Chapter 85 Family Relationships
"Where's my cousin?" Gu Zhaodi looked around but didn't see Dan Shu.
After swallowing the mooncake in his mouth, Dan Si said with a hint of schadenfreude, "Dan Shu is already in university, and he still has exams. He's upstairs frantically studying for the exams. The exams are after the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Seeing the nonchalant tone and languid expression on the girl's face, she suddenly had a "wicked thought," as if a little devil was stirring in her heart.
"Dan Si, we also have exams after the Mid-Autumn Festival," she "kindly" reminded him, her eyes fixed on Dan Si's reaction.
Dan Si was shocked and somewhat flustered. The half-eaten mooncake in his hand fell onto his clothes, and white powder floated in the air.
"How come I didn't know about this?" Dan Si picked up the mooncake from his clothes and sat up straight.
Gu Zhaodi blinked, her tone indifferent, "It's not too late to know now."
The girl actually learned about the monthly exam notice after the Mid-Autumn Festival by overhearing a conversation between several teachers on the afternoon of the holiday. It turned out that the school was going to conduct a surprise test.
Dan Si's expression became excited in an instant, and his voice attracted the attention of several adults who were talking. "It's too late. I made a bet with Yao Xin. Whoever drops in the ranking next time will have to do an extra set of questions."
Having already experienced the joy of academic success, Dan Si and Yao Xin have become somewhat obsessed lately, constantly comparing their grades, with the loser doing more practice problems.
Under the watchful eyes of a group of adults, Dan Si grabbed the girl and hurriedly pulled her upstairs, muttering, "I still have a few points I haven't figured out yet, and I'll have to rely on you for every move."
"Also, don't tell Yao Xin that he has an exam after the Mid-Autumn Festival. Let him do the questions this time."
Yao Xin's foundation is slightly better than Dan Si's. In these matches, Dan Si has lost more than he has won, and he dreams of winning a game back.
The four people on the sofa were a little confused as Dan Si went upstairs to study in a flurry of activity.
Even Dan Shuwen, who was usually unfazed, was somewhat incredulous. Was this still his idle son?
"Mom, how long has Dan Si been in this abnormal state?" Even though Jing Rou knew that her son had been studying hard during this time, she did not expect the effect to be so great.
The mother remained calm, slowly taking a sip of tea. "It's alright, only a little over half a year."
After saying that, Dan's mother got up and went upstairs with Dan's father, leaving the couple, disheveled and alone in the wind, staring at each other in bewilderment.
If they weren't so skeptical of ghosts and spirits, they would have thought their son was possessed. It seems that little Zhao Zhao is truly a lucky star!
Around 4 p.m., Dan Anwen left work early and returned to Danyuan. As soon as he entered, he saw Dan Shuwen and his wife and mother sitting on the sofa, chatting.
"Big brother and sister-in-law," Dan Anwen greeted Dan Shuwen and Jing Rou on the sofa, his voice cool and aloof.
When Dan Shuwen saw his younger brother, a faint smile appeared on his usually stern lips. The two were twelve years apart, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Dan Anwen had raised him.
The reason is simple: Dan Shuwen is very quiet, and Dan Anwen likes to concentrate on doing things in that kind of environment.
"Second brother." Jing Rou nodded with a smile.
Dan Anwen nodded slightly, his face gentle but expressionless.
Jing Rou didn't mind her brother-in-law's expression, since he always looked the same to everyone and his face rarely showed any change.
"Anwen, come with me to the study." Dan Shuwen stood up and patted Dan Anwen on the shoulder.
Dan Anwen didn't move immediately. After glancing around the customer area, he asked calmly, "Where is the child?"
Dan's mother was talking to Jing Rou when she overheard something and casually said, "She was taken upstairs by Dan Si to do her homework."
Dan Anwen raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn't say anything more, while Jing Rou was puzzled.
Could this little kid be Zhao Zhao?
When did my brother-in-law become so mushy? This way of addressing him is just too...
When Dan Anwen was about to go upstairs with Dan Shuwen, Dan's mother stopped her, saying, "Try the mooncakes first."
Dan Anwen's cold gaze swept over the colorful mooncakes on the coffee table, and without thinking, he said directly, "I don't eat mooncakes."
Upon hearing this, Dan's mother chuckled and said slowly, "Since you're not going to eat it, then leave it all for Dan Shu. It's a pity that someone won't be able to enjoy Zhao Zhao's kind intentions."
As he spoke, he closed the mooncake box on the coffee table, making a gesture as if to take it upstairs.
