Niuniu Gets Lost

Ye Lin nodded in agreement and gave an awkward smile.

"Brother, you're more observant than I am. I didn't notice at all."

She turned to the little girl and put on what she thought was a gentle expression. "Little girl, what's your name? Why are you here all by yourself?"

The little girl stopped what she was doing and looked at Ye Lin, as if trying to decide whether she was a bad person. Then she glanced at the egg waffles in her hand and seemed to make a difficult decision.

"Big Sister, my name is Niuniu. I came with Daddy today, and he got a phone call just now. I was playing beside him while I waited, and then I saw they had egg waffles here, so I came over." At that point, Niuniu seemed to realize what had happened and burst into tears.

"I lost Daddy! Boo-hoo, I lost Daddy. How am I going to explain it to Big Yellow when I get back? Daddy is Big Yellow's favorite."

Ye Lin asked, puzzled, "Niuniu, who's Big Yellow? Your grandpa?"

"No, Big Yellow is my doggy. He's super cute!" Niuniu said seriously.

Ye Lin couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. The way children's minds worked was beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

"Niuniu, how about I help you find your daddy?"

"Okay. Thank you, Big Sister. You're so pretty and kind. Big Yellow and I will both be grateful to you."

"Oh, Niuniu, you're such an honest child. I like you so much."

Listening to their conversation, Ye Feng fought to hold back his laughter. His little sister was just like a child herself, a real clown.

"Niuniu, where did you get separated from your daddy?" Ye Feng asked gently.

Niuniu lowered her head and thought for a moment. "Big Brother, all I know is there was a big Mickey Mouse and a big drum next to it. I was playing over there, and a big brother hit the drum. It scared me, so I ran far, far away, and then I couldn't find my way back."

Ye Feng thought for a moment, but nothing came to mind. He went over to a nearby map of Yansha Town and studied it carefully. It should have been the square between the clothing and food districts. Besides, the town's service center was there too, so they could ask the staff for help.

"Little sis, let's go to the square and help Niuniu find her dad. She probably got lost there."

Holding Niuniu's hand, Ye Lin followed Ye Feng toward the little square.

"Big Sister, this is the place! That's the Mickey Mouse. I was playing right here."

The three of them began searching the area. They checked everywhere, from the nearby shops to the restrooms, but couldn't find Niuniu's father.

Niuniu's eyes gradually reddened, and tears welled up, threatening to spill over. The sight made the brother and sister's hearts ache.

"Don't cry, Niuniu. I have another way."

"Big Brother, what other way? Daddy's lost. Will he go hungry? Will he be mad at Niuniu? Niuniu shouldn't have run off. Boo-hoo-hoo..."

"Don't cry, Niuniu. How about we get more people to help you find your daddy?"

When Niuniu gradually stopped crying, the siblings took her to the Yansha Town service center and explained the situation to a staff member. The staff member took it seriously, comforted Niuniu, and used a walkie-talkie to contact the town's broadcasting system.

The staff member told Niuniu they would use the broadcast to look for her father. Soon, an announcement looking for Niuniu's father rang out across the town.

Not long afterward, a man around thirty-five, wearing a blue shirt and black dress pants, came running over. When he saw Niuniu, a look of relief appeared on his face. She quickly walked over to Niuniu and held her tightly.

"Niuniu, I'm sorry. It was Daddy's fault. I didn't notice you were gone. Damn me. Can you forgive Daddy?"

Niuniu looked excited too. In her mind, different from those of other children, she was surrounded by love. Perhaps it was deliberate love, perhaps it was genuine love, but none of that mattered.

"Daddy, Niuniu lost you. Don't cry, Daddy. Didn't Niuniu find you again? If Daddy got lost, not only would Niuniu be very sad, Big Yellow would be very sad too."

Watching Niuniu's father hold her tightly, Ye Feng was touched. The man was in his thirties, yet white hairs had sprung up at his temples like bamboo shoots after rain. Perhaps he, too, was a man with a story.

"Daddy, Big Brother and Pretty Big Sister helped me find you. They were so nice to Niuniu. They gave Niuniu egg waffles and helped Niuniu find Daddy. Niuniu likes them so much."

The man came up to the siblings and bowed deeply. "Thank you both for helping me find Niuniu. I, Ye Wuhen, have no way to repay you. Please accept my bow."

Seeing how solemn Ye Wuhen was, Ye Feng stopped his sister from intervening and accepted the bow.

"Brother Ye, I'm Ye Feng. I can't accept such a grand gesture. Niuniu got along well with my sister and me, and it was fate that brought us together today. I wonder if you have time for me to find a place where we can have a chat?"

"I have no way to repay your great kindness today. I'll leave everything to you, Brother Ye."

Ye Feng and the others arrived at the East Lake Hotel. When the hotel manager, Chen Tai, saw Ye Feng, he immediately came over to greet him.

"Young Master Ye, you're here. I offended you earlier today. Please make yourself at home today. I'll take care of everything to make amends."

Seeing how humble he was, Ye Feng knew that if he didn't accept, Chen Tai wouldn't be at ease. After all, he was one of Brother Qian's men, and there was no need to keep holding on to a small matter. So he said, "Manager Chen, let's leave today's incident in the past. I'm just having a simple meal with my friends today. Just arrange a private room for us."

Hearing Ye Feng's words, the stone weighing on Chen Tai's heart finally dropped. He had been afraid Ye Feng wouldn't accept.

"Young Master Ye, don't worry. I'll make sure everything is properly arranged today."

The four went to a private room, and soon after they sat down, the dishes began to arrive. Niuniu's eyes lit up at the sight of the various top-quality dishes on the table. There were many ingredients she had never even seen before. Seeing this, Ye Wuhen looked embarrassed, while Ye Lin tactfully moved to Niuniu's side, and the two ate to their hearts' content.

Seeing how ill at ease Ye Wuhen was, Ye Feng said, "Brother Ye, shall we have a drink?"

"I don't usually drink, but after the great kindness you've shown me today, I'll risk my life to drink with you!"

As they exchanged toasts, when both were well into their cups, Ye Feng voiced the questions on his mind.

"Brother Ye, I have two questions, but I don't know whether I should ask."

Ye Wuhen's hand paused as he reached for some food. He said slowly, "Little brother, you want to ask about Niuniu's mother and why I speak in an old-fashioned manner, don't you?"

Ye Feng nodded. Since meeting Niuniu today, he hadn't heard her mention her mother. She had only ever talked about her father and Big Yellow. And someone in his thirties like Ye Wuhen shouldn't have spoken like a man of ancient times. Though he didn't use archaic particles, he was still like someone who had stepped out of history.