, the girl slowly closed her bright eyes, clasped her hands together in front of her chest, and made her first birthday wish with a devout expression.
I hope that everyone around me is safe, well, and that everything goes smoothly for them.
The girl opened her hopeful eyes, which were filled with tears, and looked at the noble and gentle man beside her.
Dan Anwen's lips curved into a smile, her tone indulgent, "Let's blow out the candles."
The girl looked at the seventeen candles on the exquisite cake, leaned over and blew them out, marking her sixteenth birthday and her seventeenth.
Gu Zhaodi took the cake knife and cut the first piece of cake. "Uncle Dan, the first piece is for you."
Uncle Dan was like a ray of light in her gloomy life, cutting through her strong shell and bringing the real her inside into the world step by step.
Seeing the child holding the cake with both hands, his face beaming with happiness, the man's gentle eyes softened even more.
Happy birthday, little one.
"Uh-huh."
When Guan Xiang received the birthday cake for the little boy, she didn't forget to praise the man's actions.
"Zhao Zhao, I'm really happy for you. Someone is so openly spoiling you."
Guan Xiang can still recall the first time she met Zhao Zhao, who sat indifferently in the corner, shrinking herself into her own world.
However, since moving into Uncle Dan's house, Zhao Zhao has become more and more outstanding and more and more confident. When she hesitates, Uncle Dan will not force her to move forward, but will guide her step by step.
Constantly creating little surprises for Zhao Zhao helps her forget all her past unpleasantness and troubles, giving her a new lease on life.
Although she is very kind to Zhao Zhao, she admits that she can't do what Uncle Dan does.
A month in advance, the man began planning the birthday party, secretly contacting the girl's friends and elders, and quietly preparing surprises, all to give the girl an unforgettable day.
The birthday party was almost entirely handled by the man, from choosing the venue to preparing every dish, taking the girl's tastes into account.
After listening to everything Guan Xiang said, Gu Zhaodi's rosy lips trembled slightly. "Uncle Dan is really a good person."
She couldn't use flowery language to describe or elaborate on men; the simplest words were often the most touching.
After Guan Xiang left to find Dan Si, Dan Anwen, who had been observing the girl, came over, bent down slightly, and asked in a doting tone, "Little girl, what's wrong?"
The child was just laughing and talking a moment ago, so why are his eyes suddenly filled with tears again? The man wondered.
Gu Zhaodi's voice was thick with a nasal tone and muffled, "Thank you, Uncle Dan, thank you for taking me home, thank you for making up for my childhood, thank you for remembering my birthday, thank you..."
As she spoke, tears welled up in the girl's eyes. Perhaps out of shame, she buried her face in the man's broad chest.
Dan Anwen looked helpless, but his tone was still indulgent, "This is the last time you'll cry tonight."
"Mmm." The girl nestled in the man's arms and nodded haphazardly, but showed no intention of pulling away.
She discovered that she was very emotional in front of Uncle Dan, truly like a child who hadn't grown up.
Upon seeing this, Dan An wrapped his arms around the girl's thin body, gently patting her slender back with his large hands to soothe her broken emotions.
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