13. Do not think of returning empty-handed.

Xiao Bai sat on a small stool, clutching a glass jar, her little head tilted as she observed Zhang Tan pacing back and forth in the room. Seeing that he wasn't heading to the kitchen, she asked curiously, "Uncle, why aren't you making any grub?"

Zhang Tan glanced at the clock on the wall and replied, "It's already nine o'clock. I've already eaten."

"Oh." Xiao Bai nodded slightly, then suddenly remembered something and said unhappily, "Then why won't you play with me? What's your deal?"

Previously, Zhang Tan had used the excuse of not having eaten to avoid playing soccer with her.

"Emmmm~~~~"

"What 'emmm'? Speak up! How are we going to do this?"

How to do this? Why did it feel like she was holding him accountable? Was she expecting some kind of compensation?

"...I'm sorry," Zhang Tan confessed. "I lied. It's actually just too late, and it's dark outside. How about this? I'll play soccer with you tomorrow."

Xiao Bai was stunned by his words, looking at his face with curiosity. This was the first time an adult had apologized to her. Wasn't "sorry" something only kids said?

"Oh. Alright then, don't you go lying to me."

"I promise I won't lie to you. By the way, do you like playing forward?"

Xiao Bai was confused. "What? A bee? Like a buzzing bee?"

She was a total soccer novice. Zhang Tan decided not to complicate things for her. "How about I play goalkeeper tomorrow, and you take the shots? How does that sound?"

Xiao Bai understood that. She said confidently, "Don't you go joking around. Kicking the ball is my specialty. Don't go blaming me if I hurt you~"

Zhang Tan laughed. "I definitely won't blame you. Bring it on."

"Bring what on?"

"...A horse."

"Why would I bring a horse? Bring a puppy instead."

"..."

She had a point.

Zhang Tan took some grapes out of the refrigerator, washed them, placed them on a small plate, and brought them to Xiao Bai, offering her some.

Xiao Bai glanced at them quickly but didn't move. Instead, she held up the glass jar and asked, "Uncle, do you still want to see my dragonfly?"

"A dragonfly? No, I'm good. You keep it."

"Then I'll let the dragonfly go."

She stood up and asked Zhang Tan if she could go to his balcony. After receiving permission, she walked over with the jar, reached her little hand inside, gently caught the dragonfly, held it in her palm, and released it.

Zhang Tan asked curiously, "Don't you like the dragonfly?"

Xiao Bai watched until the dragonfly flew far away and disappeared before reluctantly returning to the room. She replied, "I'll catch it again tomorrow."

"Then why did you let it go?"

"Let the dragonfly go find its mommy. It needs to go night-night."

"...Fair enough."

"Bye~"

"Huh? What for?"

"I'm leaving now, bye~"

She really did come and go in a rush.

Zhang Tan offered a polite invitation: "Stay a little longer."

Xiao Bai put on the small shoes left by the door, saying she was busy and had to go play with the other children.

"Then take some grapes with you."

"No, no, I won't."

"Just have a little. I prepared them for you. Are you going to disrespect me like that?"

This child always refused his treats, which made him feel a bit frustrated. Was he not being enthusiastic enough? Today, he had to be as enthusiastic as fire.

"No, no, I won't."

"Just have a little, come on, here."

"This doesn't feel right~~~~"

"What's not right about it? Come on, give me some face."

He was even starting to adopt her Sichuan accent.

He enthusiastically poured the grapes from the small plate into a plastic container and shoved it into Xiao Bai's hands. She had to take it; there was no way she was leaving empty-handed.

Seeing how persistent Zhang Tan was, Xiao Bai didn't want to dampen his spirits.

"This doesn't feel right~~~ I'll take them back for the other kids to eat."

She took the container and said, "There's so many! This doesn't feel right~~~"

"There's nothing wrong with it. It's perfectly fine."

"How should I thank you?"

She asked this very seriously.

"How about you sing me a song?"

Xiao Bai didn't shy away at all and started right away.

"Tang Seng rides a horse, dong-da-dong, Sun Wukong follows behind. Sun Wukong, runs so fast, the pig monster follows behind..."

She finished the Sichuan folk tune.

"Is that okay?" Xiao Bai asked.

"It's great, it sounds lovely."

Zhang Tan walked her to the door and said worriedly, "Let me walk you downstairs. Take it slow."

Xiao Bai asked, "Are there ghosts?"

"..." Zhang Tan broke into a sweat. "Not exactly."

Hearing there were no ghosts, Xiao Bai immediately waved for him to go back, saying she wasn't afraid of ghosts anyway. What did she have to fear?

Zhang Tan, having heard from the security guard, Old Li, that she liked to sneak off to play in the courtyard, didn't feel at ease until he handed her over to Teacher Xiao Liu.

Back home, Zhang Tan saw the small slippers neatly arranged in the corner of the entryway, completely untouched.

Little Xiao Bai was so well-behaved. Well, provided she wasn't throwing a tantrum, swearing, or getting into a fight.

The room was air-conditioned, so Zhang Tan closed the balcony windows. Suddenly, he noticed a dragonfly resting on the balcony—the very same one Xiao Bai had released.

Why didn't it listen to her and go find its mommy?

