Murphy didn't stay long. After finishing her coffee, she hurriedly left.
After all, she had brought Xixi here because she was about to head to several cities—Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and others—for commercial performances, and she wouldn't be able to come home for two whole weeks! With no other choice, she left Xixi in her father's care.
Yang Yi was more than happy to have her. With the little one around, the house felt far less empty and much more fun!
But their cozy father-daughter time was short-lived. A chubby boy came running back with a tearful face, wailing miserably from downstairs: "Brother Yang, open the door! I'm so screwed!"
Great, the chatterbox was back.
"What's wrong? Didn't do well on the exam?" Yang Yi had no choice but to go down and let him in, puzzled. How had the once-spirited little fatty returned looking so dejected?
"It's not that I did badly—they have a bias. They think I'm too fat and too short," Guo Ziyi complained. "My mock performances and skits were the best, but during the individual talent showcase, two of the judges said I'm too young and I'd better try again next year."
"Is that the standard?" Yang Yi frowned.
Guo Ziyi was a bit chubby and not exactly handsome, but Yang Yi felt the kid had real talent. He was only sixteen—maybe he'd grow taller and slim down later, turning into a decent-looking guy. After all, every fat guy is a potential catch!
Guo Ziyi let out a long sigh. "No choice. The teachers are all focused on the pretty boys and girls. No matter how well I perform, it probably doesn't catch their eye."
Yang Yi was silent, just about to figure out how to comfort the little fatty, when Guo Ziyi suddenly exclaimed in surprise: "Huh? Where did this little girl come from?"
Yang Yi turned around and saw Xixi, who couldn't sit still, had come to the stairway. She was peeking her cute little head down, but Guo Ziyi's shout startled her, and she quickly pulled it back.
"She's my daughter!" Yang Yi said, exasperated by Guo Ziyi's overreaction.
"You have a daughter?" Guo Ziyi was even more shocked. "And she's this old?"
In his eyes, Yang Yi was only around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. How could he have a four- or five-year-old kid? Did soldiers all marry that young?
"Is it strange for me to have a daughter?" Yang Yi didn't bother explaining. He went upstairs, called the little one over, and introduced her—she was shyly hiding behind her father's legs—to Guo Ziyi. "This is Guo Ziyi, Uncle Guo. He'll be staying with us for a while. And this is my daughter, Yang Xi. You can call her Xixi."
Xixi was too shy to say hello, but Guo Ziyi immediately protested: "Uncle Guo? Call me Brother Ziyi! Calling me uncle makes me feel old."
"Uncle it is!" Yang Yi patted Xixi's head and shot Guo Ziyi a glare. "You call me Brother Yang, so my daughter calling you uncle is only right, isn't it?"
Xixi obediently followed her father's lead, her voice soft as she murmured, "Uncle Guo."
Guo Ziyi's heart was shattered, but under Yang Yi's intimidating gaze, he had no choice but to accept being an uncle.
...
Because of Murphy's identity, Xixi had rarely interacted with strangers since she was little, so she was very shy around them. Even when her father was preparing lunch, she insisted on staying with him in the kitchen.
Poor Guo Ziyi. He had volunteered to help take care of Xixi, thinking she was so pretty and cute, but now his pride took another hit.
"Is it really because I'm too fat and ugly? The judges didn't like me, and even Brother Yang's daughter is avoiding me..." Guo Ziyi lay on the living room sofa, feeling utterly useless.
Luckily, Yang Yi's lavish lunch saved him.
"Tomato fish soup—Daddy knows you don't like spicy food, so I used your favorite cherry tomatoes. It's sweet and sour, and eating fish makes you smarter!" Yang Yi introduced the dishes one by one with a smile, making Guo Ziyi drool on the side.
"This is minced pork with oyster sauce and king oyster mushrooms, this is shredded pork in Beijing sauce, and this one's special—it's called pan-fried tofu, a signature Shandong dish. The tofu has a filling inside..."
"Stop! I can't take it anymore. I have to eat!" Guo Ziyi held his bowl and chopsticks, his eyes red with longing.
Xixi had been beaming with joy, but the little fatty's hungry expression made her uneasy. She pouted, stretched out her little arm to block him, and said reluctantly, "No, this is my daddy's cooking for me."
"But you can't finish it all," Guo Ziyi whined.
Xixi was usually happy to share, but Guo Ziyi's attitude today rubbed her the wrong way. She threw a little tantrum: "I won't let you have any!"
"Alright, alright, it's all Xixi's. Xixi, try a piece of the pan-fried tofu first." Yang Yi lovingly picked up a piece of tofu for his daughter and sat down beside her with a smile.
Guo Ziyi wasn't really trying to pick a fight with the little girl, but seeing Yang Yi not backing him up made him feel like all the delicious food was slipping away. How heartbreaking!
"Yummy!" Xixi chewed on the crispy, tender tofu and couldn't help telling her father.
But she hadn't forgotten about the Guo Ziyi she had just rejected. The little girl blinked her big eyes, watching his dejected look, then tugged at her father's sleeve, signaling him to lean down. She whispered in his ear, "Daddy, Uncle looks so pitiful. Maybe I should let him have some?"
"Yeah, your Uncle Guo bombed his exam today. He's really upset," Yang Yi said with a faint smile, whispering back. "But with all this good food, are you sure you want to share it with him?"
Yang Yi wasn't the type to be unreasonable or indulge Xixi's tantrums. But perhaps because of his tragic childhood in a past life, he wasn't great at reasoning with kids, so his parenting style was a bit unconventional.
Still, what made Yang Yi happy was that his daughter was too kind-hearted. Her little tantrum lasted only a moment, and now she was actually worried about Guo Ziyi.
"Uncle is sad? Then I'll share with him. I can't eat all this anyway," the little girl whispered in her father's ear.
"Then tell him, 'I'm sorry, Uncle Guo, let's eat together,'" Yang Yi encouraged.
Xixi was a bit nervous, but she mustered her courage and said, "Uncle Guo, don't be sad. Let's eat together!"
The little angel's voice was sweet, and to Guo Ziyi, it sounded like music from heaven.
"Thank you, Xixi!" With delicious food in sight, Guo Ziyi cast aside all his grievances. He grinned at Xixi and eagerly started eating.
"Mmm! The fish is good, the tofu is good, and the shredded pork in Beijing sauce is even better!" Guo Ziyi scooped up a big spoonful of shredded pork, mixed it with rice, and wolfed it down.
Watching the little fatty's eating frenzy, Xixi's appetite also perked up.