To make up for the time he'd lost with his daughter, Xugang took Duo Duo to the amusement park on the weekend.
Duo Duo wore a white T-shirt, denim overalls, and a little yellow hat, with two small perky braids by her ears. She skipped along the path, as happy as a little butterfly. Leaning against the railing of the carousel, her eyes sparkled as she watched the horses jumping up and down: "Dad, I want to play that!"
When she turned around, Xugang was standing at a rest stop, talking on his phone. Dressed fashionably with pink sunglasses perched on his forehead, a trendy printed shirt, and shorts, he looked like a college student—girls passing by couldn't help but glance back.
Duo Duo pouted, a little unhappy. Dad had clearly promised to spend the day with her, but he'd been on the phone most of the time. But when she remembered how her dad had eaten the black garlic the night before, she forgave him—after all, dad was working so hard to support her.
She walked to the KFC dessert shop alone and said to the young lady clerk: "Sister, I want a cone."
"Okay, little one, that's twelve yuan."
Duo Duo opened the little bear woven bag around her waist, rummaged through it for a long time, and frowned: "Sister, I don't think I brought any money."
"Huh? I already made the cone..."
Duo Duo pulled a black card out of her bag and handed it over: "I only have this—can I use it?"
The clerk's eyes lit up when she took the card—it was a commercial bank's VIP black card, requiring a minimum credit limit of one million yuan to apply for. And from Duo Duo's little bag, several similar cards peeked out.
"Little one, how do you have so many credit cards?" the clerk couldn't help but ask.
"My family is very poor. Dad only makes a few cents a day—these are all we have."
The clerk was dumbfounded: A little girl from a "poor" family was carrying several million-yuan black cards?
"Can this buy the cone?" Duo Duo asked worriedly.
"Yes, it can." The clerk quickly swiped the card to pay, then reminded her: "Be sure to keep the cards safe—don't lose them, and don't give them to anyone casually!"
"Mm-hmm, thank you, sister!"
Duo Duo sat on a garden chair, happily licking her cone. Two young ladies sitting nearby were chatting: "Did Jinren Xu hit a reporter again?"
"It was a paparazzi! My brother's temper is really something—there's no taming him."
"If he could hold back a little, he wouldn't have so many scandals, and his career would definitely reach new heights."
"That's called being true to himself! He'll never fade away—after all, he's got both looks and talent."
Duo Duo heard the name "Jinren Xu" and thought it sounded familiar, but she couldn't remember where she'd heard it before.
Just then, Xugang finally finished his call and walked over, looking guilty: "Duo Bao, I'm sorry, but something urgent came up at work—I have to go on a business trip to Shanghai. When I get back, I promise to take you on the Ferris wheel!"
Duo Duo counted on her sticky fingers: "That's the fifty-third time dad has said he'll take me on the Ferris wheel, and the two hundred and twenty-fifth time you've said 'next time for sure.'"
"I know you have a good memory, but do you have to be so literal?" Xugang laughed and cried.
Duo Duo sighed like an adult: "Don't promise something if you can't do it."
Xugang felt even more guilty: "Do you miss mom? Should I send you to stay with her for a few days?"
He called Duo Duo's mom, only to find out she'd already left for a internet celebrity conference in Chengdu.
Xugang hung up the phone and stared at Duo Duo. After struggling for a long time, he finally made up his mind. He held Duo Duo's shoulders and said seriously: "Duo Bao, there's something I've been hiding from you—actually... you have a grandfather."
Duo Duo's eyes widened: "Having a grandfather is a big secret?"
In the Bentley, Duo Duo stole glances at her dad in the driver's seat from time to time. Fine sweat beads dotted Xugang's forehead—he looked nervous.
"Dad, are we going to grandfather's house?"
"Yes, you'll stay there for a few days until I get back from my business trip."
"Why has grandfather never come to see me?"
Xugang touched his nose, feeling guilty: "Because he doesn't know you exist... Besides, dad and grandfather don't get along very well—we rarely keep in touch."
"Does grandfather not like dad?"
"Adult relationships are complicated—you can't simply say like or dislike." Xugang paused, "But... he probably doesn't like me very much."
"Then grandfather won't like me either?" Duo Duo frowned, "I don't want to go to a grandfather who doesn't like me."
