Chapter 44

Xiao Man saw that Xu Mo did not object and was already smiling happily. She stood up in his arms, reached out to hug his neck, and kissed his face several times.

Xu Mo, influenced by her mood, couldn't help but smile.

Xiao Man became even more delighted. She looked him up and down a few times and suddenly asked, "Dad, are you cold?"

Xu Mo, though prepared for this, still felt a bit uncomfortable when she called him that. He shook his head and said, "I'm not cold."

He had already mastered the technique of static breathing. As long as his stomach wasn't empty, his body would continuously generate heat. Even though he was only wearing a single layer of clothing, the current level of cold couldn't really affect him.

Although Xiao Man was young, she was very sensible. She didn't believe him at all. She touched his clothes, tilted her head in thought, and said, "Dad, I'll give you my clothes to wear."

Saying this, she started to pull the zipper of her down jacket, intending to take it off and give it to Xu Mo. In her child's heart, she truly regarded Xu Mo as her father, with genuine and pure affection, free of any impurities.

Xu Mo, moved, quickly stopped her and smiled, "Xiao Man's clothes, I can't wear them. Stop quickly, or you might catch a cold."

Xiao Man said seriously, "I'm not afraid of catching a cold. I'm afraid that Dad will be cold."

Xu Mo said, "I'm not cold, really." Moved, his thoughts seemed to be affected, and he didn't know what else to say besides that.

Xiao Man looked at Xu Mo, tilted her head in thought, and suddenly seemed to understand. "I know, Xiao Man's clothes are too small, and Dad can't wear them. I have an idea. Dad, wait for Xiao Man here for a moment."

Saying this, she kissed Xu Mo's face and let go of him, walking out of the wooden house.

"Xiao Man, where are you going?" Xu Mo asked in confusion.

Xiao Man turned around and said sincerely, "Xiao Man will be back soon. Dad, promise Xiao Man to stay in this wooden house and don't leave."

"Okay, I won't leave," Xu Mo said. "Where are you going? Your mom said not to leave here."

Xiao Man tilted her head and said to Xu Mo, "Xiao Man will go home and see if I can find clothes for Dad to wear."

"Really, I'm not cold. Xiao Man, be a good girl and come back quickly," Xu Mo said, feeling warm inside and somewhat reluctant to let her go.

This time, Xiao Man refused to listen to him. She opened the wooden door and walked straight home. Seeing that he couldn't persuade her, Xu Mo didn't stop her and watched her until she safely entered her home, then he felt relieved.

After a while, Xiao Man came out of her home again, carrying a backpack and a goose down quilt. At her young age, carrying so many things made her walk unsteadily, and the slippery snow made her almost fall several times.

Seeing this, Xu Mo hurriedly went to meet her, took the goose down quilt from her arms, and picked her up. Xiao Man was very polite, saying, "Thank you, Dad," and hugged Xu Mo's neck with one hand.

Xu Mo carried her back to the wooden house, closed the door, and unfolded the goose down quilt. He then realized that it was a child's quilt, obviously the one Xiao Man used herself.

Xiao Man took off her backpack, placed it on the ground, and squatted down to open it.

Xu Mo looked at her and asked, "What is Xiao Man taking out? Is it the textbooks from school?"

"No," Xiao Man replied. Then she turned around and asked, "Does Dad want to see Xiao Man's textbooks? I'll go get them."

Xu Mo quickly said, "I don't want to see them. Xiao Man, don't go get them. What's in the backpack?"

Xiao Man opened the backpack and took out a piggy bank, holding it with both hands and handing it to Xu Mo, grinning, "It's Xiao Man's New Year's money. Dad, take it to buy clothes and food."

Xu Mo looked at the piggy bank. It was shaped like a little golden pig, sitting on the ground, holding a large ingot in its left hand and a stack of bills in its right, with a personified smile on its face, looking very cute.

But when he saw the little golden pig and Xiao Man's innocent smile, a warm current suddenly welled up in his heart, his nose tingled, and his eyes almost welled up with tears, which quickly turned red. He couldn't help but reach out to stroke Xiao Man's soft hair, "Sweetheart, Uncle doesn't need it. Keep it yourself."

Moved and grateful, he unconsciously changed the way he addressed her from "Xiao Man" to "sweetheart," though he didn't notice it himself.

Xiao Man, hearing his new title, quickly corrected him, "It's Dad, not Uncle."

Xu Mo didn't argue with her and quickly changed his words, "Okay, I don't need it. Keep it yourself." Although he had no money, he didn't want to take a child's New Year's money.

Xiao Man, however, was very stubborn on this point. She tilted her head and said, "Dad, when you have money, you can pay me back."

Xu Mo shook his head, wanting to lie to Xiao Man and say he had money, but he felt that although she was young, she was so smart that he couldn't deceive her with such a lie.

Seeing that he wouldn't accept it, Xiao Man immediately pretended to cry, looking extremely sad, and said loudly, "Wah! Dad doesn't want me. Wah, Dad doesn't want Xiao Man's money. Dad doesn't like Xiao Man. Wah!"

