It was the third Sunday of June.
For Huo Xiaozheng, the most special thing about this day was that his daughter had left him to happily play with her aunt.
While working overtime at the company, in the midst of his busy schedule, he wondered if Ningning had eaten properly.
Would Huo Jing be able to take good care of a 6-year-old child?
During the half-hour lunch break, Huo Xiaozheng lay down in his rest room, which he hadn't used in a long time.
The bed sheets were no longer cool-toned, but a warm yellow that children liked. At the head of the bed, two of Ningning's favorite stuffed toys lay scattered about.
On the bedside table, Ningning's favorite anime character water bottle sat quietly, its lid left open.
Huo Xiaozheng thought to himself that next time, he should tell Ningning to put away her things properly.
Yet his actions were honest as he arranged the stuffed toys neatly and closed the bottle lid.
At dinnertime, Ningning called him, asking when he would be home.
Huo Xiaozheng was caught up in a project at the time, and Ningning's call made him look up at the sky, only to realize it was already quite late.
"Daddy's a bit busy today. Would you mind having dinner with auntie?" Huo Xiaozheng remembered his tone, deliberately suppressing his anxious mood, but still sounding a bit rushed.
Ningning paused for a few seconds on the other end of the line, then very neatly said "okay," and even reminded him to eat on time.
Then, she hung up the phone.
Huo Xiaozheng stood stunned with his phone for a few seconds, then quickened his pace at work.
Rushing as fast as he could, he made it home right at ten o'clock.
Until he opened the bedroom door, he hadn't realized that today was Father's Day, and that Ningning had even prepared gifts for him.
The scene that greeted him upon opening the door was one he had never imagined.
He accepted the cake from Ningning's hands in a rare moment of bewilderment, watching as she hopped about like a little rabbit, proudly presenting him with two gift boxes.
Huo Xiaozheng's throat felt a bit dry: "Is this... for me?"
Huo Guining nodded matter-of-factly.
She tugged at Huo Xiaozheng's clothes, and they sat down on the sofa in the room.
Huo Xiaozheng tasted the cake; it was vanilla mousse, with a light, subtle sweetness.
"It's delicious," Huo Xiaozheng commented.
Huo Guining beamed with joy: "I specially asked the shop assistant to choose one that wasn't too sweet!"
Before Huo Xiaozheng could respond, she urged him to open the gifts.
Huo Xiaozheng put the cake aside, his hands unusually nervous as he held the gift boxes.
He opened the smaller one first. It was an entry-level watch from Gucci, not expensive, but with a simple, elegant design.
At this point, Huo Guining became a bit shy: "When I have more money in the future, I'll buy you an even better one..."
Huo Xiaozheng mistakenly thought she was reluctant to use her own savings to buy a more expensive gift, but he still graciously accepted her gesture: "Thank you for the gift, Ningning. Daddy likes it very much."
Huo Guining breathed a sigh of relief and urged him to open the second gift box.
It was a painting.
Huo Xiaozheng unwrapped the surface paper, revealing the full view of the painting.
It was a portrait of Huo Xiaozheng.
In the painting, Huo Xiaozheng sat behind a huge desk, his expression serious. The golden-orange sunset fell on his brow and eyes, adding a touch of gentleness.
"Did you paint this?" Huo Xiaozheng asked, immediately realizing it was a silly question.
Ningning's English signature lay quietly in the bottom right corner of the painting.
Huo Guining nodded without hesitation: "Yes, but I'm not very good at painting people, so it's not that good..."
She leaned in closer, showing a slightly dissatisfied expression: "The lines aren't handled very well, and the light and shadow..."
Huo Xiaozheng interrupted her with a smile: "It's painted very well. Daddy likes it very much."
Huo Guining's brow relaxed, and she said happily: "I'm glad you like it, hehe!"
Huo Xiaozheng's lips moved: "Did you go shopping today just to buy me gifts?"
Huo Guining nodded: "I wanted to give you a surprise."
"I could have come back at noon, but my painting also needed to be framed, so time dragged on, and it got a bit late." At this, Huo Guining asked alertly: "Dad, did you eat on time?"
Huo Xiaozheng chuckled and hummed an affirmative: "Of course."
Huo Guining was relieved. She jumped off the sofa and walked towards the bathroom: "I'm going to wash up now. I'm a bit tired after shopping all day."
The corners of Huo Xiaozheng's mouth turned up slightly as he picked up the cake and ate it bit by bit.
He didn't like sweets, but this cake was surprisingly to his liking.
'Buzz...'
His phone vibrated.
It was a message from Huo Jing.
"Did you receive the surprise?"
Huo Xiaozheng lounged comfortably on the sofa: "I did. Two of them."
Huo Jing: ...No need to show off, okay? I spent the whole day with Ningning, do you think I don't know you got two gifts?
She replied: "It's indeed worth being proud of. Ningning emptied her savings to buy you that watch."
Huo Xiaozheng sat up straighter: "What do you mean by 'emptied her savings'?"
Huo Jing gloated: "You don't know? Ningning sold two of her paintings to save up for your watch."
Huo Xiaozheng frowned and called her directly: "What did you mean by what you just said?"
Huo Jing briefly explained what had happened, and ended with a tease: "Ningning is only 6 years old and already knows how to earn money to support her dad. I'm so envious."
Huo Xiaozheng coldly replied: "You can't be envious of this."
The call ended.
Huo Jing: ...Not to say anything, but is something wrong with this guy? Why is he repaying kindness with enmity??
Huo Guining came out of the bathroom and was met with Huo Xiaozheng's beaming face.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
Huo Xiaozheng walked up to her, crouched down, and hugged her tightly.
So tightly that Huo Guining almost suffocated.
Fortunately, Huo Xiaozheng quickly let her go.
"Nothing's wrong. Daddy is just... too happy to receive your gifts!" Huo Xiaozheng explained, composing himself.
Huo Guining: "Oh, I'm glad you're happy."
That night, the family group chat was buzzing with messages as Huo Xiaozheng showcased the gifts he received from all angles, in full detail.
Before long, Huo Yueze exercised his group admin powers and kicked Huo Xiaozheng out of the family group chat.
Huo Xiaozheng tossed his phone onto the bedside table, walked to Ningning's small bed, and ruffled her hair.
Ningning, sound asleep, dreamed that she was being pestered by an annoying monkey. In her frustration, she swung her hand and slapped the monkey across the face.
...His daughter was just swatting at mosquitoes. This damned June weather.
Huo Xiaozheng convinced himself.