"That's not true! Duo Bao is so cute—grandfather will definitely like you." Xugang quickly comforted her, but he was panicking inside—that short-tempered old man had never liked many people in his life.
"Dad needs to warn you—grandfather might be a little fierce, but he won't hit you. Don't be afraid." Xugang added, "Grandfather likes peace and quiet. When you get there, be good—try to... make yourself invisible, don't let grandfather notice you."
"What does an invisible person look like?"
"It's like wearing an invisibility cloak—don't talk, don't make noise."
Duo Duo nodded, half-understanding: "Got it. Dad will come back to save me from the big devil's cave!"
Xugang shuddered: "Don't let grandfather hear that!"
The car soon stopped at the entrance of an upscale residential community. Champs-Élysées Villa was one of the most luxurious neighborhoods in North City—townhouses low-key yet extravagant, located right in the city center, close to Duo Duo's school.
Xugang squatted down, helped Duo Duo put on her backpack and hat: "Duo Bao, this is the house. Go knock on the door, and when you see grandfather, give him the copy of the household registration book."
"Aren't you coming in with me, dad?"
"Grandfather will get mad if he sees me—he might even kick both of us out." Xugang waved his hand, clearly cowardly, "There's no one else at home—whoever opens the door is your grandfather. His name is Jinren Xu."
Duo Duo thought the name sounded even more familiar, but she still couldn't remember where she'd heard it.
Xugang stuffed the household registration copy and a small notebook into her hand: "This has your information—just give it to grandfather." With that, he hurried back to the car and drove away, his back looking like he was fleeing for his life.
Duo Duo held the little notebook and pressed the doorbell nervously. She waited for a long time, but no one answered. She sat down on the garden steps and opened the notebook to look at it—it had her full name, nickname, date of birth, and favorite foods. When she saw that dad had written "bitter melon" under "favorite foods," Duo Duo immediately took out a pencil and crossed it out, replacing it with "fried chicken." She also crossed out "Fat Duo" next to her nickname "Duo Bao" and wrote "Pretty Duo" crookedly.
The sun rose higher and higher. Duo Duo rested her chin in her hands, waiting for almost an hour—none of the grandfathers passing by were the one she was looking for. Finally, around noon, a figure walked up to the garden gate.
Duo Duo looked up and froze instantly—it wasn't a white-haired old grandfather, but a tall, incredibly handsome young brother! He had silver hair, a white towel draped over his shoulder, and no shirt on—his abdomen had smooth, defined eight-pack abs, still glistening with water droplets, as if he'd just come back from a swim.
The brother had almond-shaped eyes that curved slightly at the corners, as if hiding stars in his eyes—so handsome that Duo Duo forgot to breathe.
The brother glanced down at her, walked straight past, and opened the garden gate with a key card.
"Brother, wait a minute!" Duo Duo quickly chased after him, "Do you know the grandfather Jinren Xu who lives here?"
Jinren Xu ignored her and kept walking.
"Brother, do you know Grandfather Jinren Xu? I have something to ask him!" Duo Duo persisted in following him.
Jinren Xu finally stopped, turned around impatiently, and reached out to pinch her chubby cheek, pulling it gently: "Kid, what do you want with me?"
"Ouch, that hurts!" Duo Duo quickly stepped back, rubbing her cheek, "I'm not looking for you—I'm looking for my grandfather, Jinren Xu."
Jinren Xu rolled his eyes: "A new fan trick? Pretending not to know me?"
"I don't understand what you're talking about—I really am looking for my grandfather, Jinren Xu."
Jinren Xu squatted down to meet her eyes, sneering: "No fan has ever dared to call me grandfather before."
Duo Duo blinked her big eyes, looking at him in disbelief: "Y-you're Jinren Xu?"
"I'm not." Jinren Xu teased her on purpose, "Are you?"
Duo Duo was completely confused. Her good friends Zhaoben Zhao and Minglan Hua's grandfathers were both wrinkled and walked slowly—how could this young, handsome brother be her grandfather?
"Are you really Grandfather Jinren Xu?" she confirmed again.
Jinren Xu's patience had run out. He held out his hand: "Pen."
Duo Duo instinctively pulled a pencil out of her bag and handed it to him. Jinren Xu signed his flamboyant name on the title page of the little notebook and threw it back to her: "Here's your autograph—now go."
Duo Duo stared at the signature in the notebook, dumbfounded—she hadn't come for an autograph at all!