Chapter 89

On Friday, Fang Lingying really called Buck: "Are you free this weekend? Let's go out and play together."

Buck truly didn't mind going out to play, but he adhered to the advice: "Are there other companions? I won't go, I need to focus on studying."

Fang Lingying didn't nag: "Alright! Anyway, if you're free on Sunday morning, give me a call. I really want to invite you along."

Buck expressed his gratitude: "Thank you for thinking of me." He hung up the phone, of course, he wouldn't use this call to claim credit with Zhou Xiaoli. His emotional intelligence wasn't that low.

He cheerfully prepared the equipment for the mountain climbing.

This is why he felt deeply grateful when Zhou Xiaoli mentioned going mountain climbing. As an expert in wilderness survival, outdoor activities had become a part of his life. Zhou Xiaoli clearly didn't look like someone who enjoyed sports, yet she had proactively suggested going mountain climbing with him. This was a significant sacrifice and accommodation, so Buck decided to make this trip a success and make the girl thoroughly enjoy these activities.

Extreme sports.

So, he gathered a large number of items like climbing ropes, carabiners, trekking poles, rock chocks, pitons, headlamps, and so on. Based on his previous understanding of the city, he searched for professional outdoor stores in various places. If there were none, he would make them himself. It wasn't difficult to make these things in the machine repair workshop. He also estimated Zhou Xiaoli's foot size and bought a pair of hiking shoes. He himself wore ordinary sports shoes, as he had already passed the stage where he needed equipment to ensure safety.

On Saturday evening, he asked Zhou Xiaoli with great enthusiasm: "Which mountain?"

Zhou Xiaoli was busy serving dishes to Liu Shufen and Ba Dacheng: "Does it matter? Come pick me up at six in the morning. No sedans allowed."

Buck made a face and didn't say anything. Liu Shufen was very happy: "Right! He's as restless as a monkey, and Xiao Li is the one who can keep him in line!"

Ba Dacheng also held his bowl with one hand and pointed at his son with his chopsticks, making a smug expression.

Only his sister was considerate, silently holding her bowl and moving closer to support Buck. The elder sister even dared to encourage: "I'll go too! The motorcycle can't fit all of us, so let's take a car, okay?"

Xiao Zhao was quick to speak: "Let's take a car, we want to ride in your car."

Zhou Xiaoli was surprised: "Oh, you two are actually defying me!?" Now she was always chasing the real estate agents around, making them scramble for performance, and she had gotten used to giving orders. She didn't expect the two little girls to defy her.

The sisters weren't as timid as they looked. Yi Nan made a face, and Zhao Nan supported: "Brother can make his own decisions, Xiao Li should listen to him."

Zhou Xiaoli laughed lightly: "I thought I was always your confidante, but you only care about your brother?"

The sisters didn't say anything, but their expressions were clearly unimpressed.

Buck changed the subject by serving them dishes: "Let's go out together during the National Day holiday? Where do you want to go?"

The sisters were resolute: "Anywhere is fine! You decide."

Zhou Xiaoli raised an eyebrow, and Liu Shufen immediately smoothed things over: "Anywhere is fine... Xiao Ming, take the girls downstairs for a walk. You haven't been over these past few days, and they say they want to go back home. Xiao Li, where do you think is a good place to go?"

Zhou Xiaoli didn't seem angry: "Everywhere is crowded during the National Day holiday, and the store will be busy. I... won't go out to play."

Buck felt he should be considerate: "That's true. When Xiao Li has some free time, we can just take a walk in the suburbs, no need to travel far and waste time." He got up and called the girls to take the grapes from the dining table and go downstairs together. He needed to do some ideological work; the family shouldn't have any misunderstandings.

Sure enough, as soon as they stepped out, Xiao Zhao quickly said: "Xiao Li always tells you what to do. Just because she's a manager, she thinks you have to work and can't be idle... Humph, our family's barbecue shop makes more money than she does, what's so great about her, and she keeps asking!"

The elder sister was quieter, holding Buck's left hand as they walked together. She only used her right hand to press the elevator button and then returned to hold his hand again.

Buck picked up on the hint: "Does she often ask me at home?"

Zhao Nan was dissatisfied: "Yeah, she's very strict with us, this and that, and even wants to hire tutors for us. What have we done to her with our poor grades?" The 11-year-old girl seemed to be in a rebellious phase, full of resistance, but the action of reaching out to hold Buck's other hand showed no sign of rebellion. She even helped Buck carry the grapes, reaching out to her sister as she spoke. It seemed they were telepathic; Yi Nan reached out to take one, raised it to Buck, and they cooperated like one person.

Buck laughed and ate the grape: "I didn't do well in school either, don't worry. She just wants you to do better and be useful. Just listen to her, but I don't insist on good grades. She's doing it for your own good, don't be uncomfortable."

The elevator door opened, and the three of them walked in. Yi Nan still reached out her hand, and the bag was handed over. Xiao Zhao said: "She always makes us do homework in the evening. We want to go home and live with you." The sister was feeding grapes, and she pressed the floor button.

Buck continued eating and talking: "That won't work. Living at home is inconvenient. Wait a while, when the house is ready, we'll consider moving in. I still need your help to persuade our parents to move out of the dormitory." Although Buck was cajoling the children, he didn't treat the two sisters like children, but rather discussed things with them as adults.

Yi Nan was clearly sensitive to this, gripping his hand tighter and finally speaking: "Only you are good to us, not out of pity." This was where Buck's treatment of the sisters and Liu Shufen was different. From the day he met the little beggar, the child had been particularly resistant to others' pity. It was easy to see that Zhou Xiaoli's enthusiastic attitude, like midday sunlight, hadn't had a positive effect, and her bossy behavior toward Buck had only accelerated the negative reaction.

Xiao Zhao had a wild idea: "Why don't we just call Dad to come live with us, and we'll go back and live with you?" She looked up at Buck, very satisfied with her suggestion.

As the elevator door opened, two professional women stood at the entrance, surprised to see the two little girls holding Buck's hands, looking very happy. They were dressed in youthful, revealing outfits, and with this line, it was hard not to think in certain fixed directions. The two adult women looked at Buck with disdain, not hiding their disapproval.

After Buck and the girls held hands and stepped out, the elevator door closed, and a voice floated out: "Lolicon!" Clearly timed to be heard but not to start an argument.

Buck didn't care, but Xiao Zhao quickly turned her head to look at her sister, who was also looking.

Could these two little devils be handled with ordinary children's education methods?

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