Dan Anwen stretched out his long arm to stop them, his expression indifferent, but his words contradicted his true feelings, "In order not to disappoint the child, I will try it."
Seeing that the man ate the entire mooncake without any hesitation, Dan Shuwen and Jing Rou exchanged a glance, quite surprised and puzzled.
"Let's go, brother."
After the two disappeared into the stairwell, Jing Rou finally voiced her doubts: "Why is Zhao Zhao living in Jinshan Villa? And judging from my second brother's expression, he doesn't seem to mind."
Not only was she not averse to it, but she was even somewhat affectionate towards it. Jing Rou kept these words to herself.
Seeing her eldest daughter-in-law's curiosity, Dan's mother didn't hide anything and told her the whole story.
After listening, Jing Rou nodded thoughtfully.
The normal dinner time at Danyuan is 6 p.m., but Dan Anwen went to the study to call them down for dinner when it was almost time.
When Gu Zhaodi saw the man, the smile on her lips instantly widened. "Uncle Dan."
Dan Anwen walked in, glanced at the exercises on the table, and patted the girl's hair. "Are you tired?"
He knew that the children had already finished their homework and were mostly here to help Dan Si with his studies.
"I'm not tired." The girl's soft hair brushed gently against the man's warm palm. "Uncle Dan, have you eaten the mooncakes I made?"
The man's lips curved slightly, and his tone was gentle, "I got to eat it, it was delicious."
Dan Shu, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore. Did they really have to be so oblivious to others when they were "showing affection" like this?
"Uncle, is it time to eat?" Dan Shu asked, shaking Dan Si, who was engrossed in studying, as he spoke.
When Dan Si looked up, he was still completely bewildered, clearly unaware that the man had appeared in front of him.
"Have you eaten?" Dan Si immediately stood up after hearing the second half of the sentence.
He was exhausted from studying for several hours and desperately needed to replenish his energy.
Dan Anwen glanced at him indifferently, "Let's go downstairs for dinner."
Once downstairs, Gu Zhaodi was seated next to Dan Anwen.
The other people at the table were used to seeing men taking care of girls while they ate, but for Dan Shuwen and his wife, it was an eye-opener.
Imagine someone who is usually cold and aloof is suddenly so gentle and considerate in front of you. How would you react?
Maintaining a calm and composed demeanor is already a testament to their strong self-control as soldiers.
Dan An was oblivious to the surprised looks on the faces of the couple opposite him, and was busy preparing the crabs.
Anyway, ever since she started living and eating with the man, the girl has almost never cleaned seafood shells herself.
As she was about to go to bed that night, Gu Zhaodi remembered that Lao Lin had announced in the class group that there would be a parent-teacher meeting after the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The girl's slender white fingertips touched the chat box. She hesitated for a moment, still unable to make up her mind.
No parent had ever attended any of her parent-teacher meetings since she was a child. Her father was busy with farm work and didn't have time to go, while her mother simply didn't want to go, feeling it was a waste of time.
Finally, remembering something, he pressed the send button.
Kid: Uncle Dan, there's a parent-teacher meeting at school the day after tomorrow. Do you have time to go?
Kid: It's okay if you don't have time, you don't have to participate.
The girl remained in the position of sending a message, her eyes fixed on the chat box, but her phone remained silent for a long time.
Just when she thought Uncle Dan was asleep, there was a knock on the door.
The girl placed her phone on the bedside table, lifted the covers, put on her slippers, and opened the bedroom door.
The man outside the door was dressed in gray silk pajamas, expressionless, with a deep, dark look in his eyes that the girl couldn't understand.
"Uncle Dan, what brings you here?" The girl tilted her head slightly to look at the man, her expression puzzled.
Dan Anwen stared at the girl quietly for a few seconds, then parted his pale lips slightly and asked, "Little girl, what is our relationship?"
The girl was slightly taken aback. What kind of question was that?
"They are family."
For some reason, after saying those words, the man's expression noticeably improved, unlike his previous cold and indifferent demeanor.
“Since we’re family, how could we not have time to attend your parent-teacher conferences?” After a pause, the man continued, “As family, we won’t be absent from your growth milestones, understand?”
The girl hadn't fully grasped the meaning behind the man's words and nodded blankly.
After a moment, the girl blinked and said, "I understand, Uncle Dan."
There shouldn't be a cautious attitude among family members.
Dan Anwen gently ruffled the girl's hair, his tone returning to its usual gentleness, "Go to sleep."
After the girl returned to her room, the man remained standing at the door without moving an inch, staring at her door with an inscrutable expression.
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