He turned off the main lights, leaving only the spotlight above the sofa on. He rested his laptop on his knees and pulled up a newly released film he’d seen an advertisement for on the subway the day before; it looked intense.

If only he had a projector to cast the film onto the wall, it would be much better than being limited to an 18-inch laptop screen.

The movie was titled "The Chaser," an action-packed, modern martial arts film.

Zhang Tan didn't watch it immediately. Instead, he checked the real-time box office. Five days since its release, it had already grossed over one billion. It was undoubtedly the box office bomb of the summer, kicking off a thrilling season.

The box office wasn't Zhang Tan's focus; the reviews were. The most liked review was titled: "A Tribute to Traditional Martial Arts Cinema: Both Inherited and Innovative."

Below it was another: "(Contains Spoilers, View with Caution): A New Height for Aesthetic Violence."

Zhang Tan clicked on the second one without hesitation. He had a habit of wanting to know the ending first; otherwise, he felt uncomfortable, like a cat with an itch. He even had the urge to skip to the last five minutes of the movie to see the ending before starting from the beginning.

The review suggested that "The Chaser" could be an Oscar contender.

Zhang Tan curled his lip and read three more reviews. Having gained a general impression of the film, he finally started the movie, went full-screen, and plugged in his speakers.

An hour and a half later, the movie ended. Zhang Tan sat up, put the laptop on the coffee table, skipped to the 70-minute mark, and watched the climax again.

"The Chaser" was indeed excellent. Its pacing was masterful, making one's blood boil. It was a popcorn movie with real substance and plenty of thrills.

Zhang Tan classified it as a popcorn movie.

As for the reviews claiming it could contend for an Oscar, Zhang Tan thought that was pure nonsense.

He recalled the high-rated reviews he’d read; they either missed the point or stayed on the surface. His fingers itched, and he couldn't help but want to vent. He sat back at his desk, tapped on his keyboard, and wrote a short review of less than a thousand words. He registered a new account with the handle "Breathtaking" and posted it on the review site.

He closed his laptop. The clock on the wall pointed to 11 o'clock. He poured a glass of water, went out, and headed downstairs. Most of the children were asleep in the second-floor dorms, but a few were still lingering in the first-floor activity area.

Xiao Bai was among them.

Zhang Tan found her in the reading area.

She was sitting in a corner, her shadow cast at her feet. An illustrated book was spread across her lap, her elbows propped on her knees, her little face resting in her palms. Her ear-length hair hung down naturally, obscuring her face, making it impossible to tell if she was reading or dozing off.

Hearing footsteps, Xiao Bai looked up, revealing her face. Her eyes were bright and alert. Seeing it was Zhang Tan, she waved happily and asked if he could read the story in the book to her.

"You should be sleeping," Zhang Tan said.

"The Windmill and Afo, it's really good. Uncle, read it and then Xiao Bai will go night-night, okay?"

Alright. Zhang Tan took the book and opened it to the cover. What "Windmill and Afo"? It was clearly "Frederick."

"Where did you leave off? I'll continue."

Xiao Bai shook her head, smiling without a word, revealing her two rows of white, milky teeth.

"Hmm?"

"I didn't read it. Xiao Bai doesn't know how to read."

"...??"

She really knew how to make excuses. It was very late, and Zhang Tan didn't want to waste time. He opened one of the short stories, "Collecting Sunlight," and began:

"Winter had arrived, and the little field mice were all preparing. Some were hoarding corn, others rice..."

Xiao Bai interrupted: "Corn is maize."

"..." Zhang Tan nodded. "Yes, corn is also called maize. Some were hoarding crackers, only..."

Xiao Bai interrupted again, this time in full Sichuan dialect: "You're the corn, and I'm the little silk on the top of the corn."

"..." Zhang Tan was full of questions. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"E-e-e~~"

Xiao Bai laughed like a goose, shaking her head. "Uncle, keep reading."

Zhang Tan stared at her suspiciously, feeling like she had just insulted him. No, he would have to look it up online later. Not knowing Sichuan dialect was such a disadvantage.

"All the little mice were working, except for Frederick, who seemed to be preparing nothing at all, only collecting sunlight, air, and colors. Later, when winter really arrived and the little mice were hiding in their homes without sunlight or color, Frederick began to tell them about the sunlight and the colors, making everyone feel very warm..."

"Alright, finished. Sleep!"

Zhang Tan put the book away, giving Xiao Bai no chance to argue, tucked it back into the bookshelf, and took her back to the dorm.

"Uncle~"

"Hmm?"

"I'm not called Xiao Bai anymore."

"Huh?"

"Xiao Bai is called Afo."

She immediately pulled her hand away and scampered off.

Zhang Tan thought she had changed her mind about sleeping and followed her, only to see her returning with the plastic container.

"Uncle, for you!"

She shoved the container into Zhang Tan's hands.

It was a disposable container that could be thrown away after use, but Xiao Bai hadn't thrown it away—she had washed it until it looked brand new.

"Were the grapes good?"

Xiao Bai nodded. "So sweet. The little goobers loved them. Thank you, Uncle."

"If you like them, come back tomorrow. I have plenty more."

Xiao Bai said shyly, "That doesn't feel right~~~~"