"Little Brother Guan, are you... in a bad mood today?"
The next morning, Silver Fox kept their agreement and brought Chen Na out of the base to meet Guan Tong in a park.
Chen Na was happy to see Guan Tong, but she quickly noticed that he seemed somewhat downcast.
"Is it because of me...?"
Chen Na asked quietly, thinking that her argument with her mother had made Guan Tong disappointed in her.
Guan Tong shook his head. "Something bad happened, but it has nothing to do with you, Xiao Na."
Silver Fox, standing nearby, asked curiously, "Something serious enough to make you unhappy?"
"It is serious. But that isn't what we're here to talk about today."
Guan Tong did not want to pass his troubles on to the two of them. He crouched down to meet Chen Na's eyes. "Xiao Na, I heard from your mother that you want to help me?"
"Mhm!" Chen Na nodded vigorously.
Silver Fox showed a hint of helplessness. Clearly, she had tried to persuade Chen Na as well, but Chen Na had not changed her mind.
"Little Brother Guan, my ability can help you."
"Of course. Your ability is very useful, but I don't agree to you following me into action yet."
Guan Tong had spent a long time thinking about how to persuade Chen Na. He had considered making up some excuses, but in the end, he decided to be direct.
Chen Na was young, but not that young. If she were still in school, she would already be in middle school—old enough to see through some of adults' hypocrisy.
Even if such a direct refusal made Chen Na sad, Guan Tong felt it was far better than lying to her with excuses. He had always believed that adults refusing children did