She covered her face with her hands, crying while peeking at Xu Mo through her fingers. Seeing that Xu Mo didn't react, she suddenly sat on the ground, lay down, and started to cry for real.

"Xiao Man, don't cry, be a good girl! Have a candy..."

Xu Mo tried to comfort her several times, even taking out a lollipop from a convenience bag to coax her, but he couldn't stop her. Seeing her cry harder, he had no choice but to say, "Xiao Man, stop crying. Uncle will take your money."

Xiao Man stopped crying, opened her fingers, and looked at Xu Mo, correcting him again, "It's Dad."

Xu Mo vaguely replied, "Okay, I know." He thought, "I'll temporarily agree to her and find an opportunity to put the piggy bank back in her backpack or give it to her mom when she's not paying attention."

Xiao Man, her tears turning to smiles, stood up, and Xu Mo helped her brush the dust off her clothes. Xiao Man held the piggy bank and handed it to Xu Mo again. Xu Mo took it, put it aside, and sat down against the wooden wall. Xiao Man sat in his lap, leaning against him.

After this ordeal, Xu Mo's affection for Xiao Man deepened. The wooden house was a bit drafty, so Xu Mo covered Xiao Man with the goose down quilt and used static breathing to generate heat from his chest and thighs.

This heat warmed Xiao Man, and she felt as if she was leaning against a small stove. The heat from a human body, even at the same temperature, feels much more comfortable to humans than heat from the sun, heaters, electricity, or open flames.

Xiao Man soon noticed the warmth and turned her head, saying curiously, "Dad, you're so warm."

Xu Mo smiled proudly but quickly felt a sense of sadness. At this moment, all he could give Xiao Man was this. He couldn't help but gently hold her and stroke her hair, his actions full of tenderness and kindness.

Xiao Man immediately sensed his mood and said in a sweet voice, "Dad, can you sing a song for Xiao Man?"

Xu Mo, embarrassed, said, "I can't sing."

Xiao Man thought for a moment and said, "Then, can Xiao Man sing a song for you?"

Xu Mo immediately agreed and praised her, "Sure, Xiao Man's songs must be very nice to listen to."

Xiao Man smiled happily and started singing in Xu Mo's lap. Although she was young and her voice was not fully developed, and she was singing children's songs, Xu Mo found them incredibly beautiful, something he had never experienced before.

After finishing a song, Xiao Man couldn't stay still and started to dance for Xu Mo, showing him the dances she had learned in kindergarten. After getting tired, she returned to Xu Mo's lap, looked up, and said in a coquettish tone, "Dad, can you tell Xiao Man a story?"

Xu Mo 'hmm'ed, and since he was good at telling stories, he asked, "What kind of story does Xiao Man want to hear?"

Xiao Man said, "Whatever Dad tells, Xiao Man will listen." In fact, she just wanted to hear Xu Mo's voice, and telling stories was just an excuse.

Xu Mo organized his thoughts and told a story. After Xiao Man heard it, she immediately said, "Dad, tell another one."

This afternoon passed quickly, and the sky grew dark. Xiao Man, being young and lacking energy, fell asleep after hearing a few stories.

Xiao Man's mother came to pick her up. Xu Mo handed the sleeping Xiao Man to her, and the woman took her.

In a daze, Xiao Man still called out, "Dad, don't leave Xiao Man. Xiao Man will give you the bed and sleep with Mom."

The woman bent down to pick up Xiao Man's backpack but left the goose down quilt. Xu Mo picked up the piggy bank, intending to return it to the woman.

The woman glanced at it and shook her head, "This is what Xiao Man left for you. Keep it."

Xu Mo tried to refuse a few times, but the woman insisted, "This is Xiao Man's heartfelt gift. Keep it, or she will fuss when she wakes up."

Xu Mo really needed money. Seeing the woman's words, he didn't insist further, thinking: Xiao Man is a child. I shouldn't take her money, even though her mother agreed. I should find a way to repay her.

Suddenly, he remembered something and asked, "Xiao Man said her dad is missing?"

The woman was surprised, "Xiao Man told you about her dad?"

Xu Mo nodded and asked, "How did her dad go missing?"

The woman shook her head, showing no much sadness, as if time had dulled her feelings, "I don't know. I can't find him." She looked at Xu Mo again, "But you really look like him."

"What is Xiao Man's dad's name?" Xu Mo asked again.

The woman's response surprised Xu Mo, "I don't know. He never told me."

Xu Mo 'oh'ed but didn't believe it, thinking: How can you not know your husband's name? Yes, you think I'm an outsider and don't want to tell me.

The woman seemed to have little interest in Xiao Man's dad, exchanged a few polite words, and left the wooden house with Xiao Man.

Xu Mo sighed, picked up the food, goose down quilt, and piggy bank that Xiao Man left for him, and followed her into the night.

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