Chapter 60: Was She Just Calling Someone Else Dad?

The actors who had just been performing on stage stood directly in front of him in a rigid row, staring at him intently with unblinking eyes.

The man’s mouth dropped open in terror, but before he could even utter a sound, he was macabrely devoured.

When Duoduo woke up, the play was nearing its end.

The actors joined hands to take their bows as the velvet curtain slowly descended.

Hearing applause beside her, Xie Fangyun looked down at Duoduo with a gentle smile.

"Duoduo, did you enjoy the show?"

"Yes, it was lovely!"

Duoduo nodded, clapping her tiny hands enthusiastically to be polite.

Although she had accidentally fallen asleep and had no idea what had happened on stage, her grandparents had gone out of their way to bring her here, and she couldn't bear to let down their kind intentions.

Knowing how sensible Duoduo was—that she was only saying this so they wouldn't feel bad—Xie Fangyun stroked her little head and smiled. "Since Duoduo likes it, Grandma will bring you again next time."

"Yay! Next time, let's bring Daddy along too!"

Duoduo tilted her little face upward, offering a sweet smile.

Xie Fangyun took her small hand, and the two of them slowly walked out of the theater.

"Is Duoduo hungry? Would Grandpa take you to get something to eat?"

"Yes!" Duoduo nodded happily in agreement. "Grandpa, Grandma, wait for me for just a moment. I'm going to go find Daddy."

"Duoduo can go to the restaurant with Grandpa. I'll go up and find Daddy for you."

Xie Fangyun's voice gently drifted into Duoduo's ears.

Duoduo nodded, then shook her head.

Daddy hadn't seemed very happy when he saw Grandma earlier; she couldn't let Grandma go up in her place.

"Grandma, I can go by myself."

"Alright then, how about we go upstairs with you, and then we can all come back down together with Duoduo's daddy for dinner?"

"Okay!" Duoduo nodded obediently.

Xie Fangyun held her hand and led her toward the elevator.

The elevator doors opened and closed, and soon they reached the upper deck.

Spotting the familiar corridor, Duoduo let go of Xu Hetang and Xie Fangyun's hands and eagerly scampered toward their room.

She raised her little hand and gave the door a soft pat.

"Daddy, Duoduo is back!"

"Duoduo, you've gone to the wrong..."

Before Xie Fangyun could finish her sentence, the door swung open.

A young man stood inside, looking down at Duoduo.

Before he could speak, Duoduo tilted her head and let out a curious, "Eh?"

"Daddy, why do you look so different?"

"Daddy?"

Hearing the commotion, a young woman rushed out, fuming, and grabbed the man by the ear.

"Oh! So you've actually fathered a child behind my back!"

"It's a misunderstanding! This is all a huge misunderstanding!" The man winced, squinting in pain. "This is just a kid from next door; she's got the wrong person!"

At this, the woman turned her gaze to Duoduo.

Meeting her eyes, Duoduo blinked and took a frightened step backward.

This lady looks so fierce!

Recognizing Duoduo almost immediately, the woman recalled how this little tot had been rescued by a terrifying entity after her team failed, leaving a deep impression on her.

And the "daddy" she kept talking about was precisely that terrifying entity.

It seemed she really had misunderstood her boyfriend!

The woman withdrew her hand, looking rather embarrassed.

Xu Hetang and Xie Fangyun hurried forward, offering an apologetic smile to the young couple.

"The child doesn't know her way around and went to the wrong door."

"Grandma, isn't he Daddy?"

Duoduo tilted her small head, looking at Xie Fangyun with a puzzled expression.

Wasn't this her and Daddy's room? Why was Grandma saying she went to the wrong place?

Just as her voice trailed off, the door next door slowly creaked open.

Turning toward the sound, Duoduo saw Ling Yun standing not far away, and her round eyes suddenly lit up.

"Daddy, you're right here! Duoduo found you!"

Stretching out her arms, Duoduo trotted forward on her little feet and threw her arms around Ling Yun's long legs.

Ling Yun looked down at her, then turned his gaze toward the young couple next door.

Hadn't he just heard Duoduo calling someone else "daddy" from inside his room?

"Daddy, let's go eat!"

Duoduo's voice pulled Ling Yun out of his thoughts.

Looking down, he saw the tiny little bun looking up at him with wide, pleading eyes.

Before he could answer, Duoduo patted her own round little tummy.

"Duoduo is hungry, and Sister is hungry too." Duoduo patted the ugly doll in her arms.

Ugly Doll: "..."

No, she wasn't hungry at all.

Could this little creature please stop dragging her into this?

"Let's go!" Ling Yun crouched down and scooped Duoduo up into his arms.

As he passed the young couple, his expression darkened, and he shot the man a warning glance.

The man trembled, his calves shaking with fright.

Once Ling Yun had walked away, the man looked dazedly at his girlfriend.

"Babe, did I do something wrong? Why did it feel like the way he looked at me meant he wanted to kill me?"

"Maybe you're just too ugly! The little kid mistook you for her dad, and her dad got mad!"

Watching the direction in which Ling Yun was leaving, the woman's eyes sparkled with starry admiration.

A child's taste really was terrible—her dad was so handsome, how could anyone mistake this ugly thing beside her for her father?

"Am I ugly?" The man touched his own face.

Clearly, he had a completely average face; while he wasn't strikingly handsome, he certainly wasn't ugly!

"Stop touching yourself, let's go eat too!"

Eyes shining, the woman hurried to catch up.

Even though she wouldn't be able to sit at the same table as the little one's daddy, just being under the same roof as such a handsome man meant she could happily eat two extra bowls of rice!

Carrying Duoduo, Ling Yun followed her directions to the elevator lobby.

Just as he pressed the down button, Duoduo chattered, "Daddy, there are little houses here too! The place I lived in before had little houses like this. You just walk inside, and you can go wherever you want—isn't it magical?"

Thinking that Ling Yun didn't know what an elevator was, Duoduo excitedly introduced it to him.

After all, they had taken the stairs when they went upstairs last night.

The place they lived in was so high up, climbing stairs was exhausting!

Ling Yun wanted to give her more of a response, but after a moment of thought, he simply gave a faint, "Mn."

The group took the elevator down to the lower deck, made a turn, and arrived at the restaurant.

It was a vast buffet hall, capable of accommodating over a thousand people.

Since it was just mealtime, only a few staff members were inside.

Dean Zhou and April were among them. Dean Zhou placed a large basin of food onto the self-service counter.

Turning around, she caught sight of Ling Yun walking in with Duoduo in his arms, her gaze shifting slightly.

"Duoduo..."

April was about to sneak a bite of food, but hearing Dean Zhou's voice, her brows knitted together.

She turned toward the entrance and, sure enough, saw that Duoduo was still alive and well.

She had secretly spread the word that Duoduo had food, so why hadn't Duoduo died yet?

April bit her lip, her eyes brimming with reluctance and frustration.

Clearly, the upper deck was the most dangerous place, yet simply because Duoduo had Ling Yun protecting her, she not only faced no danger but was well-fed, warmly dressed, and even got to happily go watch a play!

And she, just for a mouthful of food, had to be stuck down here doing menial labor to serve others!