My Two Dads

Shi Yu said.

“Are you ge ge?” The little girl’s eyes widened.

Han Shi Yu took a lollipop out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her, smiling but not replying.

“Thank you, but I can’t eat food given by strangers.”

“Alright,” Han Shi Yu said, raising an eyebrow, “Then help me unwrap it.
I don’t know how to do it.”

The girl looked at him hesitantly but seemingly was convinced by how friendly his smile was and decided to give a helping hand.
She took the lollipop and gently tore the wrappings open for him.

“So this is how you unwrap it?” Han Shi Yu looked at her hand and began to get closer to her while ‘pretending to be shocked’, “I never knew how to unwrap it before so I just stopped eating it entirely.”

The girl giggled, “Didn’t anyone help you before?”

Han Shi Yu shrugged his shoulders, “Nope.”

The girl handed the lollipop back to Han Shi Yu, who popped it in his mouth as he fumbled for another one.

He said, “You’ve helped me, so we’re friends now.”

Yang Mo finally broke free from the grips of the pile of children.
He saw this scene from afar when he walked over.

The adult and little one duo was sitting cross-legged on the floor, each with a lollipop in their mouths, their cheeks puffed up and lying down in the exact same position.

He slowed down his pace and came to a pause by the door.

Han Shi Yu was watching her write, occasionally taking over her pencil to write and draw together.
He couldn’t tell what the two of them were saying, but the girl let out clear giggles like a bell.

The girl said, “I’ve told you my name but you haven’t told me who you are.”

The children’s names were given by the orphanage and it just so happened that she also had a Yang in hers.

“Hmm…” Han Shi Yu reached over towards her as she handed the pencil into his wide palm.
Han Shi Yu wrote give stickmen on the paper and added accessories to each.

This man was not very artistic so his drawings made the girl laugh without stop.

Han Shi Yu wrote down the names of the family of five in a serious manner, corresponding to the names that she was writing down earlier.

The girl pointed at ‘Yang Mo’ and exclaimed, “My name has a Yang in it too!” She secretly memorized all of these names once in her heart before saying happily, “Is he the father? Then are you the older brother?”

Han Shi Yu patted her head a little and said, “I’m also your father.”

The girl looked at him and blinked a few times.

“Now that you’ve eaten my candy,” Han Shi Yu took out the lollipop stick from his mouth and pointed it at the girl, “You’re my little girl from now on.”

“……” The girl said, “Ahh! You’re too sneaky!”

Yang Mo leaned on the doorframe and watched on, a smile etched on his face before he walked towards them.

When they were leaving, the girl stood by the car to see them off.

She had her hands behind her back as her fingers squeezed the two lollipops tightly.

“When’s the next time you two are coming again?” The girl blinked once, her voice as soft as the flapping wings of a small insect.

“Really soon.
In a week.” Yang Mo answered and patted her head.

The girl stole a glance at Han Shi Yu.
Children always disliked separation, especially the ones who lived in orphanages.
Sometimes, the term ‘next time’ would feel icy cold to them.

“Okay then,” The girl said, her fingers rubbing against each other restlessly as she stared at her feet, “You two definitely have to remember.”

She took the hand of the auntie in charge and watched the two of them get into the car after Han Shi Yu made a mess out of her fringes with a ruffle.

She reached up to fix her hair, biting her lower lip.
The moment Han Shi Yu was about to close the car door, she summoned up a huge amount of courage and called out, “Daddy…”

Han Shi Yu’s movement stilled.

Her demeanor and movements were like that of a cautious kitten.
Seemingly unsure but still filled with expectations that the calling of this ‘daddy’ would make him not forget their ‘next time’.

“If you…want to eat some candies, I can help you unwrap them.” She said, “Next time, the next next time…and every day after that, I’ll help you.”