272 Misunderstanding (1/2)

Xiao Luo and Zhang Dashan chatted briefly with Tang Wantian before bidding her farewell, and then they left for home. Of all the people who attended this class reunion, only Tang Wantian and Hu Shuipin made him remember the genuine friendship they used to share back in their university days. As for the others, Xiao Luo could only scoff at the thought. If he were ever to bump into any one of them in the future, he certainly wouldn't go beyond a courteous greeting.

It was almost 10 p.m. when they arrived back at Gong Village. The little girl, Bei Bei, who had fallen asleep on Xiao Luo's thighs during the ride, woke up as she was being carried up the stairs.

”Daddy, where are we?”

The little girl rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked.

Zhang Dashan chuckled and said, ”This is where your daddy lives.”

”It's so dark in here.”

The little girl felt a bit uneasy as she held tightly to Xiao Luo's back.

Zhang Dashan puckered his lips and tried to change the subject to cheer her up. ”Girl, was the food tonight tasty?” he asked.

”Yep,” she replied and smiled at him adorably.

Zhang Dashan smiled back and said, ”Hehe... you are just like my good old brother here, you don't eat veggies, and like to eat meat only.”

”Mommy said that I'm still growing up, so I need to eat more meat.”

”Then, did mummy tell you not to call just anyone your daddy?” Zhang Dashan said that on purpose, just to tease her.

His words stumped her, and she didn't know how to respond to the question.

Zhang Dashan pointed at Xiao Luo, then looked at Bei Bei and said, ”I must be honest with you, little girl. He's not your father.”

”You're bluffing! He is Bei Bei's father!” she cried. The little girl was adamant and pulled a face.

”Why are you so sure that he's your father?”

”Because he looks the same as my daddy, the one that I saw in my dream,” she said. Her innocent words were compelling, and she said it with a solemn expression.

Upon hearing that, Xiao Luo and Zhang Dashan were both stunned. Daddy in her dreams? What was going on here? Could it be that this little girl didn't have a father, and her understanding of her daddy was all based on an illusionary dream?

What astounded Xiao Luo even more, was that the father that Bei Bei had dreamed of looked exactly like him. Wasn't that highly unusual?

”Old Xiao, I think I can now believe in this thing we call fate.”

Zhang Dashan sighed, then patted Xiao Luo on the shoulder and said, ”If it isn't fate between you and this kid, then I don't know how to explain any of this anymore.”

Xiao Luo agreed. This unique situation, where a little girl he had never met before, insisted that he looked exactly like the father in her dream, was tough to fathom.

...

...

Back at their apartment, Xiao Luo and Zhang Dashan had to face a serious issue: how to bathe the little girl.

Both of them were novices at this, with absolutely no experience taking care of a child. They were tripping over each other in the bathroom, especially when they were cleaning her head. Bei Bei had already promised to open her eyes only when she was told. But while they were washing her hair, she couldn't resist opening her eyes, and in the end, shampoo got into them, and the burning sensation in her eyes made her cry out loudly.

Xiao Luo quickly rinsed her eyes with clean water and coaxed her, gently calming the little girl down.

”I don't want Dashan to bathe me!”

The little girl didn't blame Xiao Luo but instead had placed all the blame squarely on Zhang Dashan.

Seeing her stare at him with her big accusing eyes, Zhang Dashan felt hurt inside.

They finally finished bathing the little girl. Without any clothes that could fit her, Xiao Luo gave her one of his shirts as her pajamas. The white shirt with its rolled-up sleeves made Bei Bei look like a little ragamuffin, though she didn't look half as bad, all scrubbed up and clean.

”Hey, hurry up and dry her hair. The weather is cold now. You'll be in a ton of trouble if she catches a cold!” Zhang Dashan said.

Xiao Luo had his hands at his waist and stared at him, looking overwhelmed. ”So, you're just gonna sit there with your legs crossed, sipping on your drink and acting as a commander with your eyes glued to the TV?”

He meant to say that Zhang Dashan should help out instead of leaving everything for him to do by himself.

”Tsk, that little girl doesn't like me. I'm not going to stick my nose into this childcare business,” Zhang Dashan replied, then turned his eyes back to the TV.

Xiao Luo shot back, and he said, ”Are you seriously having a tantrum with a little girl?”

As he was bantering with Zhang Dashan, he had already taken out the hairdryer from the drawer. He now sat on the stool, with Bei Bei standing between his thighs, and was carefully blowing her hair dry.

”Daddy, is Dashan angry?” the little girl asked, lifting her head with her lips pursed.

Xiao Luo smiled at her and said, ”No, he isn't, he's just feeling a little wronged. Just leave him alone.”