Chapter 15.1

「I do, I like Xiao Man’s dad.」

-

“Brother Cheng Yan.”

The little girl held Cheng Yan’s phone as she wiped her tears with the other hand. For every three steps she took, she looked back with her red and tear-stained face. Cheng Yan wasn’t sure how he could comfort the girl as she looked at the teacher, reluctant to leave. Cheng Yan thought, Liang Chen would’ve done something better.

Cheng Yan snapped out of it as the little girl suddenly stretched her hand and held his. The softness of her hand in his palm made him swallow back his regret.

Cheng Yan wasn’t tall, but the height gap was nevertheless too big for a 4 year old girl.

Thankfully, he usually walked slowly so it wasn’t hard for her to keep up with him.

Cheng Yan held her hand that was smaller than half of his palm. He looked down and asked, “What’s your name?”

The little girl tilted her head up. She stared at Cheng Yan for a while with her little mouth half open before answering, “My name is Huo Xiaoman.”

After she finished, she sniffled again and looked down at the road, continuing, “My dad said, hic, my dad said that he was going to pick me up.”

Cheng Yan explained, “Your dad is busy with work so he couldn’t come. He wanted to come.”

Cheng Yan suddenly remembered, where is her mom though? He looked down at the little girl who did not mention her mom once. He didn’t speak and didn’t ask her.

Huo Xiaoman kept looking at the road, her small leather shoes making noises as she walked. After awhile, she spoke, “Brother, brother, my dad said that sunlight can make you grow taller.”

“Yeah.” Cheng Yan imitated a child speaking, “Then how tall is Xiaoman now?”

Huo Xiaoman retrieved her gaze and looked up, her body also twisted to one side. She laughed, “I’m growing very quickly. I’m already one meter high.”

Cheng Yan looked at her smile and crouched down. He asked, “Where does Xiaoman want to go for a stroll?”

“I want to eat ice cream,” Huo Xiaoman twirled her fingers and whispered, “but dad told me not to eat too much.”

“Then you can have a little bit. Where do you want to go to eat ice cream?” Cheng Yan asked again.

Huo Xiaoman immediately pulled her hands free, drawing a circle and gesturing as she said, “That one, the one that has a big ball at the entrance, like cream.

Cheng Yan was confused for a moment, then he remembered that there was something similar in front of a mall not far from his flat. He didn’t hesitate much longer, taking Huo Xioaman by the hand and they walked slowly towards a certain direction.

Not long afterwards, Huo Xiaoman was too sluggish to walk because of the hot weather. She took off her backpack and stretched her arms straight towards Cheng Yan.

Cheng Yan took her bag and hung it on one arm. He was about to start walking but when he looked down, he saw Huo Xiaoman looking somewhat dissatisfied at him. She said, “Brother, carry it properly. Dad said that you should wear it with both of the straps or else your body will grow crooked.”

Cheng Yan smiled and said, “Brother is already an adult so that wouldn’t happen to me.”

Huo Xiaoman looked at him with doubt, but she didn’t disagree with him, as if she had convinced herself.

It took them twenty minutes to arrive at the mall.

Cheng Yan looked at the sculpture of the Earth in front of the door and then looked at Huo Xiaoman. Not to his surprise, Huo Xiaoman pointed to another shop beside this one, Ice Cream Planet1. “This one.”

After all the trouble, Cheng Ya sighed at children’s creative descriptive skills.