Grandpa Tang sighed and said with a hint of regret, "Tang Shan, if it were a girl, I probably wouldn't lose my temper so easily."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a knock came at the door. "Knock knock!"
Grandpa Tang happened to be by the door, so he opened it for him.
Looking down, the little bean raised its head, its pair of crystal-clear glass eyes sparkling, making it a sight to behold.
The stunning beauty filter momentarily stunned Grandpa Tang.
The little girl in front of Grandpa Tang was so beautiful, like a fairy child who had stepped out of a painting, that he couldn't help but widen his eyes and ask incredulously, "Brother Han, is this little one really your granddaughter?"
Facing the unfamiliar old man, Xiaoqi showed no fear. Instead, she greeted him in a sweet, childish voice, "Hello, Grandpa! I'm Xiaoqi, your little granddaughter!" After saying that, she playfully tilted her head and blinked her bright eyes.
Seeing this scene, Grandpa Tang felt his heart melt.
He clutched his chest, a kind smile spreading across his face, and nodded repeatedly: "So cute, so incredibly cute!"
Xiao Qi rushed to Han Fei's side, holding the nine-linked rings in her hand, her face full of excitement: "Grandpa, look! I've learned it, I'll show you right now!"
Han Fei smiled and nodded, his eyes full of encouragement: "Okay, I look forward to your performance."
Xiao Qi began to carefully untangle the nine-linked rings, her fingers deftly weaving between the rings. In no time, the nine-linked rings were solved in her hands. She cheered happily, then looked at Han Fei with anticipation.
Han Fei looked at her, his eyes full of admiration and doting. He knew, of course, what this little girl was hoping for; she longed for his praise and affirmation.
A hint of appreciation flashed in Han Fei's eyes, and a slight smile appeared on his lips as he praised gently, "Little Qi, you are such a clever child. Here, Grandpa will give you another Luban lock as a reward."
He gently opened the drawer, took out an exquisite Luban lock, and carefully handed it to Xiao Qi.
Xiao Qi's eyes lit up as he took the Luban lock, looking at it curiously from left to right. His brows furrowed slightly, clearly puzzled by this novel toy: "Grandpa, how do you play with this lock?"
Han Fei's eyes were full of affection as he patiently explained, "Xiao Qi, you only need to gently pull out a wooden stick, and it will disperse like magic."
"Really? Then I'll give it a try." Xiaoqi's eyes sparkled with excitement as she carefully stretched out her fingers, tentatively pulling out the wooden strips one by one. Finally, she successfully pulled one out.
With a soft "click," the Luban lock came apart in her hand.
The entire Luban lock, like an elaborately constructed castle, collapsed with a crash, revealing a bright red, juicy strawberry gummy hidden inside.
Xiaoqi excitedly picked up the candy and eagerly put it in her mouth. The sweet taste exploded on her tongue, and she exclaimed with satisfaction, "It's so delicious!"
She had many more strawberry gummies in her pocket, but this one, which she had worked hard to obtain, seemed to taste even better than any of them.
"Grandpa, look, I've taken the lock off!"
Han Fei smiled at her, his eyes full of encouragement: "Then, could you try putting it back?"
Xiao Qi was stunned for a moment, her big round eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment. She stared at Han Fei, somewhat at a loss: "Grandpa, I... I don't know how."
Han Fei gently patted her head and encouraged her, "It's okay, give it a try, you can definitely do it." He took out a blueprint and handed it to Xiao Qi, "Follow this blueprint step by step."
Looking at the blueprints in her hand, Xiaoqi felt somewhat lost, but she knew that this was her grandfather's trust and challenge, and she couldn't let him down. So, she made up her mind and began trying to reassemble the broken Luban lock.
Not long after, Xiaoqi lowered her head, looking miserable: "Xiaoqi doesn't want to try anymore, Xiaoqi is out of power."
Upon hearing this, Grandpa Tang couldn't help but laugh out loud, finding the little girl utterly adorable. Using "out of power" as an excuse to slack off was truly both amusing and exasperating.
Sigh, if Tangshan had half the cuteness of this little girl, he wouldn't always be so irritable.
"Little Seven, right? How about Grandpa teaches you how to play?" Grandpa Tang offered to teach Little Seven.
Xiao Qi glanced at her grandfather, and seeing him nod slightly, she obediently went over and pushed a pile of scattered wooden strips in front of Grandpa Tang.
"Look here, put this piece here..."
Grandpa Tang was patiently teaching Xiao Qi, his voice filled with unprecedented tenderness.
Upon learning that his grandfather had gone to his benefactor's house, Tang Shan impatiently urged the driver to speed up and rushed into Han Fei's study.
He had originally planned to take his grandfather back, but when he saw his grandfather speaking to a beautiful little girl in a gentle tone he had never used before, his first reaction was to rub his eyes hard.
He could hardly believe his eyes.
How could my grandfather, who was always so stern and unyielding, now smile so kindly and speak so gently to a little girl?
"Grandpa, this guy seems to be looking for you. Do you know him?"
"Hmm?" Grandpa Tang looked up and met his gaze with his somewhat silly grandson. He snorted and a hint of mockery on his lips: "I don't know him. Xiao Qi, let Grandpa tell you another story."
"Yes, yes! I love hearing the story of the Little Mermaid the most!" Xiaoqi jumped up excitedly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Then I'll tell you a story about the Little Mermaid Princess," Grandpa Tang said softly, his eyes full of tenderness and love.
"Once upon a time, there was a mermaid princess... For love, she bravely gave up the riches and glory of the underwater world, endured endless suffering, and finally transformed into human form, becoming the prince's bride—"
"No, no!" However, before the story was even finished, Xiao Qi stood up, her face full of dissatisfaction and protest: "Grandpa, you're wrong!"
Grandpa Tang was a little uneasy. He deliberately changed the story slightly, afraid that the little girl would be hurt if she heard the sad ending.
"Grandpa, the Little Mermaid killed the prince and returned to the sea, becoming the Mermaid Queen. She had many, many husbands and became the Queen of the Ocean!" The little girl's voice was clear and melodious, full of childlike innocence.
Old Master Tang was momentarily stunned.
Tang Shan was dumbfounded. His grandfather actually knew how to coax children and tell them stories. It was truly beyond his expectations.
"I only like listening to my grandfather's stories, like the Little Mermaid. She should have become a powerful sea king, not given up everything for a prince who would mistake her savior for someone else. Anyone can have a prince like that; the Little Mermaid didn't care!"
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