Chapter 24: Duoduo's father is General Ling!

The door handle was too high for Duoduo to reach. She dragged a stool over and, with a series of grunts, finally managed to climb up.

Xu Hetang, hearing the commotion from the kitchen, poked his head out. Seeing Duoduo standing on the stool, he quickly put down what he was holding and hurried over.

"Duoduo, why are you standing so high? Get down, quickly!" Xu Hetang gestured for her to come down.

Duoduo turned to him. "Grandpa, I want to go find Daddy. Can you help me open the door?" She had already tried; the handle felt as if it were welded shut, and she couldn't turn it.

Xu Hetang hesitated for a moment before deciding to be honest. "Duoduo, I know you miss your daddy, but he isn't here."

"That's not true. Daddy is here. He lives right outside—I even played with him a couple of days ago!"

Outside? A couple of days ago? Wait—the timeframe Duoduo was referring to was when she had already entered the Weird Forest. Could it be that her father had truly entered the forest with her? But he had never heard of players being able to visit each other after entering, let alone two players occupying the same room.

Xu Hetang frowned, lost in thought, until a possibility suddenly struck him. "Duoduo, do you know your daddy’s name?"

Duoduo tilted her little head, struggling to recall. After a long pause, she shook her head. "I don't know his name. But my daddy is very tall, with black hair and long fingers. He also has a strange thing on his body that leaks rain when he pulls it out." As she spoke, she patted her own chest.

Xu Hetang gasped in shock. Duoduo’s father was General Ling! That explained the dangerous aura he had sensed yesterday. No wonder the doll Duoduo carried around was an S-rank entity. If her father was General Ling, everything made sense.

"Grandpa, do you know my daddy? Could you take me to see him?" Duoduo looked at Xu Hetang, her round eyes brimming with anticipation.

Xu Hetang reached out and lifted her down from the stool. The Weird Forest had strict rules: neither entities nor players were allowed to visit each other. Once inside a room, the door was sealed shut. Entities couldn't leave, and players couldn't get out. Only someone as powerful as General Ling could defy the rules of the Weird Forest.

"Duoduo, I know you miss him. After tomorrow, you’ll be able to see your daddy. Let’s wait a little longer, okay?" Xu Hetang patted her head, his eyes filled with reluctance. After tomorrow, Duoduo would get her wish, but she would also have to part ways with him. He wondered if, once Duoduo returned, she would miss him as much as she missed General Ling.

Ling Yun had stayed in Room 16 for the entire night. It wasn't until dawn that he returned to his own room, Room 1. He feigned nonchalance as he brewed himself a cup of coffee.

Zhang Yangfan emerged from the bedroom, tilting his head to study him. Ling Yun didn't care; he carried his coffee cup to the dining table and sat down. After a few minutes, noticing Zhang Yangfan was still staring at him, he didn't even look up as he said flatly, "If you want some, make it yourself."

"Did you go see Little Sister last night?"

Ling Yun had just taken a sip of coffee when Zhang Yangfan’s question hit his ears. Unprepared, he choked on the drink. He set the cup down and picked up a napkin to dab his mouth with practiced composure. Though his movements were subtle, Zhang Yangfan caught the slip.

"You really did go see her!" Zhang Yangfan’s voice rose slightly.

Ling Yun denied it without a second thought. "No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did!" Zhang Yangfan didn't believe him. "I want to see Little Sister too. Take me with you!"

Ling Yun turned away, ignoring him. Zhang Yangfan, unwilling to give up, scurried across the dining table and ran in front of Ling Yun, tugging at his sleeve. "Daddy, please! I miss Little Sister so much. Just let me see her for a second, just one look!"

To see Duoduo, Zhang Yangfan was willing to abandon all pride. He looked up, mimicking Duoduo’s way of acting cute. Ling Yun didn't seem immune to that; if Duoduo could get him to see her, he could be shameless too!

The moment the word "Daddy" left his lips, Ling Yun’s brows knitted together. He looked down at Zhang Yangfan, who stood before him, clutching his sleeve like a whimpering puppy. Ling Yun stared at him for a long time, growing more confused by the second. They were both children, so why did he want to hug Duoduo but feel like kicking Zhang Yangfan?

Noticing the shift in Ling Yun’s gaze, Zhang Yangfan rolled his eyes. "Daddy, Duoduo misses me too, you know. Just let us see each other!"

Suddenly, Ling Yun remembered Duoduo’s dream from the night before. He hesitated for a moment and then gave in. "Fine."

"You agreed?" Zhang Yangfan’s heart leaped, his eyes gleaming.

Seeing him look at him like that, Ling Yun’s expression darkened instantly. "If you look at me like that again, we aren't going."

"I won't look, I won't look! What's even worth looking at?" Zhang Yangfan waved his hands and quickly turned his back.

Lin Jianyue, who had just come out of the bedroom, had heard their entire conversation. She opened her mouth to ask Ling Yun to take her along, but remembering the rules of the Weird Forest and assuming Ling Yun wouldn't want to risk taking her, she closed it again.

"Get ready," Ling Yun’s voice suddenly echoed.

Lin Jianyue froze, looking at him in confusion. "Get ready for what?"

"To go see Duoduo."

"I... I can go too?" Lin Jianyue was overcome with excitement. She had thought that agreeing to take Zhang Yangfan was his limit. "General Ling, please wait a moment, I need to change!"

She was overjoyed and ran back to her bedroom. If she was going to see Duoduo, she naturally had to wear something nice.

Watching Lin Jianyue and Zhang Yangfan so happy, April, sitting on the sofa, clenched her fists tightly. She was supposed to be their daughter and sister now—why was their focus entirely on Duoduo? April gritted her teeth as she watched Lin Jianyue change her clothes and disappear from the living room with the other two. Her eyes darted, and a cold sneer curled on her lips.