Diwu Zexuan spoke as he placed Meimei on the ground and took her small hand in his large one.

It wasn’t until they entered the room that Diwu Zexuan closed the door, his imposing figure leaning against the doorframe, long fingers moving to lock the door.

Carrying the medicine box, he strode to the sofa, set it down, and sat on the sofa.

Before he could speak, Meimei took the initiative to walk up to him, climbing up his thigh to sit in his lap.

She sat there steadily.

"Does Meimei have something on her mind to tell Uncle?" Diwu Zexuan looked at Meimei, whose little face tightened the moment no one was around, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Meimei hasn’t been good..."

Meimei lowered her little head, her small hands nervously twisting together. She glanced at Diwu Zexuan then silently lowered her head again, biting her small lips.

"Not been good?"

Diwu Zexuan’s eyes flashed, not rushing to ask more but instead staring at the back of her head, quietly waiting.

Every few months, he would come by.

At first, it was to check Ye Zhanxing’s health. Later, he took on an additional task of listening to the little girl’s thoughts.

Meimei was too sensible, so sensible that she hid everything in her heart.

Besides Diwu Zexuan, she wouldn’t tell anyone else.

Over time, Diwu Zexuan got used to listening to a little girl talk about her worries.

And every time, Meimei’s worries were related to "Dad."

From the first time she knew the word "Dad," Meimei experienced discrimination, rejection, cursing... even isolation.

The better-off kids were more likely to bully her because she didn’t have a dad and refused to play with her.

In the eyes of those kids, fatherless Meimei was an oddity.

Someone they could mock...

But Meimei would never tell Ye Mingmei about these things.

Instead, she would solemnly tell Diwu Zexuan, "Mom would be sad if she heard, she would cry... Meimei wants to protect Mom, can’t let Mom cry..."

The first time Diwu Zexuan heard a little kid say she wanted to protect someone, the feeling was strange and shocking.

Later, he inexplicably became the little girl’s confidant, responsible for listening to all her "things that would make Mom sad."

"I miss Dad..."

Meimei sniffled after a long while, holding back tears, and finally spoke.

After speaking, as if afraid Diwu Zexuan didn’t understand, she continued.

"The teacher gave us homework to draw our dads, but I’ve never seen Dad... Tang Ming is a bad kid; he snatched my drawing and called me an orphan, a wild child without a dad..."

Meimei tried hard to lift her head, trying to hold back her tears, but as soon as she blinked, tears of grievance streamed down her cheeks.

She reached out to wipe them away, but the more she wiped, the more they came. She couldn’t clean them up and suddenly burst into tears!

"Mr. Diwu, I miss Dad. Why doesn’t Meimei have a dad? Meimei is very good. Can you bring Dad back?"

"..."

Diwu Zexuan’s heart clenched slightly, looking at the little girl in his arms crying a river, he tightened his hold on her.

After she cried for a while and released her feelings, he gently lifted her up and turned her around in his arms, making her face him comfortably.

Diwu Zexuan used his long fingers to wipe her tear-reddened eyes and nose, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"All this crying just over a piece of homework?"

Meimei: "..."

"Then if Uncle tells you the gift I brought you this time can help you complete the homework, how will you thank me?"

...

PS: On the first day of 2016, I wish everyone a Happy New Year! \(^o^)/~