Chapter 29: I don't want to talk to dad
Each flag was marked with a number.
After completing the construction of the sand fortresses, Xia Nuo began to explain in detail the purpose of each base to Fang You.
"This is base number 1, used to store our spaceships. If we have new astronauts joining us later, we\'ll have them park their spaceships in this base," said Xia Nuo.
"I see," Fang You replied.
"This place is very important. When we return to Blue Planet, we\'ll need to take the spaceship back."
Xia Nuo emphasized this point before continuing the introduction of the sand dune fortress in the middle.
"Base number 2 is the living base where we\'ll sleep at night," said Xia Nuo.
"What else can we do besides sleep?" Fang You asked.
"We can... um, watch TV, eat food, go to the restroom, and there\'s also a recreation room specifically for playing with toys and relaxing," Xia Nuo answered.
"Is there no drum set?" Fang You asked.
After thinking for a moment, Xia Nuo replied, "We can\'t bring drum sets into space yet, but I can apply to the higher-ups to see if we can take one."
"Wait a minute... isn\'t there no sound in space?" Fang You remembered.
"There can be sound inside the bases! Because, because there\'s oxygen inside," Xia Nuo explained seriously.
"With oxygen there\'s sound!"
"I\'ve got it," Fang You said.
Pointing to the outermost sand dune fortress, Fang You asked, "What\'s base number 3 for?"
"Base number 3 is our garage, specially for storing our vital exploration vehicles!" Xia Nuo exclaimed.
Xia Nuo took out a space drilling vehicle and an excavator from the toy box behind her, placing them on the sand.
"You You, you\'ll be in charge of operating this excavator, and I\'ll drive the drilling vehicle. Then we can start investigating this planet," Xia Nuo declared.
"I see, I see... What does \'investigate\' specifically entail?" asked Fang You.
"Investigating means... driving around whoosh—bang!" Xia Nuo illustrated with sound effects.
Xia Nuo slipped off her shoes and carefully stepped onto the sand, then passed the remote control for the excavator to Fang You.
"Here, this is my new excavator. It\'s yours to play with," she offered.
Fang You received Xia Nuo\'s remote control, his face lighting up with extreme curiosity.
This excavator was simultaneously equipped with both a bulldozer blade and a dump truck bed, capable not only of controlled movement but also of transforming.
Wow, this toy is pretty sophisticated!
Engrossed in the joy of operating the excavator, Fang You caught Xia Anyang\'s watchful eye.
[Xia Anyang feels sorry that you don\'t have your own toys, Emotional Energy +3]
Huh?
Fang You suddenly received a surge of energy from Xia Anyang, and it made him feel a bit uncomfortable.
Hmph, it\'s not like I don\'t have money!
I\'ll have my dad buy me... an operable excavator to play with tomorrow!
Fang You reveled in the happiness of exploring the early sandbox construction with Xia Nuo.
Seeing the two children playing closely in the sand, Xia Anyang\'s mood became subtly complex.
Having spent a lot of time with You You, why does it seem like my daughter\'s behavior is becoming more and more like a boy\'s?
While Xia Anyang was reflecting on this, Xia Nuo had already plopped down on the sand to play with the vehicles.
"Nuo Nuo, don\'t lie in the sand; it\'s too dirty," warned Xia Anyang.
"I know."
"Get up quickly; you\'re getting filthy."
"Oh…"
Dad can be so annoying.
Xia Nuo, reluctant to comply, brushed off the sand from her body and was about to stand up when she saw Xia Anyang moving her carefully arranged space bases and quickly reached out to stop him:
"Dad, don\'t mess with it!"
Slapping Xia Anyang\'s hand away, Xia Nuo said earnestly, "This is the space base that You You and I have built."
"Then, can\'t Dad come to visit the base?" Xia Anyang asked with a frown.
"No!"
Xia Nuo shook her head vigorously. "Dad, you\'re too old; our selection of astronauts is very strict."
"Ah? Where is Dad old?" Xia Anyang protested, clearly unhappy.
"Dad is still young!"
"We\'re talking about when we become astronauts! By then, Dad will be very old," Xia Nuo clarified.
Managing her fingers, Xia Nuo pointed randomly at some to show her dad, "By then, Dad will already be this old!"
Seeing Xia Anyang\'s slightly aggrieved expression, Xia Nuo frowned in thought for a while.
"Well... how about this, in twenty years, when ordinary people can also travel to the stars, I\'ll invite you to visit the base You You and I have built!" she proposed.
"Does it have to be twenty years?"
"If Dad worries about being too old to move by then, you can go sleep in a refrigerator," Xia Nuo suggested. "You You said that way, you won\'t get old!"
"Ah... I see," Xia Anyang understood, then shot Fang You a glance, who felt instantly uneasy.
What I said was a cryogenic sleep pod, not a refrigerator!
The grand space construction project orchestrated by Fang You and Xia Nuo soon attracted many children\'s curiosity, drawing a crowd eager to join in.
Following Fang You\'s suggestion, Xia Nuo warmly welcomed everyone and assigned each child a task.
