"Quick, quick, quick! Let's go find snails!"
The moment he heard Chen Liqing say they could split up, Chaochao dashed off like a puppy just let off its leash.
Gu Wancheng grabbed his collar. Chaochao's legs kept churning in place as he tried to run forward. "Don't run so fast."
"Let go! I want to find snails." Seeing all the other children heading off to look, he was frantic.
"You can't run too fast. You'll fall."
Gu Wancheng showed no intention of letting him go.
"I won't run anymore. Can you let go now?" Chaochao looked up at him with a pitiful, pleading gaze.
"Really?"
"Really."
"All right, then." Gu Wancheng pretended to loosen his grip a little. Sure enough, Chaochao tried to run again, and a tug of his hand reined him right back in.
"Daddy~" Facing Gu Wancheng's faintly amused expression, Chaochao looked guilty as he fluttered his big, mascara-ad eyes and wheedled cutely.
"Still going to run?"
But Gu Wancheng knew his temperament and ignored his ultimate wheedling technique.
"I know I was wrong."
Chaochao rubbed himself furiously against his leg, only for Gu Wancheng, feigning indifference, to push him away without mercy, let go, and walk off.
"Daddy~ I really know I was wrong." Chaochao froze, then watched Gu Wancheng's retreating back and scurried after him on his short little legs.
Once Chaochao caught up, the corners of Gu Wancheng's mouth curved almost imperceptibly. The sharp-eyed viewers spotted it. As everyone knew, netizens watched everything through a microscope, and they were thoroughly disappointed in Chaochao for getting led around by Gu Wancheng yet again.
[Chengcheng smiled. Chaochao, how did he get you wrapped around his finger again?]
[Chaochao, show some backbone! You're killing me.jpg]
[Run a little faster and you'll see your dad smiling. He's messing with you! (shouting)]
[Chaochao, you... what am I supposed to say? Facepalm and rueful smile.jpg]
After a while, Gu Wancheng slowed down, and Chaochao immediately grabbed his trousers.
"I really was wrong~"
Gu Wancheng stopped, folded his arms, and looked down at him. "Really?"
Chaochao hastily nodded and promised, "Really, really."
Then Gu Wancheng remained silent until Chaochao was so nervous he didn't know what to do with himself, before finally taking pity on him and speaking.
"All right. I suppose I can forgive you."
Chaochao's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said, "I understand. I'll be good and stay with you."
"Then let's go find snails now." After saying that, he stole a glance at Gu Wancheng. When he saw him nod in agreement, he bounced with delight.
"Yay!"
Gu Wancheng chuckled and took him to look for moon snails.
"Do you know how to find them?"
Chaochao's eyes instantly went blank, and he asked in bewilderment, "Huh? How do we find them?"
"See that stretch of beach?"
"I see it."
"Look for slightly raised patches of sand, like this one. There'll be a moon snail inside."
Gu Wancheng brought Chaochao over to a little mound, pointed at it, and spoke with complete confidence.
Then he took the little shovel out of the bucket and dug into the mound, successfully scooping up a pile of sand.
Gu Wancheng: "..."
Chaochao hesitated, looking at the pile of sand, then at the suddenly silent Gu Wancheng.
"Daddy, where's the snail?"
[Hahaha, the snail probably grew legs and ran off.]
[Hahaha, stop laughing, everyone. Chengcheng's about to shatter.]
[You're laughing yourself. Why isn't Chengcheng smiling anymore?]
[Maybe he was born not liking to smile.]
[No making fun of Chengcheng. Angry.jpg]
Gu Wancheng looked at the sand he had dug up and felt suffocated. Glaring at the empty hole, he said, "This snail knows magic. It ran away. Never mind, let's find some other snails."
[Moon snail: Knows magic? Me?]
Chaochao blinked. He had just been about to say Daddy was childish-even little kids didn't believe magic existed-but his uncannily sharp intuition sealed his mouth.
Never mind. Daddy's still little. I should give him his way.
In the end, eager for results, Gu Wancheng dug up mound after mound. He spent nearly half an hour digging without finding anything.
Finally, he plopped down on the beach and gazed out at the azure sea.
[Chengcheng really is about to shatter now. My heart aches.]
[Those awful moon snails actually know magic. Now Chengcheng can't find them.]
[I'm dying. Magical moon snails.]
[Chengcheng's luck is pretty bad, huh.]
Holding his empty little bucket, Chaochao looked at Gu Wancheng sitting there. He sensed a strange atmosphere that seemed to be coming from Daddy.
If the viewers had known what he was thinking, they would definitely have told him, Your dad's probably feeling emo. It's nothing serious. He'll be fine in a bit.
Chaochao toddled over, his brows furrowed on his chubby little face, and patted Gu Wancheng's arm. "It's okay, Daddy. Let's find some other snails. We'll definitely find snails that don't know magic."
The corners of Gu Wancheng's mouth twitched wildly. His enthusiasm had been extinguished. Now he just wanted some peace and quiet.
However...
"Wancheng!" Zhao Chengyu carried a bucket that looked fairly full, his rugged face split in a toothy grin.
He looks like a complete idiot, Gu Wancheng thought listlessly.
"Wancheng, what are you doing sitting here?"
"Thinking."
[Quiet. Chengcheng's thinking.]
[Quiet. Chengcheng's grilling.]
"We haven't found any snails. Have you found any, Uncle Zhao?" Chaochao answered.
Zhao Chengyu sensed the emo atmosphere growing even thicker and felt keenly that he had come at the wrong time.
The bucket in his hand felt like an enormous weight. He hesitated over whether to leave, but finally offered a few comforting words.
"It's okay. You'll definitely find some."
No sooner had he spoken than he discovered, to his horror, that Gu Wancheng looked even more dejected. He hurriedly looked at Chaochao, hoping he would say something, but Chaochao had long since been captivated by the contents of his bucket.
"Xiaolin, can I look at the snails you found?"
"Sure."
Chaochao and Xiaolin immediately abandoned their respective fathers and gathered around the bucket.
Zhao Chengyu wanted to cry but had no tears. He didn't dare say another word, but he couldn't bear to simply leave, either, so he sat down beside Gu Wancheng.
"Wow, this snail is so cute!" Chaochao's cheerful voice rang out.
Xiaolin nodded shyly and said generously, "Then I'll give you one."
Chaochao looked at him in surprise. "Really? Thank you, Xiaolin."
Xiaolin picked a moon snail out of the bucket and placed it in Chaochao's palm. Cupping the moon snail in both hands, Chaochao ran over to Gu Wancheng.
He held the moon snail up before his eyes. "Daddy, look! A snail!"
Gu Wancheng: "Mm, I see it."
After getting a response, he showed the moon snail to Zhao Chengyu as well. "Uncle Zhao, look at the snail."
Zhao Chengyu gently patted his head. "I see it. It's very cute."
Seeing Chaochao looking so easily won over by a single moon snail, Gu Wancheng suddenly felt twice the pressure. He hadn't found a single one, and the only one they had was a gift.
Sure enough, Lady Luck always abandoned him. He wanted to give up trying. He was exhausted.
When Xu Xiashi and Mi Tu came over, they were greeted by this strange scene.
Xu Xiashi: Huh?
"What happened?"
Zhao Chengyu gave Xu Xiashi, who had just spoken, a strange look that left her baffled.
Just as she was about to speak again, Gu Wancheng suddenly stood up, clenching his fists. "I will never give up!"
With that, he turned and walked away.
Zhao Chengyu's voice came from behind him. "Wancheng."
"Leave me alone." Gu Wancheng didn't look back.
"Uh, you forgot your bucket." Zhao Chengyu meekly pointed at Gu Wancheng's bucket.
Gu Wancheng: "..." Could you please stop talking?