"You\'ll be astronaut number 3, in charge of farming back home. Plant more potatoes," she instructed.
"Can I fish? I don\'t want to farm, farming is so tiring."
"There\'s no oxygen in space, fish can\'t survive there. When Emperor Youyou digs out Base Four with his excavator later on, I\'ll send you there to fish."
"Okay!"
"Then, can my ultimate Dragon God join in the battle with you?"
Xia Nuo, very serious, "We\'re building a space base, not acting out a cartoon. Can you be a little less childish, please?"
"Fine, then it\'s no fun. I\'m outta here."
The little boy waved his Dragon God in hand and flew off somewhere else.
Fang You practiced with the excavator while absorbing Emotional Energy from the new friends he had just made.
Even though they were kids from the neighborhood whose names he couldn\'t fully recall, they all quickly gathered to play together, following Xia Nuo and Fang You\'s lead.
[Wang Shiyu is impressed by how professional you are with the excavator, Emotional Energy +2]
[Feng Yunsheng thinks you\'re very handsome and wants to be friends with you, Emotional Energy +3]
[Jiang Si thinks your excavator is cool and wants to play with it, Emotional Energy +4]
After a while, a stylishly dressed young lady passed by the children\'s playground.
She was taking selfies at first but started to circle around Xia Nuo and Fang You when she noticed them, her face full of joy.
Xia Anyang was the first to strike up a conversation with her. "Hello, is there something you need?"
"Eh... You two are those internet child stars, Nuo Bao Strawberry Jam and Emperor Youyou, right? So you live in this neighborhood? Hey, hey, I\'m a fan of you both! Can I take a picture with the kids?"
"Sure, sure!"
Xia Nuo was about to go forward, but her father interrupted, pulling Xia Nuo into his arms with a smile and said:
"I\'m sorry, but today isn\'t very convenient..."
Xia Anyang politely declined the lady\'s request for a photo, and she could only leave disappointedly.
However, this made Xia Nuo somewhat reluctant, tugging at Xia Anyang\'s arm and asking, "Huh? Daddy, why won\'t you let me take a photo with the lady?"
"We don\'t let you take photos with strangers to protect you. What if everyone knows where we live..."
"But, I just wanted to take a picture with that lady... She\'s not a bad person!"
"You can\'t judge a person just by their appearance; you\'re still young now, but when you grow up you\'ll—"
"I hate daddy, hmph!"
Xia Nuo stuck her tongue out at Xia Anyang, causing him to frown. "Nuo Nuo, is that any way to behave?"
Xia Nuo, arms akimbo, faced Xia Anyang with defiance, "Daddy, go away, I won\'t let you be the boss anymore!"
"Throwing a tantrum at daddy?" Xia Anyang said with a frown.
"I will throw a tantrum, I will!" Xia Nuo waved her fists in protest. "I won\'t be good!"
"If you\'re not good, daddy won\'t play with you anymore."
"Then don\'t play with me!"
Suddenly, Xia Nuo hugged Fang You who was nearby, "I have Youyou to play with me!"
Ah... no good.
This little girl, relying on having friends to back her up, wasn\'t afraid of daddy at all…
I have to discipline her properly...
Xia Anyang forcefully picked up Xia Nuo and then said to Fang You:
"Youyou, just stay here and don\'t run around, Uncle Xia needs to talk to Nuo Nuo…"
"I won\'t talk to daddy, I don\'t want to talk to daddy!"
Xia Nuo struggled within Xia Anyang\'s embrace, seemingly trying to escape her father\'s control.
Father and daughter were at odds...
Although Uncle Xia\'s need for control might be a bit strong, he was rightly concerned about not wanting his daughter\'s personal information to get leaked.
Of course, Nuo Nuo doesn\'t understand these things now, Uncle Xia still needs to explain things properly to her.
In any case, I should just watch the situation for now...
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind Fang You.
"Youyou, why are you playing here all by yourself?"
It was his mother, Chen Xuan.
She had just gotten off work, her bag on her shoulder, and looked surprised. "Where\'s your dad?"
"Ah... Daddy is resting at home."
Fang You said, "So, I came down to play by myself."
Chen Xuan\'s brow immediately knotted, "Hm? You mean he let you, a 4-year-old, play down here by yourself while he\'s sleeping comfortably at home?"
"..."
Fang You wore an expression that read \'I\'d rather not say\'.
I didn\'t even mention my dad\'s losing streak in the rankings; in a sense, I\'m already a dutiful son, right?
By the way, I wonder if doing this will let me gain any Emotional Energy from dad...
And at that moment, Xia Nuo suddenly came running up, hugged Chen Xuan\'s thighs, and buried herself between her legs without saying a word.
"Ah... What\'s the matter, Nuo Nuo? Why do you look so upset?"
Chen Xuan picked up Xia Nuo to comfort her, and Xia Nuo nestled in Chen Xuan\'s arms, pouting and murmuring:
"Aunt Chen, can I go to your house today?"
Xia Nuo bit her lip, looking utterly pitiful, and then added:
"I, I don\'t want daddy anymore!"
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